Featured Ministry: Tactical Faith

How can we get apologetics into the local church? There are various ways. But if you want to get behind an organization whose whole purpose is to equip the local church with apologetics resources, events, and speakers, then consider supporting Tactical Faith. (Listen to an interview with Matthew Burford, the president and founder.) This organization is helping to seed future growth of apologetics in the local church.

Check out Tactical Faith here.

Apologist Interview: Brian Auten

Today's interview is with Brian Auten, interviewed by the blogger WinteryKnight about topics and ideas in apologetics. WinteryKnight's blog focuses on worldview, marriage and chastity, politics, and apologetics.

Questions for WK:
• Why not use your real name?
• What's the focus on WinteryKnight.com?
• What's your goal in interviewing Brian?

Questions for Brian:
• How did you come to be in Northern Ireland?
• How did you get interested in apologetics?
• What would you do with unlimited funding to propagate apologetics resources?
• What arguments are the most persuasive for you?
• What arguments should we use with others?
• Do we need a million "one dollar" apologists, or one "million-dollar" apologist?
• How important do you think it is for apologists to focus on scientific evidences?
• How can the lay person get up to speed on these evidences?
• What's the best way to make the case for the resurrection?
• Use a sledgehammer approach, or a velvet glove approach?
• What about psychological reasons for rejecting the arguments ?
• How does apologetics benefit Christians?
• What about dealing with fear when speaking with people?
• What are the unique resources on the blog?

Full Interview MP3 Audio here (55 min)

Thanks to WK for doing the interview!
Enjoy.

John Warwick Montgomery on the New Testament

“To be skeptical of the resultant text of the New Testament books is to allow all of classical antiquity to slip into obscurity, for no documents of the ancient period are as well attested bibliographically as the New Testament.”

- John Warwick Montgomery
History and Christianity, p. 29.

Apologetics315 Book Review Team

Do you read a lot of books? Are you a good writer? Do you review the books that you read? Do you find book reviews extremely helpful?
Apologetics315 is building a team of book reviewers, for the purpose of posting a larger number of quality reviews of apologetics-related books. Would you like to be considered as a possible reviewer? If so, this is your opportunity to apply for the role. To begin the application process, click the link below to fill out the online form.

Yes, I'd like to be a book reviewer for Apologetics315.
Thanks!

Weekly Apologetics Bonus Links (08/19 - 08/26)

Here are this week's recommended apologetics links. Enjoy.
• Q&A with Lee Strobel
• Was Hitler a Christian?
• Did Jesus Really Exist?
• What Happened to Galileo?
• Think Christianly fan page
• Atheist Delusions: Book Review
• What in the World Is a Worldview?
• Scaling The Secular City: A Brief Overview
• Want to get apologetics into the University?
• What if? The “Job Answer” to the Problem of Evil
• Sources for Nero and the Reliability of the Gospels
• How pro-life apologetics helps strengthen your evangelism
• Douglas Groothuis interviewed about Rob Bell's "Love Wins" MP3
• Lee Strobel interviews Paul Copan on "Is God a Moral Monster?"
• Fox News: cowardly atheists refuse to debate William Lane Craig
• Miracles (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy) by Timothy McGrew
• William Lane Craig's Favorite Philosopher, Debate, and Books (MP3)
• Historian James Hannam debunks myths about Christianity and science
• Frank Turek interviews Jonathan Wells on the Myth of Junk DNA (MP3)
• A Worldview Rationale for Biblical Morality (Audio interview with Nancy Pearcey)

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Apologetics315 Youtube Channel

Apologetics315 now has a YouTube channel. Here you can find original content produced by Apologetics315, including the Apologetics Interviews Podcast episodes. This makes it even easier to browse the content and share it with friends. More content will continue to be added to this channel, so subscribe to it today.

Check out the YouTube Channel here.

Enjoy.

The Minimal Facts Approach to the Resurrection MP3

Resurrection scholars Gary Habermas and Michael Licona have popularized an approach for arguing for the resurrection of Jesus Christ using a small number of facts that are almost universally accepted by scholars specializing in the relevant historical fields. (See The Case for the Resurrection of Jesus) In this audio (from the Berretta blog and Say Hello to My Little Friend podcast) Christian philosopher Glenn Peoples presents the minimal facts approach in a clear and thorough manner.

Full MP3 Audio here. (64 min)

Enjoy.

You may also enjoy this interview with Glenn Peoples.

William Lane Craig vs. Herb Silverman Debate: Does God Exist? MP3 Audio

In this audio from the University of North Carolina Wilmington on March 23, 2010, William Lane Craig and Herb Silverman debate the topic: Does God Exist? Herb Silverman is is Distinguished Professor of Mathematics at the College of Charleston. William Lane Craig is Research Professor of Philosophy at Talbot School of Theology in La Mirada, California. Be sure to subscribe to the William Lane Craig audio debate feed here. Video of this debate here. (HT: drcraigvideos)

Full Debate MP3 Audio here. (2.5hr)

Enjoy.

Astrophysicist Interview: Jeff Zweerink

Today's interview is with astrophysicist Jeff Zweerink. Jeff is a research scholar with Reasons to Believe, and serves part-time on the physics and astronomy research faculty at UCLA. He is author of Who's Afraid of the Multiverse?, the main topic of our interview today. He talks about his background and how he got into astrophysics, scientific evidences pointing to God, the role of natural theology, the strongest (and weakest) arguments from science, the multiverse, the various types of multiverses, why scientists postulate the multiverse, various objections to the multiverse, should Christians, how to be well-informed in scientific evidences, advice for apologists, and more.

Full Interview MP3 Audio here (55 min)

Check out Who's Afraid of the Multiverse? here. More at Reasons.org.

Enjoy.
Subscribe to the Apologetics 315 Interviews podcast here or in iTunes.

B.B. Warfield on Revelation

"Without special revelation, general revelation would be for sinful men incomplete and ineffective. … Without general revelation, special revelation would lack that basis in the fundamental knowledge of God as the mighty and wise, righteous and good, maker and ruler of all things."

- B. B. Warfield
The Inspiration and Authority of the Bible

Book Review: Seven Days that Divide the World by John Lennox

Seven Days that Divide the World: The Beginning According to Genesis and Science by John C. Lennox addresses that controversial subject of the age of the earth. However, Lennox’s gracious manner goes a long way to avoid stirring the pot of controversy. Instead, Lennox writes five chapters to explain the controversy, apply principles of biblical interpretation, interpret the Genesis days, discuss the origin of humans, and explore the relevance of Genesis. It should be noted that the author emphasizes that this book is not meant to be exhaustive, but a response to the many questions he has received over the years.

Weekly Apologetics Bonus Links (08/12 - 08/19)

Here are this week's recommended apologetics links. Enjoy.
• Apologetics of Love
• The Four Big Bangs
• God's Infinite Thoughts
• Straight Thinking Highlights
• The Trinity’s Biblical Basis
• An Apologist in Every Church
• Love Your Neighbor, the Atheist
• Could a universe create itself?
• Free Online ESV Student Study Bible
• Defending Christianity is Not Enough
• Atheists decline Oxford debate on God
• What’s Wrong With The Zeitgeist Movie?
• Christianity Not a Source of Violence
• Get the Latest Issue of Philosophia Christi
• Mathematicians & Philosophers: Blaise Pascal
• William Lane Craig on Creation Out of Nothing
• The Four Functions of Apologetics by Kenneth Boa
• Another Tim McGrew interview added to the list
• Mormonism, Christianity and the Role of Experience
• British Atheist Philosopher Stephen Law steps up
• How to Get a Theological Education Through iTunes U
• Ratio Christi Provides Support Model for Apologists
• Book Review: Christian Apologetics by Douglas Groothuis
• Is There a God? - Peter Singer vs John Lennox debate on Pay-Per-View
• Physicist Michael Strauss discusses Christianity and science at Stanford university
• Debate: Can We Trust the Text of the New Testament? Wallace & Ehrman
• Oxford's John Lennox to Confront Hawking's Atheism in Seattle
• Now available! Seven Days That Divide the World: The Beginning According to Genesis and Science by John Lennox

Get these sorts of links and more by following on Twitter.
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Apologetics Tracts: A Review

Do you have any experience with gospel tracts? What has been your impression of them? What comes to mind? Maybe images of cartoons come to mind with renderings of hellfire, judgment day, and angels. Whatever your impression in the past may be (positive or negative), it may be worth your time to check out these apologetics-oriented tracts.

Created by True-Way Tracts, these Apologetics Briefs are a full-colour, glossy, folded brochure that addresses a particular apologetics topic. Here are some of the titles:

Three Featured Apologetics Blogs

Here are three apologetics blogs to consider following, each providing a steady stream of apologetics-related content worth checking out.

First, there is the Cross-Examined blog. This blog has really taken off in the past few months, providing some excellent articles by Jonathan McLatchie. This is the blog for Cross-Examined by Frank Turek, providing a radio program, podcast, and apologetics training. See here for more. Sample post: When Were the Gospels Written?

Second, check out Stand to Reason's blog. Of course, many know of Greg Koukl's, but this blog provides a consistent flow of articles by their ministry team. You'll also get updates on their radio show topics and links. Sample post: We're Arguing Definitions, Not Rights.

Finally, visit the Thinking Matters blog. Based in New Zealand, this apologetics organization aims to defend Christianity intellectually in the public square. Their blog provides articles, links, and other useful apologetics-related content. Sample post: Practical Advice for Persuading Others in Conversation.

All of these great blogs are sources of many re-tweets by Apologetics315. Please follow them and do the same. Happy reading.

Hawking and the Grand Designer MP3 by Peter S. Williams

In a recent podcast, philosopher Peter S. Williams presented a talk entitled Hawking and the Grand Designer. All of Williams' talks are great, but this one was particularly useful dealing with the content of Stephen Hawking's book The Grand Design (book review here). This also has a good Q&A at the end.

Full MP3 Audio here (70 min)
Enjoy.

Interview: Rick Walston of Columbia Evangelical Seminary

Today's interview is with Rick Walston, president and founder of Columbia Evangelical Seminary, which offers a distance learning program with self-paced Mentorship Study. This interview is one of a series of dialogues regarding educational opportunities in apologetics studies. The purpose of this interview is to explore what CES has to offer for those studying theology and apologetics.
Rick talks about the life of the mind for the Christian, the value of formal study in apologetics, and Columbia Evangelical Seminary.
• What does the college offer?
• What is mentorship study?
• How are the courses self-paced?
• How is coursework customized for each student?
• How does a student select their mentor?
• Who are some of the faculty?
• Is CES accredited? Why not?
• What to watch out for with accreditation
• Who needs an accredited school?
• Who is this school not for?
• Who is this school a good match for?
• Does CES measure up to 'brick and mortar' schools?
• What are the degree programs CES offers?
• What are the tuition costs? (with comparisons)
• And more...

Also check out Walston's Guide to Distance Learning.
Listen to another interview with Dr. Walston about CES here.

Full Interview MP3 Audio here (46 min)

Enjoy.
Subscribe to the Apologetics 315 Interviews podcast here or in iTunes.

Ronald Nash on Human Neutrality

"Human beings are never neutral with regard to God. Either we worship God as Creator and Lord, or we turn away from God. Because the heart is directed either toward God or against him, theoretical thinking is never so pure or autonomous as many would like to think."

- Ronald H. Nash, Worldviews in Conflict

Book Review: The Philosophy of Jesus by Peter Kreeft

The Philosophy of Jesus by Peter Kreeft is a short, pocket-sized book of just 150 pages. From the title one might wonder what sort of philosophy book this might be. The author explains who this book is for on the first page:

“It is for both Christians and non-Christians. It’s designed to show Christians a new dimension of Jesus: Jesus the philosopher. And it’s designed to show non-Christians a new dimension of philosophy, a new philosophy and a new philosopher. It’s not designed to convert them.” (1)

Weekly Apologetics Bonus Links (08/05 - 08/12)

Here are this week's recommended apologetics links. Enjoy.
• The benefits of doubt
• A History of the Design Argument
• What's an Apologetics Missions Trip?
• British Humanists take to the Bunkers
• Challenge Response: Faith Is Gullibility
• Why Doesn't Jesus Just Show Himself? vid
• Einstein, The Big Bang, and Natural Theology
• Did Christianity Borrow from the Mystery Religions?
• Two dozen (or so) theistic arguments by Alvin Plantinga
• San Diego Apologetics Conference Sep 30 and Oct 1
• “Who Designed the Designer” Argument Demolished in Three Easy Steps
• The Evidence for God: Religious Knowledge Reexamined by Paul K. Moser: Review
• Bart Ehrman and Darrell Bock Debate the Authorship of the Early Writings of the New Testament on Unbelievable (Audio)
• Douglas Groothuis Recommends this book for public speaking
• Christian Apologetics: A Comprehensive Case for Biblical Faith by Douglas Groothuis ready to order!

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International Academy of Apologetics in Strasbourg

The International Academy of Apologetics, Evangelism & Human Rights is held each summer in Strasbourg, France. The program involves over 40 hours of teaching on philosophical, scientific, historical and legal apologetics, the problem of evil, cults, sects, and world religions, and Biblical authority. Enroll now for the July 2012 academy. A great opportunity for focused study in apologetics internationally.

Professors include John Warwick Montgomery, Craig Parton, Chad Meister, and Oliver H.G. Wilder-Smith.

Browse the academy webpage here.
Download the PDF brochure for more information. FAQ here.

Check it out.

No Apology for Apologetics MP3 by John Blanchard

Dr. John Blanchard is a well-known apologist in Britain. Along with being an author of some 30 books, he is an international speaker. In this audio, provided by SermonAudio, John Blanchard presents an introductory lecture on apologetics entitled: No Apology for Apologetics. A good listen for the beginner. Audio source here.

Full MP3 Audio here (51 min)
Enjoy.

The Basic Logic of Intelligent Design MP3 by Paul Nelson

In this talk, featured at EuroLeader Resources, intelligent design advocate Paul Nelson explains the overall logic of intelligent design reasoning. A rough outline can be found here. The talk also includes a question and answer session. For articles by Paul Nelson go here.

Full MP3 Audio here (2hr 23min)
Enjoy.

Philosopher Interview: Greg Ganssle

Today's interview is with Christian philosopher Greg Ganssle. He talks about his work with Rivendell Institute, how he became a Christian and got interested in philosophy, his key areas of focus (philosophy of religion), the influence of his study on his faith, his view of philosophy as it relates to the faith, evaluating truth claims from various systems of thought, atheism and whether or not it is making truth claims about God's existence, his intro to philosophy book Thinking About God, how to raise the bar of Christian thought, the role of a basic understanding of philosophy, learning about logic, various ways to think about apologetics, the impact of the new atheism and the arguments they have brought to the table, his advice to Christian apologists, the importance of knowing the Gospel, being a better communicator, and more.

Full Interview MP3 Audio here. (63 min)

Books by Greg Ganssle include:
• Thinking About God: First Steps in Philosophy
• A Reasonable God: Engaging the New Face of Atheism
• God & Time: Four Views

Enjoy.
Subscribe to the Apologetics 315 Interviews podcast here or in iTunes.

Alister McGrath on Apologetics in the Local Church

“I think the pastor does play a very critical role here. And, apologetics is not simply about reaching outside the church and helping people realize why Christianity makes so much sense. There are many people inside church congregations who are wrestling with apologetic questions; who come to faith but haven’t had all of their questions answered. I think the pastor, the preacher, needs to realize if they want their people to be good and minister to the faith, apologists and evangelists, they’ve got to be equipped. They’ve got to be reassured about their faith. They’ve got to be helped to be able to explain it and defend it in the secular marketplace. Now maybe many pastors and preachers say, ‘You know, I couldn’t do this.’ In which case, you need to bring somebody in who can. But there’s a real need for the local church to see this kind of ministry as a priority in our present cultural situation.”

- Alister McGrath

From this interview.

Book Review: Thinking About God by Greg Ganssle

Thinking About God: First Steps in Philosophy by Greg Ganssle is an introduction to philosophy that is extremely accessible and readable, while at the same time not sacrificing depth or substance. This brief review will outline the overall content the book for prospective readers of this really good philosophy intro.

Ganssle begins with the question: Why bother thinking about God? That is, before doing the heavy lifting, the author lays a good foundation for the reasons one should do serious thinking about the question of God and all that it entails. One of the reasons to think about God is that it affects nearly every area of one's life. It is also one of the foundational questions explored in philosophy, which, the author proposes, is "the rational investigation of the most basic questions."(152) Ganssle also discusses the tools of philosophy and good reasons for doing philosophy. He emphasizes that thinking and faith go hand in hand.

Weekly Apologetics Bonus Links (07/29 - 08/05)

Here are this week's extra long list of recommended apologetics links. Enjoy.
• The History of Hell
• Who will be saved?
• New Age or Ancient Truth?
• The Logical Problem of Evil
• Q&A with Lee Strobel
• Unpacking Islam - Webcast
• Free eBooks from Monergism
• Zen Buddhism – Ellis Potter
• Expelled movie now on YouTube
• Do All Religions Lead to God?
• God, science and evolution Part 2
• Abortion Debate and Mormonism
• Are There Errors In The Qur’an?
• A Case For The Resurrection: Part 1
• Hating William Lane Craig - vid
• John Lennox on Australian TV - vid
• Reasons In and Out of a Worldview
• Stand to Reason Smartphone Apps
• Ravi Zacharias School of Apologetics
• A Complete Church History (Audio)
• Book Review: Choosing Your Faith
• Dan Wallace Reviews the Updated NIV
• 7 Factors for Testing a Historical Hypothesis
• Reasons Academy for High School Students
• “Are there Good Reasons for Abortion?” Debate
• 7 Ways to Support an Apologetics Website/Blog
• The Validity of Plantinga’s Ontological Argument
• Logic Lessons: Attack the Argument, Not the Person
• The Methodology Behind the Teleological Argument
• Is Genesis merely a rip-off of the Epic of Gilgamesh?
• Undesigned Scriptural Coincidences: The Ring Of Truth
• Apologetics: Don’t Let Them Leave Home Without It
• Just downloaded: Saving Leonardo by Nancy Pearcey
• William Lane Craig asks: can we be good without God?
• Intelligent Design Conference in Malvern, Worcestershire
• Some more undesigned coincidences in the New Testament
• Looking for an Apologetics group? Have an apologetics group?
• The Most Penetrating Critique of New Atheism - Written by an Atheist
• Atheism: Simply Lack of Belief in God? MP3 by William Lane Craig
• Congrats to Diana, Bruce, and David, who won the book drawing!
• Currently Reading: Thinking About God: First Steps in Philosophy by Greg Ganssle

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Ratio Christi: Student Apologetics Alliance

What would happen if 500 apologetics study groups were started in campuses across the United States in the next five years? If that prospect excites you, then Ratio Christi is an organization you need to be a part of. Apologetics 315 recently interviewed Rick Schenker, the president of Ratio Christi, and the mission of this group is amazing. This is also a perfect opportunity for today's apologists to get active in making a difference by helping to start and/or support campus study groups. Interested?

Go explore the Ratio Christi website here. Subscribe to their blog here. Find a campus group near you here. Are you an apologist? You are needed here.

What Does it Mean to be Good? - Greg Ganssle & Scott Sehon in Dialogue

In this audio, provided by the Veritas Forum (video here / audio here), two philosophers discuss what it means to be good. Speaking first is the secular perspective of Bowdoin Philosophy Professor Scott Sehon, followed by the Christian perspective of Senior Fellow at the Rivendell Institute at Yale Greg Ganssle. They discuss the relationship between morality and religion. An interesting dialogue (followed by Q&A) that lets both views be heard in a respectful manner. Veritas Forum podcast RSS feed here.

Full MP3 Audio here (82 min)

Enjoy.