Saturday, August 31, 2013

Review: Why the Universe Is the Way It Is by Hugh Ross

Why The Universe Is The Way It Is, written by astronomer Dr. Hugh Ross (Reasons to Believe) published a book a few years ago that attempts to address several common questions that he receives from atheists and Christians when he presents his case for the existence of God. The book is 240 pages, divided into twelve chapters, five appendices, and an index. Dr. Ross recorded a podcast describing the material of each chapter. A link will be provided at the end of each chapter's summary of this review.

Chapter 1: Why Ask Questions?
Dr. Ross begins this book by exploring the reasons that people ask "why" questions. He makes the distinction between "how" questions and "why" questions- the first being a curiosity of function and the second being a curiosity of purpose and meaning. He discusses his early childhood curiosity about the function of the cosmos that led him to test the accuracy of the world's religious texts. His investigation caused him to conclude that the Bible was inspired by God, which led him to be able to answer his questions of meaning and purpose. Dr. Ross then provides a quick outline of the rest of the book and how it will use science to help the reader discover answers to often-asked "why" questions.
Why Ask Why?

Friday, August 30, 2013

Weekly Apologetics Bonus Links (08/23 - 08/30)

Here are this week's recommended apologetics links. Enjoy.
• Shopping via Amazon? If you use this link, a bit of your purchase goes to fund Apologetics 315. Thanks for those of you using the link, as it helps Ap315.
Canada here. UK here.

• Would you like to help with interview transcriptionIf so, contact Ap315 here.

Get these sorts of links and more by following on Twitter.
For daily post links, please follow on Facebook.

Why Should Christians Study Philosophy?
by Peter S. Williams

A philosopher is someone dedicated to the wise pursuit and dissemination of true answers to significant questions through the practice of good intellectual habits. Christian spirituality is greatly concerned with wisdom, truth and goodness. The term philosopher is derived from the Greek words philo, meaning ‘brotherly love’ and sophia, meaning ‘wisdom’; hence a philosopher is literally a ‘lover of wisdom’. Philosophy as such, then, is not alien to the gospel; for scripture teaches that Jesus is the Christian’s brother (Hebrews 2:11-12) ‘in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.’ (Colossians 2:3) As Thomas Aquinas said, ‘The pursuit of wisdom especially joins man to God in friendship.’[i]

Everyone has a philosophy in the sense of a worldview – a way of understanding and navigating through reality. Not everyone makes the effort to think systematically about the wisdom of their worldview. However, Christians are called to love God with their minds as well as their hearts and their strength (cf. Mark 12:30-31), and as David A. Horner explains: ‘Truly loving God with your mind means being intentional about your intellectual life, learning to think well.’[ii] Thus the apostle Paul urges Christians: ‘Do not conform . . . to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will.’ (Romans 12:2) The contents and intellectual habits of our minds, coupled with the choices, commitments and attitudes of our hearts, issue in the behaviour that characterises and re-enforces our spirituality. Thus philosophy is an integral component of any spirituality, including Christian spirituality.

A philosopher seeks to know and defend the truth by thinking carefully and arguing well. These attitudes and activities, and the philosophical tools and virtues they require, are integral to the Christian ministries of teaching (including bible-study, preaching and systematic theology) and apologetics (i.e. persuasive evangelism). Philosophy helps us to fulfil the command of 1 Peter 3:15: ‘Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect . . .’ On the flip side of this coin, it was Paul who highlighted the need for Christians to ‘demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God’ (2 Corinthians 10:5) As C.S. Lewis wrote: ‘Good philosophy must exist, if for no other reason, because bad philosophy needs to be answered.’[iii]

Why should Christians study philosophy? First, because philosophy is unavoidable and its wiser to have a studied opinion than an unstudied opinion. Second, because philosophy is part-and-parcel of our spirituality, and the divine command to love God includes the command to love Him with our minds and to be spiritually transformed by the renewing of our minds. Third, because philosophy plays an indispensable role in the teaching ministry of the Church broadly construed. None of this means that Christians are all obliged to study philosophy formally. Nevertheless, we should heed the call ‘to work out the salvation that God has given you with a proper sense of awe and responsibility.’ (Philippians 2:12, J.B. Phillips) Philosophy can help us to do that.

Peter’s latest book is A Faithful Guide to Philosophy: A Christian Introduction to the Love of Wisdom (Paternoster, 2013).

Peter has a new website @ www.peterswilliams.com

[i] Thomas Aquinas, Suma Contra Gentiles, Book One.
[ii] David A. Horner, Mind Your Faith (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2011), p. 49.
[iii] C.S. Lewis, ‘On Learning in Wartime’ in The Weight of Glory and Other Addresses (MacMillan, 1980), p. 28.

Thursday, August 29, 2013

Persuasive Debating Video by David Robertson


Enjoy this video of Pastor David Robertson on the topic: Persuasive Debating, brought to you by the Forum of Christian Leaders resource. More videos by David Robertson here. Find the audio here. Enjoy.

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Michael Behe Interview Transcript

The following transcript is from an Apologetics 315 interview with Michael Behe. Original audio here. Transcript index here. If you enjoy transcripts, please consider supporting, which makes this possible.


BA: Hello, this is Brian Auten of Apologetics315. Today, I interview Michael Behe, the Professor of Biochemistry at Lehigh University. He’s also a leading voice in the intelligent design community and Fellow of The Discovery Institute. In his upcoming visit to the UK this month, November, 2010, Professor Behe will be giving evening lectures in London, Glasgow, Belfast, Bournemouth, Leamington, Warwick, and Cambridge, and the major contributor to a day conference in Oxford. The theme of this tour is Darwin or design, what does the science really say? And Professor Behe will explore how physical criteria enable us to perceive design. And he’ll also show how irreducible complexity in biological systems and molecular machinery in the cell is best explained by intelligent design. He’s raised a lot of controversy in his books, Darwin’s Black Box: The Biochemical Challenge to Evolution in 1996, and The Edge of Evolution: The Search for the Limits of Darwinism in 2007. And while online debates are thousands of pages deep, we’ll have a chance today just to touch on some of the themes of his work and talk a bit more about his upcoming UK tour. Thanks for joining me for this interview today Professor Behe.

MB: It’s my pleasure, I’m glad to be with you.

BA: Well, I’ll just jump right in with questions today so we can cover as much ground as possible in our brief time. You’ve probably gotten tired of answering this, but it’s of course foundational in properly defining the issue, and that’s this question, what is intelligent design?

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Terminology Tuesday: Panentheism

Panentheism: The belief that God's being includes and permeates the entire universe so that everything exists in God. In contrast to pantheism, panentheists declare that God's being is greater than and not exhausted by the universe. God is affected by each event in the universe, and thus God's knowledge must change and grow. However, God simultaneously retains personal integrity and complete reality.1

*Note: An easy rule of thumb is that pantheists see the universe as God, but panentheists see the universe almost like God's body.

1. Stanley J. Grenz, David Guretzki & Cherith Fee Nordling, Pocket Dictionary of Theological Terms (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1999), p. 88.

Monday, August 26, 2013

Interview: Robert B. Stewart

Today's interview is with Robert Stewart, Professor of Philosophy and Theology, and Greer-Heard Professor of Faith and Culture, at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. He talks about his background and work, apologetics programs offered at NOBTS, the Greer-Heard Point-Counterpoint Forum, the importance of intellectual engagement, how Christians can be better at personal engagement, why apologetics has gotten more and more popular, advice for those pursuing academic studies, the Defend the Faith conference, and more.
Books by Robert B. Stewart here.

Full Interview MP3 Audio here (65 min)

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

Sunday, August 25, 2013

Johannes Kepler on God and Science

“The chief aim of all investigations of the external world should be to discover the rational order and harmony which has been imposed on it by God and which He revealed to us in the language of mathematics.”

—Johannes Kepler
De fundamentis Astrologiae Certioribus, Thesis XX

Saturday, August 24, 2013

Review: The Philosophical Challenge of Religious Diversity

There was a point in history when it may have appeared to Christians that their own tradition virtually dominated the world’s religious outlook, but following the so-called “expansion of Europe,” awareness of religious diversity increased, and the intellectual challenges posed by such diversity intensified. Today’s Christian apologists are faced with tough questions about religious diversity: How can a Christian rationally believe the claims of his own exclusivist tradition in light of all the competing exclusivist traditions out there? How can a Christian maintain that salvation is limited only to those few who put their faith in Jesus Christ? How should a Christian respond to proposals such as John Hick’s model of religious pluralism, according to which all the major religions of the world are responding to the same ultimate reality? Apologists interested in these questions will find much of value in Kevin Meeker and Phillip Quinn’s anthology The Philosophical Challenge of Religious Diversity (hereafter PCRD).

Meeker and Quinn note that there are basically three broad types of positions taken by religious people in response to the challenge of diversity: exclusivism, inclusivism, and pluralism. Exclusivism and pluralism lie on opposite ends of the spectrum—the exclusivist holding that his own particular religion is right while others (at least insofar as they contradict his) are in error, the pluralist holding that many religious traditions are acceptable and soteriologically efficacious responses to ultimate reality. Lying in the middle are various forms of inclusivism, a common Christian variety being the claim that people from all manner of religious traditions will be saved, but all of them (many unknowingly) by the atoning work of Jesus Christ.

Friday, August 23, 2013

Weekly Apologetics Bonus Links (08/16 - 08/23)

Here are this week's recommended apologetics links. Enjoy.
KINDLE DEALS:
Tactics by Greg Koukl - 1.99
Pascan's Pensées - 2.99
A to Z with C.S. Lewis by Lou Markos - .99
The MacArthur Daily Bible - 3.99
How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth - 1.99
The Love of Wisdom: A Christian Introduction to Philosophy by James Spiegel - 2.99

WEEKLY LINKS:
“Wasn’t Hitler a Christian?”
Kickstarting the Resurrection
Alvin Plantinga’s Free Will Defense
Apologetics Events at Biola University
Miracles, Part 1: Naturalism versus Theism
Inerrancy, Scripture, and the Easy Way Out
Why Some People Simply Will Not Be Convinced
Dealing With Doubt Free eBook by Gary Habermas
2013 Biblical Conference: Can I Trust my Bible?
Evidence for God: Design (Part 3 –Life on Earth)
Seven Tips for Apologists to Improve Their Writing
Krauss, Craig, Dawkins and a Difficult Week for McAtheism
Two Versions of the Moral Argument for God: Which is Best?
Top 5 Resurrection Myths – #4: The Apostles Stole Christ’s Body
Guest Post: “The Presumption of Popular Atheism” by David Glass
Is Luke’s Description of Quirinius Historically Inaccurate?
Four Simple Principles to Determine Ancient Historical Reliability
Is There Enough Evidence Beyond the Gospels to Make Their Testimony Reliable?
Responding to Alternative Theories to the Resurrection of Christ: Christ Never Really Died: Swoon Theory

Apologetics 315 is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit. Would you support us monthly?
• Shopping via Amazon? If you use this link, a bit of your purchase goes to fund Apologetics 315. Thanks for those of you using the link, as it helps Ap315.
Canada here. UK here.

• Would you like to help with interview transcriptionIf so, contact Ap315 here.

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For daily post links, please follow on Facebook.

An Illustrated Book of Bad Arguments

One of the best ways to improve your thinking is to study the common errors and pitfalls in reasoning. Learning about logical fallacies, or what makes an argument bad, is an essential element to becoming a more careful thinker. There are many resources for learning logic, and here's another great one:

An Illustrated Book of Bad Arguments
And it's free to read and absorb online.

Check it out and enjoy!

Thursday, August 22, 2013

Free: Essential Apologetics PowerPoint Series

In partnership with The PowerPoint Apologist, Apologetics 315 is offering a series of 12 Free PowerPoint presentations, released monthly. These cover 12 essential topics in apologetics. These are free to download, modify, and use for your own apologetics presentations. (However, please retain the final two slides featuring the PowerPoint Apologist and Apologetics 315 resources.)

The eighth in the series looks at the case for the resurrection of Jesus and answers naturalistic alternative theories:
"Why Jesus?—The Resurrection of Jesus"
Download it here. Slideshare here.
Enjoy.

Wednesday, August 21, 2013

John Frame Interview Transcript

The following transcript is from an Apologetics 315 interview with John Frame. Original audio here. Transcript index here. If you enjoy transcripts, please consider supporting, which makes this possible.


BA: Hello, this is Brian Auten of Apologetics315. Today I am speaking with Dr. John Frame, Professor of Systematic Theology and Philosophy at Reformed Theological Seminary. Dr. Frame is a philosopher and a Calvinist theologian, especially noted for his work in epistemology and presuppositional apologetics - also systematic theology and ethics. He is one of the foremost interpreters and critics of the thought of Cornelius Van Til and his publications include Van Til the Theologian, The Doctrine of the Knowledge of God, Medical Ethics, Apologetics to the Glory of God, Cornelius Van Til: An Analysis of His Thought among a number of others.

So today I will be asking Dr. Frame a bit about Presuppositional Apologetics, Doing Apologetics to the Glory of God and ask his advice for Christian apologists. Thanks for taking the time to speak with me today Dr. Frame.

JF: Happy to be with you Brian and your listeners.

BA: So before we get started, would you mind telling our listeners just a bit about your background and how you got into the field of theology.

Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Terminology Tuesday: Irenics

Irenics: The practice of debating and discussing Christian doctrines with other Christians who are theologically orthodox but with whom there are matters of genuine theological disagreement. It involves the friendly but rigorous task of doing theological reflection together within the community of faith. Irenics stands in contrast to polemics, which is the practice of debating, discussing and refuting the positions of those who stand outside the accepted orthodox boundaries of Christian theology yet who insist on calling themselves Christian.1

1. Stanley J. Grenz, David Guretzki & Cherith Fee Nordling, Pocket Dictionary of Theological Terms (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1999), p. 68.

Sunday, August 18, 2013

John Stott on the Role of Knowledge in the Christian Life

“To encounter Christ is to touch reality and experience transcendence. He gives us a sense of self-worth or personal significance, because He assures us of God's love for us. He sets us free from guilt because He died for us and from paralyzing fear because He reigns. He gives meaning to marriage and home, work and leisure, personhood and citizenship.”

—John Stott

Between Two Worlds: The Challenge of Preaching Today ( p. 154).

Saturday, August 17, 2013

Book Review: Inerrancy and Worldview by Vern Poythress

The past few years have seen the rise of inerrancy—an issue that many thought was resolved come to the forefront of current theological debate, once again. Inerrancy is an important theological truth that while not directly tied to the Gospel itself nevertheless affects how one will ultimately understand issues directly related to the Gospel such as redemption, sin, justification among a host of other issues.  For this reason, the issue of inerrancy while not “of first importance” certainty ranks way up there on the priority of Christian doctrine.

It really shouldn’t surprise Christians that inerrancy is becoming an issue again at all—since the issue of inerrancy is directly tied to the question of who is authoritative: God or man. Theological liberalism has convinced many parts of Christianity today that inerrancy is unimportant because according to them the Bible is a book full of errors. The sad thing is when one looks at the churches of those who deny the inerrancy of the Scriptures it becomes readily apparent who is in “charge”—man and not God. Making much of man is not the church’s mission, but making much of Jesus and spreading His fame to the nations is the Church’s mission. This is exactly why the issue of inerrancy is so important because it deals definitively not just with whether the text of Scripture is with or without error but rather with the larger question of who is authoritative, God or man. This is also the reason why I was excited when I heard about Dr. Vern Poythress new book Inerrancy And Worldview: Answering Modern Challenges To The Bible, because in the past few years I’ve been spending more time studying the doctrine of inerrancy. Through my study, I have become increasingly convinced that this issue will be one of the biggest theological battles in our generation.

Friday, August 16, 2013

Weekly Apologetics Bonus Links (08/09 - 08/16)

Here are this week's recommended apologetics links. Enjoy.
KINDLE DEALS:
Tactics by Greg Koukl - 1.99
Pascan's Pensées - 2.99
Surprised by Hope by N.T. Wright - 1.99
"Who is Jesus? Really?" - 1.99
A to Z with C.S. Lewis by Lou Markos - .99
Cold-Case Christianity by J. Warner Wallace - 3.74
"If God Is Good: Why Do We Hurt?" by Randy Alcorn - 1.99
WEEKLY LINKS:
Bad
8 Witnessing Tips
Is Morality Objective?
The Moral Facts of Life
Defining the good: The Golden Rule
Why can't the multiverse be eternal?
Need an Apologetics Speaker? Try here...
Three Steps to Becoming a Lifelong Learner
Q: You don’t believe in miracles, do you?
William Lane Craig v Lawrence Krauss: Sydney
Richard Dawkins Knows Nothing About Nothing?
The Right and Wrong Reasons to Pursue Apologetics
Uncle Buck’s Hat and the Ontological Argument for God
On “We’re Both Atheists, I Just Go One God Further Than You”
The Resurrection of Jesus: A Christian Apologetics Cornerstone
Why does Richard Dawkins refuse to debate William Lane Craig?
How to Be a “One Dollar Apologist” (What I Learned This Year at CIA)
What Do I Have to Do Before I Can Call Myself a Christian “Apologist”?
Physicist Luke Barnes previews Craig-Krauss debate in Sydney, Australia
Can you dispense with apologetics and just preach the gospel when evangelizing?

Apologetics 315 is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit. Would you support us monthly?
• Shopping via Amazon? If you use this link, a bit of your purchase goes to fund Apologetics 315. Thanks for those of you using the link, as it helps Ap315.
Canada here. UK here.

• Would you like to help with interview transcriptionIf so, contact Ap315 here.

Get these sorts of links and more by following on Twitter.
For daily post links, please follow on Facebook.

Thursday, August 15, 2013

Matthew Flannagan Interview Transcript

The following transcript is from an Apologetics 315 interview with Matthew Flannagan. Original audio here. Transcript index here. If you enjoy transcripts, please consider supporting, which makes this possible.


BA: Hello, this is Brian Auten of Apologetics315. Today’s interview is with Doctor Matthew Flannagan. Matt is from New Zealand, he holds a PhD in Theology, and a Masters and Bachelors in Philosophy. He and his wife blog at www.MandM.org.nz on the topics of philosophy of religion, ethics, and theology. The purpose of our interview is to get to know a little bit more about Matt, his area of expertise, his blog, and his recent debate on morality with Raymond Bradley. Thanks for speaking with me today, Matt.

MF: Not a problem, it’s a pleasure.

BA: Now, for those who are not familiar with you and your work, would you mind telling us a little bit more about yourself?

Wednesday, August 14, 2013

Why Trust the Gospels? Video by Peter J. Williams


Enjoy this video of Biblical Scholar Peter J. Williams on the topic: Why Trust the Gospels, brought to you by the Forum of Christian Leaders resource. More videos by Peter J. Williams here. Enjoy.

Tuesday, August 13, 2013

Terminology Tuesday: Ethics

Ethics: The area of philosophical and theological inquiry into what constitutes right and wrong, that is, morality, as well as what is the good and the good life. Ethics seeks to provide insight, principles or even a system of guidance in the quest of the good life or in acting rightly in either general or specific situations of life. Broadly speaking, ethical systems are either deontological (seeking to guide behavior through establishment or discovery of what is intrinsically right and wrong) or teleological (seeking to guide behavior through an understanding of the outcomes or ends that ethical decisions and behavior bring about.1

1. Stanley J. Grenz, David Guretzki & Cherith Fee Nordling, Pocket Dictionary of Theological Terms (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1999), p. 47.

Monday, August 12, 2013

Apologist Interview: John Stewart

Today's interview is with John Stewart, International Director for Ratio Christi. He talks about his background and how he started exploring Christianity, the Simon Greenleaf School of Law, his work with Walter Martin on The Bible AnswerMan program, the changes in the apologetics landscape in the past decades, lessons learned from decades of doing apologetics, Ratio Christi and its international vision, how you can get involved internationally, his resources, and more.

Full Interview MP3 Audio here (36 min)

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

Sunday, August 11, 2013

John Lennox on God and Reason

"…fictional gods may well be enemies of reason: the God of the Bible certainly is not. The very first of the biblical Ten Commandments contains the instruction to 'love the Lord your God with all your mind'. This should be enough to tell us that God is not to be regarded as an enemy of reason. After all, as Creator he is responsible for the very existence of the human mind; the biblical view is that human beings are the pinnacle of creation. They alone are created as rational beings in the image of God, capable of a relationship with God and given by him the capacity to understand the universe in which they live."

—John Lennox
Gunning for God (p. 28). Lion Hudson. Kindle Edition.

Saturday, August 10, 2013

Review: Warrant and Proper Function by Alvin Plantinga

In Warrant: The CurrentDebate, Alvin Plantinga examined various proposed accounts of warrant (that which turns true belief into knowledge) and found them all wanting. The most pervasive failing, as he saw it, was that the various accounts failed to incorporate a notion of proper function (henceforth PF).

In Chapter 1 of Warrantand Proper Function, Plantinga begins by fleshing out his theory of warrant. He argues that the concept of PF seems bound up with other, interdefinable notions: design, damage, purpose, normativity, and the like.  PF is applies to obviously designed artifacts (like cars or computers) but is a concept also employed in the biological and physical sciences. But PF is not enough for warrant. A satisfactory account of warrant must also incorporate considerations of cognitive environment, degrees of firmness with which a belief is held, that the cognitive faculty being deployed is ‘aimed’ at truth, and that the design plan is a good one (i.e., one that has a high objective probability of generating true beliefs). For example, our senses might possess PF in earth’s cognitive environment but not on another planet with very different laws of nature.[1] Warrant must also take account of the fact that some beliefs are more warranted than others because we hold them more firmly. If we hold belief A and B, and both are generated by cognitive faculties properly functioning on the basis of a good design plan successfully aimed at the truth,  but we hold one more tentatively than the other, the more firmly held one is more warranted and is more likely to be ‘knowledge’.[2] The point, one might say, of a particular cognitive module must be the production of true beliefs. If not, then a cognitive module might be functioning properly (and thus satisfying one of the constraints of this model of warrant) but not be aimed at true beliefs (and thus violate another constraint of this model).[3] If the design plan is a poor one, then the likelihood that the beliefs generated by it are untrue. If untrue, they are not knowledge and—by definition—cannot be warranted.[4]

Friday, August 09, 2013

Weekly Apologetics Bonus Links (08/02 - 08/09)

Here are this week's recommended apologetics links. Enjoy.
• Shopping via Amazon? If you use this link, a bit of your purchase goes to fund Apologetics 315. Thanks for those of you using the link, as it helps Ap315.
Canada here. UK here.

• Would you like to help with interview transcriptionIf so, contact Ap315 here.

Get these sorts of links and more by following on Twitter.
For daily post links, please follow on Facebook.

Read Along: Chapter 18— Why Jesus Instead of the Flying Spaghetti Monster?

Today we conclude our Read Along project with Chapter Eighteen of Is God Just a Human Invention? And Seventeen Other Questions Raised by the New Atheists by Sean McDowell and Jonathan Morrow. (Hear an interview about the book here.) Below you will find an audio intro for Chapter Eighteen, a brief summary of the chapter, a PDF workbook with questions for the chapter, and some notable quotes. You're also encouraged to share your comments and feedback for each chapter in the comment section below. Feel free to interact!  Index page here.

Thursday, August 08, 2013

Andrew Fellows Interview Transcript

The following transcript is from an Apologetics 315 interview with Andrew Fellows. Original audio here. Transcript index here. If you enjoy transcripts, please consider supporting, which makes this possible.


BA: Hello, this is Brian Auten of Apologetics 315. Today's interview is with Andrew Fellows. Andrew is the director of L’Abri Fellowship in the United Kingdom. L’Abri is a community dedicated to both demonstrating and explaining the truthfulness of Christianity. It does so by opening its doors to hundreds of seekers who experience the hospitality of this community. Andrew has traveled extensively throughout Europe lecturing to students, artists and politicians on a wide array of subjects. The purpose of our interview today is to discuss his work with the L'Abri, talk about communication and persuasion and his advice for Christian apologists. Thank you for joining me today, Andrew.

AF: Oh, good to be with you.

BA: Well, I met you a couple of years ago at the European Leadership Forum in Hungary. I was so impressed with your manner and your tone and your heart, that the following year I jumped at the opportunity to do a video interview with you there. And after that, I have been chasing you down to do an interview for Apologetics 315, so I highly value what you have to offer for our listeners and appreciate you taking the time to speak with me today.

AF: Oh, it’s my privilege and pleasure and I mean those words very intentionally.

Wednesday, August 07, 2013

5 Common Objections to the Moral Argument

The Moral Argument for the existence of God has been graced with a long tradition of defense from theistic (and atheistic!) philosophers and thinkers throughout the history of Western thought…and a long tradition of misunderstandings and objections by even some of the most brilliant minds. To be fair, the argument is not always as intuitive as theists like to think it is. Essentially, the moral argument seeks to infer God as the best explanation for the objective moral facts about the universe. One of the most popular formulations is as follows:
  1. Objective morality cannot exist unless God exists.
  2. Objective morality exists.
  3. Therefore, God exists.
There are a host of common objections that are usually blown in the direction of this argument, but for the sake of brevity, I will only deal with five.

Tuesday, August 06, 2013

Terminology Tuesday: Polemics

Polemics: The art of disputation or controversy (the defense of a thesis by formal logic). A polemic can also be the aggressive refutation of another position or principle. In theology polemics often refers to the attempt to show the superiority of Christian teaching over its rivals by means of a systematic, ordered delineation of the Christian belief system (systematic theology) that shows the internal consistency of Christian doctrine as well as its congruence with human knowledge as a whole.1

1. Stanley J. Grenz, David Guretzki & Cherith Fee Nordling, Pocket Dictionary of Theological Terms (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1999), p. 92.

Monday, August 05, 2013

Interview with Phil Fernandes on Apologetic Preaching

Today's interview is with Phil Fernandes, president of the Institute of Biblical Defense, and the pastor of Trinity Bible Fellowship in Silverdale, Washington. He talks about apologetic preaching, how to incorporate apologetics training into the local church, evangelism, common objections to apologetics, encouragement and advice to pastors, audio/video resources, and more. Phil's books include:
• Hijacking the Historical Jesus
• The Atheist Delusion
• Seven Great Apologists
• Contend Earnestly for the Faith: A Survey of Christian Apologetics

Full Interview MP3 Audio here (50 min)

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

Sunday, August 04, 2013

Bart Ehrman on the Historicity of Jesus

"With respect to Jesus, we have numerous, independent accounts of his life in the sources lying behind the Gospels (and the writings of Paul) — sources that originated in Jesus’ native tongue Aramaic and that can be dated to within just a year or two of his life (before the religion moved to convert pagans in droves). Historical sources like that are pretty astounding for an ancient figure of any kind. [...] the claim that Jesus was simply made up falters on every ground."

—Bart Ehrman
Excerpt from this article.
Bart Ehrman is an agnostic scholar whose writings frequently attack Christianity and its truth claims. For resources answering Ehrman's claims, click here.

Saturday, August 03, 2013

Book Review: The Bible Among the Myths by John Oswalt

Visit any forum where atheists and Christians are engaged in discussion and you will find non-believers claiming that Christianity is a myth and that Jesus is no more real than Zeus or Osiris. They will then offer a number of supposed similarities as evidence. However, as John N. Oswalt, distinguished professor of Old Testament at Asbury Theological Seminary, Kentucky, states in his The Bible Among the Myths, such a comparison stems from a lack of understanding about what constitutes a myth. While some people think it is simply a story that is false, Oswalt explains that it is a worldview with specific characteristics that stand in opposition to what the Bible tells us.

There was a time when the majority of people accepted God’s Word as true in what it related about people and events. Oswalt says the Ancient Near Eastern data hasn’t changed, but the way we explain and understand it has. In a society where naturalism reigns, people’s view of reality no longer includes the supernatural.  The Bible’s miracles cause it to be relegated to the category of myth.

Friday, August 02, 2013

Weekly Apologetics Bonus Links (07/26 - 08/02)

Here are this week's recommended apologetics links. Enjoy.
• Shopping via Amazon? If you use this link, a bit of your purchase goes to fund Apologetics 315. Thanks for those of you using the link, as it helps Ap315.
Canada here. UK here.

• Would you like to help with interview transcriptionIf so, contact Ap315 here.

Get these sorts of links and more by following on Twitter.
For daily post links, please follow on Facebook.

Read Along: Chapter 17— What Good Is Christianity?

Today we continue with Chapter Seventeen in the Read Along with Apologetics 315 project. This is a chapter-by-chapter study through the book Is God Just a Human Invention? And Seventeen Other Questions Raised by the New Atheists by Sean McDowell and Jonathan Morrow. (Hear an interview about the book here.) Below you will find an audio intro for Chapter Seventeen, a brief summary of the chapter, a PDF workbook with questions for the chapter, and some notable quotes. You're also encouraged to share your comments and feedback for each chapter in the comment section below. Feel free to interact!  Index page here.

Thursday, August 01, 2013

Apologetics Toolkit: Advice for Apologists from the Christian Apologetics Alliance

A frequent and important question asked in the Christian Apologetics Alliance is how aspiring apologists should use their time and develop their abilities. In a recent thread, members of the CAA addressed this question. Tim McGrew summarized the main points from that discussion, and it is presented here as a featured Apologetics Toolkit post.

(1) Online arguments are not a good training ground for someone who does not have experience. Stay away from them completely until you have studied deeply, and even then, don't just dive into every argument headlong.

This is the hardest piece of advice for most young people to accept, but it is one of the most important. I know how it feels to want to save the world, to stand up to the intellectual bully on Twitter or YouTube or some chat board. But if that is all you do, you will fritter away years in the intellectual shallow end; you'll be at best a playground hero, and sometimes, you'll get your nose bloodied and look like a fool. Take the long view instead. Begin training now for the serious battles, and when they come, in the mercy of God, you will be ready for them.

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