Weekly Apologetics Bonus Links (12/03 - 12/10)

Here are this week's recommended apologetics links. Enjoy.
• A simple design argument
• When Nothing Created Everything
• Hieropraxis Is on iTunes
• Debunk This...
• Arguments for the Existence of God
• Copleson's History of Philosophy vol:1-9
• Isn't Christianity just a Pschological crutch?
• Atheists say that prayer does not work.
• Book Giveaway – Moral Choices by Scott Rae
• Atheism and skepticism: Taking the negative view
• Were Jesus' Disciples were Uneducated and Illiterate?
• What is the one regret all pastors should want to avoid?
• Is God a Moral Monster? An Interview with Paul Copan
• Michael Licona speaking in Abilene, TX: December 19
• Check out Nancy Pearcy's new book: Saving Leonardo: A Call to Resist the Secular Assault on Mind, Morals, and Meaning

• Do your holiday shopping with this link and help Apologetics315 - Thanks! http://amzn.to/Apologetics315

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7 Lectures from Isms Interactive

Cherry Hills Community Church recently did a lecture series on a number of different topics or "isms" - atheism, scientism, pluralism, relativism, secularism, skepticism, and mysticism. The series features some popular apologetics speakers on each topic. See below for details and to download the MP3 for each topic. You may also subscribe to the Isms Interactive series as a podcast in iTunes here.

• Atheism with Randall Niles - MP3
• Scientism with Lee Strobel - MP3
• Pluralism with Ryan Dobson - MP3
• Relativism with Blake LaMunyon - MP3
• Secularism with Mark Mittelberg - MP3
• Skepticism with Blake LaMunyon - MP3
• Mysticism with Dr Doug Groothuis - MP3

Enjoy.

Apologetics Book Review Index

A reader recently asked where to find an index of the book reviews done by Apologetics 315. This could have been done by using the topics label Book Reviews on the left topics listing.

However, there is an easier way now. Just click on the tab at the top of the page "Book Reviews" for the index page. There you will find a  listing of all the book reviews found on Apologetics 315, generally organized by topic. Within each category the books are listed according to the order they would be recommended by Ap315. This order has been influenced by both the reading level (beginner to advanced) and the quality of the content - all the while trying to achieve an optimal balance between these two.

Check out the book reviews index here.

If you want a complete listing of Recommended Apologetics Books, use the directory.
Enjoy.

Three Problems of Evil by Peter S. Williams

In this talk given at Highfield Church Cardiff, Christian philosopher Peter S. Williams explores three problems of evil. He looks at the logical, evidential, and emotional issues surrounding the challenge of evil. Check out Peter's podcast here, blog here and other featured audio here.

Full MP3 Audio here. (45 min)

Listen.

Apologist Interview: Holly Ordway

Today's interview is with Holly Ordway, professor of English and literature and author of Not God's Type: A Rational Academic Finds a Radical Faith. She talks about her background as an atheist, her encounters with Christians in the past, the influence of literature and poetry, personal influences from others, looking at arguments for the existence of God, counter-arguments against God, psychological explanations, her encounter with Christ, her advice to skeptics and her advice to Christian apologists.

Full Interview MP3 Audio here. (42 min)

Check out Holly's blog here, her podcast here, and her book Not God's Type: A Rational Academic Finds a Radical Faith. Also check out this audio which includes Holly's testimony.

Enjoy.

Sunday Quote: James Sire on Worldviews

"A worldview is a commitment, a fundamental orientation of the heart, that can be expressed as a story or in a set of presuppositions (assumptions which may be true, partially true or entirely false) which we hold (consciously or subconsciously, consistently or inconsistently) about the basic constitution of reality, and that provides the foundation on which we live and move and have our being."

- James Sire, The Universe Next Door (Kindle:108)

Book Review: The Grand Design by Stephen Hawking and Leonard Mlodinow

The Grand Design by Stephen Hawking and Leonard Mlodinow landed on bookstore shelves in 2010 following a great deal of pre-release buzz from newspapers, blogs, and television. The authors’ conclusion was no secret: “Because there is a law like gravity, the universe can and will create itself from nothing,” and therefore, “It is not necessary to invoke God to light the blue touch paper and set the universe going.”1 Have Hawking and Mlodinov found the theory of everything, as they seek to answer the ultimate questions about life? “How can we understand the world in which we find ourselves? How does the universe behave? What is the nature of reality? Where did all this come from? Did the universe need a creator?”2

Weekly Apologetics Bonus Links (11/26 - 12/03)

Here are this week's recommended apologetics links. Enjoy.
• Dallas Willard on Worldviews
• FREE ESV Bible for Kindle
• John Lennox on design and suffering
• Petition to Steve Jobs and Apple
• Ten questions with Michael Licona
• Hawking's Self-Refutation
• Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence
• How Do We Know the Bible Includes the Right Books?
• Young Earth, Old Earth, and Not Having To Know
• The best thing you missed at the EPS apologetics conference

• Do your holiday shopping with this link and help Apologetics315 - Thanks! http://amzn.to/Apologetics315

Get these sorts of links and more by following on Twitter. Or just add this feed to your RSS reader

Review: Accessible Apologetics Curriculum

Mikel Del Rosario, also known as "the Apologetics Guy," is an apologetics Speaker and Trainer based in Roseville, CA. A graduate of the M.A. Program in Christian Apologetics at Biola University, Mikel's aim is to make teaching and training others in apologetics less difficult and more practical. (Apologetics315 interviewed Mikel here.) This blog post will review his Accessible Apologetics Curriculum.

Ravi Zacharias and John Lennox Discuss Stephen Hawking's Ideas in the Grand Design

In his recent Just Thinking Podcast, Ravi Zacharias and John Lennox discussed Stephen Hawking and Leonard Mlodinow's book The Grand Design. Entitled God and Science: Stephen Hawking's False Choice, the consider some of the ideas and issued raised by Hawking. Intro pages for each audio come in four parts: 1, 2, 3, 4. Or get the straight audio:

• Part 1 MP3 • Part 2 MP3 • Part 3 MP3 • Part 4 MP3

Enjoy

Do Atheists Ever Become Christians? MP3 Audio

Do atheists ever become Christians? In this talk given at William Lane's Craig's Defenders class at Johnson Ferry Baptist Church, Holly Ordway discusses her journey from atheism to Christianity. Entitled Inside the Mind of a Former Atheist, this is an interesting look at how God works in the heart and the mind. Holly Ordway has written about her journey in Not God's Type: A Rational Academic Finds a Radical Faith. Holly's blog is here. More about this audio here.

Full MP3 Audio here.

Enjoy.

Apologist Interview: James Sire

Today's interview is with James Sire, author, lecturer, and Christian apologist. He talks about his background, the impact of The Universe Next Door, defining the concept of worldview, the benefit of understanding worldview concepts, the intellectual life as a Christian calling, the renewal and discipline of the mind, the cultivation of wisdom, thoughts on lifelong learning, the biggest errors of Christian communicators, tips for better communication, apologetics and calling, advice to Christian apologists, and more.

Full Interview MP3 Audio here (40 min).

Books by James Sire include:
• The Universe Next Door: A Basic Worldview Catalog
• Habits of the Mind: Intellectual Life as a Christian Calling
• Naming the Elephant: Worldview as a Concept
• Why Good Arguments Often Fail: Making a More Persuasive Case for Christ (review here)
• How to Read Slowly (Wheaton Literary Series)
• Why Should Anyone Believe Anything at All? (lecture here)
• A Little Primer on Humble Apologetics (review here)

Enjoy.

Sunday Quote: Peter Kreeft on Arguments

"An argument in apologetics, when actually used in dialogue, is an extension of the arguer. The arguer's tone, sincerity, care, concern, listening, and respect matter as much as his or her logic - probably more. The world was won for Christ not by arguments but by sanctity: 'What you are speaks so loud, I can hardly hear what you say.'"

- Peter Kreeft (Pocket Handbook of Christian Apologetics)

Christmas Apologetics Resources

Here are some resources that may be helpful as Christmas approaches.
From Stand to Reason:
• Is Christmas Pagan?
• The Spirit of Christmas
• Christmas and Culture
• The Unique Message of Christmas
• Keep Christ in Your Christmas Cards
• Christmas Card Captions

From Triablogue:
• The Bethlehem Birthplace Outside Of Matthew And Luke
• The Nature Of Biblical Prophecy Fulfillment
• Does The Lengthening Of Daylight Have Only Pagan Significance?
• Speaking Of "Christmas Lies"
• The Infancy Narratives
• Is The Slaughter Of The Innocents Historical?
• Is Luke's Census Historical?

These are just a few. Do you have more Christmas resources to recommend?
Suggest them in the comments.

Weekly Apologetics Bonus Links (11/19 - 11/26)

Here are this week's recommended apologetics links. Enjoy.
• Thanksgiving Quotes
• Thanksgiving History
• Thanksgiving Is a Duty As Well As a Good
• How Not to Deal With Doubt
• The video that proves Intelligent Design
• The ATP Synthase Enzyme 86-second video
• What’s more complex? Your brain or the Internet?
• Philosophy Word of the Day – Enthymeme
• How Do We Know the Bible Includes the Right Books?
• How should Christians think about evolution? (video)
• Glasgow Humanists Unable To Mount Successful Argument Against Behe
• Does a Good God Exist? Dr. William Dembski and Christopher Hitchens Debate
• Review of the Christopher Hitchens vs William Dembski debate (with humor)
• Doug Geivett's Retrospective on the "Does the Universe Have a Purpose?" Debate
• Sign up to be notified when 'God and Stephen Hawking: Whose Design is it Anyway?' by John Lennox arrives 

• Do your holiday shopping with this link and help Apologetics315 - Thanks! http://amzn.to/Apologetics315

Get these sorts of links and more by following on Twitter.
Or just add this feed to your RSS reader

Philosopher Jay Richards on The Grand Design

In this audio, Michael Licona interviews philosopher Jay Richards about Stephen Hawking and Leonard Mlodinow's book: The Grand Design. Richards outlines and explains some of the problematic issues found in Hawking's statements. Original audio found at NAMB. More responses to the Grand Design here.

Full MP3 Interview here. (35 min)

Enjoy.

Top 5 Books for Christmas Giving

If you are considering getting thoughtful gifts for important people in your life, then you might want to consider giving them some books to make them think. Here are my top five recommendations with reasons.

Who Made God? Completely readable - completely excellent. Actually, one of my favorite reads this year. I thought, I could give this to anyone and they would understand it, enjoy it, and be challenged by it. Full of wit, humor, and sharp thinking. This definitely makes it to the top of my list. (review here)

Is God Just a Human Invention? Another book with a question for a title - but questions are good, and this book tackles about 18 of them that are being asked the most these days. Written by Sean McDowell and Jonathan Morrow, with contributions from a ton of excellent specialists, this book is a phenomenal resource and doesn't have to be read in any particular order. (an interview with the authors here)

Evidence for God: 50 Arguments for Faith from the Bible, History, Philosophy, and Science is another book loaded with great content - 50 essays! - with contributions from a ton of top-notch apologists. A close competitor with the previously mentioned book that happens to be a great resource.

On Guard: Defending Your Faith with Reason and Precision by William Lane Craig is excellent for personal study or group studies. Weighty material that is clear, precise, and put together really well. I'd give this to Christian young people in high school and college who want to strengthen their apologetics foundations. (review here)

And finally, here's the stocking stuffer of the bunch: Kreeft and Tacelli's Pocket Handbook of Christian Apologetics. The reason? Again, lots of material packed into a small book, organized and presented well.

All these books would be my top 5 candidates for apologetics books for giving this Christmas. Of course, you could always give them a Kindle and load it full of books. You can now also "gift" Kindle books to anyone with an email address (for reading on the Kindle, or the Kindle software - PC/Mac/iPhone/Android)

What books do you recommend?