Advanced Pro-Life Apologetics Course

Successful pro-life apologists pursue four essential tasks. First, they clarify the debate by focusing public attention on one key question: What is the unborn? Second, they establish a foundation for the debate, demonstrating to critics that metaphysical neutrality is impossible. Third, they answer objections persuasively. Fourth, they teach and equip. Below are a number of great resources (and extensive notes here). This content from Life Training Institute.

Videos:
Session #1: What is the Issue—The Nature of Moral Reasoning (52 Min.)
Session #2: What is the Unborn? (1:08)
Session #3: What Makes Humans Valuable? Part 1: The Substance View of Human Persons (52 min.)
Session #4: What Makes Humans Valuable? Part 2: The Religion Objection (15 Min.)
Session #5: Who Makes the Rules? Abortion: Law, Metaphysics, and Alleged Moral Neutrality (38 Min.)
Session #6: What is my Duty? The Bodily Autonomy Arguments of Thomson, Boonin, and McDonaugh (54 Min.)
Session #7: Catholic Social Justice Teaching and Other Objections (46 Min.)
Session #8: Equipping Yourself to Engage at Your Church (46 Min.)

Texts:
1. Gilbert Meilaender, Bioethics: A Primmer for Christians (Eerdmans, 2005)
2. Agnetta Sutton, Christian Bioethics: A Guide for the Perplexed (T&T Clark, 2008)
3. Scott Rae, Moral Choices: An Introduction to Ethics (Zondervan, 2009)
4. Scott Klusendorf, The Case for Life: Equipping Christians to Engage the Culture (Crossway, 2009)

Suggested Reading:
1. Francis J. Beckwith, Dignity Never Been Photographed: Scientific Materialism, Enlightenment Liberalism, and Steven Pinker (Ethics in Medicine, Vol. 26:2, Summer 2010)
2. Francis J. Beckwith, The Human Being, a Person of Substance: A Response to Dean Stretton
3. Christopher Kaczor, The Ethics of Abortion: Women's Rights, Human Life, and the Question of Justice (Routledge, 2010)

J.P. Moreland Interview Transcript

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

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BA: Hello, this is Brian Auten of Apologetics 315. Today, I’m speaking with Dr. J.P. Moreland. He’s the Distinguished Professor of Philosophy at Talbot School of Theology, Biola University, in La Mirada, California.

A quick look at his bio on his newly renovated website, and you’ll quickly realize why Dr. Moreland is considered one of the foremost Christian thinkers of our time. He has four degrees, covering Chemistry, Theology, and Philosophy. He’s been a church planter, he’s spoken and debated on over 175 college campuses, he’s served with Campus Crusade for Christ for 10 years and he’s served as a bioethicist. He’s published over 70 articles and journals, many of which are available on his website and he’s authored or co-authored about 30 books. Many will be familiar with Scaling the Secular City and Love Your God With All Your Mind. A couple of books we’ll be talking about today include The Kingdom Triangle and The God Question. So, in short, he’s made and continues to make a strong impact for Christ in his work.

So, the purpose of our interview today is to learn a bit more about his thoughts on apologetics and his insights, specifically the ideas that he has covered in the two books just mentioned, The Kingdom Triangle and The God Question.

Thanks for speaking with me today, Dr Moreland.

JPM: Great to be with you, Brian.

Unbelievable Conference 2013: London

Premier Christian Radio presents an apologetics day conference on Sat, 25 May 2013 in London and is is the leading UK event for apologetics and evangelism. This year's conferences will be marking 50 years of CS Lewis' legacy as well as training Christians to engage with today's ethical and scientific issues in a variety of seminars. Guest speakers include: Alister McGrath, Amy Orr-Ewing, Fazale Rana, Peter S. Williams, and more.

Are you going? See you there!
Sign up here.

Terminology Tuesday: Coherence Theory of Truth

Coherence theory of truth: A theory of knowledge that asserts that a given proposition or statement is true when it is consistent within a larger set of propositions also taken to be true. If propositions come into conflict (are contradictory), it is assumed that either one or both of the propositions is false. The weakness of the coherence theory of truth is that there can be no proof of the "starting point" of the "first proposition" of a belief system; instead, such a system of beliefs is usually accepted on the basis that it is self-evidently true.1

1. Stanley J. Grenz, David Guretzki & Cherith Fee Nordling, Pocket Dictionary of Theological Terms (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1999), p. 27.

Apologist Interview: Blake Anderson of Ratio Christi

Today's interview is with Blake Anderson of Ratio Christi. Ratio Christi (a Student Apologetics Alliance) seeks to encourage and strengthen the faith of Christian students at secular and liberal institutions across the country, while also sharing Christ's message and love to those that have yet to receive it, through the use of intellectual investigation and apologetics. Blake is the head of Chapter Growth & Support for the many Ratio Christi campus chapters. He talks about the need for apologetics on campus and in the university setting, the vision and work of Ratio Christi, how apologists can get involved part-time and full-time, and more.

Full Interview MP3 Audio here (35 min)

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

J. Warner Wallace on Evidence

"As I speak around the country, I often encounter devoted, committed Christians who are hesitant to embrace an evidential faith. In many Christian circles, faith that requires evidential support is seen as weak and inferior. For many, blind faith (a faith that simply trusts without question) is the truest, most sincere, and most valuable form of faith that we can offer God. Yet Jesus seemed to have a high regard for evidence. In John 14:11, He told those watching Him to examine 'the evidence of miracles' (NIV) if they did not believe what He said about His identity. Even after the resurrection, Jesus stayed with His disciples for an additional forty days and provided them with 'many convincing proofs' that He was resurrected and was who He claimed to be (Acts 1:2-3 NIV). Jesus understood the role and value of evidence and the importance of developing an evidential faith. It’s time for all of us, as Christians, to develop a similarly reasonable faith'."

—J. Warner Wallace
Cold-Case Christianity

Book Review: Arguing with Friends by Paul Buller

Many of us are self-taught apologists, learning by trial and error as we go, but few of us have written a book about our experiences. Paul Buller has done just that. The engineer from Calgary, Alberta, Canada, has written a primer on apologetics entitled Arguing with Friends: Keeping Your Friends and Your Convictions. In it, he outlines what he has learned along the way, pointing out some pitfalls and highlighting what he believes are the most important aspects of doing apologetics well.

In his overview of the work, Buller writes, “this book will help you understand what separates a successful conversation from an unsuccessful one, and give you some general strategies . . . to increase your success (3).” The author has chosen the analogy of training at the gym as the structure for the book, noting that many Christians are “completely out of shape when it comes to discerning and sharing Truth through civil discourse” (5). He also explains that, when he uses the word “arguing”, he isn’t talking about quarrelling, but about explaining one’s beliefs and the valid reasons behind them.

Weekly Apologetics Bonus Links (02/15 - 02/22)

Here are this week's recommended apologetics links. Enjoy.

• Apologetics Stories Project
• The Wonders of Modus Tollens
• Call for Papers – Sententias
• Finding Trustworthy Scholars
• How To Deal With Emotional Doubts
• A Review of Cold-Case Christianity
• CrossExamined Instructor Academy 2013
• Testimonies of Ex-Jehovah's Witnesses
• Summer Seminar 2013 at Rivendell Institute
• When You Stand for Nothing, You’ll Try Anything
• Oxford Centre For Christian Apologetics Vimeo channel
• Chorley Pageant Training Day: Mormonism Investigated UK
• Apologetics Conference Calgary 2013: Be Ready Conference
• Our Sense of Moral Obligation Proves Materialism Is False
• "C.S. Lewis vs The New Atheists" - Peter S. Williams (Video)
• William Lane Craig debates Lawrence Krauss: Does God Exist?
• Investigating Bart Ehrman’s Top Ten Troublesome Bible Verses
• Apologetics Conference Calgary March 2013: Be Ready Conference
• The New Testament Books Are Unique Because They Are Apostolic Books
• Mike Licona lectures on new insights into the resurrection of Jesus
• "Why These Books and No Others?" February 23rd Event with Michael Kruger
• Currently Reading: Near-Death Experiences as Evidence for the Existence of God

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 transcription? If so, contact Ap315 here.

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

Book Give Away: The Attributes of God for Children

William Lane Craig has a new series of children's books that teach all about the attributes of God. Illustrated by Marli Renee, these great little books are quite amazing in their simple presentation of deep truths about God. (My own 5-year-old girl loves them and can explain what it means for God to be spirit and even what self-sufficient means, among other things.) These are being released two at a time about every month. More about Dr. Craig's children's books here.

Here's a list of all the titles:

• God is Spirit
• God is Everywhere
• God is Forever
• God is Self-Sufficient
• God is All-Knowing
• God is All-Powerful
• God is All-Good
• God is All-Loving
• God is Three Persons
• The Greatness of God

Congratulations to Joe F. and Diane S. for winning their copies.

Why is the Universe Fine-Tuned for Life? Video by Guillermo Gonzales

In this video, from the On Guard Apologetics Conference, Dr. Guillermo Gonzalez talks about recent discoveries in science showing that the universe is fine-tuned for the existence of intelligent life. His talk is followed by a period of Q&A from the audience. A great overview of fine-tuning. Watch the video on YouTube, or download the MP3 audio here. Enjoy.

K. Scott Oliphint Interview Transcript

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

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BA: Hello, this is Brian Auten of Apologetics 315. Today’s interview is with K. Scott Oliphint, Professor of Apologetics and Systematic Theology at Westminster Theological Seminary. He is author of a number of books, including: God With Us – Divine Condescension and the Attributes of God;  and Reasons for Faith – Philosophy in the Service of Theology.

The purpose of today’s interview is to get to know more about Dr Oliphint’s work in apologetics, explore presuppositional apologetics and look at philosophy in the service of theology. Well, thanks for joining me for this interview, Dr Oliphint.

KSO: You’re welcome Brian. Good to talk to you.

BA:  Well, first off Dr Oliphint would you mind telling our listeners a bit more about yourself and your background.

Terminology Tuesday: Presuppositionalism

Presuppositionalism: A variety of classical evangelical apologetics often associated with Cornelius Van Til. Presuppositionalists assert that any system of belief is built on certain foundational presuppositions (unprovable assertions that must be believed to make experience meaningful). As a result, the best means of Christian apologetics is not to prove certain specific assertions such as the existence of God, the historicity of the resurrection or the authority of the Bible. Instead the presuppositionalist Christian apologist explores the foundational presuppositions of competing belief systems with the goal of showing that human experience makes sense (or has meaning) most clearly when viewed in the light of the foundational teachings of the Christian faith.1

1. Stanley J. Grenz, David Guretzki & Cherith Fee Nordling, Pocket Dictionary of Theological Terms (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1999), p. 95.

Brian Auten Interviewed by Backpack Radio

Today's interview is taken from the Backpack Radio show. Vocab Malone interviews Brian Auten about "Online Apologetics Resources." Vocab talks with Brian about the history of Apologetics 315, how to find apologetics resources, apologetics interaction online, evangelism, and more. Subscribe to the Backpack Radio podcast here.

Full Interview MP3 Audio here (42min)

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

Jonathan Morrow on Apologetics for Everyone

"Here’s a common objection you may have encountered: Isn’t apologetics only for academics and intellectuals? The short answer is no. Here’s why. Everyone has questions—you do, your kids do, your friends and neighbors do, your family does, and our culture certainly does. It’s that simple. We will either think carefully or poorly about these questions, but the questions themselves cannot be avoided. Secondly, if Christianity is true, then it speaks to all of life. It doesn’t get more ‘everyday’ than that (1 Pet. 3:15)."

—Jonathan Morrow

Book Review: An Introduction to the Philosophy of Religion by Brian Davies

Are there any reasons to believe that God exists? What is this being we call God? Is morality dependent on such a being? And is there life after death? While theology certainly touches upon these topics, philosophy of religion is the branch of philosophy that also deals with these questions among many others. In An Introduction to the Philosophy of Religion, Brian Davies seeks to offer beginners in this field a survey that explores the most common elements found when studying the philosophy of religion. What I will try to do in this review is not so much go through every chapter—since it’s material similar to what you’d find in other philosophy of religion books—but to highlight some of the unique aspects of Davies’ book, while also briefly touching upon some of the classical material, i.e., cosmological, design, and ontological arguments.

Davies begins his book in a unique way by introducing a distinction between two different conceptions of God: one being what he calls “classic theism” and the other “theistic personalism” (2). This is unique because this particular distinction is not often made in many introductory philosophy texts, and it certainly draws attention to the implications that flow from adopting one over the other, and it sets the direction for the remainder of the book and how one ought to approach each issue.

Weekly Apologetics Bonus Links (02/08 - 02/15)

Here are this week's recommended apologetics links. Enjoy.

• Cosmos, Bios, Theos
• Apologetics Stories Project
• What Does ‘No Religion’ Mean?
• Unbelievable? Conference 2013
• David Glass on Atheism in Ireland (audio)
• How to Construct a Cumulative Case Argument
• Five Quick Thoughts on the Bible and Morality
• Grassroots Apologetics Day with Dr. Tim McGrew
• Truthbomb Apologetics reviews “Cold Case Christianity”
• Four Self-Refuting Statements Heard on College Campuses Across America
• Students: Consider Applying For The 2013 Discovery Institute Summer Seminar

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 transcription? If so, contact Ap315 here.

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

Online Apologetics Conference 2013

This year Athanatos Christian Ministries is hosting its fourth annual Online Apologetics Conference. The conference will be held on April 21st,  22nd, and 23rd, 2013. This year's theme is: A Defense of the Faith is a Defense of Life. Christian apologetics training with an emphasis on defending life.

On the 21st of April, a number of apologists will present guest lectures free of charge on a variety of apologetics topics. Use this link to find out more about the conference and the sessions.

Find the Online Apologetics Conference on Facebook and Twitter.
Apologetics 315 is happy to sponsor this event. (For those who are interested, Brian Auten will be speaking on the 21st on the topic, "Apologetics Training as a Lifestyle.")

Check it out.

Ravi Zacharias Interview Transcript

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

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BA: Hello, this is Brian Auten of Apologetics315. Today’s interview is with Ravi Zacharias. Ravi is perhaps one of the greatest Christian apologists of our time, and is a notable author, speaker, and communicator. He has spoken all over the world, and numerous universities, to heads of state, and to government officials around the globe. He is the author of over twenty books, including Can Man live Without God?, The Real Face of Atheism, Has Christianity Failed You?, and his most recent, which we’ll be talking a bit about today, Why Jesus?: Rediscovering His Truth in an Age of Mass Marketed Spirituality. The purpose of today’s interview is to learn a bit more from Ravi’s experience as an apologist, discuss his most recent book, and get his advice for being a better apologist. Dr. Zacharias, thank you so much for joining me today.

RZ: Happy to be with you Brian, thank you for having me on.

Terminology Tuesday: A posteriori, A priori

A posteriori, a priori: Terms used to refer to whether an assertion is dependent on experience (a posteriori) or independent of experience (a priori). For example, if one observes creation and sees in it an organized pattern, it might be concluded a posteriori (i.e., on the basis of observing creation) that God exists as its cause. However, if God's existence can be proved on some basis prior to sense experience, then the existence of God is argued a priori.1

1. Stanley J. Grenz, David Guretzki & Cherith Fee Nordling, Pocket Dictionary of Theological Terms (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1999), p. 7.

Brian Auten Interviewed by Apologetics.com

Today's interview is taken from the Apologetics.com Radio Show. Lindsay Brooks interviews Brian Auten on "How to Begin as an Apologist." Lindsay Brooks talks with Brian about how he got into apologetics, about his many interviews, about how a new apologist might begin, and about the future of apologetics. Subscribe to the Apologetics.com podcast here.

Full Interview MP3 Audio here (1hr 51min)

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

Oswald Chambers on Making Disciples

It takes God a long time to get us to stop thinking that unless everyone sees things exactly as we do, they must be wrong. That is never God's view. There is only one true liberty—the liberty of Jesus at work in our conscience enabling us to do what is right. Don't get impatient with others. Remember how God dealt with you—with patience and with gentleness. But never water down the truth of God. Let it have its way and never apologize for it. Jesus said, "Go . . . and make disciples . . ." (Matthew 28:19), not, "Make converts to your own thoughts and opinions."

—Oswald Chambers
My Utmost for His Highest - May 6