Thoughtful Reflections on Faith and Life
If you ask any apologist what the key verse for apologetics is, they are likely to say 1 Peter 3:15. But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. 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 … Read More “The Apologetics of Respect” »
Each generation is different and we need to be prepared to communicate with them on their terms. One of the values that have been identified is authenticity. This doesn’t mean that there is no longer a place for apologetics, it just means we have to do it with authenticity. Which we should anyway. What does … Read More “Apologetics With Authenticity” »
One of the things that I enjoy writing about is the practical application of apologetics. Knowing specific arguments is not effective if we don’t have a healthy model for apologetics. Thinking about apologetics, I came up with the acronym of POWER to explain how apologists should go about their activity. Prayer – It is amazing … Read More “POWER Apologetics” »
I chuckle when I hear Christians criticize apologetics because everyone is an apologist. I don’t mean everyone should be an apologist but everyone is an apologist. This is not limited to Christians. Apologetics was around long before Christianity. Apologetics simply means giving a reason for something that you value. Many atheists are very good at … Read More “Everyone is an Apologist” »
While I consider myself an apologist, my primary role is that of a pastor of a local church. But I don’t find these roles to be contradictory. I try to include apologetics in my pastoral ministry. There are many ways to do this but one way is through preaching. Often in the summer I offer … Read More “Apologetics and Preaching” »
Some people embrace Christian apologetics and some have no interest at all. I would suggest that pastors don’t have the right to reject apologetics. Even if we are not interested, apologetics is necessary for our congregation. Even if we ignored Christian apologetics, that wouldn’t stop our people from encountering anti-Christian apologetics. There are plenty of … Read More “31 Days to Become a Better Pastor: Include Apologetics in Your Ministry” »
Richard Carrier has recently had an ongoing debate with New Testament scholar Larry Hurtado. I have not been following the debate because frankly I don’t care. Plus, I find that Carrier just gets nasty and his arguments become more emotional than rational. But something he wrote caught my attention. I came across his blog post The … Read More “Richard Carrier is an Apologist” »
Apologetics is much more than simply defending the faith. To try and flesh out the fullness of apologetics, I will use APOLOGETICS as an acronym. Applicable Apologetics shouldn’t just be about the pet interests of the apologists but should be applicable to the need of the audience. Pray We should be praying for ourselves and … Read More “The A.P.O.L.O.G.E.T.I.C.S. of Apologetics” »
I started my pastoral ministry as a youth pastor. My first five years as a pastor was in the area of youth ministry. Looking back, it was probably some of the most challenging experiences. At the time, I never thought about including apologetics as a part of the ministry. I wish I had. Too often … Read More “5 Ways to Include Apologetics in Youth Ministry” »
Christians are divided on the role of Christian apologetics and its usefulness. While some are convinced of the importance of apologetics, others see it as a distraction from “real” ministry. I see apologetics as having a number of roles, including both evangelism and discipleship. But there is an image that I see in the Old … Read More “A Biblical Image For How Apologetics Helps Build the Church” »
There are those within the church who are critical of Christian apologetics who point out its limitations. They will argue that presenting an apologetic for Christianity will not result in the person becoming a Christian. It is argued that people become followers of Jesus only by the calling of the Holy Spirit. Therefore apologetic arguments … Read More “Apologetics Will Not Make Anyone a Christian” »
My primary role in ministry is as a pastor of a local congregation. Why then do I choose to teach apologetics at my church? Is this just a case of me pushing my interests on my church? There are many different things that I could teach at my church and apologetics is by no means … Read More “Why I Teach Apologetics at My Church” »
Some of the strongest objections to Christian apologetics comes not from outside the church, but from within. Here are five common objections to Christian apologetics with my responses. Apologetics leads to a purely intellectual faith. There is no reason for this. It is like saying that a dramatic conversion must lead to a purely emotional … Read More “5 Objections to Apologetics (and 5 Responses)” »
Evangelism and apologetics are related activities but they are not the same thing. Evangelism literally means the announcing of Good News and apologetics means giving a reason. There is some overlap between these activities but there are differences. Evangelism is the sharing of the gospel of Jesus Christ. The gospel is the coming of the … Read More “What is the Difference Between Evangelism and Apologetics?” »
The tools of the trade when it comes to apologetics is a good library. But what kind of books should an apologist have? There are thousands of books out there but you can’t read them all (trust me, I’ve tried!). Some books are to be read from cover to cover and others are good for … Read More “Required Books for an Apologetics Library” »
If you are involved in apologetics, you will be talking to different types of people. You will talk to Christians who are dealing with doubts and non-Christians who are seeking information. But you will also be talking to angry skeptics. There is nothing wrong with being a skeptic. I consider myself to be a skeptic. … Read More “How to Deal With an Angry Skeptic” »
Many people are attempting to follow new year’s resolutions. This is good for every area of life. This includes those interested in apologetics. It is not too late to take steps to grow as an apologist. Here are five suggestions. Deepen your understanding of the Bible. Put together a reading plan and set as aside … Read More “5 Ways to Grow as an Apologist This Year” »
In this opening lecture on “C.S. Lewis and the Rational Argument”, Professor Alister McGrath, the author of a recent biography of C.S. Lewis, explores the role that rational, philosophical argumentation played throughout Lewis’s life, before and after his conversion to Christianity. The lecture is followed by questions from the audience.
I am both an apologist and a pastor. I do not see those as two different vocations, but rather two aspects of the same calling. I believe that it is important for pastors to integrate some apologetics into their pastoral ministry. This does not mean that every Sunday should be an apologetics sermon or even … Read More “5 Apologetics Topics Pastors Can Preach On” »
There are those who are interested in apologetics and those who are involved in apologetics. If you want to be an effective apologist, it requires more than just reading a few books. Here are seven skills that are essential for being an effective apologist. The ability to listen carefully to the person you are interacting … Read More “7 Skills of an Effective Apologist” »
I believe that apologetics is important and not just for those interested in apologetics. Apologetics is especially important for pastors, whether they like it or not. The fact is that there is a steady stream of anti-Christian apologetics hitting our people and ignoring Christian apologetics is not going to stop that. While I’m not suggesting … Read More “7 Ways Pastors Can Begin to Integrate Apologetics into Their Ministry” »
I really believe in the importance of Christian apologetics. I spend a significant amount of time thinking about and writing on apologetics. It is a good thing for people to be involved in. Having said that, there are some dangers that can be associated with apologetics. These dangers can be overcome and should not be … Read More “4 Dangers of Apologetics” »
I love apologetics and I enjoy working in the area of Christian apologetics. I’m glad there is tremendous growth in the interest of apologetics. But I also believe that there can be some bad motivations for being involved in apologetics. Here are three bad reasons to do apologetics. You are having doubts about Christianity. Some … Read More “3 Bad Reasons to Do Apologetics” »
Awhile back, I got into a conversation with someone on Twitter about apologetics. This person, who had a seminary education and was involved in ministry, was pushing back on a tweet I wrote about the importance of apologetics. One of the things that she said was that we should emulate Jesus, and what he did … Read More “Did Jesus Ever Do Apologetics?” »
I’m thankful for the renewal of interest in apologetics in recent years. There has been an increase in apologetics organizations, academic apologetics programs and individual apologetics activity. These are exciting times for apologetics. I have been reflecting on my own experience in apologetics and the things that I have learned. Here are twenty-one things that … Read More “21 Things That Apologists Need to Know” »
One of the podcasts that I listen to is called Theology on Mission (You can find all the podcasts I listen to here). One of the recent episodes, called “World Evangelicalism – A Future For the West?” had some interesting comments about apologetics. In the episode, apologetics was identified with modernism. Because of this, it … Read More “Should Apologetics Be Rejected as a Modernist Endeavour?” »
I have been involved in apologetics since I came to personal faith in the mid-90s. I became more formally involved in apologetics when I co-wrote Unmasking the Pagan Christ in 2006 and started blogging shortly after that. I think I have learned some things since that time. While I know I still have much more … Read More “5 Things I Wish I Knew When I Started in Apologetics” »
I have been involved in apologetics almost right from the beginning of when I made a personal faith commitment. But this was no phase I was going through. Apologetics has only become more important to me, leading me to write about, speak about and even teach Christian apologetics. But why do I want to be … Read More “4 Reasons Why I Am an Apologist” »
I recently wrote a post on the four Rs of good apologetics. I decided that I would follow this up with a post on the four Cs of good apologetics. Here they are: Character Are you the same person when you are discussing apologetics as your are when you are by yourself or when you … Read More “The Four Cs of Good Apologetics” »
Is this even a question worth asking? Doesn’t everyone know what Christian apologetics is? I would suggest that we need to define Christian apologetics clearly. It is bad definitions of apologetics that lead to some people and churches rejecting apologetics. Some people define apologetics as attempting to bully people into faith with a barrage of … Read More “What is Christian Apologetics?” »
I have heard from a number of people who have been frustrated when their church leadership does not seem interested in apologetics. You have read the books and have been to the conferences and you know how powerful apologetics can be. But when you talk to your pastor, there seems to be no interest. What … Read More “How to Talk to Your Pastor About Apologetics” »
I’m sure that most people involved in apologetics want to be successful in their apologetics endeavours. But how can you know if you are successful? You need some way to measure. One way to do this is to set some goals. General Goals I would start with some very general goals. What are you trying … Read More “What is Your Goal for Apologetics?” »
As both a pastor and an apologist, I believe that there should be connections between both roles. I actually became an apologist because of a need that arose while being a pastor at a local church. I also understand that there are many pastors who are not interested in apologetics. They believe that the keys … Read More “5 Reasons Why Pastors Should Care About Apologetics” »
It is easy to call oneself an apologist. It is a different thing to be a good and effective apologist. There are plenty of bad examples of apologetics for us to learn from. Obviously, I won’t name names. But I will give examples of the apologist that you shouldn’t be. Don’t be that apologist who … Read More “Don’t Be That Apologist” »
It takes much more than an excitement or appreciation about apologetics to be a good apologist. You can have read dozens of apologetics books and have listened to all the best podcasts and still be ineffective as an apologist. Here are four Rs that can get you started on the road to being an effective … Read More “The Four Rs of Good Apologetics” »
The Jesus Myth Theory, the belief that Jesus never existed and that the Gospels are based on pagan myths, just does not seem to go away. The recent appearance of a mythicists on the Unbelievable? podcast shows how much more prominent mythicist ideas are becoming. More and more books and websites are appearing that argue … Read More “5 Things You Need to Know About the Jesus Myth” »
I have been blogging in some form or another for ten years. Much of that has included apologetics blogging. I enjoy writing apologetics-related blog posts and hopefully I have learned something over the years. Here are a few things that I would like to offer to my fellow apologetics bloggers. Make sure to do your … Read More “5 Tips For Apologetics Bloggers” »
There is nothing like sitting outside in the beautiful weather, enjoying the sunshine and a good book. But what are you going to read? I have shared some suggestions from some other people but I thought I would share some of my own ideas. I have read a number of books recently that I really … Read More “My Suggestions for Summer Reading” »
I have known Tim Barnett for a couple of years, first online and then through an apologetics conference that we were both at. I have watched as God has opened doors for him to expand his apologetics ministry. I see Tim as an important part of what God is doing in Canada is presenting Christianity … Read More “An Interview With Tim Barnett” »
We live in a time of unprecedented apologetics resources. With a few clicks on a smart phone, you can have the information that would have taken hours in a library just a decade ago. Schools and even some churches are providing apologetics training. There is so much information that is available. But it takes much … Read More “4 Steps to Becoming a Better Apologist” »
If one wanted to name the most influential apologists of the twentieth century, both C.S. Lewis and Francis Schaeffer would be near the top of the list. If these two men have had an impact on you, you might be happy to hear that there is book that discusses both of them. Scott R. Burson … Read More “C.S. Lewis and Francis Schaeffer” »
In recent months I have come across numerous articles, posts and podcasts reflecting on the question, “Is blogging dead?” Obviously blogging cannot be completely dead as I am writing a blog post on the subject. Why are people asking if blogging is dead? The problem is not necessarily something wrong with the medium of blogs. … Read More “Is Apologetics Blogging Dead?” »
Most bloggers like to highlight their most popular blog posts and I have done that myself. But I thought I would do something different. Instead of listing my five most popular blog posts, I’m going to share my five least read posts. This does not mean they are bad posts, they just ended up at … Read More “My 5 Least Read Blog Posts” »
I recently wrote a post about why apologetics is an essential role for a pastor. Gavin Rumney at the OTAGOsh blog was nice enough to respond to my post with his own post called Apologists and Predators. That is fine as I affirm his right to disagree with me. But he does bring up some good … Read More “Pastor as Protector: Some Clarifications” »
I sometimes encounter resistance by pastors about the value of apologetics. I have also heard from laypeople who have had negative experiences talking to their pastors about apologetics. I would like to argue that not only is apologetics compatible with pastoral ministry, it is essential to pastoral ministry. That may sound like a bold statement … Read More “Why Apologetics is Essential to Being a Pastor” »
Determine Your Apologetics Goals We have gone through many challenges to take your apologetics ministry to the next level. The expectation was never that you would do all of these things in one month. All of the challenges will take time and this is what this challenge is about. If you want to be effective … Read More “30 Day Apologetics Challenge: Day 30” »
Enter into a Mentoring Relationship Apologists should be life long students. Another word for student is a disciple. The New Testament has a lot to say about discipleship. It is worth looking at how Jesus discipled. There seems to have been a fairly large group of disciples, at least seventy and probably more. Within this … Read More “30 Day Apologetics Challenge: Day 29” »
Read a Systematic Theology An important skill for any apologist is to have a good general knowledge of theology. You cannot detect counterfeits unless you can recognize the real thing. It is unfortunate that many Christian never get a good overview of theology. When I first became a Christian, I spent a year in an adult … Read More “30 Day Apologetics Challenge: Day 28” »
Integrate Prayer What are the activities required of apologists? Reading. Researching. Speaking. Writing. Praying. Praying? One of the most important aspects of apologetics is prayer. This may not always be highlighted and yet it is vital. Apologetics is not just a matter of presenting evidence and seeing results. There is a spiritual part that is … Read More “30 Day Apologetics Challenge: Day 27” »
Write an EBook I believe that people involved in apologetics have something good to say. They have studied the material, interacted with people and have presented good arguments. We have talked about sharing that material in blog and podcast form but there are other options as well. Many people dream of being an author. While … Read More “30 Day Apologetics Challenge: Day 26” »
I am pleased to present a guest post by Marilyn Joy Tyner. Marilyn is the founder of True-Way Tracts, a Christian ministry that produces gospel tracts and apologetics briefs and distributes them worldwide (TrueWayTracts.com). Marilyn holds an MA in Christian Apologetics and BA degrees in English Literature and Biblical Studies. She is also the author … Read More “Removing Three Major Stumbling Blocks for Pre-Christians” »
Record Your Testimony There is a debate among apologists as to the value of a personal testimony. Some would say that apologists should avoid subjective testimonies and focus only on objective fact. The problem with this is when we go to Acts, we see that Paul chooses to share his testimony twice. He seemed to … Read More “30 Day Apologetics Challenge: Day 25” »
Have an Apologetic Conversation What is the difference between an apologetics junkie and an apologist? An apologetics junkie enjoys reading and talking about apologetics. An apologist actually does apologetics. One of the best ways to develop as an apologist is to actually do apologetics on a regular basis. I understand that it can be scary … Read More “30 Day Apologetics Challenge: Day 24” »
Develop Public Speaking Skills They say that public speaking is the number one fear among people, beating out even fear of death. At the same day, public speaking is a very important skill for apologists. While much can be done on the internet, the ability to speak in public can be quite helpful. What if … Read More “30 Day Apologetics Challenge: Day 23” »
Read Biographies Christians look to the Gospels to understand the words and actions of Jesus without thinking about their genre. The Gospels are considered to be ancient biographies. While not exactly the same as modern biographies, the evangelists saw this genre as the best way to pass on the life of Jesus. Although we should … Read More “30 Day Apologetics Challenge: Day 22” »
Study Hermeneutics If I had to choose the number one need within the church, I would say that it is knowledge of the Bible. If I had to choose number two, it would be the need to interpret the Bible correctly. It is wonderful when people read the Bible but it does no good if … Read More “30 Day Apologetics Challenge: Day 21” »
Read Some Contemporary Fiction Apologists are not known for having a wide range of reading. Some may be stretching themselves if they are reading books on a number of subjects within philosophy. This may be an exaggeration but how much fiction do you actually read? I could read Lord of the Rings (and the rest of … Read More “30 Day Apologetics Challenge: Day 20” »
Learn About World Religions We live in an exciting time when people from all over the world are right here in our communities. Religious diversity is no longer about whether you are Baptist or Presbyterian. On one block may live families who are Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, Sikh or any number of other religions. Is … Read More “30 Day Apologetics Challenge: Day 18” »
Read the Early Apologists Who is your favourite apologist? Some may say C.S. Lewis, others Ravi Zacharias or perhaps William Lane Craig. We do have some great apologists active in the twentieth and twenty-first century but apologetics does not begin there. There was a vibrant apologetics movement as early as the second century. No sooner … Read More “30 Day Apologetics Challenge: Day 17” »
Do an Apologetics Periscope One of the reasons it is a great time to be an apologist is the multitude of social media outlets that can be used. You can post messages on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and many more. An exciting addition to social media is Periscope. Periscope is focused on live streaming video. With just … Read More “30 Day Apologetics Challenge: Day 16” »
Talk to Your Pastor About Apologetics This challenge is aimed at laypeople but if you are a pastor, the principles are the same for talking to the leadership in the church. One of the frustrations I hear from people involved in apologetics is that their church does not seem interested in apologetics. You may have … Read More “30 Day Apologetics Challenge: Day 15” »
Read the Qur’an Islam seems to be on everyone’s mind these days. Between the war on ISIS to the welcoming of Syrian refugees, Islam has risen to prominence. But what do we know about Islam? The worst source of information on Islam are internet memes. If that is how you are educating yourself, you need … Read More “30 Day Apologetics Challenge: Day 14” »
Read a Book By an Atheist If you wanted to know about atheism, what would you do? You might read a Christian book or blog post on atheism. There is a place for that but I would suggest that you go directly to the atheist and their writings. There has been a major shift in … Read More “30 Day Apologetics Challenge: Day 13” »
Write a Guest Post for Another Blog You have good things to say. You have studied and learned and want to pass on your knowledge. But how do you do that? You may have your own blog but are not satisfied with the results. You may not have a blog but you have a great … Read More “30 Day Apologetics Challenge: Day 12” »
Network With Other Apologists One of the things that I appreciate most about being a pastor is networking with other pastors. I attend ministerials and other gatherings where I can learn from and encourage other pastors. It should be no different when it comes to apologetics. It doesn’t matter if you are a beginner apologist … Read More “30 Day Apologetics Challenge: Day 11” »
Discover Academic Journals When many people want to learn about a subject, looking to books is the first thought. There is nothing wrong with books, but they are not the only option. When I teach courses at a Bible college or Christian university, I recommend to my students that they should use academic journals. Why … Read More “30 Day Apologetics Challenge: Day 10” »
Read Dead People We live in a time when there are quality apologetics books being published all the time. There are so many resources available that we could never have the time to read them all. This is a good thing and we should seek to stay on top of what is happening in apologetics. But … Read More “30 Day Apologetics Challenge: Day 9” »
Start a Podcast This challenge has much in common with the previous challenge of starting a blog. It is based on the same motivation of getting good apologetic content out to the people who need it. The advantage of starting a podcast over a blog is that you can attract a different kind of audience. … Read More “30 Day Apologetics Challenge: Day 8” »
Start a Blog This section is both for those who do not have a blog or those who want to improve their blog. If you already have a successful blog, feel free to move on to the next challenge. As apologists, we should be studying apologetics not just for what we can take in. We … Read More “30 Day Apologetics Challenge: Day 7” »
Become a Specialist Last time I encouraged you to become a generalist, that is to gain a good understanding of a number of subjects. That is important but it does not negate the need to be a specialist. What do I mean by a specialist? It does not necessarily mean that you have to get … Read More “30 Day Apologetics Challenge: Day 6” »
Become a Generalist There is a debate among some apologists about whether it is better to be a specialist or a generalist. My response is that is important to be both. What do I mean by that? I think there is something unfortunate when an apologist has extensive knowledge in one narrow area and almost … Read More “30 Day Apologetics Challenge: Day 5” »
Plan Your Education It is definitely possible to become a knowledgable apologist without a formal education. At the same time there is a benefit to following a curriculum and being held accountable to completing a course. One of the most common questions I come across is about the type of education an apologist should seek. … Read More “30 Day Apologetics Challenge: Day 4” »
Subscribe to a Good Apologetics Podcast Christian apologists today live in a time of unprecedented free and accessible apologetics information. There was a time that learning required either a taking an in-class course or getting a book from a bookstore or library. Those are still important sources but there is so much more available today. … Read More “30 Day Apologetics Challenge: Day 3” »
Build a Biblical Foundation When some people get a vision for apologetics, they may get excited about all the apologetics books that should be read. Those are great resources but it is skipping a step. Far more important than the best-selling apologetics books is getting a solid foundation in the Bible. It is not enough … Read More “30 Day Apologetics Challenge: Day 2” »
Here is the updated list of the top apologetics blogs. There has been some movement in ranks, partially because a significant number of blogs have been added to the master list. Here are the top ten blogs. Make sure to check them out. Congratulations to all the apologetics bloggers! Wintery Knight The Poached Egg Cold-Case … Read More “Top Ten Apologetics Blogs – December 2015” »
A few years back I wrote a book called the Watchtower and the Word. It started out as a response to the Jehovah’s Witnesses’ book, What Does the Bible Really Teach? However, it grew into more than that. It really is a guide to productive conversations with Jehovah’s Witnesses, pointing the reader to the issues … Read More “What People Are Saying About the Watchtower and the Word” »
One of the frustrations that apologists often express is the difficulty of getting the church to buy into the importance of apologetics. Unfortunately, this sometimes is influenced by the pastor’s negative view of apologetics. As a pastor, I understand that pastors cannot drop all that they are doing and throw themselves into apologetics. Preaching, pastoral … Read More “5 Reasons Pastors Should Consider Apologetics” »
Are you an apologist? If you are serious about apologetics, you should be seeking to improve. Being an apologist is so much more than starting a blog and posting about apologetics-related topics. I do not want to say that I know everything about apologetics, but I have learned something from my twenty plus years involved … Read More “5 Steps to Becoming a Better Apologist” »
Probably one of the most common critiques of apologetics is that you cannot argue someone to Jesus/Heaven/Salvation etc. That is an easy assertion to make but is it true? Examine this passage: “After Paul and Silas had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. And … Read More “You Cannot Argue Someone to Jesus (Except When You Can)” »
If you have heard that you need a PhD in philosophy of religion to be an apologist, you have been misled. It is a great degree to have but you can be involved in apologetics with a wide variety of training. First, I believe that a lot of apologetics training takes place informally through reading … Read More “What Apologetics Training Should You Get?” »
I am so thankful for the growth in Christian apologetics. There are so many apologetics books, blogs, podcasts and conferences. More apologetics information has gotten into the hands of more people. It is a great time to be an apologist. As we get involved in apologetics-related activities, we need to remember the basics. Here are … Read More “10 Things Apologists Should Remember” »
I frequently encounter people who have a problem with apologetics. What problem do they see? First, apologetics has been of no use in their own spiritual journey. They never had any intellectual doubts. Their path has been about community and relationships and love. Or perhaps they were brought up in the church and were able … Read More “Apologetics: Not for Me, Not for You” »
1 Peter 3:13-16 Introduction I have many roles in my life of ministry. I am a guest preacher, a Bible college teacher, an army chaplain and a writer. One of the roles that I really enjoy is that of an apologist. An apologist? What in the world is that? Does that mean that I spend … Read More “Apologetics in the Real World” »
I came across an interesting blog post titled “the best defense of the Christian faith is…” written by Peter Enns. I both agreed and disagreed with what he said. I strongly agree with Enns when he talks about apologetics including how we treat others, a view towards our global community and an understanding of our … Read More “Peter Enns and Concerns About Apologetics” »
A frequent claim today is that religion poisons everything. Some atheists are arguing that religion is not just false but that religion is dangerous. Andy Bannister of RZIM Canada addresses this concern in this video which is a part of the Short Answers to Big Questions series. Don’t forget to order Andy’s new book, The … Read More “Does Religion Poison Everything?” »
I hear from time to time about people who have been bitten by the “apologetics bug.” Perhaps they have heard a famous apologist speak or read a great book on apologetics. It may be that they have been challenged on some issue and now realize they need to know more. Whatever the reason, there are some … Read More “5 Tips For Beginner Apologists” »
In this episode of my video blog, I look at some of the concerns that some people have about apologetics. Should we be involved in apologetics, either on the evangelism or the discipleship side? I look at two of the objections that I often encounter. For more episodes of my video blog, go to this … Read More “An Apologetic for Apologetics” »
What makes a person an apologist? Does setting up an apologetics blog make a person an apologist? What about a large collection of well-read apologetics books? It is easy for a Christian to self-identify as an apologist. I have been reflecting on this in the context of other areas. How does someone qualify to be … Read More “What is an Apologist?” »
I recently asked some people why they thought apologetics was important. This is what they said. “The question isn’t: do you have an apologetic? Everybody does. The question is simply: is it a good one?” – Andy Bannister “Because it is commanded; because it is desperately needed; and because the other side is coming for our kids. … Read More “Why is Apologetics Important?” »
Apologetics has never been easier. Not only is there an abundance of apologetics resources (books, podcasts, conferences, etc.), with the internet there are countless opportunities. It takes almost no effort to enter into an apologetic conversation. But just because it is easy to do apologetics does not mean that it is easy to do good … Read More “5 Mistakes Apologists Make” »
I was recently challenged by someone about including a post about Bible teaching in the subject of apologetics. The purpose of this post is not to argue with the individual but to interact with the idea. I actually think that it is worth reflecting on the relationship between Bible teaching and apologetics and I appreciate … Read More “Is Bible Teaching a Part of Apologetics?” »
My most popular posts I have been blogging in some manner or other for about ten years. This particular blog is a bringing together of my three previous blogs. Since the amalgamation, it has been interesting to see which posts have caught the attention of my readers. Here then are my top five posts, chosen … Read More “My Top Five Posts” »
Perhaps one of the best opportunities for apologists these days is that of blogging. You can put out your thoughts and people can read your content for free, no matter where in the world they live. There is a sense of anonymity in that your audience can read your posts even if their culture would … Read More “5 Things to Include in an Apologetics Blog Post” »
I recently came across an article titled, Defending the Faith: Creating a Cumulative Case for the Book of Mormon, written by Daniel Peterson. It is an attempt to respond to critics who argue that the Book of Mormon is not genuine. Let me make something clear, I am not anti-Mormon. Mormons are lovely people and … Read More “The Cumulative Case Against the Book of Mormon” »
Apologists are not known for their prayer activity. That is not to say that we don’t pray, it is just that is not what stands out. Ironically, there are some specific prayer points that apologists should be praying for. If you are an apologist, consider praying for these specific items: Pray that more local churches … Read More “Apologetics Prayer Points” »
