Thoughtful Reflections on Faith and Life
So you want to become an apologist. Good for you. There is more of a need for quality apologetics now than ever before. But the key is quality. The internet is a great means of proclaiming Christian church but anyone can publish anything. There are some well-meaning apologists out there who are putting out less … Read More “Letter to an Aspiring Apologist” »
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” »
I have already blogged about the controversy over Ravi Zacharias and the exaggeration of his credentials. To be honest, I think that RZIM was simply sloppy and careless about this and they should have known better. But there is something that we should consider, something I haven’t heard people talking about. What kind of an … Read More “Ravi Zacharias, Credentials and Perspective” »
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” »
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” »
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 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” »
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” »
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” »
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” »
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?” »
This is a mistake that you don’t have to be an apologist to make. Every Christian stumbles on this at some point. Whatever your role, never, ever do this: Do not assume what another person believes. This happens so often. The Christian thinks they are impressing the person with their knowledge but really they are … Read More “The Biggest Mistake For an Apologist” »
I first met Andy Bannister when he was doing some lectures at Tyndale University College. I was impressed with how he communicated but even more so with his content. I have been able to hear him a number of times since and I always learn something. As a Canadian apologist myself, I am thankful for … Read More “Unapologetically Apologetic: A Conversation With Andy Bannister” »
The problem with some apologists is that they do apologetics. Not that there is anything wrong with apologetics. The problem is that they just drop a generic apologetics bomb and hope that it damages some doubt. What is needed is for apologists to take the time to understand their audience and then tailor the apologetics … Read More “Apologist, Know Thy Audience” »
I recently posted on how to prevent pastor burnout. Those who dedicate their time to apologetics also need to be watchful of this danger. There are enough stories of apologists who not only gave up on apologetics but also gave up on the faith to know this is a problem. Here are some tips to … Read More “5 Tips to Prevent Apologist Burnout” »
Would you like to be active as an apologist? Great! So what do you need to know to be an apologist? The common sense answer would be that an apologist needs to know about apologetics. However, apologetics is more of an attitude than a body of knowledge. If you look at the topics being taught … Read More “Skills for the Apologist” »
Somehow you have found yourself believing that there is no God. Perhaps you never had faith, perhaps you lost faith along the way. At first it was just nice to sleep in on Sundays and to not worry about any religious rules stopping you from having fun. But passive atheism has become boring and now … Read More “So You Want to Be an Atheist Apologist?” »
I am preaching on this passage at my church and while I was writing my sermon, I was reflecting on the application for apologetics. “Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. Therefore … Read More “James 1:19-27 and the Apologist” »
First of all, what do you mean by that? Are you saying that you want to be a “professional” apologist or you want apologetics to be a part of your life as a Christian? This is the first step, to find out what you want to do. Being a full-time apologist can look a few … Read More “So You Want to Be an Apologist?” »
