Thoughtful Reflections on Faith and Life
Christian apologetics is not something that is going away any time soon. From time to time, you will hear that apologetics has had its day. Despite the major transformation of society by technology and the influence of postmodernism, there will always be a need for apologetics. Just as apologetics of the early church fathers was … Read More “The Future of Christian Apologetics” »
The interesting thing about apologetics is that it does not cover just one subject. It is theology and science and history and philosophy and so much more. In order to be effective apologists, we have to find the intersection of our areas of interest and those topics that are relevant to the people we speak … Read More “5 Important Areas For Apologetics” »
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” »
Most people who are interested in Christian apologetics desire to be good apologists. For those of you who would prefer to be a bad apologist, here is my advice. Feel free to NOT follow it. Spend more time attacking other Christians than removing obstacles to non-Christians. Remind people who do apologetics a different way that … Read More “7 Steps to Become a Really Bad Apologist” »
There has been a great increase in the number of Christians who are interested in apologetics. I think this is a good thing. I have encountered a number of new and extremely talented apologists over the past couple of years. What does an apologist do? Well, apologetics of course. But what does that look like? … Read More “5 Opportunities For Apologists” »
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’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” »
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” »
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” »
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” »
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” »
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” »
Asking whether apologetics is good or bad is not a very good question. It is like asking, is leadership good or bad? There is only good leadership and bad leadership. It is the same for apologetics, there is only good or bad apologetics. Even Christians who call for a moratorium on apologetics will give some … Read More “Is Apologetics Good or Bad?” »
There is no lack of apologists attacking other apologists. The internet has made this both easier and more public. I understand that many apologists are so zealous for the truth (as they understand it) that it is just as easy to attack Christian apologists as it is to attack skeptics. They likely see their activities … Read More “5 Reasons Apologists Should Not Attack Apologists” »
When it comes to apologists, there are those who seek to be generalists and those who seek to be specialists. I am a firm believer that we need both. I am actually somewhere in between. I do a lot of general apologetics but much of what I do is historical apologetics, especially in the context … Read More “10 Things That Apologists Should Know Something About” »
What is apologetics? Some people have been turned off of apologetics. I would want to ask what type of apologetics they have had a bad experience with. Some people have seen apologetics as compiling evidence into an air-tight case that only a fool would reject. The problem with this is that people know that life … Read More “What Really is Apologetics?” »
In many ways I love the apologetic community. There is knowledge and resources that can be shared. There is encouragement that can be offered and ideas that can be ignited. Unfortunately there are also tempers that can flare. There is one well known apologist whose Facebook page and Twitter feed is largely taken up with … Read More “Children, Try to Get Along!” »
I want to encourage those reading this to try and not get G.A.S., by which I mean Grumpy Apologist Syndrome. From time to time, I hear apologists speaking and my first thought is: “Wow, this person is really grumpy.” To tell the truth, I understand how this happens. Sometimes we hear the same arguments over … Read More “Don’t Get G.A.S.” »
I came across this surprising quote that may shock some readers: “I envy you not having to think any more about Christian apologetics. My correspondents force the subject on me again and again. It is very wearing, and not very good for one’s faith. A Christian doctrine never seems less real to me than when … Read More “Spiritual Dangers and Apologetics” »
