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Christianity Today, June, 2009 |

The Changing Face of Apologetics

Lee Strobel doesn't think the traditional methods work anymore.

Interview by Stan Guthrie | posted 6/11/2009 09:22AM

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When I was interviewing a famous scholar for The Case for Christ, about halfway through he said, "By the way, nobody's going to read your book. Lee, we live in a postmodern world. People don't care about the historical evidence for Jesus anymore. They don't care. Nobody's going to read your book." And I was so bummed out.

But the ironic thing is, The Case for Christ came out, and the biggest group of people who contacted me saying, "God used that book to bring me to faith in Christ," were 16- to 24-year-olds—the very people who supposedly don't care about this stuff.

Of course, you wrote it as a story.

Exactly. It's not just an encyclopedia of information. We ought not to lose that resource of apologetics, but we need to adapt it. Through story, through relationships, we can deliver it not as a soliloquy but in dialogue and a conversation where we engage people in a small-group setting.

Related Elsewhere:

You can also listen to Stan Guthrie's interview with Lee Strobel.

The Unexpected Adventure is available at ChristianBook.com and other book retailers.

More Christianity Today articles on evangelism and apologetics include:

A New Day for Apologetics | People young and old are flocking to hear — and be changed by — winsome arguments for the Christian faith. (June 2, 2008)

From Four Laws to Four Circles | James Choung has found a way to tell the old, old story to a new generation. (June 27, 2008)

Tim Keller Reasons with America | The New York pastor explains why he's taking his ministry model on the road. (June 20, 2008)

Unapologetic Apologist | Jay Smith confronts Muslim fundamentalists with fundamentalist fervor. (June 13, 2008)

Unexpected Dialogue | Why is a former Chinese official talking to Luis Palau? (May 22, 2008)

Shoot-First Apologetics | What a dead bluebird taught Walter Martin about defending the faith. (November 10, 2006)

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June 2009, Vol. 53, No. 6, Page 58

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LauraK

Posted: June 18, 2009 2:15 PM

I am getting burned out on all the talk--let's have some action in the church. Let's have the pastor stop begging us for money (we tithers especially are annoyed), and hound the poor to give offerings, and yet they stand on the platform in tailor-made suits, rolex watches, expensive cars, and gated communities. I thought they were to set an example for us. They say they are an example of how God can prosper Christians. I am doing find financially, thanks to God, and we give that 10% faithfully (some say it's a law from the OT we don't need to follow, but we enjoy giving anyway). Here's a big difference--I have to go out in the wicked world to make my money, the preachers are given money by those of us who work in the world but they get to hang out with big name preachers and such and have them praying for them. I, the partner, get someone whom I know nothing about on the other end of the phone line when I call in for prayer. Something is wrong in this picture.

Tom	Posted: June 17, 2009 7:58 AM

Could someone explain to me what the heck "A Post-Modern world" is? I read this in CT over and over and this phrase keeps getting bandied about. By the Way, Pluralism is one of the main reasons why Christianity is such a powerful influence in America. You come to the faith because when philosophies have an opportunity to compete in a free market, the most powerful ones take the strongest roots - and not at the expense of the others.

Fr. Ian

Posted: June 16, 2009 11:47 AM

There have always been challenges to and distractions from the Christian faith. We worry if the Bible or if faith is relevant to the needs of society. Sometimes we try something new to meet those needs whether they are real or perceived. The truth of the matter is that Holy Scripture is always relevant to all cultures and all times because it addresses issues that are timeless. Forgiveness and reconciliation; what culture or generation does not cry out for that? We don't need to dumb down the Gospel. The gift stays the same, it's the packaging that we change.

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