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Christianity Today, July, 2008 |

A New Day for Apologetics

People young and old are flocking to hear — and be changed by — winsome arguments for the Christian faith.

Troy Anderson | posted 7/02/2008 08:50AM

Despite all the recent attacks on faithor, perhaps, because of themthese are definitely the best of times for Christian apologists such as Lee Strobel, William Lane Craig, Ben Witherington III, Darrell ...

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Deb	Posted: July 10, 2008 2:00 PM


Does any one remember as to rather Joseph had a pryor marriage? He did have older children than Jesus didn't he? thank you!

Alan	Posted: July 10, 2008 9:34 AM


Does the author of this story have to use the word "militant" when referring to "new atheism" in the media? It makes it sound as if us atheists are on some sort of CRUSADE (wink wink nod nod).

Clyde Pharr

Posted: July 09, 2008 3:30 PM


I am admittedlly late in posting a comment, but I must mention one of the most gifted individuals in apologetics today is Ravi Zacharias, and I am somewhat dumbfounded by his absence in this article. Any who would like more information about this brilliant apologist can find it at his web page, RZIM.org. Thanks to all for allowing me to add my concern here.

wesh	Posted: July 08, 2008 5:25 PM

On our road trip the the Olympic trials, #5 son and I listen to 7.5 hours of lectures on C S Lewis on CD presented by The Teaching Company. My son preferred it to the 9 hours of US Economic History we also listened to. Proportedly Lewis is an apoligist. For those of us who fight for widows and orphans, the poor and handicapped, outside the church, I found it captivationg. I sent an inquiry to a church a couple weeks ago about attending. No response. I belive that "We are his hands, we are his feet and buildings are just buildings." But for the grace of God, there go I. Life today is a miricle.

steve

Posted: July 07, 2008 2:25 PM


the reality is that the more naive/simple-minded people are the ones sucked into christian beliefs and superstitions. the more intellectual youth dismiss religion entirely in favor of rational thinking. but, consider the source here, CT is out to boost its own ratings and longevity, so naturally they have an article like this one.

snaxalotl

Posted: July 05, 2008 3:22 AM

pathetic. these writers keep trotting out the same old arguments to a desperate public who are oblivious (through the design of the apologeticists, and their own laziness) to the fact that these "amazing" arguments, whether good or not, have attracted boatloads of refutation and are considered to be puny and laughable by their opposition. for Strobel to profess amazement that apologetics are popular with the young is either disingenuous, or ignoring the sad fact that only the ernestness of youth can believe there are simple obviously true knockdown arguments in favor of christianity that don't require the effort of further investigation

Anon	Posted: July 04, 2008 5:55 AM


Thank God for Biola University and the efforts they make to fight this battle for us. Biola deserves much more support than it currently receives from mainstream evangelical America.

CN	Posted: July 04, 2008 5:30 AM


John, "...because I am a Catholic..." -- I'm sorry, but where is the logic in that? Show me one miracle that the RCC has "proven" and I may eat my hat!

Scott

Posted: July 03, 2008 11:13 AM

Robert, You are absolutely correct. "How much research and credentials can skeptics demand before listening to the rest of us?" I have been teaching apologetics in my home on and off for about 5 years and I have dealt with the most sceptical of the sceptics including atheists, universalists, Mormons, JW's and "progressive creationists", and in every case the most important thing is to remember is that they can present thier case and in response, you present your case and when you do appeal to common sense. In other words, which case is more realistic to believe? The problem you will run into, because I have on many occations is the skeptic will almost always try and confuse you by rapidly changing the topic when it gets uncomfortable for them to hear what you are saying. KEEP THEM ON THE TOPIC AT HAND. Do not allow them to go on to another topic until the discussion about the topic at hand has been discussed in full. Then ask the question "which scenario is more realistic?

Anybody

Posted: July 02, 2008 8:09 PM

The problem with modern apologetics is that it is no longer about searching for the truth but about doing anything necessary to maintain one particular approach to Christianity. I am worried that too many Christians are trading in theology for apologetics. I would suggest that the best apologetic is a good theology. The focus of this kind of apologetics is biblical inerrancy, anti-evolution, and pro mind-body dualism. But these are not Christianity but one particular approach to the faith.

Robert

Posted: July 02, 2008 12:29 PM

If (since) God is not a delusion, whenever apologists debate athiests, the one who ends up taking the least contorted position should be declared the winner. However, Darwinian contortions are such an ingrained part of Western culture now, it doesn't always turn out that way --it's like the familiar face we see in the mirror. One question I hope these apologists address is how much expert knowlege should a person have before putting faith in Jesus? We can't all be biblical scholars, professional historians, archaeologists, astronomers, geneticists and microbiologists, so just how much research and credentials can skeptics demand before listening to the rest of us? Bravo to CT for another piece on this subject; it needs to have a continually high profile.

Francis H. Geis

Posted: July 02, 2008 11:33 AM

I am always glad to hear of how, through faithful proclamation, defense and confirmation of the Gospel, various obstacles to faith in Christ are being torn down and people are finding new life in Christ. These kind of stories inspire and encourage all of us in our labor for God's kingdom. I myself am working on a small apologetic book, Jesus of Nazareth: Son of Man, Son of God and Lord of All, which I hope other Christians will find helpful in proclaiming and defending the Faith. But in any case, I fervently support and pray for the success of the "New Christian Apologists," who are not only facing the challenges of the 21st century, but are being used to bring many to Christ. God be praised!

Paqid Yirmeyahu

Posted: July 02, 2008 11:26 AM

The late Oxford historian Prof. James Parkes (The Conflict of the Church and the Synagogue), Prof. Barrie Wilson (How Jesus Became Christian) and Yirmeyahu Ben-David (Who Are the Netzarim?), by contrast, demonstrate that there is no connection between Hellenist Pauline and subsequent antinomian (anti-Torah) Christianity of the Hellenist Roman gentiles, on the one hand, and the **historical** first-century Pharisee Ribi Yehoshua of Natzrat who taught Torah. Your earliest extant Church historian, Eusebius, documented that the Netzarim excised Paul as an apostate for his Hellenist innovations = proto-Christianity. Deal with history instead of assuming your traditions. Paqid Yirmeyahu Paqid 16, The Netzarim Israeli Orthodox Jew Advancing Logic as Halakhic Authority Welcoming Jews & non-Jews www.netzarim.co.il

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