Idea: Summarize the 5 lessons in the Apologetics Content Tab.
https://bestofapologetics.com/category/apologetics
The 5 BOA Apologetics Tab Lessons:
- 5 Apologetics Questions Every Christian Should Learn How to Answer
- 8 tips to study apologetics w/ Alisa Childers
- 12 Essential Questions Every Public Apologist Should Be Able to Answer
- Intro to Apologetics
- What Is Apologetics? (And Why You Should Learn It) from: Standardized Apologetics
Lesson 1:
5 Apologetics Questions Every Christian Should Learn How to Answer
1. Have the new testament documents been corrupted?
2. Is there any evidence that the resurrection of Jesus actually happened?
3. Has science disproved God?
4. Does the Bible condone slavery?
5. Is there any evidence outside the Bible that Jesus actually existed?
Which of these are you the least confident in answering?
Which of these are you the most interested in learning?
Can you currently and confidently answer all 5 of these?
Lesson 2:
https://bestofapologetics.com/2023/04/01/8-tips-to-study-apologetics-w-alisa-childers/
The 8 Tips to study apologetics are:
- Master the basics
- Learn one new thing everyday
- Focus in on what you care about
- Don’t neglect your personal Bible study and prayer
- Admit it when you don’t know something
- Win the person, not the argument
- Use various types of media (BOA is here to help with this one)
- Don’t give up!
How many of these 8 are you currently practicing?
Which one of these are you best at, and need the most improvement in?
Lesson 5:
What Is Apologetics? (And Why You Should Learn It) from: Standardized Apologetics
Play the 8 minute video
What stood out to you from this video?
Lesson 4:
Intro to Apologetics:
https://bestofapologetics.com/2024/09/08/intro-to-apologetics/
Summary Notes from A Strategy For Teaching Apologetics – Mike Winger 38:33
Have you lived your life in a Christian bubble?
Sources of the problem:
5:00 college
6:40 skepticism at work
7:00 family and friends
8:30 the internet
What in your personal experience are the places where you most experience challenges to your belief system?
Challenges to face:
11:20 The bible supports slavery
11:30 You don’t even have the bible
12:10 Do you think gay people should be stoned to death Lev 20:13
12:33 Shouldn’t a sincere Buddhist or Hindu go to heaven?
12:53 The Bible was written by bronze age shepherds and teaches that the earth is flat
13:12 there is no convincing evidence that Jesus even existed, see this youtube video as proof
14:07 Why are there two contradictory creation accounts in genesis 1 and 2
15:00 Your version of Christianity is just one of over 40,000.
As you read this assortment of challenges, did you experience any tension at all as to how you would answer them?
If the answer is yes, then Great, because we are here to help you learn how to answer these questions.
Where are you with Apologetics?
Whiteboard session 1:
On a scale of 1 to 10:1 being I just learned how to spell Apologetics, and 10 I just witnessed to Richard Dawkins and made him cry, where are you?
Whiteboard session 2: Let’s brainstorm about areas and topics that can be addressed by the discipline of apologetics:
Category hints:
Science
Arguments for the existence of God
Cults
Other Religions
Bible
Challenging questions
Worldview
Whiteboard 3: Apologetics temperament test:
When somebody asks you a question that you can’t answer, what is your first reaction?:
a. get mad and stomp off.
b. verbally attack the questioner
c. change the subject
d. insult their mother
e. clarify the question
f. pretend like you forgot English
g. look at your watch, and run away
h. tell them that was a good question, I don’t have a full answer, but I’ll look into it and get back to you.
i. both e and h
The Good News of Apologetics:
I want you all to know that there are numerous attacks against Christianity today, but that this is really nothing new.
What is great to know is that in many disciplines of apologetics, like archaeology, astronomy, and biology, information and discoveries are exploding to support scripture and christian beliefs.
For example:
1. The universe having a beginning points more to theism than naturalism.
2. DNA and the information in our cells demonstrates a complexity that defies random causes and points to design.
3. Archaeology is validating scripture almost daily, and challenges or refutes skeptics frequently.
4. Origin of Life sciences have come to a screeching halt. James Tour is calling out origin of life scientists to provide a solution or to admit its current gaping deficiencies.
5. Skepticism in Darwinism is growing within it’s own ranks, and in contrast philosophies like Intelligent Design are beginning to gain traction.
6. The “New Atheists” such as Dawkins and Hitchens are beginning to lose steam, and many people are beginning to see the futility and nihilism of their world view.
Ayaan Hirsi Ali: In Her Own Words || Conversation with Glen Scrivener
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDJh7uOvfDM
7. The internet has been exposing historical issues within the LDS church.
The CES Letter is an example of a relatively recent information source that is causing serious doubt among LDS members.
8. The current attack on truth with movements such as Deconstruction and Progressive Christianity is certainly racking up many casualties. That said it is also causing many to reexamine the validity of truth, and The Truth John 14:6.
If any of these peak your interest, let us know and we can do a lesson on it.
Lesson 5:
12 Essential Questions Every Public Apologist Should Be Able to Answer
BOA: Not all, or many of us, will become public apologists, that said these 12 areas serve as a good litmus test for those who teach apologetics to aspire to.
This content is from the Truth Tribe podcast with Douglas Groothuis.
Here’s the list from the podcast that BOA suggests that many apologists may consider aspiring to:
- Do you have a developed biblical worldview?
- James Sire “The Universe Nextdoor”
- Can you articulate the gospel against false gospels?
- Do you know your Bible, can you find key sections to make your point, how much do you have memorized?
- Do you know the basic outline of the history of philosophy? The categories are needed to do apologetics well.
- Ronald Nash “Life’s Ultimate Questions”
- Gordon H. Clark “From Thales to Dewey”
- Do you know the basic teachings of the world religions?
- Winfried Corduan “Neighboring Faiths”
- Douglas Groothuis “World Religions in Seven Sentences”
- Do you know what kind of arguments to use for particular issues in apologetics, both for Christianity and against non-christian views? Vast topic – Examples – arguments for the existence of God, design arguments, moral arguments.
- Douglas Groothuis “Christian Apologetics”
- Groothuis and Shepardson “The Knowledge of God in the World and the Word”
- Do you know the basic forms of arguments? abduction, induction, deduction, sylogism…
- Do you know basic logical philosophies – begging the question, false dilemma…
- Can you deploy the basic principles of rhetoric – logos, ethos, pathos
BOA summary example from ChatGPT: “As a climate scientist (ethos), I can show data proving global temperatures are rising (logos), and if we don’t act, future generations will suffer (pathos).” - Have you studied apologetic method? ex. cummulative case
- Groothuis and Shepardson “The Knowledge of God in the World and the Word”
- Do you know the basic theological errors of cults and new age religions and how to address them? Col: 2:8
- Walter Martin “Kingdom of the Cults”
- Douglas Groothuis “Unmasking the New Age”
- Do you have the relational chops, or skills, to actually converse wisely with non-Christians? Can you bring the argument to the streets and to people?
- Greg Koukl “Tactics”
- Os Guinness “Fools Talk”
- Lindsey Medenwaldt “Bridge Building Apologetics”
- Paul Little “How to give away your faith”
BOA Question: Well, I found this list sobering, but also a worthy goal in upping my game in defending the faith. How about you? Which area do you see as the most advantageous to pursue and grow in, and why?