LvldenLlallsm

An apologeLlc based on evldenLlallsm would presenL lLself based on Lhe evldence"

whlch ls also Lhe rooL word for evldenLlallsm" ln oLher words lf a person ls golng Lo hold a
bellef Lhen LhaL bellef should be [usLlfled and a good way Lo [usLlfy lL ls Lhrough Lhe meLhod of
evlJeotlollsm or Lhe evlJeoce Whlle Lhe meLhod of evldenLlallsm focuses on evldence lL also
ls rooLed and malnLalns a raLlonal dlalogue
lL would seem LhaL mosL bellefs are acqulred wlLhouL an exLenslve evaluaLlon of Lhe
evldence
1
1hls does noL negaLe evldenLlallsm as lnferlor because Lhe bellefs LhaL would be
acqulred Lhrough lL would be subsLanLlally grounded due Lo Lhe evldence Powever lL ls argued
wheLher or noL evldence ls requlred for a bellef Lo be [usLlfled because we hold many bellefs
based on memory and percepLlon wlLhouL Lhe full grasp of Lhe evldence Accordlng Lo Lhe
nlneLeenLh cenLury phllosopher Wk Cllfford one ls [usLlfled ln holdlng a bellef lf and only lf lL ls
based on sufflclenL evldence
2
Cllfford's bellef would seem Lo go agalnsL aspecLs of
loooJotlooollsm whlch holds LhaL some boslc bellefs can be self[usLlfylng
3

1here are Lhree cognlLlve responses Lo evldence bellevlng x noL bellevlng x and
wlLhholdlng a bellef abouL x Lach response sLands ln a parLlcular relaLlon Lo evldence
4
lL ls
also posslble accordlng Lo Connee and leldman for a bellef Lo be lnvolunLary or volunLary lor
example Someone who sponLaneously belleves LhaL Lhe llghLs are on ln hls aparLmenL as Lhe

1
Plnson Ld and Lrgun Caner 1he opular Lncyclopedla of ApologeLlcs Lugene ParvesL Pouse ress 2008 g
209
2
lbld
3
Plnson Ld and Lrgun Caner 1he opular Lncyclopedla of ApologeLlcs Lugene ParvesL Pouse ress 2008 g
229
4
SudduLh Mlchael noLes based on Lhe Connee and leldman readlng CcLober 28 2000
resulL of Lhe evldence of hls senses ls [usLlfled ln hls bellef even Lhough lL ls noL a bellef chosen
aL wlll
3

1he LvldenLlallsL poslLlon seLs aslde some of hls baslc bellefs such as Lhe exlsLence of
Cod Lhe auLhorlLy of Lhe 8lble and Lhe clalms of ChrlsL Lo arrlve aL a common ground wlLh Lhe
nonChrlsLlan 1hls common ground can range from slmple foundaLlons of loglc and sclence Lo
hlsLorlcal evldence LhaL supporLs Lhe presence of Cod and LruLh of Lhe 8lble
6
lL would seem
LhaL ln order for LvldenLlallsm Lo be effecLlve for Lhe ChrlsLlan apologlsL lL cannoL sLand alone lL
musL sLand LogeLher wlLh pressupposLlLlon poslLlon slnce Lhls musL be Lhe place you are
leadlng someone Lo Lhrough Lhe evldence
1he presupposlLlon poslLlon sLresses LhaL Lhere are cerLaln LruLhs LhaL Lake precedence
over oLhers llke Lhe clalms of Cod ChrlsL and ScrlpLure 1hls approach belleves LhaL you
should noL Lry Lo lsolaLe Lhe apologeLlc Lask from Lhe evangellcal wlLness 1he presupposlLlonlsL
does noL concede a common ground whlch he belleves ls Lhe abandonlng of ChrlsL WlLhouL
Lhe presupposlLlon of ChrlsL Lhe nonChrlsLlan wlll noL be able Lo undersLand Lhe LruLh of Cod
noL Lo menLlon accepLlng Plm
7

Some modern vlJeotlollst are Lrgun Caner norman Celsler Wllllam Lane Cralg and
8avl Zacharlas lL would seem LhaL every good ChrlsLlan apologlsL should lncorporaLe
evlJeotlollsm Lo some exLenL Lo be Lhe mosL effecLlve 1hough lL would seem Lo be [usL a

3
lbld
6
?uan Sydney ApologeLlc MeLhods of resupposLlon and LvldenLlallsm
7
lbld
small plece of Lhe apologlsL reperLolre because sLandlng alone evlJeotlollsm would render
lLself lneffecLlve for salvaLlon