Apologetics Methods and Approaches

PROLEGOMENA TO APOLOGETICS METAPOLOGETICS
• What is Apologetics? (3-4) • Apologetic Strategies (21)

• The Purposes of Apologetics (5-6) • Arguments for God? (22-23)
• Apologetics and Soul Formation • Worldview Analysis (24)
(7-9) • Questions about the World
• The Price of Intellectual (25-26)
Irresponsibility (10-12) • Questions about Humanity
• Evangelism without Apologetics? (27)
(13-19) • Approaches to Apologetics (28)
• Difficulties in Doing Apologetics (20) • Types of Apologetics (29)
2/4/2010 Copyright © 2010 by Sanjay Merchant. 2

Prolegomena to Apologetics »
Biblically faithful 
c
Philosophically incisive 
c
Persuasive 
c



Deeper
Devotion
Greater
Assurance

Prolegomena to Apologetics » The Purposes of Apologetics »


And do not be conformed to this

world, but be transformed by
the renewing of your mind, so
that you may prove what the
will of God is, that which is good
and acceptable and perfect.

Hmmmm...
Do we really
have to think
so hard about
our faith?
Can’t we just
love the Lord?

William Lane Craig, Christian Philosopher
Continue…


Ok...
But who cares

about skeptical
objections? All
we need to do is
preach the
gospel!

J. Gresham Machen, Princeton Theologian
Continue…


We are destroying speculations

and every lofty thing raised up
against the knowledge of God,
and we are taking every thought
captive to the obedience of
Christ.

William Lane Craig… again
Continue…


Sanctify Christ as Lord in your

hearts, always being ready to
make a defense to everyone who
asks you to give an account for
the hope that is in you, yet with
gentleness and reverence.


Metapologetics »
STRATEGY PURPOSE SUB-AREAS

Offensive (positive) To provide reasons to • Theistic proofs
apologetics believe that essential • Christian evidences
Christian doctrines are true
Defensive apologetics To rebut objections to • The coherence of
essential Christian theism
doctrines and the • The coherence of
rationality of Christian distinctively Christian
belief doctrines
• The reliability of
Scripture
Polemics (negative To set forth a critical • Interreligious
apologetics) assessment of non- apologetics
Christian worldviews and • Countercult apologetics
theological systems

Metapologetics » Apologetic Strategies »
Yeah
but...
Accepting an
argument for
God is not the
same as really
trusting him.
What good are
theistic proofs?

Peter Kreeft, Christian Philosopher


Metapologetics » Apologetic Strategies » Worldview Analysis »



Metapologetics »
THEORETICAL APOLOGETICS APPLIED APOLOGETICS

Domain of Christian scholars Domain of evangelists and missionaries
Context independent Context specific
Largely technical Largely pragmatic
Emotional responses are irrelevant Emotional responses are relevant
MINIMALIST APOLOGETICS MAXIMALIST APOLOGETICS
To establish the truth of certain essential To establish the truth of certain Christian
Christian doctrines… premises…
… from premises held by critics of … that entail essential Christian doctrines
Christianity

Metapologetics »
TYPE METHOD STRATEGY

Classical apologetics • It is impossible to establish • Mainly offensive: theistic
• Patron saint: Thomas Aquinas Christian theism with a single proofs
• Exemplar: Norm Geisler argument. • But also defensive: the
• One must, first, establish coherence of theism
generic theism and, then,
establish Christian theism.
Evidentialism • It is possible to establish • Mainly offensive: Christian
• Patron saint: Anselm Christian theism with a single evidences
• Exemplar: Gary Habermas argument; in particular, the • But also defensive: the
historical case for the coherence of distinctively
resurrection. Christian doctrines
Presuppositionalism • It is impossible to establish • Mainly polemical
• Patron saint: Tertullian Christian theism on the
• Exemplar: John Frame presuppositions of those who
oppose Christianity.
• One can only show that the
presuppositions of those who
oppose Christianity lead to
absurdities.

Apologetics Methods and Approaches

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PROLEGOMENA TO APOLOGETICS METAPOLOGETICS

• What is Apologetics? (3-4) • Apologetic Strategies (21)

2/4/2010 Copyright © 2010 by Sanjay Merchant. 2

2/4/2010 Copyright © 2010 by Sanjay Merchant. 3

2/4/2010 Copyright © 2010 by Sanjay Merchant. 4

2/4/2010 Copyright © 2010 by Sanjay Merchant. 5

2/4/2010 Copyright © 2010 by Sanjay Merchant. 6

2/4/2010 Copyright © 2010 by Sanjay Merchant. 7

2/4/2010 Copyright © 2010 by Sanjay Merchant. 8

And do not be conformed to this

2/4/2010 Copyright © 2010 by Sanjay Merchant. 9

2/4/2010 Copyright © 2010 by Sanjay Merchant. 10

William Lane Craig, Christian Philosopher

2/4/2010 Copyright © 2010 by Sanjay Merchant. 11

2/4/2010 Copyright © 2010 by Sanjay Merchant. 12

But who cares

2/4/2010 Copyright © 2010 by Sanjay Merchant. 13

J. Gresham Machen, Princeton Theologian

2/4/2010 Copyright © 2010 by Sanjay Merchant. 14

2/4/2010 Copyright © 2010 by Sanjay Merchant. 15

We are destroying speculations

2/4/2010 Copyright © 2010 by Sanjay Merchant. 16

William Lane Craig… again

2/4/2010 Copyright © 2010 by Sanjay Merchant. 17

2/4/2010 Copyright © 2010 by Sanjay Merchant. 18

Sanctify Christ as Lord in your

2/4/2010 Copyright © 2010 by Sanjay Merchant. 19

2/4/2010 Copyright © 2010 by Sanjay Merchant. 20

STRATEGY PURPOSE SUB-AREAS

2/4/2010 Copyright © 2010 by Sanjay Merchant. 21

2/4/2010 Copyright © 2010 by Sanjay Merchant. 22

Peter Kreeft, Christian Philosopher

2/4/2010 Copyright © 2010 by Sanjay Merchant. 23

2/4/2010 Copyright © 2010 by Sanjay Merchant. 24

2/4/2010 Copyright © 2010 by Sanjay Merchant. 25

2/4/2010 Copyright © 2010 by Sanjay Merchant. 26

2/4/2010 Copyright © 2010 by Sanjay Merchant. 27

THEORETICAL APOLOGETICS APPLIED APOLOGETICS

2/4/2010 Copyright © 2010 by Sanjay Merchant. 28

TYPE METHOD STRATEGY

2/4/2010 Copyright © 2010 by Sanjay Merchant. 29

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