What is the best approach to Christian apologetics? My thoughts:
- The shocking fact of existence should not be taken for granted; this fact is best understood in light of a single, ultimate, and personal source and foundation of reality, that is to say, God.
- Awakening an awareness of beauty, meaning, and purpose is important to me, since I have experienced God in this way. Beauty (in music, mathematics, the natural world, etc.) is an objective reality best understood within a theistic worldview.
- The same can be said of morality.
- Arguments for God based on science (eg. fine-tuning, cosmological argument) have little or no merit.
- Christianity, properly understood, is its own defense. Explaining is prior to defending.
- The story of fall and redemption gives the most illuminating account of human nature, which is paradoxically both good and sinful.
- An understanding of the story of the cross can be aided by seeing it reflected in fictional stories, some of them very popular today. This is important to me because I came to understand Christ’s death and resurrection in this way.
- The problem of evil is perhaps the apologist’s greatest concern. A Christian response must be centered on the cross, Christ’s resurrection, and the hope this gives for “eucatastrophe” even in the face of death (1 Corinthians 15).
- Second in importance to seeing the beauty of Christianity is understanding its historical credibility. We must study the claims of the first Christians in their cultural context.
- Skeptics need to see that Christianity is consistent with modern science, including biology. BioLogos has set a good example in addressing this issue.
What are your thoughts on John Polkinghorne and Francis Collins? Just wondering, since you mention BioLogos in a positive light but also seem to disapprove of apologetics based on scientific arguments (which they both like to use).
ReplyDeleteI think Polkinghorne and Collins have set great examples of holding science and Christianity together in a consistent way, but I would perhaps have some doubts about, for example, fine-tuning arguments, or arguments which are built on claims of what natural processes cannot accomplish - basically God of the gaps arguments. Still, on the whole they have brought a much needed perspective to counter all the creationist and intelligent design stuff. Polkinghorne in particular has a very rich theological perspective on science and the physical world, in eg. Faith of a Physicist.
ReplyDeleteBioLogos seems to feature writers from all across the board, even intelligent design people, but on the whole they seem to be making a worthy effort to help churches and pastors understand and accept science.