Presuppositional apologetics

In our last episode, I gave you four purposes for apologetics. In this one, I'd like to flesh things out a little more, so you will have a firm grip on just what we are doing when we practice apologetics. We've established that what we're trying to do is provide a rational defense for the Christian faith. But there are different approaches, which we can split into two camps. Now, while some may argue over which approach is best, I am convinced that they both have merit and so will use whichever

A Christian apologetic method is a verbal defense of the biblical worldview. A proof is giving a reason for why we believe. This paper will address the philosophical question of God’s existence from the moral argument. The presuppositional apologetic method of Reformed thinkers Cornelius Van Til and John Frame will be the framework. Topics covered here could undoubtedly be developed in more depth, but that would be getting ahead, here is the big picture. Apologetics comes from the

a biblical approach to Apologetics. John Frame’s first purposes were stated, “A biblical apologetic targets unbelief wherever it may be found, strengthening the faith of Christians and calling unbelievers to repentance and faith in Christ.”1 Frame began with a brief biblical definition and outline for Presuppositional Apologetics. First he referenced the biblical basis of Apologetics, I Peter 3:15-16, and then outlined, “1. Apologetics as proof:”2 Followed by “2. Apologetics as defense:”3 And then

A very influential and great philosopher and theologian of Late Antiquity, Saint Augustine of Hippo is the most important of the Latin Church Fathers. His works, especially his Confessions (a self-biography), On Christian Doctrine and City of God, helped distinguish the Church in Western Europe from the Church as it developed elsewhere. In Ancient Rome, the power of speech was appropriated from the Greeks and expanded upon and innovated. The classical master of rhetoric would be the work of St. Augustine

a strong sense of community through worship, sermons, bible studies, retreats, and Sunday school but what most churches lack is the desperate need for apologetics. According to a study conducted by the Barna Group, “70-75% of Christian youth in the United States leave the church after high school” (Barna Group, 2006). The Church needs apologetics because Christians are commanded to defend the

also creates a foundation which builds on the truth of the Christian worldview. This approach engages with natural theology but also recognizes that there are certain truths that can only be known through special revelation from God. Classical apologetics successfully provides an objective, solidified establishment of the Christian worldview in light of logic and reason through which the Holy Spirit uses those arguments and evidences to convict and convince the unbeliever.

C.S. Lewis: Christian Apologist Included in the 10 most influential Christians of the 20th century alongside Karl Barth, Pope John XXIII, Martin Luther King Jr, and Billy Graham, the Christian History magazine named him "the atheist scholar who became an Anglican, an apologist, and a ‘patron saint’ of Christians everywhere." He was also dubbed as an “apostle to the skeptics” because he resolutely answered frequent objections individuals had when it came to accepting Christ as their Savior (christianodyssey

In times of turmoil for the church, intellectuals and scholars who defended Christians against accusations from outsiders were dubbed the Christian Apologists. They included people like Justin Martyr in the 100s A.D., Augustine of Hippo in 300s - 400s A.D, and Tertullian in 100s - 200s A.D. Tertullian wrote pieces on philosophy in the church, prayer, and baptism. He was one of several apologists to write about God being three separate ‘things’, but Tertullian was the first to name the Son, Spirit

Many scholars have criticized the organization of Justin’s First Apology, though, Justin and several others used the apology as an apologetic tool or teaching material within catechetical schools. Thus, the text could have been modified or rearranged to fit the specific needs of the academic context. In fact, Minns and Parvis claim the text “contains later glosses, and accidental transpositions

As a matter of fact, author Lee Strobel was a former legal editor of The Chicago Tribune, an award winner in his field as he overtime became a best-selling author of over twenty books. Yet, remarkably he was an atheist beforehand before eventually becoming Christian—The Case for Christ detailing his conversion. As such, a majority of his life’s work has been sharing evidence that supports Christian claims, aiming to equip believers with what is necessary to share their faith with those they know