Christian apologetics

Christian Apologetics is the field of study concerned with the systematic defense (apologetics) of Christianity. The word "apologetic" comes from the Greek word "apologeomai". It means "In defense of". A person involved in Christian or Bible Apologetics is a defender of Christianity. Someone who engages in Christian apologetics is called a Christian apologist.

Types of Christian Apologetics

There are a variety of Christian apologetic styles and schools of thought. The major types of Christian apologetics include: historical and legal apologetics, philosophical apologetics, prophetic apologetics, doctrinal apologetics, Biblical apologetics, moral apologetics, and scientific apologetics.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Historical and legal evidentialist apologetics

In the evidentialist tradition empirical arguments about the supposed life, miracles, death and resurrection of Jesus are presented as probabilistic proofs.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The first Protestant textbook of apologetics was written by the Dutch legal scholar Hugo Grotius, On The Truth of the Christian Religion. This work, which remained in print until the late Nineteenth century, defended the historicity of the gospels, and also addressed arguments to Jews and Muslims.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Various arguments having been put forth by legal scholars such as Simon Greenleaf and John Warwick Montgomery and others claiming that Western legal standards argue for the historicity of the resurrection of Christ. http://www.bibleteacher.org/sgtestimony.htmhttp://www.mtio.com/articles/bissart1.htmhttp://lawreligionculturereview.blogspot.com/2005_01_01_lawreligionculturereview_archive.html In addition, legal authorities opinions regarding the resurrection of Christ are appealed to http://www.ankerberg.com/Articles/apologetics/AP0302W3.htm

Related Topics:
Simon Greenleaf - John Warwick Montgomery - Resurrection of Christ

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Prophetic Christian apologetics

Bible prophecy is used as an argument for Christianty. It is argued that only God knows the future and the Bible prophecy of a compelling nature has been fulfilled. Peter Stoner is often cited by Protestant apologetic works.

Related Topics:
Bible prophecy - Peter Stoner

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Biblical apologetics

Biblical apologetics include issues concerned with the authorship and date of Biblical books, Biblical canon, and Biblical inerrancy. In addition, Christian apologists defend and comment on various book of the Bible. Some scholars who have engaged in the defense of Biblical inerrancy include: Robert Dick Wilson, Gleason Archer, Dr. Norman Geisler, and R. C. Sproul. Also, there are several resources that Christians offer defending Bible inerrancy in regards to specific verses. http://www.inerrancy.org http://www.tektonics.org/index2.html http://www.christian-thinktank.com Some scholars who have defended the authorship and date of Biblical books include: Kenneth Kitchen, John Wenham, and Bryant G. Wood. Wenham's work is well regarded by those who supported the Augustinian hypothesis which is the traditional view of gospel authorship. Scholars who have defended Biblical cannon include FF Bruce and Bruce Metzger. In addition, there are a host of Bible scholars who have defended and commented on various books of the Bible. http://www.tektonics.org/books/arsenal.html

Related Topics:
Biblical canon - Biblical inerrancy - Robert Dick Wilson - Gleason Archer - Norman Geisler - R. C. Sproul - Kenneth Kitchen - John Wenham - Bryant G. Wood - Augustinian hypothesis - FF Bruce - Bruce Metzger

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Philosophical apologetics

Philosophical apologetics concerns itself primarily with arguments for the existence of God although they do not exclusively dwell on this area.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

These arguments can be grouped into several categories:

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

• Cosmological argument - Argues that the existence of the universe demonstrates that God exists.
• Teleological argument (argument from design) - Argues that there is a intricate design in the world around us, and a design requires a designer. Cicero, William Paley, and Michael Behe employed this argument as well as others. http://www.answersingenesis.org/creation/v22/i2/design.asp
• Ontological argument - Argues that the very concept of God demands that there is an actual existent God.
• Moral Argument - Argues that if there are any real morals, then there must be an absolute from which they are derived.http://www.leaderu.com/orgs/probe/docs/god-ethi.html
• Transcendental Argument - Argues that all our abilities to think and reason require the existence of God.
• Presuppositional Arguments - Arguments that show basic beliefs of theists and non-theists require God as a necessary precondition.

Other philosophical apologetics include:

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

• Alvin Plantinga's argument that belief in God is properly basic. http://www.origins.org/articles/plantinga_intellectualsophistication.html
• Pascal's wager http://www.apologetics.com/default.jsp?bodycontent=/articles/theistic_apologetics/morris-wager.html

Ontological argument

In Medieval Europe Anselm of Canterbury composed the Monologion and Proslogion in which he developed the ontological argument for God's existence. He believed that faith was necessary as a precursor to philosophical argument and expressed his position as "I do not seek to understand that I may believe, but I believe that I may understand: for this I also believe, that unless I believe I will not understand."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Doctrinal Christian apologetics

In this type of apologetics various Christian doctines are defended such as the trinity. Also non-Christian religions are argued against. Christian apologists have developed arguments against Judaism, against Islam, and against Deism for example. Changing modes in apologetics, whether or not they are currently fashionable, are important markers in the history of ideas.

Related Topics:
Trinity - Judaism - History of ideas

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Moral Christian apologetics

In moral apologetics the arguments for man's sinfullnes and man's need for redemption is stressed. Examples of this type of apologetic would be Jonathan Edwards's sermon "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God". http://www.ccel.org/e/edwards/sermons/sinners.html. The Four Spiritual Laws religious tract would be another example. http://www.greatcom.org/laws/.

Related Topics:
Jonathan Edwards - Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In the first centuries of the Common Era a number of Christian writers undertook the task of proving that Christianity was beneficial for the Roman Empire and for humanity as a whole. Also they wrote to defend their faith against attacks made by other people or to properly explain their faith. Aristides and Quadratus of Athens, writing in the early second century, were two of the first Christians to write apologetics treatises. Other second-century apologetics writings of note included the First Apology and Second Apology of Justin Martyr and the Epistle to Diognetus , a response to the accusation that Christians were a danger to Rome.

Related Topics:
Roman Empire - Aristides - Quadratus of Athens - Justin Martyr - Epistle to Diognetus

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

About a century after Constantine's conversion to Christianity, the Roman Empire began falling to invaders from northern Europe. Some Christian writers sought to explain the decline of Roman culture and power by systematically downplaying the achievements of classical antiquity while emphasizing the persecution of Christians and the positive role of Christianity in society. Paulus Orosius wrote the first book advancing this perspective (History Against the Pagans), though the far more learned and influential work of this type was The City of God by Augustine of Hippo (426).

Related Topics:
Constantine - Roman Empire - Paulus Orosius - Augustine of Hippo

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Several of the early Christian apologists developed arguments from fulfilled prophecy and gospel miracles as proofs of Christ's divinity. Eusebius of Caesarea in his Demonstration of the Gospelattempted to prove the truth of Christianity by fulfilled prophecies from the Old Testament, and by rebutting arguments that the apostles had made up the story of Christ's resurrection.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Scientific Christian apologetics

Often in scientific Christian apologetics an ambracing of the provisional nature of science is exhibited and a greater willingness to believe the scientific consensus is errant when it is believed to be at variance with the Bible is displayed. Cases where the scientific consensus or Bible skeptics were wrong and the Bible was correct are brought up. http://www.apologeticspress.org/articles/1750http://www.adam.com.au/bstett/BCobra94.htmhttp://www.adam.com.au/bstett/BLions87.htmhttp://www.bible.org/qa.asp?topic_id=53&qa_id=141. The provisional nature of science is often stressed rather than any current science community consensus. Biblical creationist interpretations of scientific data regarding origins are often adhered to. http://www.nwcreation.net/wiki/index.php?title=Creationism

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Various arguments are put forth from Christians argueing that the God of the Bible is responsible for existence of the universe as we find it today (see: Creationists/Intelligent design proponents). Topics such as the creation of matter and energy, the existence of scientific laws, the origin of life, and the origin of various types of animals and plants on the earth are focused on. http://www.nwcreation.net/wiki/index.php?title=Main_Page

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~