Why Is Apologetics So Important? | Why Apologetics?

Summary

The speaker explores the concept of Christian apologetics, distinguishing it from the common misconception of apologizing for one's faith. Apologetics, as a theological discipline, is divided into positive and negative branches, with the former providing arguments for Christianity and the latter addressing objections. The talk aims to make a case for the necessity of apologetics, despite some opposition within the church, and outlines four reasons why it is essential: biblical command, cultural demand, church necessity, and confirmed results.

Takeaways

• 😶 The speaker often faces difficulty explaining their job as an apologist, a role that is not commonly understood even within the church.
• 🔍 Christian apologetics is a branch of theology focused on providing a reasoned defense for the Christian faith, distinguishing it from an apology for being a Christian.
• 📚 There are two main categories in Christian apologetics: positive, which offers arguments for Christianity, and negative, which defends against objections.
• 🤼‍♂️ Positive apologetics is about taking the offense by presenting arguments supporting the existence of God, the Bible's reliability, and the deity of Christ.
• 🛡 Negative apologetics is about taking the defense by addressing challenges such as the problem of evil, alleged Bible contradictions, and accusations of intolerance.
• 👨‍⚖️ The speaker likens apologists to lawyers, presenting arguments and counterarguments persuasively in a courtroom setting.
• 📖 The upcoming sessions will not directly engage in apologetics but will instead argue for the importance and necessity of making a case for Christianity.
• 🤔 There is a notable opposition to apologetics within the church, with some viewing it as a threat to genuine Christian faith.
• 🏆 The irony is highlighted where a book against apologetics itself engages in apologetics by arguing against the practice.
• 📈 The speaker outlines four broad reasons for engaging in Christian apologetics: biblical command, cultural demand, church need, and confirmed results.
• 📝 The script encourages an exploration of the rationale behind the practice of apologetics, suggesting that it is both commanded and beneficial.

Q & A

What is an apologist and why might their job be difficult to explain to others?

An apologist is someone who engages in Christian apologetics, which is a branch of theology that provides a reasoned defense for the Christian faith. Their job might be difficult to explain because it's not as commonly known as other professions, and it involves complex discussions and arguments that may not be immediately understood by everyone.

What are the two sub-disciplines of Christian apologetics mentioned in the script?

The two sub-disciplines of Christian apologetics are positive and negative apologetics. Positive apologetics involves giving arguments for Christianity, focusing on offense, while negative apologetics involves answering objections or challenges against Christianity, focusing on defense.

What is the difference between positive and negative apologetics?

Positive apologetics provides arguments for the existence of God, the reliability of the Bible, or the deity of Christ, emphasizing offense. Negative apologetics, on the other hand, defends against objections such as the problem of evil, alleged Bible contradictions, or accusations of intolerance, emphasizing defense.

What does the speaker suggest when they say 'We make other people sorry we're Christians'?

This is a humorous way of saying that apologetics is not about apologizing for being a Christian but rather about presenting a strong case for Christianity that can challenge others' views or misconceptions.

What is the purpose of the sessions that follow the introduction in the script?

The purpose of the sessions is not to do apologetics proper, which would involve making the case for Christianity, but to make a case for making a case for Christianity, providing a defense for the practice of apologetics itself.

What is the stance of Myron Penner, as mentioned in the script, towards apologetics?

Myron Penner, an Anglican priest, is critical of apologetics. He believes that apologetics might be the single biggest threat to genuine Christian faith, as stated in his book 'The End of Apologetics: Christian Witness In a Post Modern Context.'

How does the speaker describe the irony in Myron Penner's book?

The irony is that Penner's book, which is against apologetics, ends up doing the very thing it argues against by making a case against making a case, thus becoming an apologetic against apologetics itself.

What award did Myron Penner's book receive in 2014 and in which category?

In 2014, Myron Penner's book received an award from Christian Today in the category of apologetics and evangelism, which is ironic given the book's content against apologetics.

What are the four broad responses the speaker has when asked why we should engage in Christian apologetics?

The speaker's four broad responses are: the Bible commands it, the culture demands it, the church needs it, and the results confirm it.

What is the main goal of the speaker in presenting the case for apologetics?

The main goal is to explore and provide a defense for the practice of apologetics, explaining its importance and necessity in the context of Christianity and its interactions with culture and society.

How does the speaker compare an apologist to a lawyer in court?

The speaker compares an apologist to a lawyer standing in front of a judge and jury, giving a defense for their position, presenting arguments and counter-arguments persuasively, which is what apologists do in making a case for Christianity.

Outlines

00:00

🤔 The Complexity of Being an Apologist

This paragraph introduces the speaker's desire for a 'normal job' and the ensuing difficulty in explaining their profession as an apologist to strangers. It clarifies that an apologist is not someone who apologizes for being a Christian but rather someone who defends the Christian faith through theology. The speaker outlines the two main branches of Christian apologetics: positive apologetics, which provides arguments for the faith, and negative apologetics, which addresses objections against it. The paragraph concludes with the speaker's intention to provide a defense for the practice of apologetics itself, rather than for Christianity directly, and mentions the controversial stance of some, including Anglican priest Myron Penner, who views apologetics as a threat to genuine Christian faith.

Keywords

💡Apologist

An apologist is someone who engages in the discipline of apologetics. In the context of the video, an apologist is not someone who apologizes for being a Christian but rather someone who provides a reasoned defense for the Christian faith. The term is central to the video's theme as it sets the groundwork for understanding the role and purpose of apologetics in the Christian community.

💡Apologetics

Apologetics is the branch of theology that deals with the defense of religious beliefs, specifically Christianity in this script. The term is used to describe the practice of providing reasons and arguments to support the faith, as well as responding to objections against it. It is the main theme of the video, with the speaker discussing both the positive and negative aspects of apologetics.

💡Positive Apologetics

Positive apologetics is a sub-discipline within the broader field of apologetics. It involves providing affirmative arguments for the existence of God, the reliability of the Bible, or the deity of Christ. In the video, the speaker uses this term to illustrate the offensive aspect of apologetics, which is about making a case for Christianity rather than just defending it.

💡Negative Apologetics

Negative apologetics is another sub-discipline of apologetics, which focuses on answering objections and challenges to the Christian faith. Unlike positive apologetics, it is more about defense than offense. The speaker in the video uses the term to highlight the role of addressing criticisms such as the problem of evil or alleged Bible contradictions.

💡Theology

Theology is the study of the nature of God and religious beliefs. In the script, apologetics is described as a branch of theology, indicating that it is a systematic and scholarly approach to understanding and defending religious doctrines. The term helps to establish the academic and intellectual foundation of the apologist's work.

💡Defense

In the context of the video, defense refers to the act of protecting or justifying a position or belief, specifically the Christian faith. The speaker uses the term to describe the role of an apologist, who is like a lawyer presenting arguments and counter-arguments in a court of law, but in the context of religious beliefs.

💡Argument

An argument in this script refers to a logical set of reasons presented to support or refute a proposition. The speaker discusses the use of arguments in both positive and negative apologetics, emphasizing the importance of providing evidence and logical reasoning in the defense of Christianity.

💡Objections

Objections are counterarguments or challenges that are raised against a belief or proposition. In the video, the speaker mentions addressing objections as part of negative apologetics, such as responding to the problem of evil or accusations of intolerance, which are common criticisms of the Christian faith.

💡Christian Faith

Christian faith refers to the belief system and practices associated with Christianity. The entire video is centered around the concept of defending and providing reasons for this faith. The term is used to describe the subject matter that the apologist is concerned with protecting and advocating.

💡Post-Modern Context

The term post-modern context refers to the cultural and intellectual environment characterized by skepticism, relativism, and a general distrust of grand theories or narratives. The speaker mentions a book titled 'The End of Apologetics: Christian Witness In a Post-Modern Context,' indicating that the practice of apologetics is being questioned and challenged in contemporary society.

💡Case

In the script, a case refers to a set of arguments or evidence presented to support a particular position or belief. The speaker uses the analogy of a lawyer making a case in court to describe the work of an apologist, who is making a case for Christianity through the use of apologetics.

Highlights

The speaker expresses the difficulty in explaining the job of an apologist to strangers.

Apologists are often misunderstood, even within the church community.

Apologetics is defined as a branch of theology that defends the Christian faith.

There are two types of Christian apologetics: positive and negative.

Positive apologetics focuses on providing arguments for the existence of God and the reliability of the Bible.

Negative apologetics is about addressing objections to Christianity, such as the problem of evil.

The speaker likens apologists to lawyers, presenting arguments and counterarguments in a persuasive manner.

The upcoming sessions will not directly engage in apologetics but will instead defend the practice itself.

Some within the church are hostile to apologetics, viewing it as a threat to genuine Christian faith.

Myron Penner's book argues against apologetics, ironically employing apologetic techniques.

Penner's book won an award in the category of apologetics and evangelism, highlighting a paradoxical stance.

The speaker outlines four reasons for engaging in Christian apologetics: biblical command, cultural demand, church necessity, and confirmed results.

The speaker emphasizes the importance of making a case for Christianity in a compelling and rational manner.

The transcript explores the case for apologetics, providing a rationale for its practice in contemporary society.

The speaker challenges the notion that apologetics is outdated or unnecessary in modern times.

The transcript provides insights into the ongoing debate within the Christian community regarding the role of apologetics.

The speaker calls for a reevaluation of the importance of apologetics in strengthening and defending the Christian faith.

Transcripts

Some days, I wish I had a normal job.

Some days, I wish I had a normal job. It's

usually when I'm sitting in an airplane next to a stranger, and they ask the

question, "What do you do for a living?" For me, there's no short answer to that

question. Some jobs are just self-explanatory. Everyone knows what a

police officer is, or what a plumber is, or even what a pastor is, but most people

don't know what an apologist is. That includes people in the church. And even

after you explain what an apologist is, they wonder why that's actually a job,

why people do that in the first place. In other words, why apologetics? Now

apologetics is not going around saying, "I'm so sorry I'm a Christian. Please

forgive me." No, no. We make other people sorry we're Christians. No, we don't do

that either, okay? That's just a joke. Simply put, Christian apologetics is a

branch of theology that's concerned with giving a reason or defense for the

Christian faith. Now there are two sub disciplines or categories of Christian

apologetics. There's positive and negative apologetics. Now positive

apologetics involves giving an argument for Christianity. The emphasis is on

offense, not defense. For example, we give arguments for God's existence, or for the

reliability of the Bible, or for the deity of Christ. On the other hand,

there's negative apologetics. And by negative, I don't mean bad. Negative

apologetics involves answering objections or challenges against

Christianity. So this is defense, not offense. For example, we answer the

problem of evil, or respond to alleged Bible contradictions, or defend against

the charge of being called intolerant. Now when you hear the word "apologetics," I

want you to think of a lawyer standing in front of a judge and jury giving a

defense for their position. He gives arguments and counter-arguments.

He's persuasive. That's what apologists do. They're making

a case for their position. Now in the sessions that

follow, we're not going to do apologetics proper. That is, we're not going to make

the case for Christianity. Instead, we're going to make a case for making a case

for Christianity. We're going to give a defense for giving a defense for

Christianity. We're going to provide an apologetic for doing apologetics. Now,

this may come as a shock to you, but not everyone is a fan of apologetics. In fact,

some in the church are outright hostile to apologetics. In his book, "The End of

Apologetics: Christian Witness In a Post Modern Context," the Anglican priest Myron

Penner says this, "Apologetics itself might be the single biggest threat to

genuine Christian faith that we face today." Remember those words. This book

openly states, "This is a book about apologetics, or more precisely, it's a

book against apologetics." The irony is Penner's book does the very thing he's

arguing against. Specifically, he's making a case in his book against making a case.

It's one big lousy apologetic against apologetics. This view is becoming more

popular today. In fact, in 2014, Penner's book received an award from

Christian Today in the category of – get this – apologetics and evangelism. Now when

people ask me why we should engage in Christian apologetics, I have four broad

responses. It's actually an approach I learned from Dr. Norm Geisler at

Southern Evangelical Seminary. Simply put, the Bible commands it, the culture

demands it, the church needs it, and the results confirm it. Let's explore

together the case for Apologetics.