Dennis McCallum

Before we can develop a comprehensive approach to apologetics, we should determine how we will respond to the biblical teaching on the noetic effects of sin. To what extent can fallen man use his reason to understand the things of the Spirit? Should we use an approach that employs reason, or simply rely on a declaration of the truth, in the belief that God will quicken those who are "appointed unto eternal life"?

Gary DeLashmutt and Dennis McCallum

When helping someone investigate Christianity, there are important things to keep in mind to communicate effectively and lovingly.

Jim Leffel

Attempting to convert someone is considered intolerant and arrogant because it implies standing in judgment over their unique experience and culture. Christianity is not a live option for a growing majority of the emerging generation, but for reasons that are rather unique to our day. It's not that Christianity has been refuted by scientific fact or historical scrutiny. Rather, it's considered implausible because it claims to be universally and objectively true--that is, true for everybody. Put simply, the Christian message violates today's carefully cultivated incredulity toward all absolutes, especially religious ones.

Dennis McCallum

Modern theory states that the canon of the Old Testament was only finally closed by the council of Jamnia (90 AD). This position is seen as part of the evidence that Daniel is a late book (written later than 200BC because it was apparently included in the writings, not in the prophets, where it should have been). They argue that Daniel couldn't be included in the prophets because that part of the canon was already closed at the time of Jamnia. Our evidence will show, on the contrary, that the canon was known and immediately recognized as scripture as it developed in each generation.

Conrad Hilario

We live in an age of rapid change and movement. Faddish trends appear one day and promptly vanish into obsolescence the next. Today, many discussions about postmodernism would likely fall into this category. Flooding the discussion with books and articles –either decrying or defending postmodernism– many authors have set their sights on continuing this furious battle of tug-of-war. Meanwhile, large segments of the younger generation are growing apathetic toward the discussion. Nevertheless, the prevalence of postmodern thought accounts for a shift in the way people see truth. Although this shift has affected many areas of life in our culture, it has had a potent affect on believers in Christ--particularly, apathy toward learning and practicing apologetics among young believers. This article will explore the reasons for this growing trend and its unforeseen consequences.

Jim Leffel

We all have a set of basic beliefs—a world view. Everyone is a philosopher in this way. In this chapter, our concern is to provide criteria that distinguish a good set of basic beliefs from a poor one. This seems overwhelming perhaps. But in fact, it is a natural process, and one that we are involved in all the time. Whenever we take action, form an opinion, or consider other's views, we are testing a belief system—either ours or someone else's. So our present task is to make explicit what we naturally do by providing a framework to assess world views.

Dennis McCallum

Everyone has certain beginning points in their thinking. For instance, we may assume that our eyes see a real world. These beginning points are called presuppositions because we pre-suppose our beginning points are true. Without presupposing something we could not think or talk to each other. No one can avoid adopting some sort of presuppositions. But are our presuppositions consistent with our other beliefs? If not, we are a living contradiction. We say we believe one thing, but we really believe something else. This line of thought leads to the conclusion that a personal infinite creator God exists, and that he has created us as spiritual and personal beings.

Dennis McCallum

The level of design in nature implies that there must be a creator God. We have to explain how we think the complex world in which we live came into being. Naturalists (atheists, or materialists) would argue that since energy is able to enter our world, and the building blocks of life were already present, it is possible for chance collisions of molecules to produce life.

Dennis McCallum

The presence of evil, pain and suffering in our world is the most persistent argument raised against theism. The following are several of the main responses to the presence of evil in the world and its impact on the existence of the God of the Bible.

Dennis McCallum and Gary DeLashmutt

There are three major approaches to theistic apologetics in common use today. They are the Classical approach, the Evidentialist approach, and the Presuppositional approach.