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A New Day for Apologetics (from Christianity Today)

People young and old are flocking to hear — and be changed by — winsome arguments for the Christian faith.

Troy Anderson | posted 7/02/2008 08:50AM

Despite all the recent attacks on faith—or, perhaps, because of them—these are definitely the best of times for Christian apologists such as Lee Strobel, William Lane Craig, Ben Witherington III, Darrell Bock, and J. P. Moreland. They are making documentaries, writing books, giving media interviews, attending debates and conferences, and presenting the public with what they say is a growing mountain of scientific and archaeological evidence documenting the truth of Christianity.

“There has been a resurgence in Christian apologetics as a direct result of the challenges Christianity has faced in the form of militant atheism in college classrooms, on the Internet, and in TV documentaries and best-selling books,” says Strobel, former legal editor of the Chicago Tribune and most recently the author of The Case for the Real Jesus: A Journalist Investigates Current Attacks on the Identity of Christ.

Dinesh D’Souza, who wrote What’s So Great About Christianity? (CT, March 2008), says the New Atheists are raising new types of questions requiring “21st-century apologetics.”

“The apologetics of the 1970s and ’80s are useful if you are teaching in a church camp, but it’s not that relevant to the claims the New Atheists are making, which are very different,” D’Souza says. “The New Atheists are really surfing the waves of 9/11, equating Islamic radicalism with Christianity. These are not questions addressed by C. S. Lewis or Josh McDowell.”

This spate of attacks has also kindled an unexpected surge of interest in apologetics among youth.

“It wasn’t too many years ago that scholars were writing off apologetics because we live in a postmodern world where young people are not supposed to be interested in things like the historical Jesus,” Strobel says. “The biggest shock is that among people who communicated to me that they had found faith in Christ through apologetics, the single biggest group was 16- to 24-year-olds.”

Last summer, hundreds had to be turned away from a Focus on the Family- sponsored apologetics conference for teenagers that drew an overflow crowd of 1,500. Meanwhile, the hotbeds of apologetics education—Biola University and its Talbot School of Theology (CT, June 2003), Southern Evangelical Seminary, and Liberty University—are crammed with students pursuing graduate degrees in philosophy and apologetics.

More here.

News from the Apologetics Network in Tauranga

Hi Everyone,

We had a good meeting on Thursday night, with roughly 50 people turning up to view “Unlocking the Mystery of Life” followed up by some interesting discussions afterwards.  For those who asked about getting their own copy of the DVD – you can do so for $25.95 DVD or $14.95 VHS from the Focus on the Family online shop.

Coming events

Thinking Matters Planning and Progress Meeting

To discuss progress after our first events, and table new ideas and suggestions. Anyone interested in being involved in this ministry is welcome.

When:  Tuesday 8^th 7:30-9pm (note later than normal start time)

Where:  Meeting Room, Bethlehem Community Church Centre, 183 Moffat Rd.

More Info: Click here

DVD screening of ‘The Privileged Planet’

A high quality documentary exploring the evidence of a grand designer in the cosmos. 

When: Tuesday 15^th 7-9pm

Where: Bethlehem Community Church Centre, 183 Moffat Rd.

More Info: Click here

Website Recommendation

www.BeThinking.org

The BeThinking website is a fantastic source of hundreds of recorded presentations and written articles from high calibre speakers (including William Lane Craig).  Recordings and articles are classified into Introductory, Intermediate and Advanced and grouped under the following topics:

· What is apologetics?

· Culture & Worldview

· History & Jesus

· Islam

· Other Religions

· Resurrection & Miracles

· Right & Wrong

· Science & Christianity

· Spirituality

· Stories & Illustrations

· Suffering

· Truth & Intolerance

· Who am I?

· Who are you God?

The content on this site is a must for all who are searching for greater understanding and knowledge.  After listening to some of the recordings on the computer, you will be inspired to purchase an I-Pod or MP3 player (if you don’t already have one) so you can listen to these in the car and while walking the dog/husband.

Hope to see you at the coming events!