DESCRIPTION: Understanding apologetics to consist in the intellectual "defense of the faith," we observe that certain objections to the Christian faith are advanced in the name of intellectual integrity, objections students should expect to encounter. These objections may be posed as questions such as: How can you reconcile belief in God with the injustices and sufferings we know occur? In light of the general adequacy of the "natural explanations" for experience we agree on, why believe in God at all? Why should anyone now living subject their beliefs to the norms of pre-modern Scripture? The intent of this course is to develop student competencies to respond to such objections.

LEARNING OUTCOMES: As a result of having taken this course, students will have (1) become familiar with and appreciative of relevant contributions to the discussion of issues in Christian apologetics from a variety of sources, (2) further developed their own aptitudes for critical thinking, particularly as these relate to the task of engaging anticipated objections to the Christian faith, and (3) each formulated personal contributions to the discussion of the issues in the production of bodies of written work of respectable academic caliber engaging such objections.

RELEVANCE FOR MINISTRY: The effort to do justice to objections to one's faith not only stimulates personal growth but also contributes to one's overall persuasiveness. As the questions treated in this course occur to nonbelievers and believers alike, the student as prepared apologist may help nonbelievers give the Christian faith more serious consideration and help believers foster the virtue of intellectual integrity.

COURSE FORMAT: The class will meet two days a week for a class period of approximately four hours per day, each period consisting in two sessions separated by a break. Lecture will be the chief means of introducing course content, supplemented by dialogue on related items and small group discussion.

REQUIRED READING:

  Guinness, Os. Unspeakable. Harper Collins, 2005.

  McClendon, James Wm., Jr., and James M. Smith, Convictions: Defusing Religious Relativism. Trinity Press International, 1994.

*Murphy, Nancey. Reasoning & Rhetoric in Religion. Trinity Press International, 1994.

  Stackhouse, John. Can God Be Trusted? Oxford University Press, 1998.

  Theimann, Ronald. Revelation & Theology. University of Notre Dame Press, 1985.

*It is recommended that students come to the first day of class having read chapters 1-6 of the Murphy textbook in advance.

1. One reading exercise on Murphy chaps. 1-6 & 12-14, problems in Exercise 14 (10% of final grade).

2. Five 3-4 page reading reports on assigned material (50%).

3. Two 7-10 page essays (20%). Essay 1 should be either on the problem of evil (your own provision for theism in response to that challenge) or on the naturalist appeal to parsimony (your own response to the charge that theism is unnecessary, particularly the argument for theism you favor). Essay 2 should be either on support for belief in the bodily resurrection of Jesus or on support (apart from the vicious circularity of Scripture citation) for the recognition of the authority of Scripture (the acceptance of the Bible as normative for faith and practice).

4. Two exams, each comprehensive of material previously covered in class. Exam 2 will therefore be comprehensive of the whole course (20%).