"The Christian worldview is not proven in proven in one or two strokes but is rather verified by appealing to a wide and compelling variety of converging arguments. Christianity is shown to be the best explanation for the origin and nature of the universe as well as the human condition and the facts of history."

- Douglas Groothuis (The Denver Journal, vol. 2, 1999)

What was last year's post? See here.

Sean McDowell (blog) debates James Corbett (news) on the topic: Is God the Best Explanation of Moral Values? Moderated by Craig Hazen. The flyer for this debate can be found here. Original debate video at ConversantLife.

Full MP3 Audio here. (95min)

Enjoy.

Also check out Sean McDowell's ethics book here.

(Please note there are few audio glitches due to feed interruptions during Corbett's opening statement.)

• Dinesh D'Souza reviews the debate with Loftus on Sound Rezn MP3
• Richard Dawkins Receives Rabid Response From Faithful Followers
• God watches you google...
• Independent Evolution of Eyes
• Michael Shermer & David Robertson: "Is Christianity Good for Us?" MP3 (on the Unbelievable? Radio Program)
• William Lane Craig's newest book: 'On Guard: Defending Your Faith with Reason and Precision'
• The Presumptuousness of Atheism by Paul Copan
• Is There a God? The Evidence of Cosmology
• William Lane Craig: 16 Closer to Truth Interviews by Robert Lawrence Kuhn 
• Current Reading: Should Christians Embrace Evolution?: Biblical and Scientific Responses
• Thinking About God: First Steps in Philosophy by Gregory Ganssle
• March 1 Debate Between W. L. Craig and Victor Stenger 
• Featured Video: Atheism Undermines Science 
• The wonders of Evolution!

Here is the debate between Dinesh D'Souza and John Loftus on the topic: Does the Christian God Exist? Debate video can be found here. D'Souza offers his follow-up thoughts on the Sound Rezn radio show here (mp3). Check out Dinesh's newest book here. (original debate source here)

Full MP3 Audio here. (2 hours)

Enjoy

Last year's post here!

In this audio, John MacArthur presents the Gospel message in a sermon entitled "15 Words of Hope." For those who are looking for a clear, simple, and direct Gospel message, check this one out. After asking the staff of Grace to You which message they would recommend as a "definitive" Gospel presentation, this is the on they unanimously agreed upon. Highly recommended. Please listen and share.

Full MP3 Audio here. (52 min)

Enjoy.

Check out the John MacArthur sermon archive here.

What is apologetics? Is it Biblical? What is the purpose of apologetics? In this audio, the listener is introduced to the discipline of defending the faith and presenting reasons to believe Christianity is true. A case is made for apologetics from the New Testament and some common objections to apologetics are addressed. A useful introduction to the subject for those new to apologetics.

Full MP3 Audio here. (20 minutes)

PDF Transcript here (non-copyright, suitable for distribution)

Enjoy.

Nihilism: The rejection of objective moral values and structures, literally "nothingism." The nihilist is a skeptic about moral traditions and obligations and does not regard them as binding. A distinction should be made between the attitude of the reluctant or sorrowing nihilist, who finds nihilism terrifying but true, and the celebrative nihilist, who view nihilism as liberation from oppressive rules. Friedrich Nietzsche sometimes described nihilism as a fate that haunts Western culture. At other times, he seems more celebrative in his calls for the construction of a new morality. For those who believe morality requires a transcendent basis, Nietzsche is seen as a guide pointing beyond nihilism.1

1. C.Stephen Evans, Pocket Dictionary of Apologetics & Philosophy of Religion (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2002), p. 82.

See last year's post with some great Greg Koukl Tactics resources.

Today's interview is with Christian philosopher and theologian William Lane Craig. He talks about Reasonable Faith Chapters, his newest book On Guard: Defending Your Faith with Reason and Precision, how he got started in apologetics, upcoming debates, early influences (E.J. Carnell, Stuart Hackett), academic advice and insights, essential areas of study, communication skills, debate, long term goals, and more.

 Full Interview MP3 Audio here. (30 minutes)

Dr. Craig's podcasts can be found here, as well as other audio and video. Also check out this podcast feed of all of Craig's debate audio.

You may also be interested in a special offer on Craig's Philosophy of Religion 19 DVD set here.

For more interviews, subscribe to the Apologetics 315 Interviews podcast here or in iTunes.

Enjoy.

"Although I was once sharply critical of the argument to design, I have since come to see that, when correctly formatted, this argument constitutes a persuasive case for the existence of God.”

- Antony Flew (There is a God, p. 95.)

The Philosophy of Religion Course by William Lane Craig is a 19 DVD, 30 hour survey course covering religious epistemology, natural theology, the coherence of theism, and Christian doctrine. It comes in a set of two DVD albums and includes a CD with course syllabus and handouts.

Content: This seminary course taught by William Lane Craig covers a great deal of material targeted to a more advanced level. Craig structures the lectures to deal first with faith: the presumption of atheism, religious belief with and without warrant. Then on to the existence of God with arguments from natural theology: cosmological, teleological, axiological, and ontological arguments are all presented in detail, complete with questions and answers from the students. The course continues on to explore the attributes of God and the concept of the trinity. Craig deals with the problem of evil, covers the doctrine of creation, and examines divine providence. The course concludes with a focus on Christ, the atonement, and Christian particularism.

Impressions: The teaching content of the DVDs is extremely stimulating and helpful. Craig is in his element and explores the subjects deeply, making use of diagrams and interacting with the students. The video quality is very good with multiple camera angles and good sound. The good production quality is to be commended. Apart from the curriculum Craig shares a series of four or five short instructional pieces of practical wisdom for the students; these little life-principles are a great added bonus.

Recommendation: This is high quality material and is worth watching more than once. Apologetics 315 would recommend this course for those who have grasped the content of Reasonable Faith and Philosophical Foundations for a Christian Worldview and who want to delve deeper into the area of philosophy of religion.

This and other similar content can be found at the Biola Apologetics Store here.

SPECIAL OFFER: Biola is offering a special 10% Discount for Apologetics 315 readers.

Check it out.

• Upcoming Apologetics Events at Biola University
• The “Darwin’s Dilemma” Censorship Scandal Continues
• God is Great, God is Good: Interview with Chad Meister
• The Christian Roots of Science
• Free Online Book: “Think Biblically” by John MacArthur
• Sean McDowell: God & morality - an upcoming debate
• Live Debate: Sean McDowell and James Corbett February 26
• Naturalism’s Moral Foundations
• MP3: Judging Jesus by His Followers
• Article: Judging Jesus by His Followers
• The Ten Commandments in Reverse
• Arizona apologetics related sites
• Junk Protein Not so Worthless After All
• Doug Axe explains the chances of getting a functional protein by chance
• Apologetics Conference in Bend, Oregon
• Does Science Prove Atheism?
• Interview with Jim Spiegel – Part One
• Interview with Jim Spiegel – Part Two
• Currently Reading: The Making of an Atheist by Jim Spiegel
• Debate MP3: Dinesh D'Souza vs. John Loftus

Athanatos Ministries is hosting an Online Apologetics Conference May 7 & 8, 2010. This year’s conference will primarily focus on literary apologetics, or promoting the Christian faith through the written word, and fiction in particular. The list of presenters is as follows:
• Keynote: Robert Bowman, Jr.
• Plenary: Dr.  Angus Menuge
• Plenary: Dr. Corey Olsen
• Workshop: Dr. Bernard Bull
• Workshop: Mr. Robert Velarde
• Workshop: Ms. Mary Jo Sharp
• Workshop: Mr. Anthony Horvath
• Workshop: 2010 Christian Writing Contest Winner

Click here to learn more about the presenters. Click here to register.

Check it out.

Sound Rezn is an apologetics-focused radio show and podcast hosted by Alex McFarland and produced by Southern Evangelical Seminary for AFR. The format offers interviews with various authors and apologists while covering pertinent cultural issues. Some of the notable recent guests include:

• J.P. Moreland: The Soul & The Body - MP3
• Stephen Meyer: Signature in the Cell - MP3
• Tom Gilson: Communication Strategies in Apologetics - MP3
• Doug Powell: Objective Beauty - MP3
• J. Budziszewski: Natural Law - MP3
• Michael Shermer - MP3

Subscribe to the podcast in iTunes here, or use the RSS feed here.


Enjoy.

Get other great apologetics podcasts here.

This continues the Apologetics Toolkit series on: Tips for Lifelong Learning. The goal here is to provide a sort of "apologetics toolkit" -- habits, tips, and tools the Christian apologist can use to continue to grow, learn, and develop.

Tool #03: Focus and Recall Your Reading

The Problems: Have you ever finished reading a page in a book and realized that you can't even remember what you just read? What about reading an entire book and a week later not remembering anything you read? These are two things you should discipline yourself to avoid: lack of focus and lack of recall.

The Tools: To overcome lack of focus, think of your book as an interactive learning tool. You will need a pen (or pencil) and a highlighter. If you wish, use a bookmark to scroll down the page as you read - keeping your eyes moving over the text without losing your place. Use your highlighter to spotlight key points, notable quotes, and substantial ideas. Use your pen (or pencil) to write your own ideas in the margins. If you have no pen, you will sometime lose great ideas and will fail to capture your original thoughts.

To overcome lack of recall, use your pen to write brief one sentence summaries of various sections as you go along. This helps you understand it better as you rephrase the content in your own words. When you have completed a chapter or so, go back and scan over or re-read the highlights you made in the previous chapters. This helps you retain key ideas and process the content further. Ideally you will gain the most retention by re-reading or scanning back over the highlighted points in your books with this sort of time frame:

• 1 day: Scan over the key ideas again to retain them.
• 1 week: Repeat the process again; this time underlining the most notable highlights with a pen.
• 1 month: Just scan over the book and read the underlined bits.
• 6 months: Try to crack open the book once again. The ideas will flood back again as familiar.
• 1 year: Make a point to scan over the most meaningful books that you read.
• NOTE: This part is most easily achieved if you have an online calendar which can schedule a reminder. Once automated on your computer (or recorded in your planner), it can serve as an excellent tool if you are serious about retaining the information.

The Benefits: Your highlighting keeps you attentive, thinking, active in your reading. The writing and summarizing helps you process the content. The reviewing helps you retain it. If you don't need to retain the information, then adapt the tool for your own needs. But if you are reading to learn and want to keep the information as your own, this sort of tool (or something like it) is invaluable. The added benefit is that it makes reviewing books a much easier task!


What reading tips do you recommend? What helps you stay focused and retain the content?

Again, this book is the most recommended for learning through reading. Looking for good apologetics books? -- Look here. Looking for some great audio for learning? Check out Learning Skills 101.

Truth: That which corresponds to or adequately expresses what is real. Most philosophers have conceived of truth solely as a property of propositions. The most common account of propositional truth is the correspondence theory, which holds that a proposition is true if and only if it corresponds to the way things are. Rival accounts include the coherence theory, which views truth as the property of a proposition that is part of the most coherent system of propositions, and the pragmatic theory, which defines true propositions in terms of their usefulness in making predictions and dealing with reality. Ordinary language and the Bible use the term truth more broadly. Thus we speak of true friendship and truth in a relationship.1

1. C.Stephen Evans, Pocket Dictionary of Apologetics & Philosophy of Religion (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2002), p. 118.

What was last year's post? It's a William Lane Craig debate.

In this interview with philosopher and theologian Kenneth Samples, he talks about how he became a philosopher, influential books, advice for apologists, the academic route, logic, tips for learning, the character of an apologist, the Biola apologetics program, Reasons to Believe, and more.

For many other resources by Ken Samples, click here.

Check out his books: A World of Difference: Putting Christian Truth-Claims to the Worldview Test, and Without a Doubt: Answering the 20 Toughest Faith Questions.

Full MP3 Audio here. (42min)

Subscribe to this interview and more apologist interviews in iTunes here, or get the RSS feed here.

Enjoy.

What was last year's post? See here.

"Even though most people who reject Christianity treat it as a refuge for enemies of reason, the truth is that there may be no worldview in the history of the human race that has a higher regard for the laws of logic."

- Ronald H. Nash, Worldviews in Conflict, p. 74.

[HT: Ken Samples]

Faith of the Fatherless: The Psychology of Atheism by Paul Vitz is a relatively short (150 page) but very interesting look at the psychological factors that may contribute to atheism. The premise of the book is not to explore the existence of God or to show that belief or unbelief is true or false. Instead, the author is investigating notable psychological patterns in those who espouse strong atheist positions:

…there seems to be a widespread assumption, throughout much of our intellectual community, that belief in God is based on all kinds of irrational, immature needs and wishes, whereas atheism or skepticism flows from a rational, grown-up, no-nonsense view of things as they really are. To challenge the psychology of this viewpoint is the primary concern of this book. As I present the evidence from the lives of atheists, I will be looking for regularities, for patterns that distinguish their lives from those of a comparable group of theists.1

• Ten Resources for Thinking Christianly
• The Making of An Atheist: Interview with Jim Spiegel: EPS blog
• What Theology Has Done for Science
• Truthbomb Apologetics: Thoughts on How to Study the Bible
• Two Dozen (or so) Theistic Arguments by Alvin Plantinga
• Interview Videos with Alvin Plantinga
• Celebrating Alvin Plantinga
• Video: Alvin Plantinga and the Modal Argument
• Hartshorne's Modal argument
• Currently Reading 'A Sceptic's Guide to Atheism: God is Not Dead' by Peter S. Williams
• Ancient Evidence for Jesus from Non-Christian Sources
•  Debate: Is the New Testament Historically Reliable? James White vs. Robert M. Price
• Book Review: "Immortality: The Other Side of Death"
• Featured Resource: TrueU with Dr. Stephen Meyer
• THE DESIGN INFERENCE
• New STR Student Website: STRplace - Just Think
• Intelligent Design Proponents Welcome Fodor and Piattelli-Palmarini to the Growing Ranks of Darwin's Critics
• Google Books: Faith Has It’s Reasons by Boa & Bowman
• Of Superbowl Ads, Tim Tebow's Story, and Freedom of Speech
• J.P. Moreland asks: does truth matter when choosing a religion?
• Flying Spaghetti Monster refuted!
• Pascal on Bible Prophecy
• The Historical Evidence for the Resurrection
• New book: 'What Darwin Got Wrong'
• Zeitgeist Movie Overview
• Is the Bible True Video
• Christian Worldview Integration: Interview with J.P. Moreland (part one)
• Christian Worldview Integration: Interview with J.P. Moreland (part two)
• Christian Writing Contest 2010

Reformed Theological Seminary (RTS)  has some great resources. Among the most recent is this course on C.S. Lewis by J. Knox Chamblin. This study examines Lewis's teachings on such subjects as general and special revelation, Christian conversion, Christian warfare, the four loves, miracles, social issues, suffering and death, and heaven and Hell.

Click here to get this C.S. Lewis course in iTunesU. (26 audio files & course syllabus)

Find out more about RTS on iTunesU here.

Enjoy.

More theology and apologetics on iTunesU here.

Here is another great resource from bethinking.org. Dr. Os Guinness presents a four part introduction to the essence of apologetics. You may also be interested in his books The Call: Finding and Fulfilling the Central Purpose of Your Life and God in the Dark: The Assurance of Faith Beyond a Shadow of a Doubt. (Also added to the Ultimate Apologetics MP3 Audio page.)

Part 1: What is the essence of apologetics? (MP3)
Part 2: A Biblical basis for the essence of apologetics (MP3)
Part 3: How to communicate in apologetics (MP3)
Part 4: Persuading the hard-hearted (MP3)

Enjoy.

What was last year's post? See here.

This continues the Apologetics Toolkit series on: Tips for Lifelong Learning. The goal here is to provide a sort of "apologetics toolkit" -- habits, tips, and tools the Christian apologist can use to continue to grow, learn, and develop.

Tool #02: Use Audio Resources Effectively

The Problem: There just isn't enough time in the day to learn everything you want to learn, and books require your undivided attention to be a useful tool. In addition, not everyone has a classroom opportunity available to them. Here is where audio resources come to the rescue.

The Tool: Audio resources come in a variety of formats: podcasts, MP3 audio files, iTunesU courses, audiobooks, etc. With the help of an MP3 player (Apologetics 315 highly recommends the iPod Touch) you can take audio with you practically anywhere. Here are some ideas on how to redeem the time spent doing other things while learning theology, apologetics, and philosophy:

• Commute time: redeem this time by going through an audio program, audio book, podcast, or sermon. Over the course of a year, this time can accumulate into hundreds of hours.
• Exercising: use this time to engage your mind as well as your body.
• Chores: use headphones to benefit from audio learning while ironing, doing dishes, etc.
• Work: if you have the sort of job that allows this, then listening to audio programs while working can also be a good opportunity.

The Benefit: The idea here is that there are hundreds of hours of audio that you can benefit from simply by redeeming the time you are already spending during your commute, exercise, or other activities. You have access to some of the best content available -- take advantage of it.

What are your tips for using audio? What methods work best for you?


Get apologetics on your iPod right here!

Agnosticism: The position that neither affirms belief in God (theism) nor denies the existence of God (atheism) but instead suspends judgment. It is helpful to distinguish the "modest agnostic," who merely claims to be unable to decide the question of God's reality, from the "aggressive agnostic," who claims that no one can decide the question and that suspension of judgment is the only reasonable stance.1

1. C.Stephen Evans, Pocket Dictionary of Apologetics & Philosophy of Religion (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2002), p. 9.

What was last year's post? It's on Zeitgeist.

This is an interview with blogger Roger Morris of the Faith Interface blog, which discusses the interface between science, philosophy, and the Christian faith. Roger speaks a bit about his blog, the balanced Christian life, advice in starting a blog, influential apologetics books, and learning apologetics by doing apologetics. Find his blog here, Facebook here,  Twitter here, and posts on apologetics here.

Full MP3 Audio here. (31min)

Enjoy.

What was last year's post? See here.

"My argument against God was that the universe seemed so cruel and unjust. But how had I got this idea of just and unjust? A man does not call a line crooked unless he has some idea of a straight line. What was I comparing this universe with when I called it unjust?"

- C.S. Lewis from Mere Christianity, chapter 6.

Find Mere Christianity online here.

The Devil’s Delusion: Atheism and Its Scientific Pretensions by David Berlinski is a unique, witty, and clever critique of militant atheism and its devotion to scientism. Within its ten engaging chapters, Berlinski shines a revealing light on the dogmatic stance of many of today’s popular “new atheists.” The new atheism, the author would contend, postures itself as the sole holder of truth via science, “And like any militant church, this one places a familiar demand before all others: Thou shalt have no other gods before me.”1 Berlinski, a secular Jew who is an avid writer on science and mathematics, approaches his task with his own mixture of dry wit and thoughtful logic, which makes the reading of The Devil’s Delusion an entertaining experience.

Here are this week's recommended apologetics links. Enjoy.

• William Lane Craig: 5 Arguments for God - 30-page PDF

• Book Review – The Making of an Atheist
• Wired for Intimacy: How Pornography Hijacks the Male Brain
• Free Mark Driscoll Audiobook: Religion Saves
• Apologetics Study Bible for Students Now Available
• Euthyphro Argument Revisited MP3
• How Are Morals Objectively Grounded in God? MP3
• Who is Jesus? The Centrality of the Person and Work of Christ
• James White Calvinism and Purgatory Debates
• What is self-refutation and what are some examples of self-refutation?  
• Characteristics of a Christian Ambassador
• Atheism Analyzed - Analysis vs Debate

• Find Apologetics 315 on FriendFeed

Get these sorts of links and more by following on Twitter.
Or just add this feed to your RSS reader

This is a discussion of Stephen Meyer's Book Signature in the Cell, hosted by the C.S. Lewis Society. The discussion is between Dr. Stephen Meyer, Michael Medved, Dr. David Berlinski, and Dr. Tom Woodward. They discuss intelligent design theory, DNA structure, cell structure, and the origin of life. Q&A included. Fascinating listen.

Full MP3 Audio here. (2hr 20min)

Enjoy.

What was last year's post? See here.

This is a January 2008 debate at Stanford University between Christopher Hitchens and Jay Richards on the topic: Atheism vs. Theism and The Scientific Evidence of Intelligent Design. Also moderated by Ben Stein, as this was a debate leading up to the Expelled movie release.  Thanks to Wintery Knight for providing video links here.

Full MP3 Audio here. (1hr 50min)

Enjoy.

More Hitchens debates here. More from Jay Richards here.

Last year's 3-minute post here.