Last month we began to consider the mode of "persuasion" as a central aspect of our defense of Christianity. We ended our previous article with the affirmation that the Word of God must be our foundation in apologetics. That's where we stand when we engage in a defense of the faith. We don't pretend to stand on the same platform as those to whom we speak. Whatever platform the unbeliever attempts to mount is nothing more than a mist; one may think that it feels, at times, like it is something substantial, but, in reality, its supposed strength is only an illusion, nothing more than a midsummer's madness. continue

What I would like for us to begin to think about in this post is a Reformed theology of persuasion in apologetics. Possibly one of the more frustrating aspects of a Covenantal apologetic for some may be that, with any answer to any objection, there always remain questions that could have come up, issues that might have been discussed, objections that were not addressed. continue

It was March 15, sometimes called the "Ides of March." It was a day like any other day. But as the soothsayer ominously reminded the emperor Julius Caesar, the day was not yet over. Cassius and the Roman leaders were afraid that Caesar's power was going to his head. Too much power for Caesar meant too little power for them. So they decided it would be best if Caesar was out of the way. They plotted to assassinate the emperor. Not only so, but they convinced Caesar's good friend, Brutus, to join them in the assassination plot. Before the Ides of March was over, Caesar had died a tragic death. The tragedy of his death was that his friend had conspired to kill him. continue

Every year, as the Christmas season approaches, some folks object to the celebration of Christmas due to its allegedly pagan roots. Some critics are Christians while others are cultists (i.e. Jehovah's Witnesses). Before proceeding any further, let's draw a few distinctions. The question at issue is not whether Christians have an obligation to celebrate Christmas. Rather, the issue is whether it's wrong for Christians to celebrate Christmas-given the allegedly pagan roots of the holiday. continue

There have been a number of attempts, of late, to do away with any kind of public celebration or acknowledgment of the real meaning of Christmas. The latest one I read concerned an atheist group that was wanting to ban "A Charlie Brown Christmas" from television. These attempts shouldn't surprise us; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, the world hates Jesus, and they hate him without a cause (John 15:25). Santa Claus and snowmen are not offensive, but Linus, on public air waves, quoting Luke 2:8-14 as the real meaning of Christmas cannot be tolerated. continue

A question has come from a reader in Austria concerning the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and the relationship of that guidance to the Reformed doctrine of Sola Scriptura (1). This question is a good and relevant one, and it is one that seems to be more and more common these days. The issue itself is complex, but it relates to (at least) two aspects of a Reformed view of Scripture that should be highlighted. It has deep theological and apologetic implications. continue

There are a few questions that readers have submitted that seem to belong to the same generic family. Specifically, questions have come that revolve around the doctrine of Scripture and its relationship to apologetics. These are great questions, and they show an insightful and central focus of the apologetic task. continue

Does A equal A? The answer to this question is, of course, yes, but the broader question is, how should Christians think about logic? Especially when it is Scripturally mandatory for us to affirm the paradoxical, how can we also affirm, as we must, that contradictions are a fatal problem? These are knotty questions, with all kinds of avenues, venues, rabbit trails and responses. continue

The problem of evil is still considered to be the strongest argument against Christianity specifically, or theism generally. It is thought to be the Achilles Heel of Christianity, the one thing that brings the whole position crumbling down. One of the reasons that the problem of evil is considered to be such a strong argument against Christianity is that it has such broad appeal. Unlike strictly metaphysical or epistemological arguments against God's existence, the problem of evil is one that is more intuitive, understood by virtually anyone, whether or not he is a philosopher. continue

It is impossible to understand the object of apologetics, i.e., unbelief, without meditating on the implications of Romans 1:18ff. We'll look at a few salient points in that passage and hope the meditative aspects will be applied by the reader. One note by way of preface to this passage - just exactly how one goes about the apologetic task is as varied as there are positions and people. What must be the case in all such tasks, however, is that biblical principles cannot be transgressed, sacrificed, undermined or subverted. The Bible gives us, we could say, apologetic boundaries within which we are bound to stay. Within those boundaries, however, there is a good bit of elbow room; we needn't feel constrained. On the contrary, understanding these principles will liberate us to address the root cause(s) of the clear and present danger of the position(s) and people with whom we interact. continue

There are two kinds of evil: moral and natural. Moral evil is sin, such as murder, rape, abuse, terrorism, or genocide. Natural evil is what causes suffering and unpleasantness; it is the result of moral evil. For example, every human dies, animals suffer, natural disasters like tsunamis and earthquakes wreak havoc, vehicles crash, diseases kill millions, and horrific freak accidents occur. Like everyone else, I have tasted this evil more than once, including when my parents separated when I was four and later when my youngest brother died of Neuroblastoma cancer when he was just six years old. It is ugly and painful. continue

A review of Finding God in the Shack is therefore, in one sense, a review of a review which tends to a rather cumbersome exercise in circumlocution: I am discussing Olson's discussion of Young's discussion! For that, let me beg your indulgence. continue

R.C. Sproul reviews Anthony Flew's latest book: There Is a God continue

I love the good news of Jesus Christ. I love apologetics. I love good writing. And I love Tim Keller. continue

Then along came Deconstructors who took things further. Philosophers like Hans-Georg Gadamer, Michel Foucault and Jacques Derrida ("more Frenchmen" I hear you exclaim, but Derrida was technically born in Algeria). Derrida's point is (well, "was" since he is also dead - in 2004) that even the very words themselves employed to describe such a view are themselves an impossibility since words have no stable relationship to reality. continue

Since Trueman's assent to stardom as Augustine redivivus, the requests for copies of the debate have almost crashed our server. Ok, so maybe that's a bit of an embellishment, but either way you can watch the debate here:Part 1: https://vimeo.com/57071226Part 2: https://vimeo.com/57377467... continue

First, thanks to all of our readers for the excellent questions submitted so far! There's still time to email more questions to r21@alliancenet.orgBeginning next month, Dr. Oliphint will post article-length replies to your questions. Thank you again!... continue

We here at reformation21 pride ourselves on customer service (for examples, look no further than our (failed?) attempts at toning down Levy and posting doctored pics of Trueman). Pursuant to that end, we are calling for your questions for our... continue

Editors' note: A summary of the incident referred to by Dr. Oliphint can be found here.Richard Dawkins, who is arguably the (non-existent) god of all things atheist, recently found himself on the wrong end of a verbal baseball bat. The... continue

Sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence (1 Peter 3:15).We have been... continue

There are a multitude of ways that one can defend the Christian faith. My last post was meant to highlight one way, a way that has enormous cultural, political, and social implications. It has those implications because it is fundamentally... continue

A non-Christian friend of mine recently returned from a trip overseas. When I asked him how his trip was, he looked me in the eye and, with finger pointing and shaking in my face, steadfastly declared to me, "There is... continue

Last fall, Steve Hays of Triablogue, did an excellent article for ref21 refuting the collection of new atheist essays published under the title of The End of Christianity (ed. John Loftus).The book-length refutation of Loftus and company is now available in... continue

Apologetics is a defense of the Christian faith; the word "apologetics" comes from a Greek word that means defense. In my last article, I mentioned that apologetics has been concerned, perhaps overly or exclusively so, to answer philosophical challenges with... continue

Editor's Note: We are excited to welcome Dr. K. Scott Oliphint to the reformation21 blog. Dr. Oliphint is the professor of apologetics and systematic theology at Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia. He is the author of numerous books, including his... continue

One of the things Christians are increasingly hearing from secular critics is that Christianity is not only wrong, but evil; it's false but also immoral. One of the best responses to this phenomena is a recent book by the guys... continue

I've been reading the late Robert Webber's last book, Who Gets To Narrate the World? Contending for the Christian Story in an Age of Rivals  (IVP, 2008), and came across these lines: "When we argue [in an evidentialist] way, we... continue

This week's prize for the cultural equivalent of identifying the Pope's religious affiliation and revealing the sanitary habits of grizzly bears goes to..... The Times (that's The Times of London to those who come from a country that routinely identifies... continue