Apologetics Methodology, Part 3
By Melissa Cain Travis | Bulletin Roundtable
Today we conclude our Roundtable on apologetics methodology, with Melissa Cain Travis focusing on the role of science in apologetics. You can find Part 1 of the series here, and Part 2 here.
Blessings,
Christopher Reese
Editor-in-Chief
Melissa Cain Travis
In his celebrated work Mere Christianity, C. S. Lewis argued that the appropriate goal of evangelistic apologetics is to help guide nonbelievers into what he called the “hall” of Christendom, a metaphor for agreement with the minimum set of doctrines required for what he called “mere Christianity”—the set of truth claims by which Christianity stands (if they are true) or falls (if they are false). The best examples of such claims are the existence of God, the Trinity, the incarnation of Jesus the Christ, and the bodily resurrection of Christ after his death by Roman crucifixion. Lewis explains that once inside the enormous main hall of Christianity, the convert is presented with doorways to many different “rooms”—a diversity of Christian traditions and denominations that vary (sometimes dramatically) in their understanding of secondary theological matters. The egregious mistake, Lewis argued, is when we share the Gospel with a nonbeliever and claim that it demands acceptance of all the particulars of a specific room in the house rather than the far more limited (yet crucial) commitment to the great hall—the truths of essential doctrine that all Christians share. Concerning nonessential doctrines, Lewis warns:
I think we must admit that the discussion of these disputed points has no tendency at all to bring an outsider into the Christian fold. So long as we write and talk about them we are much more likely to deter him from entering any Christian communion than to draw him into our own. Our divisions should never be discussed except in the presence of those who have already come to believe that there is one God and that Jesus Christ is His only Son.[1]
In other words, the doctrinal issues that divide orthodox Christians do not have a proper place in evangelistic apologetics and can do more harm than good.[2] However, once someone accepts Christ, those kinds of conversations should be had. We are called to make disciples, not simply converts, and effective discipleship happens within the many rooms of the house, rooms which differ with one another in their traditions and secondary doctrines. “It is in the rooms, not in the hall,” Lewis explains, “that there are fires and chairs and meals. The hall is a place to wait in, a place from which to try the various doors, not a place to live in.”[3]
Lewis’s philosophy of apologetics can be quite helpful in discussions with nonbelievers about the intersection of science and Christianity. Consider the fact that when controversial issues such as the age of the earth and biological evolution come up, the conversation typically ends in frustration or even anger. No progress is made. But what if more of us focused our efforts on defending the central claim that the natural sciences point beyond the material world to a transcendent creator with whom mankind has some degree of rational kinship. I think of this as a “mere creation” approach to the science and faith conversation.
Let’s unpack this strategy a bit further. The claim I’ve just articulated can be teased apart into three science-related propositions:
1) God exists (John 1:1-2)
2) God is the Maker of all things, seen and unseen (John 1:3)
3) Mankind is uniquely created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27).
Fields such as cosmology, physics, biochemistry, and even neuroscience lend excellent support to the philosophical arguments made for the above claims, and the cumulative case goes a long way in undermining scientific materialism. This mere creation approach transcends the popular “evolution, therefore no God” and “old earth, therefore false Bible” fallacies, so we’re able to avoid getting bogged down in never-ending arguments about the strengths and weaknesses of evolutionary theory and the accuracy of dating methods. This is not to say that the origins sciences shouldn’t be critically examined, both scientifically and philosophically. The point is that we can take our discussion to a higher plane and thereby avoid time-sucking and confusing rabbit trails that tend to leave us and our interlocutors talking past one another rather than establishing fertile common ground.
Of course, affirmation of the existence of a creator God to whom man is specially related is not, by itself, sufficient for entering the house of Christianity. Herein lies the intrinsic limitation of scientific apologetics. We should think of this project as pre-evangelistic: it helps to build a case for truths that are necessary, but not sufficient, for entering the great hall, and it circumvents common obstacles that prevent some people from even considering Christianity. Think of it as opening the front gate and inviting nonbelievers into a beautiful, verdant courtyard with steppingstones that lead all the way up to the threshold of our magnificent house.
It is not my intention to imply that there are not important in-house discussions to be had about how to best understand biblical creation. Yet, we must accept that it is highly unlikely there will ever be (on this side of eternity) unanimity on these particulars. What we should all be in hearty agreement about is that our different perspectives on creation should never divide us, especially considering the urgency and gravity of our primary cause: reaching the world for Christ! As Lewis admonished, “When you have reached your own room, be kind to those who have chosen different doors and to those who are still in the hall. If they are wrong they need your prayers all the more; and if they are your enemies, then you are under orders to pray for them. That is one of the rules common to the whole house.”[4]
Notes
[1] C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity (New York: HarperCollins, 2000), viii-ix.
[2] For example, if a specific interpretation of the Genesis creation narrative is presented as an indispensable part of the Gospel message, listeners who are convinced of a conflicting scientific theory will likely dismiss the whole kit and kaboodle.
[3] Ibid., xv.
[4] Ibid., xvi.
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Dr. Travis,
Thank you for your insightful article. Your exploration of C.S. Lewis's apologetics and the "mere Christianity" approach offers valuable insights into engaging nonbelievers by focusing on Christianity's core truths.
However, I'm seeking clarification on how you conceptualize "conversion".
My concern lies in your statement, "We are called to make disciples, not simply converts",
which seems to me downplaying it.
Drawing from Dr. Gordon T. Smith's "Transformational Conversion," I understand it as:
1. A dynamic interplay of divine call and human response.
2. Conversion is the human response, not as a passive acknowledgment to reach a quota,
but as the vital, response, active commitment that precedes true discipleship.
Without conversion, discipleship cannot occur.
Victor
[1] Smith, Gordon T. Transforming Conversion: Rethinking the Language and Contours of Christian Initiation. Baker Academic, 2010, Grand Rapids, Michigan.