Tools of the Trade, Part 2
By Paul M. Gould | Bulletin Roundtable
This month’s roundtable discussion is about resources for apologetics. What tools or resources do you find most helpful in doing apologetics? [See Part 1 here.] Apologetics is for everyone! I view apologetics as working to show that Christianity is true and desirable. We want to show others that Christianity is true to the way the world is and true to the way the world ought to be. Given this wide-scope understanding of apologetics (yes, this is my definition of cultural apologetics, as discussed in my book by that title), it is important to point out that apologetics is for believers and nonbelievers. As Charles Taylor reminds us, in a secular or disenchanted age, unbelief is possible and belief in God is more difficult. We all need to be reminded daily of the brilliance and beauty, the rationality and desirability, of the Christian gospel. I offer a three-part answer to our question. I’ll discuss resources that I’ve found helpful in my own spiritual formation unto Christ, in building up believers, and in engaging with nonbelievers.
It is important to remember that we can’t separate the doing of apologetics from the character of the apologists. As such, it is important to me that I am a certain kind of person, a person that is ever-increasingly conformed into the image of Christ. As Peter reminds us in the oft-quoted passage on apologetics, we need to approach both the Lord and others with gentleness and respect (1 Peter 3:15). What resources have helped me to grow more in my relationship with Christ? Let’s back up: what practices have helped me grow in my relationship with Christ? The answer: regular devotional time with God. As many have noted, we are creatures of habit. The daily routines we engage in shape us into the kind of person we become. I’ve found the daily practice of quiet time with God to be especially formative in my life. My routine is simple: Scripture memory (yes, I’m old school, using white notecards), Bible reading, journaling about the passage and how it relates to God and my life, praying through my prayer journal, and then reading 2-3 pages from a book on theology or spiritual formation (this summer that book has been Dallas Willard’s Renovation of the Heart). All this takes about 20-30 minutes. The details aren’t as important as the habit itself. Sometimes, in order to help my time in Scripture, I’ve used a Bible-study resource. I’ve found N. T. Wright’s series on the books of the New Testament very helpful.
Next, how might we help believers grow in their confidence in Jesus and the gospel? It starts by being in relationship with others. By knowing others, we place ourselves in a position to be used by God to point them to Jesus. There are so many resources related to apologetics to help the believer grow in Christ and knowledge of the gospel. I think that every believer should be well-versed in basic apologetics. I’ve found William Lane Craig’s On Guard or my co-authored book Stand Firm as helpful introductions to apologetics. From there the sky is the limit. There are many helpful podcasts, YouTube channels, and books that can address the doubts and questions of believers as they wrestle with the questions of rationality and desirability related to Christianity. Personal favorites: PBA philosophy student Parker Settecase’s podcast Parker’s Pensees and theologian (and visiting professor at PBA) Ryan Mullins’s The Reluctant Theologian Podcast (both of these are more high-level podcasts in philosophy and theology).
Finally, what are some apologetic resources I’ve found helpful for reaching nonbelievers? It is always great to have a book to give to nonbelievers. Over the years, those books have included Josh McDowell’s More than a Carpenter, Lee Strobel’s The Case for Christ and the Case for Faith, and Tim Keller’s The Reason for God. As culture evolves, and as objections to God change, we need to constantly look for other resources that speak to the questions people have in each generation related to Jesus and the gospel. Further, we want to provide resources (in my opinion) that speak to both the head and the heart, reason and the imagination, ideas and images. To that end, I (humbly) recommend my forthcoming book, A Good and True Story, as a helpful resource to give to nonbelievers. This book is a book of cultural apologetics (as defined above). I take the reader on a journey to discover the true (and good) story of the world by looking at eleven clues or features of our world that point to something beyond this world. In addition to books, there are many YouTube channels devoted to addressing questions related to apologetics, many of which are highlighted every month here at the Worldview Bulletin. The resources are there. Pick up and read (or plug in and listen or watch).
— Paul M. Gould is an Associate Professor of Philosophy of Religion and Director of the M.A. Philosophy of Religion program at Palm Beach Atlantic University. He is the author or editor of ten scholarly and popular-level books including Cultural Apologetics, Philosophy: A Christian Introduction and The Story of the Cosmos. He has been a visiting scholar at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School’s Henry Center, working on the intersection of science and faith, and is the founder and president of the Two Tasks Institute. You can find out more about Dr. Gould and his work at Paul Gould.com and the Two Tasks Institute. He is married to Ethel and has four children.
Common Callings and Ordinary Virtues
Christian Ethics for Everyday Life
Every day we do commonplace things and interact with ordinary people without giving these activities and interactions much thought. This volume offers a theological guide to thinking Christianly about the nature of ordinary, everyday life. Ethicist Brent Waters shows that, when we engage them faithfully, our mundane activities and relationships are actually vitally important expressions of love for neighbors, friends, spouses, parents, children, strangers, and fellow citizens. We live out the Christian gospel in the contexts that define us and in the routine chores, practices, activities, and social settings that give ordinary life meaning. It is in those contexts that we discover what we were created for, what we were made to be and to become.
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