Christian Apologetics – An Introduction

Alister E. McGrath is Senior Research Fellow in the Faculty of Theology and Emeritus Idreos Professor of Science and Religion at Oxford University. One of the world's leading Christian apologists, McGrath is deeply engaged with both the theoretical and practical aspects of the field. He has held numerous academic positions, including Professor of Historical Theology at Oxford University and Director of the Oxford Centre for Christian Apologetics. He is the author of Mere Apologetics, Narrative Apologetics, Theology: The Basics, and Historical Theology, amongst many others. He is also the co-editor of the authoritative work History of Apologetics: A Biographical and Methodological Introduction.

How to Use this Book: To the Reader xi How to Use this Book: To the Teacher xiii 1 Introducing Apologetics 1 The Core Elements of Apologetics 3 Defense: Responding to Questions and Concerns 3 Explanation: What Christianity is All About 3 Translation: Unpacking the Language of Faith 4 Five Types of Apologetics 4 Evidentialism 5 Presuppositionalism 5 Rational Apologetics 5 Experiential Apologetics 5 Narrative Apologetics 6 Why Apologetics Matters - and How it Can go Wrong 6 Christianity as a "Big Picture" 8 How Does Apologetics Relate to Evangelism? 11 How Does Apologetics Relate to Theology? 12 For Further Reading 13 2 Apologetics: Some Historical Themes 15 Early Christianity 16 Apologetics in the Early Islamic World 20 The Middle Ages 22 The "Age of Reason" 24 The Twentieth Century 26 Conclusion 28 Study Questions 29 For Further Reading 29 3 The Rationality of Faith 31 Setting the Context: Apologetics in a Post- rationalist Age 33 Faith as Justified Belief 35 Faith, Evidence, and Uncertainty: From Clifford to Dawkins 38 Arguments for the Existence of God: Three Approaches 41 Thomas Aquinas: The Five Ways 41 Anselm of Canterbury: The Ontological Argument 44 William Lane Craig: The Kalm Argument 46 What is the Point of Arguments for the Existence of God? 47 Connecting up the Clues: C. S. Lewis and the Argument from Desire 49 Inference to the Best Explanation: Richard Swinburne 51 The Use of Rational Arguments: A Theological Concern 54 The Demand for Proof: The Problem with the "New Atheism" 55 Conclusion 56 Study Questions 57 For Further Reading 57 4 Connecting the Christian Faith with the Human Situation 60 Why Facts aren't Enough: Apologetics and the Human Situation 63 Communicating Christian Complexity: Isaac Newton and Mary Midgley 65 Apologetic Aspects of Salvation 67 Truth and Desire in Apologetics 69 Christ the Physician: Healing a Wounded and Broken Humanity 70 Christ the Sacrifice: Entering the Presence of God 72 Adoption: Believing and Belonging 73 Liberation: Salvation as Deliverance from Bondage 74 Explaining the Nature of Sin 75 Apologetic Aspects of the Incarnation 77 Rethinking the Nature of God 77 Seeing the Face of God 79 Christianity and the Human Quest for Meaning 81 Finding a Secure Base in Life 82 Finding Fulfilment 82 Inhabiting a Coherent World 82 A Sense of Self- worth 83 Study Questions 85 For Further Reading 85 5 Exploring Points of Contact for the Christian Faith 87 The Concept of a "Point of Contact" 88 Six "Points of Contact": Reflection and Application 90 A Sense of Longing 90 The Beauty of the World 93 The Ordering of Nature 95 A Sense of Wonder: The Night Sky 97 A Sense of Moral Obligation 98 Existential Anxiety and Alienation 100 Plato's Cave: A Neutral Framework for Framing "Points of Contact" 102 Study Questions 104 For Further Reading 104 6 Narrative Apologetics: Why Telling Stories Matters 106 The Rediscovery of Narrative Apologetics 106 Christianity as a Grand Narrative? 109 Narratives and Apologetics: C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien 109 Apologetics as Telling a Better Story 112 The Apologetic Application of Biblical Narratives 115 The Apologetic Application of Narratives: Some Examples 116 A Biblical Narrative: The Babylonian Exile 116 A Cultural Narrative: The Relation of Science and Faith 117 Literary Analogies: Making Theology Real 119 Study Questions 120 For Further Reading 120 7 The Importance of the Audience 122 Greeks and Jews: The New Testament and the Importance of the Audience 124 Apologetics as an Art: The Balcony and the Road 127 Understanding the Audience: Thoughts from C. S. Lewis 129 Seekers and Dwellers: A New Context for Apologetics 131 Apologetics and Audiences: Three Case Studies 132 Apologetics in Secular Manhattan: Tim Keller 132 Connecting with Black America: Urban Apologetics 134 Post- Christian Apologetics in Prague: Tomás Halík 136 Theological Translation: Explaining Christianity to Secular Audiences 138 Faith 139 Salvation 139 Adoption 140 Study Questions 140 For Further Reading 141 8 Responding to Questions: Some Apologetic Debates 143 God as Wish- fulfilment? Freud's Critique of Faith 143 Is Religion the Cause of Violence? 146 The Problem of Suffering 148 Enlightenment Rationalism: Reason has Displaced God 152 Belief and Proof: The Question of Certainty in Faith 155 The Trinity: An Irrational View of God? 157 Scientism: Only Science Can Answer Life's Big Questions 159 Science and Religious Faith are Incompatible 161 The Question of Miracles 164 Reductionism: Human Beings are Nothing but Atoms 168 Study Questions 169 For Further Reading 170 9 Learning from the Wise: Case Studies in Apologetics 172 George Herbert: Apologetics through Poetry 173 G. K. Chesterton: Christianity as a Hypothesis 175 Dorothy L. Sayers: Apologetics and Detective Novels 178 Francis Schaeffer: Worldview Apologetics 181 Charles Taylor: Apologetics in a Secular Age 185 Conclusion: Moving On 189 Study Questions 191 For Further Reading 191 Acknowledgments 193 Sources of Citations 194 Index 216