In Defence of Christianity

194 Pages·2005·1.36 MB·English

by  Brian Hebblethwaite

In Defence of
Christianity
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In Defence of
Christianity
Brian Hebblethwaite
1
3
GreatClarendonStreet,Oxfordox26dp
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For Don Cupitt
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Preface
This short book of apologetics originated in the two Gifford
Lectures which I contributed to a joint series in Glasgow in
September 2001 and the four Hensley Henson Lectures which
I delivered in Oxford in May 2002. Much rewriting and reor-
dering has taken place, but Chapter 1 and parts of Chapters 2
and 5 were, in their original form, the two Giffords. As such,
they were published as Chapters 9 and 10 of The Nature and
LimitsofHumanUnderstanding,ed.AnthonyJ.Sanford(Lon-
don and New York: T. & T. Clark/Continuum, 2003). This
material is reused with the permission of the publisher and
theUniversityofGlasgow.Mostoftherestofthebookorigin-
atedintheunpublishedHensons.TheemphasisinChapters3,
4and6on‘theappealtohistoryasanintegralpartofChristian
apologetics’ reflects the terms of Bishop Henson’s bequest in
founding the lectures that bear his name.
Iamvery grateful to the Faculties of Divinity and Theology
in the Universities of Glasgow and Oxford and to colleagues
and friends at those institutions for their hospitality and en-
couragement during my visits.
Brian Hebblethwaite
June 2004
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Contents
1. ACase for Theism 1
2. The Rationality of Revelation 32
3. The Appeal to History I: The Historyof Religions 60
4. The Appeal to History II: Christ and the Church 85
5. ACase for Incarnational and Trinitarian Belief 110
6. The Appeal to History III: Universal History 127
Notes 150
Select Bibliography 172
Index 176