Christian Apologetics : An Anthology of Primary Sources

541 Pages·2012·6.11 MB·English

by  Chad Meister, Khaldoun A. Sweis ( Editors )

CHRISTIAN
APOLOGETICS
CHRISTIAN
APOLOGETICS
AN ANTHOLOGY OF
PRIMARY SOURCES
Edited by KHALDOUN A. SWEIS and CHAD V. MEISTER
ZONDERVAN
Christian Apologetics: An Anthology of Primary Sources
Copyright © 2012 by Khaldoun A. Sweis and Chad V. Meister
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Christian apologetics : an anthology of primary sources / edited by Khaldoun A. Sweis
and Chad V. Meister.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-0-310-32533-8 (hardcover)
1. Apologetics — History — Sources. I. Sweis, Khaldoun A., 1972 – II. Meister, Chad V., 1965 – .
BT1109.C56 2012
239 — dc23 2011045222
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Contents
"DLOPXMFEHNFOUT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 THE TELEOLOGICAL ARGUMENT
1FSNJTTJPOT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 10 The Classical Design Argument:
William Paley . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .96
-JTUPG"VUIPST . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13
11 Evidence for Intelligent Design from
(FOFSBM*OUSPEVDUJPO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15
Biochemistry: Michael Behe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .99
PAR T 1 12 A Recent Fine-Tuning Argument:
HISTORY, METHODOLOGY, Robin Collins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .106
AND ENGAGEMENT
THE ONTOLOGICAL ARGUMENT
1 A First Century Apologetic: St. Paul . . . . . . . . . .19
13 The Classical Ontological Argument:
2 A Short History of Apologetics: Anselm of Canterbury . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .123
John Warwick Montgomery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21
14 A Recent Modal Ontological Argument:
3 Methodological Approaches in Apologetics: Alvin Plantinga . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .125
James K. Beilby . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29
THE TRANSCENDENTAL ARGUMENT
4 Interreligious Apologetics: Harold Netland . . . . .39
15 A Transcendental Argument
5 The Knowability of History:
for God’s Existence:
Norman L. Geisler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46
Greg Bahnsen and Gordon Stein . . . . . . . . . . . .139
6 Advice to Christ ian Philosophers:
Alvin Plantinga . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59 THE WAGER
2VFTUJPOTGPS%JTDVTTJPO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73 16 The Wager: Blaise Pascal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .168
'VSUIFS3FBEJOHT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73
THE MORAL ARGUMENT
PAR T 2 17 God and the Moral Law: C. S. Lewis . . . . . . . . .171
THE EXISTENCE OF GOD 18 The Moral Argument: Paul Copan . . . . . . . . . . .174
THE COSMOLOGICAL ARGUMENT
RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE
7 The Classical Cosmological Argument:
Thomas Aquinas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79 19 Experiencing God: St. Teresa of Avila . . . . . . . .191
8 The Kalam Cosmological Argument: 20 Perceiving God: William Alston . . . . . . . . . . . . . .196
William Lane Craig . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .81 2VFTUJPOTGPS%JTDVTTJPO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .203
9 The Argument from Sufficient Reason: 'VSUIFS3FBEJOHT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .204
G.W.F. Leibniz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .94
PAR T 3 PAR T 6
THE TRINITY MIRACLES
21 Regarding the Trinity: Origen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .207 33 A Discourse on Miracles: John Locke . . . . . . . .313
22 Trinitarian Creeds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .214 34 Miracles and Modern Scientific Thought:
Norman Geisler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .318
23 On the Persons of the Trinity: Aquinas . . . . . . .216
35 A Case for Miracles: Richard Swinburne . . . . . .327
24 On the Trinity: Richard of St. Victor . . . . . . . . .227
2VFTUJPOTGPS%JTDVTTJPO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .331
25 The Coherence of the Trinity:
Thomas V. Morris . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .229 'VSUIFS3FBEJOHT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .331
2VFTUJPOTGPS%JTDVTTJPO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .235
PAR T 7
'VSUIFS3FBEJOHT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .235
THE RESURRECTION
OF J ESUS
PAR T 4
36 The Resurrection of J esus:
THE INCARNATION
Thomas Aquinas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .335
26 On the Incarnation:
37 A Juridical Defense of J esus’ Resurrection:
Athanasius of Alexandria . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .239
John Warwick Montgomery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .339
27 On the Incarnation:
38 Experiences of the Risen J esus:
Anselm of Canterbury . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .251
Gary R. Habermas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .354
28 The Coherence of the Incarnation:
39 The Bodily Resurrection of J esus:
Thomas V. Morris . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .260
William Lane Craig . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .362
2VFTUJPOTGPS%JTDVTTJPO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .270
2VFTUJPOTGPS%JTDVTTJPO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .377
'VSUIFS3FBEJOHT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .270
'VSUIFS3FBEJOHT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .377
PAR T 5
PAR T 8
THE BIBLE
BODY, SOUL,
29 On the Canon: Augustine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .273
AND THE ARGUMENT
30 The Authority and Credibility of Scripture:
FROM MIND
John Calvin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .277
40 On the Soul and Body: Aquinas . . . . . . . . . . . . .381
31 The Gospels as Historical Sources for J esus:
41 The Cogito: René Descartes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .389
R. T. France . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .288
42 God and the Argument from Mind:
32 Archaeology and the Old Testament:
J. P. Moreland . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .394
Eugene Carpenter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .295
2VFTUJPOTGPS%JTDVTTJPO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .412
2VFTUJPOTGPS%JTDVTTJPO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .308
'VSUIFS3FBEJOHT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .412
'VSUIFS3FBEJOHT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .309
PAR T 9 PAR T 11
THE PROBLEM CHRIST IANI TY
OF EVIL AND THE WORLD
43 Evil and Free Will: Augustine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .419 51 Christ ians and the World:
The Epistle to Diognetus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .507
44 A Free Will Defense: Alvin Plantinga . . . . . . . . .422
52 The City of God: Augustine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .513
45 A Soul Making Theodicy: John Hick . . . . . . . . .433
53 A Christ ian Manifesto:
46 Evil, Suffering, and Calvary: Peter Kreeft . . . . .444
Francis A. Schaeffer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .519
47 Horrendous Evil: Marilyn McCord Adams . . . . .450
54 Christ iani ty Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow:
2VFTUJPOTGPS%JTDVTTJPO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .458 Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger
(Pope Benedict XVI). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .530
'VSUIFS3FBEJOHT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .458
2VFTUJPOTGPS%JTDVTTJPO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .539
PAR T 10
'VSUIFS3FBEJOHT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .539
CHRIST IANI TY
AND SCIENCE 4VCKFDU*OEFY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .00
48 God and Physics: John Polkinghorne . . . . . . . . .463 4VCKFDU*OEFY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .00
49 Design and Science: Del Ratzsch . . . . . . . . . . . .471
50 The Origins of Life’s Major Groups:
Kurt Wise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .486
2VFTUJPOTGPS%JTDVTTJPO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .502
'VSUIFS3FBEJOHT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .502
Acknowledgments
We would first like to express our appreciation and admiration for all the great Chris-
tian theologians and philosophers who have steadfastly defended the faith throughout
the centuries. We stand on the shoulders of giants. There are many more that could be
included in this book, and we are grateful for their important work in advancing the
kingdom of God. We would also like to thank the following apologists for their insight-
ful comments on this project: Paul Copan, William Lane Craig, Norman Geisler, Gary
Habermas, J. P. Moreland, and Richard Swinburne. Their kind assistance and valuable
input have made this book a much better volume than it would have been otherwise.
Special thanks are due to Verlyn Verbrugge for his guidance and careful eye to detail
and to the entire Zondervan team for first-rate work on all dimensions of this proj-
ect. Also, special thanks go to Stefanie Segovia for her excellent editing assistance with
the book and especially with the index. Last, but certainly not least, we are grateful to
Rhonda Hogan for her valorous efforts in obtaining permissions.