Reasons for our hope : an introduction to Christian apologetics

284 Pages·2011·1.67 MB·English

by  House

“Although I part ways with the authors on their account and critique of
Catholicism and its beliefs, there is much in this book that is very helpful in
introducing the Christian student to the variety of ways in which Evangelical
Protestant apologists have contributed to the intellectual life of global
Christianity.”
—Francis J. Beckwith, professor of philosophy and church-state studies, Baylor
University
“Drs. House and Jowers have done a wonderful job at providing, in a single
volume, a full-orbed education in the defense of the faith. We haven’t seen a
book like this in a long time that delves into the definitions, the methodology,
the history, the issues, and the practice of this crucial but neglected field of
Christian apologetics. I would like to see a more robust Christian response to the
intellectual challenges of our time, and this book provides a solid foundation for
exactly that. It ought to be digested by every thoughtful believer.”
—Craig J. Hazen, founder and director of the graduate program in Christian
apologetics, Biola University, editor of the journal Philosphia Christi, and
author of the novel, Five Sacred Crossings
“Wayne House and Dennis Jowers have given us an understandable, practical,
and informative apologetic work that will surely be recognized for its balance,
articulation, clarity, and theological and philosophical insights. I highly
recommend this book to anyone needing a more thorough and comprehensive
grasp of the Christian apologetic task.”
—Joseph Holden, president and professor of theology and apologetics, Veritas
Evangelical Seminary
“Wayne House and Dennis Jowers have crafted a tour de force in Christian
apologetics. This power-packed book covers all the basics, biblically and
historically, and it does a whole lot more as well. It offers rich insights into some
of the most critical issues confronting Christians today and lays out practical
solutions grounded in solid biblical theology. You won’t find a clearer
presentation of apologetic essentials in print. Whether neophyte or expert, you
will learn from this book!”
—Chad Meister, professor of philosophy and theology at Bethel College, and
coeditor of the award-winning God Is Great, God Is Good and The Cambridge
Companion to Christian Philosophical Theology
“Reasons for Our Hope is a clear, thorough, and accessible introduction to a
wide range of issues in apologetics. The book’s real strength lies in its treatment
of apologetic methodology and the biblical and historical basis of apologetics. It
is a delight to see this book published, and I hope it gets into the hands of those
who want to know the reasons for our hope.”
—J. P. Moreland, distinguished professor of philosophy, Talbot School of
Theology, and author of The God Question

Reasons for Our Hope
Copyright © 2011 by H. Wayne House & Dennis W. Jowers All rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-0-8054-4481-0
Published by B&H Publishing Group
Nashville, Tennessee
Dewey Decimal Classification: 239
Subject Heading: APOLOGETICS\CHRISTIANITY—APOLOGETIC
WORK\DOCTRINAL THEOLOGY
Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holman
Christian Standard Bible ® Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by
Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission.
Scripture quotations marked ESV are from The Holy Bible, English Standard
Version, copyright ©2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News
Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations marked NASB are from the New American Standard
Bible.© The Lockman Foundation, 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972 , 1973,
1975, 1977. Used by permission.
Scripture quotations marked NIV are from the Holy Bible, New International
Version (NIV), copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society.
Used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers.
Scripture quotations marked NKJV are from the New King James Version.
Copyright © 1979, 1980, 1982, Thomas Nelson, Inc., Publishers.
Printed in the United States of America
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 • 17 16 15 14 13 12 11
To
Leta
my wonderful wife of forty-four years
and to
Judy A. Jowers
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Acknowledgments
Foreword
Preface
General Abbreviations
Bible Book Abbreviations
PART ONE
APOLOGETIC METHODOLOGIES AND SYSTEMS
1. Introduction to Apologetics
2. Worldviews
3. Approaches to Apologetics
4. Categories of Apologetics
5. How Do We Know the Truth?
6. The Tension Between Faith and Reason
7. Natural Theology and Its Contribution to Apologetics
8. Speaking About God and Ultimate Reality
PART TWO
APOLOGETICS IN SCRIPTURE AND IN HISTORY
9. Apologetics in the Old Testament
10. Apologetics in the New Testament
11. Early Apologists of the Second and Third Centuries
12. Later Patristic and Medieval Apologetics (Apologetics in the Middle
Ages)
13. Apologetics of the Reformers
14. Enlightenment and Post-Enlightenment Apologetics
15. Contemporary Apologetics
PART THREE
APOLOGETIC PROBLEMS
16. Use of Philosophy in Apologetics
17. Skepticism and Its Cure
18. Postmodernism and Defense of Christianity
19. The Knowledge of God
20. The Problem of Evil
21. Can Miracles Occur and Do They?
22. How Reliable Are the Sources for Christian Truth?
23. Answering the Challenges of the Jesus Quests
24. The Meaning and Importance of the Physical Resurrection of Christ
25. Christianity in Competition with Other Religions
26. The Compatibility of Biblical Truth and Modern Science
PART FOUR
HOW TO USE APOLOGETICS IN ENGAGING THE WORLD
27. Engaging the Cultist
28. Engaging the Secularist
29. Engaging the Postmodernist
30. Engaging the Muslim
31. Engaging New Age Mysticism
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The authors of this work would like to thank all who have contributed
directly or indirectly to the volume’s production. We owe a special debt of
gratitude to the patient and consummately professional staff of B&H: especially,
John Landers, the editor who initiated this project, B&H academic publisher
James Baird, and B&H projects manager Dean Richardson. We are also deeply
indebted to Robert Bowman and Roy Zuck, whose insightful suggestions have
led to substantial improvements in the work.
Professor Michael J. Adams, president of Faith Evangelical Seminary,
likewise deserves our thanks for supplying a work environment conducive to
scholarship and adroitly managing the institution from which we derive our
primary income. Our wives, to whom we have dedicated this volume, naturally,
have assisted us in more ways than we can enumerate. We would be highly
remiss, finally, if we did not acknowledge our debt to the God from, through,
and to whom are all things (Rom 11:36). Soli Deo gloria.
We would also like to mention persons who have reviewed and provided
research in the writing of the book, namely, Rob Bowman, Gordon Carle, Robert
Drouhard, Joseph Holden, and Steve Rost.
FOREWORD
Never before has apologetics been needed more. The Judeo-Christian
framework in which the gospel alone made sense has been destroyed by
secularism, pantheism, and postmodernism. We are attempting to preach that the
gospel is the absolute truth of God, that Christ is the Son of God, that His
resurrection is a supernatural act of God to a generation that does not even
believe in God, not the theistic God of Scripture who alone must be embraced
for salvation. As Francis Schaeffer insisted, we must do preevangelism before
we can do evangelism effectively. We need to stop apologizing for the gospel
and start doing apologetics for the gospel.
The Barthian fideistic aversion to apologetics must be overcome. We need to
obey the biblical mandate to give “a reason for the hope that is in you” (1 Pet
3:15), “to contend for the faith” (Jude 3), and to “know how you should answer
each person” (Col 4:6). Of course, the Word of God, like a lion, does not need to
be defended; it merely needs to be expounded. But that is not the question,
which is: Is the Bible the Word of God? No Christian would accept the claim of
a Muslim that “the Quran does not need to be defended; it merely needs to be
expounded.” And neither should we expect them or anyone else to accept
without evidence our claim that the Bible is the Word of God.
We need to follow the example of the Master Apologist, our Lord and
Savior, who gave witnesses, performed miracles, pointed to fulfilled prophecy,
and reasoned with His opponents in favor of the truth He presented. If our Lord
saw the need for apologetics throughout His ministry and did it in many different
1
ways (see our book, The Apologetics of Jesus ), then how much more should
we.
As C. S. Lewis noted a generation ago,
A century ago our task was to edify those who had been brought up
in the Faith; our present task is chiefly to convert and instruct
infidels.2
Elsewhere he added,