Proposal Summary
Humble Apologetics: Defending the Faith Today
John Stackhouse
Regent College
Summary
Apologetics is a dubious enterprise in some circles, and an odious one m others—induding Christian churches. To many of those who recognize the fact of religious pluralism and are committed to multicultural tolerance, the word “apologetics” smacks of bad old days of Christian dogmatism, rationalism, and impolite insistence on only one way of seeing the world: “Here’s The Truth and here are five perfectly sound reasons for recognizing it as such. Now: are you ready to convert?”
Many Christians still believe that there is good news about Jesus Christ to be shared with friends and families, still believe that Christian truth has something worthwhile to contribute to public debate, and still believe that engaging others in conversation in order to both learn and to teach what we can about ultimate matters. But dogmatic, rationalistic, and impolite apologetics leave them cold. Nor are they drawn to the opposite extreme of relativistic, pluralistic vagaries about “tolerance” and “dialogue” that leave everyone pretty much unmoved by encounter with others.
How, then, can thoughtful, serious Christians understand the context in which many of them attempt both to defend and to offer the gospel to others today? How are they to understand the true value and point of apologetical conversation? And what wisdom can guide them as they embark on such conversations in their living rooms, lecture hails, political meetings, and mass media?
I propose here a book that discusses each of these thee questions: the context of apologetics today; the nature and objective of apologetics today; and advice on engaging in apologetics today.
Report
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Related Publications
| Publishers | Title | Year | Type | Contributor | Contribution | Other Info |
| Oxford University Press | Humble Apologetics: Defending the Faith Today | 2002 | Book | John Stackhouse | Author | - |