Apologetics midterm

Question 1

Biblical Mandate of Apologetics

Answer 1

1 Peter 3:8-18

Prescriptive vs Descriptive
Prescriptive - directly applies to all
Descriptive - miracles and don’t apply to all

Question 2

Polemic details

Answer 2

Polemic - undermines opposing arguments
a. within the culture - themes and stories such as creation
b. against the culture - Elijah and the false prophets of Baal
c. for the culture - God blesses the nations through Abraham

Question 3

General vs special revelation

Answer 3

General - available to all people, all times. enough to condemn but not save

Special - revealed at certain times through certain people.

Question 4

Trinitarian apologetics vs. general theism

Answer 4

Persuading for the Christain God

persuading that a god exists

Question 5

The four apologetic methods

Answer 5

1. classical -
   two-step, 1) introduce “god”
   2) introduce Christ
2. presuppositional - top-down approach, God as starting point. Tares down opposing views.
3. evidential - one step, historical Jesus, proof of the resurrection
4. expirmental/narrative - goal not to win but to invite into sotry

Question 6

Key figures within each apologetic method

Answer 6

1. Classical - William Lane Craig
2. Presuppositional - Cornelius Van Til
3. Evidential - Lee Strobel, John Warwick
4. Experimental/narrative - C.S. Lewis

Question 7

Apologetics at the cross vs apologetics of glory

Answer 7

Apologetics at the cross - not concerned with self (humility, honesty, and boldness)

Submit to God and his word

Apologetics of glory - expect total success and aim to win (seek honor, power and persoonal satisfaction)

Dimish the scandal of the cross to make it more appealing to current culture

Question 8

The cosmological argument

Answer 8

Being from cause

God is the uncaused causer

1. Whatever begins to exist has a cause
2. The universe began to exist
3. Therefore, the universe has a cause

Question 9

The teleological argument

Answer 9

Created with an end/purpose in mind

Fine-tuning - perfect conditions for life
(fundamental constant - narrow range for life)

Question 10

The moral argument

Question 11

presuppositions

Answer 11

assumptions, the lens a person sees the world through

Question 11

The impossibility of the contrary

Answer 11

presuppostional

borrowed capital - believer can account for unbeliever can’t

ex: morals

Question 12

Romans 1 and the state of humanity

Answer 12

Paul makes it clear that despite fallen nature, humankind has a knowledge of God, and is therefore without excuse

sense of God, implanted in every person

Question 13

Plausibility structures

Answer 13

How inclined we are to believe in something if the people around us believe it too.

Question 14

Contextualization: Peter and Paul’s apologetic

Answer 14

acts 17 (paul) uses culture to explain

Question 15

Cumulative case

Answer 15

Soft forms seem to suggest, there are many possible ways to make a case for Christianity.

Question 16

Proofs vs. Persuasion

Answer 16

Not on us for perusastion
We were not dropping facts or giving information

1. What would convince you that Christianity is true
   - exposes presupposupposition
   - reveals the standard of evidence
2. What do we know about the person we engage?
   - image of God
   - all men know God, but suppressed truth as a result of sin

Question 17

Sensus divinitatis

Answer 17

All men have the sense of the divine
all men know so are responsible

Question 18

Jesus’ ministry of asking questions

Answer 18

Matthew 22 Jesus asks the Pharisees question

he asked lots of Rhetoical question

Question 19

Acts 12 significance

Answer 19

Josephus supports james death told in Acts 12

Question 20

The Columbo Tatic

Answer 20

Named after detective, no pressure appologetics

1. what do you mean by that?
2. how did you come to that conclusion?
3. Can you clear something up for me?

accomplishes:
1. gathers information
2. shifts the burden of proof
3. exposes inconsistencies.