BAP 101 Christian Apologetics

Fall Semester 2008-9

Tuesdays & Thursdays 10:15-12:00.

 

 

“...knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel.” Paul

 

Apologia (apologia), a verbal defense, a speech in defense (Vine’s EDNTW).

 

“Christian apologists defend the truth of Christian claims.  In doing so, they try to show that it is reasonable to believe what Christians believe.” (from the class textbook)

 

 

Text: Introducing Apologetics: Cultivating Christian Commitment by James E. Taylor. The text has 25 chapters and 363 pages to read.  We will be following the text closely. 

 

 

Overview: Roughly 23 class days over 13 weeks (three short weeks).

 

 

Evaluation:  Three types of opportunity for evaluation each comprising 25% of the final grade: 5 online quizzes (5% each),  2 exams (25% each), 1 research paper. 

 

 

Class: The instructor uses a combination of lecture and guided discussion.  PowerPoint presentation will be available on the RBC public server, but not necessarily before class.

 

 

Instructor’s Comments: This class requires a strong commitment to reading, and a fair amount of patience.  Apologetics books tend to teach about apologetics and serve as an apology at the same time.  To get the most out of it, we will need to proceed at the author’s pace.  There are no magic bullets in apologetics.  Good, reasonable arguments take time to develop, and some of them can be difficult to grasp. This class also requires a large amount of participation.  Although there is no grade for participation, the instructor will require each student to respond verbally in class throughout the course.  There will be no exceptions.

 

 

Outside of Class: My office is in the RBC library.  I am on campus Monday-Friday and can usually be found in my office when I’m not teaching, at lunch or at faculty activities.

 

You may reach me at home in case of emergencies 740.845.0545, rsairs@rosedale.edu

 

Class & Reading Schedule:

 

Dates                                       Topics                                                  Reading (chapters & pages)

 

Week 1 Sept. 16 & 18 General class introduction                              1 - 2   (1-38)

Week 2 Sept. 23 & 25 Nature & limits of apologetics                        3 - 6   (39-86)

Week 3 Sept. 30                      (No Class October 2nd)

Week 4 Oct. 7 & 9                  Worldviews & monotheism                7 - 8    (87-112)

Week 5 Oct. 14 & 16              Cosmological & teleological               9 - 10  (113-140)

                                                explanations.

Week 6 Oct. 21                       The Problem of evil.                            11        (141-154)

                                                (No Class October 23rd)

Week 7 Oct. 28 & 30              Does God hide from us?                     12        (155-170)

                                                Jesus Christ                                         13-14 (171-198)

Week 8 Nov. 4 & 6                 The Resurrection, the Trinity              15-16 (199-226)

Week 9 Nov. 11 & 13 Salvation & damnation

                                                Religious pluralism                              17-18   (227-254)

Week 10 Nov. 18 & 20           Religious pluralism                              19        (255-268)

                                                The Holy Spirit                                   20        (269-282)

Week 11 Nov. 25                    Naturalistic challenges                        21        (283-298)

                                                (No Class Nov. 27th)

Week 12 Dec. 2 & 4               Darwinism                                           22        (299-316)       

                                                Resurrection                                        23        (317-330)

                                                Postmodern challenges                       24        (331-346)

Week 13 Dec. 9                      Relativism                                           25        (347-360)

                                                Text conclusion                                               (361-362)

                                                                                   

Evaluation schedule:

 

Quizzes will be taken online outside of class.  The quizzes will be based entirely on content from the textbook and will be open-book exercises.  They are designed to keep you from falling behind in reading and shallow reading of the text.

 

Quiz #1                                   Chapters 1-6                                        Sept. 26-29.

Quiz #2                                   Chapters 7-10                                      Oct. 17-20.

Quiz #3                                   Chapters 11-16                                    Nov. 7-9.

Quiz #4                                   Chapters 17-21                                    Nov. 25-30.

Quiz #5                                   Chapters 22-Conclusion                      Nov. 26.

 

 

i       Your research paper is due December 5. 

i       The midterm exam will be held during the second half of Thursday class October 30.

i       The final exam will be held during RBC final exam days December 11 &12.

 

 

 

 

The research paper. 

 

5-10 pages.

MLA format. 

Due December 5: 10% off for each day of  late submission.

 

Topics: A book review of another book on apologetics: if you take this option you must be able to find several scholarly reviews of the book.  This research will probably require you to visit another library off-campus.

           

                        Other Possible Topics:

 

                        Pre-suppositionalism, strengths & weaknesses.

                        Classical apologetics, strengths & weaknesses.

                        Evidentialism, strengths & weaknesses.

                        The problem of evil & theodicean answers.

                        The ontological argument.

                        The teleological argument.

                        Thomas Aquinas’ 5 proofs.

                        The role of apologetics in evangelism.

                        Postmodernism & apologetics.

                        Religious diversity.

                        Psychological aspects of religious belief.                   

                        Challenges from secular anthropology.

                        Intelligent Design, strengths and weaknesses.

 

Evaluation:

                        Quality of sources–no fluffy Google searching & sources:    33%

                        Clarity of expression–clear arguments, coherent sentences:   33%

                        Comprehensive–answers obvious objections.                         33%

                        Challenging questions–paper seeks difficulties                      1%

                                                           

Advice:

 

You must be able to find quality research sources. This paper requires quality sources from published scholarly books and peer-reviewed journals.  Be prepared to use the RBC reference and circulating book collections, the Christian Periodical Index (CPI) and the Ohio Web Library.  The instructor will be giving regular research advice, pay close attention.

 

Papers lacking parenthetical citation and a works cited page will be returned to the student without a grade.

 

 

Christian Apologetics and the Mission of Rosedale Bible College

 

The mission of Rosedale Bible College is to provide an evangelical junior Bible college in the Anabaptist/Mennonite tradition that equips students to grow spiritually and academically and to serve effectively in church and society.

 

Consider some of the following thoughts:

 

In what sense evangelical? Your instructor is an evangelical Christian who believes that choosing salvation in Jesus Christ is the most significant issue facing a human being.  Apologetics is of great assistance in evangelism.  Part, but not all, of Christian witness is in addressing the intellectual issues that must be solved to make an adult commitment to Christ.

 

In what sense junior? This class assumes no background in the subject and no philosophical sophistication on the part of the student.  This is a class for beginners.

 

How is a Bible college different? Students should recognize that the instructor believes the Bible to be the word of God and central to figuring out human questions and problems.

 

How is this study Anabaptist/Mennonite? As an Anabaptist Christian, the instructor makes the assumption that Christian belief may be a minority position in society and cannot be imposed by force.  In addition, the instructor attempts to speak clearly but gently to the issues at hand and without polemics or a strident tone.

 

How might you grow spiritually?  This apologetics text in particular sees the task of study to be both evangelical and the means to acquire a solid, stable Christian commitment.  In other words, he addresses the concerns of believers and unbelievers in his book.

 

How might you grow academically?  This class requires a high level of reading,  research, analysis and writing, all of which will equip the student to speak confidently in academic environments and defend his or her faith in the company of educated peers.

 

How will apologetics help you serve effectively?  A contemporary Christian cannot assume that Christian faith is easily understood or accepted in the world.  It would be hard to function well  in our Sunday Schools, pulpits, missions and various other ministries without being able to explain our basic beliefs in light of honest questions and challenges non-Christians make.