Reformed Apologetics

The Book of Acts has generated interest over the years from different fronts.
The question some Christians ask revolve around whether the book should be used as merely a historical book rather than a doctrinal manual as well.
This paper tackles aspects of these questions, while giving a very high level summary of the book.

Many today are seeing the need and importance of teaching Christian apologetics in a variety of different settings. This is intended to help fulfill that need. Following Dr. Norman Geisler’s Twelve Points that Show Christianity is True, this Guide or curriculum is designed to help you prepare and teach Christian apologetics. This Guide contains what is required for instruction in a single resource to teach others successfully in apologetics. It is for the homeschool parent, Sunday school teacher, Christian school teacher, pastor, campus minister, leader in your church or anyone who wants to educate others in Christian apologetics. Dr. Norman Geisler developed the Twelve Points over many years of teaching and instruction at various levels and settings. They have proven to be an invaluable way to learn, communicate, teach and classify the steps of Christian apologetics in a systematic manner. The Twelve Points serve as domains of learning that are memorable, usable and practical. This Guide is intended to help any teacher educate students both young and old in Christian apologetics.

print edition
http://www.amazon.com/Teachers-Guide-Twelve-Points-Christianity/dp/1530369576
ebook
http://bastionbooks.com/shop/12-points-teachers-guide/

This ebook is also available on Amazon in Kindle format.
http://www.amazon.com/Teachers-Guide-Twelve-Points-Christianity-ebook/dp/B00X1ZFQT6/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1430752456&sr=1-1

"This important new book by Thomas K. Johnson casts new light on the
meaning of Romans 1. By treating the passage as a missions training manual, he draws out surprising new interpretations for evangelism and apologetics. Johnson shows how we can join Paul in being proud (‘not
ashamed’) of the gospel, full of confidence that it continues to speak to the human condition even in a postmodern age.” Nancy Pearcey

A central question in Christian ethics is the relationship between the moral principles we should follow within the Christian community and the ethics followed in the secular societies in which we live. Our dilemma is that we have received a revelation of God's moral will in the Bible and in creation which must shape the identity of believers over against unbelieving cultures, while our neighbors follow the ethics of other worldviews which concern us deeply. Remember the Holocaust, where the ethics of a secular ideology wreaked destruction in an entire society. How should we, as Christians whom God has called to a distinct identity, participate in the moral considerations that will shape our cultures and communicate some of our convictions in a way that brings moral light into our worlds? Johnson offers the insight gained by 20 years of teaching ethics in secular universities in Europe and North America. First he addresses questions of sex, marriage, and family; then questions of work and economics; and finally theological and philosophical foundations.

In this article I will be proposing that there is a fatal flaw in the presuppositionalist position, specifically the position held by Cornelius Van Til. I will begin by giving a brief overview of defining elements of Van Til's version of Presuppositionalism. This will be followed by an argument in which I seek to demonstrate that there is a seemingly insurmountable obstacle that plagues Van Til's Presuppositionalism. I will conclude by noting some consequences that follow if my argument is successful.

There are presently more believers from a Muslim background (BMBs) than any point in history. This unprecedented movement presents a missiological challenge: how to disciple BMBs through the unique barriers they face. This study evaluated Reformed presuppositional apologetics (RPA) as a discipleship model to practically address barriers to spiritual growth unique to BMBs. 
This study required a mixed approach of descriptive research through bibliographic and qualitative research methods. Bibliographic methods analyzed the theological, biblical, and historical references to RPA in relation to discipling BMBs. An evaluative approach interpreted surveys which identified BMBs’ barriers to discipleship. Survey respondents revealed what theological, spiritual, and socio-cultural barriers of discipleship BMBs face. A theoretical model of discipleship with BMBs was derived from the synthesized findings of this mixed methods approach. 
RPA was found to have clear biblical and theological foundations as a model for discipleship. Historical research indicated all elements of RPA were used in many early (634-900 A.D.) and middle era (900-1400 A.D.) Christian approaches with Muslims. In the modern era (1800-present), Samuel M. Zwemer and Samuel P. Schlorff utilized a Reformed presuppositional approach with their ministries to Muslims and BMBs.
The survey research produced crucial categories of discipleship to be addressed with BMBs. Barriers to BMBs’ spiritual growth were found to include the following areas: theology, biblical narratives, spiritual disciplines, church attendance/discipline, finances, ethics, relationships, family, marriage, childrearing, and folk practices.
The survey research also established that the major barrier to BMBs’ spiritual growth in these categories stem from residual influences of their former Muslim worldview and primary sources (Qur’an, Hadith, Sirat). Results further demonstrated that Muslim primary sources and worldviews must be intentionally deconstructed and reconstructed upon the Bible and the Christian worldview for the BMB to grow spiritually. The survey research thus supported the theory that RPA is not only biblically grounded, theologically coherent, and historically applied, but that it practically addresses discipleship issues unique to BMBs. 
Considering BMBs’ religio-cultural background, this study answered how the unprecedented number of converts might be discipled. The theoretical discipleship model derived from the research, a Reformed presuppositional approach to discipleship of BMBs (PAD model) practically helps the discipler prepare and apply discipleship plans for BMBs. The theoretical PAD model has two steps, each addressing three aspects in each category of BMBs’ discipleship. Step one (N1-3) includes deconstruction and renunciation of the BMB’s former Muslim worldview, practices, and primary sources. Step two (P1-3) reconstructs upon, and affirms allegiance to, Christ and Scripture.
Further studies may measure the spiritual growth of and benefits for BMBs discipled using the PAD model. Further studies should establish if RPA is a practical model of discipleship with believers from Hindu, Buddhist, and other religious backgrounds. Can this model also be applied to the unique challenges that these believers face?

Rationale: The biblical counselor ministers in an age where there is an increase of unbelievers in the church, and where believers are constantly inundated with a barrage of worldly philosophies, some highly sophisticated, others deceitfully subtle.  Yet, the counselor must faithfully refute error, teach sound doctrine and provide a reason for his hope in Christ, in the face of various challenges.  That is, the counselor is regularly required to engage in the apologetic task.  Besides difficulties exacerbated by the insidious encroachment of the age, a preponderance of problems traditionally addressed by counselors are often a result of bad theology, or wrong thinking about God.  As a normal part of counseling, the counselor must teach the counselee to think rightly about God and assist the counselee in the put off/put on process (i.e. effectively replace unbiblical thoughts and behaviors with thinking and living submitted to the Lordship of Christ). 

Often, when the believer comes for counseling it is because he is struggling with orphaned ideologies held over from beliefs espoused prior to conversion or perhaps the consequences of those beliefs.  In many cases, a believer comes for counseling because he has absorbed the worldly views of the godless within his sphere of influence.  This is also a danger for the counselor.  A third situation calling for apologetics and/or evangelism may arise when the counselor discovers that his counselee is in fact an unbeliever.  As a result, it is of great benefit for the counselor to develop skill in identifying and responding to unbiblical systems of thought and in always being ready to give an answer for the hope within him yet with gentleness and reverence (1 Pet. 3:15).

Reformed theology is a diverse movement, and has found many ways to interact with the presence of mythical stories in scripture. There is a strong tendency, however, to draw a 'line in the sand' at the historical existence of Adam because of the function that he plays in the history of the covenants - particularly the 'covenant of works'. This article problematises that line by suggesting that it is possible to build an authentically Reformed and covenantal theology without a historical Adam.

What is your view after reading this paper? Email your views to [email protected]

THE HEART OF THE MATTER:
The idea that every conceived human being is naturally evil, guilty, a sinner, or sinful, is itself child abuse and a blasphemous charge against God.

Tripartite soul apologetics--Cumulative case apologetics and the epithymotic, thymotic and noetic aspects of the soul of man as framework or organizing principle.  Pesuppositionalism relates to the noetic function, evidentialism and classical apologetics relate to the thymotic function, and existential and social appeals relate to the epithymotic function.

In dialogues with other faiths or disciplines, traditional Protestants often face the challenge of balancing the need to use the inclusive but non-scriptural lingua franca with the commitment to the exclusive but more unfamiliar biblical language. Upholding the sola scriptura, Protestants are wary of diluting the bible's purity with worldly wisdom. This stance, however, can lead to the anti-intellectualistic biblicism, which undermines the church's mission and her own theological enterprise. This paper argues that the Classical Reformed Theology (CRT), as a main constituent of the traditional Protestantism, has conceptual resources that can avoid the Scylla of unprincipled inclusivism and the Charybdis of narrow-minded exclusivism. The resources here are centered on the idea of communes conceptiones or common notions, which CRT inherits from Church Fathers and medieval theologians. Common notions, which are originated in God's general revelation, consist of logic, moral laws, and other universally shared a priori concepts. They are not merely indispensable for dialogues, but also constitute the very structures of both reality and reason, and therefore suggest that reality is the product of a transcendent Mind. The fact that common notions are embedded in both reason and reality as their structures reveals that everything that exists, as well as their corresponding propositions, are the reflections of the common notions that reside in the divine mind. Not only that the correspondence between reason, reality, and the divine mind is mediated through common notions, all meaningful discourses should be structured by them too. This interestingly implies that although common notions are attributed to general revelation, they actually suffuse both general and special revelations, although their presence in the bible, as a special revelation, is mainly implicit. Be that as it may, this does not lead to the total merge between both revelations, as common notions are not full-blown doctrines but general categories or frameworks. Consequently, the status of the bible as a special revelation is maintained, and any dialogues cannot just stop on the level of common language. For CRT, this implies that rational dialogues without faith and the Holy Spirit's prevenient work cannot lead to the full acceptance of the bible, and thus, common notions can at best only show the rationality and the coherence of biblical message without proving their truthfulness. Yet, common notions can facilitate the communication of biblical message persuasively, and this is a preparation for faith, since in CRT, reason, although not the main condition for faith, is its 'passive but indispensable' condition. Moreover, since common notions pervade nature and scripture and ultimately come from the divine mind, it is possible that finite human reasons sometimes can understand special revelation better through general revelation. Thus, dialogues for Christians are not only for persuading others, but also for learning from others. Also, seeing that rigorous dialogues are often conducted by different disciplines and all disciplines represent coherent systems of thought that make dialogues between them challenging, the issue in this paper is presented in the context of interdisciplinary dialogue.

Having struggled deeply with how in the New Covenant we should  treat the fourth Commandment, in this paper I lay out an argument which has proven incredibly liberating for me as a Reformed, Calvinistic husband and father, especially regarding how I should or should not enforce a Mosaic-style Sabbath in our family's home life.

In this paper, I will endeavor to show three things. I will endeavor to show how I understand man as the image of God; my understanding of common grace, and how I understand created facts and their interpretation. These three points are going to be discussed in the context of pre-redemptive revelation. By pre-redemptive revelation, we are referring to Adam in his original created status before the fall in relation to God’s revelation.

As the title of this chapter suggests, "Learning as a Spiritual Experience," I argue that learning, especially the higher we go, is inherently spiritual, transcendent, and religious. My intent is to offer yet another challenge to the dichotomy between faith and learning.

In 1977, Greg Bahnsen published the first edition of Theonomy in Christian Ethics. It has since come to be the defining work of the Christian Reconstructionist or Theonomic movement. Bahnsen’s work has been praised and critiqued by those friendly and hostile to the movement. The areas of disagreement and agreement are too numerous to be addressed in this paper. And those who have been aggressively hostile to Theonomy as put forward by Bahnsen have generally not taken the time to adequately understand Bahnsen’s work, or even read Bahnsen’s work, and so have failed to sufficiently deal with the perceived threat of Theonomy. This tends to happen when employing the tactical maneuver of “ready, aim, fire!” This paper will attempt to avoid unfair treatment of Bahnsen’s work, grant his fundamental thesis, and explore the tensions perceived or actual in implementing the thesis in ecclesiastical and civil governments. Bahnsen says in his Preface to the First Edition, “the present study leaves a great deal to be explored and discussed in Christian ethics as well as extensive room for disagreement in the area of exegeting, understanding, and applying God’s law in specific situations.”  This paper seeks to advance the exploration introduced by Bahnsen’s work. Specifically in view will be how the church and the state ought to apply Bahnsen’s penology.

In this Very Short Introduction, Jon Balserak explores major ideas associated with the Calvinist system of thought. Beginning during the Protestant Reformation in cities like Zurich, Geneva, and Basel, Calvinism—also known as Reformed Theology—spread rapidly throughout Europe and the New World, eventually making its way to the African Continent and the East. Balserak examines how Calvinist thought and practice spread and took root, helping shape church and society. Much of contemporary thought, especially western thought, on everything from theology to civil government, economics, the arts, work and leisure, education, and the family has been influenced by Calvinism. Balserak explores this influence. He also examines common misconceptions and objections to Calvinism, and sets forth a Calvinist understanding of God, the world, humankind, and the meaning of life.

Preface

Chapter 1 Calvinism – What’s in a Name?
Chapter 2 Conversion
Chapter 3 Culture
Chapter 4 Church
Chapter 5 Knowledge
Chapter 6 Covenant
Chapter 7 Humanity and New Humanity
Chapter 8 God and Hell

Chronology
Further Reading

Political movement and responsibility is a present day opinion of some Evangelicals, and it is not new. Once they thought that Church should not involved in Politics, now the notion has been shifted towards, and saying that the Church should involve in politics. In the early 19th century Abraham Kuyper wants to combine Calvinism principles with politics and he did succeeded for some extent as a Dutch theologian and a politician and even he became the president of the Netherlands with what he believed for. This paper will focus the Kuyper’s lecture of ‘Calvinism a life system’ and his life.

This book by Ivana Dolejšová (Noble) applies Derrida's, Lyotard's and Levinas' critique to the field of apologetics as it seeks for a non-ideological interpretation of Christian faith and practice. Looking at six figures: Justin Martyr, St Augustine, St Francis of Assissi, Jan Hus, John Henry Newman and George Tyrrell, it shows the variety of the apologetic discourse in history, while at the same time a kind of family resemblance of the epistemological foundations, which are not foundationalist, in which praxis comes before reflection, knowledge has a participatory character, and is always unfinished, open, irreducible to a system. The book then turns to the changes that took place in Modern religious epistemology and led to foundationalism (epistemologically grounding Modern fundamentalism). It shows also alternatives to foundationalism stemming from the very same period.  Tracking a way from Kant to Hegel to Current Anti-Realism on one side, on the other side from Kant to Kierkegaard and to various forms of current Realism, it attempts to move beyond this polarisation. With the help of the late philosophy of Wittgenstein it sketches a kind of non-foundationalist foundations which could help apologetics out of the ideological captivity.