INTRODUCTION TO 06ST5450

RTS – Washington, DC Professor: Flavien PARDIGON June 17–19 2019 [email protected]

Shel Silverstein, Falling Up (HarperCollins, 1996), p. 60.

1/12 INTRODUCTION TO APOLOGETICS 06ST5450

COURSE OVERVIEW

Course Objectives

As indicated in the title, this course is an introduction to . This is why it includes an overview of the field and introduces its principal approaches, concepts and methodological considerations. This course seeks to equip students with the basic understanding and tools required to uphold and defend the faith delivered once-for-all in our time and (globalized) place. This goal is achieved through developing a biblical-theological and Reformed-confessional paradigm for apologetics and analyzing a few arguments. Trusting the full sufficiency of the Scriptures, the underlying purpose of the course is to grow in our ability to think biblically in theology and biblico- theologically in life, witness and ministry. All to the glory of the Triune God alone.

Basic Course Outline

I. Introduction

II. In Defense of Apologetics

A. Spurgeon’s Lion

B. Contemporary Air du Temps

C. Culture Wars

D. A Biblical Mandate

III. The Field of Apologetics Defined

A. Definition of Term and Concept

B. Apologetics and Other Theological Fields

C. Overview of the Main Schools of Apologetics

IV. Developing a Biblical and Confessional Approach

A. We Must Take Stock of Our Theological and Confessional Heritage

B. Building from Scripture and Theology

2/12 C. The Christian of Life, History and Knowledge

D. Methodology

E. A Critique of Inconsistent Apologetical Approaches

F. Conclusion

V. Preliminary Answers to Some Classic and Current Challenges to the Christian Faith

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

Pre-class Requirements Students are expected to complete the following requirements before the beginning of the class: 1. Readings marked with †. 2. Prepare a detailed analysis and evaluation of the following two arguments (from required readings): a. Bahnsen on the problem of evil (in Always Ready). b. Poythress on why scientists must believe in God (in JETS article). 3. Become familiar with the attached vocabulary list thanks to the required readings and specialized dictionaries. Students may also use ’s “A Van Til Glossary” (available online) and the subject index in Greg Bahnsen, Van Til’s Apologetic: Readings and Analysis (P&R, 1998). 4. If you are not familiar with Reformed theology, I recommend you read William Edgar, Truth in All Its Glory: Commending the Reformed Faith (P&R, 2004) before class begins. These preparatory assignments will greatly enhance the students’ comprehension of the lecture material and facilitate their active participation in classroom discussions (thus improving both personal benefit and grade).

Class Participation (10% of final grade) Students are expected to interact constructively with the professor and their fellow-students during class time. The quality of that interaction is part of the final grade.

Reading Digests (20% of final grade) Students must write digests for the required readings marked with an asterisk (*). These should be concise and the fruit of a careful and penetrating analytical reading. Thus, they are not summaries

3/12 nor can they be bullet-point lists (properly-formed thoughts require sentences and paragraphs). They cannot be the fruit of speed-reading either. They must highlight the main point(s) made by the author and include your own reflection on and interaction with his thought. What follows is not a set list of questions you must ask, but suggestions meant to put you on track: What is the author after? Why does it matter? What is he trying to say/demonstrate at a more fundamental level (can be implicit)? How does he do so? Is he convincing? Why or why not? How was the reading helpful for your own reflection on the subject? Etc.

Dialogue Report (30% of final grade) Students are to engage in a personal conversation about religious/spiritual matters with one (recommended) or more Muslims. If you do not have any Muslim friends, a meeting to learn more about can easily be arranged through a local mosque or Islamic cultural center. An evangelistic or apologetical dialogue would be best (use the readings and class material!), but is not required. A face- to-face encounter to explore the other person’s beliefs and life of faith is the minimum requirement. The purpose is for the students to interact with an actual Muslim believer rather than merely with a textbook, and to reflect on the experience. Students will write a report focusing on the dynamics of the interaction, the arguments presented and their effectiveness, as well as any other element relevant to the course. The grade for this assignment will depend both on the quality of the conversation and of the analysis of its content and dynamics included in the report.

Final exam (40% of final grade) The exam does not need to be proctored, as it relies on an honor system. The student must write and sign a pledge at the end of their exam (the exact wording will be provided with the exam sheet). Three hours maximum, covering all segments of the course. I prefer to have it typed (and in electronic format) per the above specifications. If typing is not feasible or practical, then write legibly in dark ink and leave 2 inch margin on the left. Indicate in writing whether you want any feedback from the instructor on your exam. I consider four elements in my grading: the content from the assigned readings and the lectures; the depth of analysis and the personal appropriation of that material; the student’s personal contribution and reflection; the quality, precision and clarity of expression (including formal aspects of grammar, syntax and presentation).

Please send an electronic copy of all assignments (digests, report and exam) to the RTS administrator and the professor by July 27th 2019.

Nota Bene: All assignments must follow the following format: double space, 12 pt Times New Roman

4/12 font, with 2-inch margin on the left. They must also include the following information: student name, course, year, assignment identification. Any delay turning in any of the assignments will incur a grade reduction. Contact the instructor as soon as you realize that you might not be able to keep the deadline. Please follow the RTS guidelines for course extensions.

Required readings, watching and listening †Greg L. Bahnsen, Always Ready: Directions for Defending the Faith, edited by Robert R. Booth (Covenant Media Foundation, 1996). “How to Evangelize a Muslim.” Note that this document MUST NOT be shared with anyone outside the class. Thank you. (Pdf available on Canvas) *, The Defense of the Faith, 4th ed. (P&R, 2008). *------, ‟Nature and Scripture” in The Infallible Word: A Symposium by Members of the Faculty of Westminster Theological Seminary (P&R, 2003; orig.1946), 263–301. (Pdf available on Canvas) *Vern S. Poythress, Inerrancy and Worldview: Answering Modern Challenges to the Bible (Crossway, 2012). (Pdf available on Canvas) †------, “Why Scientists Must Believe in God: Divine Attributes of Scientific Law” JETS 46.1 (March 2003), 111–124. (Pdf available on Canvas) *Westminster Theological Journal 57 (1995), 1–31, 33–56, 103–24, 125–44, 145–63, 187–219. (Pdf available on Canvas) Daniel W. Brown, A New Introduction to Islam, 2nd ed. (Wiley-Blackwell, 2009). Alvin Plantinga, ‟The Dawkins Confusion,” Books and Culture, February 2007. (Pdf available on Canvas) Flavien Pardigon, ‟Theology of ” and ‟Areopagus Speech” https://independent.academia.edu/ FlavienPardigon James K. A. Smith, How (Not) to Be Secular: Reading Charles Taylor (Eerdmans, 2014). Bill Edgar, https://faculty.wts.edu/lectures/the-art-of-persuasion/ Bill Edgar, https://faculty.wts.edu/lectures/the-lords-prayer-as-an-apologetic-2/ Carlton Wynne, https://faculty.wts.edu/lectures/is-wolfhart-pannenberg-the-theologian-of-the-future/ “How can you change someone’s mind? (hint: facts aren’t always enough)” by Hugo Mercier: https://youtu.be/58jHhNzUHm4

5/12 For Further Study (Note that inclusion in this list does not mean endorsement or agreement on the part of the instructor but usefulness for sharpening one’s apologetical mind and skills) The Infallible Word: A Symposium by the Members of the Faculty of Westminster Theological Seminary (P&R, 1946). A Common Word, http://www.acommonword.com/the-acw-document (accessed 11/01/2014). David W. Baker, ed., Biblical Faith and Other Religions: An Evangelical Assessment (Kregel, 2004). Richard Bauckham, Bible and Mission: Christian Witness in a Postmodern World (Baker, 2003). Richard Bauckham, Living with Other Creatures: Green Exegesis and Theology (Baylor University Press, 2011). J. H. Bavinck, An Introduction to the Science of Missions (P&R, 1960). J. H. Bavinck, The Church between Temple and Mosque: A Study of the Relationship between the Christian Faith and Other Religions (Eerdmans, 1981). Peter L. Berger, The Sacred Canopy: Elements of a Sociological Theory of (Anchor, 1990). Peter L. Berger, The Desecularization of the World: Resurgent Religion and World Politics (Eerdmans, 1999). D. A. Carson, The Gagging of God: Confronts Pluralism (Zondervan, 1996). D. A. Carson, Becoming Conversant with the Emerging Church: Understanding a Movement and Its Implications (Zondervan, 2005). D. A. Carson, Christ and Culture Revisited (Eerdmans, 2008). D. A. Carson, Jesus the Son of God (IVP, 2012). Harvie Conn, Eternal Word and Changing Worlds: Theology, Anthropology, and Mission in Trialogue (P&R, 1984). Kenneth Cragg, The Call of the Minaret, 2nd ed. (Orbis, 1985). John D. Currid. Against the Gods: The Polemical Theology of the (Crossway, 2013). William Edgar, Truth in All Its Glory: Commending the Reformed Faith (P&R, 2004). William Edgar, Created & Creating: A Biblical Theology of Culture (IVP Academic, 2017). William Edgar and K. Scott Oliphint, eds., Christian Apologetics Past and Present: A Primary Source Reader, 2 vols. (Crossway, 2009–2011). John M. Frame, Cornelius Van Til: An Analysis of His Thought (P&R, 1995).

6/12 John M. Frame, No Other God: A Response to Open Theism (P&R, 2001). John M. Frame, A History of and Theology (P&R, 2015). John M. Frame, “A Van Til Glossary” (http://www.thirdmill.org/files/english/practical_theology/33822~8_30_00_6-57- 45_PM~PT.Frame.VanTil.Glossary.pdf). Richard B. Gaffin, Jr., “Systematic Theology and Biblical Theology,” in The New Testament Student and Theology, John H. Skilton, ed., The New Testament Student, vol. 3 (Nutley, NJ: Presbyterian and Reformed, 1976), 32–50; also WTJ 38.3 (Spring 1976), 281–99. Available online. E. R. Geehan, Jerusalem and Athens: Critical Discussions on the Philosophy and Apologetics of Cornelius Van Til (P&R, 1971). Ida Glaser, The Bible and Other Faiths: Christian Responsibility in a World of Religions (IVP Academic, 2005). Os Guinness, Fool’s Talk: Recovering the Art of Christian Persuasion (IVP, 2015) Cornelis Haak, ‟The Missional Approach: Reconsidering Elenctics,” Calvin Theological Journal 44 (2009), 37–48; 288–305. Philip Jenkins, The Next Christendom: The Coming of Global Christianity (Oxford University Press, 2002). Phillip E. Johnson, Darwin on Trial, 2nd ed (IVP, 1993). Hendrik Kraemer, World Cultures and World Religions: The Coming Dialogue (Westminster Press, 1960). Joshua Lingel, Jeff Morton and Bill Nikides, Chrislam: How Missionaries are Promoting an Islamized Gospel (i2, 2011?). Available in kindle format on Amazon. John Gresham Machen, Christianity and Liberalism (Eerdmans, 2009). Bassam Madany, The Bible and Islam: A Basic Guide to Sharing God’s Word with a Muslim, 5th ed. (Middle East Resources, 2015).

Gerald McDermott, Can Evangelicals Learn from World Religions? Jesus, Revelation and Religious Traditions (IVP, 2000). J. P. Moreland et al., Theistic Evolution: A Scientific, Philosophical, and Theological Critique (Crossway, 2017). Leslie Newbigin, The Gospel in a Pluralist Society (Eerdmans, 1999). K. Scott Oliphint, Reasons for Faith: Philosophy in the Service of Theology (P&R, 2006).

7/12 K. Scott Oliphint and Lane G. Tipton, eds, Revelation and Reason: New Essays in Reformed Apologetics (P&R, 2007). Flavien Pardigon, Paul Against the Idols: A Contextual Reading of the Areopagus Speech (Pickwick, 2019). John Piper, A Peculiar Glory: How the Christian Scriptures Reveal Their Complete Truthfulness (Crossway, 2016). Alvin, Plantinga, ‟When Faith and Reason Clash: Evolution and the Bible,” Christian Scholar Review 21/1 (Sept. 1991), 8–33. Alvin Plantinga, Warrant: The Current Debate (Oxford University Press, 1993). Vern S. Poythress, Redeeming Science: A God-centered Approach (Crossway, 2006). Vern S. Poythress, In the Beginning Was the Word: Language: A God-centered Approach (Crossway, 2009). Vern S. Poythress, Redeeming Sociology: A God-centered Approach (Crossway, 2011). Vern S. Poythress, Logic: A God-centered Approach to the Foundation of Western Thought (Crossway, 2013). Vern S. Poythress, Redeeming Philosophy: A God-centered Approach to the Big Questions (Crossway, 2014). Vern S. Poythress, Understanding Dispensationalists (P&R, 1994). Nabeel Qureshi, Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus: A Devout Muslim Encounters Christianity (Zondervan, 2014). Samuel Schlorff, Missiological Models in Ministry to Muslims (Middle East Resources, 2006). Sam Solomon, Not the Same God: Is the Qur’anic Allah the LORD God of the Bible? (ANM, 2015). Ned B. Stonehouse, “The Areopagus Address” in Paul Before the Areopagus: And Other New Testament Studies (Eerdmans, 1957). Daniel Strange, ‟For Their Rock is not as Our Rock”: An Evangelical Theology of Religions (Apollos, 2014). Allamah Tabatabaei, Shiʻite Islam (State University of New York Press, 1971). Charles Taylor, A Secular Age (Belknap Press, 2007). Anthony C. Thiselton, Interpreting God and the Postmodern Self: On Meaning, Manipulation and Promise (Eerdmans, 1995). Ted Turnau, Popologetics: Popular Culture in Christian Perspective (P&R, 2012).

8/12 Cornelius Van Til, Common Grace and the Gospel (P&R, 1972). Cornelius Van Til, “Scripture and Reformed Apologetics,” The New Testament Student and Theology, The New Testament Student Vol. 3, John H. Skilton ed. (P&R, 1976), 150–59. Cornelius Van Til, Christian Theistic Evidences (P&R, 1978). Cornelius Van Til, Introduction to Systematic Theology, 2nd ed. (P&R, 2007). Miroslav Volf, Allah: A Christian Response (HarperOne, 2012). B.B. Warfield, The Plan of Salvation, rev. ed. (Simpson Publishing Co., 1989). Williams, Peter J., Can We Trust the Gospels? (Crossway, 2018). Edward J. Young, The God-Breathed Scripture (The Committee for the Historian of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church, 2007).

Anees Zaka and Alfred Siha, It Is Written! The Use of Cornelius Van Til’s Biblical Apologetics for Doing Missions Among Muslims (Church Without Walls, 2005). Samuel Zwemer, The Moslem Doctrine of God, The Moslem Doctrine of Christ, combined edition of two studies originally published separately (Advancing Native Missions, 2010) www.unashamedofthegospel.org www. answering-islam.org

Some audio and video resources related to the course:

Scott Oliphint, https://faculty.wts.edu/lectures/theological-principles-from-van-tils-common-grace-and- the-gospel/ Scott Oliphint, https://faculty.wts.edu/lectures/our-theology-in-our-apologetics/ Scott Oliphint, https://faculty.wts.edu/lectures/the-role-of-worldviews-in-apologetic-dialogue/ Scott Oliphint, https://faculty.wts.edu/lectures/plantinga-and-the-problem-of-believing-in-god/ Scott Oliphint, https://faculty.wts.edu/lectures/what-is-presuppositional-apologetics/ Vern S. Poythress, https://faculty.wts.edu/lectures/reformed-critique-of-modern-science/ Vern S. Poythress, https://faculty.wts.edu/lectures/a-biblical-view-of-science-and-nature/

9/12 Course Objectives Related to MDiv* Student Learning Outcomes Course: 06ST5450 – Introduction to Apologetics Professor: Flavien Pardigon Campus: Washington, D.C. Date: June 17–19 2019 MDiv* Student Learning Outcomes Rubric Mini-Justification In order to measure the success of the MDiv curriculum, RTS has defined  Strong the following as the intended outcomes of the student learning process.  Moderate Each course contributes to these overall outcomes. This rubric shows the  Minimal contribution of this course to the MDiv outcomes.  None *As the MDiv is the core degree at RTS, the MDiv rubric will be used in this syllabus. Articulation Broadly understands and articulates knowledge, both Strong It is essential for apologetics to be oral and written, of essential biblical, theological, (oral & historical, and cultural/global information, including able to communicate clearly. written) details, concepts, and frameworks. Student oral interaction is essential to the classroom time. Moreover, students must reflect and report on a religious/theological conversation with a Muslim. Scripture Significant knowledge of the original meaning of Moderate A significant portion of the course is Scripture. Also, the concepts for and skill to research taught through the study (and further into the original meaning of Scripture and to apply Scripture to a variety of modern circumstances. exegesis) of a number of relevant (Includes appropriate use of original languages and Scripture passages. The purpose is hermeneutics; and integrates theological, historical, to develop a biblically-derived and cultural/global perspectives.) approach to apologetics. Reformed Significant knowledge of Reformed theology and Strong The purpose of the course is to Theology practice, with emphasis on the Westminster develop an approach to apologetics Standards. that would be confessional.

Sanctification Demonstrates a love for the Triune God that aids the Moderate First through a commitment to love student’s sanctification. God with all our hearts and minds, especially in relation to our worldview, epistemology, theology and apologetical method. Second through the application of the practice of apologetics to the apologist himself, as a required prelude to any other apologetical endeavors. Desire for Burning desire to conform all of life to the Word of Strong Our approach to apologetics Worldview God. focuses greatly on worldview, both in terms of the foundations of our method and of its approach to the unbeliever. Winsomely Embraces a winsomely Reformed ethos. (Includes an Moderate More often than not, what appropriate ecumenical spirit with other Christians,

10/12 Reformed especially Evangelicals; a concern to present the convinces others of the truth of our Gospel in a God-honoring manner to non-Christians; faith is the Christian’s attitude and and a truth-in-love attitude in disagreements.) behavior, rather than his arguments... Preach Ability to preach and teach the meaning of Scripture Minimal Apologetics is useful for preaching, to both heart and mind with clarity and enthusiasm. but we will not be practicing that skill in the context of the class. Worship Knowledgeable of historic and modern Christian- None Apologetics should provide tools for worship forms; and ability to construct and skill to developing sound and faithful lead a worship service. Christian worship, but we won’t be addressing that aspect of things in any notable way. Shepherd Ability to shepherd the local congregation: aiding in Minimal Apologetics should help the spiritual maturity; promoting use of gifts and callings; students understand the heart and and encouraging a concern for non-Christians, both in America and worldwide. mind of people better, and should improve their ability to shepherd God’s flock. It should foster a “contagious” empathy towards and compassion for all struggling with unbelief, Christians and not. Church/World Ability to interact within a denominational context, Strong Apologetics is not only about within the broader worldwide church, and with interacting with the broader world, significant public issues. but one of it’s primary focus should be the one Body of Christ, since God’s truth is the foundation of ecclesial and ecclesiastical unity.

11/12 RTS Grading Scale

A (97-100) 4.00 A- (94-96) 3.66 B+ (91-93) 3.33 B (88-90) 3.00 B- (86-87) 2.66 C+ (83-85) 2.33 C (80-82) 2.00 C- (78-79) 1.66 D+ (75-77) 1.33 D (72-74) 1.00 D- (70-71) 0.66 F (below 70) 0.00

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