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INTRODUCTION TO APOLOGETICS 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 Christian apologetics. 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 Philosophy 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 John Frame’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 Islam 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) *Cornelius Van Til, 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 Religions” 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 Religion (Anchor, 1990). Peter L. Berger, The Desecularization of the World: Resurgent Religion and World Politics (Eerdmans, 1999). D. A. Carson, The Gagging of God: Christianity 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 Old Testament (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.
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