View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by Liberty University Digital Commons Liberty University Baptist Theological Seminary NOETIC APOLOGETICS: A CONTEMPORARY APPROACH IN COMPARISON TO HISTORICAL APOLOGETIC METHODS A Thesis Project Submitted to The faculty of Liberty University Baptist Theological Seminary in Candidacy for the Degree of Doctor of Ministry By Enuel Hernandez Lynchburg, Virginia 2 March, 2012 Copyright © 2012 by Enuel Hernandez All Rights Reserved Liberty University Baptist Theological Seminary Thesis Project Approval Sheet ______________________________ GRADE ______________________________ DR. Charlie Davidson Director, Doctor of Ministry Program Associate Professor of Counseling MENTOR ______________________________ DR. Kevin L. King Director, Master of Divinity Associate Professor of Homiletics and Historical Theology READER ABSTRACT NOETIC APOLOGETICS: A CONTEMPORARY APPROACH IN COMPARISON TO HISTORICAL APOLOGETIC METHODS Enuel Hernandez Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary, 2012 Mentor: Dr. Charlie Davidson Many people are intrigued by the fundamental questions of life. Questions of origin, moral, and purpose are just a few of these. Throughout the centuries, Christians have endeavored in the task of apologetics to give sound answers to these questions. The history of Christianity has shown that apologists have consistently answered objections and inquires about their religion and that many techniques have emerged to direct apologists in explaining their faith. However, there seems to be no unifying process for doing apologetics. This study examines the different apologetic methods and exposes their strong and weak points in order to develop more efficient response strategies. The research method for this thesis project uses qualitative grounded theory. The goal of this study is to evaluate the historical profile of past apologetic methods in order to provide knowledge, direction, and guidance for engaging in more effective apologetics in the 21st century. Abstract Length: 147 words. iv Dedication First, the writer would like to give praise to the Lord Jesus Christ for saving him. Next, the writer would like to thank several persons for the completion of this work, with the first being the prayers, patience and love of the writer’s wife, Damarys Hernandez. She has always provided great encouragement to the author. The author’s children also deserve credit for lending their dad to pursue intellectual growth. A special thanks to the entire Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary faculty who shaped the author's intellectual pursuits and commitment to the ministry. The author would like to extend a special thanks to Dr. Elmer Towns, co-founder of Liberty University, who instructed the writer in various courses and Dr. Gary Habermas for so often providing the author with encouraging words. v TABLE OF CONTENT ABSTRACT ………………………………………………………………………. iii DEDICATION……………………………………………………………………… vi TABLE OF CONTENTS…………………………………………………………… vi ILLUSTRATIONS…………………………………………………………………. ix CHAPTER 1: Introduction…….……...………….………………………..….….. 1 Statement of Problem……………………………………………………….. 4 Statement of Methodology………………………………………………….. 4 Statement of Scope and Limitations………………………………………… 7 Theoretical Basis……………………………………………………………. 8 Biblical Basis……………………………………………………………….. 9 Review of Selected Literature ……………………………………………… 16 Summary…………………………………………………………………… 29 CHAPTER 2: Definition and purpose of apologetics…………………….……… 30 Definition of Apologetics…………………………………………………… 30 Reasons People Give for Rejecting Apologetics……………………………. 36 Purpose of Apologetics……………………………………………………… 40 CHAPTER 3: Historical survey of apologetic methods……………….........…… 48 Old Testament Apologetics………………………………………………..... 48 New Testament apologetics……………………………………………….... 53 Apologetics According to Jesus Christ……………………………………… 55 The Gospels as an Apologetic ………………………………………………. 59 The Apostle Paul as an Apologist…………………………………………… 62 vi Patristic Era of Apologetics…………………………………………………. 64 Summary of Patristic apologists...… ………………………………………... 73 Medieval Apologetics……………………………………………………….. 75 Reformation Apologetics………………………………………………….... 76 The 17th and 18th Centuries………………………………………………... 77 Contemporary Apologetics…………………………………………………. 78 Summary……………………………………………………………………. 81 CHAPTER 4: Evaluation of contemporary apologetic methods……….……… 85 Classical Method……………………………………………………………. 86 Strong Points of the Classical Method of Apologetics……………… 88 Weak Points of the Classical Method of Apologetics………………. 89 Presuppositional Method……………………………………………………. 89 Strong Points of the Presuppositional Method of Apologetics….…... 93 Weak Points of the Presuppositional Method of Apologetics………… 94 Evidential Method………………………………………………………....... 95 Strong Points of the Evidential Method of Apologetics.……………. 97 Weak Points of the Evidential Method of Apologetics.…….……….. 97 Fideist Method…..……………………………………………………..…… 98 Strong Points of the Fideist Method of Apologetics.……………….. 99 Weak Points of the Fideist Method of Apologetics….……………… 100 CHAPTER 5: Noetic approach to apologetics methods……………,........……... 101 Definition of the Term……………………………………………………… 101 System of evaluation…………….………………………………………….. 105 vii Application and principle of Noetic Apologetics…….…………………….. 107 Figure 1……………………………………………………………………… 108 Figure 2…………………………………………………………………….... 109 Conclusion………………………………………………………………………….. 110 Recommendations for practitioners....………………………………………. 110 Recommendations for future research....……………………………………. 111 BIBLIOGRAPHY…………………………………………………………………… 113 VITA………………………………………………………………………………… 119 viii Illustrations Figures 1 Flowchart Noetic Method of Apologetic - Christian . 97 2 Flowchart Noetic Method of Apologetic - Non-Christian . 98 ix CHAPTER 1 Introduction Since the birth of Christianity, apologists were required to address issues with regards to their religion. Many of those same issues are still being addressed today, but a comprehensive range of new subjects is being answered or explained by apologists in an era where the objectivity of truth is being attacked. As the Church faces many struggles in the midst of its relevant position in the world, apologists shoulder much of the responsibility of helping give answers for the faith. They endeavor in this task by using a plethora of methods, and many of these methods have changed throughout the centuries, adapting as needs arose. As Dr. Elmer Towns explained, quoting an unknown author: “Methods are many, principles are few; methods may change, but principles never do.”1 At its most fundamental level, there is a mission that all Christian apologists have, and it is to proclaim and be a faithful witness of the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ.2 With the advent of post-modernism the Church, once again, has had to defend and elucidate its metanarratives. Some have defined the postmodernist movement as “incredulity towards metanarratives.”3 Therefore, the job of the apologist is to confront this lack of belief by providing coherent answers to defend the core elements of the Christian religion. Apologists must understand these cultural trends in order to be effective in their message. They must understand that there are many variables to address when proclaiming the Gospel. The correct 1 Dr. Elmer Tows, "Class lecture." (lecture, Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary, School of Religion, Lynchburg, VA, June 23, 2011. 2 Steve Green, Partial Lyrics from The Song, "The Mission." 3 Jean-Francois Lyotard, The Postmodern Condition: a Report of Knowledge, trans. Geoff Bennington and Brian Massumi (Manchester: Manchester University Press, 1984), 48. 1 2 way to address these variables is to delineate a coherent apologetic methodology. There is a primary concern among many Christians, related to the steady decline in membership of "many western churches today."4 This produces the need for introspection and evaluation on the apologetic/ evangelistic methodologies that are currently being used. There is a common thread among apologetics and evangelism because the task of the apologist is evangelistic in nature, and the task of the evangelist is apologetic in nature. Therefore, in order to communicate the Gospel of Jesus Christ in a proper and effective manner, one must understand this foundational notion. Apologetics and evangelism will always go hand-in-hand. Salvation is a function of the proclamation of the Gospel. However, if the message is not explained in an understandable manner leading to acceptance, then no one would be saved. As the Bible says, "How shall they call on Him whom they have to believe? And how shall they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher" (Romans 10:14, KJV).5 That is, of course, not to ignore the work of the Holy Spirit in converting the lost by the preaching of the Gospel. In addition, this does not mean that apologetics is needed every time in order to evangelize the lost. Rather, apologetics is the tool that the Holy Spirit uses in a person to clear the way and make a path to a person's mind and heart. Therefore it is vitally important to see and understand that apologetics and preaching are not far apart. Preaching and apologetics have a general goal in that they both attempt to persuade the unbeliever or to reinforce the faith of the believer. "Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men, but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your conscience" (2 Corinthians