![]() However, the apologist aims at all three to varying extents. Depending on the context, an apologist may have one of these aims more in mind than the others. Additionally, Acts 17:16–34 gives us a record of the Apostle Paul’s defense of the Christian faith in his confrontation of the philosophers at the Areopagus in Athens.Īpologetics has a threefold aim: first, it provides an answer to the critics of the Christian faith second, it tears down the idols of our culture and, third, it builds up the church in the truth of the faith. Christians are called by God to give the watching world a well-reasoned defense of their faith, in humility and with a good conscience. The biblical mandate to defend the Christian faith comes from 1 Peter 3:15–16, where the Apostle Peter writes, “In your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame.” The word apologetics comes from the Greek word apologia (i.e., defense) that Peter uses in verse 15. Christian apologetics in the postmodern era confronts institutionalized antisupernaturalism. In postmodern culture, theologians have had to defend the truth claims of the Christian faith against existential philosophy, Neoorthodox theology, the mysticism of neo-Gnosticism, moral relativism, and other world religions, as well as against secularism and new atheism. In the modern era, Christian apologists refuted the attacks of German higher criticism, liberalism, and Marxism. During the Enlightenment, Christian theologians defended the reasonableness of Christianity against the attacks of the rationalists and the deists who cast aspersion on supernaturalism, as well as against skeptics. ![]() During the Protestant Reformation, theologians defended the truth of the gospel against attacks both from within Christendom, as well as the truth of the Christian faith in the face of false religions. In the medieval church, rational approaches to systematic theology guided a logical defense of the Christian faith against the attacks of false religions. In the early church, persecuted Christians defended the faith against paganism, polytheism, and political threats. Apologetics is the task of presenting a well-reasoned, intellectual defense of the truth claims of the Christian faith.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |