What is apologetics? Why should Christians care enough to read, let alone write, a journal about it? Dominic Bnonn Tennant, the Production Editor for the Thinking Matters Journal, launches the first issue by giving his perspective on this question.
It’s not that uncommon to find debate surrounding the purpose of apologetics. I think a lot of people in New Zealand are confused or conflicted about its place in Christian witness. I don’t seek here to answer that question exhaustively or comprehensively, but rather to explain my perspective as the editor of the Thinking Matters Journal. This is the view I take, which will influence how the journal develops into the future.
The views of the individuals who contribute to Thinking Matters may differ on the precise purpose of apologetics—some widely. Similarly, our views on apologetics methodology may differ. I’m strongly presuppositional myself. But to be a well-rounded apologetics organization, I think we also need some classical and evidential apologists filling out the mix—and I’m pleased to say we do.
For my own part, I believe that apologetics is an important pre-evangelical, and post-evangelical discipline. In terms of pre-evangelism, apologetics is often necessary to remove the epistemic defeaters1 to Christian belief. Since faith is rational, we cannot expect it to occur in situations which would render it irrational; such as when people hold strong beliefs which contradict that faith. This is especially important given that we aren’t living in a Christian society any more, but a post-Christian one. People are increasingly skeptical of Christian faith-claims because they increasingly (a) fail to understand them, and (b) are influenced by scientism or modernism, such as that advocated by people like Richard Dawkins, where scientific observation and empirical data are held up as requirements for underwriting any belief with real truth or meaning. (I don’t believe post-modernism has actually had the societal effect some people think it has had.) Apologetics in this context isn’t only or even perhaps primarily about laying the groundwork for evangelism itself; the rational defense of the faith is a necessary condition for ensuring ongoing freedom to be Christian in an increasingly hostile, left brained, rational and intellectual world. Christianity especially needs champions in the academic arena to show that our faith is intellectually justified and defensible. This is particularly important in the universities, since they are the breeding grounds for the upcoming movers and shakers in society—and they are largely secular.
In terms of post-evangelism, apologetics is vital for dealing with doubts, and thus for growing in faith. Again, faith is rational—so where defeaters exist for it, cognitive dissonance occurs. This can be really damaging; especially for the many people who are converted through more emotional and less intellectual means. A lot of people have powerful conversion experiences, but then later when they start to really think about their faith, and perhaps share it with others, they encounter a lot of objections and doubts. This is especially true online, where there are lots of vocal New Atheists who are highly hostile to Christianity, and have superficially reasonable objections to faith. These are backed up by a lot of attitude which replaces the work of real reasoning, and underwrites the appearance of a righteously indignant worldview which opposes Christianity because it is so irrational. Without apologetics, this can be fatal to faith. Christians need to know that (a) doubts are not sinful; and (b) that answers do exist. And currently, I don’t believe that most pastors in New Zealand are actually equipped to provide the sorts of answers that some Christians may need. A lot of questions are not really considered seriously and addressed, so much as dismissed and swept under the rug (particularly in less conservative churches).
Note that none of this is to say that faith is only rational. Thinking Matters’ declaration of belief2 is thoroughly Reformed in its view (albeit implied) that faith is a real change in the very being of a person, caused by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in the new believer. However, it’s important to still affirm that faith is rational; and that because it is rational, doubts will occur where certain presuppositions or beliefs conflict with it. Apologetics is a means God uses to defeat unbelief, and to then preserve the saints in faith. This is the dual goal I keep continually in mind as work on the journal progresses.
Dominic Bnonn Tennant
January, 2009
- ↑ Defeaters, in epistemology (the study of knowledge) are beliefs which are incompatible with some other beliefs. If someone strongly holds to a belief which is incompatible with the gospel, then that belief functions as a defeater to believing the gospel. In order to make the gospel plausible to that person, his defeater belief must first be refuted.
- ↑ The Aberdeen Declaration; see http://journal.thinkingmatters.org.nz/the-aberdeen-declaration/.