Apologetics Profile

According to the General Social Survey, there has been a dramatic increase in the rise of the religiously non-affiliated in the U.S. since 1972. Who are the Nones? What do they believe? Are they atheists? Agnostics? What does the data from the GSS suggest is happening to the religious practices and affiliations in the U.S. today? 

This week, we continue our conversation with pastor and assistant professor of political science at Eastern Illinois University Dr. Ryan Burge, whose research with the GSS and the Nones has been covered by The New York Times, The Washington Post, CNN, NBC, Vox, 538, BuzzFeed News,  the Associated Press, Newsweek, Al-Jazeera, Reuters, Christianity Today, Religion News Service, The Daily Mail, Deseret News, World Magazine, Relevant, and C-SPAN. Ryan breaks down the data on the Nones for us and what it might for the present and future of religion in the U.S. 

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

Dr. Ryan Burge is an assistant professor of political science at Eastern Illinois University, where also serves as the graduate coordinator. He has authored over thirty peer-reviewed articles and book chapters alongside four books about religion and politics in the United States. He written for the New York Times, and the Wall Street Journal. He has also appeared in an NBC Documentary, on Full Frontal with Samantha Bee, as well as 60 Minutes which called him, “one of the country’s leading data analysts on religion and politics.” He has served as a pastor in the American Baptist Church for over twenty years and has been married to his wife Jacqueline for over fifteen years. They have two boys - Holden and Reid.

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Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship
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Since 1972, the General Social Survey, or GSS, has influenced and informed our cultural understanding of the religious landscape in the U.S. A multitude of college students, journalists, media outlets, and peer-reviewed articles and papers have cited the data from the GSS. You've probably seen a graph or two in the newspaper or on line somewhere which featured information from the GSS. 

So what exactly is the survey? How is it conducted? How many people are surveyed? What questions are asked? How accurate is it? How should we interpret its findings? 

On the next two episodes of the Profile we sit down with pastor and assistant professor of political science at Eastern Illinois University, Dr. Ryan Burge, to discuss the GSS and the rise of the non-religiously affiliated. Ryan has become the go-to source for interpreting data from the GSS. Of special interest is a growing classification of Americans with no religious affiliation called "the Nones."  His research has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, CNN, NBC, Vox, 538, BuzzFeed News, the Associated Press, Newsweek, Al-Jazeera, Reuters, Christianity Today, Religion News Service, The Daily Mail, Deseret News, World Magazine, Relevant, and C-SPAN.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

Dr. Ryan Burge is an assistant professor of political science at Eastern Illinois University, where also serves as the graduate coordinator. He has authored over thirty peer-reviewed articles and book chapters alongside four books about religion and politics in the United States. He written for the New York Times, and the Wall Street Journal. He has also appeared in an NBC Documentary, on Full Frontal with Samantha Bee, as well as 60 Minutes which called him, “one of the country’s leading data analysts on religion and politics.” He has served as a pastor in the American Baptist Church for over twenty years and has been married to his wife Jacqueline for over fifteen years. They have two boys - Holden and Reid.

FREE: We are also offering a free subscription to our bimonthly Profiles here: www.watchman.org/Free

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship
For more information, visit www.watchman.org
© Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

Have you ever wondered why the Gospel writers included the details they did? Our guest this week on the Profile, Dr. Timothy McGrew, suggests that if we pay careful attention to the lesser details included by the authors of the Gospel accounts, we will see with greater clarity how the accounts interlock and compliment one another. These details offer but one further bit of evidence that the Gospel narratives are historically accurate and trustworthy.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

Dr. Timothy McGrew is Professor and Chairman of the Department of Philosophy at Western Michigan University. He specializes in theory of knowledge, logic, probability theory, and the history and philosophy of science. He has published in numerous journals including Mind, The Monist, Analysis, Erkenntnis, British Journal for the Philosophy of Science, and Philosophia Christi. His recent publications include the article on “Evidence” in The Routledge Companion to Epistemology, coauthorship of The Philosophy of Science: An Historical Anthology, coauthorship (with Lydia McGrew) of the article on “The Argument from Miracles” in The Blackwell Companion to Natural Theology, and the article on “Miracles” for The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Visit TimothyMcGrew.com.

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Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship
For more information, visit www.watchman.org
© Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

If we are to love those who are not Christians, as Jesus commands, one of the essential components of loving our neighbors is being able to listen to them with intent, compassion, and sincerity. Discussions and debates about God can quickly become heated. We often don't really listen to another person's position carefully, but only wait for opportunities to make our point or speak over them. 

Our guest this week and next on the Profile, philosopher, apologist and friend of Watchman Fellowship, Dr. Timothy McGrew, gives us his wisdom and insight from his many years of engaging skeptics and non-believers about the truth of the Christian faith. 

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES: 

Dr. Timothy McGrew is Professor and Chairman of the Department of Philosophy at Western Michigan University. He specializes in theory of knowledge, logic, probability theory, and the history and philosophy of science. He has published in numerous journals including Mind, The Monist, Analysis, Erkenntnis, British Journal for the Philosophy of Science, and Philosophia Christi. His recent publications include the article on “Evidence” in The Routledge Companion to Epistemology, coauthorship of The Philosophy of Science: An Historical Anthology, coauthorship (with Lydia McGrew) of the article on “The Argument from Miracles” in The Blackwell Companion to Natural Theology, and the article on “Miracles” for The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Visit TimothyMcGrew.com.

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Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship
For more information, visit www.watchman.org
© Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

You have likely heard a skeptic or two say that the New Testament is riddled with contradictions and therefore it is likely an untrustworthy source for understanding what happened in and around Jerusalem some 2,000 years ago. 

This week on the Profile we continue our discussion with leading resurrection scholar Dr. Gary Habermas who gives us very practical insights about how we can answer our skeptic friends and why we can trust the New Testament accounts of Jesus's life and ministry.

Dr. Gary Habermas earned a PhD from Michigan State University, an MA from the University of Detroit and a BRE from William Tyndale College. He has dedicated his professional life to the examination of the relevant historical, philosophical, and theological issues surrounding the death and resurrection of Jesus. His extensive list of publications and debates provides a thorough account of the current state of the issue. He has written 49 books and also contributed over 85 chapters or articles to additional books, and almost 200 articles and reviews in journals and other publications. In recent years, he has been a visiting or adjunct professor at about 15 different graduate schools and seminaries in the United States and abroad.

Dr. Habermas is a Distinguished Research Professor of Apologetics and Philosophy. He is married to Eileen and they have seven children and 16 grandchildren.

GARY HABERMAS RESOURCES:

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You have probably heard of atheist and New Testament scholar Dr. Bart Ehrman. Ehrman believes Jesus really existed in history but does not believe Jesus is God, does not believe Jesus really performed miracles, and does not believe Jesus resurrected from the dead. 

This week and next on the Profile we sit down with leading resurrection scholar Dr. Gary Habermas who offers us some helpful insights to counter such skeptical assertions made by Ehrman and other critics of the New Testament.

Dr. Gary Habermas earned a PhD from Michigan State University, an MA from the University of Detroit and a BRE from William Tyndale College. He has dedicated his professional life to the examination of the relevant historical, philosophical, and theological issues surrounding the death and resurrection of Jesus. His extensive list of publications and debates provides a thorough account of the current state of the issue. He has written 49 books and also contributed over 85 chapters or articles to additional books, and almost 200 articles and reviews in journals and other publications. In recent years, he has been a visiting or adjunct professor at about 15 different graduate schools and seminaries in the United States and abroad.

Dr. Habermas is a Distinguished Research Professor of Apologetics and Philosophy. He is married to Eileen and they have seven children and 16 grandchildren.

GARY HABERMAS RESOURCES:

RELATED WATCHMAN FELLOWSHIP PROFILES:

JOIN our Atheist & Christian Book Club meeting monthly on Zoom: AtheistChristianBookClub.com

FREE: We are also offering a free subscription to our bimonthly Profiles here: www.watchman.org/Free

Profile Notebook: Get the full collection of 4-page Profiles published by Watchman Fellowship (over 600 pages!) here: watchman.org/DigitalNotebook.

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship
For more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

Many of the top grossing box-office films of all time often feature story lines in some way related to the universe. "A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away" is almost as widely recognized as "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth." 

Our guests this week authors Frank Turek and his son Zack sit down with us to discuss their latest book Hollywood Heroes - How Your Favorite Movies Reveal God. They argue that it is indeed possible for Christians to use cosmic and universal themes in these films, including morality, beauty, and teleology, to point our non-believing friends and neighbors to Christ.

Frank Turek is an award-winning author or coauthor of several books, including I Don’t Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist and his latest, Hollywood Heroes (NavPress, May 2022). He hosts a weekly TV program broadcast to 32 million homes and an apologetics podcast on over 180 stations. As founder and president of CrossExamined.org, Frank speaks over 100 times per year, often to youth and college students. He has debated several prominent atheists, including the late Christopher Hitchens and Michael Shermer.

Frank Zachary Turek is a career intelligence officer in the U.S. Military. He has a master’s degree in philosophy from Southern Evangelical Seminary and is the coauthor of Hollywood Heroes with his father, Frank Turek.

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Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship For more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

How well do we know what interests our non-Christian friends and neighbors? How much do we know about what they enjoy or what they believe? Can we take the beliefs and interests of unbelievers to build common ground and facilitate conversations about Jesus and the Gospel? 

Our guests this week and next on the Profile, as well as we here at Watchman, say "Absolutely yes!" Author and Christian apologist Frank Turek and his son Zach join us to discuss their latest book, Hollywood Heros - How Your Favorite Movies Reveal God. They share with us how they have thoughtfully mined popular movies of the last several decades for gems of Gospel truths as well as how they use these films as vehicles for conveying apologetic arguments that might be unfamiliar to non-believers. 

Frank Turek is an award-winning author or coauthor of several books, including I Don’t Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist and his latest, Hollywood Heroes (NavPress, May 2022). He hosts a weekly TV program broadcast to 32 million homes and an apologetics podcast on over 180 stations. As founder and president of CrossExamined.org, Frank speaks over 100 times per year, often to youth and college students. He has debated several prominent atheists, including the late Christopher Hitchens and Michael Shermer.

Frank Zachary Turek is a career intelligence officer in the U.S. Military. He has a master’s degree in philosophy from Southern Evangelical Seminary and is the coauthor of Hollywood Heroes with his father, Frank Turek.

Related Links: Free access to some associated resources and related Watchman Profiles:

Additional Resources

FREE: We are also offering a subscription to our 4-page bimonthly Profiles here: www.watchman.org/Free.

PROFILE NOTEBOOK: Order the complete collection of Watchman Fellowship Profiles (over 600 pages -- from Astrology to Zen Buddhism) in either printed or PDF formats here: watchman.org/notebook.

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship For more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

We live in an age where the scientific definition of what it means to be human is not only radically different than the biblical understanding of our existence, but that the scientific view trumps any theologically informed beliefs about what it means to be created in God's image. Our imageo Dei is reduced to a matter of feeling and personal opinion, nothing more. 

Our guest this week is philosopher Dr. Paul Tyson, author of the book, A Theology of Science. Dr. Tyson makes the case that we as Christians need to radically revise our thinking, not allowing ourselves to be conformed to a completely scientific materialist view of the human body of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of our minds in relation to what it means to be created in the image of God. But that mental transformation, Paul argues, even a kind of repentance, requires time, thought, and space to pray and contemplate how we might recapture a Christ-centered, God-glorifying theology of science.

Dr Paul Tyson is an integral thinker who works across theology, philosophy and sociology. Metaphysics and epistemology, understood not only philosophically and theoretically, but equally theologically and sociologically, are his areas of interest. At present he is a Principal Investigator and the Project Co-coordinator for the "After Science and Religion" project, run through IASH. This project stems from Professor Peter Harrison's 2015 text, The Territories of Science and Religion, and seeks to re-think what both science and religion could look like as we move forward.

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Additional Resources

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Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship For more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

Today we launch a two-part episode featuring philosopher Dr. Paul Tyson talking about his book, A Theology of Science. We take modern science quite for granted today, hardly ever thinking about where it came from or how it became to be the dominant cultural paradigm of our time. Science seems to dictate virtually every aspect of our lives. From the vastness of the cosmos to every bird of the air and every hair on our head, science seems to be able to explain virtually everything. And even in discussions about science's relationship to our Christian faith, it is almost always couched as "science and religion" or "science and faith." The two seemed to be kept in their respective spheres. 

Our guest this week and next, philosopher Dr. Paul Tyson, suggests it should be exactly the other way around. As Christians, he argues, we must retrace our steps and recover a theology of science and of creation, one that challenges the uncritical belief of our time that science must come first.  

Dr Paul Tyson is an integral thinker who works across theology, philosophy and sociology. Metaphysics and epistemology, understood not only philosophically and theoretically, but equally theologically and sociologically, are his areas of interest. At present he is a Principal Investigator and the Project Co-coordinator for the "After Science and Religion" project, run through IASH. This project stems from Professor Peter Harrison's 2015 text, The Territories of Science and Religion, and seeks to re-think what both science and religion could look like as we move forward.

Related Links: Free access to some related Watchman Profiles:

Additional Resources

FREE: We are also offering a subscription to our 4-page bimonthly Profiles here: www.watchman.org/Free.
PROFILE NOTEBOOK: Order the complete collection of Watchman Fellowship Profiles (over 600 pages -- from Astrology to Zen Buddhism) in either printed or PDF formats here: watchman.org/notebook.
SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship For more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.