On the next four episodes of Apologetics Profile, we will be diving into some of the basics of other major world religions and provide you with a variety of resources to enable you to begin intelligent and thoughtful dialogue with your Muslim, Hindu, or Buddhist neighbors. We'll also discuss some basic ways in which you can respond to atheists and agnostics who generally hold to a naturalistic worldview. 

Here on part one of our four-part series on Jesus and Christianity among other religions, we speak once more with New Testament historian and scholar Dr. Gary Habermas as he helps us identify what is unique among Christianity and why Jesus stands alone and unique among other worldviews and religions. 

Dr. Gary Habermas is a Distinguished Research Professor of Apologetics and Philosophy and chairman of the department of philosophy at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia. He received a Doctor of Philosophy degree (1976) from Michigan State University in history and philosophy of religion with a thesis entitled "The resurrection of Jesus: a rational inquiry," and previously a master's degree (1973) from the University of Detroit in philosophical theology. He has specialized in cataloging and communicating trends among scholars in the field of historical Jesus and New Testament studies. In 1985, Habermas debated the then-atheist and evidentialist philosopher, Antony Flew, on the question of Jesus' resurrection as a literal and historical/physical event, before 3,000 attendees. Five philosophers and five professional debate judges judged the debate. Of the philosophers who judged on the content of the debate, four voted that Habermas won and the other was undecided.... [Before his death in 2010, Dr. Flew converted from atheism to theism.] In his memoir Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus, Nabeel Qureshi [a former Muslim] relates how Habermas was influential in his conversion, and describes him as looking like "a mix between Santa Claus and an offensive lineman."

GARY HABERMAS RESOURCES:

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You've likely heard the statistics or the stories of how young Christians who go off to a secular college or university end up losing their faith. On this episode of Apologetics Profile we talk with Pastor Rich Day who shares his ministerial experiences and engagement with both Christian and non-Christian students on secular campuses. Pastor Rich gives us insights and practical helps as to how we can engage students of all beliefs who have doubts about God. 

Rich Day is the lead pastor at Lakeview Baptist Church (LakeviewBaptistTallahassee.com) in Tallahassee, Florida. In addition to his pastoral duties, he is also the Director of Ratio Christi at Florida State University (FSU), the Baptist Collegiate Ministries at the local community college and Regional Director for The Great Exchange. Pastor Day was recently awarded a Doctor of Ministry degree in Apologetics and Executive Administration from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary (www.NOBTS.edu) where he also graduated with his MDiv. and MA.

RESOURCES: Be sure to check Rich's earlier podcast and Watchman Fellowship Profile on the controversial movement known as the Black Hebrew Israelites: 

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Scripture exhorts us not to be conformed to this world, but to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. How much does the world subtly influence our thinking about God? In our day and age we are accustomed to "Googling" or asking Alexa for facts and information about anything from the weather to world news. How does this impact our thinking about God? Is God just a set of propositions to be defended? And must we exhaustively demonstrate evidence for God through rigorous proofs and experiments? 

On part two of our discussion with Christian philosopher Dr. Esther Lightcap Meek, we unpack some of these problematic ideas about modernist thinking and Esther offers insightful correctives to modern ideas through integrating the thoughts of scientist and philosopher Michael Polanyi and theologian John M. Frame  in her own thesis as "covenant epistemology." 

Whether it is the art of science, riding a bike, or knowing your auto mechanic, knowledge is inherently personal and participatory. We are beings in bodies, living souls, divine image bearers, subjects of our Creator. Our knowledge of God comes through participating in the community and work in which He has placed us.

Dr. Esther Lightcap Meek (BA Cedarville College, MA Western Kentucky University, Ph.D Temple University) is Professor of Philosophy emeritus at Geneva College, in Western Pennsylvania. She is a Fellow Scholar with the Fujimura Institute, an Associate Fellow with the Kirby Laing Center for Public Theology, and a member of the Polanyi Society. She offers courses for Theopolis Institute, The Seattle School of Theology and Psychology, and Regent College. Esther now works from Steubenville, Ohio. Her books include:

Be sure to check out our other podcasts on the importance of philosophy in the Christian faith!

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It is no small claim to say that we know God. But how do we know God? What does it mean to have faith in God? And must we scientifically demonstrate our knowledge about God to our skeptic friends and neighbors who demand we do so?

On the next two episodes of Apologetics Profile, we will explore these epistemological questions with Christian philosopher Dr. Esther Lightcap Meek, whose personal skeptical quest (beginning at age 13) to know how she knew about God eventually led her to the theology of John M. Frame and the work of Christian philosopher and scientist Michael Polanyi. 

Esther's book, Longing to Know - The Philosophy of Knowledge for Ordinary People (Baker Publishing Group) uhop.me/LongingToKnow, uniquely combines the ideas of Frame and Polanyi into what she proposes as "covenant epistemology." This synthesis embodies real-world, practical examples of how we know what we know and relates them to our knowledge of and relationship with God. We hope these next two episodes will encourage and equip you to be prepared to give a charitable and intelligent defense of your faith in Christ to those who ask. 

Dr. Esther Lightcap Meek (BA Cedarville College, MA Western Kentucky University, Ph.D Temple University) is Professor of Philosophy emeritus at Geneva College, in Western Pennsylvania. She is a Fellow Scholar with the Fujimura Institute, an Associate Fellow with the Kirby Laing Center for Public Theology, and a member of the Polanyi Society. She offers courses for Theopolis Institute, The Seattle School of Theology and Psychology, and Regent College. Esther now works from Steubenville, Ohio. Her additional books include:

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"How do we know what we know?" asks our guest this week, Dr. Jamie Dew, Christian philosopher and president of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary (nobts.edu). "This is the basic question that undergirds the discipline of epistemology. We take it for granted that we know many different things, but we rarely ask this basic question about our knowledge." That comes from Jamie's co-authored book with Mark W. Foreman, How Do We Know? An Introduction to Epistemology, 2nd Edition, (https://amzn.to/3KN2FIy).

It is important for Christians to be able to answer this question, as many skeptics and atheists are increasingly utilizing it in their attempts to get Christians to doubt their faith. In this episode, Jamie outlines the basics about epistemology in relation to God, equipping us to better understand how to answer our skeptical friends and neighbors. 

This is part one of a three-part series on epistemology. The next two weeks will feature our interview with Christian philosopher Dr. Esther Lightcap Meek about her 2003 book, Longing to Know - The Philosophy of Knowledge for Ordinary People.

Dr. Jamie Dew holds a PH.D in philosophy from the University of Birmingham (UK) and a Ph.D. in theological studies at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary (SEBTS). He currently serves as president at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary (nobts.edu). He also earned a Master of Divinity in Pastoral Ministry is from SEBTS and his Bachelor of Science in Biblical Studies is from Toccoa Falls College, Toccoa, Ga. Dr. Dew's publications include:

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Perhaps you have heard skeptics say that "extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence." What exactly does that mean? From where does it come? How can we as Christians intelligently respond to this claim when engaging our unbelieving friends and neighbors? 

On the second part of our discussion about David Hume with Christian philosopher Dr. Timothy McGrew, we unpack this popular phrase that Tim says is often "wielded like a talisman" in Christian/Atheist debates and discussions. We also unpack significant quotes from the second part of Hume's essay, Of Miracles. Tim provides more practical thought in how we can intelligently engage Hume and those who often cite him. 

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES: 

Additional Reading: Books mentioned in this episode include:

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.

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David Hume (1711 - 1776) penned what has arguably become one of the most widely quoted works against the possibility of miracles. Hume's essay, "Of Miracles," appears in his larger work, An Inquiry Concerning Human Understanding. In this short essay, Hume tries to argue in such a way that virtually no evidence for a miracle would be sufficient to establish a claim that a miracle has taken place. 

On the next two editions of Apologetics Profile we speak with Christian philosopher Dr. Timothy McGrew about Hume's life and times and some of the weaknesses of Hume's arguments. Tim gives us helpful insights into the nature of Hume's thesis and helps us understand some of the more often cited quotations used by non-believers today who argue against the possibility of miracles. On part one we talk a little about Hume's life and times and get into part one of Hume's essay. 

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES: 

BONUS: Tim was also interviewed for one of our meetings of the Atheist & Christian Book Club (www.AtheistChristianBookClub.com) to respond to Bart Ehrman's book, Jesus Interrupted. You can watch that interview here:

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.

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Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship
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© Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

In this week's episode of Apologetics Profile, Daniel Ray concludes his discussion with CERN experimental particle physicist Dr. Michael Strauss. They explore further wondrous evidences of God's design and handiwork at levels never before imagined by anyone. Mathematics and the designs in the physical world, as counterintuitive as they may seem to our common sense, all point us to a benevolent Creator and reveal to us many of the invisible attributes of the Logos, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

This two-part podcast was recorded in January 2022 on the campus of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary during their annual Defend apologetics conference (www.DefendTheFaith.net).

Dr. Michael Strauss is an experimental particle physicist currently doing research on the ATLAS detector, one of the two multi-purpose particle detectors located on the Large Hadron Collider at CERN near Geneva, Switzerland. He has been a professor at the University of Oklahoma in Norman since 1995. He is also a Christian and his web-site and blog are a result of the many discussions he has had, and questions he receives about the relationship between science, rational thinking, objective evidence, and Christian faith.

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

On the next two episodes of Apologetics Profile, Watchman Fellowship staff apologist Daniel Ray interviews University of Oklahoma particle physicist, Dr. Michael Strauss. A devout Christian, Dr. Strauss discusses some of the growing scientific evidences for the existence of God including in his field of particle physics. Dr. Strauss splits his research time between the University of Oklahoma and the Large Hadron Collider at CERN in Switzerland.

While there certainly are differences between the two narratives, one thing the Big Bang does give us as believers is a point of commonality with skeptics and atheists about the beginning of our universe. 

Theories which posit something "before" the Big Bang cannot be tested in a laboratory. They are theoretical in nature and there have been many attempts to circumvent the idea of a beginning to our universe. From many worlds to multiverses, nothing has concretely overturned the current scientific paradigm that our universe had a definitive beginning. 

As atheist and cosmologist Dr. Lawrence Krauss recently told our Atheist & Christian Book Club, "Here's the point. Everything we now see,  all of space, all of time, all of the galaxies, all the matter all the radiation, everything that makes up our universe did not exist and then it existed."

[YouTube reference time-stamped: https://youtu.be/Y1g8xxsQfjE?t=3346] 

A theologian could not have described the Genesis doctrine of creation ex nihilo any better.

Dr. Michael Strauss discusses some of the theological implications of "Big Bang" cosmology and why he believes his field of physics of subatomic particles more wondrously than ever reveals the glory of God.

Dr. Michael Strauss is an experimental particle physicist currently doing research on the ATLAS detector, one of the two multi-purpose particle detectors located on the Large Hadron Collider at CERN near Geneva, Switzerland. He has been a professor at the University of Oklahoma in Norman since 1995. He is also a Christian and his web-site and blog are a result of the many discussions he has had, and questions he receives about the relationship between science, rational thinking, objective evidence, and Christian faith.

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

Skeptics who disbelieve in the Bible will often propose different reasons for why the New Testament was written. One popular objection suggests "legendary" information crept into the texts we have today and there is just no way to tell fact from fiction. Others say that the Gospels contain real historical information but that the disciples and others were simply mistaken about Jesus' resurrection. They thought Jesus appeared to them, but there is no way to tell if He really did or not. 

New Testament historian and scholar Dr. Gary Habermas, our guest this week on Apologetics Profile, has heard most every popular objection ever given about Jesus rising from the dead. He has debated and been interviewed by atheists and skeptics and has spent most of his professional career compiling solid historical evidence for the resurrection. Here on part two of our conversation with Gary, he provides us with a myriad of reasons why we can know that what we have in the pages of the Gospels is historically trustworthy and authentic. 

Dr. Gary Habermas is a Distinguished Research Professor of Apologetics and Philosophy and chairman of the department of philosophy at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia. He received a Doctor of Philosophy degree (1976) from Michigan State University in history and philosophy of religion with a thesis entitled "The resurrection of Jesus: a rational inquiry," and previously a master's degree (1973) from the University of Detroit in philosophical theology. He has specialized in cataloging and communicating trends among scholars in the field of historical Jesus and New Testament studies. In 1985, Habermas debated the then-atheist and evidentialist philosopher, Antony Flew, on the question of Jesus' resurrection as a literal and historical/physical event, before 3,000 attendees. Five philosophers and five professional debate judges judged the debate. Of the philosophers who judged on the content of the debate, four voted that Habermas won and the other was undecided.... [Before his death in 2010, Dr. Flew converted from atheism to theism.] In his memoir Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus, Nabeel Qureshi [a former Muslim] relates how Habermas was influential in his conversion, and describes him as looking like "a mix between Santa Claus and an offensive lineman." [1]

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

[1] "Gary Habermas," Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gary_Habermas