In my previous interview with Professor Dale Tuggy, we discussed his journey of faith.  In this conversation I ask him to discuss logical and biblical problems with the Trinity.  This is a higher level conversation, but well worth the listen if you are at all curious about the Trinity or are interesting in hearing how analytic philosophers approach complex doctrines.

For more about Professor Tuggy and his work, including his amazing podcast, visit trinities.org.

Apologetics 4: Teleological Arguments for God’s Existence

If someone asked you, “Why do you believe in God?” How would you answer? Sadly, most of us would flounder around, maybe talking about the bible or second-hand miracles. However, philosophers have long identified three classic approaches to reasoning about God’s existence: the ontological, cosmological, and teleological arguments. In this lecture, you’ll learn several versions of the teleological argument–evidence for intelligent design–so that you can reason from the complexity of creation to the existence of the creator.

If you would like to take this class for credit, please contact the Atlanta Bible College so you can register and do the necessary work for a grade.

Notes:

introduce three main arguments

general approach for teleological arguments:

what proof is there that a painter exists? a painting

what does a building prove? a builder exists

what about a tree? it is more complex than a painting or building, doesn’t this prove a tree-maker exists

Advantages to the teleological argument

classic formulation:

William Paley’s Watchmaker Argument

Cell Complexity (Biological Teleological Argument)

Consider a human cell

Information in DNA (Origin of Code Approach)

In this interview with philosopher Dr. Dale Tuggy, I ask him questions about his personal spiritual journey.  Dr. Tuggy is an analytic philosopher who works on world religions and the doctrine of the Trinity.  He’s a tenured professor of philosophy at the State University of New York at Fredonia.  Furthermore, he runs a popular website called trinities.org where he blogs and hosts a podcast of the same name.  Dr. Tuggy also wrote the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy article on the Trinity, an excellent read, including a very informative supplemental reading called “unitarianism.”  In what follows I interview Dr. Tuggy about his own journey of faith, including how he became a Christian, what got him into philosophy, how he came to doubt the traditional doctrine of the trinity, and where he sees the future of the biblical unitarian movement going.

To get in touch with Professor Tuggy, visit Trinities.org or his personal bio page.  Also, you can subscribe to his podcast on iTunes or Google Play and follow him Youtube.

Apologetics 3: Theism, Atheism, and Pantheism

In Building Belief, Chad Meister uses a worldview comparison chart to simplify all the religions of the world into three broad categories: theism, atheism, and pantheism. This strategy will help you to compare and contrast five major aspects of these three worldviews, including theology, ontology, epistemology, axiology, and anthropology. Next, you can evaluate each of the three main possibilities on the basis of logic and livability. This way of looking at world religions can especially help you in talking to others about the faith.

If you would like to take this class for credit, please contact the Atlanta Bible College so you can register and do the necessary work for a grade. Here now is lecture three: Theism, Atheism, and Pantheism.

Notes:

worldview: “a collection of beliefs and ideas about the central issues of life…the lens through which we ‘see’ all of reality” (Meister, 39)[1]

origin, meaning, morals, destiny

atheism

description:

What standards should Christians have when it comes to entertainment?  Can the bible offer any guidance for such a modern issue?  Every day shows, movies, books, and songs bombard us with all kinds of ideas and depictions that constantly nudge us in different directions.  Although, we like to think of ourselves as impervious to the subtle effects of violent movies, sex scenes, foul language, and so on, the truth is we are more like sponges than stones.  This is an important topic worthy of your consideration.

Apologetics 2: What Is Truth?

In order to establish any of the claims of Christianity, we must first make a case for truth itself. How can you hope to provide reasons for God’s existence or Christ’s resurrection if the person your talking to claims, “That’s just your truth, and I’m glad it works for you, but it’s not true for me?” Learn how to use the law of non-contradiction to help explain what an objective truth claim is. Although many prefer the mushy relativism of our age, in the end, as Christians, we are stuck with Chris who claimed to be “the way, the truth, and the life,” and that “no one comes to the father but through me” (John 14.6).

If you would like to take this class for credit, please contact the Atlanta Bible College so you can register and do the necessary work for a grade.

Notes:

pluralism/multi-culturalism definition:

when Christians and non-believers are the only two options, life is simple

Brian and Rochelle Allen of Vermont share their journey of faith, including how they became discontent with the traditional evangelical doctrines they grew up believing.  In this interview they discuss how recontextualizing the bible in its Hebrew thought-world opened their eyes to understand Jesus so much better.  He is the Jewish Messiah sent to redeem Israel, not an eternally generated, second-person of a metaphysical Trinity.  In addition, they discuss how they studied their way out of the rapture ideology, popularized by the Left Behind book series.  I think you’ll find their story intriguing and heartfelt, but even more compelling is their intellectual humility.  This husband and wife team is a true example of what it means to be a Berean in the 21st century.

Apologetics 1: Introduction

Have you ever heard of apologetics? This is the field where Christians seek to provide the reasons for why they believe what they believe. In a post-Christian society, it is increasingly important to understand the reasons for your faith. For example, why do you believe in God’s existence? Why do you think the bible is true? How do you know God raised Jesus from the dead? What about pain and suffering, modern science, or Christianity’s sexual ethics? In the next fifteen lectures, you’ll get answers to these important questions so you can build your own faith as well as get better at sharing it with others.

If you would like to take this class for credit, please contact the Atlanta Bible College so you can register and do the necessary work for a grade. Here now is lecture one: Introduction.

Notes:

The Biblical Mandate for Apologetics

“The task of apologetics is to show that the evidence that the New Testament calls people to commit their lives to is compelling evidence and worthy of our full commitment. That often involves a lot of work for the apologist. Sometimes we would rather duck the responsibility of doing our homework, of wrestling with the problems and answering the objections, and simply say to people, ‘Oh, you just have to take it all in faith.’ That’s the ultimate cop-out. That doesn’t honor Christ. We honor Christ by setting forth for people the cogency of the truth claims of Scripture, even as God himself does.[1]”

Objections:

“Sadly, in our day many Christians argue that we ought not to be engaged in attempts to ‘prove’ the truth claims of Christianity, that faith and proof are incompatible. ”[2]

“The Bible never tells us to take a leap of faith into darkness and hope that there’s somebody out there. The Bible calls us to jump out of the darkness and into the light. That is not a blind leap.[3]”

Some say faith-healing is a charade, concocted by charlatans to build their empires on the backs of the afflicted and suffering.  Others think that Christians who reject healing contradict what Jesus said and did, preferring the comfort of tradition instead of unleashing God’s mighty power.  What do you believe about supernatural healing?  Listen in to this interview with Bill and Ann DeNenno to hear what they’ve learned in four decades of pursuing and practicing healing.  In this interview they discuss the benefits of keeping an open mind so that you can learn from others outside your own tradition.  They go on to talk about deliverance (casting out demons), including both some of the excesses they witnessed as well as the genuine results they’ve encountered.  Next they explain inner healing and how God can set us free from emotional wounds that happened long ago, but still push us around today.  Lastly, they share about Christ-centered healing, where they look to Christ as both the example and the active agent in healing today. You can contact the DeNennos directly via email at [email protected].

How much time do you spend with God alone?  Do you have a quiet time each day for scripture reading and prayer and meditation?  Drawing on the image of the vine in John 15, Keith Daniel passionately advocates for a daily devotional time to abide in him.  He argues that this time is the key to holy living.  If we commune with God consistently, then we can draw on the strength we receive then to walk with God the rest of the day.  Daniel believes this time is always under attack so you have to fight for it each and every day.