Podcasts about b h academic

In this episode, I am joined by Dr. Andrew Spencer to talk about his new book entitled Hope for God's Creation: Stewardship in an Age of Futility from B&H Academic. Today, we discuss the nature of ethics, creation care, and the distinctives of the Christian approach to the environment .Meet Andrew:Andrew Spencer (PhD, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary) serves as associate editor for books at The Gospel Coalition. He is the author of Doctrine in Shades of Green: Theological Perspective for Environmental Ethics, editor of The Christian Mind of C. S. Lewis, and a contributor to Baptist Political Theology. He earned a Ph.D. in Theological Studies with an emphasis on Christian Ethics from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary as well as a Master of Divinity. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in English from the United States Naval Academy.Resources:Hope for God's Creation by Andrew SpencerPollution and the Death of Man by Francis SchaefferStewards of Eden: What Scripture Says About the Environment and Why It Matters by Sandra RichterCreation Care: A Biblical Theology of the Natural World by Douglas J. Moo and Jonathan A. Moo—The Digital Public Square is a production of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission and is produced and hosted by Jason Thacker. Production assistance is provided by Kadin Christian. Technical production provided by Owens Productions. It is edited and mixed by Mark Owens.

In this episode, I am joined by Dr. Brandon Smith to talk about his new volume entitled The Trinity in the Canon from B&H Academic. Today, we discuss the vital role that trinitarian theology plays in Scripture and how it should produce both right doctrine and living.Meet Brandon:Brandon serves as assistant professor of theology and New Testament at Cedarville University in Ohio. He is also the author of The Trinity in the Book of Revelation: Seeing Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in John's Apocalypse and serves as the co-editor of the Christian Standard Commentary series. He is a co-founder of the Center for Baptist Renewal and host of the Church Grammar podcast. He earned his PhD from Ridley College and is a graduate of Dallas Baptist University and Criswell College.Resources:The Trinity in the Canon by Brandon SmithOn the Incarnation by Saint AthanasiusOn God and Christ: The Five Theological Orations and Two Letters to Cledonius by Saint Gregory of NazianzusThe Trinity: An Introduction by Scott SwainThe Deep Things of God: How the Trinity Changes Everything by Fred Sanders—The Digital Public Square is a production of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission and is produced and hosted by Jason Thacker. Production assistance is provided by Kadin Christian. Technical production provided by Owens Productions. It is edited and mixed by Mark Owens.

In this episode, I am joined by Dr. Adam Groza to talk about his new book he wrote with J.P. Moreland entitled Unraveling Philosophy from B&H Academic. Today, we discuss how Christians can love God with all of our minds through studying the riches of philosophy.Meet Dr. GrozaAdam serves as associate professor of philosophy and vice president for enrollment and student services at Gateway Seminary. He is a native Californian and has taught philosophy related classes at a variety of institutions including California Baptist University, Scarborough College, and Korea Baptist Theological Seminary.Resources:The Republic by PlatoConfessions by St. AugustineSexual Personae: Art and Decadence from Nefertiti to Emily Dickinson by Camille PagliaThe Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism by Timothy Keller—The Digital Public Square is a production of the research institute at the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission and is produced and hosted by Jason Thacker.Production assistance is provided by Kadin Christian. Technical production provided by Owens Productions. It is edited and mixed by Mark Owens. 

In this episode, I am joined by Dr. Nathan Finn to talk about the volume he co-edited entitled A Handbook of Theology from the Theology for the People of God series with B&H Academic. Today, we discuss the centrality of theology in the Christian life and how our faith informs every aspect of our life.Meet Dr. FinnNathan Finn currently serves as provost and dean of the University Faculty at North Greenville University in Tigerville, South Carolina. He is the editor or author of several volumes including the Theology for the People of God series, Historical Theology for the Church, and History: A Student's Guide. He also serves as teaching pastor at Taylors First Baptist Church in South Carolina and a Research Fellow of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission.Resources:Historical Theology for the Church by Nathan Finn and Jason DuesingRediscovering Holiness: Know the Fullness of Life with God by J.I. PackerEthics as Worship: The Pursuit of Moral Discipleship by Mark Liederbach and Evan LenowTheology for the People of God series from B&H:The Holy Spirit by Andreas J. Köstenberger and Gregg R. AllisonA Handbook of Theology by Nathan Finn, Daniel Akin, and David S. DockeryHumanity by John Hammett and Katie McCoymore upcoming—The Digital Public Square is a production of the research institute at the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission and is produced and hosted by Jason Thacker.Production assistance is provided by Kadin Christian. Technical production provided by Owens Productions. It is edited and mixed by Mark Owens.

In this episode, I am joined by Dr. Katie McCoy to talk about her new book To Be a Woman: The Confusion Over Female Identity and How Christians Can Respond from B&H Publishing. Today, we discuss the rise of transgender ideology, the contours of the gender debate, and how Christians can love our neighbors by speaking uncompromising truth with uncompromising grace.Meet Dr. McCoyKatie McCoy serves as director of Women's Ministry at Texas Baptists. She holds a Ph.D. in Systematic Theology from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, where she previously served on faculty. She teaches and writes on the intersection of theology, culture, and women's issues. She is the co-author of a forthcoming volume on the doctrine of humanity as part of the Theology for the People of God series with B&H Academic.Resources:To Be a Woman: The Confusion Over Female Identity and How Christians Can Respond by Katie McCoyEmbodied: Transgender Identities, the Church, and What the Bible Has to Say by Preston SprinkleGod and the Transgender Debate by Andrew WalkerIrreversible Damage: The Transgender Craze Seducing Our Daughters by Abigail ShrierWhen Harry Became Sally by Ryan Anderson—The Digital Public Square is a production of the research institute at the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission and is produced and hosted by Jason Thacker.Production assistance is provided by Kadin Christian. Technical production provided by Owens Productions. It is edited and mixed by Mark Owens.

Modern views on how future technology is likely to change our lives range from bloviatingly aspirational visions of utopia to musings on whether the latest advancement in AI will destroy humankind in our lifetime or merely enslave us all in Matrix-style battery capillaries.  Yet debates on whether technology is a neutral tool for our benefit or a near-unstoppable force leading us to a particular destiny are nothing new.  In 1964, French philosopher and sociologist Jacques Ellul wrote The Technological Society, in which he argued technology had a totalizing effect that could potentially dehumanize our world in its never-ending effort to make all things efficient and “useful”.   While he's somewhat critical of Ellul's determinism, this episode's guest—Jason Thacker—gleans much wisdom from Ellul's warnings.  Saving Elephants host Josh Lewis and Jason Thacker discuss competing views of technology and how they might help us for a foundation for dealing with the technological challenges we face in our digital public square.   About Jason Thacker From https://jasonthacker.com/ Jason Thacker serves as an assistant professor of philosophy and ethics at Boyce College in Louisville, KY.  He also is a research fellow in Christian ethics and director of the research institute at The Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention.  He is the author of several books including Following Jesus in the Digital Age and The Age of AI: Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Humanity.  He also serves as the editor of The Digital Public Square: Christian Ethics in a Technological Society and co-editor of the Essentials in Christian Ethics series with B&H Academic.  He is the project leader and lead drafter of Artificial Intelligence: An Evangelical Statement of Principles, and his work has been featured at Slate, Politico, The Week, USA Today, Christianity Today, World Magazine, The Gospel Coalition, and Desiring God.   He is a graduate of The University of Tennessee in Knoxville, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies.  He also holds a Master of Divinity from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, where he is currently a PhD candidate in ethics, public theology, and philosophy.  He serves as an associate fellow with the Kirby Laing Centre for Public Theology in Cambridge, an advisor for AI and Faith, fellow in science and technology at the Land Center for Cultural Engagement at Southwestern Seminary, and a research fellow with the ERLC Research Institute.  He is married to Dorie and they have two sons.   You can follow Jason on Twitter @jasonthacker   About The Digital Public Square Brooke was one of the contributing writers to the recently published book The Digital Public Square.  In The Digital Public Square, editor Jason Thacker has chosen top Christian voices to help the church navigate the issues of censorship, conspiracy theories, sexual ethics, hate speech, religious freedom, and tribalism.  Many of the contributing writers (David French, Bonnie Kristian, Bryan Baise, and Brooke Medina) have been prior guests on the Saving Elephants show.  

Dr. Katie McCoy and Dr. Mark Turman discuss Dr. McCoy's upcoming book, To Be a Woman, the origin of transgenderism, why so many more women and girls are transitioning, and how to practically, lovingly, engage with trans ideology.   Show notes:    Dr. Katie McCoy talks about why she wrote To Be a Woman and the definition of gender dysphoria (3:13). She discusses the history of ideas that led to the transgender movement and reflects on the surge in female-to-male trans people (13:17). Dr. McCoy defines other terms like gender-affirming care and the effect of social contagion, pointing to social media as a reason for the rise in trans teens (22:24). She ties together critical theory, trans identity, and philosophy to explain how gender and sexuality became separated (42:14). They close by reflecting on gender pronouns, whether Christian kids should be in public schools, and other practical questions of how to live faithfully (51:06).   NOTE: We've launched our summer campaign. As a 100-percent donor-supported ministry nonprofit, we rely on believers like you to give toward our calling “to equip the saints for the work of ministry” (Eph. 4:12). If our work has encouraged or inspired you, please give today—and know that your gift will be doubled by a generous $75,000 match.   Visit DFpodcasts.org to give today.    Resources and further reading:   To Be a Woman, Dr. Katie McCoy  Blondeorthodoxy.com “What does the Bible say about transgenderism?” Denison Forum “Responding to Pride Month with Fidelity Month,” Dr. Jim Denison “Is Critical Race Theory Marxist,” Mark Legg   About the host    Mark Turman, DMin, is the executive director of Denison Forum. He received his DMin from Truett at Baylor and previously served as lead pastor of Crosspoint Church.    About the guest    Katie J. McCoy serves as Director of Women's Ministry at Texas Baptists. She holds a PhD in Systematic Theology from Southwestern Seminary (TX), where she served on faculty for five years. Katie teaches and writes on the intersection of theology, culture, and women's issues, and has co-authored a work on the doctrine of humanity as part of the Theology for the People of God series (B&H Academic). Included among her research is discovering the pattern of justice for women in Old Testament laws. You can find Katie online at blondeorthodoxy.com.  

As we continue our mini-series on our recently released volume The Digital Public Square with B&H Academic, I am joined by Dr. Keith Plummer to talk about his contribution entitled, “The World Is Watching: Proclaiming Truth and Maintaining Our Witness in a Digital Age”. Today, Dr. Plummer and I talk about the works of the late Francis Schaeffer and how technology is shaping our understanding of and witness to the world around us.Meet Dr. Plummer:Keith serves as professor of theology and dean of the School of Divinity at Cairn University. He previously served as a pastor in the Evangelical Free Church of America. Keith is a contributing author to Before You Lose Your Faith: Deconstructing Doubt in the Church. He earned his PhD from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School.Resources:“Five Things We Need to Know about Technological Change.”He Is There and He Is Not Silent by Francis SchaefferThe Mark of the Christian by Francis Schaeffer—The Digital Public Square is a production of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission and is produced and hosted by Jason Thacker. Production assistance is provided by Kadin Christian. Technical production provided by Owens Productions. It is edited and mixed by Mark Owens.

As we continue our mini-series on our recently released volume The Digital Public Square with B&H Academic, I am joined by Jeremy Tedesco and to talk about his contribution with Christiana Kiefer entitled, Content Moderation and Suppressing Speech: Are There Limits to Talking about Sexuality and Gender Online?. Today, Jeremy and I talk about the relationship between private companies and free speech as well as how Christians can think about the nature of the digital public square.Meet Jeremy:Jeremy serves as senior counsel and senior vice president of corporate engagement for the Alliance Defending Freedom. In this role, Tedesco leads ADF's efforts to combat corporate cancel culture and to build a business ethic that respects free speech, religious freedom, and human dignity. Tedesco was also a part of the legal teams that successfully litigated Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission, Reed v. Town of Gilbert, and Arizona Christian School Tuition Organization v. Winn, before the United States Supreme Court. He is a graduate of Regent University School of Law.—The Digital Public Square is a production of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission and is produced and hosted by Jason Thacker. Production assistance is provided by Kadin Christian. Technical production provided by Owens Productions. It is edited and mixed by Mark Owens. 

As we continue our mini-series on our recently released volume The Digital Public Square with B&H Academic, I am joined by David French to talk about his contribution entitled, “Can the Government Save Us from Ourselves?: The Legal Complexities of Free Speech and Content Moderation.” Today, David and I talk about the debates over regulating the technology industry in light of the challenges to free expression today as well as the role of personal virtue in the public square.Meet David:David is an opinion columnist at the New York Times and previously served as senior editor at the Dispatch as well as a contributing writer for the Atlantic. He is a graduate of Harvard Law School, a former lecturer at Cornell Law School, and a past president of the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education. David is a New York Times bestselling author, and his most recent book is, Divided We Fall: America's Secession Threat and How to Restore Our Nation. He is a former major in the United States Army Reserve and is a veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom, where he earned a Bronze Star.—The Digital Public Square is a production of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission and is produced and hosted by Jason Thacker. Production assistance is provided by Kadin Christian. Technical production provided by Owens Productions. It is edited and mixed by Mark Owens. 

As we continue our mini-series on our recently released volume The Digital Public Square with B&H Academic, this week I am joined by Brooke Medina to talk about her contribution entitled, “Defining the Limits of Hate Speech and Violence: Dignity, Truth, and Speech in the Digital Public Square.” Brooke and I talk about the widespread debate over hate speech and how Christians must speak both truth and grace in the public square.Meet Brooke:Brooke serves as vice president of communications for the John Locke Foundation. She has completed numerous programs with the Charles Koch Institute, including the Koch Leaders Program and Koch Communications Fellowship, focusing on the philosophical underpinnings of market-based management and classical liberalism. She also sits on the board of directors for ReCity Network. Her writing has been published in numerous outlets, such as The Hill, the Washington Examiner, the Daily Signal, and FEE. She is a graduate of Regent University.--The Digital Public Square is a production of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission and is produced and hosted by Jason Thacker. Production assistance is provided by Kadin Christian. Technical production provided by Owens Productions. It is edited and mixed by Mark Owens.

As we continue our mini-series on our recently released volume The Digital Public Square with B&H Academic, I am joined by Joshua Wester to talk about his contribution entitled, “Free to Believe? The Case for Religious Freedom and Free Expression in the Digital Age.” Today, Josh and I talk about the nature and necessity of religious freedom in our technological society.Meet Josh:Josh serves as the lead pastor of Cornerstone Baptist Church in Greensboro, North Carolina and is an associate research fellow of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission where he researches issues of public theology, political philosophy, and religious freedom. He holds a ThM in public theology from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and is currently pursuing a PhD in Christian ethics at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is also the author of the forthcoming book A Student's Guide to Politics with Christian Focus Publications.—The Digital Public Square is a production of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission and is produced and hosted by Jason Thacker. Production assistance is provided by Kadin Christian. Technical production provided by Owens Productions. It is edited and mixed by Mark Owens.

As we continue our mini-series on our recently released volume The Digital Public Square with B&H Academic, I am joined by Bonnie Kristian to talk about her contribution entitled, “Should We Ban Pornography? Navigating the Complexities of Objectionable Content in a Digital Age.” Today, Bonnie and I talk about the moral plague of pornography in our society and the difficulties of banning objectionable content online.Meet Bonnie:Bonnie is a journalist and author of Untrustworthy: The Knowledge Crisis Breaking Our Brains, Polluting Our Politics, and Corrupting Christian Community (2022) and A Flexible Faith: Rethinking What it Means to Follow Jesus Today (2018). She is a columnist at Christianity Today and a fellow at Defense Priorities, a foreign policy think tank. Her work has been widely published at outlets including the New York Times, The Week, USA Today, CNN, and Politico. A graduate of Bethel Seminary, she lives in Pittsburg with her husband and twin sons.--The Digital Public Square is a production of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission and is produced and hosted by Jason Thacker. Production assistance is provided by Kadin Christian. Technical production provided by Owens Productions. It is edited and mixed by Mark Owens.

As we continue our mini-series on our recently released volume The Digital Public Square with B&H Academic, I am joined by Patricia Shaw to talk about her contribution entitled, "The Global Digital Marketplace: Engaging International Technology Policy from a Christian Perspective". Today we talk about some of the international aspects of the technology policy debate and how nations around the world are thinking through these important issues in their specific contexts.Meet Patricia: Patricia serves as CEO of Beyond Reach Consulting Limited and is based in the UK but advises internationally on AI and data ethics, policy, governance, and corporate digital responsibility. She has twenty years' of experience as a lawyer in data, technology, and regulatory/government affairs and is a qualified solicitor in England and the Republic of Ireland. She has authored and edited numerous works on law and regulation, policy, ethics, and AI.—The Digital Public Square is a production of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission and is produced and hosted by Jason Thacker. Production assistance is provided by Kadin Christian. Technical production provided by Owens Productions. It is edited and mixed by Mark Owens.

As we continue our mini-series on our recently released volume The Digital Public Square with B&H Academic, I am joined by Nathan Leamer to talk about his contribution entitled, "The Wild West of Technology: A Convergence of Optimism and Pessimism in the United States". Today, we talk about how Christians can think wisely about the role of government and industry in the technology policy debate in the United States.Meet Nathan: Nathan serves as the Executive Director of the Digital First Project and Vice President of public affairs at Targeted Victory. He previously served as Policy Advisor to FCC Chairman Ajit Pai. Before working at the FCC, he was a Senior Fellow at the R Street Institute where he managed the institute's government relations and wrote extensively on issues of emerging technology, intellectual property, and privacy.--The Digital Public Square is a production of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission and is produced and hosted by Jason Thacker. Production assistance is provided by Kadin Christian. Technical production provided by Owens Productions. It is edited and mixed by Mark Owens.

As we continue our mini-series on our recently released volume The Digital Public Square with B&H Academic, I am joined by Dr. Bryan Baise to talk about his contribution entitled, Once More, with Tweeting?: Bracketing a Public Square from the Perils of Notoriety. Today, Bryan and I talk about how technology has altered our understanding of a public square and teaching the next generation about social ethics.Meet Bryan: Bryan serves as associate professor of philosophy and apologetics at Boyce College, where he also directs the Augustine Honors Collegium and the Philosophy, Politics, and Economics degree program. He has contributed to edited academic volumes and writes popular-level essays for several Christian outlets. He is a graduate of the University of Kentucky and The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He resides in Louisville, Kentucky, with his wife and three children.—The Digital Public Square is a production of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission and is produced and hosted by Jason Thacker. Production assistance is provided by Kadin Christian. Technical production provided by Owens Productions. It is edited and mixed by Mark Owens.

This is a special episode of the podcast as we kick off a new mini-series themed after a new volume that I had the privilege of editing entitled The Digital Public Square: Christian Ethics in a Technological Society. This book is published by B&H Academic and is available Wednesday, February 1st wherever books are sold.This volume along with my other recently released books including Following Jesus in a Digital Age, the companion Bible study, and A Student's Guide to Social Media are part of a larger research project that I have been leading at the ERLC over the last couple of years. The Digital Public Square research project is designed to help Christians think deeply about the pressing questions of faith and the public square as well as take part in a larger conversation about these pressing challenges of technology and social media whether in the halls of Congress, your state capital, on campuses of the largest and most influential technology companies, in academic gatherings, and most importantly your own home. I am joined by 11 other contributors who address issues such as political philosophy, technology policy, free speech and content moderation, religious freedom, hate speech and hate crimes, gender/sexuality, pornography, conspiracy theories and misinformation, and digital authoritarianism as well as Christian discipleship and mission in the 21st century.Over the next couple of months, I am going to be joined by each contributor to talk about their interest in these areas, their chapters, and what if anything has changed since they wrote their chapters given how quickly the field of technology changes.Download a sample of The Digital Public Square--The Digital Public Square is a production of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission and is produced and hosted by Jason Thacker. Production assistance is provided by Kadin Christian. Technical production provided by Owens Productions. It is edited and mixed by Mark Owens.

In this episode, I am joined by Dr. Travis Dickinson to talk about his new book Logic and the Way of Jesus from B&H Academic. Today, we talk about embracing the life of the mind and role of logic in the Christian life.Meet Dr. DickinsonDr. Dickinson is a professor of philosophy at Dallas Baptist University. He is the author of three books: Wandering Toward God, Logic and the Way of Jesus and Everyday Apologetics, and the coauthor of Stand Firm: Apologetics and the Brilliance of the Gospel. He holds an MA and PhD in Philosophy from the University of Iowa, an MA in Philosophy of Religion and Ethics from Talbot School of Theology, and an MA in Christian Apologetics from Biola University.Resources:Logic and the Way of Jesus by Travis DickinsonWandering Toward God: Finding Faith amid Doubts and Big Questions by Travis DickinsonLove Your God with All Your Mind by J.P. MorelandSimply Trinity by Matthew Barret and Scott SwainThe Same God Who Works All Things by Adonis ViduAs a gift to Digital Public Square listeners, use discount code: wander22 for 30% Wandering Toward God at IVPpress.com.The Digital Public Square is a production of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission and is produced and hosted by Jason Thacker.Production assistance is provided by Kadin Christian. Technical production provided by Owens Productions. It is edited and mixed by Mark Owens.

Kristin L. Kellen (MA, EdD, PhD) is an Assistant Professor of Biblical Counseling at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary (SEBTS) where her focus is counseling children, teens, and their families. Kristin's most recent book is Counseling Women: Biblical Wisdom for Life's Battles.    Julia B. Higgins (MDiv, PhD) is an Assistant Professor of Ministry to Women and Associate Dean of Graduate Program Administration at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary (SEBTS). She teaches in the Ministry to Women degree programs at Southeastern, with her ministry focus being college-aged and adult women. Julia is the author of the forthcoming Empowered and Equipped: Bible Exposition for Women Who Teach the Scriptures (Nov 2022, B&H Academic).   Kristin and Julia are the co-editors of The Whole Woman: Ministering to Her Heart, Soul, Mind, and Strength.

The digital age promised deep connections, rich communication, and more access to information than we could ever imagine. But while technology has brought incredible benefits and conveniences into our lives, it also has led to countless unintended consequences and deep ethical challenges that push us to consider how to live out our faith in a technological society.This week, Chelsea Sobolik's ERLC colleague Jason Thacker joins her to discuss his new project, the digital public square and important tech policies that you need to know about.Guest BiographyJason serves as chair of research in technology ethics at the ERLC. He also serves as an adjunct instructor of philosophy, ethics, and worldview at Boyce College in Louisville, KY. He is the author of the forthcoming book, Following Jesus in the Digital Age with B&H Publishing, as well as The Age of AI: Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Humanity with Zondervan. He also serves as the editor of a forthcoming volume with B&H Academic on Christian ethics and the digital public square, focused on content moderation and online governance. He is the project leader and lead drafter of Artificial Intelligence: An Evangelical Statement of Principles, and his work has been featured at Slate, Politico, Christianity Today, The Gospel Coalition, and World Radio.Resources from the ConversationFollow Jason Thacker's workThe Age of AI: Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Humanity by Jason Thacker Preorder: Following Jesus in a Digital Age by Jason Thacker Subscribe to the Digital Public SquareSubscribe to ERLC's Policy NewsletterSubscribe to ERLC's The Weekly

In the last episode, Garrick and Timothy debunked the logical problem of evil—but dealing with the problem of evil requires far more than mere logic. The problem of evil also calls for a look at the overwhelming amount of evil in the world, and that brings us to the evidential problem of evil.According to the evidential problem of evil, the amount and the degree of evil in this world make the existence of God highly improbable. It makes God’s existence so improbable, in fact, that the very possibility of an all-powerful God can be reasonably dismissed.But does the amount of evil in the world really make God’s existence improbable?And, even if the amount of evil in the world did reduce the probability of God’s existence, would that necessarily mean it’s irrational to believe in God?And how on earth does Jar Jar Binks fit into all of this?Those are a few of the questions that your intrepid cohosts unpack throughout this episode. Along the way, they dig into a song by the only punk band that Timothy likes. The band is Bad Religion, and the song is “God’s Love.” Bad Religion also happens to have produced the one and only Christmas album that Timothy actually enjoys, but that might be because Timothy spends most of the Christmas season yearning for summer, cheering for the Grinch, and fantasizing about moving to Florida.This week’s Toybox Hero Tournament may be the craziest one yet. Timothy brings an amazing, transforming chunk of pork to this tournament—but Garrick responds with a toy that would have caused John Calvin to burn him at the stake for his recalcitrant rejection of the Second Commandment. The fate of the pig is too horrific to describe in human words, but it’s safe to say the swine flew and did not survive, due to Garrick’s disregard not only for the Second Commandment but also for the Second Council of Nicaea. Also, “Swine-sink” would be the perfect name for a nu-metal band. The new cover art for this season was created by Dani Wallace (daniwallace.myportfolio.com).   Links to Click B and H Academic The Problem of Evil: book by Jeremy Evans Christmas Songs: album by Bad Religion God's Love: song by Bad Religion Live Again: song by Bad Religion SBTS Preview Day Urban Ministry Podcast   How to Make Three Chords and the Truth More Amazing than It Already Is Support the show and spread the word! Here are a few ways to do that: 1. Subscribe to Three Chords and the Truth: The Apologetics Podcast: Apple / Android / RSS. 2. Leave a rating and review on iTunes to encourage other people to listen to the show. 3. If you purchase any of the books mentioned in Three Chords and the Truth, consider using the Amazon links provided in the show notes. The show will receive a small percentage of each sale. 4. Visit our Patreon site where you can support the podcast, suggest future songs or topics, and order Three Chords and the Truth merchandise. 5. Make contact with us on Twitter: @DrTimothyPJones  @GarrickBailey  @ApologeticsPod   The Closing Credits Three Chords and the Truth: The Apologetics Podcast thanks B&H Academic for their sponsorship. Music for the podcast has been licensed through Artlist.io and performed by Trent Thompson. Brief excerpts of music played in each program are included solely for the purposes of comment and critique as allowed under the fair-use provision of U.S. copyright law. “The fair use of a copyrighted work … for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, … scholarship, or research, is not an infringement of copyright” (U.S. Code § 107, Limitations on exclusive rights: Fair use).

This episode is all about Soul. Garrick and Timothy head to the theater to watch Soul, a new cinematic feature produced by Pixar Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. And by "heading to the theater," what they mean is that each of them headed downstairs to their respective home theaters, where the screens are far smaller but the seats are much larger and the popcorn is much cheaper. Your intrepid cohosts' goal in watching Soul was to discuss the theological nuances of this film, but Garrick quickly derails that noble intention with his description of a "Giant Bug Zapper in the Sky" (which would, by the way, be an amazing name for a bluegrass punk fusion band). Also, by the way, there are a lot of spoilers in this episode, if you haven't seen the movie already. In the end, Timothy manages to wrangle enough focus out of Garrick to discuss how Soul tends toward Greek dualism while simultaneously critiquing the secular notion that happiness is found by discovering your "thing." Along the way, the dynamic duo explores Andrew Root's book The End of Youth Ministry? and considers how Josh Chatraw's Telling a Better Story might help Christians to draw from the storylines of popular movies to make their case for God. In the end, it becomes clear that, despite being packed with pop mysticism and Eastern spirituality, Soul is able to provide viewers with a meaningful resolution only by borrowing from the Christian metanarrative. Links to Click B and H Academic Cultural Intelligence: book by Darrell Bock Soul: trailer from Pixar Studios MY N.Y.: album by Jon Batiste & The Stay Human Band Smokin’ at the Half-Note: album by Wes Montgomery Immortality of the Soul or Resurrection of the Dead?: book by Oscar Cullmann The End of Youth Ministry?: book by Andrew Root Telling a Better Story: book by Josh Chatraw SBTS Preview Day Urban Ministry Podcast   How to Make Three Chords and the Truth More Amazing than It Already Is Support the show and spread the word! Here are a few ways to do that: 1. Subscribe to Three Chords and the Truth: The Apologetics Podcast: Apple / Android / RSS. 2. Leave a rating and review on iTunes to encourage other people to listen to the show. 3. If you purchase any of the books mentioned in Three Chords and the Truth, consider using the Amazon links provided in the show notes. The show will receive a small percentage of each sale. 4. Visit our Patreon site where you can support the podcast, suggest future songs or topics, and order Three Chords and the Truth merchandise. 5. Make contact with us on Twitter: @DrTimothyPJones @GarrickBailey   @ApologeticsPod The Closing Credits Three Chords and the Truth: The Apologetics Podcast thanks B&H Academic for their sponsorship. Music for the podcast has been licensed through Artlist.io and performed by Trent Thompson. Brief excerpts of music played in each program are included solely for the purposes of comment and critique as allowed under the fair-use provision of U.S. copyright law. “The fair use of a copyrighted work … for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, … scholarship, or research, is not an infringement of copyright” (U.S. Code § 107, Limitations on exclusive rights: Fair use).  

Sometimes, the best defense of the gospel isn’t a better argument but a better story. That’s why the previous episode about Josh Chatraw’s book Telling a Better Story and this episode with Russell Moore both focus on narrative apologetics. Also: after an episode in which your intrepid cohosts dredged the depths of some of the worst music ever produced in the history of humanity, this episode marks a return to aural greatness as Timothy looks at music from Paul McCartney, Petra, and Johnny Cash. The focus of the musical discussion this week is “He Went to Paris,” a 1973 tune from everyone’s favorite margarita-marinated beach strummer, the one and only Jimmy Buffett. The first few moments of the podcast threaten to devolve into total disaster, as Timothy is shocked to learn that the Pixar film Onward was not actually an adaptation of Russell Moore’s book Onward: Engaging the Culture without Losing the Gospel. (Önwärd would, however, have been a great name for a Christian metal band in the 1980s.) After learning in the previous episode that Josh Chatraw’s “inside out apologetics” has nothing to do with the Pixar film Inside Out, this new revelation from Russell Moore is almost too much for Timothy to handle. But Timothy is far more resilient than you might think, and he recovers from his shock just in time to discuss the narrative apologetics of C.S. Lewis’ The Chronicles of Narnia that God utilized to guide a teenaged Russell Moore toward books like Mere Christianity. Along the way, Russ and Timothy end up reminiscing about how the Christian rock band Petra shaped their souls in the 1980s. The discussion then goes full circle with Jimmy Buffett’s “He Went to Paris,” back to the infinite yearning of every human heart for a satisfying story and to the apologetic truth that only the gospel can provide the narrative that humanity needs. The new cover art for this season was created by Dani Wallace (daniwallace.myportfolio.com).   This Week’s Guest Russell Moore is president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention, the moral and public policy agency of the nation’s largest Protestant denomination. Dr. Moore is the author of several books, including Onward: Engaging the Culture without Losing the Gospel and The Storm-Tossed Family: How the Cross Reshapes the Home. You can find out more about Dr. Moore at his personal website, https://www.russellmoore.com.   Links to Click B and H Academic A Theology for the Church: book edited by Daniel Akin Onward: book by Russell Moore The Chronicles of Narnia: series by C. S. Lewis Mere Christianity: book by C. S. Lewis He Went to Paris: song by Jimmy Buffett Reading Buechner: book by Jeffrey Munroe Surprised by Joy: book by C. S. Lewis Why Should I Trust the Bible?: book by Timothy Paul Jones timothypauljones.com Three Chords and the Truth SBTS Preview Day Urban Ministry Podcast   How to Make Three Chords and the Truth More Amazing than It Already Is Support the show and spread the word! Here are a few ways to do that: 1. Subscribe to Three Chords and the Truth: The Apologetics Podcast: Apple / Android / RSS. 2. Leave a rating and review on iTunes to encourage other people to listen to the show. 3. If you purchase any of the books mentioned in Three Chords and the Truth, consider using the Amazon links provided in the show notes. The show will receive a small percentage of each sale. 4. Visit our Patreon site where you can support the podcast, suggest future songs or topics, and order Three Chords and the Truth merchandise. 5. Make contact with us on Twitter: @DrTimothyPJones  @GarrickBailey  @ApologeticsPod   The Closing Credits Three Chords and the Truth: The Apologetics Podcast thanks B&H Academic for their sponsorship. Music for the podcast has been licensed through Artlist.io and performed by Trent Thompson. Brief excerpts of music played in each program are included solely for the purposes of comment and critique as allowed under the fair-use provision of U.S. copyright law. “The fair use of a copyrighted work … for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, … scholarship, or research, is not an infringement of copyright” (U.S. Code § 107, Limitations on exclusive rights: Fair use).

Welcome to the Deeper-Than-Usual Episode! This episode has been named “the Deeper-Than-Usual Episode” mostly because it is a bit deeper than usual. Dr. J.V. Fesko—professor of systematic and historical theology at Reformed Theological Seminary and all-around very deep person—joins Garrick and Timothy to discuss many deep things. Fesko momentarily risks his deep reputation by admitting his longstanding longing to sing like David Lee Roth, who is not a deep person according to certain anonymous reports and to anyone who’s ever seen him in concert. However, Fesko quickly recovers his much-coveted mantle of deepness by deeply discussing presuppositionalism, the Reformation, and historic worldview theory, all of which are very deep topics. Also, "Mantle of Deepness" would be a terrible name for a band. In the second half, your intrepid cohosts discuss a song that forces the dynamic duo to wade even deeper than Dr. Fesko’s much-coveted mantle of deepness. The song is “Freewill” by Rush, and the deep topics include determinism, libertarianism, compatibilism, Molinism, and whether or not a fish can become a helicopter. According to Garrick, fish cannot become helicopters; Scott Stapp, lead singer and chief arm-spreader in the band Creed, deeply disagrees and even sings a song entitled “Marlins Will Soar.” This song is apparently about how marlins can turn into helicopters while playing baseball and even fly to the World Series if they are sufficiently optimistic. This week’s Toybox Hero Tournament pits a pig against a magical object from Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. The pig-versus-Potter conflict is so intense that confusion reigns until a song from Cher shows up on the deck of a ship in the deep ocean to render a verdict. The result is bacon.  The new cover art for this season was created by Dani Wallace (daniwallace.myportfolio.com).    This Week’s Guest J. V. Fesko presently serves at Reformed Theological Seminary (Jackson) as Professor of Systematic and Historical Theology.  He is an ordained minister in the Orthodox Presbyterian Church and has served in church planting, pastoral ministry, and teaching for more than twenty years. Fesko has authored or edited more than twenty books and written fifty published essays for various journals and books. You can find out more about Fesko at his personal blog, Reformed Theology.   Links to Click B and H Academic Theology of the Reformers: book by Timothy George Reforming Apologetics: book by J. V. Fesko Nature and Scripture: essay by Cornelius Van Til Post-Reformation Reformed Dogmatics: 4-volume work by Richard Muller Lectures on Calvinism: lectures by Abraham Kuyper Reformed Theology The Long Shadow of Racism in America: article by Timothy Paul Jones The Gospel and the Pursuit of Justice in Your City: article by Jamaal Williams, Timothy Paul Jones, and Jarvis Williams Permanent Waves: album by Rush Freewill: song by Rush Does God Know the Future?: interview with Thomas Flint True Spirituality: book by Francis Schaeffer SBTS Preview Day Urban Ministry Podcast   How to Make Three Chords and the Truth More Amazing than It Already Is Support the show and spread the word! Here are a few ways to do that: 1. Subscribe to Three Chords and the Truth: The Apologetics Podcast: Apple / Android / RSS. 2. Leave a rating and review on iTunes to encourage other people to listen to the show. 3. If you purchase any of the books mentioned in Three Chords and the Truth, consider using the Amazon links provided in the show notes. The show will receive a small percentage of each sale. 4. Visit our Patreon site where you can support the podcast, suggest future songs or topics, and order Three Chords and the Truth merchandise. 5. Make contact with us on Twitter: @DrTimothyPJones  @GarrickBailey  @ApologeticsPod   The Closing Credits Three Chords and the Truth: The Apologetics Podcast thanks B&H Academic for their sponsorship. Music for the podcast has been licensed through Artlist.io and performed by Trent Thompson. Brief excerpts of music played in each program are included solely for the purposes of comment and critique as allowed under the fair-use provision of U.S. copyright law. “The fair use of a copyrighted work … for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, … scholarship, or research, is not an infringement of copyright” (U.S. Code § 107, Limitations on exclusive rights: Fair use).

Apologetics scholar Josh Chatraw joins your intrepid cohosts this week to talk about cross-centered apologetics, Augustine of Hippo, and what it takes to hang out with Tim Keller. Josh is the coauthor of several books, including Truth in a Culture of Doubt from B&H Academic. Along the way, Josh makes the mistake of revealing his longstanding affection for pseudo-saxophonist Kenny G, apparently unaware that Kenny G is Timothy’s least favorite musician. The ensuing kerfuffle threatens to eliminate Josh from the podcast. In the end, a reference to the Dave Matthews Band intervenes and saves the day.Davy Jones—no relation to Timothy, by the way, because British rock stardom is nowhere to be found in any branch of Timothy’s family tree—is the focus of the second half of this week’s podcast. But, of course, you don’t know him as Davy Jones; you know him as David Bowie—and as Ziggy Stardust, Aladdin Sane, and the Thin White Duke. Garrick also remembers him as the goblin king in the movie Labyrinth, but Timothy and Garrick end up having very different opinions about this particular film. (Also, why hasn’t there ever been a heavy metal band named “Labyrinth”?) In 1975, while recording his album Station to Station, David Bowie seriously considered Christianity. His song “Word on a Wing” encapsulates some of his spiritual struggles during this time. So what was it, from a human perspective, that kept Bowie from turning to Christ? That’s the question that Garrick and Timothy consider this week. Before the segment is over, you’ll also learn about Garrick’s odd fixation on Portuguese renditions of David Bowie’s songs and Timothy’s surreptitious purchase of stone-washed jeans when he was seventeen.This week’s Toy Box Hero Tournament is the toughest yet (but, then again, this is only the second one). A Lego AT-AT owned by Garrick’s son levels its blasters at a wizard bearing Hermione Granger’s wand—or, more precisely, an overpriced replica thereof, purchased at Universal Studios because, once in a while, Timothy does actually give in to his children. So which one of these two toys will win? Find out in this week’s episode of Three Chords and the Truth: The Apologetics Podcast!   This Week’s Guest Joshua Chatraw is the director of New City Fellows at the Center for Public Christianity and resident theologian at Holy Trinity Anglican Church in Raleigh, North Carolina. Some of his books include Apologetics at the Cross (co-authored with Mark Allen) and Truth in a Culture of Doubt (co-authored with Andreas Köstenberger and Darrell Bock). You can find out more about Josh and the Center for Public Christianity at https://centerforpublicchristianity.org/.   Links to Click B and H Academic Truth in a Culture of Doubt: book by Andreas Köstenberger, Darrell Bock, and Josh Chatraw Apologetics at the Cross: book by Josh Chatraw and Mark Allen The City of God: book by Augustine The History of Apologetics (June 2020): book by Benjamin Forrest, Josh Chatraw, and Alister McGrath Telling a Better Story: book by Josh Chatraw Labyrinth (1986 Film) Word on a Wing: song by David Bowie Ziggy Stardust: song by David Bowie Space Oddity: song by David Bowie Bus Stop: song by David Bowie and Tin Machine God Knows I'm Good: song by David Bowie Lazarus: song by David Bowie SBTS Virtual Preview Day Urban Ministry Podcast   How to Make Three Chords and the Truth More Amazing than It Already Is Support the show and spread the word! Here are a few ways to do that: 1. Subscribe to Three Chords and the Truth: The Apologetics Podcast: Apple / Android / RSS. 2. Leave a rating and review on iTunes to encourage other people to listen to the show. 3. If you purchase any of the books mentioned in Three Chords and the Truth, consider using the Amazon links provided in the show notes. The show will receive a small percentage of each sale. 4. Visit our Patreon site where you can support the podcast, suggest future songs or topics, and order Three Chords and the Truth merchandise. 5. Make contact with us on Twitter: @DrTimothyPJones  @GarrickBailey  @ApologeticsPod   The Closing Credits Three Chords and the Truth: The Apologetics Podcast thanks B&H Academic for their sponsorship. Music for the podcast has been licensed through Artlist.io and performed by Trent Thompson. Brief excerpts of music played in each program are included solely for the purposes of comment and critique as allowed under the fair-use provision of U.S. copyright law. “The fair use of a copyrighted work … for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, … scholarship, or research, is not an infringement of copyright” (U.S. Code § 107, Limitations on exclusive rights: Fair use).

Many apologies for the poor audio quality in some portions of this week's podcast; when this episode was recorded, Timothy and Garrick were still working on different solutions for recording the podcast while socially distanced. It's a new season of Three Chords and the Truth: The Apologetics Podcast, and Garrick and Timothy are serious about social distancing. They are, in fact, so serious about being socially distant that they've installed a mile-wide river to separate them. In the first half of this earthshaking season premiere, your intrepid cohosts discuss a recent article in Christianity Today entitled "Is the Coronavirus Evil?" The answer given in the article is "no," and the author argues that such calamities and their causes are good. According to Garrick and Timothy and pretty much every theologian in the history of Christianity, however, the answer is "yes," because calamities of this sort are a result of the sin of Adam and Eve. Before it's all over, a battle ensues in which Augustine of Hippo, Herman Bavinck, and Karl Barth unite to defeat not only this errant article but also armchair theologian and wrestler Hulk Hogan. To do this, it becomes necessary for Timothy to explain a philosophical concept known as "surd evil." Also, "Surd" would be a great name for a band. The devil himself shows up in the second half of this week's episode. That’s because the dynamic duo tackles the classic hit "Sympathy for the Devil" by the Rolling Stones. In the process of explaining what Mick Jagger got right and wrong in the lyrics of this song, Garrick and Timothy also discuss such pressing dilemmas as why Satan chose to take the form of a serpent instead of a cat in the Garden of Eden. With the tragic loss of the Infinity Gauntlet at the end of last season—may our treasured friend from Season 1 rest in peace with the fan to whom we sent it—it became necessary to come up with something even more absurd than drawing random questions about fictional universes from a plastic glove. This was difficult, but not too difficult because Garrick and Timothy are veritable experts when it comes to random absurdities. And so, this week represents the inaugural Toy Box Hero Tournament, in which your cohosts steal toys from their children and force these toys into duels that result in the death of one toy or maybe just in a lot of pointless arguments. This week, it's a battle between Captain America's shield and a Lite-Brite, because that somehow made sense at the time. The new cover art for this season was created by Dani Wallace (daniwallace.myportfolio.com), and Garrick and Timothy are giving away notebooks with this logo on them. Listen to the episode to discover how to win. Many apologies for the poor audio quality in some portions of this week's podcast; when this episode was recorded, Timothy was still working on different solutions for recording the podcast while socially distanced. Links to Click B and H Academic The Problem of Evil: book by Jeremy Evans Is the Coronavirus Evil?: article by Daniel Harrell The City of God: book by Augustine of Hippo How Can a Good God Allow Evil in the World?: podcast episode with Eric Johnson Sympathy for the Devil: song by The Rolling Stones Yer Blues (Remastered 2009): song by The Beatles Rollin' Stone: song by Muddy Waters The Prodigal Son: song by Robert Wilkins SBTS Virtual Preview Day The Urban Ministry Podcast ThreeChordsApologetics.com How to Make Three Chords and the Truth More Amazing than It Already Is Support the show and spread the word! Here are a few ways to do that: 1. Subscribe to Three Chords and the Truth: The Apologetics Podcast: Apple / Android / RSS. 2. Leave a rating and review on iTunes to encourage other people to listen to the show. 3. If you purchase any of the books mentioned in Three Chords and the Truth, consider using the Amazon links provided in the show notes. The show will receive a small percentage of each sale. 4. Visit our Patreon site where you can support the podcast, suggest future songs or topics, and order Three Chords and the Truth merchandise. 5. Contact us on Twitter: @DrTimothyPJones  @GarrickBailey  @ApologeticsPod   The Closing Credits Three Chords and the Truth: The Apologetics Podcast thanks B&H Academic for their sponsorship. Theme music for the podcast has been licensed through Artlist.io and performed by Trent Thompson. Brief excerpts of music played in each program are included solely for the purposes of comment and critique as allowed under the fair-use provision of U.S. copyright law. “The fair use of a copyrighted work … for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, … scholarship, or research, is not an infringement of copyright” (U.S. Code § 107, Limitations on exclusive rights: Fair use). 

Welcome to the final episode of season one of Three Chords and the Truth: The Apologetics Podcast! This week's podcast includes paganism, the Piano Man, and the most daring giveaway ever attempted on any human podcast.   Pagan parallels are the theme of the first half. Even in ancient times, pagan philosophers claimed that Christians had “used pagan myths in fabricating the story of a virgin conception.” So is it possible that the miraculous conception of Jesus was plagiarized from pagan parallels? That’s the excellent adventure that Garrick and Timothy undertake in the first half.     In the second half, Garrick and Timothy search for spiritual truth in the song “We Didn’t Start the Fire” by Billy Joel. In the process, everyone is shocked to discover that Billy Joel's piano playing makes Garrick a cultured person and---as the truth is revealed about Garrick's first dance with his wife---maybe even slightly romantic. And then, as if things couldn't get any more awkward, the question from the Infinity Gauntlet is mostly about cuteness. Timothy has expertise in family ministry and in history and in movies where lots of things explode; he also knows about guitars and Greek. But Timothy has no expertise whatsoever in cuteness. And thus, because the Infinity Gauntlet has malfunctioned by spawning a question about cuteness, it must be given away. Otherwise, it might attempt at some point in the future to make Timothy answer questions about topics like My Little Pony and Rainbow Brite, which could irreparably rip the space-time continuum. This terrible recognition forces Garrick and Timothy to formulate one of the most daring giveaways ever attempted in the history of podcasting: Your intrepid cohosts are giving away the Infinity Gauntlet, along with at least ten copies of the new edition of Timothy's book Perspectives on Family Ministry. Listen to this week's episode to find out how to win.   If you listen to the end, you'll also hear a song written by Timothy Paul Jones and recorded with his band Encomia during the infamous illegal recording sessions in an abandoned house in Manhattan, Kansas in the spring of 1993. The title of the song is “The Lottery.” This particular song was partly inspired by Shirley Jackson’s short story of the same name, and the lyrics were written from the perspective of a dying victim of abortion.   Subscribe to Three Chords and the Truth: The Apologetics Podcast: Apple / Android / RSS. In this Episode Timothy Paul Jones, Ph.D., is C. Edwin Gheens Professor of Christian Family Ministry at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He teaches in the areas of family ministry and applied apologetics. He has authored or edited more than a dozen books, including Why Should I Trust the Bible?; The God Who Goes Before You; Perspectives on Family Ministry; and Christian History Made Easy. Follow Dr. Jones at @DrTimothyPJones. Questions to Discuss 1. Skeptics claim that the story of Jesus is not only false; it is actually borrowed from earlier pagan beliefs. What do we mean when we say that the pagan parallels aren't really parallel? 2. What about the parallel of Mithras? Are there other supposed parallels between Jesus and Mithras? 3. In what ways do pagan parallels sometimes confuse the historical claims of the New Testament with later Christian practices? 4. Let’s suppose for a moment that some patterns that were present in the life of Jesus could be found in some previous religion. Would this weaken the historical foundations of the Christian faith, as critics claim? 5. Why shouldn't we worry that the date of Christmas may have pagan origins? Links to Click If you want to learn more about pursuing kingdom diversity and racial reconciliation, one great place to start is For God So Loved the World: A Blueprint for Kingdom Diversity, written by Walter Strickland and Dayton Hartman. To download a sample chapter, visit http://www.bhacademic.com B and H Academic The Religion of the Mithras Cult in the Roman Empire: book by Roger Beck The Roman Cult of Mithras: book by Manfred Clauss God in the Dock: book by C. S. Lewis Contra Celsum: book by Origen of Alexandria "We Didn't Start the Fire": song by Billy Joel "She's Got a Way": song by Billy Joel "Piano Man": song by Billy Joel "Smells Like Teen Spirit": song by Nirvana "Celebration at the Berlin Wall": clip from ABC News ThreeChordsApologetics.com If you are interested in earning a master’s degree online or on campus that will equip you with the most comprehensive apologetics training available anywhere, go to http://www.sbts.edu/bgs/degree-programs/mdiv/apologetics/ How to Make Three Chords and the Truth More Amazing than It Already Is Support the show and spread the word! Here are a few ways to do that: 1. Subscribe to Three Chords and the Truth: The Apologetics Podcast: Apple / Android / RSS. 2. Leave a rating and review on iTunes to encourage other people to listen to the show. 3. If you purchase any of the books mentioned in Three Chords and the Truth, consider using the Amazon links provided in the show notes. The show will receive a small percentage of each sale. 4. Visit our Patreon site where you can support the podcast, suggest future songs or topics, and order Three Chords and the Truth merchandise. 5. Make contact with us on Twitter: @DrTimothyPJones  @GarrickBailey  @ApologeticsPod The Closing Credits Three Chords and the Truth: The Apologetics Podcast thanks B&H Academic for their sponsorship. Music for the podcast has been licensed through Artlist.io and performed by the band Vegan Friendly—even though neither Garrick nor Timothy has ever been vegan friendly. Brief excerpts of music played in each program are included solely for the purposes of comment and critique as allowed under the fair-use provision of U.S. copyright law. "The fair use of a copyrighted work ... for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, ... scholarship, or research, is not an infringement of copyright" (U.S. Code § 107, Limitations on exclusive rights: Fair use).

On May 25, 1977, a young filmmaker named George Lucas released a space fantasy that he had simply titled Star Wars. Three years later, Lucas expanded the title to Star Wars: Episode IV: A New Hope and it became clear that this movie was one small segment of a far larger story. Over the past four decades, this story has developed into one of the most influential cultural phenomena of the modern era. Now, with the release of Star Wars: Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker, the saga that began In 1977 has drawn to a end—and what an ending it is! In this special episode of Three Chords and the Truth: The Apologetics Podcast, Garrick Bailey and Timothy Paul Jones take a theological look at the latest and the last installment in the Skywalker saga that George Lucas launched more than four decades ago. Subscribe to Three Chords and the Truth: The Apologetics Podcast: Apple / Android / RSS. Questions to Discuss about Star Wars: Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker 1. How does redemption take place within the worldview of Star Wars? 2. Characters in Star Wars frequently describe their ideal as “balance” between the dark and light sides of the Force. Yet, in the end, victory is not achieved through balance but through a victory of light over darkness. What does this tell you about the inadequacy of Eastern views of salvation? 3. What does the change in Rey’s perception of her own identity reveal about humanity’s awareness of our need for redemption through adoption?  4. Why do stormtroopers aim their blasters so poorly? How could sandpeople possibly be worse shots than stormtroopers? Links to Click B and H Academic Finding God in a Galaxy Far Far Away: book by Timothy Paul Jones Star Wars: Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker: The Visual Dictionary: visual guide to Star Wars: Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker Star Wars: The Complete Saga: movie series originally by George Lucas Star Wars Party: album by Meco ThreeChordsApologetics.com If you are interested in earning a master’s degree online or on campus that will equip you with the most comprehensive apologetics training available anywhere, go here. How to Make Three Chords and the Truth More Amazing than It Already Is Support the show and spread the word! Here are a few ways to do that: 1. Subscribe to Three Chords and the Truth: The Apologetics Podcast (Apple / Android / RSS). 2. Leave a rating and review on iTunes to encourage other people to listen to the show. 3. If you purchase any of the books mentioned on Three Chords and the Truth, consider using the Amazon links provided in the show notes. The show will receive a small percentage of each sale. 4. Visit our Patreon site where you can support the podcast, suggest future songs or topics, and order Three Chords and the Truth merchandise. 5. Make contact with us on Twitter: @DrTimothyPJones @GarrickBailey @ApologeticsPod The Closing Credits Three Chords and the Truth: The Apologetics Podcast thanks B&H Academic for their sponsorship. Music for the podcast has been licensed through Artlist.io and performed by the band Vegan Friendly—even though neither Garrick nor Timothy has ever been vegan friendly. Brief excerpts of music played in this program are included solely for the purposes of comment and critique as allowed under the fair-use provision of U.S. copyright law. "The fair use of a copyrighted work ... for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, ... scholarship, or research, is not an infringement of copyright" (U.S. Code § 107, Limitations on exclusive rights: Fair use).

This week’s episode covers the birth of Jesus, death, resurrection, and everything in between! It’s only a few days until Christmas 2019—a celebration which, this year, Timothy has very helpfully renamed “The Star Wars: Episode IX After Party.” At some point between now and Christmas Day, millions of people throughout the world will hear these words from the New Testament: “It came to pass in those days that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed. And this taxing was first made when Quirinius was governor of Syria” (Luke 2). But there’s a problem with these words: According to records from Roman history, it seems that Quirinius didn’t become governor of Syria until almost ten years after Jesus was born. So what do we do with this apparent discrepancy in the governorship of Quirinius? In the first half of this episode, esteemed New Testament scholar Robert Plummer joins Garrick and Timothy to put an end to this perplexing problem once and for all. Along the way, Dr. Plummer also displays the multifaceted nature of his knowledge by delivering a death blow to the dilemma that bursts from the bowels of the Infinity Gauntlet this week: Which is more powerful, Luke Skywalker’s lightsaber or Captain America’s shield? In the end, a scene from Monty Python and the Holy Grail provides the answer that we’ve all been waiting for. In the second half of the program, your intrepid cohosts go back to Genesis—the band from the 1980s, not the book in the Bible. In the first chapter of Genesis, they find Mike Rutherford, a genius who was involved in the genesis not only of Genesis but also of Mike + the Mechanics. After listening to “The Living Years” by Mike + the Mechanics, Garrick and Timothy explore what’s right and what’s wrong with some of the most popular perspectives on death, resurrection, and the afterlife. Nearly all of the dynamic duo’s favorite theologians manage to show up along the way: Augustine of Hippo, Herman Bavinck, C.S. Lewis, and—of course—the most excellent time-traveling rock’n’roll philosopher-theologians of the 1980s, Bill and Ted.   Subscribe to Three Chords and the Truth: The Apologetics Podcast: Apple / Android / RSS.   In this Episode Robert Plummer, Ph.D., is professor of New Testament interpretation at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and host of the Daily Dose of Greek screencast. He is the author or co-author of several books, including Going Deeper with New Testament Greek (B&H, 2016) and 40 Questions about Interpreting the Bible (Kregel, 2010). Follow Dr. Plummer on Twitter at @dailygreek. Questions to Discuss about Quirinius 1. Quirinius became the governor of Syria around the year 6 A.D. During that time, there was a well-known census that resulted in a revolt, but Jesus wasn’t born during that time. Jesus was born around the year 4 B.C., when King Herod was still alive. How was Jesus Christ born around four years B.C.—“Before Christ”? 2. How should a Christian respond when history outside the Bible seems to contradict the Bible? 3. One possibility suggested by scholars is that Luke made a mistake. What are the strengths and weaknesses of this possibility? 4. Another possibility suggested by scholars that the word translated “first” should be translated “before.” So, this text should be translated: “And this was the census before the census when Quirinius was governor of Syria.” What are the strengths and weaknesses of this possibility? 5. What solution do you find most compelling? Links to Click If you want to learn more about New Testament Greek, one great place to start is Going Deeper with New Testament Greek, co-authored by Robert L Plummer. To download a sample chapter, visit http://www.bhacademic.com B and H Academic Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back: movie by George Lucas Star Wars: Episode VIII: The Last Jedi: movie by Rian Johnson Die Hard: movie by John McTiernan Elf: movie by Jon Favreau Immortality of the soul; Or, Resurrection of the Dead?: book by Oscar Cullman "In The Air Tonight": song by Phil Collins "All I Need is A Miracle": song by Mike + The Mechanics "The Living Years": song by Mike + The Mechanics Bill and Ted Philosophize with Socrates: clip from Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure ThreeChordsApologetics.com If you are interested in earning a master’s degree online or on campus that will equip you with the most comprehensive apologetics training available anywhere, go to http://www.sbts.edu/bgs/degree-programs/mdiv/apologetics/ How to Make Three Chords and the Truth More Amazing than It Already Is Support the show and spread the word! Here are a few ways to do that: 1. Subscribe to Three Chords and the Truth: The Apologetics Podcast: Apple / Android / RSS. 2. Leave a rating and review on iTunes to encourage other people to listen to the show. 3. If you purchase any of the books mentioned in Three Chords and the Truth, consider using the Amazon links provided in the show notes. The show will receive a small percentage of each sale. 4. Visit our Patreon site where you can support the podcast, suggest future songs or topics, and order Three Chords and the Truth merchandise. 5. Make contact with us on Twitter: @DrTimothyPJones  @GarrickBailey  @ApologeticsPod The Closing Credits Three Chords and the Truth: The Apologetics Podcast thanks B&H Academic for their sponsorship. Music for the podcast has been licensed through Artlist.io and performed by the band Vegan Friendly—even though neither Garrick nor Timothy has ever been vegan friendly. Brief excerpts of music played in each program are included solely for the purposes of comment and critique as allowed under the fair-use provision of U.S. copyright law. "The fair use of a copyrighted work ... for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, ... scholarship, or research, is not an infringement of copyright" (U.S. Code § 107, Limitations on exclusive rights: Fair use).

Welcome to the illegal episode of Three Chords and the Truth: The Apologetics Podcast! This episode commemorates two illegal acts, both of which were captured on tape and involved live rock and roll. The first of these two acts happened in 1987 when Paul “Bono” Hewson vandalized a public sculpture with spray-paint during U2’s Save the Yuppies concert in San Francisco. The second illegal act took place six years later, in 1993, when Timothy Paul “Definitely Not Bono” Jones rehearsed and recorded music in a condemned house on Fairchild Avenue in Manhattan, Kansas. One of the cassettes that Timothy’s band recorded there has been unearthed to provide the closing song for this week’s episode. Despite the flagrant illegalities in the second half of this week’s program, the first half manages to remain completely licit, lawful, and full of C.S. Lewis. That’s due solely to the heroic efforts of Dr. Dan DeWitt, director of the Center for Biblical Apologetics and Public Christianity at Cedarville University. Dr. DeWitt—artist, author, and all-around very legal person—helps us to understand why the apologetics methods employed by C.S. Lewis still matter today. The question that Dr. DeWitt faces from the Infinity Gauntlet is a DC and Marvel mashup that throws the most righteous superhero in each universe into a battle that will shatter one of them forever or until the next reboot. But then we get to the second half of the program, and everything pretty much goes to heck in a herd of hand-baskets. Bono’s illegal act in San Francisco triggers not only a citation for violating California Penal Code 594PC but also an exploration of the eschatology of U2’s cover of “All Along the Watchtower,” the very song that gave this podcast its name. But, even though it was Bono who added the words “three chords and the truth” to Bob Dylan’s “All Along the Watchtower,” it wasn’t Bono who coined this phrase in the first place. “Three chords and the truth” can be traced back to one of the greatest composers in the history of country and western music, Harlan Howard. This excursion into music history leads to some unexpected links to soul artist Curtis Mayfield and to Ms. “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” herself, Cyndi Lauper. After an exploration of the differences between the eschatologies of Bono and Bob Dylan, the sordid story of Timothy’s illegal rehearsals emerges and forever besmirches his previously-pristine reputation. Subscribe to Three Chords and the Truth: The Apologetics Podcast: Apple / Android / RSS. In this Episode Dan DeWitt, Ph.D., is associate professor of applied theology and apologetics and the director of the Center for Biblical Apologetics and Public Christianity at Cedarville University. Before joining the faculty of Cedarville University, Dr. Dan DeWitt served in academic and pastoral roles as Lead Pastor of the Campus Church of Highview Baptist Church, and as Dean of Boyce College. He is the author of several books, including Why God?, Life in the Wild, and Christ or Chaos. Follow Dr. DeWitt at @DanDeWitt. Questions to Discuss 1. Who was C.S. Lewis? 2. How has C.S. Lewis influenced your life? 3. What are some of C.S. Lewis' strongest apologetic arguments? Links to Click If you want to learn more about apologetics, one great place to start is Passionate Conviction, edited by William Lane Craig. To download a sample chapter, visit http://www.bhacademic.com B and H Academic "C.S. Lewis": website by HarperCollins Publishers Surprised by Joy: book by C.S. Lewis  The Problem of Pain: book by C.S. Lewis The Screwtape Letters: book by C.S. Lewis Miracles: book by C.S. Lewis "Sixty Seconds in Kingdom Come": song by U2 "All Along the Watch Tower": song by Bob Dylan "All Along the Watch Tower": song by U2 "Pride (In the Name of Love)": song by U2 "Heartaches by the Number": song by Cyndi Lauper "People Get Ready": song by Curtis Mayfield & The Impressions ThreeChordsApologetics.com If you are interested in earning a master’s degree online or on campus that will equip you with the most comprehensive apologetics training available anywhere, go to http://www.sbts.edu/bgs/degree-programs/mdiv/apologetics/ How to Make Three Chords and the Truth More Amazing than It Already Is Support the show and spread the word! Here are a few ways to do that: 1. Subscribe to Three Chords and the Truth: The Apologetics Podcast: Apple / Android / RSS. 2. Leave a rating and review on iTunes to encourage other people to listen to the show. 3. If you purchase any of the books mentioned in Three Chords and the Truth, consider using the Amazon links provided in the show notes. The show will receive a small percentage of each sale. 4. Visit our Patreon site where you can support the podcast, suggest future songs or topics, and order Three Chords and the Truth merchandise. 5. Make contact with us on Twitter: @DrTimothyPJones  @GarrickBailey  @ApologeticsPod The Closing Credits Three Chords and the Truth: The Apologetics Podcast thanks B&H Academic for their sponsorship. Music for the podcast has been licensed through Artlist.io and performed by the band Vegan Friendly—even though neither Garrick nor Timothy has ever been vegan friendly. Brief excerpts of music played in each program are included solely for the purposes of comment and critique as allowed under the fair-use provision of U.S. copyright law. "The fair use of a copyrighted work ... for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, ... scholarship, or research, is not an infringement of copyright" (U.S. Code § 107, Limitations on exclusive rights: Fair use).  

Welcome to the creed episode of Three Chords and the Truth! But don’t worry: we are not talking about the band Creed. (In case you’ve forgotten, Creed was the 1990s band whose videos were filled with embarrassingly-bad CGI and scenes in which the lead vocalist apparently couldn’t keep himself from flailing his arms wide open for most of the song.) Despite Garrick’s best efforts to focus the entire episode on the band Creed, Timothy manages to maintain sufficient focus to discuss both the Apostles’ Creed and a new secular creed. You’ve probably seen this new secular creed on a yard sign somewhere in your city: “In this house, we believe that black lives matter, women’s rights are human rights, no human is illegal, science is real, love is love, and kindness is everything.” Garrick and Timothy explore what’s wrong, what’s right, and what doesn’t make sense at all about this secular creed. In the process, they discover that even secular people will always create creeds because every human being is created for creeds. Not only are we created for creeds as human beings, but we’re also wired for worship. Worship is the theme of the music segment this week, and U2 is the star—which is fortunate because, if this week’s song hadn’t been from a band as great as U2, Garrick would have insisted on spending the entire hour talking about Creed. Along the way, Garrick and Timothy reveal the origins of the name “U2” and discover a band called “the Virgin Prunes” that was nearly renamed “the Deuteronomy Prunes.” Your intrepid cohosts unanimously conclude that “Virgin Prunes” and “Deuteronomy Prunes” are two of the worst possible names for a band—although, if the name had been re-styled as “Deütërönömÿ Prünës” so that it had more umlauts than Mötley Crüe it might actually have worked in the 1980s. John Calvin, Friedrich Schleiermacher, and Herman Bavinck all make appearances as the dynamic duo tries to determine why U2’s song “Where the Streets Have No Name” triggers a sense of transcendence and worship within us. This week’s question from the Infinity Gauntlet pits one superhero who communicates with insects against another who’s been infected by a radioactive arachnid. In the end, no nip from an arachnid is sufficient to stand against the capacity to shrink and expand exponentially. Subscribe to Three Chords and the Truth: The Apologetics Podcast: Apple / Android / RSS.   In this Episode Timothy Paul Jones, Ph.D., is C. Edwin Gheens Professor of Christian Family Ministry at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He teaches in the areas of family ministry and applied apologetics. He has authored or edited more than a dozen books, including Why Should I Trust the Bible?; The God Who Goes Before You; Perspectives on Family Ministry; and Christian History Made Easy. Follow Dr. Jones at @DrTimothyPJones. Questions to Discuss 1. What do creeds have to do with apologetics? 2. What does "holy catholic church" mean in the Apostles' Creed? 3. Why do people create creeds, even if they don’t believe in God? Links to Click If you want to learn more about confessions of faith, one great place to start is Baptist Confessions, Covenants, and Catechisms by Timothy & Denise George. To download a sample chapter, visit http://www.bhacademic.com B and H Academic Creeds of Christendom: book by Philip Schaff When Children Became People: book by Odd Magne Bakke Scientism and Secularism: book by J.P. Moreland Where the Conflict Really Lies: book by Alvin Plantinga Let the Trumpet Sound: book by Stephen B. Oates Commentary on Romans: book by John Calvin "The Earliest Christian Confession about the Resurrection": podcast episode by Timothy Paul Jones and Garrick Bailey The Joshua Tree: album by U2 "What's This Life For": song by Creed "Creed": song by Third Day "Where the Streets Have No Name": song by U2 "Out of Control": song by U2 "Sunday Bloody Sunday": song by U2 "Bullet the Blue Sky": song by U2 “Where the Streets Have No Name (Live)”: song by U2 from U2360 Tour ThreeChordsApologetics.com If you are interested in earning a master’s degree online or on campus that will equip you with the most comprehensive apologetics training available anywhere, go to http://www.sbts.edu/bgs/degree-programs/mdiv/apologetics/ How to Make Three Chords and the Truth More Amazing than It Already Is Support the show and spread the word! Here are a few ways to do that: 1. Subscribe to Three Chords and the Truth: The Apologetics Podcast: Apple / Android / RSS. 2. Leave a rating and review on iTunes to encourage other people to listen to the show. 3. If you purchase any of the books mentioned in Three Chords and the Truth, consider using the Amazon links provided in the show notes. The show will receive a small percentage of each sale. 4. Visit our Patreon site where you can support the podcast, suggest future songs or topics, and order Three Chords and the Truth merchandise. 5. Make contact with us on Twitter: @DrTimothyPJones  @GarrickBailey  @ApologeticsPod The Closing Credits Three Chords and the Truth: The Apologetics Podcast thanks B&H Academic for their sponsorship. Music for the podcast has been licensed through Artlist.io and performed by the band Vegan Friendly—even though neither Garrick nor Timothy has ever been vegan friendly. Brief excerpts of music played in each program are included solely for the purposes of comment and critique as allowed under the fair-use provision of U.S. copyright law. "The fair use of a copyrighted work ... for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, ... scholarship, or research, is not an infringement of copyright" (U.S. Code § 107, Limitations on exclusive rights: Fair use).

How can a good God allow so much evil and suffering in the world? And why do some people seem to suffer so much more than others? According to a recent survey of college students, the problem of evil is the question about Christianity that college students find most difficult to answer. This week, Dr. Eric Johnson joins Garrick and Timothy to discuss the difficult question of how to respond when suffering seems to stand in the way of someone's trust in God. The Eric Johnson who shows up on the program today is not—Timothy is slightly saddened to learn—the epic guitarist who plays “Cliffs of Dover.” He is, instead, a leading scholar who serves as director of the Gideon Institute of Christian Psychology and Counseling at Houston Baptist University. This week's query from the gauntlet that snapped away half of all life commandeers the Star Wars universe into mortal combat against Middle Earth. In the end, Lucasfilm falls on its face before the combined might of Mordor, Gondor, and Smeagol. In second half of this week's episode, Garrick pulls on his striped spandex and Timothy picks up his favorite aerosol hairspray in preparation for discussing one of the great hair metal bands of the 1980s, Stryper. This leads to a discussion of human freedom and divine sovereignty in the song "Free" from Stryper's 1986 album To Hell with the Devil. When Timothy shares what the backronym "S.T.R.Y.P.E.R." stands for, the dynamic duo can barely contain themselves; then, Timothy loses it completely when he discovers that Steve Perry is a favorite vocalist of Stryper's lead singer Michael Sweet, confirming once and for all that anything wonderful about the 1980s is only a degree or two removed from Steve Perry. (To quote Gamora in Guardians of the Galaxy, "It's just like Kevin Bacon!") In the end, your intrepid cohosts regain their focus just long enough to survey the question of humanity's freedom in salvation throughout the entirety of church history. Along the way, they manage to include not only music from Stryper but also from Led Zeppelin and maybe even Aerosmith. Also they discover an amazing new possible name for their band: "Pelagian Residue." Subscribe to Three Chords and the Truth: The Apologetics Podcast: Apple / Android / RSS. In this Episode Eric L. Johnson, Ph.D., is professor of Christian Psychology at Houston Baptist University. He has taught for almost 30 years and published more than 50 articles and two books on Christian psychology, Foundations for Soul Care and God and Soul Care. The founding director of the Society for Christian Psychology, he is the director of the Gideon Center of Christian Psychology and Counseling, a new Houston Baptist University program. Follow Dr. Johnson at @DrELJohnson. Questions to Discuss 1. Does the Epicurean Trilemma present a logical problem of evil? 2. In some sense, there are three problems of evil: logical, evidential, and existential. Alvin Plantinga’s book God, Freedom, and Evil dealt a death blow to the logical problem of evil. Our focus is the existential/pastoral problem of evil. What is most important to remember when someone is facing this? 3. In what sense can we say that God understands our struggles? Links to Click If you want to dig deeper into apologetics after listening to this podcast, one great place to start is Reasons for Our Hope by H. Wayne House and Dennis Jowers. To download a sample chapter, visit http://www.bhacademic.com B and H Academic Foundations for Soul Care: book by Eric Johnson God and Soul Care: book by Eric Johnson God, Freedom, and Evil: book by Alvin Plantinga "Sing-Along Song": song by Stryper "Cliffs of Dover Live": song by Eric Johnson "No Rain": song by Blind Melon "Here We Go!": song by Roger Wood "Don't Stop Believin'": song by Journey "More Than A Man": song by Stryper "Stairway to Heaven": song by Led Zeppelin "Love In An Elevator": song by Aerosmith "Free": song by Stryper To Hell with the Devil: album by Stryper ThreeChordsApologetics.com If you are interested in earning a master’s degree online or on campus that will equip you with the most comprehensive apologetics training available anywhere, go to http://www.sbts.edu/bgs/degree-programs/mdiv/apologetics/ How to Make Three Chords and the Truth More Amazing than It Already Is Support the show and spread the word! Here are a few ways to do that: 1. Subscribe to Three Chords and the Truth: The Apologetics Podcast: Apple / Android / RSS. 2. Leave a rating and review on iTunes to encourage other people to listen to the show. 3. If you purchase any of the books mentioned in Three Chords and the Truth, consider using the Amazon links provided in the show notes. The show will receive a small percentage of each sale. 4. Visit our Patreon site where you can support the podcast, suggest future songs or topics, and order Three Chords and the Truth merchandise. 5. Make contact with us on Twitter: @DrTimothyPJones  @GarrickBailey  @ApologeticsPod The Closing Credits Three Chords and the Truth: The Apologetics Podcast thanks B&H Academic for their sponsorship. Music for the podcast has been licensed through Artlist.io and performed by the band Vegan Friendly—even though neither Garrick nor Timothy has ever been vegan friendly. Brief excerpts of music played in each program are included solely for the purposes of comment and critique as allowed under the fair-use provision of U.S. copyright law. "The fair use of a copyrighted work ... for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, ... scholarship, or research, is not an infringement of copyright" (U.S. Code § 107, Limitations on exclusive rights: Fair use).

Finally, it’s the long-anticipated Van Halen episode, which manages to feature not only Eddie Van Halen and Alex Van Halen but also another important Dutch-born “Van”: Reformed theologian Cornelius Van Til! Plus, New Testament textual critics Elijah Hixson and Peter Gurry are back with us to discuss the mistakes that people defending the Christian faith tend to make when talking about the textual reliability of the Bible. Along the way, Timothy discusses a few of the errors he made in his book Misquoting Truth and reveals the sordid truth about why Garrick has been mysteriously absent for portions of the past two weeks.   The Infinity Gauntlet births a question to which the answer is slightly more obvious than it ought to be this week, but things take a radical turn for the better during the Truth segment in the second half. The focus of this week’s music segment is on the only Van Halen song that includes the words “Gospel” and “Scripture.” (No, you guessed wrong; it's not "Hot for Teacher." Try again!) This segment is packed with some of the greatest music of the twentieth century from one of the greatest guitarists in human history who has been accompanied by one of the greatest rock vocalists ever. (Hint: David Lee Roth is none of the above, at least according to Timothy.) As Garrick and Timothy explore the backstories of Van Halen and Sammy Hagar, the dynamic duo is delighted to discover yet another link to Journey vocalist Steve Perry, and it becomes increasingly apparent to our intrepid cohosts that everything great in 1980s rock and roll (and perhaps everything great in the entire twentieth century) connects somehow to Steve Perry. Also, there should totally be a Reformed hard rock band called “Van Til We Meet Again.” In this Episode Peter Gurry, Ph.D., is assistant professor of New Testament at Phoenix Seminary where he teaches courses in Greek Language and New Testament literature. His research interests range across Greek grammar, the history and formation of the Bible, and the history of New Testament scholarship. Gurry is the author of A Critical Examination of the Coherence-Based Genealogical Method in New Testament Textual Criticism and A New Approach to Textual Criticism: An Introduction to the Coherence-Based Genealogical Method (co-authored with Tommy Wasserman). Follow Dr. Gurry on Twitter at @pjgurry. Elijah Hixson, Ph.D., is research associate in New Testament Text and Language at Tyndale House, Cambridge, where he is working with Dirk Jongkind to produce a textual commentary on the Greek New Testament. Hixson is the author of Scribal Habits in Sixth-Century Greek Purple Codices and editor of Myths and Mistakes in New Testament Textual Criticism (co-edited with Peter Gurry). He has served as a tutor in biblical studies at the University of Edinburgh and has written articles for Journal of Theological Studies, Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society, and Lexham Bible Dictionary.   Questions to Discuss 1. What’s the primary point of this new book, Myths and Mistakes in New Testament Textual Criticism? 2. Here’s a claim that appears in one popular apologetics books: “Two factors are most important in determining the reliability of a historical document: the number of manuscript copies in existence, and the time between when it was first written and the oldest existing copy. When it comes to the New Testament, there are more than five thousand seven hundred Ancient Greek manuscripts in existence from as early as the second century A.D.” What about this statement is right, and what is wrong? 3. Here’s another common claim: “A fragment of John’s Gospel survives from 125 A.D., only three decades from the time the Gospel was written.” What is right and wrong about this claim? 4. What would you say to the apologist who is excited by all of this and who thinks they might want to become a textual critic?   Links to Click If you want to dig deeper into the historical integrity of the New Testament, one great place to start is In Defense of the Bible, edited by Terry Wilder and Steven Cowan. To download a sample chapter, visit http://www.bhacademic.com B and H Academic Reformed Dogmatics, volume 4: book by Herman Bavinck The Institutes of the Christian Religion: book by John Calvin Myths and Mistakes in New Testament Textual Criticism: book edited by Peter Gurry and Elijah Hixson Evidence That Demands a Verdict: book by Josh McDowell and Sean McDowell Reinventing Jesus: book by J. Ed Komoszewski, M. James Sawyer, and Daniel Wallace How We Got the Bible: book by Timothy Paul Jones Misquoting Truth: book by Timothy Paul Jones 5150: album by Van Halen The Best of Both Worlds: album by Van Halen Balance: album by Van Halen "Eruption": song by Van Halen "Running with the Devil": song by Van Halen "Love Walks In": song by Van Halen "I Can't Drive 55": song by Sammy Hagar "Give to Live": song by Sammy Hagar "When It's Love": song by Van Halen "Judgment Day": song by Van Halen "Learning to See": song by Van Halen "Affirmation": song by Sammy Hagar & The Circle ThreeChordsApologetics.com If you are interested in earning a master’s degree online or on campus that will equip you with the most comprehensive apologetics training available anywhere, click here.   How to Make Three Chords and the Truth More Amazing than It Already Is Support the show and spread the word! Here are a few ways to do that: 1. Subscribe to Three Chords and the Truth: The Apologetics Podcast: Apple / Android / RSS. 2. Leave a rating and review on iTunes to encourage other people to listen to the show. 3. If you purchase any of the books mentioned in Three Chords and the Truth, consider using the Amazon links provided in the show notes. The show will receive a small percentage of each sale. 4. Visit our Patreon site where you can support the podcast, suggest future songs or topics, and order Three Chords and the Truth merchandise. 5. Make contact with us on Twitter: @DrTimothyPJones  @GarrickBailey  @ApologeticsPod   The Closing Credits Three Chords and the Truth: The Apologetics Podcast thanks B&H Academic for their sponsorship. Music for the podcast has been licensed through Artlist.io and performed by the band Vegan Friendly—even though neither Garrick nor Timothy has ever been vegan friendly. Brief excerpts of music played in each program are included solely for the purposes of comment and critique as allowed under the fair-use provision of U.S. copyright law. "The fair use of a copyrighted work ... for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, ... scholarship, or research, is not an infringement of copyright" (U.S. Code § 107, Limitations on exclusive rights: Fair use).

Has the Bible been copied accurately? Skeptics such as biblical scholar Dr. Bart Ehrman have suggested that it wasn’t. According to Bart Ehrman's book Misquoting Jesus, it makes no sense for Christians to refer to the Bible as God's inspired Word "because we no longer possess the words that God supposedly inspired. ... All that we have are error-ridden copies" far removed from the original texts. In the first half of this episode, two scholars in the field of textual criticism join Garrick and Timothy to talk about the reliability of the text of the New Testament. Peter Gurry is assistant professor of New Testament and co-director of the Text and Canon Institute at Phoenix Seminary; Elijah Hixson is a research assistant at Tyndale House in Cambridge. During the interview, Elijah shares the amazing story of how he discovered a lost snippet of Greek text in the fifth-century manuscript Codex Bezae. A biblical theology of the city is the theme of the second half of this episode. While setting the stage for a theology of the city, your intrepid cohosts recognize that 1986 was the greatest year ever for rock and roll, and they explore the very first tune that Timothy heard when he went searching for rock and roll. That song was "You Belong to the City," written and recorded in 1985 for the soundtrack of Miami Vice. In the process of exploring the meaning and purpose of the city, Garrick and Timothy also define "fundamentalism" and discover that—despite Timothy's best efforts—rock and roll music is incapable of boiling an egg. More seriously and far more importantly, Garrick and Timothy discuss the impact of the crack epidemic and disproportionate incarceration on African-American communities in the inner city. This episode is also a wild and reckless celebration of the lost art of mispronunciation! Before the episode was recorded, Timothy said to Garrick, "When this song was on the radio in Kansas in the 1980s, I'm pretty sure that the disc jockey pronounced the artist's last name like 'fry.'" After the recording was over, it was discovered that Timothy was slightly right but mostly wrong. That is indeed the way the name was being pronounced in the corn and soybean kingdom of Kansas in 1986, but it's not the correct pronunciation of Glenn Frey's latter nomen, which is in fact pronounced "fray"---less like a fried strip of tuber that you dip in catsup and more like what happens to the hemline of Garrick's cargo slacks when he spends too much time practicing the moonwalk on the front porch of the chapel at Southern Seminary. This week's question from the Infinity Gauntlet erupts into a deadly duel between Luke Skywalker and Harry Potter, and we deal with a deep and difficult dilemma of vital importance for the daily life of every listener: Can a non-magical weapon block a magical curse? The results of our discussion leave Luke Skywalker lying on the floor of the Death Star with a lightning-shaped scar on his forehead, whining about how he never got to go to Tosche Station with Ron and Hermione even though he finished his chores and saved the galaxy. Also "Tosche Station" would be a great name for a band. Subscribe to Three Chords and the Truth: The Apologetics Podcast: Apple / Android / RSS.   In this Episode Peter Gurry, Ph.D., is assistant professor of New Testament at Phoenix Seminary where he teaches courses in Greek Language and New Testament literature. His research interests range across Greek grammar, the history and formation of the Bible, and the history of New Testament scholarship. Gurry is the author of A Critical Examination of the Coherence-Based Genealogical Method in New Testament Textual Criticism and A New Approach to Textual Criticism: An Introduction to the Coherence-Based Genealogical Method (co-authored with Tommy Wasserman). Follow Dr. Gurry on Twitter at @pjgurry. Elijah Hixson, Ph.D., is research associate in New Testament Text and Language at Tyndale House, Cambridge, where he is working with Dirk Jongkind to produce a textual commentary on the Greek New Testament. Hixson is the author of Scribal Habits in Sixth-Century Greek Purple Codices and coeditor with Peter Gurry of Myths and Mistakes in New Testament Textual Criticism. He has served as a tutor in biblical studies at the University of Edinburgh and has written articles for Journal of Theological Studies, Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society, and Lexham Bible Dictionary. Questions to Discuss 1. What is textual criticism?  2. One of the questions that Bart Ehrman asks in Misquoting Jesus is, “How does it help us to say that the Bible is the inerrant word of God if in fact we don’t have the words that God inerrantly inspired but only the words copied by the scribes—sometimes correctly but sometimes (many times!) incorrectly?” How would you respond to that question? 3. Bart Ehrman also makes the claim that “there are more variations among our manuscripts than there are words in the New Testament.” Is Ehrman’s claim true and, if it is, should it worry us? Links to Click If you want to dig deeper into the historical integrity of the New Testament, one great place to start is In Defense of the Bible, edited by Terry Wilder and Steven Cowan. To download a sample chapter, visit http://www.bhacademic.com B and H Academic Misquoting Jesus: book by Bart Ehrman "A Lost Page of Codex Bezae": article by Elijah Hixson "The Digital Recovery of a Lost Page of Codex Bezae": article by Elijah Hixson "A Theology of Cities": article by Tim Keller Shelby Park: neighborhood in Louisville  Sojourn Church Midtown: church in Shelby Park The Color of Law: book by Richard Rothstein The New Jim Crow: book by Michelle Alexander The City of God: book by Augustine of Hippo "Miami Vice Theme": soundtrack by Jan Hammer "You Belong to the City": song by Glenn Frey "Livin' On A Prayer": song by Bon Jovi "Danger Zone": song by Kenny Loggins "Don't Stop Believin'": song by Journey "Hotel California": song by the Eagles "Take It Easy": song by the Eagles "Tequila Sunrise": song by the Eagles "Crooked Ways": song by Propaganda "It's Not Working": song by Propaganda ThreeChordsApologetics.com If you are interested in earning a master’s degree online or on campus that will equip you with the most comprehensive apologetics training available anywhere, click here. How to Make Three Chords and the Truth More Amazing than It Already Is Support the show and spread the word! Here are a few ways to do that: 1. Subscribe to Three Chords and the Truth: The Apologetics Podcast: Apple / Android / RSS. 2. Leave a rating and review on iTunes to encourage other people to listen to the show. 3. If you purchase any of the books mentioned in Three Chords and the Truth, consider using the Amazon links provided in the show notes. The show will receive a small percentage of each sale. 4. Visit our Patreon site where you can support the podcast, suggest future songs or topics, and order Three Chords and the Truth merchandise. 5. Make contact with us on Twitter: @DrTimothyPJones  @GarrickBailey  @ApologeticsPod The Closing Credits Three Chords and the Truth: The Apologetics Podcast thanks B&H Academic for their sponsorship. Music for the podcast has been licensed through Artlist.io and performed by the band Vegan Friendly—even though neither Garrick nor Timothy has ever been vegan friendly. Brief excerpts of music played in each program are included solely for the purposes of comment and critique as allowed under the fair-use provision of U.S. copyright law. "The fair use of a copyrighted work ... for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, ... scholarship, or research, is not an infringement of copyright" (U.S. Code § 107, Limitations on exclusive rights: Fair use).

According to bestselling religious scholar Reza Aslan, the New Testament Gospels “are not, nor were they ever meant to be, a historical documentation of Jesus’s life." The Gospels are, Aslan claims, fictional compositions from early Christians who re-imagined a Jewish revolutionary named Jesus as an ethereal Christ of faith. But is it really reasonable to read the New Testament Gospels as fiction? And, if the Gospels aren't fiction, what genre are they? In the first half of this week’s program, New Testament scholar Jonathan Pennington joins Garrick Bailey and Timothy Paul Jones to explore these crucial questions: What literary genre best describes the New Testament Gospels? And are these compositions believable as history? Michael Jackson, the king of pop, is the star of the second half of this week’s program as Garrick and Timothy go looking for signs of grace the bestselling single of the 1980s, “We Are the World” by U.S.A. For Africa. Along the way, Timothy reveals how he would still be single if it weren’t for REO Speedwagon, Garrick divulges his deep childhood fixation on Michael Jackson’s jacket, and Jonathan Pennington just can’t fight the feeling that he belongs in the band Pink Floyd. The dilemma drawn from the bowels of the Infinity Gauntlet this week leads to a showdown between Wakanda and Hogwarts that threatens to rend the space-time continuum. The resulting clash of ideas nearly leads to a breaking of the fellowship that binds Garrick, Timothy, and Jonathan together. In the end, a reference to REO Speedwagon becomes the potion that saves their friendship. Subscribe to Three Chords and the Truth: The Apologetics Podcast: Apple / Android / RSS.   In this Episode Jonathan T. Pennington, Ph.D., is associate professor of New Testament Interpretation at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, where he is also director of the Ph.D. program. Pennington is the author of The Sermon on the Mount and Human Flourishing, Reading the Gospels Wisely, and Heaven and Earth In the Gospel of Matthew. He is also on the preaching staff at Sojourn East in Louisville, Kentucky and the host of the YouTube show, "Cars, Coffee, Theology". Follow Dr. Pennington on Twitter at @DrJTPennington. Questions to Discuss 1.  What is the genre of a particular piece of literature? 2. What does the genre of books in Bible matter? Why should Christians care about their genre? 3. What genre are the New Testament Gospels? How do we know? 4. Were works in the bios genre always nonfiction or were they sometimes fictional? Why do we think that the New Testament Gospels aren't fictional? 5. Suppose someone listening to this program has a friend who is a skeptic and completely rejects the truth of the Gospels. What should a Christian do to help a skeptic see the truth of the Gospels? 6. Can you think of a particular time when God worked through the Gospels to convince you of the truth of his promises and his Word? Links to Click If you want to dig deeper into the historical integrity of the New Testament, one great place to start is In Defense of the Bible, edited by Terry Wilder and Steven Cowan. To download a sample chapter, visit http://www.bhacademic.com B and H Academic Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth: book by Reza Aslan What Are the Gospels?: book by Richard Burridge The Four Gospels and the One Gospel of Jesus Christ: book by Martin Hengel Reading the Gospels Wisely: book by Jonathan Pennington "Cars, Coffee, Theology": YouTube show by Jonathan Pennington "Can't Fight This Feeling": song by REO Speedwagon "We Are the World": song by U.S.A for Africa "Do They Know It's Christmas": song by Band Aid 20 "Thriller": song by Michael Jackson "The Fly": song by U2 ThreeChordsApologetics.com If you are interested in earning a master’s degree online or on campus that will equip you with the most comprehensive apologetics training available anywhere, go to http://www.sbts.edu/bgs/degree-programs/mdiv/apologetics/ How to Make Three Chords and the Truth More Amazing than It Already Is Support the show and spread the word! Here are a few ways to do that: 1. Subscribe to Three Chords and the Truth: The Apologetics Podcast: Apple / Android / RSS. 2. Leave a rating and review on iTunes to encourage other people to listen to the show. 3. If you purchase any of the books mentioned in Three Chords and the Truth, consider using the Amazon links provided in the show notes. The show will receive a small percentage of each sale. 4. Visit our Patreon site where you can support the podcast, suggest future songs or topics, and order Three Chords and the Truth merchandise. 5. Make contact with us on Twitter: @DrTimothyPJones  @GarrickBailey  @ApologeticsPod The Closing Credits Three Chords and the Truth: The Apologetics Podcast thanks B&H Academic for their sponsorship. Music for the podcast has been licensed through Artlist.io and performed by the band Vegan Friendly—even though neither Garrick nor Timothy has ever been vegan friendly. Brief excerpts of music played in each program are included solely for the purposes of comment and critique as allowed under the fair-use provision of U.S. copyright law. "The fair use of a copyrighted work ... for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, ... scholarship, or research, is not an infringement of copyright" (U.S. Code § 107, Limitations on exclusive rights: Fair use).

It's the hotly-anticipated Hoosier Edition of Three Chords and the Truth! In this episode, we celebrate the moderately-great state of Indiana. Timothy Paul Jones, a committed Louisvillian who dusts off his feet each time he returns from Indiana, is joined by Doug Blount and Garrick Bailey—two residents of Indiana who were transplanted into the Midwest after being uprooted from the kingdom of Texas—to discuss why so many New Atheists assume that faith and evidence stand in opposition to each other. Atheist writer Richard Dawkins has defined faith, for example, as “a state of mind that leads people to believe something—it doesn’t matter what—in the total absence of supporting evidence.” Bestselling biologist Jerry Coyne echoes this understanding and describes faith as “the acceptance of things for which there is no strong evidence.” “Faith is,” according to Christopher Hitchens, “the surrender of reason.” But is faith actually the antithesis of reason and evidence? That's the question Garrick and Timothy explore in the first half of this week's episode with Doug Blount, who completed master's and doctoral degrees in philosophy at the University of Notre Dame, an institution that may be found—according to some reports—within the borders of Indiana. In the second half, Timothy and Garrick take a look at John Mellencamp and James Dean, two Indiana natives who are almost as popular among Hoosiers as Garrick Bailey and Doug Blount. Along the way, we analyze the hit song "Jack and Diane," solve the mystery of John Mellencamp's many names—Johnny Cougar? John Cougar? John J. Mellencamp?—and discover how psychology, economics, and the rise of the New Left created what we know today as the "teenager." Then, we consider what all of this means for student ministries in local churches today. This week's question from the Infinity Gauntlet forces a choice between Captain America's shield and one of the three Deathly Hallows. As we discuss this difficult question, we are shocked to discover that—if Garrick ever obtains a vibranium shield—his children will need invisibility cloaks to have any hope of surviving into adulthood. Subscribe to Three Chords and the Truth: The Apologetics Podcast: Apple / Android / RSS. In this Episode Douglas K. Blount, Ph.D., is professor of Christian Apologetics at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is a member of the Evangelical Theological Society and previously served on the executive committee of the Evangelical Philosophical Society. He is currently working on a book manuscript entitled Apologetics and the Death of Modernity. Follow Dr. Blount on Twitter at @dougblount. Questions to Discuss 1. “Faith is,” Christopher Hitchens once declared, “the surrender of the mind; it’s the surrender of reason.” According to Oxford University biologist Richard Dawkins, “faith is a state of mind that leads people to believe something—it doesn’t matter what—in the total absence of supporting evidence.” Bestselling biologist Jerry Coyne echoes this understanding and describes faith as “the acceptance of things for which there is no strong evidence.” What is the basis for claims like this? 2. What is the relationship between faith and evidence? 3. In his bestselling book Faith Versus Fact, Jerry Coyne—professor emeritus at the University of Chicago—makes this further claim about faith and evidence: “Religious claims are empirical claims, and although some may be hard to test, they must, like all claims about reality, be defended with a combination of evidence and reason.” What’s the problem with his declaration that religious claims are empirical claims that must be empirically tested? 4. In 2007, Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens, Daniel Dennett, and Sam Harris gathered at Christopher Hitchens’ home in Washington, DC, for a two-hour discussion. These four atheists became known as The Four Horsemen of the Non-Apocalypse and as representatives of a New Atheism. What impact do you think that this New Atheism has had on the culture and on apologetics? Links to Click If you're interested in learning more about how to help children and college students keep their faith, one great place to start is Perspectives on Family Ministry, edited by Timothy Paul Jones. To learn more about this book, visit https://www.bhacademic.com/product/perspectives-on-family-ministry-2/ B and H Academic Faith Versus Fact: book by Jerry Coyne Adolescence: book by Granville Stanley Hall One-Dimensional Man: book by Herbert Marcuse Soul Searching: book by Christian Smith Sweet Bird of Youth: play by Tennessee Williams What is a Hoosier?: article by the State of Indiana The Four Horsemen Hour 1: documentary by Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason & Science The Four Horsemen Hour 2: documentary by Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason & Science "Summer of '69": song by Bryan Adams "Jack & Diane": song by John Mellencamp "Money for Nothing": song by Dire Straits "Glory Days": song by Bruce Springsteen "Eden is Burning": album by John Mellencamp ”Faith”: song by George Michael John Mellencamp: album by John Mellencamp Rebel Without a Cause: movie by Nicholas Ray ThreeChordsApologetics.com How to Make Three Chords and the Truth More Amazing than It Already Is Support the show and spread the word! Here are a few ways to do that: 1. Subscribe to Three Chords and the Truth: The Apologetics Podcast: Apple / Android / RSS. 2. Leave a rating and review on iTunes to encourage other people to listen to the show. 3. If you purchase any of the books mentioned in Three Chords and the Truth, consider using the Amazon links provided in the show notes. The show will receive a small percentage of each sale. 4. Visit our Patreon site where you can support the podcast, suggest future songs or topics, and order Three Chords and the Truth merchandise. 5. Make contact with us on Twitter: @DrTimothyPJones  @GarrickBailey  @ApologeticsPod The Closing Credits Three Chords and the Truth: The Apologetics Podcast thanks B&H Academic for their sponsorship. Music for the podcast has been licensed through Artlist.io and performed by the band Vegan Friendly—even though neither Garrick nor Timothy has ever been vegan friendly. Brief excerpts of music played in each program are included solely for the purposes of comment and critique as allowed under the fair-use provision of U.S. copyright law. "The fair use of a copyrighted work ... for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, ... scholarship, or research, is not an infringement of copyright" (U.S. Code § 107, Limitations on exclusive rights: Fair use).

Over the past few weeks, hundreds of thousands of Christian students have started their first semester of college. But how strong will these students' Christian faith be when they leave college? Or will they still see themselves as Christians at all? Even if these students' faith remains intact, what beliefs will be the hardest for them to believe and to defend? In this special back-to-school episode, Garrick Bailey and Timothy Paul Jones are joined by Dr. Grady Adkins and Dr. Joshua Swindall, two researchers who have spent the past year exploring which specific Christian beliefs are the most difficult for college students to believe and to defend. Now, Grady and Joshua are broadcasting the results of their research for the first time in the first half of this week's program. In the second half of the program, Garrick and Timothy dig deeper into the nature of faith by looking at biblical faith through the lens of one of the greatest rock hits of all time, "Don't Stop Believin'" by Journey. Along the way, your intrepid hosts search unsuccessfully for south Detroit, contemplate what sort of people “streetlight people” might be, and discover a strange and mysterious link between the band Journey and prosperity preacher Paula White. As if this week's back-to-school episode wasn't strange enough already, the Infinity Gauntlet pits midichlorians against mutant powers, forcing a showdown between the Jedi and the X-Men that you won't soon forget. Subscribe to Three Chords and the Truth: The Apologetics Podcast: Apple / Android / RSS. In this Episode Grady Adkins, Ed.D., is Executive Pastor of Coram Deo Bible Church in Davenport, Iowa. Grady has been married to Alissa since 1998 and they have four lively, red-headed children: Landon, Reagan, Griffin, and Rowen. Joshua Swindall, Ed.D., is the headmaster at Cullman Christian School in Cullman, Alabama. Joshua and his family attend Crosshaven Church, where he serves as the student minister. Questions to Discuss 1. What Christian beliefs do college students struggle most to believe and to defend? 2. Why does college seem to have a corrosive effect on students' faith? 3. How can churches prepare children and students to persist in their faith in college, in light of what you have learned in this episode? Links to Click If you're interested in learning more about how to help children and college students keep their faith, one great place to start is Perspectives on Family Ministry, edited by Timothy Paul Jones. To learn more about this book, visit http://www.bhacademic.com B and H Academic The Institutes of the Christian Religion: book by John Calvin Soul Searching: book by Christian Smith "Don't Stop Believin'": song by Journey "Like a Rolling Stone": song by Bob Dylan "All Along the Watchtower": song by Jimi Hendrix "Sweet Child O'Mine": song by Guns N' Roses "Highway to Hell": song by AC/DC Trial by Fire: album by Journey ThreeChordsApologetics.com If you are interested in earning a master’s degree online or on campus that will equip you with the most comprehensive apologetics training available anywhere, go to http://www.sbts.edu/bgs/degree-programs/mdiv/apologetics/ How to Make Three Chords and the Truth More Amazing than It Already Is Support the show and spread the word! Here are a few ways to do that: 1. Subscribe to Three Chords and the Truth: The Apologetics Podcast: Apple / Android / RSS. 2. Leave a rating and review on iTunes to encourage other people to listen to the show. 3. If you purchase any of the books mentioned in Three Chords and the Truth, consider using the Amazon links provided in the show notes. The show will receive a small percentage of each sale. 4. Visit our Patreon site where you can support the podcast, suggest future songs or topics, and order Three Chords and the Truth merchandise. 5. Make contact with us on Twitter: @DrTimothyPJones  @GarrickBailey  @ApologeticsPod The Closing Credits Three Chords and the Truth: The Apologetics Podcast thanks B&H Academic for their sponsorship. Music for the podcast has been licensed through Artlist.io and performed by the band Vegan Friendly—even though neither Garrick nor Timothy has ever been vegan friendly. Brief excerpts of music played in each program are included solely for the purposes of comment and critique as allowed under the fair-use provision of U.S. copyright law. "The fair use of a copyrighted work ... for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, ... scholarship, or research, is not an infringement of copyright" (U.S. Code § 107, Limitations on exclusive rights: Fair use).

Zane served as dean of the Billy Graham School at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary from 2011 until 2013, before returning to the IMB where he now serves as the Vice President of Training. He previously served 24 years in an Islamic context with the IMB as a church planter and regional leader in Central Asia. Pratt also has experience as a church planter and pastor in New England and as an Army Reserve chaplain. He is a co-author of Introduction to Global Missionsand a contributor to Theology and Practice of Mission, both published by B&H Academic. Zane holds a BA from Duke and an MDiv from Gordon-Conwell. He is married to Catherine with whom he has two grown children, Charlotte and Greg.

One of the strongest evidences for the truth of the resurrection of Jesus is the martyrdom of his apostles in the decades that followed his death---or at least that's what many Christian apologists have claimed. But is this claim sustainable on the basis of historical evidence? Did nearly all of the first followers of Jesus really give their lives rather than turn away from what they professed and proclaimed? The answer to this question is complicated, but it's crucial for every Christian to know the facts. In the first half of today's program, Garrick Bailey and Timothy Paul Jones explore this difficult question with Sean McDowell---apologist, professor, and author of the book The Fate of the Apostles. In the second half, Garrick and Timothy go searching for divine truth in the classic hit from Kansas "Dust in the Wind." Along the way, Garrick and Timothy talk about the book of Ecclesiastes, the best and the worst high school graduation songs ever, and how Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure introduced Garrick to Kansas and Socrates. As always, your intrepid hosts dare to plunge a fist into the Infinity Gauntlet to draw forth one of humanity's most perplexing dilemmas; this week's challenge forces Obi-Wan Kenobi to face Albus Dumbledore in a duel that only one white-bearded warrior can survive. The battle also reveals a shocking gap in Sean McDowell's knowledge that could irreparably undermine his geek credibility. Subscribe to Three Chords and the Truth: The Apologetics Podcast: Apple / Android / RSS. In this Episode Sean McDowell, Ph.D., is associate professor in the Christian apologetics program at Biola University and the resident scholar for Summit California. He earned his doctorate in apologetics from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Dr. McDowell is the author, co-author, or editor of many books including So The Next Generation Will Know (David C. Cook, 2019); Sharing the Good News with Mormons (Harvest House, 2018); and, Evidence that Demands a Verdict (Harper Collins, 2017). Follow Dr. McDowell on Twitter at @Sean_McDowell Questions to Discuss about the Fate of the Apostles 1. What was the fate of the apostles? 2. What are some stories related to the deaths of the apostles that Christians might sometimes believe without adequate evidence? 3. Why does it matter that some people who walked and talked with Jesus may have died for their faith in him? Links to Click If you’re interested in learning more about how to engage people who are skeptical about the truth of the Bible, one great place to start is Truth in a Culture of Doubt by Josh Chatraw and Darrell Bock. To learn more about this book, visit http://www.bhacademic.com B and H Academic The Fate of the Apostles: book by Sean McDowell So The Next Generation Will Know: book by Sean McDowell and J. Warner Wallace Moral Letters (101:14): epistle by Seneca the Younger To Marcia on Consolation (20:3): composition by Seneca the Younger Martyrdom of Polycarp (8—9): epistle from the church in Smyrna “Summer of ‘69”: song by Bryan Adams "Unwritten": song by Natasha Bedingfield "I Hope You Dance": song by Lee Ann Womack "Right Now": song by Van Halen "Firework": song by Katy Perry "Photograph": song by Nickelback "What's This Life For": song by Creed "Good Riddance": song by Green Day "My Last Semester": song by The Wonder Years "Friends": song by Michael W. Smith "Dust in the Wind": song by Kansas "Sweet Child O' Mine": song by Guns N' Roses "Carry On Wayward Son": song by Kansas “I Believe I Can Fly”: song by R. Kelly “One”: song by U2 "Vinyl Confessions": album by Kansas Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure: movie from 1989 “The Search for the Shining Face”: exposition of Ecclesiastes 7 by Timothy Paul Jones ThreeChordsApologetics.com If you are interested in earning a master’s degree online or on campus that will equip you with the most comprehensive apologetics training available anywhere, go to http://www.sbts.edu/bgs/degree-programs/mdiv/apologetics/ How to Make Three Chords and the Truth More Amazing than It Already Is Support the show and spread the word! Here are a few ways to do that: 1. Subscribe to Three Chords and the Truth: The Apologetics Podcast: Apple / Android / RSS. 2. Leave a rating and review on iTunes to encourage other people to listen to the show. 3. If you purchase any of the books mentioned in Three Chords and the Truth, consider using the Amazon links provided in the show notes. The show will receive a small percentage of each sale. 4. Visit our Patreon site where you can support the podcast, suggest future songs or topics, and order Three Chords and the Truth merchandise. 5. Make contact with us on Twitter: @DrTimothyPJones  @GarrickBailey  @ApologeticsPod The Closing Credits Three Chords and the Truth: The Apologetics Podcast thanks B&H Academic for their sponsorship. Music for the podcast has been licensed through Artlist.io and performed by the band Vegan Friendly—even though neither Garrick nor Timothy has ever been vegan friendly. Brief excerpts of music played in each program are included solely for the purposes of comment and critique as allowed under the fair-use provision of U.S. copyright law. "The fair use of a copyrighted work ... for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, ... scholarship, or research, is not an infringement of copyright" (U.S. Code § 107, Limitations on exclusive rights: Fair use).

Avengers: Endgame has now passed James Cameron's Avatar and claimed second place on the list of highest-grossing films of all time in North America. In the previous episode of Three Chords and the Truth, Garrick Bailey and Timothy Paul Jones focused on the metanarrative and the ethical foundations of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In this episode, apologetics professor and superhero super-fan extraordinaire Sean McDowell joins Garrick and Timothy to talk about love, sacrifice, superheroes, and resurrection. In the process, Sean McDowell reveals why he didn't love Avengers: Endgame and why Garrick and Timothy might both be wrong about what would happen if Batman went to war against Iron Man. In the second half of the program, Garrick and Timothy go looking for transcendent truth in the Grammy Award-winning classic "Hotel California." Along the way, they talk about Sehnsucht, plagiarism, and that one time when Timothy was looking for the founder of the Church of Satan but couldn't find him. Subscribe to Three Chords and the Truth: The Apologetics Podcast: Apple / Android / RSS. In this Episode with Sean McDowell Sean McDowell, Ph.D., is associate professor in the Christian apologetics program at Biola University and the resident scholar for Summit California. He earned his doctorate in apologetics from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Dr. McDowell is the author, co-author, or editor of nearly twenty books including So The Next Generation Will Know (David C. Cook, 2019), Sharing the Good News with Mormons (Harvest House, 2018), and Evidence that Demands a Verdict (Harper Collins, 2017). Follow Dr. McDowell on Twitter at @Sean_McDowell. Questions to Discuss 1. Why does the theme of sacrifice and resurrection recur in so many superhero films? 2. What has been the most significant moment from the perspective of the themes of sacrifice and resurrection in the Marvel Cinematic Universe? 3. What was the most significant moment from the perspective of the themes of sacrifice and resurrection in the film Avengers: Endgame? 4. How will the rise of secularity shape the next phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe? Links to Click B and H Academic Superheroes Can’t Save You: book by Todd Miles So The Next Generation Will Know: book by Sean McDowell and J. Warner Wallace The Weight of Glory: book by C. S. Lewis Confessions: book by Augustine of Hippo The Magus: novel by John Fowles "Hotel California": song by the Eagles "We Used to Know": song by Jethro Tull "Desperado": song by the Eagles "Life's Been Good": song by Joe Walsh "Running on Empty": song by Jackson Browne "Tumbleweed": song by Joan Baez "Comfortably Numb": song by Pink Floyd "Spider-Man": song covered by the Ramones ThreeChordsApologetics.com If you are interested in earning a master’s degree online or on campus that will equip you with the most comprehensive apologetics training available anywhere, go to http://www.sbts.edu/bgs/degree-programs/mdiv/apologetics/ How to Make Three Chords and the Truth More Amazing than It Already Is Support the show and spread the word! Here are a few ways to do that: 1. Subscribe to Three Chords and the Truth: The Apologetics Podcast: Apple / Android / RSS. 2. Leave a rating and review on iTunes to encourage other people to listen to the show. 3. If you purchase any of the books mentioned in Three Chords and the Truth, consider using the Amazon links provided in the show notes. The show will receive a small percentage of each sale. 4. Visit our Patreon site where you can support the podcast, suggest future songs or topics, and order Three Chords and the Truth merchandise. 5. Make contact with us on Twitter: @DrTimothyPJones  @GarrickBailey  @ApologeticsPod The Closing Credits Three Chords and the Truth: The Apologetics Podcast thanks B&H Academic for their sponsorship. Music for the podcast has been licensed through Artlist.io and performed by the band Vegan Friendly—even though neither Garrick nor Timothy has ever been vegan friendly. Brief excerpts of music played in the second half of each program are included solely for the purposes of comment and critique as allowed under the fair-use provision of U.S. copyright law. "The fair use of a copyrighted work ... for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, ... scholarship, or research, is not an infringement of copyright" (U.S. Code § 107, Limitations on exclusive rights: Fair use). 

“Christians believe the kingdom of God is our ultimate commitment, and we should confuse no temporal nation with that kingdom,” writes evangelical historian Thomas S. Kidd in his new, two-volume history of the United States. “But we are also thankful for the ways God has moved in American history, redeeming untold millions of people and building his church in each generation.” In this episode of the Influence Podcast, Influence magazine Executive Editor George P. Wood talks to Thomas S. Kidd about how to think Christianly about American history. Kidd is distinguished professor of history, James Vardaman Endowed Professor of History, and associate director of the Institute for Studies of Religion at Baylor University in Waco, Texas. A noted scholar of colonial America, he is author most recently of American History, a two-volume textbook just published by B&H Academic.

In the 1960s, Stan Lee and Jack Kirby began creating comic book storylines that were interconnected in a shared universe and told a single story through many individual stories. In the early twenty-first century, that's what Marvel Studios decided to do through the films that became the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The first of these films was released in 2008. Now—eleven years and twenty-two films later—all of these storylines have culminated in a single film, Avengers: Endgame. In this special episode of Three Chords and the Truth, Garrick Bailey and Timothy Paul Jones take a careful look at Avengers: Endgame. The resulting discussion covers everything from humanity's inescapable yearning for a metanarrative to the philosophical foundations that undergird the ethics of Iron Man, Captain America, and Thor. A bizarre link between the Infinity Gauntlet and the bones of the sixteenth-century nun Teresa de Jesus also makes an appearance. This week's question from the Infinity Gauntlet pits Sting—the elven blade borne by Bilbo and Frodo—against Mjolnir, the mythical hammer carried by Thor. Subscribe to Three Chords and the Truth: The Apologetics Podcast: Apple / Android / RSS. Questions to Discuss 1. What does the popularity of the Marvel Cinematic Universe tell us about ourselves and about the stories we tell? 2. How specifically does Avengers: Endgame elicit an awareness of the goodness of God’s creation? 3. In this film, what is it that’s broken and fallen that the heroes are seeking to repair?  4. How does Avengers: Endgame intersect with a biblical understanding of redemption? 5. Are there any places in Avengers: Endgame that we glimpse fragments of God’s truth about the end of time? Links to Click B and H Academic "Spidey Meets the Prankster": from the 1974-1977 feature on the PBS program The Electric Company Superheroes Can’t Save You: book by Todd Miles After Virtue: book by Alasdair MacIntyre The Inklings: book by Humphrey Carpenter A Secular Age: book by Charles Taylor Reformed Dogmatics: Volume 4: Holy Spirit, Church, and New Creation: book by Herman Bavinck How (Not) to Be Secular: book by James K.A. Smith Our Secular Age: book edited by Collin Hansen "A Super Group Takes the Screen": article by Tom Russo "Kissing the Hand of Saint Teresa in Ronda": article with photographs about the reliquary for the hand of Teresa of Avila "Comic-Book Superheroes in a Christian Worldview": article by Timothy Paul Jones Avengers: Endgame: music by Alan Silvestri Encomia: song by Encomia ThreeChordsApologetics.com If you are interested in earning a master’s degree online or on campus that will equip you with the most comprehensive apologetics training available anywhere, go to http://www.sbts.edu/bgs/degree-programs/mdiv/apologetics/ How to Make Three Chords and the Truth More Amazing than It Already Is Support the show and spread the word! Here are a few ways to do that: 1. Subscribe to Three Chords and the Truth: The Apologetics Podcast (Apple / Android / RSS). 2. Leave a rating and review on iTunes to encourage other people to listen to the show. 3. If you purchase any of the books mentioned on Three Chords and the Truth, consider using the Amazon links provided in the show notes. The show will receive a small percentage of each sale. 4. Visit our Patreon site where you can support the podcast, suggest future songs or topics, and order Three Chords and the Truth merchandise. 5. Make contact with us on Twitter: @DrTimothyPJones @GarrickBailey @ApologeticsPod The Closing Credits Three Chords and the Truth: The Apologetics Podcast thanks B&H Academic for their sponsorship. Music for the podcast has been licensed through Artlist.io and performed by the band Vegan Friendly—even though neither Garrick nor Timothy has ever been vegan friendly. Brief excerpts of music played in this program are included solely for the purposes of comment and critique as allowed under the fair-use provision of U.S. copyright law. "The fair use of a copyrighted work ... for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, ... scholarship, or research, is not an infringement of copyright" (U.S. Code § 107, Limitations on exclusive rights: Fair use).

Welcome to the Death and Cowbells episode of Three Chords and the Truth: The Apologetics Podcast! One of the most difficult dilemmas in the entire Bible has to do with how Judas Iscariot actually died. According to Matthew’s Gospel, Judas hanged himself, and priests purchased the field where he died for thirty pieces of silver. But, according to the book of Acts, Judas fell headfirst in a field that he had acquired and his intestines burst out. So which is it? And what does this mean for how we read the New Testament? Today, in the Three Chords segment of the program, Dr. Robert Plummer joins Timothy and Garrick to discuss the fate of Judas Iscariot. In the Truth segment, your intrepid cohosts discuss a Christian theology of death by examining “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper” by the Blue Öyster Cult--which ends up leading to discussions about the Milford Oyster Festival and whether Eddie Money is still alive. This week’s question from the Infinity Gauntlet places the two greatest comic-book movie trilogies ever—DC’s Dark Knight trilogy and MCU’s Captain America trilogy—in the ring to face each other in a battle to the death. Subscribe to Three Chords and the Truth: The Apologetics Podcast: Apple / Android / RSS. In this Episode Robert Plummer, Ph.D., is professor of New Testament interpretation at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and host of the Daily Dose of Greek screencast. He is the author or editor of several books, including Going Deeper with New Testament Greek (B&H, 2016) and 40 Questions about Interpreting the Bible (Kregel, 2010). Follow Dr. Plummer on Twitter at @dailygreek. Questions to Discuss 1. According to Matthew 27, Judas hanged himself; according to Acts 1, he fell headfirst and his intestines burst out. How did Judas actually die, by falling or by hanging? 2. According to Matthew, it was the priests who bought the field where Judas bought the farm; according to Acts, Judas bought it himself. Who actually purchased the Field of Blood? 3. There is another account of the death of Judas that comes from an individual named Papias, who was a leader in the second-century. According to his account, Judas was cut down after trying to hang himself, and he was later run over by a wagon. Should these words from Papias have any impact on the way we approach this apparent discrepancy? Links to Click If you want to dig deeper into the historical integrity of the New Testament, one great place to start is In Defense of the Bible, edited by Terry Wilder and Steven Cowan. To download a sample chapter, visit http://www.bhacademic.com B&H Academic 40 Questions about Interpreting the Bible: book by Robert Plummer Daily Dose of Greek: resource by Robert Plummer Remember Death: book by Matthew McCullough The Pornography of Death: article by Matthew McCullough Swimming in a Sea of Death: book by David Rieff The Myth of Sisyphus: novel by Albert Camus Unanswered Prayers and the Love of God: article by Eduardo Echeverria (Don't Fear) The Reaper: song by Blue Öyster Cult The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald: song by Gordon Lightfoot Black Sabbath: song by Black Sabbath I Wanna Go Back: song by Eddie Money Milford Oyster Festival: community event in Milford, Connecticut ThreeChordsApologetics.com If you are interested in earning a master’s degree online or on campus that will equip you with the most comprehensive apologetics training available anywhere, go to http://www.sbts.edu/bgs/degree-programs/mdiv/apologetics/ How to Make Three Chords and the Truth More Amazing than It Already Is Support the show and spread the word! Here are a few ways to do that: 1. Subscribe to Three Chords and the Truth: The Apologetics Podcast (Apple / Android / RSS). 2. Leave a rating and review on iTunes to encourage other people to listen to the show. 3. If you purchase any of the books mentioned in Three Chords and the Truth, consider using the Amazon links provided in the show notes. The show will receive a small percentage of each sale. 4. Visit our Patreon site where you can support the podcast, suggest future songs or topics, and order Three Chords and the Truth merchandise. 5. Make contact with us on Twitter: @DrTimothyPJones  @GarrickBailey  @ApologeticsPod The Closing Credits Three Chords and the Truth: The Apologetics Podcast thanks B&H Academic for their sponsorship. Music for the podcast has been licensed through Artlist.io and performed by the band Vegan Friendly—even though neither Garrick nor Timothy has ever been vegan friendly. Brief excerpts of music played in the second half of each program are included solely for the purposes of comment and critique as allowed under the fair-use provision of U.S. copyright law. "The fair use of a copyrighted work ... for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, ... scholarship, or research, is not an infringement of copyright" (U.S. Code § 107, Limitations on exclusive rights: Fair use).

Was Jesus really raised from the dead? Every aspect of the Christian faith hinges on this single claim. On this Holy Week episode of Three Chords and the Truth, New Testament scholar Dr. Thomas Schreiner joins Garrick and Timothy to talk about what Paul says about the resurrection in 1 Corinthians 15. Then, in the second half of the program, Garrick and Timothy review a song that’s almost always ascribed to the wrong artists. The dilemma drawn from the Infinity Gauntlet this week forces a painful choice between the Jedi Temple and Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Dr. Schreiner chooses an option that's completely different from Timothy's or Garrick's, which almost certainly means that Timothy and Garrick were wrong. Subscribe to Three Chords and the Truth: The Apologetics Podcast: Apple / Android / RSS. In this Episode Thomas Schreiner, Ph.D., is James Buchanan Harrison Professor of New Testament Interpretation and Professor of Biblical Theology at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary where he also serves as Associate Dean of the School of Theology. Dr. Schreiner is the author or editor of many books including, Romans (Baker: 2018); The Race Set Before Us (IVP Academic: 2001); and Spiritual Gifts (B&H: 2018). Follow Dr. Schreiner on Twitter at @DrTomSchreiner Questions to Discuss 1. What is the context of 1 Corinthians 15:3-7, one of the earliest surviving Christian confessions about the resurrection? 2. What are the specific implications of the words "passed on" and "received" in 1 Corinthians 15:3? 3. What would you say to someone who is struggling to believe that Jesus was actually raised from the dead? Links to Click If you want to dig deeper into the historical integrity of the New Testament, one great place to start is In Defense of the Bible, edited by Terry Wilder and Steven Cowan. To download a sample chapter, visit http://www.bhacademic.com * B&H Academic * 1 Corinthians: An Introduction and Commentary: book by Thomas Schreiner * Interpreting the Pauline Epistles: book by Thomas Schreiner * Paul, Apostle of God's Glory in Christ: book by Thomas Schreiner * Interview with Thomas R. Schreiner: an author interview from Books At a Glance * Cars, Coffee, Theology 1:1: dialogue between Thomas Schreiner and Jonathan Pennington * Father and Son: song by Cat Stevens * Cat's In the Cradle: song by Ugly Kid Joe * Cat's In the Cradle: song by Harry Chapin * It'll Come Back: song by Red Sovine * ThreeChordsApologetics.com If you are interested in earning a master’s degree online or on campus that will equip you with the most comprehensive apologetics training available anywhere, go to http://www.sbts.edu/bgs/degree-programs/mdiv/apologetics/ How to Make Three Chords and the Truth More Amazing than It Already Is Support the show and spread the word! Here are a few ways to do that: 1. Subscribe to Three Chords and the Truth: The Apologetics Podcast: Apple / Android / RSS. 2. Leave a rating and review on iTunes to encourage other people to listen to the show. 3. If you purchase any of the books mentioned in Three Chords and the Truth, consider using the Amazon links provided in the show notes. The show will receive a small percentage of each sale. 4. Visit our Patreon site where you can support the podcast, suggest future songs or topics, and order Three Chords and the Truth merchandise. 5. Make contact with us on Twitter: @DrTimothyPJones  @GarrickBailey  @ApologeticsPod The Closing Credits Three Chords and the Truth: The Apologetics Podcast thanks B&H Academic for their sponsorship. Music for the podcast has been licensed through Artlist.io and performed by the band Vegan Friendly—even though neither Garrick nor Timothy has ever been vegan friendly. Brief excerpts of music played in the second half of each program are included solely for the purposes of comment and critique as allowed under the fair-use provision of U.S. copyright law. "The fair use of a copyrighted work ... for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, ... scholarship, or research, is not an infringement of copyright" (U.S. Code § 107, Limitations on exclusive rights: Fair use). 

According to the New Testament Gospels, the death of Jesus was accompanied by all sorts of signs and wonders, including supernatural happenings connected with the temple in Jerusalem. But is there any evidence outside the New Testament that any of these events really happened? As it turns out, there could be. That’s what Garrick and Timothy explore in this episode with renowned New Testament scholar Dr. Rob Plummer. In the second half, Garrick and Timothy go looking for God’s truth in Don McLean’s classic song “American Pie.” In this Episode Robert Plummer, Ph.D., is professor of New Testament interpretation at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and host of the Daily Dose of Greek screencast. He is the author or editor of several books, including Going Deeper with New Testament Greek (B&H, 2016) and 40 Questions about Interpreting the Bible (Kregel, 2010). Follow Dr. Plummer on Twitter at @dailygreek. Questions to Discuss 1. When it comes to the events that accompanied the death of Jesus, the Synoptic Gospels—Matthew, Mark, and Luke—claim that the sun was darkened, the earth shook, and the veil in the temple was torn in two. What was this curtain and why can’t we go see it today? 2. Is there any evidence in Jewish rabbinic writings that any of these miraculous events really happened? 3. What about other sources outside the New Testament? Do they say anything about extraordinary events around the time of the death of Jesus? Links to Click B&H Academic Josephus: The Essential Works: book by Josephus NIV Archaeological Study Bible: study Bible by Zondervan Something Awry in the Temple?: article by Robert Plummer The Veil of the Temple in History and Legend: article by Daniel Gurtner American Pie: song by Don McLean That’ll Be the Day: song by Buddy Holly 'American Pie' Lyrics Sell for $1.2 Million: news by CNN Under My Thumb: song by The Rolling Stones at Altamont '69 ThreeChordsApologetics.com How to Make Three Chords and the Truth More Amazing than It Already Is Support the show and spread the word! Here are a few ways to do that: 1. Subscribe to Three Chords and the Truth: The Apologetics Podcast (Apple Podcasts / Android / RSS) 2. Leave a rating and review on iTunes to encourage other people to listen to the show. 3. If you purchase any of the books mentioned in Three Chords and the Truth, consider using the Amazon links provided in the show notes. The show will receive a small percentage of each sale. 4. Visit our Patreon site where you can support the podcast, suggest future songs or topics, and order Three Chords and the Truth merchandise. 5. Make contact with us on Twitter: @DrTimothyPJones  @GarrickBailey  @ApologeticsPod The Closing Credits Three Chords and the Truth: The Apologetics Podcast thanks B&H Academic for their sponsorship. Music for the podcast has been licensed through Artlist.io and performed by the band Vegan Friendly—even though neither Garrick nor Timothy has ever been vegan friendly. Brief excerpts of music played in the second half of each program are included solely for the purposes of comment and critique as allowed under the fair-use provision of U.S. copyright law. "The fair use of a copyrighted work ... for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, ... scholarship, or research, is not an infringement of copyright" (U.S. Code § 107, Limitations on exclusive rights: Fair use).

So what do Superman, Captain America, Professor X, and Jesus Christ all have in common? According to the canonical accounts of their lives, each one has been raised from the dead. So why is it that, even in fiction, humans yearn for heroes who die and return to life? That’s one of the questions that apologist and bestselling author Timothy Paul Jones explores in this episode with cohost Garrick Bailey and guest Todd Miles. In the second half, Garrick and Timothy go digging for God’s truth in the music of Larry Norman, the father of Christian rock--and, as it turns out, someone that Garrick had never even heard about until recently. This week's dilemma from the Infinity Gauntlet leads to a deadly duel between Jedi Master Yoda and Gandalf the White. In this Episode Todd Miles, Ph.D. is professor of theology at Western Seminary in Portland, Oregon. He is the author of the B&H Academic titles Superheroes Can’t Save You (2018) and A God of Many Understandings? (2010). Questions to Discuss 1. In Infinity War, Rocket Raccoon asks Thor about his brother Loki who has just died. Thor’s reply is, “Well, he’s been dead before” which is a reminder of how frequently death is temporary in comic-book universes. What are some of the best comic-book resurrection stories? 2. Why is there a recurrent theme of sacrifice, death, and resurrection in the comic books? 3. How might the rise of secularity reshape superhero stories now and in the future? Links to Click B&H Academic Superheroes Can’t Save You: book by Todd Miles A God of Many Understandings?: book by Todd Miles The Gospel According to Superheroes: book with foreword by Stan Lee (Google Preview) Why Should the Devil Have All the Good Music?: book by Greg Thornbury The Great American Novel: song by Larry Norman Why Should the Devil Have All the Good Music?: song by Larry Norman Why Don't You Look Into Jesus?: song by Larry Norman Jesus Sound Explosion: vinyl LP recorded at Explo '72 ThreeChordsApologetics.com How to Make Three Chords and the Truth More Amazing than It Already Is Support the show and spread the word! Here are a few ways to do that: 1. Subscribe to Three Chords and the Truth: The Apologetics Podcast (Apple Podcasts / Android / RSS) 2. Leave a rating and review on iTunes to encourage other people to listen to the show. 3. If you purchase any of the books mentioned in Three Chords and the Truth, consider using the Amazon links provided in the show notes. The show will receive a small percentage of each sale. 4. Visit our Patreon site where you can support the podcast, suggest future songs or topics, and order Three Chords and the Truth merchandise. 5. Make contact with us on Twitter: @DrTimothyPJones  @GarrickBailey  @ApologeticsPod  The Closing Credits Three Chords and the Truth: The Apologetics Podcast thanks B&H Academic for their sponsorship. Music for the podcast has been licensed through Artlist.io and performed by the band Vegan Friendly—even though neither Garrick nor Timothy has ever been vegan friendly. Brief excerpts of music played in the second half of each program are included solely for the purposes of comment and critique as allowed under the fair-use provision of U.S. copyright law. "The fair use of a copyrighted work ... for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, ... scholarship, or research, is not an infringement of copyright" (U.S. Code § 107, Limitations on exclusive rights: Fair use).

Welcome to Three Chords and the Truth: The Apologetics Podcast, the new podcast that brings together apologetics, theology, and the history of rock and roll. In the Three Chords segment of this week’s program, Garrick Bailey and I talk about why apologetics matters to us; then, in the Truth segment, we learn about the doctrine of common grace as we consider Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey and the classic hit by Argent and KISS “God Gave Rock and Roll to You.”  What Apologetics Questions Do We Discuss in this Episode? 1. Why does apologetics matter? 2. What are the primary apologetics dilemmas that every believer must face as their faith matures? 3. What is the doctrine of common grace? 4. How does the doctrine of common grace strengthen and support apologetics? What Resources Do We Recommend? If you want to dig deeper into apologetics, one great place to start is Reasons for Our Hope by H. Wayne House and Dennis Jowers. To download a sample chapter, visit http://www.bhacademic.com. A special thank you to B&H Academic for their support. * Urban Apologetics by Chris Brooks * Apologetics at the Cross by Mark Allen and Josh Chatraw What Are We Discussing in the Next Episode? In the Three Chords segment, Timothy and Garrick explore the question, "What is apologetics?" Then, in the Truth segment, they go digging for divine truth in "Age of Aquarius" and the early history of rock and roll.  Do You Have Any Questions? If you have a question or a suggestion for a future episode, ask us on Twitter at http://Twitter.com/ApologeticsPod Subscribe to the podcast at http://ThreeChordsApologetics.PodBean.com If you want to support the podcast, recommend songs for the podcast, or receive exclusive Three Chords and the Truth merchandise, go to http://www.patreon.com/ThreeChordsandtheTruth

In this episode, Kevin interviews Keith Whitfield and Micah Fries, authors of the new book Islam in North America: Loving Our Religious Neighbors (November 2018, B&H Academic). They were told not to read books by Christians about Islam, but they chose to write one anyway. Why? What are they hoping evangelicals will take from the book? All of this and more will be discussed in this inspiring new episode.

Charles Haddon Spurgeon was the "Prince of Preachers," but was he an expository preacher? Were his sermons driven by the text of Scripture? Travis went to the beautiful Spurgeon Library at Midwestern Seminary, home to thousands of Spurgeon's handwritten notes and correspondence, to talk to Dr. Christian George, Curator of the Spurgeon Library, Professor of Historical Theology, and author of "The Lost Sermons of C.H. Spurgeon," a sprawling project from B&H Academic, of which the Second Volume has recently been released. Check out this episode on exegeticaltools.com to learn more about Dr. George, the Spurgeon Library, and the Lost Sermons project!

Welcome to The Shaun Tabatt Show! In this episode I speak with Bruce Ashford about his and Chris Pappalardo's new book One Nation Under God: A Christian Hope for American Politics (B&H Academic, 2015).About the Book:Is it possible to be passionate about the gospel and care deeply about politics? Can we engage in politics responsibly, confidently, graciously—even Christianly?When it comes to politics, Christians today seem lost and confused. Many Christians desire to relate their faith to politics but simply don't know how. This book exists to equip the reader to apply Christianity to politics with both grace and truth, with both boldness and humility.Politics is not an evil arena to be avoided. Neither is it our only avenue for impacting society. The reality is much more complex and, oddly enough, much more promising. About the Author:Bruce Riley Ashford is Provost / Dean of the Faculty at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, where he also serves as Professor of Theology and Culture. He is a Fellow in Theology at the St. George's Center for Biblical and Public Theology (Ontario, Canada) and a Research Fellow at the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission.He is the co-author of One Nation Under God: A Christian Hope for American Politics (B&H, 2015), the author of Every Square Inch: An Introduction to Cultural Engagement for Christians (Lexham, 2015), and the editor of Theology and Practice of Mission (B&H, 2011). His forthcoming books are I Am Going: To the Nations and In the Streets (B&H, Summer 2017), The Problem with American Politics (Fall 2017), The Doctrine of Creation (IVP, Spring 2017), and For the King: One Story, One Gospel, One Mission (Baker, Fall 2017).He has appeared on the Eric Metaxas Show, the Pat Williams Show, In the Market with Janet Parshall, Janet Mefferd Today, Chris Fabry Live!, and other nationally syndicated shows. His writing has been featured by Fox News, First Things Magazine, The Daily Caller, The Blaze, Canon & Culture, and other national outlets.His research interests include theology and culture, public theology, theology of mission, theological method, and contemporary theology. He is married to Lauren, with whom he has two daughters (Riley Noelle, Anna Katherine) and a son (John Paul Kuyper). He is an elder at The Summit Church (Raleigh-Durham, NC).Connect with Bruce: SEBTS Faculty Page Facebook Twitter (@BruceAshford) BruceAshford.net For additional show notes, visit ShaunTabatt.com/063.

Welcome to the Shaun Tabatt Show! In this episode, I speak with David Croteau about his recent book Urban Legends of the New Testament: 40 Common Misconceptions (B&H Academic, 2015). Here are some of the topics and questions we cover in the interview: David's background What courses he teaches at Columbia International University How the idea for the book got its start Why Bible college/seminary/grad school is not Sunday School What is an urban legend? What's the best way to read this book? Did Mary and Joseph really find no room at the inn? Was Jesus a carpenter? Is it OK for Christians to judge others? What's up with the camel and the eye of a needle? Is Philippians 4:13 really a Christian superman verse? Why is 1 Thes. 4:22 the most twisted verse in the Bible? Why are there QR codes in the book? How does David hope reader's are impacted by reading his book? About The book: Urban Legends of the New Testament surveys forty of the most commonly misinterpreted passages in the New Testament. These “urban legends” often arise because interpreters neglect a passage's context, misuse historical background information, or misunderstand the Greek language. For each New Testament text, professor David Croteau describes the popular, incorrect interpretation and then carefully interprets the passage within its literary and historical context. Careful attention is given to sound principles of biblical interpretation to guide readers through the process and reach a more accurate understanding of each text's meaning. QR codes have been inserted at various points throughout the book. By scanning the code with your mobile device, you can view a video of David Croteau addressing a specific urban legend. With examples from the Gospels, Acts, the Epistles, and Revelation, Urban Legends of the New Testament will not only help readers avoid missteps in these forty texts but also provide a model for engaging in correct interpretation of other New Testament passages. About The Author: David A. Croteau (Ph.D., Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary) is professor of New Testament and Greek in the Seminary and School of Ministry at Columbia International University. He is co-editor (with Andreas J. Köstenberger) of Which Bible Translation Should I Use? (B&H Academic, 2013) and author of Tithing after the Cross (Energion, 2013). For additional show notes, visit: ShaunTabatt.com/039.