Podcasts about Evangelical Philosophical Society

Renowned Christian philosopher and theologian Dr. Paul Copan joins us to explore our shared values and address the ethical questions people are faced with when reading the Bible. He discusses how modern readers often overlook the Torah's revolutionary impact by viewing it solely through a contemporary lens, which strips it of historical context. Together, we examine the Mosaic laws in contrast to other ancient laws, like the Code of Hammurabi, revealing just how transformative the Torah was within its pagan surroundings. Dr. Copan shares his approach to interpreting morally challenging passages, applying a “charitability and Golden Rule” perspective that uncovers the depths in the Torah's narratives. Dr. Copan provides a nuanced understanding focused on careful textual analysis. He highlights the Bible's distinct stance on slavery, distinguishing it from the brutal chattel slavery of later times and showing how Judeo-Christian values contributed to its eventual abolition. Naysayers and skeptics are challenged to rethink their preconceived notions about the Torah, especially regarding topics like divine justice, slavery, capital punishment, the Wayward Son, the Sotah ritual, and other often misunderstood sections. What are we to make of what appears to be God's call to wipe out Canaanites and Amalekites? How do we understand the massive loss of life decreed by God in the Great Flood and the death of the Egyptian first-born? This is a discussion you don't want to miss. --- • Bio: Paul Copan (Ph.D., Philosophy, Marquette University) is a Christian theologian, analytic philosopher, apologist, and author. He is currently a professor at the Palm Beach Atlantic University (Florida) and holds the endowed Pledger Family Chair of Philosophy and Ethics. He is author or editor of nearly 50 books, including the very popular, strong-selling book Is God a Moral Monster? as well as its companion volume, the award-winning Is God a Vindictive Bully? He is coeditor of The Routledge Companion to Philosophy of Religion, The Naturalness of Theistic Belief, Philosophy of Religion: Classic and Contemporary Issues, and The Kalām Cosmological Argument (a two-volume anthology). He is coauthor of Creation out of Nothing and Biblical Ethics: Walking in the Way of Wisdom. He has also contributed essays to over 60 books, both scholarly and popular, and he has authored a number of articles in professional journals. In 2017 and 2024, he has been a Visiting Scholar at the University of Oxford (Wycliffe Hall and Oriel College). For six years, he served as president of the Evangelical Philosophical Society. He also helped establish the PBA's M.A. in Philosophy of Religion; PBA also a B.A. in Apologetics, and it offers a Program in Cultural Apologetics (which is heavily scholarshiped). He is co-chair of Tyndale Fellowship's Philosophy of Religion Study Group, which meets every summer in England. Paul is married to Jacqueline, and they have six children. --- • Welcome to JUDAISM DEMYSTIFIED: A PODCAST FOR THE PERPLEXED | Co-hosted by Benjy & Benzi | Thank you to...Super Patron: Jordan Karmily, Platinum Patron: Craig Gordon, Gold Patrons: Dovidchai Abramchayev, Lazer Cohen, Travis Krueger, Vasili Volkoff, Rod Ilian, Silver Patrons: Ellen Fleischer, Daniel Maksumov, Rabbi Pinny Rosenthal, Fred & Antonio, Jeffrey Wasserman, and Jacob Winston! Please SUBSCRIBE to this YouTube Channel and hit the BELL so you can get alerted whenever new clips get posted, thank you for your support! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/judaismdemystified/support

Send us a textChristian Nationalism is an ideology that's everywhere, masquerades as a theology that has infected our politics and seeks to guide our policies locally and nationally. The problem with Christian Nationalism is that it doesn't have anything to do with the Jesus of the Bible. Exposing Christian Nationalism, our new series, will discuss this every Friday in September. Our first guest is Dr. Michael W. Austin, author of American Christian Nationalism: Neither American nor Christian. Bishop Wright and Dr. Austin have a conversation about how figures like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Jimmy Carter have harnessed their faith to foster inclusion and the common good, challenging the exclusionary and coercive tendencies of Christian Nationalism. Dr. Austin provides a nuanced examination of how this ideology clashes with core American values and Christian principles, offering a vision for a more harmonious and inclusive form of Christian political engagement. Listen in for the full conversation. Dr. Michael W. Austin is Foundation Professor of Philosophy at Eastern Kentucky University, Bonhoeffer Senior Fellow of the Miller Center for Interreligious Learning and Leadership at Hebrew College, and current president of the Evangelical Philosophical Society. He received a B.A. in political science from Kansas State University, an M.A. in philosophy from Talbot School of Theology, and a Ph.D. in philosophy from the University of Colorado, Boulder. His research is focused on ethics and spiritual formation, especially issues related to the cultivation of character and connections between character and the common good. He's published 15 books, including Humility and Human Flourishing (Oxford University Press, 2018) and God and Guns in America (Eerdmans, 2020). His latest book is Humility: Rediscovering the Way of Love and Life in Christ (Eerdmans, 2024). His next book, due out in October, is American Christian Nationalism: Neither American nor Christian (Eerdmans).Support the show Follow us on IG and FB at Bishop Rob Wright.

Shownotes and Transcript Dr. David Wood joins Hearts of Oak to recount his transformative journey from atheism to Christianity. Sparked by profound discussions with Nabeel Qureshi during his time in jail. Focusing on apologetics regarding Islam, he emphasizes the need for Christians to address Islam's global ambitions for dominance and engage with its challenges. The conversation delves into Islam's complexities, including misconceptions, Muhammad's role, and controversial practices, shedding light on control mechanisms within the religion. Highlighting the growing curiosity to critically examine faith, the discussion urges critical engagement with Islam, support for individuals leaving the faith, and challenges foundational beliefs through historical and logical analyses. By comparing Jesus and Muhammad, the dialogue aims to encourage critical thinking and foster open discussions to prompt introspection and reshape perspectives on faith. Dr David Wood is an American evangelical missionary, Christian apologist and polemicist. He is currently head of the Acts 17 Apologetics Ministry. He is a member of the Society of Christian Philosophers and the Evangelical Philosophical Society. After converting to Christianity, he earned degrees in biology and philosophy, and a PhD in the philosophy of religion. Connect with David... WEBSITE              acts17.com X/TWITTER          x.com/Acts17David YOUTUBE            youtube.com/@apologeticsroadshow Interview recorded  15.7.24 Connect with Hearts of Oak... X/TWITTER        x.com/HeartsofOakUK WEBSITE            heartsofoak.org/ PODCASTS        heartsofoak.podbean.com/ SOCIAL MEDIA  heartsofoak.org/connect/ SHOP                  heartsofoak.org/shop/ Transcript Hearts of Oak: I'm delighted to have Dr. David Wood with us today. David, thank you so much for your time. Dr David Wood: Hey, how you doing, Peter? Hearts of Oak: All good. All the better for seeing you and better for seeing you in London when you're over with the absolutely awesome conference that you and Jay and many others were involved in. So thank you for taking the time and coming over to Blighty. Dr David Wood: Yeah, that was fun. Hearts of Oak: It was good fun. Obviously, people can find you @Acts17David on Twitter and @ApologeticsRoadshow over on YouTube. Make use of both of those resources. But David, I've followed you for, I mean, quite a number of years on the engagement on Islam. And obviously I've known Jay for back when he was in London. So 17, 18 years ago, I first connected with Jay and was opened up into the world of engaging Islam and polemics and something I didn't understand before. And I've got to slowly understand and marvel at his ability to engage, as is your ability. But can I maybe step back a little bit? You've put out videos about you being an atheist and becoming a Christian. And I'm curious about that journey before we get on to your engagement on actually deconstructing Islam and taking it apart and destroying it, absolutely. But your conversion, tell us about that. Dr David Wood: I grew up as an atheist. I don't remember ever believing in God when I was a kid, but it wasn't really an issue. I wasn't thinking about it. It just wasn't an issue wherever I was. I was probably, I don't know, 13, 14 when I realized I was an atheist and eventually ended up in jail. And whenever I say that, atheists go, oh, you're saying that all atheists go to jail. No, I'm not. That was me. That was me. Okay. That was me. I'm one of the people who had a jailhouse conversion. So I got to jail and I met a Christian in there. This was a guy who had turned himself in for 21 felonies. So he became a Christian, went, turned himself in for everything he'd ever done. I thought that was the most idiotic thing I'd ever heard about in my life. So I started talking to this guy and he enraged me so much that I was, I started studying Christianity just to, just to argue with this guy. And, uh, uh, anyway, a while later, uh, took a while, but I eventually became a Christian, uh, had to serve some time, uh, got out, went to college. And so, yeah, that's, that's, uh, that's, that's the short version. If people want the law, if people want the long version, they can, they can, uh, check it out on my channel. Hearts of Oak: It's on your YouTube channel. Absolutely. What is your, cause you kind of think, I mean, I grew up pastor's kids, so very different background. Uh, you're growing up where you, you never went to church, never went to Sunday school. That just wasn't part of your upbringing. Dr David Wood: No, the only time I went to church was if I, and I never went to church when I was like little, uh, eventually we moved and we were closer to my grandmother and my aunt. But if I were visiting my grandmother or my aunt then and it was a Sunday then we'd go to church and I just remember I'd go in there and I'd sit right beside the little clock on the wall and I would just stare at that thing for the entire service and then as soon as it was done I would bolt for the door because they would have like donuts or brownies downstairs and so I'd bolt downstairs and grab a bunch of donuts and stuff. Hearts of Oak: But it wasn't on your agenda at all no you you talked about being in prison and I've read Nabil Qureshi's book and you touch on that and that having an impact on you, meeting him. And what was that connection like? Dr David Wood: Well, we just, we, we became best friends in college. So we were both on the, uh, speech and debate team at Old Dominion University. And, um, we went on, uh, uh, you go to different competitions and stuff. So this is, this is after I was locked up. So I got, uh, once I got out, I went to, uh, school, met Nabil Qureshi and we ended up sharing a hotel room on a school trip. And of course, you know, I'd been a Christian for several years now. He'd been a Muslim all his life. And I'm sitting in the hotel room and I see this guy's a Muslim, but I don't, you don't know if he's like a hardcore Muslim or, you know, liberal Muslim or something like that. So I was wondering, I'm sitting there reading my Bible in a year and I pray, I say, God, if you want me to talk to this guy, let him start it because I don't want people to accuse me of attacking the Muslim or something like that. And anyway, little, little while after that, I'm sitting there reading my Bible and he He goes, he goes, so are you a hardcore Christian? I was like, all right. Come on. All right. Here we go. Here we go. Here we go. And so we ended up, we ended up talking a lot that weekend about Islam and Christianity. We just became, we just became best friends. We got along really well. We ended up hanging out all the time together and so on. And yeah, so we spent the next basically four years arguing about Christianity and Islam. he eventually became a Christian. And when he became a Christian, I actually thought, oh, cool. I'm done with Islam right now because the only reason I was studying Islam was because my best friend was a Muslim. If he'd been something else, I'd have been studying that. And so, yeah, he became a, he became a Christian. I thought, ah, cool. I'm done with this stuff. I can get back to stuff I'm more interested in, which is almost anything. But yeah, it was actually part, part of the reason I stayed dealing with Islam was kind of watching the stand that he took for the gospel, and I was just like, wow, Muslims make really cool Christians. And by the way, there's a reason for that. There's kind of a flip side of what's a negative, and it ends up being a positive. But Islam puts all these psychological barriers in front of people, in front of Muslims, to keep them from leaving Islam. So Muslims are told their entire lives that the worst possible sin you can commit is the sin of shirk, associating a partner with Allah. So if you say Jesus is Lord, you've just associated a partner with Allah. That's the worst possible. That's a one-way ticket to hell. So saying Jesus is Lord is the worst thing you can possibly do. Two, they know they have to give up their families if they convert to Islam, or at the very least that their relationships with their families are going to be very, very, very strained. And three, the penalty for leaving Islam is death. Doesn't happen a lot in the West, but you always have to be kind of looking over your shoulder if you leave Islam. So we're Christians. We preach the good news. And when a Muslim, what a Muslim hears when we preach the good news is, oh, so you're telling me to believe this thing that's going to have to, that'll cause me to have to give up my family and maybe get my head chopped off and it's a one-way ticket to hell. And you guys call this the good news because it sounds like the worst news ever. So that's kind of a negative. Islam makes it very difficult to leave Islam. But the positive side, the positive side, I said there's There's a reversal here. The positive side is that when a Muslim says, you know what? I may have to give up my family and this may get my head chopped off. And I've been told all my life this will get me sent to hell. But you know what? I want to know Jesus anyway. That's someone who will stand up for Christ. And so, yeah, I just ended up sticking with it. Hearts of Oak: What was, what were you, before we get into that, what was your interest before? What kind of pathway may you have followed if someone like Nabeel Quresh had not come into your world and you'd understood the importance of presenting Christ to Muslims? Dr David Wood: Well, I was more interested in the objections of atheists because that was my background. So I probably would have done that. And that was the other part of it, why I ended up staying with Islam was that as I was thinking about that, like after Nabeel became a Christian, as I was thinking about what I wanted to focus on, it was just like, almost every Christian apologist out there deals with atheism. And back then there weren't a lot of Christians who were dealing with Islam. So you're talking early 2000s, like, you know, shortly after 9-11. If you went into Christian apologetics back then, you were either dealing with the objections of atheists or you're dealing with cults or or something like that, there were not a lot of people dealing with Islam. It was Jay Smith over there in the UK. There was Tony Costa in Canada. There's Samuel Green down in Australia and a couple of people in the US, but it just wasn't an emphasis. And so there was also that point where, okay, maybe I need to not be doing what I'm most interested in and do what's needed. And so I started focusing on that. Fortunately, it's a different time. Lots of people deal with to Islam now. So these are actually good days. Hearts of Oak: Well, of course, the starting point is, why would you engage with Islam? Surely Christianity, Judaism, and Islam are all three of the great Abrahamic faiths. So why would you even want to engage on that when someone is following the great Abrahamic faith and therefore is good? Dr David Wood: I know you're not serious, but no, it's funny. So you've, we're told, we're told in, we're told in the New Testament what the core of the gospel is. So Jesus spent a few years with his followers. But when you look at the book of Acts, the message they actually went out and were preaching afterwards, this is the takeaway. The main takeaway for them was that Jesus died on the cross for sins. He rose from the dead and he's Lord. So you've got death, resurrection and deity. Those are the points they hit wherever they went. So that was the core of the gospel message for them. And we're also told in the New Testament that false teachers and false prophets are going to come. What are these false teachers and false prophets going to do? They're going to lead people away from that core message. And then you get down to Muhammad, and Muhammad comes along. And Muhammad says, hey, you Christians, you believe in God? So do I. You believe that God sent prophets? So do I. You believe in these revelations, these scriptures? So do I. When it comes to Jesus, you believe that he's born of a virgin? So do I. You believe that he lived the most miraculous life in history? So do I. you believe that he's the word, so do I. You believe that he's the Messiah, so do I. I agree with you on all these things. But there are just these three things we have to get past. One, he didn't die on the cross for sins. Two, he didn't rise from the dead. And three, he's not Lord. So if we can just get past those things, we'll all be on the same page. And it's like, my goodness, we've been waiting for you, buddy. You are like the perfect, you are the perfect ultimate example of a false prophet. Someone who agrees with us on all these other things and says, yeah, we're this close to being on the same page. Just drop the entire core of the Christian gospel. And so, yeah, we were warned. We were warned about Muhammad and we definitely have to respond to him. Hearts of Oak: Now, I want to go into a lot of the issues that you engage with on Islam, and especially the person of Muhammad. But you touched on people focus on atheism and see that as the threat. You obviously see Islam as a threat that's not being focused on. Tell us about that clash, because is it safer to focus on Islam? Is the people are blind to Islam? What is it? Why is the reason why the focus is on one threat and not the other? Dr David Wood: Well, it's just it was just atheism was a bigger issue in the West. So in the in the 80s and 90s, when apologetics started becoming more of an issue for people, and it was because you had Christian families and their kids are going off to college and their kids are coming back. Their kids weren't coming back Muslims. Their kids were going off to college and taking some philosophy classes and becoming skeptical. And if your kids had been raised in a church but hadn't really been given any reasons, in other words, they hadn't dealt with apologetics at all, and they didn't know how to respond to issues, and then you were actually challenged on your faith, some of those kids would just leave Christianity and become atheists. So people started focusing on that. And it's the other issue as far as cults where it wasn't Muslims knocking at your door, it was Jehovah's Witnesses or Mormons. So people were responding to what was kind of an issue for them and Islam wasn't really an issue in the 70s, 80s and 90s and so on. So that by the time Islam started becoming an issue. Christian apologetics was just veered towards completely other things. And so, yeah, so yeah, that's why I started focusing on Islam. But no, it's definitely not, it's definitely not, not, not safer by any means. But as far as, as far as the, why it's so relevant, there's nothing in atheism that tells you one way or another how you're supposed to behave. So you could have an atheist who's, you know, a really mean, aggressive guy. You can have an atheist who, I don't care what people believe. Like my friend, I'm friends with the guy, the apostate prophet. His attitude is, look, I don't believe this stuff, but I don't really care what other people believe. It's not an issue for me. Like I'm an atheist. I don't believe anything happens after death. But if you believe something, what do I care? Right. And that makes sense from an atheistic perspective. So it only makes sense from an atheistic perspective to be concerned about something that's actually like causing you harm in your life or something like that. So he focuses on Islam. There's one religion out there that wants to execute me because he's an ex-Muslim. So he focuses on that. But apart from that, there's nothing in atheism that tells you you have to subjugate the world or anything like that. And you could have all different kinds of atheists. But part of Islam is the goal of ultimately subjugating the world and making all religion for Allah. law. So even with Muslims, you'll have different kinds of Muslims. So you'll have peaceful Muslims, you'll have very aggressive Muslims, but it's not like atheism where the ideology doesn't tell you what to do. The ideology tells you that your ultimate goal is to subjugate the world. And so Islam is, even with a diversity among Muslims, Islam is always going to be a bigger issue because when people take it seriously, then they have to start taking these issues seriously about confronting other people and, yeah, ultimately subjugating the world. Hearts of Oak: Well, that's a concept that doesn't really connect with Christians and those in the West. Generally, they think there's a pluralism and your freedom to believe what you think. And then Islam comes along and seems to be to want that dominance, to want to force its opinion that you can accept anything, but you must accept Islam. You don't have that freedom. I don't think that many Christians, certainly in the UK, probably the same for the US, I don't think they understand that desire to dominate that comes from Islam. Dr David Wood: Yeah, they don't. And you have lots of Christians who are, who are, you know, they might be ashamed of the history of Christianity. They might say, oh, well, you know, there were times when Christians tried to conquer people and stuff. So who are we to complain about Islam? Not realizing, well, you're not told, you weren't told to conquer the world. It's just a thing that humans do. too. So anyone might do that. You could have various ideologies where just because there are human beings involved, human beings very frequently want to make our way the way for everyone else. But Islam is different in that it actually calls for it. So as a Christian, if Christians start going around killing people, then you as a Christian could say, you're not supposed to be doing that. Here, let me show you why. Look, Jesus says right here, here. My kingdom is not of this world. He breaks it down to here. He's not fighting for an earthly kingdom. You can explain why they're wrong. You can say, look, it says right here, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. You're not supposed to hate everyone and try to kill everyone. So you have a basis within Christianity for saying, no, you shouldn't be doing that. In Islam, it's the reverse, where if you're peaceful and you just want to get along with people and so on, you can actually say, hey, if you're a Muslim, you need to be looking at what you're supposed supposed to be doing here. And so, yeah, it's just lots of people think, oh, you know, different religions have had their issues. Islam may just have a little bit of an issue now that you have some aggressive guys in it, but it can mellow out after time. But yeah, when one of the main goals of the religion is subjugating the world, that's going to keep popping up, and we keep seeing it pop up for a reason. Hearts of Oak: It is a possibly difficult issue to engage on. Okay, so moving on to um and I don't know if jihadi tears is available on your website because I love the mug Dr David Wood: Oh, yeah. Yeah, I have a little online store, because I got this one made for live streams, but people asked where they could get it. So, yeah, they can get it in my little merch store. Hearts of Oak: Okay, it's available there. I just want to point that out. all right the so engaging on Islam um many people don't many people are afraid although they don't know they're afraid um where do you start is it then maybe start with the person of Muhammad um that we are told peace be upon him he is a prophet he must be respected and whether or not he exists or not I'm not very sure but how do you let's start with the person of Muhammad because Because I know that my good friend Calvin Robinson here in the UK calls it Muhammadism, those who follow Muhammad. And then you think, actually, is this about him or is it about something else? So how do you begin to tackle that issue of that individual? Dr David Wood: Well, yeah, people who call it Muhammadism and point out that it seems to be about Muhammad, absolutely correct. Absolutely correct. Correct. If you look at Islam, I mean, the word, you can learn a lot about a religion by kind of what its name is, like Christianity emphasizes Christ in the name of the religion. Islam, the word Islam means submission, and in its religious context means submission to Allah, refers to submission to Allah. And so Muslims will use that as sort of a sales pitch. Hey, Christians and Jews, you believe in God. You believe in submitting to God, right? Well, this is just the religion of submission to God. Why would you be opposed to that? Well, Islam doesn't just tell you that you must submit to Allah. It tells you how you submit to Allah. And you submit to Allah by obeying Muhammad in everything. And I'm not making that up. I'm not exaggerating this. Surah 4, verse 65, among other passages, Surah 4, verse 65. Says that Muslims can have no real faith until they make Muhammad judge in all disputes, have no resistance against anything that he decides and submit to him with full submission. And so here's the religion where you submit to Allah. OK, how do you do that? By mindlessly obeying anything this guy over here says, this guy who's an illiterate 7th century Arabian caravan robber. You have to mindlessly obey everything he says. If you have any doubt about what he says or you question anything, he says, you're not a real Muslim. And so, yeah, the religion is all about Muhammad. And it would be one thing if he was a really, really great, nice guy. It's something else entirely if he's a guy who calls for the violent subjugation of the world, a guy who says that apostates have to be beheaded, A guy who says that Jews and Christians, because they have true revelations, can accept an inferior status in society and pay tribute money to Muslims in honor in order to not be killed. But everyone else, they either have to be they have to convert or die. It's just it's just an entirely different category, especially when you look at some of you start getting down to the moral issues with with Muhammad, things like. A child marriage, he married a girl who was six years old. He consummated the marriage when she was nine years old. And you can look down to today, you have Muslims who are the world champions of defending child marriage. Daniel Hakikachu, you can consummate a marriage with a five-year-old, a six-year-old, a seven-year-old. He argues this, he defends this, he tries to defend it academically. You have Ali Dawa, who said that if his daughter was nine years old and she got her first menstrual, she got her first monthly period, then he said he would tell her she's ready to be married. And keep in mind, the Quran doesn't even require that. Aisha hadn't even reached puberty. So Ali Dawa, as revolting as it is to say, I would tell my nine-year-old daughter she's ready to be married. He's actually better than Muhammad who didn't wait, who didn't wait for a first, uh, didn't wait for a menstrual cycle. And so this is, this is the kind of guy you're dealing with. I mean, Muhammad again, had sex with a nine-year-old girl. He took the wife of his own adopted son after he caused the divorce by seeing her practically naked and started lusting after her and, uh, eventually married her after he caused the divorce when his adopted son's like, Oh, oh, if you want her, then you take her. And so he bought, owned, sold, and traded black African slaves. Those are the guys who institutionalized the African slave trade long before the United States ever existed. They're just amazing stories about the issues that this guy had. And they're in the Muslim sources. They're right there in the Muslim sources. So I'll just share one story that sort of gives you an idea of what you're dealing with here. Once Muhammad got caught in the bed of his wife, Hafsa, having sex with his slave girl. Now he was allowed to have sex with his slave girls. They understood that they didn't want it happening in their own beds, right? His, his wives didn't want him having sex with his slave girls in their beds. That was the issue. So Hafsa goes out to run some errands. She comes back early. Muhammad is in her bed with his sex slave. She objects to this. She goes and complains to the other wives and then to stop his wives from complaining. Like, what are you, you're rolling around with a slave girl in our bed, the bed that I sleep in. And then I'm about to go to bed there and you were just, you know, in there with your slave girl. So he, so in order to deal with his wives complaining, he says, fine, look, I'll never, I swear by Allah, I will never have sex with that slave girl again. And so then his wives are, oh, okay, that's fine. And then he gets the revelations in that are the opening verses of Surah 66. Anyone could read these, the opening verses of Surah 66, Allah tells him to break his oath. He said, I didn't tell you, I didn't tell you to break that. I didn't tell you to make that oath. I didn't tell you to swear that to me. And so he says, hey, you break that oath. And so Muhammad went back to having sex with his slave girl. He eventually, that's Mary the cop. That one was Mary the cop. He eventually got her pregnant. So, but I mean, think about this. This is Muhammad swears an oath to Allah. Allah tells him to break the oath because, well, I didn't tell you to make that oath and therefore you can break it. Well, think about that. Like 99.9999999% of all oaths that anyone ever takes were not commanded to you by God. So that means anyone could just break any oath at any time because God didn't order you to do it. And that's what you actually find in the Muslim sources that Muhammad is constantly being told, here's the justification for this horrible behavior that you're doing. And it comes from God. God is the one who's justifying your behavior right now. And if you look at the justifications, it makes all sorts of really, really terrible behavior completely acceptable. Hearts of Oak: So you're telling us that you can come up with voices in your head and then you can announce that is the way according to God to live by. And then you can do whatever you like. I don't know what to make of that. Dr David Wood: It is. is if you have enough people following you, if you get enough followers, you can silence anyone who criticizes you. I call this, this is a version of what I call Islam's 99-1 rule. And I usually talk about that in the context of apologetics with, I mean, Islamic apologetics with people like Zakir Naik. Because you sit there and listen to Zakir Naik, if you have any idea what he's talking about, you know, if you understand the issues that he's talking about, you know he's spouting complete nonsense. But the audience he's talking to, they don't know about any of this. They just agree with whatever he's saying And so the rule that has always been part of Islam is, If you're telling a crowd something Even if you're making it up If 99% of the people are just going to go along with what you say and believe you And 1% are going to object and go I'm not sure about that Or no, I know you're wrong about this Or this sounds suspicious to me If only 1% of people are going to object The 99% can silence the 1% So it's always been the way to do things in Islam So if you go out and you convince a bunch of people in Arabia to mindlessly agree with anything you say, and someone objects and says, hey, wait, I think we have a problem here. Well, the 99 can silence the one. And so that's been built into Islam from the beginning. It's the same in Islam now. Hearts of Oak: So you approach Islam, and what part of it do you tackle? You've got the Quran itself with its gibberish stories. You've then got the theology and all the books written about it. You've got Muhammad's life story. You've got all the practices that happen. I mean, you look at this range, and it's much more complicated. In Christianity, you have the Bible. You've got Genesis to Revelation. Revelation, you read it. It's fairly simple. You can understand the vast majority, if not the whole of the Bible. Maybe we'll leave a bit of Revelation aside in some of the other books. But I mean, it's simple to understand. The Islam seems to be much more complicated and convoluted and purposely designed to confuse people. So how do you start with unpacking it? Dr David Wood: Islam is extremely confusing. If you just start reading the Quran, you're going to be confused. Like when I see Christians who say, hey, I'm interested in doing Christian apologetics and dealing with Islam and so on. Should I read the Quran? I usually tell them that's going to confuse you at the beginning. Hold off on that. You might want to look up certain, you might want to look up the verses on certain topics that you're interested in. But as far as just sitting down and reading the Quran, you're not going to get anything out of it. You're probably going to give up around midway through surah two you're going to give up and so if you think that's essential to doing apologetics with Islam you're going you're not going to last long because you're going to give up and say this is too confusing uh but yeah the Quran's just it's completely disorganized it jumps around when they arranged it they basically arranged it from longest apart from the opening prayer uh they basically arranged it from longest chapters the shortest chapters so the chapters are completely out of out of like historical order um and so very confusing there You can only figure out. These passages mean or what the correct order is by going outside the Quran to these massive multi-volume collection of stories called the Hadiths and to the Sira literature and so on. And the impact that that has had on the Muslim community over the centuries is that, keep in mind, when I cited Surah 4, verse 65, that you can't have any resistance against anything Muhammad has said. You can't come up with your own interpretation of things. That's the sin of innovation in Islam. That's a one-way ticket to hell. If you come up with your own interpretation, your own understanding, that's a one-way ticket to hell. So the result of the Quran being very, very confusing and requiring these massive multi-volume collections of other sources and commentaries in order to understand what the Quran is even saying, the impact, the practical impact that it's had on the Muslim community over the centuries is you don't want to just read the Quran for yourself, because if you do, you're going to misunderstand some things and you might fall into some massive sins as far as coming up with your own understanding, misunderstanding passages, and you're actually... Going against Muhammad's understanding on some of these issues. And so you're actually in a lot of trouble not realizing it. So you don't want to do that. So the impact that this has had is you either need to learn all of it. So you learn the Quran and the commentaries, the Hadith, the Syria, you learn all of that so that you understand the Quran accurately, or sit down, shut up and listen to what your scholar says. The scholar who understands all this stuff, listen to what that guy says. And so your average Muslim, and this is shocking because we think of Muslims as very knowledgeable about their religion because we see them go to the mosque, we see them dressed in a certain way. No, Islam emphasizes that Muslims need to understand these basic practices and they need to do these things. They need to fast during Ramadan. They need to dress a certain way. They need to take the pilgrimage. But as far as understanding their book, it was shocking to me how little Muslims know about their book. In fact, the vast majority of times, the vast majority of times when I'm quoting the Quran to Muslims, they have no clue what I'm talking about because they're just not familiar with it. And that's kind of sad because you're trying to expose Muhammad by quoting these passages and they don't know what you're talking about. But there's a positive side to that as well. Namely that when you're showing Muslims what the Quran says about all these issues, the question that rises in their mind is, wait a minute, why have I never heard this from my Imam? Why have I never heard this from my Sheikh? Why am I hearing these things from this Christian only? And so there can be a kind of light switch moment eventually like, wait a minute, have they been filtering information from, have they been hiding this stuff from me? Have my leaders been hiding this information about the Quran and Muhammad from me? And why am I getting this stuff from the Christian and so on? So that can actually encourage them to start studying Islam for themselves. And at which point they're going to be on their way out of Islam. Hearts of Oak: It doesn't be a perfect setup for a cult because you do something that is only accessible to a few people in a language that only Allah can speak in. That's a bit of a bummer that you have a God that can only speak in one language, but that you've only got one language and the vast majority don't understand it. And therefore, they just do what they're told to do in a robotic fashion. It does seem like a perfect setup for having a worldwide cult. It is. It's considered a big religion just because of the size of it. If it were smaller, you would consider it a cult. But yeah, cult tactics are at the core of Islam. If you look at the tactics of any cult, that's exactly what Muhammad was doing the entire time. When you engage with people when they begin to see through the nonsense that is in front of them um and realizing that they are born you're born a Muslim as a Christian you you make a choice later in life but Islam you're supposedly born into it and you're stuck with that when they begin to realize what they're born into doesn't really make sense um it's it's difficult for an individual to walk away because Islam is not just a religious belief, but it's tied to many cultures. And there's a huge difficulty to walk away from that which defines you as a person, I guess. Dr David Wood: Yeah this ties into what I was saying earlier about Islam placing these psychological barriers, in the way of Muslims so if Muslim leaves in the west the main issue he has to deal with is okay I might be shunned by my family and when I say family I don't just mean mom and dad I mean aunts uncles cousins your entire community if you are in an area let's say of London where the, you've got the Muslim community and your family is part of the Muslim community and so on you say I don't really believe this. Your life gets very, very difficult. So the inclination would be lots of times to just, okay, I'll just keep going with the flow. I'll deal with this at some point later in life. That's in the West. If it's in a Muslim country and you're leaving Islam, that's a different story entirely because now you might have to deal with legal authorities. You can have to deal with your family just doing something to you and so on. But yeah, Islam makes it very very, very difficult, regardless of where it happens. Islam always makes it very difficult to leave Islam. And as far as how Christians should respond to this, keep in mind, Muslims are in a position very similar to the first century. If a Jewish teenager heard the preaching of Jesus and wanted to go follow Jesus, well, that might lead to problems with his family if his family rejected Jesus and so on. And so it's kind of a similar situation, but it's interesting because some of the same principles would apply where Jesus tells people that they may have to give up various things, but you're actually getting more. So you may have to give up, you may lose your family, but you're getting a much bigger family. And so Christians actually need to make this common knowledge among Muslims that, hey, if you guys have to give up your family, if you are shunned by your family because you leave Islam, guess what? We're going to take care of you. You have a much bigger family out here waiting for you. Hearts of Oak: Tell me about how you engage it. What for you is the big thing? I saw you having a celebration with Jay on the holes in the Qur'an and how that's come out, the different Qur'ans. Then you have the history that Islam teaches, and you find out that that begins to unravel as well. Which part of it do you see as being the main focus maybe at the moment or over the last few years, certainly for your work personally? Dr David Wood: Well, I've always been pretty much the same in that you have the arguments that Muslims are using to show that Muhammad is a true prophet. So we want to respond to those kinds of arguments. But also, what are the arguments that are most effective in dealing with Islam? So what are the arguments you use to expose Islam? What are the arguments that are most effective at exposing Muhammad and the Quran? and then how do you respond to the arguments that Muslims use to show that Islam is true. So those are the kind of issues that I've always focused on. And if you look at the arguments that Muslims used over the past several decades, the reason the holes in the narrative. Talking about the holes in the narrative about the preservation of the Quran, the reason that was such a big issue was that was one of their main arguments, if not their main argument for a couple of decades, was this argument from perfect preservation. They argued that the Quran has been miraculously preserved, dot for dot, letter for letter, and so on, from the time of Muhammad. I have Muslim apologetics books that say that there has not been one single letter changed in any single Quran manuscript, any single copy of the Quran from the time of Muhammad to the day. It's complete nonsense. It was a lie. This goes back to what I was calling the 99-1 rule. If If you're going to tell a group of people, hey, the Quran's been perfectly preserved, it's a miracle. Because you might wonder, if you're not familiar with this, you might be wondering, wait, why would a book being perfectly preserved be a miracle? I mean, if I take a copy of some book on my shelf and I find out this book is just, it's never changed or something like that, why would that mean that it's from God? But the reasoning is that if every time someone sits down to copy the Quran, they are miraculously preserved from making any sort of like scribal error or something like that, then this seems like it's god preserving it so that's the idea problem is it was it was just complete nonsense I mean if you if you go to the Muslim sources about the compilation of the Quran you find entire chapters came up missing because uh Muslims didn't recite those enough and they forgot them because early on they were trying to preserve it through memory um you find large passages of the Quran came up missing over 200 verses were lost just from surah 33 because the only people who had those passages memorized died in battle and they actually had a copy but Aisha's sheep He ate the only copy. So, I mean, you go to the Muslim sources and Allah can't even protect the Quran from a sheep. And you're talking about this perfect, miraculous preservation. So verses are lost. So that's what you find when you look at the Muslim sources. Then you can examine manuscripts. You can put manuscripts side by side. You find all kinds of differences, tens of thousands of differences when you examine Quran manuscripts. scripts. And then you get to the issue of different kirat in the world today. So there are actually different versions of the Quran that are used in different parts. Since the Ottoman Empire was the main empire of Islam, since that was the caliphate for centuries, their version, the version of the Quran that was popular with them, the Haftz Quran, that became most popular. And that was eventually what was used in compiling the 1924 Cairo edition of the Quran, the Haas version. So for most, for lots of Muslims, they're reading, they're reading that version of the Quran, but they're, that's not universal. You can go to, you can go to other parts of the Muslim world and they use different, different versions of the Quran. And so it was just a, it was just complete nonsense. It was a lie. It was at some point, some Muslim leaders just made this up and they spread the lie. And then people's confidence in Islam is based on this lie. It's the same thing with the scientific miracles arguments where they said the Quran is filled with all these scientific miracles. It's the same thing with arguing that because of Muhammad's amazing character, he must be a true prophet. No one could be this awesome and amazing if he weren't a prophet. These arguments only work in an atmosphere of ignorance. They only work in an atmosphere where no one knows about any of this. And guess what? That was the situation in the West when Muslim Da'is, their version of evangelists, these are people who invite people to Islam, when their preachers came to an area and started saying, oh, our book's been perfectly preserved, dot for dot, letter for letter. There are all these scientific miracles. Muhammad's the greatest man ever. No one was in any position to respond to any of this. And so they were able to actually convince people and win converts based on complete total deception. And so one of the main goals of me and many others over the years has been just to respond to these. And fortunately, over time, they collapse. You don't find lots of Muslims using the perfect preservation argument anymore. You won't find any other dawah guys using this anymore, unless they know they're talking to someone who is completely clueless. They wouldn't dare try that with Bob from Speaker's Corner or Chris. They wouldn't dare try that with anyone nowadays, because they know it's a lie and they know it's been exposed. Same thing with the scientific miracles argument. They wouldn't dare use that with any knowledgeable Christian. They would only use that if they walk up to someone, hey, do you know anything about Islam? Oh, you don't know anything about Islam? Oh, let me tell you about Islam. They'll use it there. And so if you know that their arguments only work in an atmosphere of ignorance, because they're based on complete deception, the way to respond to that is to just. Make an informed population. Make sure that there's always someone around who knows about this stuff. And the dawah, the dawah will never work. So that's one side of it. And the other, the other side is actually challenging Islam, exposing the Quran, giving arguments that Muhammad is a false prophet. And there's just, just plenty of that out there. Hearts of Oak: Because again, you grew up in the West and you have criticism of Christianity. If you, I grew up pastor's kid and massive criticism at school and debate and argument. and you have that, Islam seems to be a protected characteristic where you don't have. So your experience with Nabel, talking to him and beginning to expose, most Muslims do not get that. Most kids at school, when they learn about Islam, they learn it's perfect. With Christianity, they may be told, actually, there may be concerns of this or this historical document, and they have criticism early on. Islam doesn't have that. So it is difficult, I'm assuming, for a Muslim to walk away from something that they believe is perfect and their whole world is based on. Dr David Wood: And that's why actually responding to the arguments and using arguments to expose Muhammad is so absolutely essential. And fortunately, Christians are catching on to this because back when I was starting, the main response I got from Christians was, look, if you want to preach the gospel to Muslims, just preach the gospel. Don't ever criticize Muhammad or the Quran. That's just going to drive them away. And they had no idea how dangerous that idea was. So I'll just give an example. You mentioned Nabil. Nabil told me after he became a Christian, after he became a Christian, he said, we spent years examining the evidence for the death of Jesus, for his resurrection, for the reliability of the New Testament, for belief in his divine nature. We spent years going over all this. And he said, I was actually thinking, when we would go through the evidence, when we would watch lectures and debates, when we would read books on these issues, he said, I would be thinking. Wow, Christians have a much better case than I thought they did. They actually have good reasons for everything they believe here. He said he was realizing that as a Muslim, but he said what kept him being a Muslim at that time was he was thinking, but even if they can show me with 99% certainty that Christianity is true, that all these claims are true, even if they show me with 99% certainty that all these claims are true, I'm still 100% sure that Islam is true because of the the scientific miracles, because of the perfect preservation of the Quran, because of the character of Muhammad, because of all these things that were just based on lies. So think about this. You have Christians in the West saying, don't criticize Islam. Don't criticize Islam because that's just going to drive Muslims away when their heads have been filled with lies and they think that they have an airtight case. And so you're saying, hey, don't respond to what they think is an airtight case and is nothing but lies. Don't respond to that. And so what? You're just going to leave them with this 100% confidence in Islam that is based on lies and you don't want to deal with that. So I have to say, by experience, just my experience over the years, I would estimate that probably 95 to 97% of Muslims who leave Islam, it only happened after their confidence in Muhammad was shaken. That's when they were able to take an alternative seriously. So it's really, really important to expose those lies and that deception to show these problems with Islam. And again, fortunately, fortunately, Christians have woken up to this over the years because back, this is actually kind of funny. When I was starting, so years ago, and I would hear this, don't ever criticize Muhammad or the Quran. That's something you never do. That'll never work. And I'm thinking, wait a minute. I know from experience that works. I know from experience that works. And so I actually tried to figure out where are Christians getting this idea? Is it just because Christians in the West have become obsessed with being super nice? Where's this idea coming from? And I was able to trace it to two sources where they were getting this idea. One, there were Christian missionaries in Muslim countries who would come back to the US because churches back here are supporting their work. And there were Christians who are missionaries in the Muslim world, Saudi Arabia and so on. And they would come back to the the U.S. and you'd say, oh, wow, we've got a missionary to the Muslim world here. Hey, come tell us about witnessing the Muslims. And the Christian missionary would say, yeah, and don't ever criticize Muhammad or the Koran. Well, that makes sense in Saudi Arabia, right? You have to be careful in Saudi Arabia. That makes sense. It doesn't make sense over here. What are you talking about? In fact, you could say, okay, if it's really difficult to criticize Muhammad and the Quran over there, fine, we can do it over here and we'll put it online. We'll get the message out for you. But the takeaway for people was, okay, just don't ever criticize Muhammad or the Quran. That's just going to lead to problems. So they're hearing that from Christian missionaries. But then the other source was they were hearing it from Muslim speakers at interfaith meetings, right? So they're actually going in there to an interfaith meeting where you have Christians and Jews and Muslims all gathered together. And the Muslim speaker would say, hey, it's great that we're building these bridges here. It's great that we're all getting along. Isn't this great? And as a Christian, you're saying, yeah, it's great. It's great being in a room with Muslims and everyone else. It's great. And so you say, hey, if you want to keep this going, just remember one thing. Never criticize Muhammad or the Quran because that would just destroy all these great bridges we're building. It would just destroy it all. So remember, never, ever criticize Muhammad to the Quran. That's just going to drive Muslims away. And then you'll never get along with Muslims ever again. And Christians go, oh, okay. And then they tell me this stuff and I'm sitting there thinking, are you serious? You think that the Muslim speaker is giving you accurate information about how to lead Muslims out of Islam? Are you serious? Are you joking? You believe that? You believe that this guy is trying to give you a good methodology for leading Muslims to, are you serious? Are you joking? And so, but that was so common back then that it was just, look, you just, I'm just going to have to show them. And so the, what's happened over the past two decades is basically the, the people who are blasting away at Muhammad and the Quran, that's where everyone sees Muslims leaving Islam. And all the people who say, don't do that, they don't see anyone leaving Islam. And so Christians have just realized over the past couple of decades, wait a minute, this is just, this is very effective. It's actually very effective criticizing Muhammad and the Quran. Hearts of Oak: On because of it just to finish off um I mean jay talks always I'm sure you do about the book and the man the book of the man and you look at you compare as a Christian as Christians we want to present Christ because we believe that Jesus actually is a solution actually he is the way the truth and the life and you compare him to Muhammad and you think well you've got this This violent, bloodthirsty warlord that just wants to get his own way and makes up theology because he hears stuff in his head. That's not really the person I would like to follow. So when you compare them side by side, there does seem to be only one option. But yet in many Muslim countries, I guess people have not seen who Jesus is and therefore do not have the option of following him. Dr David Wood: Yeah, that's correct. If you listen to, because Muslims have their information filtered for them, they think of Muhammad as this really, really great, wonderful guy who, if you were to put him side by side with Jesus, you'd say, wow, these are both really, really wonderful guys. But that's just because their information has been filtered from them. Lots of Muslims, I mean, lots of Muslim leaders understand that there are all these issues. And so they hide this from Muslims. And so they're not going to hear it from anywhere else. They have to hear it from us. They have to hear this. They have to hear this information from us. What's amazing is there's a radical difference between Jesus and Muhammad, even in the Muslim sources. Like you could just completely ignore the Bible if you just look at Jesus in the Muslim sources. So he's called the word of Allah. No one else is called the word of Allah. And Muhammad didn't even know what that meant, which we know what that means. In the beginning was the word. The word is with God. God, the word was God. The word became flesh. We know why Jesus is called the word. This has to do with his deity. Muhammad didn't know that. He just thought this was a name for Jesus. But in the Quran, Jesus is the word of Allah and he's called a spirit from Allah. And Muslims haven't thought through the theology of this. But when Allah creates something, he says, be, and the thing pops into existence, right? So a book, be, and something, a book will pop into existence. Chair, be, and the chair can pop into existence. That's how Allah creates. But when you're talking about Jesus, Jesus is the word of Allah That's something spoken out by Allah That's like something that originates from within Allah And Allah's speech is eternal So what? Jesus is the eternal word? What's going on? Are you not thinking about this? And then the spirit, a spirit is something that Allah breathes out Allah breathes out the spirit. And so here it sounds like Jesus is from within Allah, which makes him different from all the rest of all the rest of creation. So Jesus is the word of Allah. He's a spirit from Allah. He's sinless in Islam. He's called faultless in the Koran. And in the Hadith, you find out that Satan touches every child that's born into the world, including Muhammad. But he couldn't touch Jesus. He was he was prevented from touching Jesus. So Jesus ends up sinless even in Islam. Jesus lives the most miraculous life in history in Islam. Jesus does things like he creates in the same way that Allah creates. This is in the Quran. I'm not talking about Christianity. I'm talking about in the Quran. Allah creates Adam by fashioning Adam out of clay, and then he breathes the spirit into it, and then Adam comes alive. life. Jesus says, hey, look at this. He does it with a clay bird. He makes a bird out of clay, breathes the spirit into it, and then the bird comes alive. He creates in exactly the same way Allah creates in the Quran. So he's performing all these miracles. He's the Messiah. All these things are unique about Jesus, make him completely different. And you look at Muhammad, even in the Muslim sources, he's awful. He's terrible. So you can actually compare Jesus and Muhammad even in the Muslim sources and making a pretty airtight case that Jesus is superior to Muhammad. When you actually really, really go into the history of Muhammad and you look at the Jesus of the Bible, it's night and day. But Muslims don't know that, and they're not going to ow that until we show it to them.

In today's episode, I want to give you a version of my presentation at the Evangelical Philosophical Society meeting in Georgia. “Why Would God Create Anything at All? A Question that Classical Theism Cannot Answer.” Credits Host: R.T. Mullins (PhD, University of St Andrews) is a lecturer and researcher at the University of Lucerne, and a visiting professor of philosophy at Palm Beach Atlantic University. Music by Rockandmetal_domination – Raising-questions. ⁠⁠⁠⁠rtmullins.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ Support the Show: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/user?u=66431474⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/rtmullins⁠⁠⁠ --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ryan-mullins/support

In this bonus episode of the Parker's Pensées Podcast, I share my paper presentation from the 2023 Evangelical Philosophical Society in San Antonio, Texas. I originally wrote this paper for Paul Copan's Advanced Philosophy of Religion course in the Palm Beach Atlantic University Master's program. If you want to follow along with the outline I gave the audience at EPS, you can find that at my substack here: https://parknotes.substack.com/p/are-theodicies-possible-yes Join the Facebook group, Parker's Pensées Penseurs, here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/960471494536285/ If you like this podcast, then support it on Patreon for $3, $5 or more a month. Any amount helps, and for $5 you get a Parker's Pensées sticker and instant access to all the episode as I record them instead of waiting for their release date. Check it out here: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/parkers_pensees If you want to give a one-time gift, you can give at my Paypal: https://paypal.me/ParkersPensees?locale.x=en_US Check out my merchandise at my Teespring store: https://teespring.com/stores/parkers-penses-merch Come talk with the Pensées community on Discord: dsc.gg/parkerspensees Sub to my Substack to read my thoughts on my episodes: https://parknotes.substack.com/ Check out my blog posts: https://parkersettecase.com/ Check out my Parker's Pensées YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYbTRurpFP5q4TpDD_P2JDA

Dr. Kevin Voss, Director of the Center for Bioethics at CUW, joins Tiffany and Steph to talk about the field of bioethics and how our Lutheran theology helps us navigate the nuanced world of reproductive technology. Bio: Kevin Voss is a Professor of Philosophy and Director of the Center for Bioethics at Concordia University Wisconsin (CUW). He has been at CUW since 2003 and teaches philosophy, bioethics, and ethics courses. Dr. Voss has a PhD in Health Care Ethics from Saint Louis University, is an ordained Lutheran minister (Concordia Seminary St. Louis 1999), is a Fellow of Christian Apologetics, and is a licensed veterinarian, having practiced for 14 years in Bonduel, Wisconsin. He has authored peer-reviewed articles and written several articles for the Lutheran Witness. Rev. Voss has given numerous presentations about bioethics issues at national conferences. Dr. Voss is a member of the Sanctity of Human Life Committee of the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod, the American Veterinary Medical Association, the American Society for Bioethics and Humanities, the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science, and the Evangelical Philosophical Society. He is Chair of Concordia University's Institutional Review Board. Learn about LCMS Life Ministry at lcms.org/life, and email us at friendsforlife@lcms.org. Not all the views expressed are necessarily those of the LCMS; please discuss any questions with your pastor.

Our guest this week on Apologetics Profile, Christian philosopher Dr. Paul Gould, sits down with us to provide the True and Good Story of why the laws of the universe exist in the first place and why there is order, unity, harmony, and beauty at the heart of modern science's quest for a theory of everything. Paul wrote his latest book, A Good and True Story, with the atheist and skeptic in mind. Instead of an amalgam of dry, philosophical syllogisms and isolated factoids, Paul weaves together a compelling story of clues that point us all toward the greatest Story ever told. .Paul M. Gould is an associate professor of philosophy of religion and director of the M.A. Philosophy of Religion program at Palm Beach Atlantic University. Gould earned his doctorate in philosophy from Purdue University. He is the author or editor of ten scholarly and popular-level books including Cultural Apologetics, Philosophy: A Christian Introduction, and The Story of the Cosmos. He has been a visiting scholar at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School's Henry Center, working on the intersection of science and faith, and is the founder and president of the Two Tasks Institute. He is a widely sought-after speaker in apologetics and philosophy. He speaks regularly at universities, churches and ministries around the country, including Summit Ministries, the C.S. Lewis Institute and the Evangelical Philosophical Society's annual apologetics conference. He is married to Ethel and has four children.Related Links: Free access to some related Watchman Profiles: Watchman Fellowship 4-page Profile on Carl Sagan's Cosmos by Daniel Ray: watchman.org/CosmosTV Watchman Fellowship 4-page Profile on Atheism by Dr. Robert M. Bowman: watchman.org/Atheism Watchman Fellowship 4-page Profile on Agnosticism by W. Russell Crawford: watchman.org/Agnostic Watchman Fellowship 4-page Profile on Scientism by Dr. Luke Barnes and Daniel Ray: watchman.org/Scientism Additional ResourcesFREE: We are also offering a subscription to our 4-page bimonthly Profiles here: www.watchman.org/Free.PROFILE NOTEBOOK: Order the complete collection of Watchman Fellowship Profiles (over 600 pages -- from Astrology to Zen Buddhism) in either printed or PDF formats here: watchman.org/notebook. SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship For more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

On the next two episodes of Apologetics Profile we sit down with Christian philosopher, avid outdoorsman, and father, Dr. Paul Gould to talk about his latest book A Good and True Story. It is an apologetic work written in the prose of story and narrative, written with unbelievers and skeptics in mind. Paul translates the philosophical and scientific arguments into an inviting and compelling story - a great book to share with your atheist or skeptic friends or family members.  .Paul M. Gould is an associate professor of philosophy of religion and director of the M.A. Philosophy of Religion program at Palm Beach Atlantic University. Gould earned his doctorate in philosophy from Purdue University. He is the author or editor of ten scholarly and popular-level books including Cultural Apologetics, Philosophy: A Christian Introduction, and The Story of the Cosmos. He has been a visiting scholar at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School's Henry Center, working on the intersection of science and faith, and is the founder and president of the Two Tasks Institute. He is a widely sought-after speaker in apologetics and philosophy. He speaks regularly at universities, churches and ministries around the country, including Summit Ministries, the C.S. Lewis Institute and the Evangelical Philosophical Society's annual apologetics conference. He is married to Ethel and has four children.Related Links: Free access to some related Watchman Profiles: Watchman Fellowship 4-page Profile on Carl Sagan's Cosmos by Daniel Ray: watchman.org/CosmosTV Watchman Fellowship 4-page Profile on Atheism by Dr. Robert M. Bowman: watchman.org/Atheism Watchman Fellowship 4-page Profile on Agnosticism by W. Russell Crawford: watchman.org/Agnostic Watchman Fellowship 4-page Profile on Scientism by Dr. Luke Barnes and Daniel Ray: watchman.org/Scientism Additional ResourcesFREE: We are also offering a subscription to our 4-page bimonthly Profiles here: www.watchman.org/Free.PROFILE NOTEBOOK: Order the complete collection of Watchman Fellowship Profiles (over 600 pages -- from Astrology to Zen Buddhism) in either printed or PDF formats here: watchman.org/notebook. SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship For more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

In this episode, I sit down with theologian and pastor Austin Kreutz to face a critical question; what is a man? The culture war is raging over defining genders and reordering traditional roles of men and women. There is a concerted effort to de-masculinize men. How do we as Christian men with a mandate to expand the Kingdom of God respond? In this episode, you will be equipped to handle these questions. How do you navigate the current cultural landscape you find yourself in? Is there such a thing as toxic masculinity? What does it look like for a man to rule over his family? And so many more. Austin Kreutz is a pastor at Restoration Christian Community in Allegan Michigan. He also serves as the President of the Bonhoeffer Forum for Church and Culture and is a member of the Evangelical Theological Society and the Evangelical Philosophical Society. You can connect with him and listen to his podcast at https://www.austinkreutz.com (https://www.austinkreutz.com) Join the Kingdom Driven Man Challenge: https://www.kingdomdrivenman.com Own THE STANDARD Today, Get the breakout Bestseller THE STANDARD, Discovering Jesus as The Standard for Masculinity on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Standard-Discovering-Jesus-Masculinity/dp/1734549300/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8 (https://www.amazon.com/Standard-Discovering-Jesus-Masculinity/dp/1734549300/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8)  Listen to THE STANDARD on Audible: https://www.audible.com/pd/B095J62CW2/?source_code=AUDFPWS0223189MWT-BK-ACX0-259076&ref=acx_bty_BK_ACX0_259076_rh_us (https://www.audible.com/pd/B095J62CW2/?source_code=AUDFPWS0223189MWT-BK-ACX0-259076&ref=acx_bty_BK_ACX0_259076_rh_us) Download your FREE eBook, THE MAP and Get the 12 Strategies You Must Execute to Be The Man You are God Created You to Be https://www.standard59.com/THEMAP (https://www.standard59.com/THEMAP)  Follow Josh on Social Media https://www.instagram.com/kingdomathlete/ (https://www.instagram.com/kingdomathlete/)  https://www.facebook.com/kingdomathlete (https://www.facebook.com/kingdomathlete)  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7YKo7liiUJ1jW6eCLVkJlQ

Father Davila Ashcraft - In addition to his scholarly work in the fields of Theology and Apologetics, J. Davila-Ashcraft is a contributor to Barbwire.com, a Christian news and opinion site, and author of The Messianic Secret, an examination and refutation of the many myths offered regarding the so-called "lost years" of Jesus. He has been a guest on both radio and television discussing such issues as demonology, exorcism, spiritual warfare and the paranormal from a decidedly biblical point of view. He is recognized for his expertise in the area of exorcism ministry and has lectured and taught the subject at both the collegiate and congregational levels. In that capacity he has also appeared on The Travel Channel, consulted on programming for National Geographic Channel, and been a featured guest on such radio programs as Art Bell, The Josh Tolley Show, Erskine Overnight, Fade To Black, and more. He is a member of the Evangelical Philosophical Society, The Society of Evangelical Arminians, and ordained through the Evangelical Episcopal Communion. He is a proponent of Christian Traditionalism and of Thomas Oden's "paleo orthodoxy", advocating a return to the unifying principles of the ancient undivided Christian church and is currently working on a Master's degree. He is the Superior of the Priestly Fraternity of Christ the King.

Father Davila Ashcraft - In addition to his scholarly work in the fields of Theology and Apologetics, J. Davila-Ashcraft is a contributor to Barbwire.com, a Christian news and opinion site, and author of The Messianic Secret, an examination and refutation of the many myths offered regarding the so-called "lost years" of Jesus. He has been a guest on both radio and television discussing such issues as demonology, exorcism, spiritual warfare and the paranormal from a decidedly biblical point of view. He is recognized for his expertise in the area of exorcism ministry and has lectured and taught the subject at both the collegiate and congregational levels. In that capacity he has also appeared on The Travel Channel, consulted on programming for National Geographic Channel, and been a featured guest on such radio programs as Art Bell, The Josh Tolley Show, Erskine Overnight, Fade To Black, and more. He is a member of the Evangelical Philosophical Society, The Society of Evangelical Arminians, and ordained through the Evangelical Episcopal Communion. He is a proponent of Christian Traditionalism and of Thomas Oden's "paleo orthodoxy", advocating a return to the unifying principles of the ancient undivided Christian church and is currently working on a Master's degree. He is the Superior of the Priestly Fraternity of Christ the King.

Peter Kupisz has a Masters degree in Philosophy of Religion and Ethics from Talbot School of Theology. He also has a Masters degree in the History and Philosophy of Science and Technology from the University of Toronto. Peter has been studying apologetic issues for 20+ years and enjoys talking to people of all different religious and philosophical persuasions. He worked as an Adjunct Professor of Philosophy at universities in California and as a full-time Instructor at universities in South Korea. After being on staff with Power to Change (previously known as “Campus Crusade for Christ”) for 5 years, he founded Worldview Summit. Now based in the country of Georgia, he speaks at churches, schools, and universities in various parts of the world including South America, Asia, Europe, and North America. Peter is a member of the Evangelical Philosophical Society and he is on the board of Ratio Christi Canada. In his free time he enjoys debating online, movies, traveling, hiking, and exploring the world.  About Worldview SummitWorldview Summit is committed to exploring the ultimate questions of life from a Christian worldview. It seeks to provide a clear and articulate explanation as to why faith in Jesus makes sense. The ministry consists of a small team of committed individuals although it primarily features the work and thought of Peter Kupisz. Peter is committed to sharing the best reasons there are for believing in Jesus based on research done by the world's top Christian scholars. He believes that Christians should take seriously the words found in 1 Peter 3: 15,  But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, (NIV)  It's important for Christians to give good reasons for their hope in Jesus. But it's also important to do this with "gentleness and respect."  Resources:Website: https://www.worldviewsummit.org/Podcasts: https://www.worldviewsummit.org/podcast-comingFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/WorldviewSummit/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/worldviewsummit/?hl=enYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjLLtpbRC35eMmqi9wuAq0A?view_as=subscriber

Dr. Paul Copan is an Christian theologian, analytic philosopher, apologist, and author. He is currently a professor at the Palm Beach Atlantic University and holds the endowed Pledger Family Chair of Philosophy and Ethics. He has written and edited over 40 books in the area of philosophy of religion, apologetics, theology, and ethics in the Bible. He has contributed a great number of articles to various professional journals and has written many essays for edited books. For six years he served as the president of the Evangelical Philosophical Society. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/fullarmourapologetics/message

Father Davila Ashcraft - In addition to his scholarly work in the fields of Theology and Apologetics, J. Davila-Ashcraft is a contributor to Barbwire.com, a Christian news and opinion site, and author of The Messianic Secret, an examination and refutation of the many myths offered regarding the so-called "lost years" of Jesus. He has been a guest on both radio and television discussing such issues as demonology, exorcism, spiritual warfare and the paranormal from a decidedly biblical point of view. He is recognized for his expertise in the area of exorcism ministry and has lectured and taught the subject at both the collegiate and congregational levels. In that capacity he has also appeared on The Travel Channel, consulted on programming for National Geographic Channel, and been a featured guest on such radio programs as Art Bell, The Josh Tolley Show, Erskine Overnight, Fade To Black, and more. He is a member of the Evangelical Philosophical Society, The Society of Evangelical Arminians, and ordained through the Evangelical Episcopal Communion. He is a proponent of Christian Traditionalism and of Thomas Oden's "paleo orthodoxy", advocating a return to the unifying principles of the ancient undivided Christian church and is currently working on a Master's degree. He is the Superior of the Priestly Fraternity of Christ the King. For all the best of the Paranormal / Parapsychology radio programming and features, visit www.xzbn.net.

Father Davila Ashcraft - In addition to his scholarly work in the fields of Theology and Apologetics, J. Davila-Ashcraft is a contributor to Barbwire.com, a Christian news and opinion site, and author of The Messianic Secret, an examination and refutation of the many myths offered regarding the so-called "lost years" of Jesus. He has been a guest on both radio and television discussing such issues as demonology, exorcism, spiritual warfare and the paranormal from a decidedly biblical point of view. He is recognized for his expertise in the area of exorcism ministry and has lectured and taught the subject at both the collegiate and congregational levels. In that capacity he has also appeared on The Travel Channel, consulted on programming for National Geographic Channel, and been a featured guest on such radio programs as Art Bell, The Josh Tolley Show, Erskine Overnight, Fade To Black, and more. He is a member of the Evangelical Philosophical Society, The Society of Evangelical Arminians, and ordained through the Evangelical Episcopal Communion. He is a proponent of Christian Traditionalism and of Thomas Oden's "paleo orthodoxy", advocating a return to the unifying principles of the ancient undivided Christian church and is currently working on a Master's degree. He is the Superior of the Priestly Fraternity of Christ the King.For all the best of the Paranormal / Parapsychology radio programming and features, visit www.xzbn.net.

Do you want to follow biblical principles in all arenas of life? If so, you've probably found that it's not always easy to know how biblical ideas translate and apply to everyday life. You need to be in godly, manly, fraternal community, my friend. That's what we're talking about in this episode of the ThinkPod. Joel Settecase is joined by Micah Morgan and Dr. Khaldoun Sweis. Micah is a custom homebuilder and the CEO of Red Cloud Contracting. He and Joel have been friends since 1994. Back in high school they used to hang out with their other friend outside the local Jewel Osco, enjoying the finest cigars their local Speedway had to offer and pontificating on life's big questions. They called these meetups AWOL. It was awesome. Nowadays, building on that tradition, they host monthly AWOL gatherings for men in the Fox Valley region of Illinois. The cigars have gotten better, and the conversation is still awesome. Khaldoun A. Sweis, is a Jordanian American Life Coach and Associate Professor of Philosophy at Olive-Harvey College in Chicago and serves as tutor in philosophy with Oxford University in England. After losing his son Enoch, who died in his arms, he had a paradigm shift in his life and ministry. His experience entails teaching philosophy and apologetics for over a decade as well as speaking at conferences both nationally and abroad in such locations as Hong Kong, Romania, Australia, and England. He has three books including Killing God: Addressing the Seven Most Common Objections from the New Atheists. He is a member of the American Philosophical Association and the Evangelical Philosophical Society. His goal is to help equip believers to deal with suffering productively and engage culture redemptively. Today they're bringing AWOL to you, as they dive in to several current cultural challenges and seek to view them in light of the timeless truth of God's word. Listen to the ThinkPod: https://anchor.fm/the-think-podcast Watch on YouTube: http://youtube.com/thethinkinstitute If this blessed you, consider supporting us: https://thethink.institute/partner Facebook: http://facebook.com/thethinkinstitute Twitter: http://twitter.com/thinkinst Mewe: http://mewe.com/i/thinkinstitute Gab: http://gab.com/thinkinstitute Minds: https://www.minds.com/thinkinstitute/ Catechize your kids: http://thethink.institute/catakids. Book Joel Settecase to speak: https://thethink.institute/booking Sign up for the email newsletter: http://thethink.institute/think-updates Join a course: http://thethink.institute/hammerandanvil Music Credits: Hard Metal Intro by WinnieTheMoog Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/6598-hard-metal-intro License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Synthwave Intro 03 by TaigaSoundProd Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/7299-synthwave-intro-03 License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Stranger Synths #1 by Musikhalde Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/6390-stranger-synths-1 License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/the-think-podcast/message

Worldview is one of the most excitable concepts among Christians today, but what does it really mean to have a Christian worldview? Why is worldview important? How is it related to apologetics? In this installment of Rooted in Revelation, Dr. James Anderson answers these questions and gives us his thoughts on what area of presuppositionalism could use the most development. Dr. James Anderson is an ordained minister in the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church. Dr. Anderson came to RTS from Edinburgh, Scotland, and specializes in philosophical theology, religious epistemology, and Christian apologetics. His doctoral thesis at the University of Edinburgh explored the paradoxical nature of certain Christian doctrines and the implications for the rationality of Christian faith. His research and writing has also focused on the presuppositional apologetics of Cornelius Van Til, particularly his advocacy of the transcendental argument. Dr. Anderson has a long-standing concern to bring the Reformed theological tradition into greater dialogue with contemporary analytic philosophy. Before studying philosophy, Dr. Anderson also earned a PhD in Computer Simulation from the University of Edinburgh. He is a member of the Society of Christian Philosophers, the British Society for the Philosophy of Religion, and the Evangelical Philosophical Society. Prior to joining RTS Charlotte, Dr. Anderson served as an assistant pastor at the historic Charlotte Chapel in Edinburgh where he engaged in regular preaching, teaching, and pastoral ministry. He is married to Catriona and they have three children. Dr Anderson's Blog: https://www.proginosko.com. Dr Anderson's Book Why should I believe Christianity: https://www.amazon.com/Why-Should-Believe-Christianity-Big/dp/1781918694

Rethinking Scripture Podcast - Episode 15: The Good Shepherd (John 10)September 20, 2021 - Host: Dr. Gregory HallJohn 10 is all about sheep and shepherds… and recently the church has tried to make this passage all about our modern-day context. But what if John 10 isn't speaking about the 21st-century at all? What if Jesus was just describing His ministry within the religious context of His day? Well… that type of reading might cause us to rethink this entire passage. Referenced Resources:Horner, David A. “Whether Augustine's Name Should Be Pronounced AW-gus-teen or aw-GUS-tin?" Philosophia Christi, Vol. 11, No. 1, 2009. Evangelical Philosophical Society. [http://www.epsociety.org/userfiles/Horner%20(Augustine).pdfWright, W. M., IV. (2012). Hearing the Shepherd's Voice: The παροιμία of the Good Shepherd Discourse and Augustine's Figural Reading. Journal of Theological Interpretation, Volume 6, (1–2), 105.Keener, C. S. (1993). The IVP Bible background commentary: New Testament (Jn 10:1–18). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.Blum, E. A. (1985). John. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 2, pp. 309–310). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.Show Music:Intro/Outro - "Growth" by Armani Delos SantosTransition Music - produced by Jacob A. HallPodcast Website:RethinkingScripture.comThe John Study Resources: https://rethinkingscripture.com/john-study-resources/ Sister site: RethinkingRest.comSocial Media:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RethinkingScripture Twitter: @RethinkingStuffInstagram: rethinking_scriptureYouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6YCLg2UldJiA0dsg0KkvLAPowered and distributed by Simplecast.

What are "deceitful philosophies"? The Bible exhorts us to be on guard against the empty and deceitful philosophies of men and the traditions and customs by which the world tempts and challenges us. Perhaps we can spot bad biblical doctrine, but what about counterfeit and deceitful philosophies? How does bad philosophy make inroads into our minds and become the norm? How do we know what is true? How can we test what is true? If our minds are just leftover stardust, if the universe is just a violent and chaotic place, if natural unguided forces and processes are finally what cobbled us together, then we shouldn't even trust our minds. Can we trust the secular sciences when they tell us what life is, what the cosmos means, and what we should do about our lives? Are we just stardust? Are we merely the universe come to life? Are our brains just an accidental byproduct of an impersonal nature? In order to counter the prevailing philosophies of our time, to proclaim truth, to make Christ known, we must understand and employ a Christ-centered philosophy in engaging our unbelieving neighbors. All truth belongs to God, wherever it may be found. On part 2 of our discussion with Christian philosopher Dr. Paul Gould, we unpack ways in which we can apply a Christ-centered philosophy in addressing the concerns of our time. What is truth? How do we know if what someone is telling us is true? Come along and let Dr. Gould encourage and equip you for our present sojourning through these times of uncertainty and confusion.  And remember the worlds of the Apostle Paul in the 12th chapter of Romans "I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewign of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect" (Rom. 12:12).   Additional Resources Paul Gould directs the Masters Program in Philosophy at Palm Beach Atlantic University: https://pbaschoolofministry.com/mastersphilosophyreligion/ Philosophy: A Christian Introduction, by James K. Dew and Paul M. Gould: http://bit.ly/PhilosophyIntro How Do We Know?: An Introduction to Epistemology, by James K. Dew and Mark W. Foreman: http://bit.ly/EpistemologyIntro. Four Views on Christianity and Philosophy, by Paul M. Gould and Richard Brian Davis (Editors): http://bit.ly/4ViewsBook The Story of the Cosmos: How the Heavens Declare the Glory of God, by Daniel Ray and Paul M. Gould (Editors): www.watchman.org/CosmosBook Dr. Paul M. Gould is the Associate Professor of Philosophy of Religion and Director of the M.A. Philosophy of Religion program at Palm Beach Atlantic University. Dr. Gould is the author or editor of ten scholarly and popular-level books including Cultural Apologetics, Philosophy: A Christian Introduction (Zondervan, 2019) and The Story of the Cosmos (Harvest House, 2019). He has been a visiting scholar at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School’s Henry Center, working on the intersection of science and faith, and is the founder and president of the Two Tasks Institute. He is a widely sought after speaker in apologetics and philosophy. He speaks regularly at universities, churches, and ministries around the country, including Summit Ministries, the C.S. Lewis Institute, and the Evangelical Philosophical Society’s annual apologetics conference. You can find out more about Dr. Gould and his work at www.paul-gould.com and www.twotasksinstitute.org.  He is married to Ethel and has four children. Daniel Ray, Staff Apologist at Watchman Fellowship, is a speaker, writer, and podcast producer with the ministry. He holds a BS in Interdisciplinary Studies from Austin Peay State University and an MA in Cultural Apologetics from Houston Baptist University. He is coeditor and cowriter of The Story of the Cosmos, How the Heavens Declare the Glory of God. For more information: www.watchman.org/staff/DanielRayBio.pdf. ADDITIONAL RESOURCES FREE: We are also offering a free subscription to our 4-page bimonthly Profiles here: www.watchman.org/Free. SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give. Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman FellowshipFor more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

Why Do We Need Philosophy? Our guest this week and next on Apologetics Profile is Christian philosopher and author Dr. Paul Gould, who routinely gets asked this question. Dr. Gould believes that "philosophy is simply too important to give up on. Philosophy continues to play a vital role in our lives and in contemporary discussions on almost everything." And he is "not convinced that philosophy needs to be so difficult. Sure, there are a lot of philosophical issues that are difficult, but there are also a lot of issues that aren't that difficult."1 It is Dr. Gould's passion to make philosophy lucid, understandable, and Christ-centered.  Isn't philosophy just a complicated discipline for academics? What relevance does it have for my faith? For the faith of my children or grandchildren? Must we get a degree in philosophy? Isn't the Bible enough? Dr. Gould addresses these and many other important philosophical topics in a very easy-to-understand, down-to-earth conversation with Watchman staff apologist Daniel Ray. He unpacks the relevance of philosophy for everyone, especially Christians. Now more than ever, truth seems to be in short supply. Bad philosophy is making the rounds, taking people captive, causing division, doubt and confusion, as we saw in our previous two episodes on Street Epistemology. Paul helps us to rediscover that in Christ Himself "are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge" (Colossians 2:3). We must strive to counter bad philosophy "and empty deception according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ" (Col. 2:8).  Philosophy is simply a Greek word meaning "the love of wisdom" (philo-sophia). The Bible has much to say about loving and embracing wisdom (Job 28; Proverbs 8; Colossians 2; 1 Corinthians 1; John 1). Dr. Gould helps us to understand how the best sort of philosophy is centered upon the Person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ.  So come and listen to Dr. Gould's very inspirational and practical advice about building and utilizing sound philosophy, all to the glory of God (1 Cor. 10:31). Additional Resources Paul directs the Masters Program in Philosophy at Palm Beach Atlantic University: https://pbaschoolofministry.com/mastersphilosophyreligion/ Philosophy: A Christian Introduction, by James K. Dew and Paul M. Gould: http://bit.ly/PhilosophyIntro How Do We Know?: An Introduction to Epistemology, by James K. Dew and Mark W. Foreman: http://bit.ly/EpistemologyIntro. Four Views on Christianity and Philosophy, by Paul M. Gould and Richard Brian Davis (Editors): http://bit.ly/4ViewsBook The Story of the Cosmos: How the Heavens Declare the Glory of God, by Daniel Ray and Paul M. Gould (Editors): www.watchman.org/CosmosBook Dr. Paul M. Gould is the Associate Professor of Philosophy of Religion and Director of the M.A. Philosophy of Religion program at Palm Beach Atlantic University. Dr. Gould is the author or editor of ten scholarly and popular-level books including Cultural Apologetics, Philosophy: A Christian Introduction (Zondervan, 2019) and The Story of the Cosmos (Harvest House, 2019). He has been a visiting scholar at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School’s Henry Center, working on the intersection of science and faith, and is the founder and president of the Two Tasks Institute. He is a widely sought after speaker in apologetics and philosophy. He speaks regularly at universities, churches, and ministries around the country, including Summit Ministries, the C.S. Lewis Institute, and the Evangelical Philosophical Society’s annual apologetics conference. You can find out more about Dr. Gould and his work at www.paul-gould.com and www.twotasksinstitute.org.  He is married to Ethel and has four children. Daniel Ray, Staff Apologist at Watchman Fellowship, is a speaker, writer, and podcast producer with the ministry. He holds a BS in Interdisciplinary Studies from Austin Peay State University and an MA in Cultural Apologetics from Houston Baptist University. He is coeditor and cowriter of The Story of the Cosmos, How the Heavens Declare the Glory of God. For more information: www.watchman.org/staff/DanielRayBio.pdf. ADDITIONAL RESOURCES FREE: We are also offering a free subscription to our 4-page bimonthly Profiles here: www.watchman.org/Free. SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give. 1 James K. Dew and Paul M. Gould, Philosophy A Christian Introduction (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2019), vii. Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman FellowshipFor more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

Member of the Society of Reformed Podcasters SEASON 2 EPISODE 14 Make sure you listen to the end of the episode for a book giveaway! Dr. Stephen Wellum is Professor of Christian Theology and editor of the Southern Baptist Journal of Theology at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, KY. He has also served as a senior pastor and interim pastor in South Dakota and Kentucky as well as a conference speaker at various engagements in the U.S., Canada, and the United Kingdom. Dr. Wellum has written numerous journal articles and book reviews for various publications including the Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society, The Southern Baptist Journal of Theology, and the Reformation and Revival Journal. In addition, he has written articles and book chapters in Believer's Baptism, Reclaiming the Center, Beyond the Bounds, The Compromised Church, and the Holman Bible Dictionary. He is a member of the Evangelical Theological Society and the Evangelical Philosophical Society. Join us as Dr. Wellum speaks on the person and work of Christ, why getting the distinction (and union!) of the two natures of Christ is so crucial, and why the relationship between Adam and Christ is important to our justification! We want to thank Crossway for setting up this interview and providing us with the necessary materials to interview Dr. Wellum! Purchase the book here: The Person of Christ: An Introduction The larger, more technical work: God the Son Incarnate: The Doctrine of Christ Have Feedback or Questions? Email us at: guiltgracepod@gmail.com Find us on Instagram: @guiltgracepod Follow us on Twitter: @guiltgracepod Please rate and subscribe to the podcast on whatever platform you use! Looking for a Reformed Church? North American Presbyterian & Reformed Churches --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/gggpodcast/support

Dr. Douglas Groothuis is a member of the Evangelical Theological Society, Evangelical Philosophical Society, and Society of Christian Philosophers. In this interview, we talk about his book, Walking Through Twilight: A Wife’s Illness—A Philosopher’s Lament.Support (thank you): https://www.patreon.com/AdherentApologeticsHis Book: https://amzn.to/2JWXXhl

Father Davila Ashcraft - In addition to his scholarly work in the fields of Theology and Apologetics, J. Davila-Ashcraft is a contributor to Barbwire.com, a Christian news and opinion site, and author of The Messianic Secret, an examination and refutation of the many myths offered regarding the so-called "lost years" of Jesus. He has been a guest on both radio and television discussing such issues as demonology, exorcism, spiritual warfare and the paranormal from a decidedly biblical point of view. He is recognized for his expertise in the area of exorcism ministry and has lectured and taught the subject at both the collegiate and congregational levels. In that capacity he has also appeared on The Travel Channel, consulted on programming for National Geographic Channel, and been a featured guest on such radio programs as Art Bell, The Josh Tolley Show, Erskine Overnight, Fade To Black, and more. He is a member of the Evangelical Philosophical Society, The Society of Evangelical Arminians, and ordained through the Evangelical Episcopal Communion. He is a proponent of Christian Traditionalism and of Thomas Oden's "paleo orthodoxy", advocating a return to the unifying principles of the ancient undivided Christian church and is currently working on a Master's degree. He is the Superior of the Priestly Fraternity of Christ the King.

On today's Tuesday Twofer, Joel Settecase is joined by philosophy professor, Christian apologist and international speaker Dr. Khaldoun Sweis. Dr. Sweis is a Jordanian American and Associate Professor of Philosophy at Olive-Harvey College in Chicago and serves as tutor in philosophy with Oxford University in England. He has taught philosophy and apologetics for over a decade and spoken at conferences both nationally and abroad. He has authored three books and is a member of the American Philosophical Association and the Evangelical Philosophical Society. Dr. Sweis is also the founder of the Socratic Project, which hosts debates and discussions on critical issues of our time and addresses the ultimate questions of life. Today he joins Joel to talk about the institutions that serve as pillars of society—what are they, who controls them, and how can Christians influence them in today's world? Check out Dr. Sweis's apologetics content at logicallyfaithful.com. Get the full show notes at https://thethink.institute/podcast. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/the-think-podcast/message

This week Daniel Ray continues his discussion with Christian apologist, philosopher and author, Dr. Douglas Groothuis about his book Christian Apologetics: A Comprehensive Case for Biblical Faith. This book is a popular textbook at Christian colleges and seminaries, was winner of the 2012 Christianity Today Book Award of Merit. In part 2 of their discussion, Daniel and Doug explore some additional arguments for the Christian worldview put forward in the book and address some key questions: Are some atheists arguing that the best explanation for much of the universe is that there is no explanation for it? Should skepticism be the default position? How can we creatively and wisely relate to people who seem to be far away from the gospel? Why do Christians need to go beyond focusing on merely winning arguments? Douglas Groothuis is a member of the Evangelical Theological Society, Evangelical Philosophical Society, and Society of Christian Philosophers. Dr. Groothuis received a Ph.D. and a B.S. from the University of Oregon, and an MA in philosophy from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. He has served as adjunct professor at Seattle Pacific University, visiting instructor in apologetics for Westminster Theological Seminary, and instructor at the University of Oregon. He is the author of ten books, including Truth Decay, Unmasking the New Age, On Jesus, On Pascal and In Defense of Natural Theology (coeditor and contributor). He has published two dozen academic articles in journals such as Religious Studies, Think, Inquiry, Sophia and Philosophia Christi. BONUS LINKS: Here are some additional resources: Christian Apologetics: A Comprehensive Case for Biblical Faith, by Douglas Groothuis, IVP Books (2011), 752-pages: https://amzn.to/39olHDb Truth Decay: Defending Christianity Against the Challenges of Postmodernism, by Douglas Groothuis, IVP Books (2000), 303-pages: https://amzn.to/30Gk3cb Douglas Groothuis Website: https://douglasgroothuis.com/ FREE: We are also offering a free subscription to our bimonthly Profiles here: www.watchman.org/Free. SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Join the Apologetics Profile podcast team for as little as $1 here: www.patreon.com/WatchmanFellowship. Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman FellowshipFor more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

In this week’s discussion, Daniel Ray talks with Christian apologist, philosopher and author, Dr. Douglas Groothuis about his book Christian Apologetics: A Comprehensive Case for Biblical Faith. This book is a popular textbook at Christian colleges and seminaries, was winner of the 2012 Christianity Today Book Award of Merit. In their discussion Daniel and Doug discuss some of the arguments for the Christian worldview put forward in the book and address some key questions: Can the Christian worldview stand up to the experiences of human suffering? How do we get from a defense of objective truth and the key arguments for God to a case for the credibility of Jesus, the incarnation and the resurrection? Do alternative worldviews adequately explain morality? Douglas Groothuis is a member of the Evangelical Theological Society, Evangelical Philosophical Society, and Society of Christian Philosophers. Dr. Groothuis received a Ph.D. and a B.S. from the University of Oregon, and an MA in philosophy from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. He has served as adjunct professor at Seattle Pacific University, visiting instructor in apologetics for Westminster Theological Seminary, and instructor at the University of Oregon. He is the author of ten books, including Truth Decay, Unmasking the New Age, On Jesus, On Pascal and In Defense of Natural Theology (coeditor and contributor). He has published two dozen academic articles in journals such as Religious Studies, Think, Inquiry, Sophia and Philosophia Christi. BONUS LINKS: Here are some additional resources: Christian Apologetics: A Comprehensive Case for Biblical Faith, by Douglas Groothuis, IVP Books (2011), 752-pages: https://amzn.to/39olHDb Truth Decay: Defending Christianity Against the Challenges of Postmodernism, by Douglas Groothuis, IVP Books (2000), 303-pages: https://amzn.to/30Gk3cb Douglas Groothuis Website: https://douglasgroothuis.com/ FREE: We are also offering a free subscription to our bimonthly Profiles here: www.watchman.org/Free. SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Join the Apologetics Profile podcast team for as little as $1 here: www.patreon.com/WatchmanFellowship. Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman FellowshipFor more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

Dr. Paul Gould and Shane talk through how we all live in a story and how fantasy and lust pull us into a story of pleasure. They also work through what it means and looks like to live into Jesus' story. Paul M. Gould (Ph.D. philosophy, Purdue University) is an Associate Professor of Philosophy of Religion and Director of the M.A. Philosophy of Religion program at Palm Beach Atlantic University. He is the author or editor of ten scholarly and popular-level books including Cultural Apologetics, Philosophy: A Christian Introduction, and The Story of the Cosmos. He has been a visiting scholar at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School's Henry Center, working on the intersection of science and faith, and is the founder and president of the Two Tasks Institute. He is a widely sought after speaker in apologetics and philosophy. He speaks regularly at universities, churches, and ministries around the country, including Summit Ministries, the C.S. Lewis Institute, and the Evangelical Philosophical Society's annual apologetics conference. He is married to Ethel and has four children.Check out Paul's apologetics and religion department here! — https://www.pba.edu/academics/programs/ma-philosophy-religion.htmlPaul's podcast: https://www.twotasksinstitute.org/podcast/

Is there room for imagination, romance, even enchantment, in our evangelistic endeavour? In this episode we speak with Paul Gould about the concept of cultural apologetics and how it deals with the desirability of the gospel as it connects with deep-rooted cultural ideals.Paul M. Gould (Ph.D. philosophy, Purdue University) is the author or editor of ten scholarly and popular-level books including Cultural Apologetics, Philosophy: A Christian Introduction, and The Story of the Cosmos. He has been a visiting scholar at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School’s Henry Center, working on the intersection of science and faith, and is the founder and president of the Two Tasks Institute. He speaks regularly at Summit Ministries, the C.S. Lewis Institute, and the Evangelical Philosophical Society’s annual apologetics conference. https://www.twotasksinstitute.orghttp://www.paul-gould.comSupport the show (https://www.solas-cpc.org/podcast-book-offer/)

Imagination is what humans use when they watch porn and fantasize. But can imagination be used to know Jesus and if so, how? In this conversation, Shane and Paul discuss the significance of imagination in the Christian life part 1 of this multi-guest conversation on imagination and fantasy. Watch the Youtube Video Here: https://youtu.be/oV9iuqtOZdACheck out Paul's book here! Paul M. Gould (Ph.D. philosophy, Purdue University) is an Associate Professor of Philosophy of Religion and Director of the M.A. Philosophy of Religion program at Palm Beach Atlantic University. He is the author or editor of ten scholarly and popular-level books including Cultural Apologetics, Philosophy: A Christian Introduction, and The Story of the Cosmos. He has been a visiting scholar at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School's Henry Center, working on the intersection of science and faith, and is the founder and president of the Two Tasks Institute. He is a widely sought after speaker in apologetics and philosophy. He speaks regularly at universities, churches, and ministries around the country, including Summit Ministries, the C.S. Lewis Institute, and the Evangelical Philosophical Society's annual apologetics conference. He is married to Ethel and has four children.Check out the program Dr. Gould is heading up at Palm Beach Atlantic University: https://www.pba.edu/academics/programs/ma-philosophy-religion.html?fbclid=IwAR1UCa57SNVXPc0RW1ayqw5I9qHiZxogns-setNepxxCsIXAhLIUz-_i0g0Get Dr. Gould's Book here: https://www.amazon.com/Cultural-Apologetics-Conscience-Imagination-Disenchanted-ebook/dp/B07BB5Y111/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=cultural+apologetics&qid=1589337436&sr=8-2Check out Dr. Gould's work at: http://www.paul-gould.com/

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).

What does Molinism have to do with The Kalam Cosmological Argument for God's existence, The Fine-Tuning Argument for God's existence, or the problem of evil? More than you might think. In this episode, Mr. Minton interviews Tim Stratton of FreeThinking Ministries (www.freethinkingministries.com) about a paper he presented at the most recent Evangelical Philosophical Society conference. In this paper, Stratton argues that Molinism obliterates the problem of evil, and that The Kalam and Fine-Tuning Arguments imply some essentials of Molinism. To read Stratton's paper for yourself, go here --> https://freethinkingministries.com/the-apologetic-significance-of-molinism-ets-edit/ --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/evan-minton/support

We're back, and we're talking about EPS! For those of you who do not know, EPS is the Evangelical Philosophical Society, which holds a conference each year where all of the smart people in evangelical thought come together and present their ideas. So as you might imagine, Tim had a lot to say. In this episode, Tim talks to me about who he met at EPS, what he presented, and all of the other great things that happened. He also tells a really cool story about one of his interactions with Dr. Craig. Thanks for listening, and Happy Thanksgiving to all of you nerds! Freethinking Ministries Donations https://www.givewhereyoulive.net/freethinking

paypal.me/politicsproprophey 3-30  News/Audio clips 3:33   The Edwards Notebook (at the bottom of every hour) 3:35-4 FB Friend segment - Richard Griffen 4-5    Mark Keith Robinson - Mark's first appearance on the show came on March 21, 2018. Shortly after that, he addressed the City Council in Greensboro, NC concerning the 2ND Amendment. The video went viral and Mark is now highly sought on tv and radio. Currently studying history at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Planing to become a professor of history upon completion of masters degree and then obtaining PHD. Employed at a major furniture manufacturing facility in High Point N.C.  Interest and hobbies include social media political commentary, radio controlled modeling, and singing. 5-6     Pastor Mike Spaulding has planted two Calvary Chapel churches - Calvary Christian Fellowship, St. Marys, Ohio, in 1998, and Calvary Chapel of Lima, Ohio, in 2005, where he currently serves as pastor. Mike holds a B.A. in Organizational Management, a M.T.S., and a Ph.D. in apologetics. He is the author of “Leadership and Organizational Vision,” “Servant Leadership,” and “The Ministry of Teaching” all published by Lifeway Publishers. He is a contributing author to The Baker Dictionary of Cults, H. Wayne House, General Editor (Scheduled for 2012 release). His teaching ministry is featured on the radio program “The Transforming Word.” Mike's professional memberships include the Evangelical Philosophical Society and the International Society of Christian Apologetics. He also has a new book out titled "Make The  Pulpit Great Again." You may contact Mike via email – pastormike@woh.rr.com 

3 - 3:30 News/Audio clips 3:33      The Edwards Notebook 3:34 - 4 FB Friend - Cyndi Flowers 4 - 5      Ron Edwards -  Ron Edwards is the host and founder of the award winning radio commentary, The Edwards' Notebook. It brings to light and provides solutions for the concerns we all share in a thought provoking manner. The Edwards' Notebook is heard in over 56 different markets by 3- 4 million listeners daily. Weekends over 135 markets. Listen to a 2 day interview with Ron Edwards on CPR Media, Constitutional Patriot Radio Network. http://www.thatradioshow.net/cpr-media.html April 29 and 30th 5 - 6      Pastor Mike Spaulding - Mike Spaulding has planted two Calvary Chapel churches - Calvary Christian Fellowship, St. Marys, Ohio, in 1998, and Calvary Chapel of Lima, Ohio, in 2005, where he currently serves as pastor. Mike holds a B.A. in Organizational Management, a M.T.S., and a Ph.D. in apologetics. He is the author of “Leadership and Organizational Vision,” “Servant Leadership,” and “The Ministry of Teaching” all published by Lifeway Publishers. He is a contributing author to The Baker Dictionary of Cults, H. Wayne House, General Editor (Scheduled for 2012 release). His teaching ministry is featured on the radio program “The Transforming Word.” Mike's professional memberships include the Evangelical Philosophical Society and the International Society of Christian Apologetics.  You may contact Mike via email – pastormike@woh.rr.com 

"Dropping Science on Religion?: The Myth of Warfare Between Science & Faith" Dr. Clint Ohlers Recorded live at The Camp House in Chattanooga, TN on May 12, 2015 According to some scientists and theologians, we currently stand at a high-water mark in human history for scientific evidence favoring a Creator of the universe. At the same time there exists a longstanding perception of perpetual warfare between advancing science and embattled religious beliefs. To answer why this is we will step into the history of science. What we find is a vibrant and engaging story of an era of science that was highly supportive of theistic belief, followed by, more recently, an era dominated by a philosophy of science hostile to it. This talk unravels these developments and examines a colorful cast of thinkers who have weighed in on both sides, many of whom, such as Charles Darwin in the 19th century, and Stephen Hawking today, were and are legends in their own time. About our speaker: Clinton Ohlers received his PhD and MA degrees from the University of Pennsylvania in American History, where he specialized in American and European intellectual history and the history of science. He has held the titles of Benjamin Franklin Fellow and Roy F. and Jeanette P. Nichols Fellow, at Penn, and Leadership History Fellow at Leaders’ Portfolio, Washington D.C.’s CEO Interview Show. Dr. Ohlers is currently completing a book manuscript developed from his dissertation at the University of Pennsylvania. The working title is “Science after Darwin: Theism, Scientific Naturalism, and the Warfare between Science and Religion.” Dr. Ohlers has taught on science and religion as a Lecturer at the University of Pennsylvania and delivered papers on his research before the History of Science Society, Evangelical Philosophical Society, and the American Society of Church Historians. He has been an invited speaker at conferences nationally and on the radio. He also serves on the boards of the International Human Development Corporation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit, and R. C. Cord, Inc.

Instead of a sponsor this week, we're encouraging people to donate and volunteer to hurricane Harvey relief. If you are looking for somewhere to donate, visit productiveministry.org/harveyFrom its preamble: "The Nashville statement is a document put out by Evangelical Church leaders and The Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood (CBMW). The statement is a response to an increasingly post-Christian society that has embarked upon a massive revision of what it means to be a human being." The statement consists of 14 articles that each affirm and deny a belief. They cover a range of topics from a prohibition on sex outside of marriage to the connection between biological sex and gender identity.Because of the significance of its signatories and purpose, Productive Ministry wanted to have conversation about The Nashville Statement. This episode is a conversation between Rocky and Dr. Joe Paris. Joe Paris is a Campus and Teaching Pastor in North Texas. He has a D. Min in Apologetics and is a member of the Evangelical Philosophical Society.---Show notes available at ProductiveMinistry.orgFollow Productive Ministry on Twitter: @ProdMinistryLike Productive Ministry on Facebook: FB.me/ProductiveMinistry.org See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Join Devin and Melissa Pellew each week at they discuss topics related to biblical theology, Christian apologetics and worldview issues. This week we will be rebroadcasting one of our favorite episodes from 2015. During our first hour, we were joined by philosopher and apologist, Ken Samples of Reason to Believe as we discussed the philosophy of science and how we can defend the Faith using the tools of science, philosophy and reason. Ken earned a B.A in social science with an emphasis in history and philosophy from Concordia University and an M.A in theological studies from Talbot School of Theology. Prior to joining RTB in 1997, Ken worked for years as senior research consultant and correspondence editor at Christian Research Institute, where he regularly co-hosted The Bible Answer Man. In addition, Ken's articles have been published in Christianity Today, Christian Research Journal, and Facts for Faith, and he holds memberships in the Evangelical Philosophical Society, the Evangelical Theological Society, and ISCA. During our second hour, we were joined by apologist and author, J. Warner Wallace, as we discussed his new book, God's Crime Scene. Wallace is a cold-case homicide detective, adjunct professor of apologetics at Biola University, Christian case maker and author. As a former atheist, Wallace began digging for evidence for the Christian Faith and became a follower of Christ in 1996. He eventually earned a Master’s Degree in Theological Studies from Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary and served as a Youth Pastor for several years, then planted a church in 2006. He has published two books, Cold Case Christianity and his newest, God's Crime Scene. He has spoken around the country and God has used him to equip many in the defense of the Gospel. 

In this lecture from the archives, Dr. Michael Bauman shares the story of his conversion from the liberal atheism of the 1960s to Christianity, and in doing so, builds a powerful and articulate case for conservatism and the Christian worldview that is just as relevant today as it has ever been. This lecture is from Summit's original Lecture Series, a collection of over 150 hours of lectures. Find it on Summit's store here. Dr. Michael Bauman is the scholar-in-residence at Summit Semester and Director of Christian Studies and a professor of Theology and Culture at Hillsdale College. He has published nearly 20 books and served as president of the Evangelical Philosophical Society.

Join Devin and Melissa Pellew each week at they discuss topics related to biblical theology, Christian apologetics and worldview issues. During our first hour, we will be joined by philosopher and apologist, Ken Samples of Reason to Believe as we discuss the philosophy of science and how we can defend the Faith using the tools of science, philosophy and reason. Ken earned a BA in social science with an emphasis in history and philosophy from Concordia University and an MA in theological studies from Talbot School of Theology. Prior to joining RTB in 1997, Ken worked for years as senior research consultant and correspondence editor at Christian Research Institute, where he regularly co-hosted The Bible Answer Man. In addition, Ken's articles have been published in Christianity Today, Christian Research Journal, and Facts for Faith, and he holds memberships in the Evangelical Philosophical Society, the Evangelical Theological Society, and ISCA. During our second hour, we'll be joined by apologist and author, J. Warner Wallace, as we discuss his new book, God's Crime Scene. Wallace is a cold-case homicide detective, adjunct professor of apologetics at Biola University, Christian case maker and author. As a former atheist, Wallace began digging for evidence for the Christian Faith and became a follower of Christ in 1996. He eventually earned a Master’s Degree in Theological Studies from Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary and served as a Youth Pastor for several years, then planted a church in 2006. He has published two books, Cold Case Christianity and his newest, God's Crime Scene. He has spoken around the country and God has used him to equip many in the defense of the Gospel. 

ABOUT THIS EPISODE: Justin Eimers and Cal Moore sit down with Dr. Michael Licona to discuss his ReMIND Conference plenary session, "The Resurrection of Jesus Christ: Is It Possible to Prove Jesus' Resurrection?" ABOUT DR. MICHAEL LICONA: President of Risen Jesus Inc and associate professor of theology at Houston Baptist University: Mike Licona is associate professor of theology at Houston Baptist University and president of Risen Jesus, Inc. He has a Ph.D. in New Testament Studies from the University of Pretoria, which he earned with distinction and the highest mark. Mike was interviewed by Lee Strobel in his book The Case for the Real Jesus and appeared in Strobel’s video The Case for Christ. He is the author of numerous books including The Resurrection of Jesus: A New Historiographical Approach, Paul Meets Muhammad, co-author with Gary Habermas of the award-winning book The Case for the Resurrection of Jesus, and co-editor with William Dembski of Evidence for God: 50 Arguments for Faith from the Bible, History, Philosophy, and Science. His next book will concern ancient compositional devices resulting in discrepancies in the Gospels and Plutarch’s Lives. Mike is a member of the Society of Biblical Literature, the Institute for Biblical Research, and the Evangelical Philosophical Society. He has spoken on more than 70 university campuses and has appeared on dozens of radio and television programs. #ReMIND15 @RemindConf--- © The Christian Manifesto 2007-2015

08-09-2015 Dr. Douglas Groothuis is a member of the Evangelical Theological Society, Evangelical Philosophical Society, and Society of Christian Philosophers. Dr. Groothuis received a PhD and a BS from the University of Oregon, and an MA in philosop

Join Devin & Melissa Pellew each week as they discuss issues related to Christian apologetics, theology and biblical worldview issues. Today, we will be joined by Dr. Phil Fernades of the Institute of Biblical Defense and Pastor of Trinity Bible Fellowship Bremerton, WA as we discuss his book, The Atheist Delusion. In his book, Dr. Fernandes refutes the arguments of the new, militant atheists. He provides reasons for believing in God and evidence for Christianity, while also tearing down the attacks on Christianity produced by the new atheists. Dr. Fernandes earned the following degrees: a Ph.D. in philosophy of religion from Greenwich University, a Master of Arts in Religion from Liberty University and a Bachelor of Theology from Columbia Evangelical Seminary. He has publicly debated some of America’s leading atheists. He has lectured and debated in defense of the Christian worldview at some of America’s leading universities: Princeton, University of Washington, Oregon State University, and the University of North Carolina. Dr.Fernandes is a member of four professional societies: the Evangelical Theological Society, the Evangelical Philosophical Society, the International Society of Christian Apologetics, the International Society of Christian Apologetics, and the Society of Christian Philosophers. Dr. Fernandes is the author of several books: The God Who Sits Enthroned: Evidence for God’s Existence; No Other Gods: A Defense of Biblical Christianity; God, Government, and the Road to Tyranny; Contend Earnestly for the Faith; and Theism vs. Atheism: The Internet Debate (co-authored with Dr. Michael Martin) and Hijacking the Historical Jesus: Answering Recent Attacks on the Jesus of the Bible.  

Join Devin & Melissa Pellew as they discuss topics related to biblical theology, Christian apologetics and worldview issues. Today, we will joined by Dr. Phil Fernandes of the Institute of Biblical Defense as we discuss recent attacks on the Historical Jesus and how we can think through these objections objectively and historically to see that we can trust that the Jesus of the Bible is exactly Who He claims to be.  Dr. Fernandes earned the following degrees: a Ph.D. in philosophy of religion from Greenwich University, a Master of Arts in Religion from Liberty University, and a Bachelor of Theology from Columbia Evangelical Seminary. He has publicly debated some of America’s leading atheists. He has lectured and debated in defense of the Christian worldview at some of America’s leading universities: Princeton, University of Washington, Oregon State University, and the University of North Carolina.  Dr.Fernandes is a member of four professional societies: the Evangelical Theological Society, the Evangelical Philosophical Society, the International Society of Christian Apologetics, the International Society of Christian Apologetics, and the Society of Christian Philosophers. Dr.  Fernandes is the author of several books: The God Who Sits Enthroned: Evidence for God’s Existence; No Other Gods: A Defense of Biblical Christianity; God, Government, and the Road to Tyranny; Contend Earnestly for the Faith; and Theism vs. Atheism: The Internet Debate (co-authored with Dr. Michael Martin) and Hijacking the Historical Jesus: Answering Recent Attacks on the Jesus of the Bible. Dr. Fernandes also honorably served his country from 1980 to 1983 in the United States Marine Corps. We are blessed and honored to have him on the show and encourage you to tune in!  

Philosopher of science Dr. Angus Menuge joins us to talk about the vocation of a scientist, especially that of a scientist who is also religious.  Prof. Dan Deen (Concordia University, Irvine), another philosopher of science is along for the expedition.  We talk about new atheism, virtue, epistemology, science, biology, physics, paradigms, theories, and Motörhead (that's right).  Dr. Menuge is professor of philosophy at Concordia University Wisconsin and is the president of the Evangelical Philosophical Society. His research interests include philosophy of mind, philosophy of science, apologetics, and C. S. Lewis. He earned his Ph.D. in philosophy from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and a Diploma in Christian Apologetics from the International Academy of Apologetics, Evangelism and Human Rights, Strasbourg. He is editor of C. S. Lewis: Lightbearer in the Shadowlands, Christ and Culture in Dialogue, Reading God's World and of Legitimizing Human Rights (forthcoming). He is author of Agents Under Fire: Materialism and the Rationality of Science (Rowman and Littlefield, 2004). His most recent work focuses on libertarian free will and the creative powers of agents.

Do we have free will? Or is it just an illusion? Do we have souls? Or are we entirely material beings? And what does it matter anyway? To discuss these questions we are joined by Dr. Angus Menuge, Professor and Chair of Philosophy at Concordia University Wisconsin and current President of the Evangelical Philosophical Society. Dr. Menuge studied at the University of Warwick (BA) and the University of Wisconsin-Madison (MA, PhD), and joined Concordia University in 1991. His research interests include philosophy of mind, philosophy of science, Christian apologetics and the work of C. S. Lewis. His academic book Agents Under Fire: Materialism and the Rationality of Science (Rowman and Littlefield, 2004), which defends the concepts of agency and intentionality against naturalistic alternatives, was the first book-length study to relate Intelligent Design to contemporary issues in the philosophy of mind. (For show notes please visit http://themindrenewed.com)

Do we have free will? Or is it just an illusion? Do we have souls? Or are we entirely material beings? And what does it matter anyway? To discuss these questions we are joined by Dr. Angus Menuge, Professor and Chair of Philosophy at Concordia University Wisconsin and current President of the Evangelical Philosophical Society. Dr. Menuge studied at the University of Warwick (BA) and the University of Wisconsin-Madison (MA, PhD), and joined Concordia University in 1991. His research interests include philosophy of mind, philosophy of science, Christian apologetics and the work of C. S. Lewis. His academic book Agents Under Fire: Materialism and the Rationality of Science (Rowman and Littlefield, 2004), which defends the concepts of agency and intentionality against naturalistic alternatives, was the first book-length study to relate Intelligent Design to contemporary issues in the philosophy of mind. (For show notes please visit http://themindrenewed.com)

If God knows the future, how can I be free? If there's human evil in the world, how can God be good? If people live beyond the reach of the Gospel, how can God be all-loving? This week we are joined by the philosopher Max Andrews for a fascinating look at the mind-bending and strange (yet potentially illuminating) world of Molinism, a philosophical position on God's omniscience and providence that offers potential solutions to a whole host of theological conundrums. Max Andrews is a Philosophy PhD student at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland, whose research centres in the ontology of the Many Worlds Interpretation of quantum physics and in the problems associated with cosmological fine-tuning. Already published in several journals, Max Andrews has presented at conferences of the Evangelical Philosophical Society and Tyndale House in Cambridge (UK), lectured at Liberty University (US) on a wide range of philosophical and analytical-theological subjects, and published two ebooks, The Problem of Existence: Existential Reflections on Pain and Suffering and An Introduction to Molinism: Scripture, Reason, and All that God has Ordered. (For show notes, please visit http://themindrenewed.com)

If God knows the future, how can I be free? If there's human evil in the world, how can God be good? If people live beyond the reach of the Gospel, how can God be all-loving? This week we are joined by the philosopher Max Andrews for a fascinating look at the mind-bending and strange (yet potentially illuminating) world of Molinism, a philosophical position on God's omniscience and providence that offers potential solutions to a whole host of theological conundrums. Max Andrews is a Philosophy PhD student at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland, whose research centres in the ontology of the Many Worlds Interpretation of quantum physics and in the problems associated with cosmological fine-tuning. Already published in several journals, Max Andrews has presented at conferences of the Evangelical Philosophical Society and Tyndale House in Cambridge (UK), lectured at Liberty University (US) on a wide range of philosophical and analytical-theological subjects, and published two ebooks, The Problem of Existence: Existential Reflections on Pain and Suffering and An Introduction to Molinism: Scripture, Reason, and All that God has Ordered. (For show notes, please visit http://themindrenewed.com)

Come talk with the Host, Panelists, Jay Watts from the Life Training Institute, and Other Audience Members.  Join Our Round Table Discussion. We discuss the Abortion Issue as an issue of violence and ways to confront those who support abortion. Our Guest Jay Watts from the Life Training Institute: Jay Watts is a speaker and writer for LTI. He served as Development Coordinator at Cobb Pregnancy Services for 3 years, experiencing first hand the powerful impact pregnancy centers have on their communities. He started contributing to the LTI Blog in 2007 and joined as full-time staff in 2010. Jay speaks to churches, youth groups, school assemblies, and other organizations throughout the United States on topics including The Case for Life and understanding the Christian worldview. He has trained groups at University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill, Harvard University, University of Illinois, Auckland University (New Zealand), and many other universities, participated in multiple apologetics conferences, and been interviewed on radio and television on the issue of the value of human life. He is an associate member of the Evangelical Theological Society and the Evangelical Philosophical Society.  Bards Logic joined the Patriot Journalist Network's Pro-Life Event  #PrayToEndAbortion http://patriotjournalist.com/PrayToEndAbortion.php?src=Home Commander Greenwald served as our emabassador for this event https://twitter.com/GreenwaldVA07/status/421860261553651712 Congressman Bridenstine has tweeted in our support https://twitter.com/RepJBridenstine/status/425330785999015936

This debate was not a live debate, rather it was a series of audio exchanges that took place through the months of June and July of 2013. The exchanges were according to agreed upon time limitations on each section. For each of their several sections, the debaters were given at least a week to analyze, script and record their entries before submitting it to their opponent. Each submission, has been edited together in the agreed upon order for your listening interest. As one speaker ends, the next will follow without interruption.20 minutes were allowed to each debater for opening statements.Followed by 20 minutes to each for first rebuttals. Then 15 minutes to each for a second round of rebuttals.Then 5 minutes to each for closing statements.Arguing in the affirmative is Max Andrews. In the negative, Justin Schieber. Max Andrews is senior writer and public relations administrator for Reasonable Faith with William Lane Craig but, just to be clear, he is NOT representing either entity in this debate. He has a BS in Religion specializing in Biblical Studies and an MA in Philosophical Studies from Liberty University. His primary research is on the fine-tuning argument for the existence of God as it relates to multiverse scenarios. Max has two papers in the Cornell University History and Philosophy of Physics pre-print archive on Albert Einstein and scientific theology as well as the relationship between scientific realism and epistemology. He has also written a review in the Midwestern Journal of Theology on Molinism, which concerns the relationship between divine omniscience, human freedom, and providence. Last November he coauthored a paper on God and the multiverse with David Beck, which was presented at the Evangelical Philosophical Society's annual conference in Milwaukee. Additionally, in 2010 Max studied at the Discovery Institute's Center for Science and Culture in Seattle, Washington. Max has been a member of Phi Sigma Tau, the National Honors Society for Philosophy, and was an officer for the Philosophy Club and Ratio Christi during his graduate studies. This summer Max and his wife, Leah, will be moving to the University of Edinburgh in Scotland to begin his PhD in Philosophy under Alasdair Richmond. His dissertation will be on the fine-tuning of nomic behavior in multiverse scenarios and the ontology of the many worlds interpretation of quantum physics. Max maintains a blog at sententias.org. Justin Schieber is Co-Host of Reasonable Doubts, the radio show and Podcast.Reasonable Doubts wants to thank Max Andrews for his participation in this debate and wishes him well as he continues his education at the University of Edinburgh

Dr. Don Williams is the Director of the School of Arts and Sciences and Associate Professor of English at Toccoa Falls College, in Toccoa Falls, Georgia. Both an accomplished poet and literary critic, Dr. Williams is also a former president of the Evangelical Philosophical Society and an ordained minister in the Evangelical Free Church of America. He lectures widely on C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. In addition to his many valuable books including Inklings of Reality, Mere Humanity, and Credo: Meditations on the Nicene Creed, Dr. Williams’ articles have appeared in Touchstone and Modern Reformation.

Dr. Don Williams is the Director of the School of Arts and Sciences and Associate Professor of English at Toccoa Falls College, in Toccoa Falls, Georgia. Both an accomplished poet and literary critic, Dr. Williams is also a former president of the Evangelical Philosophical Society and an ordained minister in the Evangelical Free Church of America. He lectures widely on C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. In addition to his many valuable books including Inklings of Reality, Mere Humanity, and Credo: Meditations on the Nicene Creed, Dr. Williams’ articles have appeared in Touchstone and Modern Reformation.

Today's interview is with Christian philosopher Win Corduan. Dr. Corduan has served as a professor or adjunct professor of philosophy and religion at numerous colleges, universities, and seminaries. He has also served as president of both The International Society of Christian Apologetics and The Evangelical Philosophical Society. He talks about his background and work, influences in apologetics, philosophy and apologetics, philosophical theology, philosophy of religions, comparative religions, his study in Buddhism, the neglect of Buddhism, the need for scholars in all areas, advice for apologists, and more. His books include Neighboring Faiths: A Christian Introduction to World Religions, No Doubt About It: The Case for Christianity, Pocket Guide to World Religions (IVP Pocket Reference), Handmaid to Theology: An Essay in Philosophical Prolegomena, Reasonable Faith: Basic Christian Apologetics, and a number of others. Enjoy.

Today's interview is with Dr. Craig Hazen of Biola University. He is the founder and director of the M.A. program in apologetics at Biola and the editor of Philosophia Christi (of the Evangelical Philosophical Society). He talks about his background and influences, Philosophia Christi, his book Five Sacred Crossings, the Biola apologetics program, their certificate program, advice to apologists, and more. Enjoy.