Thursday, November 30, 2006

Apologetic Lectures

Is the Christian faith rational? Reasonable? How do we respond to other faiths in this world?

These lectures were originally delivered in the Fall of 2004 on the campus of Denver Seminary, by Dr. Douglas Groothuis (Professor of Philosophy). They are provided here, with permission, to challenge and edify. Provided also are lecture notes supplied to attendees, and relevant books to supplement the lectures.
See also our Companion Page, which provides additional perspective on, and application of, the material given.

This week's lecture, in mp3 format:

23. Questions and Answers--Another short one! Coming off the "God and Moral Meaning" session, a series of questions and answers.

Questions and Answers (20 minutes; 4.5 megs)
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No Lecture Notes

Additional Readings Pertinent to the Lectures:

No Doubt About it. Winfried Corduan (Nashville, TN: Broadman, Holman, 1997);

Truth Decay: Defending Christianity Against the Challenges of Postmodernism. Douglas Groothuis (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2000)

On Jesus. Douglas Groothuis (Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Thomson Learning, 2003; published June 2002)

Confronting the New Age. Douglas Groothuis (InterVarsity, 1988);

Scaling the Secular City: A Defense of Christianity. J.P. Moreland (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1987)

The Universe Next Door, 4rd edition. James Sire (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2004)

Past Lectures:

i. Introductory Lecture--some words about the nature of the lectures, and it's speaker, Dr. Douglas Groothuis.
Dr. Douglas Groothuis (26 minutes; 6 megs)
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1. The Nature of Apologetics--The real meat of the opening lectures. What is the nature of Truth? Discusses the importance of propositional statements and truth claims. Defines "apologetics," and it's relationship to philosophy, theology, and evangelism.
The Nature and Purpose of Apologetics part 1 (1 hour, 21 minutes; 18.5 megs)
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Lecture Notes (Click Here to download in Word format)

2. The Nature of Apologetics--Why is apologetics important? What's the point--and what are we trying to accomplish?

The Nature and Purpose of Apologetics part 2 (38 minutes; 9 megs)
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Lecture Notes (Click Here to download in Word format)

3. Developing an Apologetic Mind--Why are Christians unskilled--and unschooled--in apologetic practices? What can we learn from Jesus' apologetic example?

Developing an Apologetic Mind for the Postmodern World part 1 (1 hour, 9 minutes; 16 megs)
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Lecture Notes (Click Here to download in Word format)

4. Developing an Apologetic Mind--How do we deal with the fluid definition of "truth" in today's postmodern world? Is it possible for a thing to be objectively true for one person, but not objectively true for another? Discusses also the challenge that television and media plays for apologetics.

Developing an Apologetic Mind for the Postmodern World part 2 (1 hour, 13 minutes; 17 megs)
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Lecture Notes (Click Here to download in Word format)

5. Worldviews, Truth, and Knowledge--What is "knowable," and how do we communicate it? Continues the discussion on the difficulties of making statements of knowledge in a postmodern world (which rejects that certain things can be knowable). Compares the postmodern view of truth to the Christian view.

Worldviews, Truth, and Knowledge part 1 (1 hour, 15 minutes; 17 megs)
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Lecture Notes (Click Here to download in Word format)

6. Worldviews, Truth, and Knowledge--Discusses the shortcomings of a relativistic worldview, and the roots of relativism. Discusses also Jesus' worldview.

Worldviews, Truth, and Knowledge part 2 (57 minutes; 13 megs)
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Lecture Notes (Click Here to download in Word format)

7. Truth and Knowledge--What does it mean to "know" something? How do you know what you know? What is the difference between belief and knowledge?

Truth and Knowledge (57 minutes; 11.5 megs)
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Lecture Notes (Click Here to download in Word format)

8. Conventionalism--A short one! Is it possible to change worldviews? Is it fair to ask people of other cultures to consider Christianity? Some definite food for thought.

Conventionalism (14 minutes; 3.2 megs)
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Lecture Notes (Click Here to download in Word format)

9. Testing Worldviews--a discussion on finding common ground in apologetic discussions, and evaluating the worldviews both of others, and ourselves. Also includes a discussion on the tragedy of 9/11: what apologetic evidence is offered up by moral indignation?

Testing Worldviews (47 minutes; 11 megs)
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Lecture Notes (Click Here to download in Word format)

10. The Project of Natural Theology--Can we rationally establish the existence of God? Also a discussion on why it is difficult for some people to admit their worldview is in error.

The Project of Natural Theology (26 minutes; 6 megs)
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Lecture Notes (Click Here to download in Word format)

11. Atheism--What about those arguments atheists use against Christianity? Can God create a square circle, or a boulder so heavy that even He can't pick it up? Where does atheism fall short?

Atheism (24 minutes; 5.5megs)
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Lecture Notes (Click Here to download in Word format)

12. Cosmological Arguments for the Existence of God--This is the beginning of the meat of the lectures. Discusses the "cosmological" arguments for God's existence; why God must exist.

Cosmological Arguments for the Existence of God part 1 (38 minutes; 8.6 megs)
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Lecture Notes (Click Here to download in Word format)

13. Cosmological Arguments for the Existence of God--An introduction to the Kalam Cosmological argument, and some of the philosophical difficulties of infinity.

Cosmological Arguments for the Existence of God part 2 (34 minutes; 8 megs)
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Lecture Notes (Click Here to download in Word format)

14. Cosmological Arguments for the Existence of God--Continues the Kalam Cosmological argument, looking at some of the scientific confirmations (somtimes inadvertant!) of the argument. Discusses also, briefly, issues of time and theistic evolution.

Cosmological Arguments for the Existence of God part 3 (53 minutes; 12 megs)
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Lecture Notes (Click Here to download in Word format)

15. Design Arguments for the Existence of God--What does nature tell us about the existence of God? If the world and universe appears to be designed, does it not follow that there must be a Designer?

Design Arguments for the Existence of God part 1 (51 minutes; 11.5 megs)
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Lecture Notes (Click Here to download in Word format)

16. Design Arguments for the Existence of God--What does DNA tell us about the existence of God? As we look at the design of the universe, what is the best interpretation? Touches briefly upon the "Many Worlds" theory, and weakness thereof.

Design Arguments for the Existence of God part 2 (41 minutes; 9.5 megs)
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Lecture Notes (Click Here to download in Word format)

17. Design Arguments for the Existence of God--What does the mind tell us about the existence of God? Also addresses some of the criticisms that have been raised about the Design Argument.

Design Arguments for the Existence of God part 3 (51 minutes; 12 megs)
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Lecture Notes (Click Here to download in Word format)

18. Design Arguments for the Existence of God--Argument from Mind continued. Is the physical world everything? Or is there something to the mind beyond the physical? Includes a discussion on the Vulcan Mind Meld!

Design Arguments for the Existence of God part 4 (39 minutes; 9 megs)
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Lecture Notes (Click Here to download in Word format)

19. God and Moral Meaning--Most everyone has some sort of moral principle. Is this existence of this moral order best explained by a moral God? Includes a digression to comment on politics, abortion, and John Kerry.

God and Moral Meaning part 1 (40 minutes; 9 megs)
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Lecture Notes (Click Here to download in Word format)

20. God and Moral Meaning--Naturalism (the denial of the supernatural, or higher powers) eventually leads to Nihilism (the rejection of absolute truth and morality). But what are the consequences of this?

God and Moral Meaning part 2 (29 minutes; 7 megs)
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Lecture Notes (Click Here to download in Word format)

21. God and Moral Meaning--What is the foundation of morality? Where does guilt come from? Can morality be explained naturalistically--apart from God?

God and Moral Meaning part 3 (43 minutes; 10 megs)
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Lecture Notes (Click Here to download in Word format)

22. Argument from Religious Experience--Thus far we've given arguments for the existence of God from the origin of the universe, tne nature of the universe, morality, ect. How much weight should be given to personal experience?

Argument from Religious Experience (45 minutes; 10.5 megs)
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Lecture Notes (Click Here to download in Word format)

23. Questions and Answers--Another short one! Coming off the "God and Moral Meaning" session, a series of questions and answers.

Questions and Answers (20 minutes; 4.5 megs)
Click Here (or right click and select "Save Target As")

No Lecture Notes

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