Apologetics Methodology

The Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry offers a helpful summary of three major approaches to Christian apologetics:

Classical Apologetics: "Classical Apologetics is that style of Christian defense that stresses rational arguments for the existence of God and uses evidence to substantiate biblical claims and miracles."

Evidential Apologetics: "Evidential Apologetics is that style of Christian defense that stresses the miracles found in the Bible, particularly Christ's resurrection, as an evidence for the existence of God and the validity of Christ and His words. It also uses historical evidences to support the veracity of the biblical account(s)."

Presuppositional Apologetics: "A Christian presuppositionalist presupposes God's existence and argues from that perspective to show the validity of Christian theism. This position also presupposes the truth of the Christian Scriptures and relies on the validity and power of the gospel to change lives (Rom. 1:16)."