Christian Apologetics in the Postmodern World

by Timothy R. Phillips (Editor), Dennis L. Okholm (Editor)

Evangelicals are beginning to provide analyses of our postmodern society, but little has been done to suggest an effective apologetic strategy for reaching a culture that is pluralistic, consumer-oriented, and infatuated with managerial and therapeutic approaches to life. This, then, is the first book to address that vital task. In these pages some of evangelicalism's most stimulating thinkers consider three possible apologetic responses to postmodernity. William Lane Craig argues that traditional evidentialist apologetics remains viable and preferable. Roger Lundin, Nicola Creegan and James Sire find the postmodern critique of Christianity and Western culture more challenging, but reject central features of it. Philip Kenneson, Brian Walsh and J. Richard Middleton, on the other hand, argue that key aspects of postmodernity can be appropriated to defend orthodox Christianity. An essential feature are trenchent chapters by Ronald Clifton Potter, Dennis Hollinger and Douglas Webster considering issues facing the local church in light of postmodernity. The volumes editors and John Stackhouse also add important introductory essays that orient the reader to postmodernity and various apologetic strategies. All this makes for a book indispensable for theologians, a wide range of students and reflective pastors.

Genres: Philosophy, Theology

238 pages, Paperback

First published April 17, 1995

Reviews

[Brent · Rating 3 out of 5]

A pretty academic approach to apologetics., but has some good information if you wade through it all.

Probably the most interesting part of the book for me was was when one of the authors, Kenneson, made the somewhat shocking statement that he supports neither subjective nor objective truth. This admonition is somewhat complex but he seemed to argue from a postmodern perspective that God can still objectively exist and still have a truth associated with him that is subjectively defined. Kenneson convincingly argued that Christians should not worry so much about defending objective truth and instead should focus on living out God’s call to represent him in the world. After all, Kennesson argued, Christian claims are useless if a concrete community does not live them out. No doubt, some would call this heresy, but this perspective pushes Christians to live as models of God’s values and thereby bring truth to them for a postmodern audience.

According to the writings of Phillips and Okholm’s book and my reflections it seems that one of the crucial changes needed is living out values of God in such a way that they reflect positively and draw outsiders in. The other change is not just practicing an apologetic scheme that convinces people to join Christianity by logic, but rather invites them to participate by helping write their own chapter within God’s narrative. In this way postmodernism will change the face of Christianity, but that change is an inevitability. The goal must be that this change is one that brings humanity closer to its creator. As Creegan eloquently paraphrased Shleiermacher, “faith must be rethought in each generation, as each brings its new experience to old formulations and confessions” (Phillips & Okholm, p. 62-63).

[L.S. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Este o colectie de eseuri, destul de neomogena, scrise la un nivel academic. Pentru asta nu este chiar usor de citit si uneori sunt necesare lecturi suplimentare daca cititorului ii lipsesc cunostinte aprofundate in domeniul respectiv.

Mi-au placut in special eseurile lui William lane Craig, Philip Kenson, Ronald Potter si Dennis Hollinger. Mai jos cateva idei, destul de sacadate.

Apologetica lui Schleiermacher:
- omul este dependent
- minunea prezervarii creatiei in toate manifestarile ei zilnice
- afirmarea constiintei de Dumnezeu

Lindbeck:
- Religia are o constructie lingvistic-culturala nu una prelingvistiga experiential-expresiva

WL Craig:
- logica si dovezile factuale sunt cheia pentru dovedirea ca concluzia la care am ajuns este adevarata

- Apologetii au trei categorii de public: cel din Biserica, cel din piata-publica si cel academic ("dispretuitorii educati moderni").

- Biserica trebuie sa reflecte 5 dimensiuni ale conceptiei crestine despre lume si viata:
1. dimensiunea narativa (teologia narativa; naratiuni biblice)
2. d cognitiva sau discursiva (apel la apologetica clasica)
3. d simbolica sau rituala (apeleaza la simetrie, frumusete si inteligibilitate)
4. d experientei de viata (supozitiile seculare se pot clatina in fata experientelor vietii si a cautarilor intelectuale)
5. comportamentul moral (etica)

- In efortul de a lupta cu raul, cultura noastra l-a rationalizat l-a psihologizat si l-a politizat.

[Luís Branco · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is a great book. A must read in today's world.

[Douglas Wilson · Rating 1 out of 5]

Jeepers.