Honors Apologetics: Unit 1 Vocabulary

Vocabulary flashcards covering Unit 1 key terms in Honors Apologetics.

Apologetics

The reasoned defense of the Christian faith.

Faith

Trust or belief in God, often in things unseen or not fully understood.

Reason

The use of logic and critical thinking to understand truth; using arguments to explain why God exists.

Worldview

A person’s framework for understanding reality, truth, and morality; e.g., a Christian worldview vs. secular or relativist worldview.

Truth

That which corresponds to reality; objective and not merely personal preference.

Logic

The system of principles used to evaluate arguments and reasoning.

Revelation

God making Himself known to humanity, including general revelation (nature and conscience) and special revelation (Scripture); Jesus Christ as the ultimate revelation.

Natural Law

The moral law written on the human heart that reflects God’s character; accessible through conscience.

Classical Apologetics

A method of defending Christianity that begins with reason and evidence before moving to revelation; includes arguments for God’s existence (cosmological, teleological, moral, etc.).

Moral Argument

An apologetic argument that claims objective morality points to the existence of a moral God.

 The Argument from Motion

Idea: Everything in motion is moved by something else → There must be a First Mover (God).

The Argument from Cause

 Every effect has a cause → There must be a First Cause (God).

 The Argument from Contingency

Everything in creation could possibly not exist → There must be a necessary being (God).

The Argument from Degrees of Perfection

We measure goodness, truth, beauty, etc. → There must be a perfect source (God).

The Argument from Design

The universe has order and purpose → There must be a Designer (God).