Christian Belief and Faith Defenses

Recap of previous sections and roadmap for the current session.
Focus on background questions and conditions that motivate the discussion.
Opening prayer expressing gratitude and a desire for enlightenment and understanding.

Exploration of teleology: the Christian understanding of the purpose of being human.
- Discussion on human fulfillment and the desire for God.
- Examination of creation's nature, the nature of sin and evil, and the effects of the Fall.
God's response through Christ:
- Christ as the incarnation of God, aiming to advance humanity towards goodness and remove evil.
- Atonement: varied models and their implications for humanity's reunion with God eschatologically.
Concluding thoughts on the consummation of God's economy in the glorification of creatures.

Examination of Charles Taylor's perspective on the secularization from 1500 to present.
- Influential figures: Descartes, Hume, Locke, Kant, Feuerbach, etc.
- Rise of humanism and its impact on Christian theological foundations.
Discussion of Friedrich Nietzsche's notion of the "death of God" and Sartrean existentialism.
Main question: Is secular development inevitable, and does Christian faith still maintain rational credibility?
- Reference to Steven Evans’s book "Why Christian Faith Still Makes Sense" as a resource for upcoming discussions.

Reference to 1 Peter 3:15: "Always be prepared to give a reason for the hope that is in you."
- Implication that Christian hope should be fundamentally reasonable.
Connection to Acts 17: Paul's address at Athens illustrates accessible grounds for belief in God based on knowledge.
Historical perspective: Early Church apologists defended Christianity amidst skepticism.

Spiritual Deficiency
- Christians viewed as atheists due to the denial of traditional local deities.
- Uniqueness of Christian belief in a singular, all-powerful God.
Rational Deficiency
- Accusations of believing in miracles, which were deemed intellectually irresponsible.
- Examples: Resurrection, God’s interventions in history.
Political Subversion
- Christians seen as subversive due to their inclusivity and refusal to worship the emperor.
- Challenges to societal norms regarding class and citizenship.

Contemporary parallels to ancient criticisms regarding spiritual, rational, and social deficiencies of faith.
Reflection on how modern societies question the rationality of belief, especially in the face of science.
Consideration of how these challenges shape current discussions on Christian faith and its place in society.

Overview of new atheists: prominent figures who deny the credibility of faith, emphasizing cultural influence rather than philosophical rigor.
- Claims: Religion is primitive, unscientific, and outmoded.
- Assertions of religion as a mental illness and anti-scientific.

Definition of Natural Theology
- Attempt to discern God’s existence through reason and experience.
- Evans stresses this as a basis for the credibility of faith, making it relatable to all humans.
Shift in Confidence
- 20th-century decline in confidence towards natural theology contributed to a vacuum, allowing new atheists' rise.
- Evidence must justify knowledge; distinction between propositional, analogical, and experiential evidence.

Advocacy for reformed epistemology emphasizing a built-in sense of divinity in human nature.
- Knowledge of God can be rational even without formal evidence due to this inherent capability.
- Evans provides a nuanced view: belief can be reasonable without evidence, but it doesn't negate the existence of compelling evidence for faith.

Propositional Evidence: Structured arguments based on logical premises.
Analogous Evidence: External signs that imply certain truths, like fingerprints on glass.
Experiential Evidence: First-hand experiences that validate beliefs, such as tasting something sweet.

Different perspectives on whether evidence for faith exists.
Potential implications if people of faith fail to articulate evidence or reasons for their beliefs.