Comprehensive Study Guide to Apologetics Theory and Methodologies

Overview of the Four Primary Apologetic Methods

Christian apologetics comprises four foundational methodologies, each characterized by its unique epistemological framework, approach to reason and logic, treatment of scientific and historical evidence, and view of scripture:

  • Evidentialist Apologetics

  • Presuppositionalist Apologetics

  • Classical Apologetics

  • Fideist Apologetics

Evidentialist Apologetics

Associated Historical and Contemporary Figures

  • Joseph Butler

  • Lee Strobel

Categorical Tenets and Methodology

  • View of Knowledge:

    • The fit of the facts serves as the primary test of truth.

    • Postmodernism is considered unrealistic.

    • The witness of the Holy Spirit is the ground of faith.

  • View of Theology:

    • Apologetics and theology both utilize the scientific method.

    • Apologetics functions to defend debated aspects of theology.

  • View of Philosophy:

    • Apologetics employs the critical tools of philosophy.

    • Demonstrates a methodological use of non-Christian philosophy.

  • View of Science:

    • Freely accepts established scientific theories.

    • Science and theology view the same facts differently.

    • Typically aligns with old-earth creationism.

  • View of History:

    • An objective view of history is quite realizable.

    • Achieving a right view of history requires employing the right method.

  • View of Experience:

    • Religious experiences are possible, but they are not inherently reliable.

    • Previous personal experiences must be tested against public facts.

  • View of Scripture:

    • Scripture is the primary source of evidence for apologetics.

    • Methodology begins with establishing historical reliability and concludes with divine inspiration.

    • Fulfilled prophecy proves divine inspiration, which in turn proves God.

  • View of Religions:

    • Religious pluralism fails because it ignores the factual basis of the gospel.

    • Christianity makes uniquely verifiable claims.

  • View of God:

    • Inductive proofs are generally favored.

    • The design argument (teleological argument) is the most common approach.

  • View of Evil:

    • Addresses the inductive problem of evil: Is theism likely given the presence of evil?

    • Maintains that evidence for God holds up despite the existence of evil.

  • View of Miracles:

    • Miracles add empirical and historical evidence for a theistic worldview.

    • Miracles are not to be believed unless supported by good evidence.

  • View of Jesus:

    • The resurrection of Jesus can be proved historically.

    • Rejects the false dilemma between the "Jesus of history" and the "Christ of faith."

Presuppositionalist Apologetics

Associated Historical and Contemporary Figures

  • John Calvin

  • Cornelius Van Til

Categorical Tenets and Methodology

  • View of Knowledge:

    • Coherence with divine revelation is the ultimate test of truth.

    • Postmodernism is understood as an irrationalist form of modernism.

    • The witness of the Holy Spirit is the origin of faith.

  • View of Theology:

    • Apologetics and theology are both derived from and based on Scripture.

    • Apologetics explicitly presupposes the truth of theology.

  • View of Philosophy:

    • Apologetics directly confronts unbelieving philosophy.

    • Christians are called to actively develop a distinctly Christian philosophy.

  • View of Science:

    • Rejects scientific theories that are viewed as unbiblical.

    • Believers and unbelievers view and interpret facts completely differently based on competing presuppositions.

    • Typically aligns with young-earth creationism.

  • View of History:

    • Objective truth about history is directly given in Scripture.

    • A right view of history must be based on divine revelation.

  • View of Experience:

    • God's image in man (imago Dei) serves as the necessary point of contact between believer and unbeliever.

    • All experiences must be tested by Scripture.

  • View of Scripture:

    • Scripture is the absolute foundation of apologetics.

    • Methodology begins with self-attesting Scripture.

    • Scripture provides the only coherent worldview.

  • View of Religions:

    • Religious pluralism is inherently self-refuting.

    • Christianity presents a uniquely absolute God.

  • View of God:

    • Traditional theistic proofs are rejected.

    • Utilizes a transcendental or epistemic argument for the existence of God.

  • View of Evil:

    • Addresses the theological problem of evil: Did God cause sin?

    • Maintains that evil can be deemed such only if God exists.

  • View of Miracles:

    • Miracles are an organic part of the Christian theistic worldview.

    • Miracles are revealed in God's self-attesting Word.

  • View of Jesus:

    • Jesus is the self-attesting Christ revealed in Scripture.

    • Jesus should be believed precisely because He is God.

Classical Apologetics

Associated Historical and Contemporary Figures

  • St. Thomas Aquinas

  • C.S. Lewis

Categorical Tenets and Methodology

  • View of Knowledge:

    • Logic is the primary test of worldviews.

    • Postmodernism is self-refuting.

    • The witness of the Holy Spirit is the ground of knowledge.

  • View of Theology:

    • Apologetics establishes the necessary foundation of theology.

    • Apologetics defines "mere Christianity."

  • View of Philosophy:

    • Apologetics directly overlaps philosophy's subject matter.

    • Makes substantive use of non-Christian philosophy.

  • View of Science:

    • Cautiously accepts established scientific theories.

    • Science and theology overlap, and both are fundamentally rational.

    • Typically aligns with old-earth creationism.

  • View of History:

    • An objective view of history is difficult but possible to achieve.

    • A right view of history requires a right underlying worldview.

  • View of Experience:

    • Religious experience is not irrational.

    • Employs the argument from religious desire.

  • View of Scripture:

    • Reason is used to test Scripture's credentials.

    • Methodology begins with general theism and concludes with divine inspiration.

    • Fulfilled prophecy proves inspiration provided God exists.

  • View of Religions:

    • Religious pluralism is illogical.

    • Nontheistic worldviews are fundamentally incoherent.

  • View of God:

    • Deductive proofs are generally favored.

    • Cosmological and moral arguments are the most common proofs utilized.

  • View of Evil:

    • Addresses the deductive problem of evil: Is theism logically inconsistent?

    • At the beginning: Evil is the result of the free choice of created beings.

    • At the end: A world with evil is the best way to arrive at the best world.

  • View of Miracles:

    • Miracles are credible given a established theistic worldview.

    • Miracles do not contradict natural law.

  • View of Jesus:

    • Jesus' claim to deity excludes Him from being categorized as a mere man or moral teacher.

    • Employs the Quintilemma: Is Jesus Legend, Lama, Liar, Lunatic, or Lord?

Fideist Apologetics

Associated Historical and Contemporary Figures

  • Tertullian

  • Soren Kierkegaard

  • Karl Barth

Categorical Tenets and Methodology

  • View of Knowledge:

    • Faithfulness to divine revelation is the test of truth.

    • Postmodernism exposes modernism within rationalistic apologetics.

    • The Spirit's witness to Christ directly produces faith.

  • View of Theology:

    • Good theology is itself the best apologetics.

    • Apologetics cannot prepare for or justify theology.

  • View of Philosophy:

    • Apologetics confronts all philosophy.

    • Christians should oppose, rather than develop, philosophy.

  • View of Science:

    • Science neither supports nor undermines Christian faith.

    • Science and theology ask fundamentally different categories of questions.

    • Typically aligns with theistic evolutionism.

  • View of History:

    • Christ is objectively revealed in Scripture.

    • Faith cannot be constructed upon or based on historical knowledge.

  • View of Experience:

    • Christianity is to be experienced personally, not defended intellectually.

    • The experience of faith is self-validating.

  • View of Scripture:

    • Scripture needs no external defense.

    • Methodology begins directly with Christ, rather than starting from Scripture as an abstract authority.

    • Scripture provides a faithful witness to Christ.

  • View of Religions:

    • Christianity is a personal relationship with Christ, not a religion.

    • Christ is unique among all historical religious leaders.

  • View of God:

    • All direct, naturalistic theistic proofs are rejected.

    • God is known in personal encounter, not in rational argument.

  • View of Evil:

    • Addresses the personal problem of evil: How do I trust God?

    • God demonstrates His goodness in Christ's suffering.

  • View of Miracles:

    • Miracles are credible to those who already know God personally.

    • Miracles are acts of God revealing Himself.

  • View of Jesus:

    • Jesus is the self-attesting Christ witnessed to in Scripture.

    • Jesus is someone so unique that no human could ever invent Him.

Mapping Proponents to Apologetic Methods

  • Classical Apologetics:

    • St. Thomas Aquinas

    • C.S. Lewis

  • Presuppositionalist Apologetics:

    • John Calvin

    • Cornelius Van Til

  • Evidentialist Apologetics:

    • Joseph Butler

    • Lee Strobel

  • Fideist Apologetics:

    • Tertullian

    • Soren Kierkegaard

    • Karl Barth