Apologetics Profile: Recent Episodes

James Walker

Apologetics Profile is a weekly podcast discussing world religions, atheism, cults, the occult, alternative religions, controversial doctrines and spiritual practices. We are an evangelical Christian organization dedicated to respectful conversations from a biblical perspective. Apologetics Profile is a production of Watchman Fellowship, a non-profit Christian apologetics ministry focused on interfaith evangelism and discernment. For more information, visit: www.watchman.org.

We have been asking the question as long as we have been able to look up at the stars. Is there life out there in the cosmos? What would it be like? What are the implications for us if there is? And especially, how might extraterrestrial life impact our understanding of the Bible and of the Christian faith. Find out from an expert cosmologist who has asked this question himself. Dr. Jeff Zweerink of Reasons to Believe joins us to We talk with us about his book Is There Life Out There?His answer may surprise you.

Dr. Jeff Zweerink is an astrophysicist and research scholar for Reasons to Believe (RTB), an organization dedicated to demonstrating the compatibility of science and the Christian faith. Jeff’s work focuses on helping people of all backgrounds bridge the perceived gap between science and the Christian faith. Jeff earned a BS in physics and a PhD in astrophysics with a focus on gamma rays from Iowa State University. He taught and ran the planetarium at Loras College in Dubuque, Iowa, until postdoctoral research in gamma rays led him to the University of California, Riverside. Jeff is also a coauthor on more than 30 academic papers published in peer-reviewed journals, such as Astrophysical Journal, Astroparticle Physics, and Astrobiology. Jeff and his wife, Lisa, live in Southern California and have five children. Source: https://reasons.org/team/jeff-zweerink.

Related Links: Free links to some of our free, 4-page Watchman Fellowship Profiles on religious cults based in part on alleged alien contact:

Watchman Fellowship Profile on the Chen Tao by Jason Barker: watchman.org/ChenTao
Watchman Fellowship Profile on the Heaven's Gate by Bob Waldrep: watchman.org/HeavensGate
Watchman Fellowship Profile on the The Raelian Religion by Marty Butz: watchman.org/Raelian
Watchman Fellowship Profile on the The Order of the Solar Temple by Marty Butz: watchman.org/SolarTemple

**Additional Resources

FREE: We are also offering a subscription to our 4-page bimonthly Profiles** here: www.watchman.org/Free.

PROFILE NOTEBOOK: Order the complete collection of Watchman Fellowship Profiles (over 600 pages -- from Astrology to Zen Buddhism) in either printed or PDF formats here: watchman.org/notebook.

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship For more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

This week we pick up in part two of our conversation with author and missionary to Latter-Day Saints Bill McKeever. Bill continues to share with the Watchman Fellowship 2023 mission team to Utah more difficulties about the official LDS Church accounts of the gold plates as well as some historical and textual difficulties with the LDS Book of Abraham.

Bill McKeever founded Mormonism Research Ministry in 1979 with the hope of informing the Body of Christ about the differences between Mormonism and Christianity. He has also made an effort to reach out the many individuals who are members of the LDS Church, desiring to show them in gentleness and respect the truth about God’s Word. His writings include In Their own Words: A Collection of Mormon Quotations (Morris Publishing, 2010), Answering Mormons’ Questions: Ready Responses for Inquiring Latter-day Saints (co-authored with Eric Johnson, Kregel, 2013), and Mormonism 101: Examining the Religion of the Latter-day Saints (Baker, 2015).

Related Links: Free links to some of our most popular podcasts on Mormonism, access to some of our key LDS articles and our free, 4-page Watchman Fellowship Profile on the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints:

Watchman Fellowship articles on Mormonism: watchman.org/LDS
Watchman Fellowship Profile on the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: watchman.org/Mormonism
Bill McKeever's ministry - Mormonism Research Ministry: MRM.org
Apologetics Profile podcast What Is the Gospel? with Mormon apologist Scott Gordon and Christian apologist James Walker (YouTube): watchman.org/GordonWalker
Apologetics Profile podcast"Jesus' Resurrection and Joseph's Visions," with Rob Bowman: watchman.org/1stVision

**Additional Resources

FREE: We are also offering a subscription to our 4-page bimonthly Profiles** here: www.watchman.org/Free.

PROFILE NOTEBOOK: Order the complete collection of Watchman Fellowship Profiles (over 600 pages -- from Astrology to Zen Buddhism) in either printed or PDF formats here: watchman.org/notebook.

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship For more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is founded upon the Book of Mormon. But from where did the Book of Mormon originate? According to Joseph Smith, the founder of the LDS Church, the Book of Mormon comes from sacred gold plates he uncovered in 1827 near his home in Manchester, New York. What were these plates? How did Smith obtain them? How did he bring them back to his home? Where are they now? Find out this week and next as the Watchman Fellowship 2023 mission team to Utah sat down with author and missionary to LDS, Bill McKeever, of Mormon Research Ministry (mrm.org) to discuss these and other questions. Bill shares with us the history and stories behind the gold plates.

Bill McKeever founded Mormonism Research Ministry in 1979 with the hope of informing the Body of Christ about the differences between Mormonism and Christianity. He has also made an effort to reach out the many individuals who are members of the LDS Church, desiring to show them in gentleness and respect the truth about God’s Word. His writings include In Their own Words: A Collection of Mormon Quotations (Morris Publishing, 2010), Answering Mormons’ Questions: Ready Responses for Inquiring Latter-day Saints (co-authored with Eric Johnson, Kregel, 2013), and Mormonism 101: Examining the Religion of the Latter-day Saints (Baker, 2015).

Related Links: Free links to some of our most popular podcasts on Mormonism, access to some of our key LDS articles and our free, 4-page Watchman Fellowship Profile on the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints:

Watchman Fellowship articles on Mormonism: watchman.org/LDS
Watchman Fellowship Profile on the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: watchman.org/Mormonism
Bill McKeever's ministry - Mormonism Research Ministry: MRM.org
Apologetics Profile podcast What Is the Gospel? with Mormon apologist Scott Gordon and Christian apologist James Walker (YouTube): watchman.org/GordonWalker
Apologetics Profile podcast"Jesus' Resurrection and Joseph's Visions," with Rob Bowman: watchman.org/1stVision

**Additional Resources

FREE: We are also offering a subscription to our 4-page bimonthly Profiles** here: www.watchman.org/Free.

PROFILE NOTEBOOK: Order the complete collection of Watchman Fellowship Profiles (over 600 pages -- from Astrology to Zen Buddhism) in either printed or PDF formats here: watchman.org/notebook.

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship For more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

Islam is the fastest growing religion in the world. Muslims are no longer half a world away, but now include our neighbors, friends, classmates, and coworkers. Do we as Christians worship the same God as Muslims do? What distinguishes Allah from Jesus, the Qur'an from the Bible? And how might we begin to have meaningful conversations with our Muslim neighbors? This is part two of our discussion with Qur'anic scholar, Dr. Andy Bannister, author of Do Muslims and Christians Worship the Same God?(uhop.me/SameGod). Andy continues to offer his insights and wisdom from his years of experience in answering these and other questions and in engaging Muslims who are searching for much more than what they read in the Qur'an.

Dr. Andy Bannister is the Director of the Solas Centre for Public Christianity, speaking and teaching regularly throughout the UK, Europe, Canada, the USA, and the wider world. From universities to churches, business forums to TV and radio, he regularly addresses audiences of both Christians and those of all faiths and none on issues relating to faith, culture, politics and society. Andy holds a PhD in Islamic studies and has taught extensively at universities across Canada, the USA, the UK and further afield on both Islam and philosophy. He is also an Adjunct Research Fellow at the Arthur Jeffery Centre for the Study of Islam at Melbourne School of Theology and is also Adjunct Faculty at Wycliffe College, University of Toronto. For more information, visit AndyBannister.net.

Related Resources: Watchman book plus free access to some related Watchman Profiles:

Book: What the Qur'an Really Teaches about Jesus by James K. Walker: watchman.org/Quran
Watchman Fellowship 4-page Profile on Islam by James K. Walker: watchman.org/IslamProfile
Watchman Fellowship 4-page Profile on Shi'a Islam by Dr. Mike Edens: watchman.org/Shia

**Additional Resources

FREE: We are also offering a subscription to our 4-page bimonthly Profiles** here: www.watchman.org/Free.

PROFILE NOTEBOOK: Order the complete collection of Watchman Fellowship Profiles (over 600 pages -- from Astrology to Zen Buddhism) in either printed or PDF formats here: watchman.org/notebook.

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship For more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

On the next two episodes of the Profile we sit down with Qur'anic scholar and author Dr. Andy Bannister to discuss his very insightful and helpful 2021 book, Do Muslims and Christians Worship the Same God? (uhop.Me/SameGod). Andy gives us some wisdom from his own experiences and research in engaging Muslims over the last few decades. If you know a Muslim but are not sure how to begin a conversation, you don't want to miss the next two weeks of the Profile.

Dr. Andy Bannister is the Director of the Solas Centre for Public Christianity, speaking and teaching regularly throughout the UK, Europe, Canada, the USA, and the wider world. From universities to churches, business forums to TV and radio, he regularly addresses audiences of both Christians and those of all faiths and none on issues relating to faith, culture, politics and society. Andy holds a PhD in Islamic studies and has taught extensively at universities across Canada, the USA, the UK and further afield on both Islam and philosophy. He is also an Adjunct Research Fellow at the Arthur Jeffery Centre for the Study of Islam at Melbourne School of Theology and is also Adjunct Faculty at Wycliffe College, University of Toronto. For more information, visit AndyBannister.net.

Related Resources: Watchman book plus free access to some related Watchman Profiles:

Book: What the Qur'an Really Teaches about Jesus by James K. Walker: watchman.org/Quran
Watchman Fellowship 4-page Profile on Islam by James K. Walker: watchman.org/IslamProfile
Watchman Fellowship 4-page Profile on Shi'a Islam by Dr. Mike Edens: watchman.org/Shia

**Additional Resources

FREE: We are also offering a subscription to our 4-page bimonthly Profiles** here: www.watchman.org/Free.

PROFILE NOTEBOOK: Order the complete collection of Watchman Fellowship Profiles (over 600 pages -- from Astrology to Zen Buddhism) in either printed or PDF formats here: watchman.org/notebook.

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship For more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

This week we wrap up our conversation with authors Doug Groothuis and Ike Shepardson about their latest book The Knowledge of God in the World and the Word - An Introduction to Classical Apologetics. They offer some very practical and encouraging wisdom in how to effectively and compassionately engage in apologetics.

Douglas Groothuis (PhD, University of Oregon) is professor of philosophy at Denver Seminary in Denver, Colorado, where he heads the apologetics and ethics masters degree program. His articles have been published in journals such as Religious Studies, Philosophia Christi, Themelios, Christian Scholar's Review, Inquiry, and Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society. He has written numerous books, including Christian Apologetics, Philosophy in Seven Sentences, and Truth Decay. https://www.douglasgroothuis.com/

Andrew “Ike” Shepardson (Ph.D., University of Toronto) leads the B.A. and M.A. programs in Applied Apologetics at Colorado Christian University and is associated faculty at Denver Seminary. Ike is an elder at Living Way Fellowship in Highlands Ranch, Colorado. His work has been published in Philosophia Christi, Quadrum, The Denver Journal, Orthodoxy in Dialogue, and the Toronto Journal of Theology. He is author of Who’s Afraid of the Unmoved Mover?: Postmodernism and Natural Theology and coauthor (with Douglas Groothuis) of The Knowledge of God in the World and the Word. His website is ikeshepardson.com.

Related Links: Free access to some related Watchman Profiles:

Watchman Fellowship 4-page Profile on Atheism by Dr. Robert M. Bowman: watchman.org/Atheism
Watchman Fellowship 4-page Profile on Agnosticism by W. Russell Crawford: watchman.org/Agnostic
Watchman Fellowship 4-page Profile on Divine Hiddenness by Daniel Ray: watchman.org/Hiddenness
Watchman Fellowship 4-page Profile on Scientism by Dr. Luke Barnes and Daniel Ray: watchman.org/Scientism

**Additional Resources

FREE: We are also offering a subscription to our 4-page bimonthly Profiles** here: www.watchman.org/Free.

PROFILE NOTEBOOK: Order the complete collection of Watchman Fellowship Profiles (over 600 pages -- from Astrology to Zen Buddhism) in either printed or PDF formats here: watchman.org/notebook.

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship For more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

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This week and next we talk with authors Doug Groothuis (GROW-tice) and Andrew "Ike" Shepardson about their new book The Knowledge of God in the World and the Word - An Introduction to Classical Apologeticsand how vitally important apologetics remains for us today.

Douglas Groothuis (PhD, University of Oregon) is professor of philosophy at Denver Seminary in Denver, Colorado, where he heads the apologetics and ethics masters degree program. His articles have been published in journals such as Religious Studies, Philosophia Christi, Themelios, Christian Scholar's Review, Inquiry, and Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society. He has written numerous books, including Christian Apologetics, Philosophy in Seven Sentences, and Truth Decay. https://www.douglasgroothuis.com/

Andrew “Ike” Shepardson (Ph.D., University of Toronto) leads the B.A. and M.A. programs in Applied Apologetics at Colorado Christian University and is associated faculty at Denver Seminary. Ike is an elder at Living Way Fellowship in Highlands Ranch, Colorado. His work has been published in Philosophia Christi, Quadrum, The Denver Journal, Orthodoxy in Dialogue, and the Toronto Journal of Theology. He is author of Who’s Afraid of the Unmoved Mover?: Postmodernism and Natural Theology and coauthor (with Douglas Groothuis) of The Knowledge of God in the World and the Word. His personal website is ikeshepardson.com.

Related Links: Free access to some related Watchman Profiles:

Watchman Fellowship 4-page Profile on Atheism by Dr. Robert M. Bowman: watchman.org/Atheism
Watchman Fellowship 4-page Profile on Agnosticism by W. Russell Crawford: watchman.org/Agnostic
Watchman Fellowship 4-page Profile on Divine Hiddenness by Daniel Ray: watchman.org/Hiddenness
Watchman Fellowship 4-page Profile on Scientism by Dr. Luke Barnes and Daniel Ray: watchman.org/Scientism

**Additional Resources

FREE: We are also offering a subscription to our 4-page bimonthly Profiles** here: www.watchman.org/Free.

PROFILE NOTEBOOK: Order the complete collection of Watchman Fellowship Profiles (over 600 pages -- from Astrology to Zen Buddhism) in either printed or PDF formats here: watchman.org/notebook.

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship For more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

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188 Reimagining Apologetics [Part 2] with Dr. Justin Bailey and Daniel Ray

Christian apologetics is not just a matter of crafting intellectual arguments and those who engage in Christian apologetics are not just computorial information machines dispensing facts. Our guest again this week, author, pastor, and professor of theology at Dordt University, Dr. Justin Bailey, continues sharing his ideas from his 2020 book Reimagining Apologetics - The Beauty of Faith in a Secular Age(www.PJustin.com/Books/Reimagining) that apologetics should include a much more holistic approach that involves not only logic and reason, but the imagination as well.

Dr. Justin Ariel Bailey iis associate professor and chair of the theology department at Dordt University. He works at the intersection of theology, culture, and ministry, and his written work has appeared in publications such as Christianity Today, Christian Scholars Review, and the International Journal of Public Theology. He is the author of Reimagining Apologetics (IVP, 2020) and Interpreting Your World (Baker, 2022). He is an ordained minister in the Christian Reformed Church, and he has served as a pastor in Filipino-American, Korean-American, and Anglo-American settings.

Related Links: Free access to some related Watchman Profiles:

Watchman Fellowship 4-page Profile on Atheism by Dr. Robert Bowman: watchman.org/Atheism
Watchman Fellowship 4-page Profile on Agnosticism by W. Russell Crawford: watchman.orgAgnostic
Watchman Fellowship 4-page Profile on Scientism by Dr. Luke Barnes and Daniel Ray: watchman.org/Scientism
Watchman Fellowship 4-page Profile on Divine Hiddenness by Daniel Ray: watchman.org/Hiddenness
Watchman Fellowship 4-page Profile on Naturalism by Daniel Ray: watchman.org/Naturalism

**Additional Resources

FREE: We are also offering a subscription to our 4-page bimonthly Profiles** here: www.watchman.org/Free.

PROFILE NOTEBOOK: Order the complete collection of Watchman Fellowship Profiles (over 600 pages -- from Astrology to Zen Buddhism) in either printed or PDF formats here: watchman.org/notebook.

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship For more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

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187 Reimagining Apologetics [Part 1] with Dr. Justin Bailey and Daniel Ray

What role does the imagination play in Christian apologetics today? How can we effectively implement a more holistic and imaginative approach in giving a defense for our faith in an ever-increasingly secular society? Our guest this week and next, author, pastor, and professor of theology at Dordt University, Dr. Justin Bailey, discusses these questions with us from his 2020 book Reimagining Apologetics - The Beauty of Faith in a Secular Age(www.PJustin.com/Books/Reimagining).

Dr. Justin Ariel Bailey iis associate professor and chair of the theology department at Dordt University. He works at the intersection of theology, culture, and ministry, and his written work has appeared in publications such as Christianity Today, Christian Scholars Review, and the International Journal of Public Theology. He is the author of Reimagining Apologetics (IVP, 2020) and Interpreting Your World (Baker, 2022). He is an ordained minister in the Christian Reformed Church, and he has served as a pastor in Filipino-American, Korean-American, and Anglo-American settings.

Related Links: Free access to some related Watchman Profiles:

Watchman Fellowship 4-page Profile on Atheism by Dr. Robert Bowman: watchman.org/Atheism
Watchman Fellowship 4-page Profile on Agnosticism by W. Russell Crawford: watchman.orgAgnostic
Watchman Fellowship 4-page Profile on Scientism by Dr. Luke Barnes and Daniel Ray: watchman.org/Scientism
Watchman Fellowship 4-page Profile on Divine Hiddenness by Daniel Ray: watchman.org/Hiddenness
Watchman Fellowship 4-page Profile on Naturalism by Daniel Ray: watchman.org/Naturalism

**Additional Resources

FREE: We are also offering a subscription to our 4-page bimonthly Profiles** here: www.watchman.org/Free.

PROFILE NOTEBOOK: Order the complete collection of Watchman Fellowship Profiles (over 600 pages -- from Astrology to Zen Buddhism) in either printed or PDF formats here: watchman.org/notebook.

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship For more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

apologetics, apologetics profile, Watchman Fellowship, Reimagining Apologetics, Justin Bailey, Daniel Ray, atheism, agnostic, skeptic, beauty, imagination, Christianity, Jesus, God

One hallmark of most any religious cult today is that there is no other way to God except through the cult leader and obedience to his deceitful doctrines and deceptive practices. Cult teachings and commands twist Scripture familiar to Christians and create a climate of fear and works-based salvation.

This week Brady Blevins, Senior Apologist at Watchman Fellowship and Steve Matthews, author of our 4-page Profile on the movement known as Shincheonji, continue their discussion about how this disciplined, doctrinally-deceptive, militant cult twists Scripture, infiltrates churches in the U.S. and how you can be prepared to respond with solid biblical truth.

Steve Matthews is a countercult apologist who is not only passionate about researching the more established cults, but also in responding to the newer emerging groups as well. He has his M.A. in Christian Apologetics from Trinity International University and is involved in launching ExaminingTheCults.

Related Links: Free access to additional resources including some related Watchman Fellowship Profiles:

Examining the Shincheonji Church: ExaminingTheSCJ.com
Watchman Fellowship 4-page Profile on Shincheonji by Steve Matthews: watchman.org/ProfileSCJ
Watchman Fellowship 4-page Profile on Shincheonji (in Korean) by Steve Matthews: watchman.org/SCJ_Korean
Watchman Fellowship 4-page Profile on World Missionary Society Church of God by Steve Matthews: watchman.org/WMSCOG
Watchman Fellowship 4-page Profile on International Christian Church (Kip McKean) by Steve Matthews: watchman.org/ICC
Watchman Fellowship 4-page Profile on Patterns in the Cults by James Walker: watchman.org/Patterns
Watchman Fellowship 4-page Profile on Spiritual Abuse by David Henke: watchman.org/Abuse

**Additional Resources

FREE: We are also offering a subscription to our 4-page bimonthly Profiles** here: www.watchman.org/Free.

PROFILE NOTEBOOK: Order the complete collection of Watchman Fellowship Profiles (over 600 pages -- from Astrology to Zen Buddhism) in either printed or PDF formats here: watchman.org/notebook.

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship For more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

How is a religious cult in South Korea making inroads into churches in the U.S.? Listen in as Dr. Brady Blevins, Senior Apologist at Watchman Fellowship and Steve Matthews, author of our 4-page Profile on the movement known as Shincheonji, discuss some of the ways in which this disciplined, doctrinally-deceptive, militant cult is infiltrating churches in the U.S. Learn how you can be prepared to respond with the Gospel.

Steve Matthews is a countercult apologist who is not only passionate about researching the more established cults, but also in responding to the newer emerging groups as well. He has his M.A. in Christian Apologetics from Trinity International University and is involved in launching ExaminingTheCults.

Related Links: Free access to additional resources including some related Watchman Fellowship Profiles:

Examining the Shincheonji Church: ExaminingTheSCJ.com
Watchman Fellowship 4-page Profile on Shincheonji by Steve Matthews: watchman.org/ProfileSCJ
Watchman Fellowship 4-page Profile on Shincheonji (in Korean) by Steve Matthews: watchman.org/SCJ_Korean
Watchman Fellowship 4-page Profile on World Missionary Society Church of God by Steve Matthews: watchman.org/WMSCOG
Watchman Fellowship 4-page Profile on International Christian Church (Kip McKean) by Steve Matthews: watchman.org/ICC
Watchman Fellowship 4-page Profile on Patterns in the Cults by James Walker: watchman.org/Patterns
Watchman Fellowship 4-page Profile on Spiritual Abuse by David Henke: watchman.org/Abuse

**Additional Resources

FREE: We are also offering a subscription to our 4-page bimonthly Profiles** here: www.watchman.org/Free.

PROFILE NOTEBOOK: Order the complete collection of Watchman Fellowship Profiles (over 600 pages -- from Astrology to Zen Buddhism) in either printed or PDF formats here: watchman.org/notebook.

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship For more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

Shincheonji, Temple of the Tabernacle, Tabernacle of the Testimony, Lee Man-hee, Lee Man hee, cult, spiritual abuse, Physical Fulfillment of Revelation, Parachristo, Word and Life Theology School, Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light,

Even if one might be convinced that reason can lead us to God, there remains the very real difficulty of the problem of evil. How can evil exist if an all-knowing, all-loving, all-powerful God exists? There are finally no easy answers to this question. Our guest again this week, author and philosopher Dr. Josh Rasmussen, shares with us his personal and philosophical perspectives on how he has negotiated this difficult issue, both through analytical arguments and through his own personal suffering. Philosophy, as it turns out, isn't just a dry academic exercise, but part of what constitutes the grand narrative of the very Gospel itself, a love of wisdom.

Joshua Rasmussen, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor of Philosophy at Azusa Pacific University. His area of expertise is analytic metaphysics, with a focus on basic categories of reality, such as objects, ideas, and necessary existence. He is author of several books, including Defending the Correspondence Theory of Truth (Cambridge University Press, 2014), Necessary Existence (with Pruss; Oxford University Press, 2015), How Reason Can Lead to God (IVP Academic, 2019), and Is God the Best Explanation of Things (with Felipe Leon, Palgrave 2019). He is also the founder of the Worldview Design YouTube channel, which helps people use reason to address the big questions of life.

Related Links: Free access to some related Watchman Profiles:

Watchman Fellowship 4-page Profile on Atheism by Dr. Robert Bowman: watchman.org/Atheism
Watchman Fellowship 4-page Profile on Agnosticism by W. Russell Crawford: watchman.orgAgnostic
Watchman Fellowship 4-page Profile on Divine Hiddenness by Daniel Ray: watchman.org/Hiddenness
Watchman Fellowship 4-page Profile on Naturalism by Daniel Ray: watchman.org/Naturalism

**Additional Resources

FREE: We are also offering a subscription to our 4-page bimonthly Profiles** here: www.watchman.org/Free.

PROFILE NOTEBOOK: Order the complete collection of Watchman Fellowship Profiles (over 600 pages -- from Astrology to Zen Buddhism) in either printed or PDF formats here: watchman.org/notebook.

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship For more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

Knowing what you believe, why you believe it and how to compassionately share your faith in Christ are invaluable hallmarks of being ambassadors for Christ and His kingdom. On part two of our conversation with apologist and author Greg Koukl, we explore the problems with truth and morality in a naturalistic worldview and how we as believers can and should take time to understand these problems in giving a defense of our faith. Hear how Greg encourages us to put "pebbles of truth" in the shoes of those who do not believe.

Greg Koukl founded Stand to Reason (str.org) in 1993 and currently serves as president of the organization. He has spoken on more than 70 college and university campuses both in the U.S. and abroad and has hosted his own call-in radio show for 27 years, advocating for “Christianity worth thinking about.” He has debated atheist Michael Shermer on national radio and Deepak Chopra on national television. An award-winning writer and best-selling author, Greg has written seven books, including The Story of Reality — How the World Began, How It Ends, and Everything Important that Happens in Between (amzn.to/3AtHtnR); Tactics — A Game Plan for Discussing Your Christian Convictions (amzn.to/3hXCLYW) and Relativism: Feet Firmly Planted in Mid-Air (amzn.to/3X9nu7A).

Greg received his Masters in Philosophy of Religion and Ethics at Talbot School of Theology, graduating with high honors, and his Masters in Christian Apologetics with honors from Simon Greenleaf University. He is an adjunct professor in Christian apologetics at Biola University.

Related Links: Free access to some related Watchman Profiles:

Watchman Fellowship 4-page Profile on Atheism by Dr. Robert M. Bowman: watchman.org/Atheism
Watchman Fellowship 4-page Profile on Agnosticism by W. Russell Crawford: watchman.org/Agnostic
Watchman Fellowship 4-page Profile on Scientism by Dr. Luke Barnes and Daniel Ray: watchman.org/Scientism

**Additional Resources

FREE: We are also offering a subscription to our 4-page bimonthly Profiles** here: www.watchman.org/Free.

PROFILE NOTEBOOK: Order the complete collection of Watchman Fellowship Profiles (over 600 pages -- from Astrology to Zen Buddhism) in either printed or PDF formats here: watchman.org/notebook.

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship For more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

Tactics, 10th Anniversary Edition: A Game Plan for Discussing Your Christian Convictions

The Story of Reality: How the World Began, How It Ends, and Everything Important that Happens in Between

Relativism: Feet Firmly Planted in Mid-Air

Christian apologist Greg Koukl's best-selling book, Tactics, has had remarkable success since it was first published in 2000. Greg's counsel and advice for how to formulate "a Game Plan for Discussing Your Christian Convictions" continues to be an encouragement for many. On this two-part conversation, Watchman's staff apologist Daniel Ray talks "tactics" with Greg, as he shares more invaluable insights from his own personal experience in engaging unbelievers with the gospel.

Greg Koukl founded Stand to Reason (str.org) in 1993 and currently serves as president of the organization. He has spoken on more than 70 college and university campuses both in the U.S. and abroad and has hosted his own call-in radio show for 27 years, advocating for “Christianity worth thinking about.” He has debated atheist Michael Shermer on national radio and Deepak Chopra on national television. An award-winning writer and best-selling author, Greg has written seven books, including The Story of Reality — How the World Began, How It Ends, and Everything Important that Happens in Between (amzn.to/3AtHtnR); Tactics — A Game Plan for Discussing Your Christian Convictions (amzn.to/3hXCLYW) and Relativism: Feet Firmly Planted in Mid-Air (amzn.to/3X9nu7A). Greg has been featured on Focus on the Family radio and has been interviewed for CBN and the BBC. He's been quoted in Christianity Today, the U.S. News & World Report, and the L.A. Times.

Greg received his Masters in Philosophy of Religion and Ethics at Talbot School of Theology, graduating with high honors, and his Masters in Christian Apologetics with honors from Simon Greenleaf University. He is an adjunct professor in Christian apologetics at Biola University.

Related Links: Free access to some related Watchman Profiles:

Watchman Fellowship 4-page Profile on Atheism by Dr. Robert M. Bowman: watchman.org/Atheism
Watchman Fellowship 4-page Profile on Agnosticism by W. Russell Crawford: watchman.org/Agnostic
Watchman Fellowship 4-page Profile on Scientism by Dr. Luke Barnes and Daniel Ray: watchman.org/Scientism

**Additional Resources

FREE: We are also offering a subscription to our 4-page bimonthly Profiles** here: www.watchman.org/Free.

PROFILE NOTEBOOK: Order the complete collection of Watchman Fellowship Profiles (over 600 pages -- from Astrology to Zen Buddhism) in either printed or PDF formats here: watchman.org/notebook.

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship For more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

Tactics, 10th Anniversary Edition: A Game Plan for Discussing Your Christian Convictions

The Story of Reality: How the World Began, How It Ends, and Everything Important that Happens in Between

Relativism: Feet Firmly Planted in Mid-Air

Mike Rinder, former senior executive of Scientology, continues his discussion with James Walker about his new book A Billion Years. Scientology sued James and Watchman Fellowship for $9.5 million then infiltrated Watchman's offices with spies. For legal reasons, Watchman has spoken very little about this publicly until this podcast. Mike Rinder, who headed up Scientology's Office of Special Affairs, supervised much of the litigation, harassment, intimidation and other "Fair Game" tactics developed by church founder, L. Ron Hubbard. Rinder left Scientology and now exposes some of the incredibly ruthless abuses allegedly perpetrated by Scientology's current leader, David Miscavige.

Mike Rinder is a former senior executive of the Church of Scientology. From 1982 to 2007, Rinder served on the church's board of directors was executive director of its international Office of Special Affairs directing the legal and public relations matters of Scientology. After escaping Scientology, Rinder has exposed the physical and mental abuse inflicted upon staff members by the current head of Scientology, David Miscavige. He co-hosted the Emmy award winning A&E documentary series Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath. In 2022 Simon & Schuster published his memoir, A Billion Years.

Related Resources

Book: A Billion Years: My Escape From a Life in the Highest Ranks of Scientology by Mike Rinder: uhop.me/Billion
Leah Remini and Mike Rinder's Podcast - Scientology: Fair Game: FairGamePodcast.com
Mike Rinder's Blog: MikeRindersBlog.org
Assisting victims: The Aftermath Foundation -TheAftermathFoundation.org
Tampa Bay Times: The Truth Rundown (2009): Part 1 Part 2 Part 3
Watchman Fellowship's Scientology Profile by Kurt Van Gorden: watchman.org/Scientology
Watchman Fellowship's archived articles on Scientology: watchman.org/articles/scientology

**Additional Resources

FREE: We are also offering a subscription to our 4-page bimonthly Profiles** here: www.watchman.org/Free.

PROFILE NOTEBOOK: Order the complete collection of Watchman Fellowship Profiles (over 600 pages -- from Astrology to Zen Buddhism) in either printed or PDF formats here: watchman.org/notebook.

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship For more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

Mike Rinder, former senior executive of the Church of Scientology, sits down with James Walker, Watchman Fellowship president, to talk about his new book A Billion Years. Scientology sued James and Watchman Fellowship for $9.5 million then infiltrated Watchman offices in Texas and Alabama with spies. For legal reasons, Watchman has spoken very little about this publicly until this podcast. Mike Rinder, who headed up Scientology's "feared and dreaded" Office of Special Affairs, supervised much of the litigation, harassment, intimidation and other "Fair Game" tactics developed by church founder, L. Ron Hubbard. Rinder left Scientology and now exposes some of the incredibly ruthless abuses allegedly perpetrated by Scientology's current leader, David Miscavige.

Mike Rinder is an Australian-American former senior executive of the Church of Scientology. From 1982 to 2007, Rinder served on the church's board of directors was executive director of its international Office of Special Affairs directing the legal and public relations matters of Scientology at the international level. After escaping Scientology in 2007, Rinder has vocally exposed the physical and mental abuse inflicted upon staff members by the current head of Scientology, David Miscavige. From 2016 to 2019, he co-hosted the Emmy award winning A&E documentary series Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath. In 2022 Simon & Schuster published his memoir, A Billion Years.

Related Resources

Book: A Billion Years: My Escape From a Life in the Highest Ranks of Scientology by Mike Rinder: uhop.me/Billion
Leah Remini and Mike Rinder's Podcast - Scientology: Fair Game: FairGamePodcast.com
Mike Rinder's Blog: MikeRindersBlog.org
Assisting victims: The Aftermath Foundation -TheAftermathFoundation.org
Tampa Bay Times: The Truth Rundown (2009): Part 1 Part 2 Part 3
Watchman Fellowship's Scientology Profile by Kurt Van Gorden: watchman.org/Scientology
Watchman Fellowship's archived articles on Scientology: watchman.org/articles/scientology

**Additional Resources

FREE: We are also offering a subscription to our 4-page bimonthly Profiles** here: www.watchman.org/Free.

PROFILE NOTEBOOK: Order the complete collection of Watchman Fellowship Profiles (over 600 pages -- from Astrology to Zen Buddhism) in either printed or PDF formats here: watchman.org/notebook.

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship For more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

FREE AUTOGRAPHED BOOK -- For a chance to receive a free signed copy of Travis Dickinson’s new book, email Daniel Ray with your name and a physical mailing address at DRay@watchman.org. One recipient will be selected at random (USA only).

If doubt is a virtue, then would it not be virtuous to doubt our doubts? Doubting your doubts about your faith in Christ is what our guest this week, Professor of Philosophy at Dallas Baptist University Dr. Travis Dickinson, suggests we do.

His latest book, Wandering Toward God - Finding Faith amid Doubts and Big Questions (uhop.me/Wandering), is a helpful companion to have as you navigate your way through questions and doubts about your faith. Neither a celebration nor a denigration of doubt, Wandering Toward God offers a biblical perspective about how to navigate the darkness of doubt. Travis shares from his own personal struggles wisdom for how to negotiate the wandering path of doubt and uncertainty

Dr. Travis Dickinson (TravisDickinson.com) holds a Bible Certificate from the Wisconsin Campus of Cairn University, a Bachelor of Arts in Christian Education from Alaska Bible College, a Master of Arts in Christian Apologetics and Master of Arts in Philosophy of Religion and Ethics from Biola University. He later received his Master of Arts in Philosophy along with a Ph.D. in Philosophy from the University of Iowa. Dr. Dickinson is the author of four books. His two most recent titles are Logic and the Way of Jesus: Thinking Critically and Christianly (B & H) (see our podcast interview on that book here and here), and Wandering Towards God: Finding Faith in Doubts and Big Questions (IVP, October 2022) which we discuss in this episode.

Related Links: Free access to some related Watchman Profiles:

Watchman Fellowship 4-page Profile on Atheism by Dr. Robert M. Bowman: watchman.org/Atheism
Watchman Fellowship 4-page Profile on Agnosticism by W. Russell Crawford: watchman.org/Agnostic
Watchman Fellowship 4-page Profile on Scientism by Dr. Luke Barnes and Daniel Ray: watchman.org/Scientism
Watchman Fellowship 4-page Profile on Bart Ehrman by Dr. Rhyne Putman: watchman.org/Ehrman

**Additional Resources

FREE: We are also offering a subscription to our 4-page bimonthly Profiles** here: www.watchman.org/Free.

PROFILE NOTEBOOK: Order the complete collection of Watchman Fellowship Profiles (over 600 pages -- from Astrology to Zen Buddhism) in either printed or PDF formats here: watchman.org/notebook.

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship For more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

"Wandering Toward God Finding Faith Among Doubts and Big Questions" with Travis Dickinson [Part 1]

When it comes to doubting your faith, there are two extremes. One is to embrace and celebrate doubt as a virtuous and infallible foundation for epistemological bliss. The other extreme is that any form of doubt is sin and should not ever be entertained in the mind of a believer. But what does the Bible say? What about the doubts of John the Baptist, Thomas, and the disciples?

Our guest this week and next, Professor of Philosophy at Dallas Baptist University Dr. Travis Dickinson, shares with us his insights and experiences with doubt in his new book Wandering Toward God - Finding Faith amid Doubts and Big Questions (uhop.me/Wandering).Travis helps doubters negotiate a wandering (but entirely biblical) path between the two extreme notions of doubt.

Dr. Travis Dickinson (TravisDickinson.com) holds a Bible Certificate from the Wisconsin Campus of Cairn University, a Bachelor of Arts in Christian Education from Alaska Bible College, a Master of Arts in Christian Apologetics and Master of Arts in Philosophy of Religion and Ethics from Biola University. He later received his Master of Arts in Philosophy along with a Ph.D. in Philosophy from the University of Iowa. Dr. Dickinson is the author of four books. His two most recent titles are Logic and the Way of Jesus: Thinking Critically and Christianly (B & H) (see our podcast interview on that book here and here), and Wandering Towards God: Finding Faith in Doubts and Big Questions (IVP, October 2022) which we discuss in this episode.

Related Links: Free access to some related Watchman Profiles:

Watchman Fellowship 4-page Profile on Atheism by Dr. Robert M. Bowman: watchman.org/Atheism
Watchman Fellowship 4-page Profile on Agnosticism by W. Russell Crawford: watchman.org/Agnostic
Watchman Fellowship 4-page Profile on Scientism by Dr. Luke Barnes and Daniel Ray: watchman.org/Scientism
Watchman Fellowship 4-page Profile on Bart Ehrman by Dr. Rhyne Putman: watchman.org/Ehrman

**Additional Resources

FREE: We are also offering a subscription to our 4-page bimonthly Profiles** here: www.watchman.org/Free.

PROFILE NOTEBOOK: Order the complete collection of Watchman Fellowship Profiles (over 600 pages -- from Astrology to Zen Buddhism) in either printed or PDF formats here: watchman.org/notebook.

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship For more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

Apologetics, Christianity, doubt, faith, atheism, agnosticism, skeptic, Watchman Fellowship, apologetics profile, Daniel Ray, Travis Dickinson, philosophy

Many aberrant religious movements which identify as Christian will twist the Gospel of grace making their followers partially responsible for saving themselves through legalistic, works-righteous doctrines and practices. If Jesus is not enough for salvation, if our salvation depends even in the slightest degree upon something we must do it is not finally the true Christian doctrine of justification by grace alone. As we will see again this week, such a concept of saving ourselves, even in part, is heretical. Our guest this week, theologian Dr. Edward Dalcour, shares with us more about the errors of modalism and works-righteousness doctrines and reminds us of the power of the Gospel in reaching the lost for Christ and His kingdom.

Dr. Edward Dalcour is the president and director of Department of Christian Defense (Christiandefense.org), an educational and apologetic ministry based in Los Angeles, CA. He is Mentor of Theology at Greenwich School of Theology (London). He serves as Vice President of Grace Bible University based in Bagdad, FL. Dr. Dalcour holds a Master in Apologetics from Columbia Evangelical Seminary and a Ph.D. in Theology from North-West University (Potchefstroom, SA). He is a published author of several apologetic and theological books including A Definitive Look at Oneness Theology (https://uhop.me/Oneness). He is a prolific speaker, evangelist, apologist, and contributor to various theological journals.

Related Links: Get the rest of the story including some of our most popular podcasts on Mormonism, access to some of our key LDS articles and our free, 4-page Watchman Fellowship Profile on the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormonism):

Watchman Fellowship 4-page Profile on United Pentecostal Church International (UPCI): watchman.org/UPCI
Watchman Fellowship 4-page Profile on Oneness Pentecostalism: watchman.org/Oneness

**Additional Resources

FREE: We are also offering a subscription to our 4-page bimonthly Profiles** here: www.watchman.org/Free.

PROFILE NOTEBOOK: Order the complete collection of Watchman Fellowship Profiles (over 600 pages -- from Astrology to Zen Buddhism) in either printed or PDF formats here: watchman.org/notebook.

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship For more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

On the next two episodes of Apologetics Profile, Watchman senior apologist Brady Blevins sits down with apologist, author, and theologian Edward Dalcour to talk about one particular trinitarian heresy known as modalism and its prevalence throughout the movement known as the United Pentecostal Church International. Edward identifies and unpacks the errors of modalism within the UPCI and gives us a basic overview of the sound, biblical doctrine of God in three Persons.

Dr. Edward Dalcour is the president and director of Department of Christian Defense (Christiandefense.org), an educational and apologetic ministry based in Los Angeles, CA. He is Mentor of Theology at Greenwich School of Theology (London). He serves as Vice President of Grace Bible University based in Bagdad, FL. Dr. Dalcour holds a Master in Apologetics from Columbia Evangelical Seminary and a Ph.D. in Theology from North-West University (Potchefstroom, SA). He is a published author of several apologetic and theological books including A Definitive Look at Oneness Theology (https://uhop.me/Oneness). He is a prolific speaker, evangelist, apologist, and contributor to various theological journals.

Related Links: Get the rest of the story including some of our most popular podcasts on Mormonism, access to some of our key LDS articles and our free, 4-page Watchman Fellowship Profile on the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormonism):

Watchman Fellowship 4-page Profile on United Pentecostal Church International (UPCI): watchman.org/UPCI
Watchman Fellowship 4-page Profile on Oneness Pentecostalism: watchman.org/Oneness

**Additional Resources

FREE: We are also offering a subscription to our 4-page bimonthly Profiles** here: www.watchman.org/Free.

PROFILE NOTEBOOK: Order the complete collection of Watchman Fellowship Profiles (over 600 pages -- from Astrology to Zen Buddhism) in either printed or PDF formats here: watchman.org/notebook.

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship For more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

Our guest again this week is author, apologist, and missionary to Latter-Day Saints Eric Johnson who shares with us insights and helpful advice from his new book Introducing Christianity to Mormons. Eric gives a comprehensive overview of the basics of Christian doctrine and outlines how we can best engage Mormons with the truth of the Gospel.

Eric Johnson has been a student of Mormonism since 1987 when he first served as a summer missionary to Utah. Eric graduated from San Diego State University as well as at Bethel Seminary San Diego. Eric cohosts the daily radio program Viewpoint on Mormonism and writes for MRM’s Mormonism Researched newsletter. He is the co-author of Answering Mormons’ Questions: Ready Responses for Inquiring Latter-day Saints (Kregel, 2013) and Mormonism 101: Examining the Religion of the Latter-day Saints (Baker Book, 2015).

Related Links: Get the rest of the story including some of our most popular podcasts on Mormonism, access to some of our key LDS articles and our free, 4-page Watchman Fellowship Profile on the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormonism):

Watchman Fellowship articles on Mormonism: watchman.org/LDS
Watchman Fellowship Profile on the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: watchman.org/Mormonism
Eric Johnson's ministry - Mormonism Research Ministry: MRM.org
Eric Johnson's new book, Introducing Christianity to Mormons: Bit.ly/EricJohnsonBook
Watchman Fellowship video on Jesus of Nazareth (48-min.): watchman.org/Jesus

Related Apologetics Profile Podcasts on Mormonism

2022 Apologetics Profile podcast interview with Sandra Tanner (Part1): watchman.org/Tanner1
2022 Apologetics Profile podcast interview with Sandra Tanner (Part2): watchman.org/Tanner2
2022 Apologetics Profile podcast interview with Sandra Tanner (Part3): watchman.org/Tanner3
Apologetics Profile podcast What Is the Gospel? with Mormon apologist Scott Gordon and Christian apologist James Walker (YouTube): watchman.org/GordonWalker
Apologetics Profile podcast"Jesus' Resurrection and Joseph's Visions," with Rob Bowman: watchman.org/1stVision

**Additional Resources

FREE: We are also offering a subscription to our 4-page bimonthly Profiles** here: www.watchman.org/Free.

PROFILE NOTEBOOK: Order the complete collection of Watchman Fellowship Profiles (over 600 pages -- from Astrology to Zen Buddhism) in either printed or PDF formats here: watchman.org/notebook.

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship For more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

This week and next on Apologetics Profile, President of Watchman Fellowship and former fourth-generation Latter-Day Saint James Walker sits down with Eric Johnson to discuss his new book, Introducing Christianity to Mormons, and give you some sound doctrinal and practical insights in to how best to engage current and former Mormons with the truth of the Gospel.

Eric Johnson has been a student of Mormonism since 1987 when he first served as a summer missionary to Utah. Eric graduated from San Diego State University as well as at Bethel Seminary San Diego. Eric cohosts the daily radio program Viewpoint on Mormonism and writes for MRM’s Mormonism Researched newsletter. He is the co-author of Answering Mormons’ Questions: Ready Responses for Inquiring Latter-day Saints (Kregel, 2013) and Mormonism 101: Examining the Religion of the Latter-day Saints (Baker Book, 2015).

Related Links: Get the rest of the story including some of our most popular podcasts on Mormonism, access to some of our key LDS articles and our free, 4-page Watchman Fellowship Profile on the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormonism):

Watchman Fellowship articles on Mormonism: watchman.org/LDS
Watchman Fellowship Profile on the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: watchman.org/Mormonism
Eric Johnson's ministry - Mormonism Research Ministry: MRM.org
Eric Johnson's new book, Introducing Christianity to Mormons: Bit.ly/EricJohnsonBook
Watchman Fellowship video on Jesus of Nazareth (48-min.): watchman.org/Jesus

Related Apologetics Profile Podcasts on Mormonism

2022 Apologetics Profile podcast interview with Sandra Tanner (Part1): watchman.org/Tanner1
2022 Apologetics Profile podcast interview with Sandra Tanner (Part2): watchman.org/Tanner2
2022 Apologetics Profile podcast interview with Sandra Tanner (Part3): watchman.org/Tanner3
Apologetics Profile podcast What Is the Gospel? with Mormon apologist Scott Gordon and Christian apologist James Walker (YouTube): watchman.org/GordonWalker
Apologetics Profile podcast"Jesus' Resurrection and Joseph's Visions," with Rob Bowman: watchman.org/1stVision

**Additional Resources

FREE: We are also offering a subscription to our 4-page bimonthly Profiles** here: www.watchman.org/Free.

PROFILE NOTEBOOK: Order the complete collection of Watchman Fellowship Profiles (over 600 pages -- from Astrology to Zen Buddhism) in either printed or PDF formats here: watchman.org/notebook.

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship For more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

Jesus has equipped each of us with spiritual gifts and abilities to reach others with the Gospel. We are created for good works which God prepared beforehand that we may walk in them. But we are called to go to those who do not know Jesus Christ as Lord, whether that's foreign country, a local coffee shop, the workplace, or on a street corner.

Our guest this week on Apologetics Profile is Christian urban apologist, YouTuber and author, Vocab Malone, whose ministry is on urban street corners. He shares valuable insights about a growing cultic movement known as Hebrew Israelism. Vocab has written a book on the subject and engages different Hebrew Israelism groups in larger urban areas with the truth of the Gospel.

Vocab Malone holds a Master’s from Phoenix Seminary and has engaged in post-grad work at both Talbot School of Theology and Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. Vocab’s ministry focus is urban contextualized apologetics. He hosts a livestream show on YouTube and across various social media platforms called The Street Apologist (https://www.youtube.com/c/VocabMalone).

Vocab has participated in many public debates and dialogues with Muslims, atheists, Kemetics, the Eastern Orthodox, and especially “Hebrew Israelites”. He’s the author of the book Barack Obama vs The Black Hebrew Israelites: Introduction to the History & Beliefs of 1West Hebrew Israelism (https://uhop.me/VocabMalone) and a contributing author to Our God is Triune: Essays in Biblical Theology, and a freelance contributor for a few apologetics print publications. Vocab enjoys geek culture and Christian hip hop. He resides in downtown Phoenix, Arizona.

Related Profiles

Watchman Fellowship's Black Hebrew Israelites Profile by Rich Day: watchman.org/BlackHebrew
Watchman Fellowship's Christian Identity Profile by Phillip Arnn and Rob Bowman: watchman.org/ChristianIdentity
Watchman Fellowship's Armstrongism Profile by Phillip Arnn: watchman.org/Armstrongism
Watchman Fellowship's Philadelphia Church of God Profile by Tim Martin: watchman.org/PCG
Watchman Fellowship's Hebrew Roots Profile by Craig Dunning: watchman.org/HebrewRoots

**Additional Resources

Rich Day's earlier Apologetics Profile podcast on Black Hebrew Israelites: watchman.org/BlackHebrewPodcast FREE: We are also offering a subscription to our 4-page bimonthly Profiles** here: www.watchman.org/Free.

PROFILE NOTEBOOK: Order the complete collection of Watchman Fellowship Profiles (over 600 pages -- from Astrology to Zen Buddhism) in either printed or PDF formats here: watchman.org/notebook.

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship For more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

Our God is Triune: Essays in Biblical Theology

Shortly after the founder of the Worldwide Church of God, Herbert W. Armstrong died in 1986, the organization, under the new leadership of Joseph Tkach, Sr., began a remarkable transformation. They slowly jettisoned the cultic and erroneous doctrines of Armstrong and began reexamining the nature of God. By so doing, they began doing away with false doctrine and legalistic restrictions. Eventually they replaced the unique doctrines of "Armstrongism" with traditional Christian beliefs including the Trinity doctrine and salvation by grace through faith alone. Subsequently, under the leadership of Joseph Tkach, Jr. the church joined the National Association of Evangelicals and changed their name to Grace Communion International.

On part two of president of Watchman Fellowship James Walker's discussion with former Worldwide Church of God member Mark Tabladillo, you will hear more of the details of Mark's story as he witnessed firsthand some of the unprecedented changes to the organization during his membership.

Related Links:

Book, Transformed by Truth, by Joseph Tkach, Jr., Pastor General of the Worldwide Church of God (now Grace Communion International): https://uhop.me/Tkach
Video, Called to Be Free, a documentary addressing the transformation of the Worldwide Church of God (YouTube; 74-min.): https://youtu.be/LWAtvE1xiRk
Ministry website of Mark Tabladillo: MarkTab.org

Related Profiles

Watchman Fellowship's Armstrongism Profile by Phillip Arnn: watchman.org/Armstrongism
Watchman Fellowship's Philadelphia Church of God Profile by Tim Martin: watchman.org/PCG
Watchman Fellowship's Patterns in the Cults Profile by James Walker: watchman.org/Patterns

**Additional Resources

FREE: We are also offering a subscription to our 4-page bimonthly Profiles** here: www.watchman.org/Free.

PROFILE NOTEBOOK: Order the complete collection of Watchman Fellowship Profiles (over 600 pages -- from Astrology to Zen Buddhism) in either printed or PDF formats here: watchman.org/notebook.

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship For more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

What was the Worldwide Church of God? Who founded it? What happened to it?

On the next two episodes of Apologetics Profile president of Watchman Fellowship James K. Walker talks with a former member of the Worldwide Church of God, Mark Tabladillo. Mark shares with James a remarkable story of the improbable transformation of Herbert W. Armstrong's heretical sect into an evangelical denomination.

Related Links:

Book, Transformed by Truth, by Joseph Tkach, Jr., Pastor General of the Worldwide Church of God (now Grace Communion International): https://uhop.me/Tkach
Video, Called to Be Free, documenting the transformation of the Worldwide Church of God (YouTube; 74-min.): https://youtu.be/LWAtvE1xiRk
Ministry website of Mark Tabladillo: MarkTab.org

Related Profiles

Watchman Fellowship's Armstrongism Profile by Phillip Arnn: watchman.org/Armstrongism
Watchman Fellowship's Philadelphia Church of God Profile by Tim Martin: watchman.org/PCG
Watchman Fellowship's Patterns in the Cults Profile by James Walker: watchman.org/Patterns

**Additional Resources

FREE: We are also offering a subscription to our 4-page bimonthly Profiles** here: www.watchman.org/Free.

PROFILE NOTEBOOK: Order the complete collection of Watchman Fellowship Profiles (over 600 pages -- from Astrology to Zen Buddhism) in either printed or PDF formats here: watchman.org/notebook.

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship For more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

Racism has been a tragic aspect of our nation's history. But did you know that the Book of Mormon considers dark skin to be a curse? In the Book of Mormon, sections such as Mormon 5:15; 1 Nephi 12:23; 2 Nephi 5:21-22; Alma 3:6; and 2 Nephi 30:6, are clear in what they teach. Dark skin is "loathsome" whereas white or light-skin is "delightsome" and a sign of God's favor. The 1830 version of the Book of Mormon used to read "white and delightsome" (a curious explanation from the LDS Church) but modern versions now say "pure and delightsome." Up until 1978, blacks were not allowed to enter LDS temples or be ordained to the LDS priesthood. But what is the current position of the LDS Church today about racism and dark skin? Is dark skin still a curse?

On part three of our discussion with former Mormon and the great-great granddaughter of Brigham Young, the church's second President and Prophet, James Walker discusses the difficult issue of racism and dark skin in LDS doctrines and what it means for the church today. We will also be featuring a question-and-answer session with our missionary team on this episode you won't want to miss.

Related Links: Get the rest of the story including some of our most popular podcasts on Mormonism, access to some of our key LDS articles and our free, 4-page Watchman Fellowship Profile on the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormonism):

Watchman Fellowship articles on Mormonism: watchman.org/LDS
Watchman Fellowship Profile on the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: watchman.org/Mormonism
Sandra Tanner's ministry - Utah Lighthouse: Utlm.org
New biography, Lighthouse: Jerald and Sandra Tanner, Despised and Beloved Critics of Mormonism, by Ronald Huggins V. Huggins: uhop.me/Lighthouse

Related Podcasts

2020 Apologetics Profile podcast interview with Sandra Tanner (Part1): watchman.org/Sandra1
2020 Apologetics Profile podcast interview with Sandra Tanner (Part2): watchman.org/Sandra2
Apologetics Profile podcastwith Micah Wilder (YouTube - Part 1): watchman.org/Micah1
Apologetics Profile podcast with Micah Wilder (YouTube - Part 2) watchman.org/Micah2
Apologetics Profile podcastwith Lynn Wilder (Part 1): watchman.org/Lynn1
Apologetics Profile podcast with Lynn Wilder (Part 2) watchman.org/Lynn2
Apologetics Profile podcast What Is the Gospel? with Mormon apologist Scott Gordon and Christian apologist James Walker (YouTube): watchman.org/GordonWalker

**Additional Resources

FREE: We are also offering a subscription to our 4-page bimonthly Profiles** here: www.watchman.org/Free.

PROFILE NOTEBOOK: Order the complete collection of Watchman Fellowship Profiles (over 600 pages -- from Astrology to Zen Buddhism) in either printed or PDF formats here: watchman.org/notebook.

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship For more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

In the Book of Mormon, Moroni chapter ten verse 32 says "Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ..."

The words sound familiar, but do Moroni's references to "grace" and "Christ" really speak of the same grace and of the same Christ found in the New Testament? No. Note that Moroni says God's grace is only sufficient if you deny yourself of all ungodliness first. But how is that to be done? According to Romans 7, not even the Apostle Paul could do that!

But according to Moroni, you must deny yourself of all ungodliness before Christ bestows sufficent grace upon you. Then and only then does God's grace "kick in." The second book of Nephi, chapter 25, verse 23 says for example that "it is by grace we are saved" however grace comes only "after all we can do."

Clearly this is not in accordance with what the New Testament teaches. It is indeed by grace we are saved, but not by works of our own. We can't simply do stuff in church to make ourselves right with God. We cannot earn our salvation. "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast" (Ephesians 2:8-9, NASB).

On part two of our conversation with former LDS Sandra Tanner, we explore in more detail the LDS concept of grace, works, and salvation. We also discuss the problematic LDS scripture known as the Book of Abraham.

Related Links: Get the rest of the story including some of our most popular podcasts on Mormonism, access to some of our key LDS articles and our free, 4-page Watchman Fellowship Profile on the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormonism):

Watchman Fellowship articles on Mormonism: watchman.org/LDS
Watchman Fellowship Profile on the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: watchman.org/Mormonism
Sandra Tanner's ministry - Utah Lighthouse: Utlm.org
New biography, Lighthouse: Jerald and Sandra Tanner, Despised and Beloved Critics of Mormonism, by Ronald Huggins V. Huggins: uhop.me/Lighthouse

Related Podcasts

2020 Apologetics Profile podcast interview with Sandra Tanner (Part1): watchman.org/Sandra1
2020 Apologetics Profile podcast interview with Sandra Tanner (Part2): watchman.org/Sandra2
Apologetics Profile podcastwith Micah Wilder (YouTube - Part 1): watchman.org/Micah1
Apologetics Profile podcast with Micah Wilder (YouTube - Part 2) watchman.org/Micah2
Apologetics Profile podcastwith Lynn Wilder (Part 1): watchman.org/Lynn1
Apologetics Profile podcast with Lynn Wilder (Part 2) watchman.org/Lynn2
Apologetics Profile podcast What Is the Gospel? with Mormon apologist Scott Gordon and Christian apologist James Walker (YouTube): watchman.org/GordonWalker

**Additional Resources

FREE: We are also offering a subscription to our 4-page bimonthly Profiles** here: www.watchman.org/Free.

PROFILE NOTEBOOK: Order the complete collection of Watchman Fellowship Profiles (over 600 pages -- from Astrology to Zen Buddhism) in either printed or PDF formats here: watchman.org/notebook.

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship For more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

Our very special guest for the next three episodes of Apologetics Profile is Sandra Tanner, former Mormon and the great-great granddaughter of LDS Prophet Brigham Young. Sandra sits down with Watchman Fellowship President James Walker to discuss her and her late husband Jerald's journey out of the LDS church in her new biography Lighthouse - Jerald and Sandra Tanner Despised and Beloved Critics of Mormonism by Ronald V. Huggins.

Sandra was kind and gracious enough to come and speak with our mission team that traveled to Utah this past July to share the gospel with members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. The full interview was recorded live with our team and part three will feature a question-and-answer session with our missionaries and Sandra. Here on part one, Sandra describes how she as a Mormon boasted of being related to Brigham Young but had never read any of his most famous sermons.

Related Links: Get the rest of the story including some of our most popular podcasts on Mormonism, access to some of our key LDS articles and our free, 4-page Watchman Fellowship Profile on the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormonism):

Watchman Fellowship articles on Mormonism: watchman.org/LDS
Watchman Fellowship Profile on the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: watchman.org/Mormonism
Sandra Tanner's ministry - Utah Lighthouse: Utlm.org
New biography, Lighthouse: Jerald and Sandra Tanner, Despised and Beloved Critics of Mormonism, by Ronald Huggins V. Huggins: uhop.me/Lighthouse

Related Podcasts

2020 Apologetics Profile podcast interview with Sandra Tanner (Part1): watchman.org/Sandra1
2020 Apologetics Profile podcast interview with Sandra Tanner (Part2): watchman.org/Sandra2
Apologetics Profile podcastwith Micah Wilder (YouTube - Part 1): watchman.org/Micah1
Apologetics Profile podcast with Micah Wilder (YouTube - Part 2) watchman.org/Micah2
Apologetics Profile podcastwith Lynn Wilder (Part 1): watchman.org/Lynn1
Apologetics Profile podcast with Lynn Wilder (Part 2) watchman.org/Lynn2
Apologetics Profile podcast What Is the Gospel? with Mormon apologist Scott Gordon and Christian apologist James Walker (YouTube): watchman.org/GordonWalker

**Additional Resources

FREE: We are also offering a subscription to our 4-page bimonthly Profiles** here: www.watchman.org/Free.

PROFILE NOTEBOOK: Order the complete collection of Watchman Fellowship Profiles (over 600 pages -- from Astrology to Zen Buddhism) in either printed or PDF formats here: watchman.org/notebook.

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship For more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

NASA recently displayed several breathtaking new images taken by the recently launched James Webb Space Telescope. But by the time you have seen the pictures and have read a little something about the science behind the stunning cosmic entities, the information has been filtered multiple times. It is filtered first by the enormous industrial-technical conglomerate of NASA itself, then by the scientists and engineers who present the information, then by members of the media and press, then by the media outlets, many of which are large for-profit corporations. But it is not just the universe which is processed and interpreted this way.

Any event that makes the headlines or goes viral on social media is likewise filtered through a variety of agencies and interpretations. In such a predominantly secular and technological culture like ours which gives deference to science, technology, and the economy, reading the times in light of Scripture is no easy task, especially when the volume of news and information thrown at us is far more than we could ever keep up with, let alone respond to.

Our guest again this week is associate professor of English at Grove City College in Pennsylvania, Dr. Jeffery Bilbro. Jeff discusses with us his new book Reading the Times - A Literary and Theological Inquiry Into the News. Here on part two, Jeff continues to discuss some of the ideas of Wendell Berry in reflecting about ways in which we as believers can begin to filter, read, and understand news and social media.

Dr. Jeffrey Bilbro is an Associate Professor of English at Grove City College and the Editor-in-Chief at Front Porch Republic. He grew up in the mountainous state of Washington and earned his B.A. in Writing and Literature from George Fox University in Oregon and his Ph.D. in English from Baylor University. His books include Reading the Times: A Literary and Theological Inquiry into the News, Loving God’s Wildness: The Christian Roots of Ecological Ethics in American Literature, Wendell Berry and Higher Education: Cultivating Virtues of Place (written with Jack Baker), and Virtues of Renewal: Wendell Berry’s Sustainable Forms.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

Dr. Bilbro's website: www.JeffBilbro.com
Book by Dr. Bilbro - Reading the Times: A Literary and Theological Inquiry into the News: https://amzn.to/3PyjI3c
Book by Wendell Berry - A Timbered Choir: https://amzn.to/3aFZrdg
A Good Heavens!podcast with Daniel Ray on the Pleiades: https://apple.co/3PbseW4
Book by Daniel Ray - The Story of the Cosmos - How the Heavens Declare the Glory of God: watchman.org/CosmosBook
Watchman Fellowship's 4-page Profile on Cosmos (TV Series) by Daniel Ray: watchman.org/CosmosTV
Watchman Fellowship's 4-page Profile on Scientism by Luke Barnes and Daniel Ray: watchman.org/Scientism

FREE: We are also offering a free subscription to our bimonthly Profiles here: www.watchman.org/Free

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman FellowshipFor more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

Reading the Times: A Literary and Theological Inquiry into the News

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We are inundated with social media, non-stop news, and information coming at us from all directions. How do we even begin to filter it all? What are some ways in which we can think Christianly about the news and social media today without succumbing to the secularist assumptions and the often overwhelmingly trivial, inane, and tragic events that routinely fill our newsfeeds?

One way is to refamiliarize ourselves with our physical environments. Though not a cure-all for our hypermodern technological media culture we inhabit, a reorienting of ourselves to Christ, to nature and neighbor, as mediated through the lens of Scripture, is certainly one way we can healthfully filter the information inundation we daily encounter online.

Our guest author on the next two episodes of Apologetics Profile, Dr. Jeffery Bilbro, has written a smart little book (the idea of which sprang from a discussion in social media) about how we as Christians can not only think but act redemptively and contemplatively toward the news and social media.

Here on part one, Jeff discusses some of the thoughts and theology of Wendell Berry, an agrarian, poet, and essayist. Can Berry's theology of creation and place serve as a means by which we can recover a thoughtful Christian response to today's hypermedia culture?

Dr. Jeffrey Bilbro is an Associate Professor of English at Grove City College and the Editor-in-Chief at Front Porch Republic. He grew up in the mountainous state of Washington and earned his B.A. in Writing and Literature from George Fox University in Oregon and his Ph.D. in English from Baylor University. His books include Reading the Times: A Literary and Theological Inquiry into the News, Loving God’s Wildness: The Christian Roots of Ecological Ethics in American Literature, Wendell Berry and Higher Education: Cultivating Virtues of Place (written with Jack Baker), and Virtues of Renewal: Wendell Berry’s Sustainable Forms.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

Dr. Bilbro's website: www.JeffBilbro.com
Book by Dr. Bilbro - Reading the Times: A Literary and Theological Inquiry into the News: https://amzn.to/3PyjI3c
Book by Wendell Berry - A Timbered Choir: https://amzn.to/3aFZrdg
A Good Heavens!podcast with Daniel Ray on the Pleiades: https://apple.co/3PbseW4
Book by Daniel Ray - The Story of the Cosmos - How the Heavens Declare the Glory of God: watchman.org/CosmosBook
Watchman Fellowship's 4-page Profile on Cosmos (TV Series) by Daniel Ray: watchman.org/CosmosTV
Watchman Fellowship's 4-page Profile on Scientism by Luke Barnes and Daniel Ray: watchman.org/Scientism

FREE: We are also offering a free subscription to our bimonthly Profiles here: www.watchman.org/Free

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman FellowshipFor more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

Reading the Times: A Literary and Theological Inquiry into the News

We worship a God who speaks. All that is contained in the heavens and earth has been created and is presently being sustained by the LOGOS, the Word of God, God made flesh, who existed in the beginning, even "before" the foundation of the world (Genesis 1; John 1; Colossians 1; Ephesians 1).

The Lord Jesus spoke creation into existence. By His Spirit, He inspired the Bible to be written through the agency of men. And when He proclaimed His Good News in and around Jerusalem, His stories and parables displayed a dazzlingly simple but profound logic that not only encouraged the brokenhearted but silenced His fiercest critics. His teaching glistened brightly like the very stars He has created, numbered and named, fitting His wisdom into brilliant constellations of exhortation, rebuke, encouragement and hope.

On part two of our conversation with Professor of Philosophy at Dallas Baptist University, Travis Dickinson, Travis unpacks the glorious brilliance of Jesus' timeless teaching and proclamation of Good News and reminds us that the life of the mind is a commandment; an essential part of Christian discipleship. Though we fall short of obeying any of the commandments, a pursuit of knowing more about God's love and mercy in light of our own sin can only serve to strengthen our faith and enable us to give reasonable and logical defense for the hope that is in us.

Travis Dickinson is the author of three books with one more on the way. His most recent book, Logic and the Way of Jesus, discusses logic and critical thinking modeled in the life and ministry of Jesus. And his forthcoming book, Wandering Towards God: Finding Faith in Doubts and Big Questions (IVP, October 2022), argues that leaning into our questions and doubts can lead to even greater faith as we discover truth and knowledge. Dr. Dickinson also posts articles and resources about the study of apologetics and philosophy on his blog, www.travisdickinson.com.

Related Links: You may order Dr. Dickinson's book, visit his personal website, and access free copies of our related 4-page Watchman Fellowship Profiles:

Book: Logic and the Way of Jesus by Dr. Travis Dickinson: https://uhop.me/LogicJesus
Website of Travis Dickinson: TravisDickinson.com
Watchman Fellowship Profile on Atheism by Robert M. Bowman, Jr.: watchman.org/Atheism
Watchman Fellowship Profile on Agnosticism by W. Russell Crawford: watchman.org/Agnostic
Watchman Fellowship Profile on Scientism by Luke Barnes and Daniel Ray: watchman.org/Scientism
Watchman Fellowship Profile on Street Epistemology by Daniel Ray: watchman.org/SE

Additional Resources
FREE: We are also offering a free subscription to our 4-page bimonthly Profiles here: www.watchman.org/Free.
PROFILE NOTEBOOK: Order the complete collection of Watchman Fellowship Profiles (over 600 pages -- from Astrology to Zen Buddhism) in either printed or PDF formats here: watchman.org/notebook.
SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship For more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

"What does Athens have to do with Jerusalem?" a church father from the ancient past once asked. In other words....

What does the intellectual life of the mind have to do with Gospel proclamation?
Is it necessary for the believer in Christ to know intellectual arguments and defenses for the Christian faith?
Do we really need to know logic and reason to be able to present the Gospel clearly to our unbelieving neighbors?
Do we have to become scholars to be good witnesses for Christ?

On this two-part episode of Apologetics Profile we sit down with Professor of Philosophy at Dallas Baptist University, Dr. Travis Dickinson, to discuss a few of these questions as well as his new book Logic and the Way of Jesus - Thinking Critically and Christianly(https://uhop.me/LogicJesus). Travis argues that though one need not become a scholar in order to love God with all of our minds, we are called to think logically and reasonably about our faith and not neglect the gift of the intellect with which God has equipped all of us. The life of the mind, Travis argues, is an important part of how we worship God and fulfill the Great Commision.

On part one Travis talks about what he sees as a disconnect between Jesus and formal logic in contemporary evangelicalism and how important it is for us as believers to know both what God has made and what He has inspired to be written in order that we may properly love God and our neighbors.

Travis Dickinson is the author of three books with one more on the way. His most recent book, Logic and the Way of Jesus, discusses logic and critical thinking modeled in the life and ministry of Jesus. And his forthcoming book, Wandering Towards God: Finding Faith in Doubts and Big Questions (IVP, October 2022), argues that leaning into our questions and doubts can lead to even greater faith as we discover truth and knowledge. Dr. Dickinson also posts articles and resources about the study of apologetics and philosophy on his blog, www.travisdickinson.com.

Related Links: You may order Dr. Dickinson's book, visit his personal website, and access free copies of our related 4-page Watchman Fellowship Profiles:

Book: Logic and the Way of Jesus by Dr. Travis Dickinson: https://uhop.me/LogicJesus
Website of Travis Dickinson: TravisDickinson.com
Watchman Fellowship Profile on Atheism by Robert M. Bowman, Jr.: watchman.org/Atheism
Watchman Fellowship Profile on Agnosticism by W. Russell Crawford: watchman.org/Agnostic
Watchman Fellowship Profile on Scientism by Luke Barnes and Daniel Ray: watchman.org/Scientism
Watchman Fellowship Profile on Street Epistemology by Daniel Ray: watchman.org/SE

Additional Resources
FREE: We are also offering a free subscription to our 4-page bimonthly Profiles here: www.watchman.org/Free.
PROFILE NOTEBOOK: Order the complete collection of Watchman Fellowship Profiles (over 600 pages -- from Astrology to Zen Buddhism) in either printed or PDF formats here: watchman.org/notebook.
SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship For more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

apologetics, Christianity, evangelism, Watchman Fellowship, Apologetics Profile, Travis Dickinson, Daniel Ray, Logic and the Way of Jesus, atheism, agnostic, skeptic, Logic, philosophy, epistemology

This week's episode of Apologetics Profile is part 2 of James Walker's interview with former Mormon Dr. Lynn K. Wilder, author of the book Unveiling Grace. Lynn, who was a tenured professor at Brigham Young University (BYU), recounts her compelling journey from Mormonism to the grace of Christ. She gave up her Mormon culture, community, career and identity to embrace the biblical Jesus and His gospel of grace.

Last year James interviewed Lynn's son, Micah Wilder, who lost his faith in Mormonism's "Restored Gospel" of works learning that "Jesus is enough" while serving as a Mormon missionary in Florida. This podcast picks up the Wilder family's story from his mother's perspective.

Related Links: You may visit Lynn's podcast, order Lynn and Micah's books, watch our podcast interviews with Micah Wilder and access our related articles and our free, 4-page Watchman Fellowship Profile on the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormonism):

Podcast: Unveiling Gracewith Dr. Lynn K. Wilder: UnveilingGracePodcast.com
Book: Unveiling Grace by Dr. Lynn K. Wilder: https://amzn.to/3QNOM0k
Book: Passport to Heaven by Micah Wilder: https://amzn.to/2SR81wy
Podcast Apologetics Profile with Micah Wilder (YouTube - Part 1): watchman.org/Micah1
Podcast Apologetics Profile with Micah Wilder (YouTube - Part 2) watchman.org/Micah2
Watchman Fellowship articles on Mormonism: watchman.org/LDS
Watchman Fellowship Profile on the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: watchman.org/Mormonism

Additional Resources FREE: We are also offering a free subscription to our 4-page bimonthly Profiles here: www.watchman.org/Free.
PROFILE NOTEBOOK: Order the complete collection of Watchman Fellowship Profiles (over 600 pages -- from Astrology to Zen Buddhism) in either printed or PDF formats here: watchman.org/notebook.
SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship For more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

Unveiling Grace: The Story of How We Found Our Way out of the Mormon Church

Passport to Heaven: The True Story of a Zealous Mormon Missionary Who Discovers the Jesus He Never Knew

FIVE DAILY BONUS EPISODES

Part I (Tuesday): https://bit.ly/CharlieDukePart1
Part II (Wednesday): https://bit.ly/CharlieDukePart2
Part III (Thursday): https://bit.ly/CharlieDukePart3
Part IV (Friday): https://bit.ly/CharlieDukePart4
Part V (Saturday): https://bit.ly/CharlieDukePart5

In celebration of the Fourth of July and as 2022 is the year of the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 16 moon landing, Daniel Ray sits down for a conversation with Apollo 16 astronaut, the tenth man to walk upon the lunar surface, Charlie Duke. Duke is a retired Air Force Brigadier General and the CAPCOM "voice" of Houston for the historic Apollo 11 mission to the moon in July of 1969.

It was such an honor and delight to speak with Charlie. It was like talking to family. His delight in telling his remarkable story is evident. We spoke for an hour and twenty minutes about his time working as CAPCOM for Apollo 11, his own trip to the moon on Apollo 16 and ultimately how the Lord Jesus Christ saved both Charlie and his family.

Here on part V, Charlie and John attempt Lunar Olympics only to have Houston quickly cancel them. Charlie describes a moment of fear he had when he fell backward on the moon, shares what the Saturn V rocket ride was like and the former CAPCOM voice of Mission Control for Apollo 11 gives us some life-saving guidance.

You may also watch the video version of this same interview series. Part V here: https://youtu.be/t92uWbjtQQ4

NOTE: This 5-part series is a joint production of Watchman Fellowship through Apologetics Profile and our sister podcast, Good Heavens! To check out our unique content on Good Heavens!, visit https://www.patreon.com/GoodHeavens

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

Charlie Duke's website: CharlieDuke.com
Book by Charlie and Dotty Duke - Moonwalker: https://amzn.to/3Id7oD5
Book by Daniel Ray - The Story of the Cosmos - How the Heavens Declare the Glory of God: watchman.org/CosmosBook
Watchman Fellowship's 4-page Profile on Cosmos (TV Series) by Daniel Ray: watchman.org/CosmosTV
Watchman Fellowship's 4-page Profile on Scientism by Luke Barnes and Daniel Ray: watchman.org/Scientism

FREE: We are also offering a free subscription to our bimonthly Profiles here: www.watchman.org/Free

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman FellowshipFor more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

FIVE DAILY BONUS EPISODES (Tuesday through Saturday) Episode IV of VIn celebration of the Fourth of July and as 2022 is the year of the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 16 moon landing, Daniel Ray sits down for a conversation with Apollo 16 astronaut, the tenth man to walk upon the lunar surface, Charlie Duke. Duke is a retired Air Force Brigadier General and the CAPCOM "voice" of Houston for the historic Apollo 11 mission to the moon in July of 1969.

It was such an honor and delight to speak with Charlie. It was like talking to family. His delight in telling his remarkable story is evident. We spoke for an hour and twenty minutes about his time working as CAPCOM for Apollo 11, his own trip to the moon on Apollo 16 and ultimately how the Lord Jesus Christ saved both Charlie and his family.

Here on part IV, Charlie tells the story of how he and John Young set a lunar land speed record in the Lunar Rover, shares what his space suit was like, tells the exciting and mysterious tale of "House Rock" and shares with us his wonder and awe of the views from the highest elevation man has ever been on another world.

You may also watch the video version of this same interview series. Part IV here: https://youtu.be/VKcXLtXHrzk

NOTE: This 5-part series is a joint production of Watchman Fellowship through Apologetics Profile and our sister podcast, Good Heavens! To check out our unique content on Good Heavens!, visit https://www.patreon.com/GoodHeavens

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

Charlie Duke's website: CharlieDuke.com
Book by Charlie and Dotty Duke - Moonwalker: https://amzn.to/3Id7oD5
Book by Daniel Ray - The Story of the Cosmos - How the Heavens Declare the Glory of God: watchman.org/CosmosBook
Watchman Fellowship's 4-page Profile on Cosmos (TV Series) by Daniel Ray: watchman.org/CosmosTV
Watchman Fellowship's 4-page Profile on Scientism by Luke Barnes and Daniel Ray: watchman.org/Scientism

FREE: We are also offering a free subscription to our bimonthly Profiles here: www.watchman.org/Free

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman FellowshipFor more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

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FIVE DAILY BONUS EPISODES (Tuesday through Saturday) Episode III of VIn celebration of the Fourth of July and as 2022 is the year of the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 16 moon landing, Daniel Ray sits down for a conversation with Apollo 16 astronaut, the tenth man to walk upon the lunar surface, Charlie Duke. Duke is a retired Air Force Brigadier General and the CAPCOM "voice" of Houston for the historic Apollo 11 mission to the moon in July of 1969.

It was such an honor and delight to speak with Charlie. It was like talking to family. His delight in telling his remarkable story is evident. We spoke for an hour and twenty minutes about his time working as CAPCOM for Apollo 11, his own trip to the moon on Apollo 16 and ultimately how the Lord Jesus Christ saved both Charlie and his family.

Here on part III, Charlie reads from some of his favorite Psalms, shares a remarkable story about a wedding ring floating in the heavens and shares the beginnings of Jesus saving him and his family.

You may also watch the video version of this same interview series. Part III here: https://youtu.be/xZerXQ-S0AU

NOTE: This 5-part series is a joint production of Watchman Fellowship through Apologetics Profile and our sister podcast, Good Heavens! To check out our unique content on Good Heavens!, visit https://www.patreon.com/GoodHeavens

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

Charlie Duke's website: CharlieDuke.com
Book by Charlie and Dotty Duke - Moonwalker: https://amzn.to/3Id7oD5
Book by Daniel Ray - The Story of the Cosmos - How the Heavens Declare the Glory of God: watchman.org/CosmosBook
Watchman Fellowship's 4-page Profile on Cosmos (TV Series) by Daniel Ray: watchman.org/CosmosTV
Watchman Fellowship's 4-page Profile on Scientism by Luke Barnes and Daniel Ray: watchman.org/Scientism

FREE: We are also offering a free subscription to our bimonthly Profiles here: www.watchman.org/Free

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman FellowshipFor more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

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FIVE DAILY BONUS EPISODES (Tuesday through Saturday) Episode II of VIn celebration of the Fourth of July and as 2022 is the year of the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 16 moon landing, Daniel Ray sits down for a conversation with Apollo 16 astronaut, the tenth man to walk upon the lunar surface, Charlie Duke. Duke is a retired Air Force Brigadier General and the CAPCOM "voice" of Houston for the historic Apollo 11 mission to the moon in July of 1969.

It was such an honor and delight to speak with Charlie. It was like talking to family. His delight in telling his remarkable story is evident. We spoke for an hour and twenty minutes about his time working as CAPCOM for Apollo 11, his own trip to the moon on Apollo 16 and ultimately how the Lord Jesus Christ saved both Charlie and his family.

Here on part II Charlie looks back on his own landing on the moon with John Young, talks a little bit about Buzz Aldrin's communion on the moon after Apollo 11 had landed, remembers James Irwin of Apollo 15 quoting from Psalm 121 from the moon, and reflects on the Apollo 8 crew on Christmas Eve of 1968 reading from the first chapter of Genesis.

You may also watch the video version of this same interview series. Part II here: https://youtu.be/9YpNFwbKTBA

NOTE: This 5-part series is a joint production of Watchman Fellowship through Apologetics Profile and our sister podcast, Good Heavens! To check out our unique content on Good Heavens!, visit https://www.patreon.com/GoodHeavens

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

Charlie Duke's website: CharlieDuke.com
Book by Charlie and Dotty Duke - Moonwalker: https://amzn.to/3Id7oD5
Book by Daniel Ray - The Story of the Cosmos - How the Heavens Declare the Glory of God: watchman.org/CosmosBook
Watchman Fellowship's 4-page Profile on Cosmos (TV Series) by Daniel Ray: watchman.org/CosmosTV
Watchman Fellowship's 4-page Profile on Scientism by Luke Barnes and Daniel Ray: watchman.org/Scientism

FREE: We are also offering a free subscription to our bimonthly Profiles here: www.watchman.org/Free

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman FellowshipFor more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

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FIVE DAILY BONUS EPISODES (Tuesday through Saturday) Part I of VIn celebration of the Fourth of July and as 2022 is the year of the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 16 moon landing, Daniel Ray sits down for a conversation with Apollo 16 astronaut, the tenth man to walk upon the lunar surface, Charlie Duke. Duke is a retired Air Force Brigadier General and the CAPCOM "voice" of Houston for the historic Apollo 11 mission to the moon in July of 1969.

It was such an honor and delight to speak with Charlie. It was like talking to family. His delight in telling his remarkable story is evident. We spoke for an hour and twenty minutes about his time working as CAPCOM for Apollo 11, his own trip to the moon on Apollo 16 and ultimately how the Lord Jesus Christ saved both Charlie and his family.

Here on part one Charlie reflects on his experiences on the moon 50 years later and what it was like during the very tense final moments before Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed on the moon during the historical Apollo 11 mission.

We are releasing the full conversation as five bonus episodes each daily in five parts so stay tuned!

You may also watch the video version of this same interview. Part I premieres on YouTube Tuesday, July 5th here: https://youtu.be/WmGsoZklgcs Be sure to listen all the way to the end for some hilarious bonus material! You can't hear Charlie's reaction on the audio, but he is grinning ear to ear in the video.

NOTE: This 5-part series is a joint production of Watchman Fellowship through Apologetics Profile and our sister podcast, Good Heavens! To check out our unique content on Good Heavens!, visit https://www.patreon.com/GoodHeavens

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

Charlie Duke's website: CharlieDuke.com
Book by Charlie and Dotty Duke - Moonwalker: https://amzn.to/3Id7oD5
Book by Daniel Ray - The Story of the Cosmos - How the Heavens Declare the Glory of God: watchman.org/CosmosBook
Watchman Fellowship's 4-page Profile on Cosmos (TV Series) by Daniel Ray: watchman.org/CosmosTV
Watchman Fellowship's 4-page Profile on Scientism by Luke Barnes and Daniel Ray: watchman.org/Scientism

FREE: We are also offering a free subscription to our bimonthly Profiles here: www.watchman.org/Free

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman FellowshipFor more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

apologetics, Christianity, God, NASA, Apollo, Apollo 16, Charlie Duke, moonwalker, astronaut, cosmos, space,

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Today's podcast is part 1 of James Walker's interview with former Mormon Dr. Lynn K. Wilder, author of the book Unveiling Grace. Lynn, who was a tenured professor at Brigham Young University (BYU), recounts her compelling journey from Mormonism to the grace of Christ. She gave up her Mormon culture, community, career and identity to embrace the biblical Jesus and His gospel of grace.

Last year James interviewed Lynn's son, Micah Wilder, who lost his faith in Mormonism's "Restored Gospel" of works learning that "Jesus is enough" while serving as a Mormon missionary in Florida. This podcast picks up the Wilder family's story from his mother's perspective.

Related Links: You may visit Lynn's podcast, order Lynn and Micah's books, watch our podcast interviews with Micah Wilder and access our related articles and our free, 4-page Watchman Fellowship Profile on the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormonism):

Podcast: Unveiling Gracewith Dr. Lynn K. Wilder: UnveilingGracePodcast.com
Book: Unveiling Grace by Dr. Lynn K. Wilder: https://amzn.to/3QNOM0k
Book: Passport to Heaven by Micah Wilder: https://amzn.to/2SR81wy
Podcast Apologetics Profile with Micah Wilder (YouTube - Part 1): watchman.org/Micah1
Podcast Apologetics Profile with Micah Wilder (YouTube - Part 2) watchman.org/Micah2
Watchman Fellowship articles on Mormonism: watchman.org/LDS
Watchman Fellowship Profile on the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: watchman.org/Mormonism

Additional Resources

FREE: We are also offering a free subscription to our 4-page bimonthly Profiles here: www.watchman.org/Free.
PROFILE NOTEBOOK: Order the complete collection of Watchman Fellowship Profiles (over 600 pages -- from Astrology to Zen Buddhism) in either printed or PDF formats here: watchman.org/notebook.
SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship
For more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

Unveiling Grace: The Story of How We Found Our Way out of the Mormon Church

Passport to Heaven: The True Story of a Zealous Mormon Missionary Who Discovers the Jesus He Never Knew

This is part two of a rebroadcast of a live panel discussion between two atheists and two theists. The panel featured our very own President of Watchman Fellowship James Walker. If you have not listened to the first part, we suggest listening to that broadcast first for more context for part two.

How do we have productive conversations in our day and age with those who not only do not believe in God but are actively outspoken against God's existence? There is no easy, one-size-fits-all method for giving a defense for the hope that is in us by any means, but we believe this conversation can serve as at least one example. As you listen to the conversation, ask yourself how you might respond to the topics and questions discussed. Perhaps you have had these questions asked of you by non-Christians before. We hope this conversation can encourage and equip you to give a defense for your faith with gentleness and respect. We are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses and people will indeed ask you some of what you'll hear on our broadcast today. So be ready!

Special thanks to Jim Hall of the Atheist Edge YouTube channel for permission to rebroadcast this for Apologetics Profile.

CONTENT WARNING: This has been edited for time and to remove explicit language. Mature themes are discussed in the broadcast. You may also watch the full interview on Atheist Edge YouTube channel here (Warning: Explicit Language and Mature Themes): https://youtu.be/mbZcEWqMSqs.

JAMES WALKER is the president of Watchman Fellowship and a host of Apologetics Profile podcast. He is a former fourth generation Mormon with over twenty-five years of ministry experience in the field of Christian evangelism and apologetics. He is cofounder of the Atheist & Christian Book Club.

Education: Rev. Walker holds a BA in Biblical Studies and an MA in Theology from Criswell College. He serves as an adjunct professor at Arlington Baptist University and New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. He is an ordained Baptist minister and a member of the International Society of Christian Apologetics (ISCA), the Evangelical Press Association, and serves on the Board of Directors of Evangelical Missions to Non-Christian Religions (EMNR).
Media and Books: He has been interviewed as an expert on new religious movements and cults on a variety of network television programs including Nightline, ABC World News Tonight, and PBS NewsHour. In addition to network television, Rev. Walker has been interviewed numerous nationwide Christian radio programs. These include Truths that Transform with Dr. D. James Kennedy; Hope for the Heart, with June Hunt, OpenLine with Kirby Anderson on the Moody Broadcasting Network, and Point of View. He authored the books, The Concise Guide to Today’s Religions and Spirituality, What the Qur’an Really Teaches about Jesus, and coauthored The Truth Behind 'The Secret.'

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

The Atheist & Christian Book Club: www.AtheistChristianBookClub.com
Complete YouTube Video Playlist on Street Epistemology by Daniel Ray: watchman.org/PlaylistSE
Watchman Fellowship's 4-page Profile on Street Epistemology by Daniel Ray: watchman.org/SE
Watchman Fellowship's 4-page Profile on Atheism by Robert M. Bowman: watchman.org/Atheism
Watchman Fellowship's 4-page Profile on Agnosticism by W. Russell Crawford: watchman.org/Agnostic

FREE: We are also offering a free subscription to our bimonthly Profiles here: www.watchman.org/Free

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman FellowshipFor more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

We may be quite familiar with the biblical exhortation from 1 Peter 3:15 to be ready to give a defense for the hope that is in us with gentleness and respect, but in our day and age where dialogue with those with whom we disagree is so polarized and divisive, we may easily forget what 1 Peter 3:15 looks like in practice.

For the next two broadcasts of Apologetics Profile, we're stepping away from our normal "interview" format to bring you a special rebroadcast in two parts of a panel discussion between two atheists and two theists. One of those panel participants is James Walker, President of Watchman Fellowship.

James was asked to appear on the panel by long-time friend of James', Jim Hall, himself a lifelong atheist. The challenge for the panel was to "trade places" with each other, with the atheists offering what they believed were the best arguments for God's existence and the weakest arguments for atheism, while the theists were challenged to offer what they thought were the strongest arguments for atheism and the weakest arguments for God's existence.

The discussion was civil and cordial and we believe serves as a good example of how to put into practice what 1 Peter 3:15 tells us. We hope it serves to encourage you to have more informed and civil conversations in your own engagement with your non-Christian neighbors and friends.

Special thanks to Jim Hall of Atheist Edge for permission to rebroadcast this for Apologetics Profile.

CONTENT WARNING: This has been edited for time and to remove explicit language. Mature themes are discussed in the broadcast. You may also watch the full interview on Atheist Edge YouTube channel here (Warning: Explicit Language and Mature Themes): https://youtu.be/mbZcEWqMSqs.

JAMES WALKER is the president of Watchman Fellowship and a host of Apologetics Profile podcast. He is a former fourth generation Mormon with over twenty-five years of ministry experience in the field of Christian evangelism and apologetics. He is cofounder of the Atheist & Christian Book Club.

Education: Rev. Walker holds a BA in Biblical Studies and an MA in Theology from Criswell College. He serves as an adjunct professor at Arlington Baptist University and New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. He is an ordained Baptist minister and a member of the International Society of Christian Apologetics (ISCA), the Evangelical Press Association, and serves on the Board of Directors of Evangelical Missions to Non-Christian Religions (EMNR).
Media and Books: He has been interviewed as an expert on new religious movements and cults on a variety of network television programs including Nightline, ABC World News Tonight, and PBS NewsHour. In addition to network television, Rev. Walker has been interviewed numerous nationwide Christian radio programs. These include Truths that Transform with Dr. D. James Kennedy; Hope for the Heart, with June Hunt, OpenLine with Kirby Anderson on the Moody Broadcasting Network, and Point of View. He authored the books, The Concise Guide to Today’s Religions and Spirituality, What the Qur’an Really Teaches about Jesus, and coauthored The Truth Behind 'The Secret.'

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

The Atheist & Christian Book Club: www.AtheistChristianBookClub.com
Complete YouTube Video Playlist on Street Epistemology by Daniel Ray: watchman.org/PlaylistSE
Watchman Fellowship's 4-page Profile on Street Epistemology by Daniel Ray: watchman.org/SE
Watchman Fellowship's 4-page Profile on Atheism by Robert M. Bowman: watchman.org/Atheism
Watchman Fellowship's 4-page Profile on Agnosticism by W. Russell Crawford: watchman.org/Agnostic

FREE: We are also offering a free subscription to our bimonthly Profiles here: www.watchman.org/Free

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman FellowshipFor more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

As you read this, there is presently a growing community of online social media savvy atheists and skeptics learning and engaging in conversational techniques that are designed to plant seeds of doubt in the minds of Christians about their faith in Christ. This growing phenomenon is known as Street Epistemology, or SE for short.

SE includes a financially supported non-profit organization that produces materials and content, trained practitioners who give seminars on how to use SE, a multitude of social media platforms including Facebook, Reddit, Discord, YouTube, Clubhouse, and Twitter, and an enthusiastic community of lay atheists and skeptics dedicated to the promotion and use of this technique. And if you or your children or grandchildren are active on social media, it's not unlikely you or they will eventually chat with a street epistemologist.

So what is street epistemology? What are some of the ways you can recognize if you are talking to a street epistemologist? What should you say? How should you respond?

On this episode of Apologetics Profile, Watchman staff apologist Daniel Ray sits down with long-time friend of Watchman Fellowship, Kerby Anderson, host of the nationally syndicated talk radio show Point of View to discuss the basics of what you and your family need to know about this growing online atheist movement.

WATCH THE VIDEO: You may also watch the interview here: https://vimeo.com/710522615.

And just as a reminder, this broadcast of Apologetics Profile is a rebroadcast of Daniel's conversation with Kerby on Point of View. So even though Kerby is going to invite people to call in, please do not call the studio, as this is not a live broadcast!

KERBY ANDERSON serves as president of Probe Ministries (www.probe.org) in Plano, Texas. He is a regular contributor to the Probe radio program heard on over 600 radio outlets (including the USA Radio Network, Moody Broadcasting Network, Bott Radio Network, and American Family Network). He also serves as host of “Point of View” (USA Radio Network) heard on 290 radio outlets nationwide as well as on the Internet (www.pointofview.net) and shortwave.

EDUCATION

B.S., Oregon State University (Zoology)
M.F.S., Yale University (Science)
M.A., Georgetown University (Government)
Kennedy Institute of Bioethics (Washington, D.C)

AUTHOR

Fossils in Focus (1977)
Life, Death and Beyond (1980)
Genetic Engineering (1982)
Origin Science (1987)
Living Ethically In the 90s (1990)
Signs of Warning, Signs of Hope (1994)
Moral Dilemmas (1998)
Christian Ethics in Plain Language (2005)
A Biblical Point of View on Islam (2007)
A Biblical Point of View on Homosexuality (2008)
A Biblical Point of View on Intelligent Design (2008)
A Biblical Point of View on Spiritual Warfare (2009)
Making the Most of Your Money in Tough Times (2009)

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

Complete YouTube Video Playlist on Street Epistemology by Daniel Ray: watchman.org/PlaylistSE
Watchman Fellowship's 4-page Profile on Street Epistemology by Daniel Ray: watchman.org/SE
Watchman Fellowship's 4-page Profile on Atheism by Robert M. Bowman: watchman.org/Atheism
Watchman Fellowship's 4-page Profile on Agnosticism by W. Russell Crawford: watchman.org/Agnostic

FREE: We are also offering a free subscription to our bimonthly Profiles here: www.watchman.org/Free

Profile Notebook: Get the full collection of 4-page Profiles published by Watchman Fellowship (over 600 pages!) here: watchman.org/DigitalNotebook.

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman FellowshipFor more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

What would you say to a skeptic who asks you to describe the differences between your faith and the faith of a Muslim or a Hindu? Would you be able to explain the basic differences between your faith and that of a Mormon or Jehovah's Witness who knocks at your door?

In our ever-increasingly religiously diverse and pluralistic society, we cannot afford to ignore the ideas, beliefs, and practices surrounding us. But we also do not need to become scholars in comparative religions to be able to give a defense for the hope that is in us as Christians to those who believe differently than we do.

On part two of our conversation about religious pluralism, Mama Bear Apologetics world religions specialist Lindsey Medenwaldt gives us more practical advice about how to engage with those of other faiths. Knowing what others believe and giving a defense to them of your faith in Christ is not as overwhelming as it might first seem.

Lindsey Medenwaldt is Director of Ministry Operations at Mama Bear Apologetics, and she is their resident worldview and world religion specialist. She has a master’s degree in apologetics and ethics from Denver Seminary, as well as a master’s in public administration and a law degree. She’s also a full-time children’s pastor, an editor and writer for the Christian Research Journal, and a member of the Pelican Project. She recently contributed a chapter about the Jehovah’s Witnesses to the Harvest House Popular Handbook of World Religions (March 2021). Lindsey and her husband, Jay (who is also an apologist), have been married for 14 years. They have three daughters and live in Texas. In her spare time, Lindsey loves watching British reality television, especially The Great British Baking Show, and she’s an avid reader (Jay and Lindsey have an at-home library of more than 2,000 books!).

LINDSEY MEDENWALDT RESOURCES:

Lindsay's blog on other religions: www.mamabearapologetics.com/author/lindsey-medenwaldt/
Meet the Mama Bears Apologetics Team: www.mamabearapologetics.com/about/meet-the-mama-bears/
Lindsay's Watchman Fellowship Profile on Religious Pluralism: watchman.org/Pluralism

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

Watchman Fellowship article "The Key to Effective Religious Dialogue" by Jason Barker: watchman.org/Dialogue
Watchman Fellowship article "Just Two Kinds of Religion" by Timothy Oliver: watchman.org/2Kinds
Watchman Fellowship's 4-page Profile on Hinduism by C. Fred Smith: watchman.org/Hindu
Watchman Fellowship's 4-page Profile on Islam by James Walker: watchman.org/Muslim
Watchman Fellowship's 4-page Profile on Zen Buddhism by Jason Barker: watchman.org/Zen
Watchman Fellowship's 4-page Profile on Atheism by Robert M. Bowman: watchman.org/Atheism
Watchman Fellowship's 4-page Profile on the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormonism) by Tim Martin: watchman.org/Mormonism
Watchman Fellowship's 4-page Profile on The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society (Jehovah's Witnesses) by Jason Barker: watchman.org/Watchtower

FREE: We are also offering a free subscription to our bimonthly Profiles here: www.watchman.org/Free

Profile Notebook: Get the full collection of 4-page Profiles published by Watchman Fellowship (over 600 pages!) here: watchman.org/DigitalNotebook.

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman FellowshipFor more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

Increasingly our neighborhoods, schools, workplace, and culture at large have become much more religiously and ethnically diverse. We also have instantaneous access to a plethora of information about other religions through the internet and social media. We meet all kinds of people who accept a wide variety of different beliefs and practices related to God. These present significant challenges to the exclusivity of Jesus being the only way to the Father.

What is the difference between religious diversity and religious plurality? Do all paths lead to God or is there finally only one way, as Jesus proclaimed? What are we to make of the multiplicity of other religions by which we are surrounded? How do we best equip ourselves as Christians to understand the times and ideas in which we live? How do we reach out to our religious non-Christian neighbors?

On the next two episodes of Apologetics Profile we offer some down-to-earth advice from a "Mama Bear" about how we can effectively engage our non-Christian religious friends and neighbors without having to become an expert in comparative religious studies! World religion specialist Lindsey Medenwaldt shares with us her wisdom and experience and offers some great insights you can begin applying immediately to your conversations with people of other faiths.

Lindsey Medenwaldt is Director of Ministry Operations at Mama Bear Apologetics, and she is their resident worldview and world religion specialist. She has a master’s degree in apologetics and ethics from Denver Seminary, as well as a master’s in public administration and a law degree. She’s also a full-time children’s pastor, an editor and writer for the Christian Research Journal, and a member of the Pelican Project. She recently contributed a chapter about the Jehovah’s Witnesses to the Harvest House Popular Handbook of World Religions (March 2021). Lindsey and her husband, Jay (who is also an apologist), have been married for 14 years. They have three daughters and live in Texas. In her spare time, Lindsey loves watching British reality television, especially The Great British Baking Show, and she’s an avid reader (Jay and Lindsey have an at-home library of more than 2,000 books!).

LINDSEY MEDENWALDT RESOURCES:

Lindsay's blog on other religions: www.mamabearapologetics.com/author/lindsey-medenwaldt/
Meet the Mama Bears Apologetics Team: www.mamabearapologetics.com/about/meet-the-mama-bears/
Lindsay's Watchman Fellowship Profile on Religious Pluralism: watchman.org/Pluralism

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

Watchman Fellowship article "The Key to Effective Religious Dialogue" by Jason Barker: watchman.org/Dialogue
Watchman Fellowship article "Just Two Kinds of Religion" by Timothy Oliver: watchman.org/2Kinds
Watchman Fellowship's 4-page Profile on Hinduism by C. Fred Smith: watchman.org/Hindu
Watchman Fellowship's 4-page Profile on Islam by James Walker: watchman.org/Muslim
Watchman Fellowship's 4-page Profile on Zen Buddhism by Jason Barker: watchman.org/Zen
Watchman Fellowship's 4-page Profile on Atheism by Robert M. Bowman: watchman.org/Atheism
Watchman Fellowship's 4-page Profile on the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormonism) by Tim Martin: watchman.org/Mormonism
Watchman Fellowship's 4-page Profile on The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society (Jehovah's Witnesses) by Jason Barker: watchman.org/Watchtower

FREE: We are also offering a free subscription to our bimonthly Profiles here: www.watchman.org/Free

Profile Notebook: Get the full collection of 4-page Profiles published by Watchman Fellowship (over 600 pages!) here: watchman.org/DigitalNotebook.

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman FellowshipFor more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

Our culture is arguably more ethnically and religiously diverse than it has ever been in its brief history. Technology in communication and transportation has brought a world of people and ideas to our shores. We can know about events all around the globe in just an instant. We are bombarded with ideas and beliefs that are wholly foreign to our own. The information age can be overwhelming at times.

Our neighbors may be Hindu, Muslim, Buddhist, agnostic or atheist. Where do we begin a dialogue with them? Where can we find a modicum of common ground with our non-Christian friends and neighbors?

On the second part of our discussion with Dr. Gary Habermas about Jesus among other world religions, we unpack a few helpful points about how to thoughtfully engage those outside the Christian faith. What are some areas of agreement upon which we might focus? What makes Christianity unique? Who is Jesus? Who do men say that He is? Who do you say Jesus is?

These the most important questions we can ask ourselves and others and Gary gives us some help in asking and responding to those outside the Christian faith.

Dr. Gary Habermas is a Distinguished Research Professor of Apologetics and Philosophy and chairman of the department of philosophy at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia. He received a Doctor of Philosophy degree (1976) from Michigan State University in history and philosophy of religion with a thesis entitled "The resurrection of Jesus: a rational inquiry," and previously a master's degree (1973) from the University of Detroit in philosophical theology. He has specialized in cataloging and communicating trends among scholars in the field of historical Jesus and New Testament studies. In 1985, Habermas debated the then-atheist and evidentialist philosopher, Antony Flew, on the question of Jesus' resurrection as a literal and historical/physical event, before 3,000 attendees. Five philosophers and five professional debate judges judged the debate. Of the philosophers who judged on the content of the debate, four voted that Habermas won and the other was undecided.... [Before his death in 2010, Dr. Flew converted from atheism to theism.] In his memoir Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus, Nabeel Qureshi [a former Muslim] relates how Habermas was influential in his conversion, and describes him as looking like "a mix between Santa Claus and an offensive lineman."

GARY HABERMAS RESOURCES:

Gary Habermas' personal research and publications webpage: GaryHabermas.com
Gary Habermas' YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/HabermasYouTube
Free E-Book by Gary Habermas: http://garyhabermas.com/Evidence2/Habermas-Uniqueness-of-Jesus-Christ-2016.pdf
Book - Risen Indeed: A Historical Investigation Into the Resurrection of Jesus, (2021) by Dr. Gary Habermas: https://amzn.to/3tvUUzd

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

Watchman Fellowship article "The Key to Effective Religious Dialogue" by Jason Barker: watchman.org/Dialogue
Watchman Fellowship article "Just Two Kinds of Religion" by Timothy Oliver: watchman.org/2Kinds
Watchman Fellowship's 4-page Profile on Religious Pluralism by Lindsey Medenwaldt: watchman.org/Pluralism
Watchman Fellowship's 4-page Profile on Hinduism by C. Fred Smith: watchman.org/Hindu
Watchman Fellowship's 4-page Profile on Islam by James Walker: watchman.org/Muslim
Watchman Fellowship's 4-page Profile on Zen Buddhism by Jason Barker: watchman.org/Zen
Watchman Fellowship's 4-page Profile on Atheism by Robert M. Bowman: watchman.org/Atheism

FREE: We are also offering a free subscription to our bimonthly Profiles here: www.watchman.org/Free

Profile Notebook: Get the full collection of 4-page Profiles published by Watchman Fellowship (over 600 pages!) here: watchman.org/DigitalNotebook.

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman FellowshipFor more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

Risen Indeed: A Historical Investigation Into the Resurrection of Jesus

On the next four episodes of Apologetics Profile, we will be diving into some of the basics of other major world religions and provide you with a variety of resources to enable you to begin intelligent and thoughtful dialogue with your Muslim, Hindu, or Buddhist neighbors. We'll also discuss some basic ways in which you can respond to atheists and agnostics who generally hold to a naturalistic worldview.

Here on part one of our four-part series on Jesus and Christianity among other religions, we speak once more with New Testament historian and scholar Dr. Gary Habermas as he helps us identify what is unique among Christianity and why Jesus stands alone and unique among other worldviews and religions.

Dr. Gary Habermas is a Distinguished Research Professor of Apologetics and Philosophy and chairman of the department of philosophy at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia. He received a Doctor of Philosophy degree (1976) from Michigan State University in history and philosophy of religion with a thesis entitled "The resurrection of Jesus: a rational inquiry," and previously a master's degree (1973) from the University of Detroit in philosophical theology. He has specialized in cataloging and communicating trends among scholars in the field of historical Jesus and New Testament studies. In 1985, Habermas debated the then-atheist and evidentialist philosopher, Antony Flew, on the question of Jesus' resurrection as a literal and historical/physical event, before 3,000 attendees. Five philosophers and five professional debate judges judged the debate. Of the philosophers who judged on the content of the debate, four voted that Habermas won and the other was undecided.... [Before his death in 2010, Dr. Flew converted from atheism to theism.] In his memoir Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus, Nabeel Qureshi [a former Muslim] relates how Habermas was influential in his conversion, and describes him as looking like "a mix between Santa Claus and an offensive lineman."

GARY HABERMAS RESOURCES:

Gary Habermas' personal research and publications webpage: GaryHabermas.com
Gary Habermas' YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/HabermasYouTube
Free E-Book by Gary Habermas: http://garyhabermas.com/Evidence2/Habermas-Uniqueness-of-Jesus-Christ-2016.pdf
Book - Risen Indeed: A Historical Investigation Into the Resurrection of Jesus, (2021) by Dr. Gary Habermas: https://amzn.to/3tvUUzd

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

Watchman Fellowship article "The Key to Effective Religious Dialogue" by Jason Barker: watchman.org/Dialogue
Watchman Fellowship article "Just Two Kinds of Religion" by Timothy Oliver: watchman.org/2Kinds
Watchman Fellowship's 4-page Profile on Religious Pluralism by Lindsey Medenwaldt: watchman.org/Pluralism
Watchman Fellowship's 4-page Profile on Hinduism by C. Fred Smith: watchman.org/Hindu
Watchman Fellowship's 4-page Profile on Islam by James Walker: watchman.org/Muslim
Watchman Fellowship's 4-page Profile on Zen Buddhism by Jason Barker: watchman.org/Zen
Watchman Fellowship's 4-page Profile on Atheism by Robert M. Bowman: watchman.org/Atheism

FREE: We are also offering a free subscription to our bimonthly Profiles here: www.watchman.org/Free

Profile Notebook: Get the full collection of 4-page Profiles published by Watchman Fellowship (over 600 pages!) here: watchman.org/DigitalNotebook.

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman FellowshipFor more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

Risen Indeed: A Historical Investigation Into the Resurrection of Jesus

You've likely heard the statistics or the stories of how young Christians who go off to a secular college or university end up losing their faith. On this episode of Apologetics Profile we talk with Pastor Rich Day who shares his ministerial experiences and engagement with both Christian and non-Christian students on secular campuses. Pastor Rich gives us insights and practical helps as to how we can engage students of all beliefs who have doubts about God.

Rich Day is the lead pastor at Lakeview Baptist Church (LakeviewBaptistTallahassee.com) in Tallahassee, Florida. In addition to his pastoral duties, he is also the Director of Ratio Christi at Florida State University (FSU), the Baptist Collegiate Ministries at the local community college and Regional Director for The Great Exchange. Pastor Day was recently awarded a Doctor of Ministry degree in Apologetics and Executive Administration from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary (www.NOBTS.edu) where he also graduated with his MDiv. and MA.

RESOURCES: Be sure to check Rich's earlier podcast and Watchman Fellowship Profile on the controversial movement known as the Black Hebrew Israelites:

Apologetics Profile podcast: Black Hebrew Israelites
Watchman Fellowship's 4-page Profile on Black Hebrew Israelites

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

Watchman Fellowship's 4-page Profile on Atheism by Robert M. Bowman: watchman.org/Atheism
Watchman Fellowship's 4-page Profile on Agnosticism by W. Russell Crawford: watchman.org/Agnostic
Watchman Fellowship's 4-page Profile on Cosmos (TV Series) by Daniel Ray: watchman.org/CosmosTV
Watchman Fellowship's 4-page Profile on Religious Pluralism by Lindsey Medenwaldt: watchman.org/Pluralism
Watchman Fellowship's 4-page Profile on Scientism by and Luke Barnes and Daniel Ray: watchman.org/scientism
Watchman Fellowship's 4-page Profile on Street Epistemology by Daniel Ray: watchman.org/SE

FREE: We are also offering a free subscription to our bimonthly Profiles here: www.watchman.org/Free

Profile Notebook: Get the full collection of 4-page Profiles published by Watchman Fellowship (over 600 pages!) here: watchman.org/DigitalNotebook.

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman FellowshipFor more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

Scripture exhorts us not to be conformed to this world, but to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. How much does the world subtly influence our thinking about God? In our day and age we are accustomed to "Googling" or asking Alexa for facts and information about anything from the weather to world news. How does this impact our thinking about God? Is God just a set of propositions to be defended? And must we exhaustively demonstrate evidence for God through rigorous proofs and experiments?

On part two of our discussion with Christian philosopher Dr. Esther Lightcap Meek, we unpack some of these problematic ideas about modernist thinking and Esther offers insightful correctives to modern ideas through integrating the thoughts of scientist and philosopher Michael Polanyi and theologian John M. Frame in her own thesis as "covenant epistemology."

Whether it is the art of science, riding a bike, or knowing your auto mechanic, knowledge is inherently personal and participatory. We are beings in bodies, living souls, divine image bearers, subjects of our Creator. Our knowledge of God comes through participating in the community and work in which He has placed us.

Dr. Esther Lightcap Meek (BA Cedarville College, MA Western Kentucky University, Ph.D Temple University) is Professor of Philosophy emeritus at Geneva College, in Western Pennsylvania. She is a Fellow Scholar with the Fujimura Institute, an Associate Fellow with the Kirby Laing Center for Public Theology, and a member of the Polanyi Society. She offers courses for Theopolis Institute, The Seattle School of Theology and Psychology, and Regent College. Esther now works from Steubenville, Ohio. Her books include:

Longing to Know - The Philosophy of Knowledge for Ordinary People (Baker Publishing Group, 2003)
Loving To Know - Covenant Epistemology(Cascade Books, 2011)
A Little Manual For Knowing(Cascade Books, 2014)
Contact with Reality(Cascade Books, 2017)

Be sure to check out our other podcasts on the importance of philosophy in the Christian faith!

Dr. Timothy McGrew discusses the problems with David Hume's skepticism (Part 1, Part 2)
Dr. Jamie Dew discusses basic epistemology as it relates to our knowledge of God (Listen Here)
Dr. Paul Gould discusses why philosophy is important for Christianity (Part 1, Part 2)
Dr. Luke Barnes discusses a philosophy of science known as "scientism" (Part 1, Part 2)

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

Dr. Meek's website: EstherLightcapMeek.com
Watchman Fellowship's 4-page Profile on Atheism by Robert M. Bowman: watchman.org/Atheism
Watchman Fellowship's 4-page Profile on Agnosticism by W. Russell Crawford: watchman.org/Agnostic
Watchman Fellowship's 4-page Profile on Scientism by and Luke Barnes and Daniel Ray: watchman.org/scientism
Watchman Fellowship's 4-page Profile on Street Epistemology by Daniel Ray: watchman.org/SE

FREE: We are also offering a free subscription to our bimonthly Profiles here: www.watchman.org/Free

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman FellowshipFor more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

Loving to Know: Covenant Epistemology

A Little Manual for Knowing

It is no small claim to say that we know God. But how do we know God? What does it mean to have faith in God? And must we scientifically demonstrate our knowledge about God to our skeptic friends and neighbors who demand we do so?

On the next two episodes of Apologetics Profile, we will explore these epistemological questions with Christian philosopher Dr. Esther Lightcap Meek, whose personal skeptical quest (beginning at age 13) to know how she knew about God eventually led her to the theology of John M. Frame and the work of Christian philosopher and scientist Michael Polanyi.

Esther's book, Longing to Know - The Philosophy of Knowledge for Ordinary People(Baker Publishing Group) uhop.me/LongingToKnow, uniquely combines the ideas of Frame and Polanyi into what she proposes as "covenant epistemology." This synthesis embodies real-world, practical examples of how we know what we know and relates them to our knowledge of and relationship with God. We hope these next two episodes will encourage and equip you to be prepared to give a charitable and intelligent defense of your faith in Christ to those who ask.

Dr. Esther Lightcap Meek (BA Cedarville College, MA Western Kentucky University, Ph.D Temple University) is Professor of Philosophy emeritus at Geneva College, in Western Pennsylvania. She is a Fellow Scholar with the Fujimura Institute, an Associate Fellow with the Kirby Laing Center for Public Theology, and a member of the Polanyi Society. She offers courses for Theopolis Institute, The Seattle School of Theology and Psychology, and Regent College. Esther now works from Steubenville, Ohio. Her additional books include:

Loving To Know - Covenant Epistemology(Cascade Books, 2011)
A Little Manual For Knowing(Cascade Books, 2014)
Contact with Reality(Cascade Books, 2017)

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

Dr. Meek's website: EstherLightcapMeek.com
Watchman Fellowship's 4-page Profile on Atheism by Robert M. Bowman: watchman.org/Atheism
Watchman Fellowship's 4-page Profile on Agnosticism by W. Russell Crawford: watchman.org/Agnostic
Watchman Fellowship's 4-page Profile on Scientism by and Luke Barnes and Daniel Ray: watchman.org/scientism
Watchman Fellowship's 4-page Profile on Street Epistemology by Daniel Ray: watchman.org/SE

FREE: We are also offering a free subscription to our bimonthly Profiles here: www.watchman.org/Free

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship
For more information, visit www.watchman.org
© Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

Loving to Know: Covenant Epistemology

A Little Manual for Knowing

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"How do we know what we know?" asks our guest this week, Dr. Jamie Dew, Christian philosopher and president of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary (nobts.edu). "This is the basic question that undergirds the discipline of epistemology. We take it for granted that we know many different things, but we rarely ask this basic question about our knowledge." That comes from Jamie's co-authored book with Mark W. Foreman, How Do We Know? An Introduction to Epistemology, 2nd Edition, (https://amzn.to/3KN2FIy).

It is important for Christians to be able to answer this question, as many skeptics and atheists are increasingly utilizing it in their attempts to get Christians to doubt their faith. In this episode, Jamie outlines the basics about epistemology in relation to God, equipping us to better understand how to answer our skeptical friends and neighbors.

This is part one of a three-part series on epistemology. The next two weeks will feature our interview with Christian philosopher Dr. Esther Lightcap Meek about her 2003 book, Longing to Know - The Philosophy of Knowledge for Ordinary People.

Dr. Jamie Dew holds a PH.D in philosophy from the University of Birmingham (UK) and a Ph.D. in theological studies at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary (SEBTS). He currently serves as president at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary (nobts.edu). He also earned a Master of Divinity in Pastoral Ministry is from SEBTS and his Bachelor of Science in Biblical Studies is from Toccoa Falls College, Toccoa, Ga. Dr. Dew's publications include:

Philosophy: A Christian Introduction, with Paul M. Gould (Baker, 2019)
Understanding Postmodernism: a Christian Perspective, with Stewart E. Kelly (IVP Academic, 2017)
God and the Problem of Evil: Five Views, with Chad Meister (IVP Academic, 2017)
How Do We Know? An Introduction to Epistemology, with Mark W. Foreman (IVP Academic, 2014)
God and Evil: The Case for God in a World filled with Pain, with Chad Meister (IVP Books, 2013)
Science and Theology: An Assessment of Alister McGrath's Critical Realist Perspective (Wipf & Stock, 2014)

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

Watchman Fellowship's 4-page Profile on Atheism by Robert M. Bowman: watchman.org/Atheism
Watchman Fellowship's 4-page Profile on Agnosticism by W. Russell Crawford: watchman.org/Agnostic
Watchman Fellowship's 4-page Profile on Scientism by and Luke Barnes and Daniel Ray: watchman.org/scientism
Watchman Fellowship's 4-page Profile on Street Epistemology by Daniel Ray: watchman.org/SE

FREE: We are also offering a free subscription to our bimonthly Profiles here: www.watchman.org/Free

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship
For more information, visit www.watchman.org
© Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

How Do We Know? (Questions in Christian Philosophy)

Perhaps you have heard skeptics say that "extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence." What exactly does that mean? From where does it come? How can we as Christians intelligently respond to this claim when engaging our unbelieving friends and neighbors?

On the second part of our discussion about David Hume with Christian philosopher Dr. Timothy McGrew, we unpack this popular phrase that Tim says is often "wielded like a talisman" in Christian/Atheist debates and discussions. We also unpack significant quotes from the second part of Hume's essay, Of Miracles. Tim provides more practical thought in how we can intelligently engage Hume and those who often cite him.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

Watchman Fellowship's 4-page Profile on Atheism by Robert M. Bowman: watchman.org/Atheism
Watchman Fellowship's 4-page Profile on Scientism by and Luke Barnes and Daniel Ray: watchman.org/scientism
Watchman Fellowship's 4-page Profile on Street Epistemology by Daniel Ray: watchman.org/SE
Tim McGrew Vs Peter Boghossian debate on the topic of Street Epistemology and the book,A Manual for Creating Atheists (YouTube): http://bit.ly/TimMcGrew
Tim McGrew and atheist philosopher Graham Oppy discuss their book, Four Views on Christianity and Philosophy, at the Atheist & Christian Book Club (YouTube): https://youtu.be/2gGvCl4Kbbs

Additional Reading: Books mentioned in this episode include:

William Adam: An Essay in Answer to Mr. Hume's Essay on Miracles(Third Edition)
George Campbell: A Dissertation On Miracles: Containing an Examination of the Principles Advanced by David Hume in an Essay On Miracles
John Douglas: The Criterion ; Or, Rules by which the True Miracles Recorded in the New Testament are Distinguished from the Spurious Miracles of Pagans and Papists

Dr. Timothy McGrew is Professor and Chairman of the Department of Philosophy at Western Michigan University. He specializes in theory of knowledge, logic, probability theory, and the history and philosophy of science. He has published in numerous journals including Mind, The Monist, Analysis, Erkenntnis, British Journal for the Philosophy of Science, and Philosophia Christi. His recent publications include the article on “Evidence” in The Routledge Companion to Epistemology, coauthorship of The Philosophy of Science: An Historical Anthology, coauthorship (with Lydia McGrew) of the article on “The Argument from Miracles” in The Blackwell Companion to Natural Theology, and the article on “Miracles” for The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.

FREE: We are also offering a free subscription to our bimonthly Profiles here: www.watchman.org/Free

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship
For more information, visit www.watchman.org
© Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

David Hume (1711 - 1776) penned what has arguably become one of the most widely quoted works against the possibility of miracles. Hume's essay, "Of Miracles,"appears in his larger work, An Inquiry Concerning Human Understanding. In this short essay, Hume tries to argue in such a way that virtually no evidence for a miracle would be sufficient to establish a claim that a miracle has taken place.

On the next two editions of Apologetics Profile we speak with Christian philosopher Dr. Timothy McGrew about Hume's life and times and some of the weaknesses of Hume's arguments. Tim gives us helpful insights into the nature of Hume's thesis and helps us understand some of the more often cited quotations used by non-believers today who argue against the possibility of miracles. On part one we talk a little about Hume's life and times and get into part one of Hume's essay.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

Watchman Fellowship's 4-page Profile on Atheism by Robert M. Bowman: watchman.org/Atheism
Watchman Fellowship's 4-page Profile on Scientism by and Luke Barnes and Daniel Ray: watchman.org/scientism
Watchman Fellowship's 4-page Profile on Street Epistemology by Daniel Ray: watchman.org/SE
Tim McGrew Vs Peter Boghossian debate on the topic of Street Epistemology and the book, A Manual for Creating Atheists (YouTube): http://bit.ly/TimMcGrew
Tim McGrew and atheist philosopher Graham Oppy discuss their book, Four Views on Christianity and Philosophy, at the Atheist & Christian Book Club (YouTube): https://youtu.be/2gGvCl4Kbbs

BONUS: Tim was also interviewed for one of our meetings of the Atheist & Christian Book Club (www.AtheistChristianBookClub.com) to respond to Bart Ehrman's book, Jesus Interrupted. You can watch that interview here:

VIDEO -- Tim McGrew interview Part 1 (12-min.): https://vimeo.com/249968983
VIDEO -- Tim McGrew interview Part 2 (8-min.): https://vimeo.com/249969201

Dr. Timothy McGrew is Professor and Chairman of the Department of Philosophy at Western Michigan University. He specializes in theory of knowledge, logic, probability theory, and the history and philosophy of science. He has published in numerous journals including Mind, The Monist, Analysis, Erkenntnis, British Journal for the Philosophy of Science, and Philosophia Christi. His recent publications include the article on “Evidence” in The Routledge Companion to Epistemology, coauthorship of The Philosophy of Science: An Historical Anthology, coauthorship (with Lydia McGrew) of the article on “The Argument from Miracles” in The Blackwell Companion to Natural Theology, and the article on “Miracles” for The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.

FREE: We are also offering a free subscription to our bimonthly Profiles here: www.watchman.org/Free

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship
For more information, visit www.watchman.org
© Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

In this week's episode of Apologetics Profile, Daniel Ray concludes his discussion with CERN experimental particle physicist Dr. Michael Strauss. They explore further wondrous evidences of God's design and handiwork at levels never before imagined by anyone. Mathematics and the designs in the physical world, as counterintuitive as they may seem to our common sense, all point us to a benevolent Creator and reveal to us many of the invisible attributes of the Logos, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

This two-part podcast was recorded in January 2022 on the campus of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary during their annual Defend apologetics conference (www.DefendTheFaith.net).

Dr. Michael Strauss is an experimental particle physicist currently doing research on the ATLAS detector, one of the two multi-purpose particle detectors located on the Large Hadron Collider at CERN near Geneva, Switzerland. He has been a professor at the University of Oklahoma in Norman since 1995. He is also a Christian and his web-site and blog are a result of the many discussions he has had, and questions he receives about the relationship between science, rational thinking, objective evidence, and Christian faith.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

Dr. Michael Strauss's webpage: www.michaelgstrauss.com
Book - The Creator Revealed - A Physicist Examines the Big Bang and the Bible, (2019) by Dr. Michael Strauss:https://amzn.to/3qnXQxj
Watchman Fellowship 4-page Profile on Cosmos (TV series): watchman.org/files/Profilecosmos.pdf
Watchman Fellowship 4-page Profile on Scientism: www.watchman.org/scientism/ProfileScientism.pdf

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship. For more information visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

On the next two episodes of Apologetics Profile, Watchman Fellowship staff apologist Daniel Ray interviews University of Oklahoma particle physicist, Dr. Michael Strauss. A devout Christian, Dr. Strauss discusses some of the growing scientific evidences for the existence of God including in his field of particle physics. Dr. Strauss splits his research time between the University of Oklahoma and the Large Hadron Collider at CERN in Switzerland.

What does the Big Bang have to do with the Bible?
Is there any redeemable common ground to be found between the scientific understanding of the origin of our universe and the account of the creation of the heavens and earth as we read in Genesis?

While there certainly are differences between the two narratives, one thing the Big Bang does give us as believers is a point of commonality with skeptics and atheists about the beginning of our universe.

Theories which posit something "before" the Big Bang cannot be tested in a laboratory. They are theoretical in nature and there have been many attempts to circumvent the idea of a beginning to our universe. From many worlds to multiverses, nothing has concretely overturned the current scientific paradigm that our universe had a definitive beginning.

As atheist and cosmologist Dr. Lawrence Krauss recently told our Atheist & Christian Book Club, "Here's the point. Everything we now see, all of space, all of time, all of the galaxies, all the matter all the radiation, everything that makes up our universe did not exist and then it existed."

A theologian could not have described the Genesis doctrine of creation ex nihilo any better.

Dr. Michael Strauss discusses some of the theological implications of "Big Bang" cosmology and why he believes his field of physics of subatomic particles more wondrously than ever reveals the glory of God.

Dr. Michael Strauss is an experimental particle physicist currently doing research on the ATLAS detector, one of the two multi-purpose particle detectors located on the Large Hadron Collider at CERN near Geneva, Switzerland. He has been a professor at the University of Oklahoma in Norman since 1995. He is also a Christian and his web-site and blog are a result of the many discussions he has had, and questions he receives about the relationship between science, rational thinking, objective evidence, and Christian faith.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

Dr. Michael Strauss's webpage: www.michaelgstrauss.com
Book - The Creator Revealed - A Physicist Examines the Big Bang and the Bible , (2019) by Dr. Michael Strauss: https://amzn.to/3qnXQxj
Watchman Fellowship 4-page Profile on Cosmos (TV series): watchman.org/files/Profilecosmos.pdf
Watchman Fellowship 4-page Profile on Scientism: www.watchman.org/scientism/ProfileScientism.pdf

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship. For more information visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

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Skeptics who disbelieve in the Bible will often propose different reasons for why the New Testament was written. One popular objection suggests "legendary" information crept into the texts we have today and there is just no way to tell fact from fiction. Others say that the Gospels contain real historical information but that the disciples and others were simply mistaken about Jesus' resurrection. They thought Jesus appeared to them, but there is no way to tell if He really did or not.

New Testament historian and scholar Dr. Gary Habermas, our guest this week on Apologetics Profile, has heard most every popular objection ever given about Jesus rising from the dead. He has debated and been interviewed by atheists and skeptics and has spent most of his professional career compiling solid historical evidence for the resurrection. Here on part two of our conversation with Gary, he provides us with a myriad of reasons why we can know that what we have in the pages of the Gospels is historically trustworthy and authentic.

Dr. Gary Habermas is a Distinguished Research Professor of Apologetics and Philosophy and chairman of the department of philosophy at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia. He received a Doctor of Philosophy degree (1976) from Michigan State University in history and philosophy of religion with a thesis entitled "The resurrection of Jesus: a rational inquiry," and previously a master's degree (1973) from the University of Detroit in philosophical theology. He has specialized in cataloging and communicating trends among scholars in the field of historical Jesus and New Testament studies. In 1985, Habermas debated the then-atheist and evidentialist philosopher, Antony Flew, on the question of Jesus' resurrection as a literal and historical/physical event, before 3,000 attendees. Five philosophers and five professional debate judges judged the debate. Of the philosophers who judged on the content of the debate, four voted that Habermas won and the other was undecided.... [Before his death in 2010, Dr. Flew converted from atheism to theism.] In his memoir Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus, Nabeel Qureshi [a former Muslim] relates how Habermas was influential in his conversion, and describes him as looking like "a mix between Santa Claus and an offensive lineman." [1]

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

Gary Habermas' personal research and publications webpage: www.GaryHabermas.com
Gary Habermas' YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/HabermasYouTube
Book - Risen Indeed: A Historical Investigation Into the Resurrection of Jesus, (2021) by Dr. Gary Habermas: https://amzn.to/3tvUUzd

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship. For more information visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

[1] "Gary Habermas," Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gary_Habermas

Risen Indeed: A Historical Investigation Into the Resurrection of Jesus

A burgeoning challenge for Christians today is the increasing criticism from skeptics and atheists about the historical reliability of the Gospels, especially the resurrection of Jesus. While some atheists and skeptics, such as New Testament scholar Bart Ehrman, affirm Jesus really did exist, almost all either deny or doubt that Jesus actually rose bodily from the grave and afterward appeared to eye witnesses.

Since most of us are not New Testament historians or scholars, we might feel ill-equipped to address such criticisms. This is where our guest on the next two editions of Apologetics Profile provides us with a basic framework for answering our skeptical critics about the historicity of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Dr. Gary Habermas is a New Testament scholar and historian. His life's work has been compiling historical information surrounding Jesus' resurrection and distilling his data into a series of 'minimal facts' that the vast majority credentialed scholars in the fields of antiquities, ancient history, New Testament criticism and historical Jesus studies accept. These are some 'minimal facts' on which nearly all Christians scholars, secular academics and even atheist professors agree.

This is the 'minimal facts' approach; a kind of historical "Roman's Road" that provides very basic historical information in "headline" format for helping lay and scholar alike to begin conversations with skeptics who doubt the resurrection. These 'minimal facts' on the the resurrection of Jesus are certainly not the only historical data that to which Christians may appeal. This 'common ground' approach, however, may be seen as a helpful starting place for believers and non-believers to begin a discussion.

This episode of Apologetics Profile is part one of a two-part podcast. In this episode, Dr. Habermas sits down with Watchman Fellowship's Staff Apologist, Daniel Ray, and outlines the origin and development of the minimal facts approach.

Dr. Gary Habermas is a Distinguished Research Professor of Apologetics and Philosophy and chairman of the department of philosophy at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia. He received a Doctor of Philosophy degree (1976) from Michigan State University in history and philosophy of religion with a thesis entitled "The resurrection of Jesus: a rational inquiry," and previously a master's degree (1973) from the University of Detroit in philosophical theology. He has specialized in cataloging and communicating trends among scholars in the field of historical Jesus and New Testament studies. In 1985, Habermas debated the then-atheist and evidentialist philosopher, Antony Flew, on the question of Jesus' resurrection as a literal and historical/physical event, before 3,000 attendees. Five philosophers and five professional debate judges judged the debate. Of the philosophers who judged on the content of the debate, four voted that Habermas won and the other was undecided.... [Before his death in 2010, Dr. Flew converted from atheism to theism.] In his memoir Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus, Nabeel Qureshi [a former Muslim] relates how Habermas was influential in his conversion, and describes him as looking like "a mix between Santa Claus and an offensive lineman." [1]

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

Gary Habermas' personal research and publications webpage: www.GaryHabermas.com
Gary Habermas' YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/HabermasYouTube
Book - Risen Indeed: A Historical Investigation Into the Resurrection of Jesus, (2021) by Dr. Gary Habermas: https://amzn.to/3tvUUzd

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship
For more information visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

[1] "Gary Habermas," Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gary_Habermas

Risen Indeed: A Historical Investigation Into the Resurrection of Jesus

At Watchman Fellowship, our staff is routinely exposed to the objections about the Bible from skeptics and atheists. Such objections often include arguments against the historical reliability of the New Testament. It seems those objections become even more intensified over the historical reliability of the Gospel of John. Critics often ask of John:

If Jesus really said what John reports, why don’t we find those same statements in the other three Gospel accounts?
Why is John so different than the other Gospels?
Did the apostle John really write the gospel attributed to him?
Are the Jesus’ statements recorded in John actually what Jesus said or were based on later interpretations created by an anonymous community of followers of John?

Unfortunately, these concerns and suspicions surrounding John’s Gospel don’t just come from atheists and skeptics critics but also from some Christian scholars. So what can those of us not versed in the critical scholarship of John do? Are we hopelessly tossed about in a sea of scholarly criticism, skeptical objections and textual ambiguities? Absolutely not for John himself intentions in writing about his personal experiences with the Lord Jesus “written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God and I believe in you may have life in his name.”

This is the conclusion of a two-part episode of Apologetics Profile. Our staff apologist, Daniel Ray, talks with Dr. Lydia McGrew about her new book defending the historicity and reliability of the Gospel of John. It is entitled, The Eye of the Beholder: The Gospel of John as Historical Reportage.

Dr. Lydia McGrew is a widely published analytic philosopher and author. She received her PhD in English from Vanderbilt University in 1995. She has published extensively in the theory of knowledge, specializing in formal epistemology and in its application to the evaluation of testimony and to the philosophy of religion. She defends the reliability of the Gospels and Acts in her books Hidden in Plain View: Undesigned Coincidences in the Gospels and Acts, The Mirror or the Mask: Liberating the Gospels From Literary Devices, and most recently The Eye of the Beholder: The Gospel of John as Historical Reportage.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

Book - The Eye of the Beholder: The Gospel of John as Historical Reportage by Dr. Lydia McGrew: https://amzn.to/3JBwISz
Book - The Mirror or the Mask: Liberating the Gospels from Literary Devices by Dr. Lydia McGrew: https://amzn.to/3h06xZE
Follow Lydia McGrew's author page on Facebook: facebook.com/LydiaMcGrewAuthor

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship
For more information visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

The Eye of the Beholder: The Gospel of John as Historical Reportage

The Mirror or the Mask: Liberating the Gospels from Literary Devices

At Watchman Fellowship, our staff is routinely exposed to the objections about the Bible from skeptics and atheists. Such objections often include arguments against the historical reliability of the New Testament. It seems those objections become even more intensified over the historical reliability of the Gospel of John. Critics often ask of John:

If Jesus really said what John reports, why don’t we find those same statements in the other three Gospel accounts?
Why is John so different than the other Gospels?
Did the apostle John really write the gospel attributed to him?
Are the Jesus’ statements recorded in John actually what Jesus said or were based on later interpretations created by an anonymous community of followers of John?

Unfortunately, these concerns and suspicions surrounding John’s Gospel don’t just come from atheists and skeptics critics but also from some Christian scholars. So what can those of us not versed in the critical scholarship of John do? Are we hopelessly tossed about in a sea of scholarly criticism, skeptical objections and textual ambiguities? Absolutely not for John himself intentions in writing about his personal experiences with the Lord Jesus “written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God and I believe in you may have life in his name.”

This is part one of a two-part episode of Apologetics Profile. Our staff apologist, Daniel Ray, talks with Dr. Lydia McGrew about her new book defending the historicity and reliability of the Gospel of John. It is entitled, The Eye of the Beholder: The Gospel of John as Historical Reportage.

Dr. Lydia McGrew is a widely published analytic philosopher and author. She received her PhD in English from Vanderbilt University in 1995. She has published extensively in the theory of knowledge, specializing in formal epistemology and in its application to the evaluation of testimony and to the philosophy of religion. She defends the reliability of the Gospels and Acts in her books Hidden in Plain View: Undesigned Coincidences in the Gospels and Acts, The Mirror or the Mask: Liberating the Gospels From Literary Devices, and most recently The Eye of the Beholder: The Gospel of John as Historical Reportage.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

Book - The Eye of the Beholder: The Gospel of John as Historical Reportage by Dr. Lydia McGrew: https://amzn.to/3JBwISz
Book - The Mirror or the Mask: Liberating the Gospels from Literary Devices by Dr. Lydia McGrew: https://amzn.to/3h06xZE
Follow Lydia McGrew's author page on Facebook: facebook.com/LydiaMcGrewAuthor

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship
For more information visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

The Eye of the Beholder: The Gospel of John as Historical Reportage

The Mirror or the Mask: Liberating the Gospels from Literary Devices

How should believers defend their faith and share the Christian gospel with those of other worldviews, religions and philosophies? Just what are the "best practices" for Christians seeking to incorporate apologetics as they engage in evangelism and gospel conversations?

Perhaps one of the clearest biblical examples effective apologetics is the Apostle Paul's brief address to the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers at the Areopagus (Mars Hill) in Athens that was recorded by Luke in Acts 17. Dr. Robert Stewart, a member of the Board of Directors of Watchman Fellowship, presented an overview of Paul's unique approach to Christian apologetics at a plenary session of the Defend 2022 Apologetics Conference at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. He called Paul's method of blending evangelism with defending the faith "A-Paul-ogetics." After his talk, Dr. Stewart sat down with Watchman staff apologist Daniel Ray to further discuss A-Paul-ogetics and answer some important questions for this week's Apologetics Profile.

Dr. Robert Stewart has been a member of the Board of Directors of Watchman Fellowship for over 20 years. He also serves as Professor of Philosophy and Theology, and Greer-Heard Professor of Faith and Culture, at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary where he directs the Institute for Christian Apologetics. In addition to teaching, he frequently speaks in churches and on university campuses, as well as researching and writing on the subjects of Philosophy of Religion, Christian Theology, Christian Apologetics, and the Historical Jesus. He enjoys golf, music (his first degree was in music--but he got over it!), and spending time with his wife, Marilyn, and their family. He resides in New Orleans, LA.. For more on Dr. Stewart, visit: www.nobts.edu/faculty/stewart-robert.html.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

What Did the Cross Accomplish? by Simon Gathercole, Robert Stewart and NT Wright: https://amzn.to/3uFHpzi
The Reliability of the New Testament: Bart Ehrman and Daniel Wallace in Dialogue, (Greer-Heard Lectures) by Robert Stewart: https://amzn.to/3BckJId
Can We Trust the Bible on the Historical Jesus? by Bart Ehrman, Craig Evans and Robert Stewart: https://amzn.to/3JCAbAv

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship
For more information visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

What Did the Cross Accomplish: A Conversation about the Atonement

Can We Trust the Bible on the Historical Jesus?

The Reliability of the New Testament: Bart D. Ehrman and Daniel B. Wallace in Dialogue (Greer-Heard Lectures)

The New Testament is historically reliable. Part of what gives us the confidence in their historical trustworthiness are what are known as undesigned coincidences; details about names, places, and peculiarities of first-century Israel under the provincial oversight of the Roman Empire that would have been difficult to fabricate for someone writing outside of the region and time of the events in question.

In part one of this podcast, Watchman staff apologist Daniel Ray talked with Dr. Tawa Anderson about some examples of "incidental details" and "insider knowledge" recorded in the New Testament. In part two, they will discuss some examples of "intricate convergence" found in the pages of Scripture.

We hope these episodes will encourage you to find and delight in the rich details found in the Gospels and New Testament and give you more confidence that the Scriptures are indeed historically reliable in what they describe.

Dr. Tawa J. Anderson joined the Oklahoma Baptist University (OBU) faculty as Assistant Professor of Philosophy in the fall of 2011, shortly after completing his Ph.D. in Worldview & Apologetics at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (SBTS) in Louisville, KY. Before arriving at OBU, Anderson served as a Garrett Fellow at SBTS, guest lecturing in a broad variety of philosophy courses. For more on Dr. Anderson, visit: www.okbu.edu/directory/tawa-anderson.html

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

Why Believe: Christian Apologetics for a Skeptical Age by Tawa J. Anderson: https://amzn.to/3L3HXVB
An Introduction to Christian Worldview: Pursuing God's Perspective in a Pluralistic World by Tawa J. Anderson: https://amzn.to/3H5OAUK
Lydia McGrew's book on undesigned coincidences: Hidden in Plain View: Undesigned Coincidences in the Gospels and Acts - https://amzn.to/3H9nPyI

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship
For more information visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

Hidden in Plain View: Undesigned Coincidences in the Gospels and Acts

An Introduction to Christian Worldview: Pursuing God's Perspective in a Pluralistic World

Why Believe: Christian Apologetics for a Skeptical Age (Hobbs College Library)

Skeptics will routinely make the claim that the Gospels and New Testament are filled with contradictions and historically unreliable. Maybe at times you feel like you have to be a biblical scholar to refute such claims.

Don't worry! On this special two-part episode, we sit down with professor of philosophy and apologetics at Oklahoma Baptist University Dr. Tawa Anderson to discuss a simple way to understand how the New Testament is indeed historically reliable. You need not have a seminary degree to follow along, either!

It's called undesigned coincidences. First introduced in 1790 by William Paley, this concept highlights simple, seemingly trivial details in the New Testament that would have been difficult if not virtually impossible for someone writing much later and outside the region of first-century Israel and Jerusalem to have correctly mentioned.

On part one, Tawa gives us examples of two kinds of undesigned coincidences found in the New Testament he terms “incidental details” and “insider knowledge.”

In part two we’ll dive deeper into what Tawa calls “intricate convergence” what undesigned coincidences are mostly all about. This is when details in one Gospel account in say Mark are explained in an entirely unrelated account in Luke or Matthew.

Dr. Tawa J. Anderson joined the Oklahoma Baptist University (OBU) faculty as Assistant Professor of Philosophy in the fall of 2011, shortly after completing his Ph.D. in Worldview & Apologetics at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (SBTS) in Louisville, KY. Before arriving at OBU, Anderson served as a Garrett Fellow at SBTS, guest lecturing in a broad variety of philosophy courses. For more on Dr. Anderson, visit: www.okbu.edu/directory/tawa-anderson.html

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

Why Believe: Christian Apologetics for a Skeptical Age by Tawa J. Anderson: https://amzn.to/3L3HXVB
An Introduction to Christian Worldview: Pursuing God's Perspective in a Pluralistic World by Tawa J. Anderson: https://amzn.to/3H5OAUK
Lydia McGrew's book on undesigned coincidences: Hidden in Plain View: Undesigned Coincidences in the Gospels and Acts - https://amzn.to/3H9nPyI

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship
For more information visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

An Introduction to Christian Worldview: Pursuing God's Perspective in a Pluralistic World

Hidden in Plain View: Undesigned Coincidences in the Gospels and Acts

Why Believe: Christian Apologetics for a Skeptical Age (Hobbs College Library)

David Henke, the founder of Watchman Fellowship, has over 45 years experience in witnessing and sharing the gospel with Jehovah's Witnesses. In part two of this podcast, David wraps up his conversation with Daniel Ray about controversial history and theology of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, some of his unusual experiences through the years, and what motivates him to pursue apologetics and evangelism as his life's calling. This podcast was recorded on the campus of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary during the 2022 Defend apologetics conference.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

Watchman's 4-page Profile on Jehovah's Witnesses by Jason Barker: watchman.org/Watchtower
Watchman Fellowship Articles on Jehovah's Witnesses: watchman.org/jw
Watchman's 4-page Profile on Spiritual Abuse by David Henke: watchman.org/Abuse
Spiritual Abuse Recovery Notebook by David Henke: watchman.org/SA

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship
For more information visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

David Henke, the founder of Watchman Fellowship, has over 45 years experience in witnessing and sharing the gospel with Jehovah's Witnesses. In this two-part podcast, David sits down with Daniel Ray and talks about the controversial history and theology of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, some of his unusual experiences through the years, and what motivates him to pursue apologetics and evangelism as his life's calling. This podcast was recorded on the campus of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary during the 2022 Defend apologetics conference.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

Watchman's 4-page Profile on Jehovah's Witnesses by Jason Barker: watchman.org/Watchtower
Watchman Fellowship Articles on Jehovah's Witnesses: watchman.org/jw
Watchman's 4-page Profile on Spiritual Abuse by David Henke: watchman.org/Abuse
Spiritual Abuse Recovery Notebook by David Henke: watchman.org/SA

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship
For more information visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

Scripture mentions "everlasting," "eternal," and "forever and ever" in regards to the final judgment of the unrepentant unbeliever in hell (see Mark 9:42-48; Rev. 14:11; 20:10; Matt. 25:41-46). Do those words and verses suggest or teach that the unbeliever will eventually be annihilated from conscious existence?

There is a minority belief within Christianity that claims lost souls will eventually be annihilated called "annihilationism." This idea claims that though the unrepentant will suffer in hell their torment will not last forever.

But is that what the Bible really says?

Here in part two of our discussion about annihilationism Daniel Ray and Brady Blevins look at what Scripture says and remind us that hell is not an easy topic to discuss and we must do so with wisdom and compassion. We cannot minimize God's holiness, righteousness, and judgment. The Gospel is indeed good news, but it must first be understood in terms of sin and its consequences.

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship
For more information visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

"We cannot magnify God's love by minimizing his holy wrath against sin," writes John F. MacArthur, Jr. "Some of the most tender pleadings in Scripture are Jesus' warnings to unrepentant unbelievers in danger of being caught up in the eternal wrath of God."

But there is a minority point-of-view among Christians about the nature of hell called annihilationism which claims that unrepentant souls in hell will not suffer forever but eventually be annihilated from conscious existence. For the annihilationist, the "non-existence" of the unbeliever is what will last forever, not eternal conscious torment.

Why do people believe the Bible teaches annihilationism? What does the word "eternal" actually mean when used in descriptions about hell? What theologians have promoted this idea?

On this two-part episode of Apologetics Profile Watchman staff apologist Daniel Ray and Watchman senior apologist Brady Blevins discuss the problems with annihilationism and what the Bible says about eternal separation from God.

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship
For more information visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

How silently, how silently,
the wondrous gift is giv’n!
So God imparts to human hearts
the blessings of his heav’n.
No ear may hear his coming,
but in this world of sin,
where meek souls will receive him, still
the dear Christ enters in.

You have likely heard or sung these very lines over the course of the last few weeks. They are a verse from Philip Brooks' 1868 Christmas hymn O Little Town of Bethlehem.

Bethlehem. It means "house of bread." It is called the "city of David" and is the birthplace of the Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ, prophesied as Immanuel, God with us, the star of Jacob, the sun of righteousness.

Bethlehem is a fitting name for the place where the very bread of life Himself would come into the world as an infant, as a man, for man. The One who made the stars with the breath of His mouth drew his first infant breath under the starry skies of a lowly Judean province. As Charles Wesley's famous 1739 Christmas hymn proclaims:

Mild He lays His glory by
Born that man no more may die
Hark! The herald angels sing
Glory to the newborn King!

On part two of our discussion about the star of Bethlehem, we discuss more of the Scripture, background and history of what the star the Magi saw in the east may have been.

Though another Christmas has come and gone so quickly, let us never forget that the real star of Bethlehem was not the star itself, but the bright and morning star (Rev. 22:16, the star of Jacob (Num. 24:17), the Creator of the stars and the entire cosmos (Gen. 1:1,14; Col. 1:16-20; John 1:1-14), incarnate as a babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger (Luke 2).

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Wayne Spencer's article on the Star of Bethlehem: https://bit.ly/WiseMenStar
Watchman Fellowship's 4-page Profile on the Zoroastrianism by Brady Blevins: watchman.org/Zoro
Subscribe to our sister podcast, Good Heavens! watchman.org/GoodHeavens

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship
For more information visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

Stars, and the heavens in which they reside, all declare the glory of God. They were created for signs and for seasons and for days and years. They were created through Christ Jesus and for Him. They are numbered and named by God Himself. They are silent messengers of divine glory. The LORD Himself told Abram that his descendants would be as the multitude of the stars in the sky. And in Revelation 22:16 Jesus identifies Himself as the "bright and morning Star."

So then it is no surprise that we find reference to a star in Matthew's gospel. A single, silent, enigmatic sign that led wise men, the Magi, to Jerusalem to inquire about He who had been born King of the Jews.

But what was the star? What exactly did the Magi see? Was it an actual astronomical phenomena or a miraculous manifestation of light?

On this special two-part combined Christmas episode of Apologetics Profile and our sister podcast Good Heavens!, Daniel Ray, Wayne Spencer and Brady Blevins discuss the many ideas that have been proposed for what Matthew's star may have been. But more importantly, we offer a reminder of who the star is really all about.

So like the Magi and the shepherds did, come and lift your eyes up on high and see what the star and the angels proclaimed long ago. Come and see wonders await you in discovering Immanuel, God with us, the Lord Jesus Christ.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Wayne Spencer's article on the Star of Bethlehem: https://bit.ly/WiseMenStar
Watchman Fellowship's 4-page Profile on the Zoroastrianism by Brady Blevins: watchman.org/Zoro
Subscribe to our sister podcast, Good Heavens! watchman.org/GoodHeavens

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship
For more information visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

On part two president of Watchman Fellowship, James Walker, concludes his keynote on the nature of God and the Trinity presented at the Witness Now for Jesus Ex-Jehovah's Witness conference. We examine the history behind some of the classic heretical teachings that confronted the early Christianity, how they reappear in our time and how you can recognize them. We hope these insights will give you practical and edifying truths as you give a defense for the hope that is in you to friends, family, and loved ones who don't know Jesus.

As we learned last week, the doctrine of God as Three-in-One, the Trinity, is absolutely central to our faith. Any deviation from understanding this teaching inevitably results in false doctrines and heresy.

Historical councils of the Church throughout history have rigorously addressed the aberrant views of the Trinity, such as the Council of Nicea (325 A.D.) and the Council of Chalcedon (451 A.D.). Yet despite these efforts, heretical doctrines regarding the nature of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit resurface in non-Christian religions and cults.

How might you address objections to God as Three-in-One? Are you prepared to give a defense of the Trinity? What would you say to a Mormon who might object that the word "Trinity" is not found in the Bible, or a Muslim who says it is blasphemy to refer to God as three distinct Persons?

What might you say to someone who argues Jesus is not God? Or that only the Father is God? How might you answer someone who would claim God is not really three Persons, but just appears to us in three different modes?

James Walker is a former fourth-generation Mormon who is currently president of Watchman Fellowship, an evangelical apologetics ministry focused on interfaith evangelism. He is author of The Concise Guide to Today's Religions and Spirituality (watchman.org/ConciseGuide), What the Qur'an Really Teaches about Jesus (watchman.org/Quran),and coauthor of The Truth Behind The Secret (bit.ly/TruthSecret). He is the cofounder of the Atheist & Christian Book Club (AtheistChristianBookClub.com) and cohosts Mormons in Transition Meetup in north Texas (ExMoDFW.com).
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Watchman Fellowship's 4-page Profile on the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society: watchman.org/Watchtower
Watchman Fellowship articles on Jehovah's Witnesses and the Watchtower: watchman.org/JW
We are also offering a free subscription to our 4-page bimonthly Profiles here: www.watchman.org/Free
This message is also available in video format from the Witness Now For Jesus (WNFJ) YouTube Channel here: https://youtu.be/4uTOEMkYXNQ

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship
For more information visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

Was Jesus the creator of all things or was He actually a created being? Creator or creature? God with us or the angel Michael with us? These are foundational questions for Jehovah's Witnesses and other controversial religions. This two-part episode of Apologetics Profile features Watchman Fellowship president, James Walker, sharing a keynote message given at the Witness Now for Jesus Conference of former Jehovah's Witnesses. This message provides helpful reminders and insights about the uniqueness and wonder of seeing God as One God and as three distinct Persons. The doctrine of the Trinity can be difficult to wrap our minds around, but it is absolutely foundational for our faith.

No matter where you are in your walk with Christ, we hope this presentation will be helpful and edifying to you this Christmas season as you reach out to those who don't know Christ. So come and see! Come and celebrate the incarnate Immanuel, God with us, the Babe lying in a manger wrapped in swaddling clothes who is also Creator and Lord of the heavens and earth.

James Walker is a former fourth-generation Mormon who is currently president of Watchman Fellowship, an evangelical apologetics ministry focused on interfaith evangelism. He is author of The Concise Guide to Today's Religions and Spirituality (watchman.org/ConciseGuide), What the Qur'an Really Teaches about Jesus (watchman.org/Quran),and coauthor of The Truth Behind The Secret (bit.ly/TruthSecret). He is the cofounder of the Atheist & Christian Book Club (AtheistChristianBookClub.com) and cohosts Mormons in Transition Meetup in north Texas (ExMoDFW.com).
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Watchman Fellowship's 4-page Profile on the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society: watchman.org/Watchtower
Watchman Fellowship articles on Jehovah's Witnesses and the Watchtower: watchman.org/JW
We are also offering a free subscription to our 4-page bimonthly Profiles here: www.watchman.org/Free
This message is also available in video format from the Witness Now For Jesus (WNFJ) YouTube Channel here: https://youtu.be/4uTOEMkYXNQ

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship
For more information visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

This podcast is also available in video format on YouTube: https://youtu.be/2gGvCl4Kbbs

What would you say to an atheist who says “I don’t believe your God exists. I just believe in one less God than you do?”

This is part two of our special two-part episode recorded live at our Atheist & Christian Book Club featuring guest authors Timothy McGrew, a Christian philosopher, and Graham Oppy, an atheist philosopher. McGrew continues the discussion and puts the question of "one less God than you" in context. McGrew shows us that there is much more at stake than just a mere belief in the non-existence of God. What are the implications, philosophically, theologically, historically, for denying the existence of the God of the Bible?

We also discuss other philosophical theories about knowledge with McGrew and Oppy as we continue our focus on their contributions to the book Four Views on Christianity and Philosophy.

In the book, Oppy admits that his atheistic account of the world is not a “persuasive argument; nonetheless, I think that it is a case that deserves serious consideration.”

So come and hear the conclusion of the whole matter. Does Christian philosophy or does atheist philosophy best account for the universe and our place within it?

Dr. Graham Oppy is Professor of Philosophy at Monash University. He is author of Ontological Arguments and Belief in God; Philosophical Perspectives on Infinity; Arguing about Gods; Reading Philosophy of Religion (with Michael Scott); The Best Argument Against God; Reinventing Philosophy of Religion: An Opinionated Introduction; and Describing Gods: An Investigation of Divine Attributes. He is editor of The Routledge Handbook of Contemporary Philosophy of Religion and (with Nick Trakakis) The History of Western Philosophy of Religion.Dr. Timothy McGrew is Professor and Chairman of the Department of Philosophy at Western Michigan University. He specializes in theory of knowledge, logic, probability theory, and the history and philosophy of science. He has published in numerous journals including Mind, The Monist, Analysis, Erkenntnis, British Journal for the Philosophy of Science, and Philosophia Christi. His recent publications include the article on “Evidence” in The Routledge Companion to Epistemology, coauthorship of The Philosophy of Science: An Historical Anthology, coauthorship (with Lydia McGrew) of the article on “The Argument from Miracles” in The Blackwell Companion to Natural Theology, and the article on “Miracles” for The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.

Four Views on Christianity and Philosophy, edited by Paul M. Gould and Richard Brian Davis is available here: https://bit.ly/4ViewsBook

The Atheist & Christian Book Club meets both in person (Arlington, Texas) and online via Zoom. Learn more, watch past book clubs or to join the club: www.AtheistChristianBookClub.com

We are also offering a free subscription to our 4-page bimonthly Profiles here: www.watchman.org/Free.

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship
For more information visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

This podcast is also available in video format on YouTube: https://youtu.be/2gGvCl4Kbbs

This two part special edition of Apologetics Profile was recorded live at our Atheist & Christian Book Club, a monthly gathering of believers and skeptics respectfully discussing important book from both perspectives. Our guest authors were atheist philosopher Graham Oppy and Christian philosopher Timothy McGrew discussing their contributions to the book Four Views On Christianity and Philosophy.

Dr. Oppy who defends the “Conflict view, arguing that philosophy is vastly superior as a way to truth and a way of life, and thus trumps Christianity.” Dr. Timothy McGrew argues for the “Convergence view that philosophy confirms Christianity and Christianity completes philosophy.”

Come and hear a robust and civil discussion (and disagreement) about what philosophy best informs and explains the existence of the cosmos and our place within it.

Dr. Graham Oppy is Professor of Philosophy at Monash University. He is author of Ontological Arguments and Belief in God; Philosophical Perspectives on Infinity; Arguing about Gods; Reading Philosophy of Religion (with Michael Scott); The Best Argument Against God; Reinventing Philosophy of Religion: An Opinionated Introduction; and Describing Gods: An Investigation of Divine Attributes. He is editor of The Routledge Handbook of Contemporary Philosophy of Religion and (with Nick Trakakis) The History of Western Philosophy of Religion.Dr. Timothy McGrew is Professor and Chairman of the Department of Philosophy at Western Michigan University. He specializes in theory of knowledge, logic, probability theory, and the history and philosophy of science. He has published in numerous journals including Mind, The Monist, Analysis, Erkenntnis, British Journal for the Philosophy of Science, and Philosophia Christi. His recent publications include the article on “Evidence” in The Routledge Companion to Epistemology, coauthorship of The Philosophy of Science: An Historical Anthology, coauthorship (with Lydia McGrew) of the article on “The Argument from Miracles” in The Blackwell Companion to Natural Theology, and the article on “Miracles” for The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.

Four Views on Christianity and Philosophy, edited by Paul M. Gould and Richard Brian Davis is available here: https://bit.ly/4ViewsBook

The Atheist & Christian Book Club meets both in person (Arlington, Texas) and online via Zoom. Learn more, watch past book clubs or to join the club: www.AtheistChristianBookClub.com

We are also offering a free subscription to our 4-page bimonthly Profiles here: www.watchman.org/Free.

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship
For more information visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

Theology, or more simply, the study of God, can seem like a daunting task for us, something only scholarly professionals or seminary students bother thinking about. There are many sub-disciplines of theology, such as historical theology, biblical theology, and philosophical theology. What do they all mean? Why are they separate? Is one more important than the other? And how might a layperson begin to better understand theology for their own witness and faith in Christ?

We are all theologians, from non-believers to pastors and laypersons alike. And our theology will impact how we live our lives.

On part two of our conversation with theologian Dr. Rhyne Putman, we explore more of the practical applications that emanate from a proper understanding of Christian theology. Rhyne's new book The Method of Christian Theology - A Basic Introduction is written for both the lay and academic theologian. It is an immensely helpful and practical look at how we can understand and apply basic theological principles to our own walk with Christ.

Rhyne shares his passion for translating Christian theology and doctrine into disciple making for the glory of God in Christ and His kingdom.

Dr. Rhyne R. Putman is associate vice president for academic affairs and director of worldview formation at Williams Baptist University, as well as associate professor of theology and culture at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. He has served on the Board of Directors of Watchman Fellowship for over 10 years and has authored a number of our 4-page Profiles.

Watchman Profiles by Rhyne Putman

Dr. Putman has written our our 4-page Profiles on several leading atheist authors as well as the New Age teacher and self-help author, Eckhart Tolle:

Watchman's Profile on Richard Dawkins: watchman.org/Dawkins
Watchman's Profile on Bart Ehrman: watchman.org/Ehrman
Watchman's Profile on Sam Harris: watchman.org/Harris
Watchman's Profile on Eckhart Tolle: watchman.org/Tolle

We are also offering a free subscription to our 4-page bimonthly Profiles here: www.watchman.org/Free.

SUPPORT: To help us create more content like this, please make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship
For more information visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

The Method of Christian Theology: A Basic Introduction

As Christians, it can be a challenge to figure out how our faith in Christ and our knowledge of God can address the difficulties and problems of our time. In a world of what seems like nothing more than a patchwork quilt of disparate and disconnected events, how can we even begin to make sense of it all?

The first step in the attempt is a proper foundational understanding of Christian theology and doctrine. What is sound Christian theology? What do we mean by Christian doctrine? Do we have to be professional theologians to face the challenges of our time? Where can we turn for help in better articulating our theology to our culture today?

On this episode, we talk with theologian Dr. Rhyne Putman about his latest book The Method of Christian Theology - A Basic Introduction. Rhyne's book helps equip both the lay and scholastic theologian with the basics about Christian theology and practice. He lays down a foundation for where to begin that is both comprehensive, yet easy to read, outlining everything from what theology and doctrine are, to philosophical ideas about worldviews to how to write a theology paper or put together a sermon.

Dr. Rhyne R. Putman is associate vice president for academic affairs and director of worldview formation at Williams Baptist University, as well as associate professor of theology and culture at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. He has served on the Board of Directors of Watchman Fellowship for over 10 years and has authored a number of our 4-page Profiles.

Watchman Profiles by Rhyne Putman

Dr. Putman has written our our 4-page Profiles on several leading atheist authors as well as the New Age teacher and self-help author, Eckhart Tolle:

Watchman's Profile on Richard Dawkins: watchman.org/Dawkins
Watchman's Profile on Bart Ehrman: watchman.org/Ehrman
Watchman's Profile on Sam Harris: watchman.org/Harris
Watchman's Profile on Eckhart Tolle: watchman.org/Tolle

We are also offering a free subscription to our 4-page bimonthly Profiles here: www.watchman.org/Free.

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship
For more information visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

The Method of Christian Theology: A Basic Introduction

We live in an age of uncertainty, war and rumors of wars. Headlines filled with news of pestilence, famine, earthquakes, fires, and political turmoil seem poised and ready to engulf us in despair and hopelessness at every turn. But this could be said of any age. A hundred years ago or a thousand years ago, there was never any such time where life was without its trials and tribulations.

On this episode of Apologetics Profile, we talk with historian and author Joseph Loconte as he shares with us how the fantasy writings and lives of J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis and the tumultuous and bitter conflicts of their era can give us wisdom and inspiration to persevere through our own personal and cultural challenges and suffering today.

Joe offers insights from his 2015 book, A Hobbit, a Wardrobe, and a Great Waras to how the friendship, love of literature and ultimately the Christian faith of both men enabled them to overcome the despair and cynicism of a culture embroiled in the tragedies of two world wars. Joe's book is currently debuting this year as a five-part drama-documentary. Part one has been released this year. You can view the trailer of the film here.

Joseph Loconte, PhD, is the Director of the B. Kenneth Simon Center for American Studies at the Heritage Foundation. He also serves as a Senior Fellow in Christianity and Culture at The King’s College in New York City. He is the author of the New York Times bestseller A Hobbit, a Wardrobe, and a Great War: How J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis Rediscovered Faith, Friendship, and Heroism in the Cataclysm of 1914-1918 (Harper Collins, 2015) and winner of the 2017 Best Article award from the Tolkien Society for his article How J.R.R. Tolkien Found Mordor on the Western Front.

Mr. Loconte previously served as a Distinguished Visiting Professor at the School of Public Policy at Pepperdine University, where he taught on religion and public policy. He was a Senior Fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center in Washington, D.C., and from 1999-2006 he held the first chair in religion and civil society as the William E. Simon Fellow at the Heritage Foundation.

MORE RESOURCES: We are also offering a free subscription to our 4-page bimonthly Profiles here: www.watchman.org/Free.

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship
For more information visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

Former Mormon James Walker, president of Watchman Fellowship, had the rare opportunity to participate in a public dialogue with a top Latter-day Saint defender, Scott Gordon, president of FairLatterDaySaints.org. Their discussion question was "What is the Gospel?" The dialogue was held at the [un]Apologetic Conference sponsored last month by the Baptist General Convention of Texas (BGCT) and hosted by Dr. Jeremy Evans of Woodridge Baptist Church in Kingwood, Texas.

In episode two of this two-part podcast, James and Scott take questions texted in from the live audience as moderated by Dr. Evans. They seek to further clarify and provide their unique perspectives on the similarities and differences between the Latter-day Saint and evangelical Christian understanding of the Good News of Jesus Christ.

For more about LDS apologist Scott Gordon and evangelical Christian apologist James Walker:

Scott Gordon, President FairLatterDaySaints.org: fairlatterdaysaints.org
James Walker, President of Watchman Fellowship: watchman.org/James
Scott and James interviewed on Fox News Radio with the late Alan Colmes: watchman.org/colmes.pdf

RELATED LINKS: More information on the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints:

Watchman Fellowship's 4-page Profile on Mormonism: watchman.org/Mormonism
Related articles on Mormonism:watchman.org/LDS
Is Mormonism True? by TrueLife.org (23-min.): TrueLife.org/categories/mormonism
James Walker's debate with Latter-day Saint CES Director Joseph Evans on the question "Is Mormonism Christian?" (video, 2-hours): watchman.org/MormonDebate

MORE RESOURCES: We are also offering a free subscription to our 4-page bimonthly Profiles here: www.watchman.org/Free.

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship
For more information visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

Former Mormon James Walker, president of Watchman Fellowship, had the rare opportunity to participate in a public dialogue with a top Latter-day Saint defender, Scott Gordon, president of FairLatterDaySaints.org. Their discussion question was "What is the Gospel?" The dialogue was held at the [un]Apologetic Conference sponsored last month by the Baptist General Convention of Texas (BGCT) and hosted by Dr. Jeremy Evans of Woodridge Baptist Church in Kingwood, Texas.

In part one of this two-part podcast, James and Scott take about 25-minutes each to lay out to lay out their understanding of the essentials of the gospel. They identify and discuss the similarities and differences between the Latter-day Saint and evangelical Christian understanding of the Good News of Jesus Christ.

For more about LDS apologist Scott Gordon and evangelical Christian apologist James Walker:

Scott Gordon, President FairLatterDaySaints.org: fairlatterdaysaints.org
James Walker, President of Watchman Fellowship: watchman.org/James
Scott and James interviewed on Fox News Radio with the late Alan Colmes: watchman.org/colmes.pdf

RELATED LINKS: More information on the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints:

Watchman Fellowship's 4-page Profile on Mormonism: watchman.org/Mormonism
Related articles on Mormonism:watchman.org/LDS
Is Mormonism True? by TrueLife.org (23-min.): TrueLife.org/categories/mormonism

MORE RESOURCES: We are also offering a free subscription to our 4-page bimonthly Profiles here: www.watchman.org/Free.

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship
For more information visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

In the late 19th century, William Draper and Andrew White, set out to make a historical case that science and religion were not in conflict. Yet today, Draper and White are often portrayed as the progenitors of the conflict between science and religion in popular skeptic and atheist polemics against religion.

On part two of our interview with historian of science Dr. James Ungureanu, we will examine how Draper and White's works have come to serve contemporary atheist polemics against Christianity. The "conflict" as many of Draper and White's contemporaries saw their work, was not with science and traditional Christianity, but in Draper and White's attenuated versions of Christianity, more akin to a minimal deism than anything resembling a traditional orthodox Christian faith.

RELATED LINKS: More information on Dr. James Ungureanu and his book:

James Ungureanu: www.jamescungureanu.com
Science, Religion, and the Protestant Tradition - Retracing the Origins of the Conflict: https://bit.ly/SciReligion

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES: Some of Watchman Fellowship's 4-page Profiles and our website

Atheism Profile: watchman.org/atheism
Agnosticism Profile: watchman.org/agnostic
Scientism Profile: watchman.org/scientism
Watchman Fellowship Website: watchman.org

MORE RESOURCES: We are also offering a free subscription to our 4-page bimonthly Profiles here: www.watchman.org/Free.

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship
For more information visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

We are often told by skeptics that there is a conflict between science and religion, more specifically, science and the Bible. This is often referred to by historians as the "conflict thesis." On our two part episode with historian of science James Ungureanu, we will explore the historical roots of the "conflict thesis" as it pertains to Protestant Christianity in the late 19th and early twentieth centuries.

Ungureanu's latest book, Science, Religion, and the Protestant Tradition - Retracing the Origins of the Conflict, examines the ideas and writings of two authors who are often attributed as the originators of the conflict thesis, William Draper and Andrew White.

Ungureanu does not critique their ideas so much as he aims to show that Draper and White were finally not the genesis of the conflict, but rather spokespersons for the spirit of the times; a zeitgeist which included the indelible belief in moral and scientific progress, human rationality, anti-Catholicism and a deistic view of God.

Draper and White were not atheists, but liberal Protestants who saw themselves as heirs of the Protestant Reformation. They did not intend for their writings to be seen as anti-religious polemics, yet over the ensuing decades that followed, with a burgeoning emphasis and appeal to Darwinian evolution and natural selection, atheists and skeptics capitalized on the attenuated deism of Draper and White, taking it one step further and attempted to eliminate God from science altogether.

RELATED LINKS: More information on Dr. James Ungureanu and his book:

James Ungureanu: www.jamescungureanu.com
Science, Religion, and the Protestant Tradition - Retracing the Origins of the Conflict: https://bit.ly/SciReligion

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES: Some of Watchman Fellowship's 4-page Profiles and our website

Atheism Profile: watchman.org/atheism
Agnosticism Profile: watchman.org/agnostic
Scientism Profile: watchman.org/scientism
Watchman Fellowship Website: watchman.org

MORE RESOURCES: We are also offering a free subscription to our 4-page bimonthly Profiles here: www.watchman.org/Free.

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship
For more information visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

On last week's episode Daniel Ray and Brady Blevins discussed the nature of divine hiddenness from a theological and biblical standpoint. This week Daniel and Brady tackle a different aspect of divine hiddenness, this time from a philosophical argument created by atheist philosopher J.L. Schellenberg, against the existence of God.

Not to be confused with theological hiddenness, Schellenberg's argument is known as the Hiddenness Argument and is outlined in his two books, one from 2006 titled Divine Hiddenness and Human Reason and one from 2017, a simpler version of the argument titled The Hiddenness Argument - Philosophy's New Challenge to Belief in God.

It is a more popular argument among thoughtful skeptics and atheists, one your children or grandchildren away at college may encounter from their unbelieving peers.

On this episode Daniel and Brady break down the argument in an easy-to-understand conversation and compare it to what the Bible has to say.

We are also featuring a four-page Profile on both theological and philosophical divine hiddenness researched and written by Daniel Ray.

RESOURCES:

Watchman Fellowship's 4-page Profile on Divine Hiddenness by Daniel Ray: watchman.org/DivineHiddenness

We feature an 18-minute easy-to-understand video presentation on the topic of Divine Hiddenness you may find here: https://youtu.be/xO9qQv0lU0I

We are also offering a free subscription to our 4-page bimonthly Profiles here: www.watchman.org/Free.

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship
For more information visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

This is a 4-minute special edition of Apologetics Profile. We are offering all of our listener a free copy our book, The Story of the Cosmos - How the Heavens Declare the Glory of God, coauthored and coedited by our staff apologist, Daniel Ray. We are also offering the companion online course from our Watchman School of Apologetics containing 15 video lessons, bonus video, study guides and optional video.

The book and online course (a $68 value) are free, we only ask for a donation of at least $3.82 to help cover the postage. Any donation beyond the postage will help us recover from a significant drop in donations we experienced this summer.

To request the book and course, visit www.watchman.org/Story.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship
For more information visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

There comes a time in all of our lives when God seems distant or seems to have forgotten us. Our prayers appear to go unanswered. We are not spared from trial or difficulty or suffering and we wonder if God has indeed forsaken us.

This is not an uncommon experience of those whom God equips for service. The Bible is filled with examples of God's chosen people wandering in darkness, lamenting their sins, emotionally struggling to find solace and comfort in a God who doesn't seem to mind or care that they are suffering.

Examples of Moses, Job, David, Elijah, Peter, Paul, and even the Lord Jesus Himself have all passed through trials of what some theologians have called the "hiddenness of God". As Jesus cried out on the cross "My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?"

On this episode of Apologetics Profile, Watchman staff apologist Daniel Ray and senior apologist Brady Blevins walk through biblical examples of this hiddenness and offer insights from Scripture and their own experiences as to how we can negotiate through such perilous times in our faith.

RESOURCES:

Watchman Fellowship's 4-page Profile on Divine Hiddenness by Daniel Ray: watchman.org/DivineHiddenness

We are also offering a free subscription to our 4-page bimonthly Profiles here: www.watchman.org/Free.

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship
For more information visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

In part two, James Walker, president of Watchman Fellowship, concludes his interview with the founder of our ministry, David Henke, about his new book, Spiritual Abuse Recovery Workbook. Unfortunately, spiritual abuse is not limited to non-Christian sects, controversial religions and cults. Any spiritual leader, church or religious setting can become toxic and spiritually abusive regardless of the groups doctrinal statement or theological orthodoxy. David and James discuss the key issues and answer some critical questions:

What is spiritual abuse?
Why is it so damaging?
What are the main warning signs?
What does the Bible say?
How can one recover from spiritual abuse?

Related Links: David Henke's book and our free 4-page Profile

Spiritual Abuse Recovery Workbook by David Henke: watchman.org/SA
Spiritual Abuse Profile (4-pages) by David Henke: watchman.org/Abuse

MORE RESOURCES: We are also offering a free subscription to our 4-page bimonthly Profiles here: www.watchman.org/Free.

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship
For more information visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

In this two-part podcast James Walker, president of Watchman Fellowship, interviews the founder of our ministry, David Henke, about his new book, Spiritual Abuse Recovery Workbook. Unfortunately, spiritual abuse is not limited to non-Christian sects, controversial religions and cults. Any spiritual leader, church or religious setting, can become toxic and spiritually abusive regardless of the groups doctrinal statement or theological orthodoxy. David and James discuss the key issues and answer critical questions:

What is spiritual abuse?
Why is it so damaging?
What are the main warning signs?
What does the Bible say?
How can one recover from spiritual abuse?

Related Links: David Henke's book and our free 4-page Profile

Spiritual Abuse Recovery Workbook by David Henke: watchman.org/SA
Spiritual Abuse Profile (4-pages) by David Henke: watchman.org/Abuse

MORE RESOURCES: We are also offering a free subscription to our 4-page bimonthly Profiles here: www.watchman.org/Free.

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship
For more information visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

This podcast is also available to watch in video format here: www.watchman.org/Turek2

In this two-part podcast from Watchman Fellowship, Senior Apologist Dr. Brady Blevins interviews a nationally-known speaker, author and apologist, Dr. Frank Turek. Brady and Frank discuss ten of the top objections being used by skeptics and atheists today against Christianity. In part one, they focused on the reliability of the Bible and on the effect Christianity has had on world history.

In this episode, Part Two, Brady and Frank unpack five additional objections to Christianity including some of the scientific problems. In addition, they tackle a question about Critical Race Theory and the divisions spoken of in Galatians. Their conversation today includes these 5 major objections to Christianity.

Science disproves the Bible.
Why would God create a world that he knew was going to go wrong eventually; then punish us for doing what He knew we would do?
Why would God punish us for all eternity for committing finite sins?
Some atheists have said that the God of the OT is horrible and hate filled but the God of the NT is worse because He sends people to hell for just believing the wrong way.
The Bible teaches that all humans were born broken and full of sin. Critical Race Theory (CRT) states that we all have a propensity toward racism. What’s the difference between saying someone is born with sin and saying they are born racists?

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES: Some of Watchman Fellowship's 4-page Profiles and our website

Atheism Profile: watchman.org/atheism
Agnosticism Profile: watchman.org/agnostic
Scientism Profile: watchman.org/scientism
Watchman Fellowship Website: watchman.org

RELATED LINKS: More information on Dr. Frank Turek and his ministry, CrossExamined:

Dr. Frank Turek: www.crossexamined.org/dr-frank-turek/
CrossExamined: www.crossexamined.org
I Don't Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist, by Norman Geisler and Frank Turek: https://amzn.to/3APRvxv
Stealing From God by Frank Turek: https://amzn.to/2W1MvH0

MORE RESOURCES: We are also offering a free subscription to our 4-page bimonthly Profiles here: www.watchman.org/Free.

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship
For more information visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

Stealing from God: Why Atheists Need God to Make Their Case

I Don't Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist

This podcast is also available to watch in video format here: www.watchman.org/Turek1

In this two-part podcast from Watchman Fellowship, Senior Apologist Dr. Brady Blevins interviews a nationally-known speaker, author and apologist, Dr. Frank Turek. Brady and Frank discuss ten of the top objections being used by skeptics and atheists today against Christianity. In part one, they focus on the reliability of the Bible and on the effect Christianity has had on world history. Their conversation includes these 5 major objections to Christianity.

Society is getting better, there are fewer wars going on around the world today per capita than ever before in history and we have made strides toward equality – This is evidence that we don’t need God to be good.
There’s no way to know that the Bible really came from God. After all the writers could have simply made it all up.
Men make mistakes; therefore, how can we trust the Bible because it was written by men?
The books of the Bible were not decided until the council of Nicaea when they were mandated by the Emperor Constantine.
There’s no evidence for God. Science has disproven God’s existence. Besides how can anybody know that God exists?

Be sure to listen to part two next week when they unpack five additional objections to Christianity including some of the scientific problems. In addition, they will tackle a question about Critical Race Theory and the divisions spoken of in Galatians.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES: Some of Watchman Fellowship's 4-page Profiles and our website

Atheism Profile: watchman.org/atheism
Agnosticism Profile: watchman.org/agnostic
Scientism Profile: watchman.org/scientism
Watchman Fellowship Website: watchman.org

RELATED LINKS: More information on Dr. Frank Turek and his ministry, CrossExamined:

Dr. Frank Turek: www.crossexamined.org/dr-frank-turek/
CrossExamined: www.crossexamined.org
I Don't Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist, by Norman Geisler and Frank Turek: https://amzn.to/3APRvxv
Stealing From God by Frank Turek: https://amzn.to/2W1MvH0

MORE RESOURCES: We are also offering a free subscription to our 4-page bimonthly Profiles here: www.watchman.org/Free.

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship
For more information visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

I Don't Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist

Stealing from God: Why Atheists Need God to Make Their Case

NOTE: An expanded edition of this podcast is also available. Listen to the complete WMSCOG podcast here (84-minutes):www.watchman.org/WMSCOG_Full

In this week's episode Watchman Fellowship's Senior Apologist, Brady Blevins, interviews Steve Matthews about a controversial new religion that is now impacting the United States. The World Mission Society Church of God (WMSCOG) is a "mother-god" cult out of South Korea. Critics claim that their tactics, often and most notable on college campuses across the country, include a combination of aggressively seeking out unsuspecting young people and twisting Scripture to make converts.

While the group claims the Bible as authoritative, their unique and unusual theology is largely based on the teachings of their founder, Ahn Sahng-hong. While most groups make their teachings available to anyone and everyone, the WMSCOG only allows members who reach a certain level of dedication to obtain the written copies of the deeper teachings of the group. According to dissents and some former members, once new converts join the group, the WMSCOG will look to control every aspect of the person’s life even to the point of convincing them that if they miss church they will go to hell. This group is very persuasive with their twisting of Scripture. Because of their emphasis on campus recruitment, this should be especially noted for anyone who is going to college or has loved ones in the university system.

RELATED LINKS: More information on WMSCOG:

Watchman Fellowship's 4-page Profile by Steve Matthews: www.watchman.org/WMSCOG
Our Expanded Edition WMSCOG Podcast (1 hour, 24-minutes):www.watchman.org/WMSCOG_Full
Our help sheet for Bible verses showing there is only one true God: www.watchman.org/WMSCOG_OneGod.pdf

MORE RESOURCES: We are also offering a free subscription to our 4-page bimonthly Profiles here: www.watchman.org/Free.

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship
For more information visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

This podcast is also available to watch in video format here: www.watchman.org/HughRoss2

The Bible tells us that in the last days, there will be mockers who will scoff at the idea of a biblical flood. If you are a Christian who has ever talked to a skeptic or an unbeliever, you may have experienced this mockery first-hand. You've been told there's no evidence for a flood, or that the Bible is just a mythical tale, and that while the story of Noah and the animals on the ark might be a cute Sunday school lesson on a felt board, no thoughtful adult takes it seriously.

On this episode, we talk to astrophysicist and Christian apologist, Dr. Hugh Ross of Reasons to Believe. Dr. Ross has explored in great detail the text of Scripture and has participated in discussions and debates with believers and unbelievers alike about the reality of Noah's flood found in the book of Genesis, chapters 6-9.

Dr. Ross takes what is known as an "old-earth" view of the flood. That is, Dr. Ross believes the earth to be billions of years old, rather than six to ten thousand years old. He also does not believe the flood covered the entire globe.

We have also featured a "young-earth" view of the flood from Dr. Tim Clarey of the Institute for Creation Research. You can listen to that episode on our Good Heavens! podcast here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/53039288

We believe as Christians that there is room for civil and charitable disagreement about the scientific details of the flood and we hope that no matter if you are a young or old-earth creationist, or a skeptic or unbeliever, that you can see how Dr. Ross and Dr. Clarey charitably disagree but affirm that the flood described in the Bible really did happen and most importantly, they both affirm the inspiration of Scripture and the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ.

For more about Dr. Ross and Reasons to Believe:

https://reasons.org/team/hugh-ross
https://reasons.org/

This broadcast and our broadcast with Tim Clarey of the Institute for Creation Research are designed to present different perspectives and model Christian charity and love in how we address the issues that divide believers.

RELATED LINKS: More information on Dr. Hugh Ross and his ministry, Reasons to Believe, and book:

Hugh Ross: www.reasons.org/team/hugh-ross
Reasons to Believe: www.reasons.org
Days of Noah (DVD): https://bit.ly/NoahDVD
Improbable Planet, by Hugh Ross: https://amzn.to/3C0m0SN

MORE RESOURCES: We are also offering a free subscription to our 4-page bimonthly Profiles here: www.watchman.org/Free.

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship
For more information visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

Improbable Planet: How Earth Became Humanity's Home

This podcast is also available to watch in video format here: www.watchman.org/HughRoss1

The Bible tells us that in the last days, there will be mockers who will scoff at the idea of a biblical flood. If you are a Christian who has ever talked to a skeptic or an unbeliever, you may have experienced this mockery first-hand. You've been told there's no evidence for a flood, or that the Bible is just a mythical tale, and that while the story of Noah and the animals on the ark might be a cute Sunday school lesson on a felt board, no thoughtful adult takes it seriously.

On this episode, we talk to astrophysicist and Christian apologist, Dr. Hugh Ross of Reasons to Believe. Dr. Ross has explored in great detail the text of Scripture and has participated in discussions and debates with believers and unbelievers alike about the reality of Noah's flood found in the book of Genesis, chapters 6-9.

Dr. Ross takes what is known as an "old-earth" view of the flood. That is, Dr. Ross believes the earth to be billions of years old, rather than six to ten thousand years old. He also does not believe the flood covered the entire globe.

We have also featured a "young-earth" view of the flood from Dr. Tim Clarey of the Institute for Creation Research. You can listen to that episode on our Good Heavens! podcast here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/53039288

We believe as Christians that there is room for civil and charitable disagreement about the scientific details of the flood and we hope that no matter if you are a young or old-earth creationist, or a skeptic or unbeliever, that you can see how Dr. Ross and Dr. Clarey charitably disagree but affirm that the flood described in the Bible really did happen and most importantly, they both affirm the inspiration of Scripture and the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ.

For more about Dr. Ross and Reasons to Believe:

https://reasons.org/team/hugh-ross
https://reasons.org/

This broadcast and our broadcast with Tim Clarey of the Institute for Creation Research are designed to present different perspectives and model Christian charity and love in how we address the issues that divide believers.

RELATED LINKS: More information on Dr. Hugh Ross and his ministry, Reasons to Believe, and book:

Hugh Ross: www.reasons.org/team/hugh-ross
Reasons to Believe: www.reasons.org
Days of Noah (DVD): https://bit.ly/NoahDVD
Improbable Planet, by Hugh Ross: https://amzn.to/3C0m0SN

MORE RESOURCES: We are also offering a free subscription to our 4-page bimonthly Profiles here: www.watchman.org/Free.

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship
For more information visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

Improbable Planet: How Earth Became Humanity's Home

This podcast is also available to watch in video format here: www.watchman.org/Markos2

When the Apostle Paul preached his sermon on Mars Hill to the Greek philosophers, he quoted from two Greek poets writing about Zeus, but he used the poem as a bridge to show the Athenians the truth about the risen Lord Jesus Christ. And as we learned in part one, Dr. Markos argues Jesus may have done the very same thing when speaking to a group of curious Greek seekers.

But what would this kind of creative bridge-building look like for us today? Dr. Markos argues Christianity isn't just a story, but the best story. In our scientific, rational and post-Enlightenment age people flock to the movies, starving for redemption, meaning and purpose. And though we all know the stories of the sliver screen are indeed not true in a literal sense, some may true on a much deeper level.

A strong man comes to deliver us and do for us what we cannot do for ourselves. Bravery, sacrifice, standing up for truth and goodness in a world filled with evil. Our culture wants this to be true. And the good news is that it is true.

Dr. Markos argues Christians should seek to find Christian truths in our movies and in the ancient myths. As C.S. Lewis noted in his essay, Myth Became Fact, "We must not be nervous about 'parallels' and 'pagan Christs': they ought to be there - it would be a stumbling block if they weren't. We must not, in false spirituality, withhold our imaginative welcome."

On part two, Dr. Markos gives us more insights into the ways we can use the ancient myths in proclamation of Gospel truth.

RELATED LINKS: More information on Dr. Louis Markos and a link to his website and book:

The Myth Made Fact by Louis Markos: https://bit.ly/MythMadeFact
Myth Made Fact (website, course, PowerPoint, and files): MythMadeFact.com
About Dr. Louis Markos: hbu.edu/contact/louis-markos

MORE RESOURCES: We are also offering a free subscription to our 4-page bimonthly Profiles here: www.watchman.org/Free.

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship
For more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

This podcast is also available to watch in video format here: www.watchman.org/Markos1

You have probably heard skeptics make the claim that Jesus is just a myth, just like all the other dying-and-rising-god myths the ancient world. But is that really true? Absolutely not, argues our guest this week, Dr. Louis Markos of Houston Baptist University. His latest book The Myth Made Fact, argues that rather than being just another myth, Christianity is the fulfillment of all the great myths of the past. And by myth Dr. Markos does not mean "falsehood," but rather a cultural narrative rooted in the truth of who we are as created in the image of God.

If Jesus is not the Savior of the world who died and rose again for the salvation of mankind, the skeptic is hard-pressed to explain why many of the ancient tales contain tinctures of Gospel truth. Why the need for a Savior? A strong man? What has gone wrong with man? Why is life depicted as a cosmic battle between gods and men? The "Proto-Evangelium"Dr. Markos argues, the "First Gospel," ideas of fall and redemption, appear throughout Greek and Roman mythology.

And like the early Christians transformed "pagan symbols into Christian iconography," Dr. Markos believes Christians today can and should creatively do the very same thing, using the Gospel as our standard.

Following in the footsteps of C.S. Lewis, Dr. Markos believes the stories and mythical tales can serve to help believers show how the truth of the Gospel is indeed the fulfillment of the best myths, it is indeed the greatest story ever told.

RELATED LINKS: More information on Dr. Louis Markos and a link to his website and book:

The Myth Made Fact by Louis Markos: https://bit.ly/MythMadeFact
Myth Made Fact (website, course, PowerPoint, and files): MythMadeFact.com
About Dr. Louis Markos: hbu.edu/contact/louis-markos

MORE RESOURCES: We are also offering a free subscription to our 4-page bimonthly Profiles here: www.watchman.org/Free.

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship
For more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

This podcast is also available to watch in video format here: watchman.org/Tarot2

Divination is an occultic practice that attempts to contact the spirit world in hopes of gaining wisdom and/or power by supernatural means apart from the God of the Bible. In part two of our discussion on tarot cards, the influence of Carl Jung on the understanding of how tarot cards “work” is examined. The types of questions and problems that the tarot cards are said to be able to answer are considered. Daniel and Brady discuss the act of the divinator and their practice in reading the cards. The conversation focuses on issues such as, how the cards are shuffled, spread out and are interpreted. Special attention is given to the subjective nature of the divinator and how the cards are purported to “work.” Finally, the act of divination is discussed from a biblical perspective. The warning throughout scripture and especially the New Testament are weighed against the actions of the divinator.

RELATED LINKS: Access our free, 4-page Watchman Felloship Profiles on Tarot Cards, Psychics, the Occult and Aleister Crowley:

Profile on Tarot Cards: www.watchman.org/Tarot
Profile on Psychics: www.watchman.org/Psychics
Profile on the Occult: www.watchman.org/TheOccult
Profile on Aleister Crowley: www.watchman.org/Crowley

MORE RESOURCES: We are also offering a free subscription to our 4-page bimonthly Profiles here: www.watchman.org/Free.

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship
For more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

This podcast is also available to watch in video format here: watchman.org/Tarot1

The history of tarot cards is shrouded in mystery but the modern-day usage of the cards can be tracked back to the 15th century. In today’s podcast, Senior Apologist Brady Blevins discusses the history of tarot cards and how they have grown in popularity. Along with Daniel Ray, Brady discusses the significance of the cards and major divisions that affect how divinators determine the meaning based on the type of cards. The suits and court cards are discussed as well as the difference between tarot cards and a regular deck of playing cards. The warnings about divination from the Old Testament are illuminated and the table is set for a deeper discussion in part two.

RELATED LINKS: Access our free, 4-page Watchman Felloship Profiles on Tarot Cards, Psychics, the Occult and Aleister Crowley:

Profile on Tarot Cards: www.watchman.org/Tarot
Profile on Psychics: www.watchman.org/Psychics
Profile on the Occult: www.watchman.org/TheOccult
Profile on Aleister Crowley: www.watchman.org/Crowley

MORE RESOURCES: We are also offering a free subscription to our 4-page bimonthly Profiles here: www.watchman.org/Free.

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship
For more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

This podcast is also available to watch in video format here: www.watchman.org/Micah2

Today's podcast is part 2 of James Walker's interview with former Mormon Micah Wilder, author of the new book Passport to Heaven. Micah shares his remarkable story of leaving his Latter-day Saint beliefs and discovering the grace of Christ while serving as a Mormon missionary.

RELATED LINKS: Order Micah's book, related articles and access our free, 4-page Watchman Fellowship Profile on the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormonism):

Passport to Heaven by Micah Wilder: https://amzn.to/2SR81wy
Watchman Articles on Mormonism: www.watchman.org/LDS
Profile on the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: www.watchman.org/Mormonism

MORE RESOURCES: We are also offering a free subscription to our 4-page bimonthly Profiles here: www.watchman.org/Free.

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship
For more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

Passport to Heaven: The True Story of a Zealous Mormon Missionary Who Discovers the Jesus He Never Knew

This podcast is also available to watch in video format here: www.watchman.org/Micah1

Today's podcast is part 1 of James Walker's interview with former Mormon Micah Wilder, author of the new book Passport to Heaven. Micah shares his remarkable story of leaving his Latter-day Saint beliefs and discovering the grace of Christ while serving as a Mormon missionary.

Related Links

Order Micah's book, related articles and access our free, 4-page Watchman Fellowship Profile on the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormonism):

Passport to Heaven by Micah Wilder: https://amzn.to/2SR81wy
Watchman Articles on Mormonism: watchman.org/LDS
Profile on the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: watchman.org/Mormonism

Additional Resources

FREE: We are also offering a free subscription to our 4-page bimonthly Profiles here: www.watchman.org/Free.

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship
For more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

Passport to Heaven: The True Story of a Zealous Mormon Missionary Who Discovers the Jesus He Never Knew

Apologetics Profile is a weekly podcast published by Watchman Fellowship, an evangelical Christian ministry focused on interfaith evangelism and apologetics. To subscribe, visit www.watchman.org/Podcast or text Podcast to 50700.

Additional Resources

FREE: We are also offering a free subscription to our 4-page bimonthly Profiles here: www.watchman.org/Free.

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Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship
For more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

This podcast is also available to watch in video format here: www.watchman.org/Meyer2.

Charles Darwin published his landmark work The Origin of the Species in 1859. Today, evolution and natural selection remain the dominant scientific paradigms of our time regarding the development of biological life. Many atheists and skeptics regard Darwin's ideas as having finally done away with the idea that life is the special creation of the God of the Bible.

Our guest this week, Dr. Stephen C. Meyer of the Discovery Institute in Seattle, Washington, and best-selling author of The Return of the God Hypothesis suggests the findings of contemporary biological sciences point in the opposite direction.

On this episode, Dr. Meyer unpacks with resplendent clarity how the intricate designs and arrangement of molecules and proteins in living cells serve to affirm the fantastic truths proclaimed in Genesis and the Psalms. Life is indeed the special creation of the living God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Our cellular composition reflects exquisite design and purpose. Life is fearfully and wonderfully made. God's invisible attributes; His wisdom, creativity, power, intelligence, beauty, and majesty are reflected in everything He has made from the tiniest zygote to the swiftest Zebra on the Serengeti.
You don't want to miss this episode!

Stephen C. Meyer received his Ph.D. in the philosophy of science from the University of Cambridge. A former geophysicist and college professor, he now directs Discovery Institute’s Center for Science and Culture in Seattle.

In addition to Meyer’s two landmark books, the New York Times bestseller Darwin’s Doubt: The Explosive Origin of Animal Life and the Case for Intelligent Design and Times (of London) Literary Supplement Book of the Year Signature in the Cell: DNA and the Evidence for Intelligent Design, his many other publications include contributions to, and the editing of, the peer-reviewed volume Darwinism, Design and Public Education (Michigan State University Press, 2004) and the innovative textbook Explore Evolution (Hill House Publishers, 2007).

Meyer has also published editorials in national newspapers such as The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, The National Post (of Canada), The Daily Telegraph (of London) and The Los Angeles Times. He has appeared on national television and radio programs such as The Jim Lehrer News Hour, NBC Nightly News, ABC Nightly News, CBS Sunday Morning, Nightline, Fox News Live, Paula Zahn Now (CNN), Good Morning America and the Tavis Smiley Show on PBS. He has also been featured in two New York Times front-page stories and has garnered attention in other top national media.

For more information, visit: https://www.thereturnofthegodhypothesis.com.

Related Links

Order Dr. Meyer's book and access our free, 4-page Watchman Fellowship Profiles on Atheism and Agnosticism:

Return of the God Hypothesis by Stephen C. Meyer: http://bit.ly/StephenMeyer
Profile on Atheism: watchman.org/Atheism
Profile on Agnosticism: watchman.org/Agnostic

Additional Resources

FREE: We are also offering a free subscription to our 4-page bimonthly Profiles here: www.watchman.org/Free.

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship
For more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

Return of the God Hypothesis: Three Scientific Discoveries That Reveal the Mind Behind the Universe

This podcast is also available to watch in video format here: www.watchman.org/Meyer1.

Today there exists a confidence in the minds of many skeptics and unbelievers that science has somehow disproved God's existence; that cutting-edge theories in cosmology and biology have once-and-for-all triumphed over the need to explain such wonders as the handiwork and intelligence of God.

According to our guest this week, Dr. Stephen C. Meyer of Discover Institute, nothing could be further from the truth. In his latest book, The Return of the God Hypothesis, Dr. Meyer unpacks and examines the leading scientific theories in both cosmology and biology and demonstrates with lucid, evidentiary detail, how God is indeed the best explanation for the existence of the universe and life within it.

On part one, we discuss Dr. Meyer's personal journey and the latest findings in the science of the universe. You'll find your faith encouraged as we discover together that rather than doing away with God, the exquisite discoveries of the last century point directly to divine intelligence, affirming the wondrous truths of Scripture that everything that has come to be has been made and is sustained by the risen Lord Jesus Christ (Genesis 1; Psalm 19; Psalm 111; Isaiah 40:26; Colossians 1; John 1; Hebrews 1:3; 11:3).

Stephen C. Meyer received his Ph.D. in the philosophy of science from the University of Cambridge. A former geophysicist and college professor, he now directs Discovery Institute’s Center for Science and Culture in Seattle.

In addition to Meyer’s two landmark books, the New York Times bestseller Darwin’s Doubt: The Explosive Origin of Animal Life and the Case for Intelligent Design and Times (of London) Literary Supplement Book of the Year Signature in the Cell: DNA and the Evidence for Intelligent Design, his many other publications include contributions to, and the editing of, the peer-reviewed volume Darwinism, Design and Public Education (Michigan State University Press, 2004) and the innovative textbook Explore Evolution (Hill House Publishers, 2007).

Meyer has also published editorials in national newspapers such as The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, The National Post (of Canada), The Daily Telegraph (of London) and The Los Angeles Times. He has appeared on national television and radio programs such as The Jim Lehrer News Hour, NBC Nightly News, ABC Nightly News, CBS Sunday Morning, Nightline, Fox News Live, Paula Zahn Now (CNN), Good Morning America and the Tavis Smiley Show on PBS. He has also been featured in two New York Times front-page stories and has garnered attention in other top national media.

For more information, visit: https://www.thereturnofthegodhypothesis.com.

Related Links

Order Dr. Meyer's book and access our free, 4-page Watchman Fellowship Profiles on Atheism and Agnosticism:

Return of the God Hypothesis by Stephen C. Meyer: http://bit.ly/StephenMeyer
Profile on Atheism: watchman.org/Atheism
Profile on Agnosticism: watchman.org/Agnostic

Additional Resources

FREE: We are also offering a free subscription to our 4-page bimonthly Profiles here: www.watchman.org/Free.

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship
For more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

Return of the God Hypothesis: Three Scientific Discoveries That Reveal the Mind Behind the Universe

In part two, Dr. Brady Blevins, Senior Apologist at Watchman Fellowship, and Staff Apologist Daniel Ray continue their conversation about some practical ways Christians can engage in productive gospel conversations with their Mormon friends.

Jesus said, "Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled" (Matthew 5:6). Latter-day Saints are taught that they obtain righteousness by their own "obedience to the laws and ordinances of the gospel" (Articles of Faith #3). We tend not to "hunger and thirst" for that which we believe we already have. But this raises some important questions:

Can anyone become righteous based on the requirements of the gospel found in the Book of Mormon?
What must we really do to obtain "sufficient grace" according to the gospel in the Book of Mormon?

Brady and Daniel discuss the requirements of the "Restored Gospel" of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and share practical advice on how to discuss these issues with our Mormon friends, coworkers and family.

Dr. Brady Blevins, Senior Apologist with Watchman Fellowship, is a featured speaker and writer with the ministry. He also serves as the editor of our Profile Notebook. He holds a BS in Bible and Pastoral Ministries from Arlington Baptist College, a MA in Counseling from Dallas Baptist University and a Doctorate in Educational Ministries from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. For more information: www.watchman.org/staff/BradyBlevinsBio.pdf.

Daniel Ray, Staff Apologist at Watchman Fellowship, is a speaker, writer, and podcast producer with the ministry. He holds a BS in Interdisciplinary Studies from Austin Peay State University and an MA in Cultural Apologetics from Houston Baptist University. He is coeditor and cowriter of The Story of the Cosmos, How the Heavens Declare the Glory of God. For more information: www.watchman.org/staff/DanielRayBio.pdf.

Related Links

Read our 4-page Profile on the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and learn more about having "hunger and thirst" discussions with LDS:

Watchman Profile on the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: watchman.org/Mormonism
Mormonism Articles by Watchman Fellowship: watchman.org/LDS
Free Video training on "Hunger and Thirst" gospel conversations with Mormons: Text the word Utah to 50700.

Additional Resources

FREE: We are also offering a free subscription to our 4-page bimonthly Profiles here: www.watchman.org/Free.

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship
For more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

In this two-part episode, Dr. Brady Blevins, Senior Apologist at Watchman Fellowship, and Staff Apologist Daniel Ray suggest some practical ways Christians can engage in productive gospel conversations with their Mormon friends.
Jesus said, "Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled" (Matthew 5:6). Latter-day Saints are taught that they obtain righteousness by their own "obedience to the laws and ordinances of the gospel" (Articles of Faith #3). We tend not to "hunger and thirst" for that which we believe we already have. But this raises some important questions:

Can anyone become righteous based on the requirements of the gospel found in the Book of Mormon?
What must we really do to obtain "sufficient grace" according to the gospel in the Book of Mormon?

Brady and Daniel discuss the requirements of the "Restored Gospel" of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and share practical advice on how to discuss these issues with our Mormon friends, coworkers and family.

Dr. Brady Blevins, Senior Apologist with Watchman Fellowship, is a featured speaker and writer with the ministry. He also serves as the editor of our Profile Notebook. He holds a BS in Bible and Pastoral Ministries from Arlington Baptist College, a MA in Counseling from Dallas Baptist University and a Doctorate in Educational Ministries from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. For more information: www.watchman.org/staff/BradyBlevinsBio.pdf.

Daniel Ray, Staff Apologist at Watchman Fellowship, is a speaker, writer, and podcast producer with the ministry. He holds a BS in Interdisciplinary Studies from Austin Peay State University and an MA in Cultural Apologetics from Houston Baptist University. He is coeditor and cowriter of The Story of the Cosmos, How the Heavens Declare the Glory of God. For more information: www.watchman.org/staff/DanielRayBio.pdf.

Related Links

Read our 4-page Profile on the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and learn more about having "hunger and thirst" discussions with LDS:

Watchman Profile on the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: watchman.org/Mormonism
Mormonism Articles by Watchman Fellowship: watchman.org/LDS
Free Video training on "Hunger and Thirst" gospel conversations with Mormons: Text the word Utah to 50700.

Additional Resources
FREE: We are also offering a free subscription to our 4-page bimonthly Profiles here: www.watchman.org/Free.

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship
For more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

The Case for Miracles -- On this special edition of Apologetics Profile, we visit a recent meeting of our Atheist & Christian Book Club to hear our guest author, Christian philosopher Dr. Craig Keener, make a case for miracles.

The Atheist & Christian Book Club, an outreach of Watchman Fellowship, is a monthly gathering of believers and skeptics respectfully discussing important books from both perspectives. We usually invite the author to join the club to interact with our members and take our questions. For the previous month, our guest author was John Loftus discussing his anthology, The Case Against Miracles.

In this podcast we take you to highlights of the following book club as Dr. Keener discusses his three-chapter interview in Lee Strobel's book The Case for Miracles and his own two-volume work, Miracles: The Credibility of the New Testament Accounts.

Dr. Craig Keener holds a PhD from Duke University and is professor of Biblical Studies as Asbury Seminary. His expertise includes New Testament Background, Acts, Historical Jesus, Miracles, the Gospels, Ethnic/racial Reconciliation, and Education. He has authored 28 books, six of which have won book awards in Christianity Today, of which altogether more than one million copies are in circulation.
Related Links

Learn more about Dr. Keener and the Atheist & Christian Book Club:

About Craig Keener: http://bit.ly/CraigKeener
Miracles (two volumes) by Craig Keener: http://bit.ly/2VolMiracles
The Case for Miracles by Lee Strobel: http://bit.ly/CaseForMiracles
Watch the full Book Club Video: http://bit.ly/PastClubs
Other videos from Dr. Keener: http://bit.ly/KeenerVideo
Atheist & Christian Book Club: AtheistChristianBookClub.com
Watchman Profile on Atheism: watchman.org/atheism
Watchman Profile on Agnosticism: watchman.org/agnostic

Additional Resources

FREE: We are also offering a free subscription to our 4-page bimonthly Profiles here: www.watchman.org/Free.

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship
For more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

On part two of our discussion with former atheist, Dr. Sarah Salviander, she continues to give us wisdom and insight from her successes and failures of engaging skeptics and seekers through social media. If you or someone you know is active on social media, especially in the areas of apologetics and evangelism this is an episode you and your friends & family do not want to miss!

Is it possible to exhibit humility and grace through our communication with skeptics on social media? Yes. While social media is not the ideal means to communicate our faith in Christ with unbelievers, we can, by God's grace, exhibit a difference in our online conduct and engagements.

Too often we as believers can become short, sarcastic, and demeaning in our social media interactions. It is very tempting, given the impersonal and often anonymous nature of social media, to respond with snark and ridicule. Dr. Salviander encourages us to more Christ-like and productive in our online conversations.

Dr. Sarah Salviander is an astrophysicist interested in the intersection between science and Christianity. She was raised atheist in a secular country, but was led to Christianity while getting her PhD after discovering the confluence between modern science and scripture. Dr. Salviander recently retired from her career as a university research scientist and professor to focus on ministry. She remains active in astrophysical research through a small, private institute. Her scholarly articles can be found on arXiv or the NASA ADS. She maintains an archive of articles on science and faith at her website, sarahsalviander.com, and enjoys interacting with followers on Twitter and Instagram.

Related Links

Learn more about Dr. Salviander, download our related 4-page Profiles and explore our monthly Atheist & Christian Book Club, a great place for Christians and skeptics to engage in civil dialogue:

Sarah Salviander -- Apologist, Astrophysicist and Author: sarahsalviander.com
Watchman Profile on Atheism: watchman.org/atheism
Watchman Profile on Agnosticism: watchman.org/agnostic
Atheist & Christian Book Club: AtheistChristianBookClub.com

Additional Resources

FREE: We are also offering a free subscription to our 4-page bimonthly Profiles here: www.watchman.org/Free.

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship
For more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

On this special two-part episode of Apologetics Profile, we talk with former atheist, astrophysicist Dr. Sarah Salviander, who has been engaging skeptics and seekers through social media for several years. She gives us tips and wisdom from her experiences we think can help you better communicate with others in cyberspace.

Since the advent of the pandemic in 2020, life seems to have retreated to the Internet. And online, there exists the problem of not being present with one another in conversation. If you have ever been involved in a discussion in social media with a skeptic or atheist, you know such engagements can quickly deteriorate into a milieu of incivility and vitriol from both sides.

While it is not the most effective way to engage our unbelieving neighbors, social media is an ever-present facet of our time that we must know how to intelligently utilize for the glory of God.

Communications technologies are inherently impersonal and seem to foster unhealthy dialogue, but that doesn't mean Christians cannot still exhibit grace, tact, and humility when talking to people on social media about our faith.

If you or someone you know is active on social media, especially in the areas of apologetics and evangelism this is an episode you and your friends and family do not want to miss!

Dr. Sarah Salviander is an astrophysicist interested in the intersection between science and Christianity. She was raised atheist in a secular country, but was led to Christianity while getting her PhD after discovering the confluence between modern science and scripture. Dr. Salviander recently retired from her career as a university research scientist and professor to focus on ministry. She remains active in astrophysical research through a small, private institute. Her scholarly articles can be found on arXiv or the NASA ADS. She maintains an archive of articles on science and faith at her website, sarahsalviander.com, and enjoys interacting with followers on Twitter and Instagram.

Related Links

Learn more about Dr. Salviander, download our related 4-page Profiles and explore our monthly Atheist & Christian Book Club, a great place for Christians and skeptics to engage in civil dialogue:

Sarah Salviander -- Apologist, Astrophysicist and Author: sarahsalviander.com
Watchman Profile on Atheism: watchman.org/atheism
Watchman Profile on Agnosticism: watchman.org/agnostic
Atheist & Christian Book Club: AtheistChristianBookClub.com

Additional Resources

FREE: We are also offering a free subscription to our 4-page bimonthly Profiles here: www.watchman.org/Free.

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship
For more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

The Atheist & Christian Book Club is an outreach of Watchman Fellowship, the parent ministry of Apologetics Profile. It is a monthly gathering of believers and skeptics respectfully discussing important books from both perspectives.

In this special edition of Apologetics Profile, Kerby Anderson of Probe ministries interviews Christian apologist James Walker and atheist apologist Bill Kluck about this unique book club they founded in 2017. The interview originally aired on Point of View, an international syndicated radio program carried on 265 stations with an audience of about 1 million. Watchman staff apologist, Daniel Ray who helps facilitate the book club, was also interviewed.

What Happens at the Club? Each month between 25 to 60 athesits and Christians share a meal together and then discuss important books alternating each month between an athiest book and a Christian book. Usually the author of the book is present to discuss the book or is avaialble by video conferencing to provide additional insight and take questions from the club. Since the pandemic, the club has been moved online to Zoom where the membership has grown to include particiapants as far away as India and Africa.

Atheist and agnostic authors who have joined the club to discuss their books include: Michael Ruse, Graham Oppy, Richard Carrier, Robert Price, Aron Ra, David Fitzgerald, John Loftus, Seth Andrews, Steve McRae, Sasha Sagan (daughter of the late Carl Sagan), Jim Hall, Ken Daniels, and David Madison.

Christian authors who have joined the club to discuss their books include: Gary Habermas, Paul Copan, Tim McGrew, Craig Keener, Frank Turek, Sean McDowell, Travis Dickenson, Melissa Cain Travis, J. Warner Wallace, Holly Ordway, Michael Bird, Craig Evans, Justin Brierley and Hugh Ross.

Check out the links below to join the club online via Zoom.

Related Links

Learn more about the Atheist & Christian Book Club, Point of View and Probe Ministries:

Atheist & Christian Book Club: AtheistChristianBookClub.com
Next Month's Book Club: AtheistChristianBookClub.com/Next-Meeting
Watch Previous Clubs: atheistchristianbookclub.com/previous-meetings
Book Club Facebook Page: Facebook.com/AtheistChristianBookClub
Point of View: www.PointOfView.net
Probe Ministry: Probe.org

Additional Resources

FREE: We are also offering a free subscription to our 4-page bimonthly Profiles here: www.watchman.org/Free.

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship
For more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

On part two of Daniel Ray's discussion with Dr. W. David Beck, we look into the history of moral arguments for God’s existence and how skeptics and non-believers have traditionally responded. We also give you some practical advice as to how to apply this rich philosophical tradition to your own life and witness in dialogue with skeptics who are familiar with these arguments.

Moral Arguments for God: Perhaps you have heard it said from your skeptic and non-believing friends and family members that we can be “good without God.” Maybe you’ve also heard Christians say “Atheists can’t be good without God!”

Sometimes that sort of back-and-forth misses a crucial point. The Bible says plainly that we have all, believers and unbelievers, fallen short of the glory of God. It is not that Christians are moral and atheists are immoral, but rather it is a question of the origin and foundation of our moral nature.

What is the foundational justification for our sense of right and wrong?
Is it just feelings, emotions, and desires hard-wired into our genetics or particular in-group, passed along to us from our ancestors?
Or do right and wrong emanate from a transcendent source, traditionally understood by Abrahamic faiths as God?

These questions have been debated ever since the dawn of time and our existence on the planet. There is a long-standing tradition of philosophical defenses for the existence of God, known as moral arguments. Through appealing to man’s intellectual and reasoning capacities, moral arguments rely upon logic, reason, and philosophical thought, not in opposition to the revealed truth of Scripture, but as a complementary help meet, demonstrating that it is logical and reasonable to conclude, from the existence of our moral natures, that God exists.

FREE BOOK FOR 5 PODCAST LISTENERS!

The first five listeners who contact Daniel Ray by email will receive a free copy of Dr. Beck’s latest book, Does God Exist? A History of Answers to the Question courtesy InterVarsity Press. Daniel’s office email is Dray@watchman.org.

If you are unable to get a free copy of Dr. Beck’s latest book, you can find it on Amazon: http://bit.ly/WDavidBeck.

Related Profiles

Watchman Fellowship has published several Profiles related with this week's topic on the existance of God:

Profile on Atheism, Watchman Fellowship's 4-page Profile: www.watchman.org/Atheism
Profile on Agnosticism, Watchman Fellowship's 4-page Profile: www.watchman.org/Agnostic
Profile on Richard Dawkins, Watchman Fellowship's 4-page Profile: www.watchman.org/Dawkins

W. David Beck (PhD, Boston University) is emeritus professor of philosophy at Liberty University. He is author of Does God Exist? A History of Answers to the Question and is the coeditor of Raised on the Third Day: Defending the Historicity of the Resurrection of Jesus. His written work has also appeared in publications including Philosophia Christi, Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society, and Christianity Today. Visit Dr. Beck's author's page here: http://bit.ly/WDavidBeck.

Additional Resources

FREE: We are also offering a free subscription to our 4-page bimonthly Profiles here: www.watchman.org/Free.

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship
For more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

On this two-part episode of Apologetics Profile, we talk with Christian philosopher Dr. W. David Beck about his latest book Does God Exist? A History of Answers to the Question. In his book he looks at the historical back-and-forth of four fundamental arguments used in defense of God’s existence, the cosmological, teleological, moral, and ontological arguments. It is a condensed historical, theological and philosophical survey of the principal contributors of each argument from both a materialist and religious point of view.

In his classic apologetic work Mere Christianity, scholar, author, and Christian apologist C.S. Lewis observes that “atheism turns out to be too simple. If the whole universe has no meaning, we should never have found out that it has no meaning: just as, if there were no light in the universe and therefore no creatures with eyes, we should never know it was dark. Dark would be a word without meaning.”

That the universe exists is something upon which we can all universally agree. As the Bible says, the heavens are telling of the glory of God, and the expanse shows forth His handiwork. God’s divine workmanship are known throughout the world in all times and in all places.

But for the skeptic, what best explains why the universe exists? Agnostic cosmologist Dr. Sean Carroll suggests in a 2018 post on his blog Preposterous Universe that “The demand for something more — a reason why the universe exists at all — is a relic piece of metaphysical baggage we would be better off to discard.”

That statement of course is a piece of metaphysics itself, philosophy in the strict sense of the word, not science. An attempt to make the question go away, does not finally address the question of why there is something rather than nothing.

For centuries we have been interpreting and discussing the universe and our place within it, and as Lewis noted in Mere Christianity there are fundamentally two types of views, a materialist view and a religious view.

And as long as we have been contemplating the cosmos, philosophers, theologians, skeptics, and atheists have often used rigorous philosophical arguments in defense of their respective positions.

Stay tuned also to part two, where we will be giving away some free copies of Dr. Beck's Book courtesy InterVarsity Press! Be sure to listen to part two as we share exactly how you can request a free copy (while supplies last).

Related Profiles

Watchman Fellowship has published several Profiles related with this week's topic on the existance of God:

Profile on Atheism, Watchman Fellowship's 4-page Profile: www.watchman.org/Atheism
Profile on Agnosticism, Watchman Fellowship's 4-page Profile: www.watchman.org/Agnostic
Profile on Richard Dawkins, Watchman Fellowship's 4-page Profile: www.watchman.org/Dawkins

W. David Beck (PhD, Boston University) is emeritus professor of philosophy at Liberty University. He is author of Does God Exist? A History of Answers to the Question and is the coeditor of Raised on the Third Day: Defending the Historicity of the Resurrection of Jesus. His written work has also appeared in publications including Philosophia Christi, Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society, and Christianity Today. Visit Dr. Beck's author's page here: http://bit.ly/WDavidBeck.

Additional Resources

FREE: We are also offering a free subscription to our 4-page bimonthly Profiles here: www.watchman.org/Free.

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship
For more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

In this week's Apologetics Profile, James Walker interviews Addam Swapp, a former member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who became a Fundamentalist Mormon practicing polygamy. Addam was involved in the bombing of a Mormon chapel followed by a 13-day standoff and shootout with law enforcement in which one officer was fatally shot and killed.

In federal prison, Addam found himself on the floor of a dirty cell, broken and defeated. At this time of his deepest despair, he called out to Jesus.

In this interview with Watchman Fellowship President, James Walker, Addam share the chain of events that led him to that prison floor and the remarkable transformation of his life following that desperate prayer.
Related Profiles

Watchman Fellowship has published two Profiles on polygamous Mormon fundamentalist groups similar to the one Addam was involved with:

Profile on the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saint (FLDS), Watchman Fellowship's 4-page Profile: www.watchman.org/FLDS
Profile on the True and Living Church of Jesus Christ of Saints of the Last Days (TLC), Watchman Fellowship's 4-page Profile: www.watchman.org/TLC

James Walker, President of Watchman Fellowship, is a former fourth-generation Mormon with over 25 years' experience in Christian apologetics, evangelism and discernment. He is a featured speaker, the author of several books, a podcaster. He is also the cofounder of the Atheist & Christian Book Club, a monthly gathering of believers and skeptics respectfully discussing important books from both perspectives. For more information, visit: www.watchman.org/staff/James.

Additional Resources

FREE: We are also offering a free subscription to our 4-page bimonthly Profiles here: www.watchman.org/Free.

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship
For more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

In this week's Apologetics Profile, Brady Blevins visits with Holly Pivec for Part 2 of a discussion about Bethel Church of Redding, Calif. and its controversial leader, Pastor Bill Johnson. Bethel Redding was by far our #1 most requested Profile topic over the last several years. Questions raised included Bethel's ties to the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) and more recently the failed prophecies predicting Donald Trump's reelection by Kris Vallotton, Senior Associate Pastor at Bethel Church.

This 11,000 member church having a major but problematic influence on Christianity throughout the US and worldwide. Johnson’s reach touches thousands of churches not otherwise associated with NAR through affiliated ministries including Bethel Music, Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry, and Bethel Leaders Network.

Books and Profile

Profile on Bill Johnson and Bethel, Redding, Watchman Fellowship 4-page Profile: https://www.watchman.org/ProfileBethelRedding.pdf
A New Apostolic Reformation?: A Biblical Response to a Worldwide Movement, by R. Douglas Geivett and Holly Pivec: http://bit.ly/HollyPivec
God’s Super-Apostles: Encountering the Worldwide Prophets and Apostles Movement, by R. Douglas Geivett and Holly Pivec: http://bit.ly/HollyPivec2

Holly Pivec a master’s degree in Christian apologetics from Biola University. She was the University Editor at Biola for nearly a decade and also served as managing editor of the award-winning Biola Magazine. Together with Biola professor Doug Geivett, she co-authored two books about NAR: A New Apostolic Reformation?: A Biblical Response to a Worldwide Movement and God’s Super-Apostles: Encountering the Worldwide Prophets and Apostles Movement (see links above). For more information, visit: www.hollypivec.com

Dr. Brady Blevins, Senior Apologist at Watchman Fellowship, is a speaker, writer and researcher for the ministry. He serves as Profile Editor and is frequent host of our Apologetics Profile podcast. He holds a BS in Bible and Pastoral Ministries from Arlington Baptist College, a MA in Counseling from Dallas Baptist University and a Doctorate in Educational Ministries from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is an ordained Baptist minister and a member of the International Society of Christian Apologetics (ISCA), and the Evangelical Press Association (EPA). For more information visit: www.watchman.org/staff/BradyBlevinsBio.pdf.

Additional Resources

FREE: We are also offering a free subscription to our 4-page bimonthly Profiles here: www.watchman.org/Free.

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship
For more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

In this week's Apologetics Profile, Brady Blevins sits down with Holly Pivec for Part 1 of a discussion about Bethel Church of Redding, Calif. and its controversial leader, Pastor Bill Johnson. Bethel Redding was by far our #1 most requested Profile topic over the last several years. Questions raised included Bethel's ties to the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) and more recently the failed prophecies predicting Donald Trump's reelection by Kris Vallotton, Senior Associate Pastor at Bethel Church

This 11,000 member church having a major but problematic influence on Christianity throughout the US and worldwide. Johnson’s reach touches thousands of churches not otherwise associated with NAR through affiliated ministries including Bethel Music, Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry, and Bethel Leaders Network.

Books and Profile

Profile on Bill Johnson and Bethel, Redding, Watchman Fellowship 4-page Profile: https://www.watchman.org/ProfileBethelRedding.pdf
A New Apostolic Reformation?: A Biblical Response to a Worldwide Movement, by R. Douglas Geivett and Holly Pivec: http://bit.ly/HollyPivec
God’s Super-Apostles: Encountering the Worldwide Prophets and Apostles Movement, by R. Douglas Geivett and Holly Pivec: http://bit.ly/HollyPivec2

Holly Pivec a master’s degree in Christian apologetics from Biola University. She was the University Editor at Biola for nearly a decade and also served as managing editor of the award-winning Biola Magazine. Together with Biola professor Doug Geivett, she co-authored two books about NAR: A New Apostolic Reformation?: A Biblical Response to a Worldwide Movement and God’s Super-Apostles: Encountering the Worldwide Prophets and Apostles Movement (see links above). For more information, visit: www.hollypivec.com

Dr. Brady Blevins, Senior Apologist at Watchman Fellowship, is a speaker, writer and researcher for the ministry. He serves as Profile Editor and is frequent host of our Apologetics Profile podcast. He holds a BS in Bible and Pastoral Ministries from Arlington Baptist College, a MA in Counseling from Dallas Baptist University and a Doctorate in Educational Ministries from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is an ordained Baptist minister and a member of the International Society of Christian Apologetics (ISCA), and the Evangelical Press Association (EPA). For more information visit: www.watchman.org/staff/BradyBlevinsBio.pdf.

Additional Resources

FREE: We are also offering a free subscription to our 4-page bimonthly Profiles here: www.watchman.org/Free.

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship
For more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

What are "deceitful philosophies"? The Bible exhorts us to be on guard against the empty and deceitful philosophies of men and the traditions and customs by which the world tempts and challenges us.

Perhaps we can spot bad biblical doctrine, but what about counterfeit and deceitful philosophies?
How does bad philosophy make inroads into our minds and become the norm?
How do we know what is true?
How can we test what is true?

If our minds are just leftover stardust, if the universe is just a violent and chaotic place, if natural unguided forces and processes are finally what cobbled us together, then we shouldn't even trust our minds. Can we trust the secular sciences when they tell us what life is, what the cosmos means, and what we should do about our lives? Are we just stardust? Are we merely the universe come to life? Are our brains just an accidental byproduct of an impersonal nature?

In order to counter the prevailing philosophies of our time, to proclaim truth, to make Christ known, we must understand and employ a Christ-centered philosophy in engaging our unbelieving neighbors. All truth belongs to God, wherever it may be found.

On part 2 of our discussion with Christian philosopher Dr. Paul Gould, we unpack ways in which we can apply a Christ-centered philosophy in addressing the concerns of our time. What is truth? How do we know if what someone is telling us is true? Come along and let Dr. Gould encourage and equip you for our present sojourning through these times of uncertainty and confusion.
And remember the worlds of the Apostle Paul in the 12th chapter of Romans "I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewign of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect" (Rom. 12:12).

Additional Resources

Paul Gould directs the Masters Program in Philosophy at Palm Beach Atlantic University: https://pbaschoolofministry.com/mastersphilosophyreligion/
Philosophy: A Christian Introduction, by James K. Dew and Paul M. Gould: http://bit.ly/PhilosophyIntro
How Do We Know?: An Introduction to Epistemology, by James K. Dew and Mark W. Foreman: http://bit.ly/EpistemologyIntro.
Four Views on Christianity and Philosophy, by Paul M. Gould and Richard Brian Davis (Editors): http://bit.ly/4ViewsBook
The Story of the Cosmos: How the Heavens Declare the Glory of God, by Daniel Ray and Paul M. Gould (Editors): www.watchman.org/CosmosBook

Dr. Paul M. Gould is the Associate Professor of Philosophy of Religion and Director of the M.A. Philosophy of Religion program at Palm Beach Atlantic University. Dr. Gould is the author or editor of ten scholarly and popular-level books including Cultural Apologetics, Philosophy: A Christian Introduction (Zondervan, 2019) and The Story of the Cosmos (Harvest House, 2019). He has been a visiting scholar at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School’s Henry Center, working on the intersection of science and faith, and is the founder and president of the Two Tasks Institute. He is a widely sought after speaker in apologetics and philosophy. He speaks regularly at universities, churches, and ministries around the country, including Summit Ministries, the C.S. Lewis Institute, and the Evangelical Philosophical Society’s annual apologetics conference. You can find out more about Dr. Gould and his work at www.paul-gould.com and www.twotasksinstitute.org. He is married to Ethel and has four children.

Daniel Ray, Staff Apologist at Watchman Fellowship, is a speaker, writer, and podcast producer with the ministry. He holds a BS in Interdisciplinary Studies from Austin Peay State University and an MA in Cultural Apologetics from Houston Baptist University. He is coeditor and cowriter of The Story of the Cosmos, How the Heavens Declare the Glory of God. For more information: www.watchman.org/staff/DanielRayBio.pdf.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

FREE: We are also offering a free subscription to our 4-page bimonthly Profiles here: www.watchman.org/Free.

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship
For more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

Why Do We Need Philosophy? Our guest this week and next on Apologetics Profile is Christian philosopher and author Dr. Paul Gould, who routinely gets asked this question.

Dr. Gould believes that "philosophy is simply too important to give up on. Philosophy continues to play a vital role in our lives and in contemporary discussions on almost everything." And he is "not convinced that philosophy needs to be so difficult. Sure, there are a lot of philosophical issues that are difficult, but there are also a lot of issues that aren't that difficult."1 It is Dr. Gould's passion to make philosophy lucid, understandable, and Christ-centered.

Isn't philosophy just a complicated discipline for academics?
What relevance does it have for my faith?
For the faith of my children or grandchildren?
Must we get a degree in philosophy?
Isn't the Bible enough?

Dr. Gould addresses these and many other important philosophical topics in a very easy-to-understand, down-to-earth conversation with Watchman staff apologist Daniel Ray. He unpacks the relevance of philosophy for everyone, especially Christians.

Now more than ever, truth seems to be in short supply. Bad philosophy is making the rounds, taking people captive, causing division, doubt and confusion, as we saw in our previous two episodes on Street Epistemology. Paul helps us to rediscover that in Christ Himself "are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge" (Colossians 2:3). We must strive to counter bad philosophy "and empty deception according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ" (Col. 2:8).

Philosophy is simply a Greek word meaning "the love of wisdom" (philo-sophia). The Bible has much to say about loving and embracing wisdom (Job 28; Proverbs 8; Colossians 2; 1 Corinthians 1; John 1). Dr. Gould helps us to understand how the best sort of philosophy is centered upon the Person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ.

So come and listen to Dr. Gould's very inspirational and practical advice about building and utilizing sound philosophy, all to the glory of God (1 Cor. 10:31).
Additional Resources

Paul directs the Masters Program in Philosophy at Palm Beach Atlantic University: https://pbaschoolofministry.com/mastersphilosophyreligion/
Philosophy: A Christian Introduction, by James K. Dew and Paul M. Gould: http://bit.ly/PhilosophyIntro
How Do We Know?: An Introduction to Epistemology, by James K. Dew and Mark W. Foreman: http://bit.ly/EpistemologyIntro.
Four Views on Christianity and Philosophy, by Paul M. Gould and Richard Brian Davis (Editors): http://bit.ly/4ViewsBook
The Story of the Cosmos: How the Heavens Declare the Glory of God, by Daniel Ray and Paul M. Gould (Editors): www.watchman.org/CosmosBook

Dr. Paul M. Gould is the Associate Professor of Philosophy of Religion and Director of the M.A. Philosophy of Religion program at Palm Beach Atlantic University. Dr. Gould is the author or editor of ten scholarly and popular-level books including Cultural Apologetics, Philosophy: A Christian Introduction (Zondervan, 2019) and The Story of the Cosmos (Harvest House, 2019). He has been a visiting scholar at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School’s Henry Center, working on the intersection of science and faith, and is the founder and president of the Two Tasks Institute. He is a widely sought after speaker in apologetics and philosophy. He speaks regularly at universities, churches, and ministries around the country, including Summit Ministries, the C.S. Lewis Institute, and the Evangelical Philosophical Society’s annual apologetics conference. You can find out more about Dr. Gould and his work at www.paul-gould.com and www.twotasksinstitute.org. He is married to Ethel and has four children.

Daniel Ray, Staff Apologist at Watchman Fellowship, is a speaker, writer, and podcast producer with the ministry. He holds a BS in Interdisciplinary Studies from Austin Peay State University and an MA in Cultural Apologetics from Houston Baptist University. He is coeditor and cowriter of The Story of the Cosmos, How the Heavens Declare the Glory of God. For more information: www.watchman.org/staff/DanielRayBio.pdf.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

FREE: We are also offering a free subscription to our 4-page bimonthly Profiles here: www.watchman.org/Free.

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.

1James K. Dew and Paul M. Gould, Philosophy A Christian Introduction (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2019), vii.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship
For more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

[NOTE: This podcast is also available on video here: https://youtu.be/jvwhJpZiQZ8]

On part two of our special two-part video and podcast episode of Peter Boghossian and Street Epistemology, Watchman Fellowship staff apologist Daniel Ray speaks with senior apologist Brady Blevins about how to recognize a street epistemology conversation and how we can and should respond.

If you have children or grandchildren active on social media sharing their faith or if they are away at college, they are likely to encounter atheists using the tactics and techniques of street epistemology.

In this day and time, where it seems truth is in short supply, it is more crucial than ever that we know why we believe what we believe. The difficult questions and challenges to our faith are on the rise. We must be prepared to give a defense for the hope that is in us with gentleness and reverence (1 Peter 3:15).

Street epistemology is a growing, worldwide phenomena used by many atheists and skeptics for the purpose of getting believers to doubt and/or give up their faith altogether.

On this episode you'll hear and see real-world examples of street epistemologists engaging people with their carefully crafted questions and we'll give you the practical and biblical tips and insights as to how you can respond.

We have prepared a treasure trove of resources on this important topic. In addition to this podcast and video, we have prepared three additional videos on the topic as well as a four-page Profile on Peter Boghossian and Street Epistemology.

STREET EPISTEMOLOGY RESOURCES

Daniel has also written a 4-page Profile on Peter Boghossian and produced three additional videos on Street Epistemology for you to share with anyone you know who may have encountered SE online or at college.

4-page Profile on Peter Boghossian by Daniel Ray: www.watchman.org/SE
Daniel's first review of street epistemology: https://youtu.be/_irb_8f0klc
This video was reviewed by street epistemologists: https://youtu.be/FsJgmRyrsU0
Daniel's book review of How to Have Impossible Conversations: https://youtu.be/A1G1KTt1qgc
This video was also reviewed by street epistemologists: https://youtu.be/0BfC9PME5a0
Daniel's third review of the street epistemologists' "confidence scale": https://youtu.be/ScHiMqtQE3U (The street epistemologist have not yet reviewed this video.

Additional Christian Resources on Street Epistemology

Christian philosopher Tim McGrew debating Peter Boghossian in 2013: http://bit.ly/TimMcGrew
Apologist Tom Gilson's short e-book responding to Peter Boghossian and street epistemology, Peter Boghossian, Atheist Tactician : A Preliminary Response to A Manual for Creating Atheists: http://bit.ly/TomGilson

Street epistemology videos featured in this podcast/video:

Reid, Tia, and "Bible Class": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-M1EyhcRS8
Mamma Bear Mary Ann: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FLN_3W8CTko
Dan and Anthony: What Else is there but Faith?: https://youtu.be/OpwxM2wNChE
Anthony Magnabosco speaking at the Black Nonbelievers Conference: https://youtu.be/hZJTScfX_2A

Dr. Brady Blevins, Senior Apologist with Watchman Fellowship, is a featured speaker and writer with the ministry. He also serves as the editor of our Profile Notebook. He holds a BS in Bible and Pastoral Ministries from Arlington Baptist College, a MA in Counseling from Dallas Baptist University and a Doctorate in Educational Ministries from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. For more information: www.watchman.org/staff/BradyBlevinsBio.pdf.

Daniel Ray, Staff Apologist at Watchman Fellowship, is a speaker, writer, and podcast producer with the ministry. He holds a BS in Interdisciplinary Studies from Austin Peay State University and an MA in Cultural Apologetics from Houston Baptist University. He is coeditor and cowriter of The Story of the Cosmos, How the Heavens Declare the Glory of God. For more information: www.watchman.org/staff/DanielRayBio.pdf.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

FREE: We are also offering a free subscription to our 4-page bimonthly Profiles here: www.watchman.org/Free.

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship
For more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

[NOTE: This podcast is also available on video here: https://youtu.be/fMUF_y9q1ew]

Chances are, if you are actively sharing your faith on social media to any degree, or if you have children or grandchildren away at college, or if you're out for a stroll in a public park, you may have or will eventually encounter a "street epistemologist."

What is street epistemology? It is a movement within the atheist and skeptic community which began from a 2013 book A Manual For Creating Atheists written by atheist and philosopher Peter Boghossian.

Though Boghossian himself is no longer actively involved in the movement today, it nevertheless has remained a popular and growing trend among skeptics in engaging Christians and other theists in conversation with the intent to cause doubt and, as the book title says clearly, create atheists.

Street Epistemology or SE for short, is a kind of dialectical method that incorporates carefully crafted Socratic-like questions about a Christian's level of confidence in their belief in God. The SE'er will ask several questions, without ever directly engaging in factual discussions about Christianity, but will instead ask specific philosophical questions about how and why a Christian holds to the confidence of their belief, with the intent of causing doubt.

To this day, it remains a movement within the atheist and skeptic community, though many who practice SE will often converse about other topics such as karma, new age mysticism, other religions, politics, alternative medicines and many others.

But the most popular videos on YouTube of SE practitioners are those where believers are suddenly questioning their beliefs within the span of a very brief conversation.

Sadly, this method has had "success" in catching Christians unaware, many unprepared or simply unable to provide solid answers to the questions put to them, especially regarding the definition and use of the word "faith" which to this day remains a primary target of SE disciples.

It is not a cult or a secret organization with a hierarchy of leadership, but an open and publicly practiced technique, complete with a comprehensive website (StreetEpistemology.com), YouTube videos, and a growing and influential social-media presence.

On this special two-part episode, Watchman staff apologist Daniel Ray and Watchman Senior Apologist Brady Blevins take you inside the movement and give you a first-hand account of Peter Boghossian, the leading practitioners of SE, how to recognize it, and how to respond with confidence and truth.

On Part 1 we examine the work and background of Peter Boghossian and talk about the basics of what SE is.

*STREET EPISTEMOLOGY RESOURCES*

Daniel has also written a 4-page Profile on Peter Boghossian and produced three additional videos on Street Epistemology for you to share with anyone you know who may have encountered SE online or at college.

4-page Profile on Peter Boghossian by Daniel Ray: www.watchman.org/SE
Daniel's first review of street epistemology: https://youtu.be/_irb_8f0klc
This video was reviewed by street epistemologists: https://youtu.be/FsJgmRyrsU0
Daniel's book review of How to Have Impossible Conversations: https://youtu.be/A1G1KTt1qgc
This video was also reviewed by street epistemologists: https://youtu.be/0BfC9PME5a0
Daniel's third review of the street epistemologists' "confidence scale": https://youtu.be/ScHiMqtQE3U (The street epistemologist have not yet reviewed this video.

Street epistemology videos featured in this podcast/video:

Psychology Z factor (psychological aspects of SE) Dragoncon 2017 with Anthony Magnabosco: https://youtu.be/oYNcs6BtA-s
Anthony Magnabosco on evidence and faith: https://youtu.be/VYrg-n04Sj8
Anthony Magnabosco unraveling Miguel’s faith: https://youtu.be/D8LYTy4DmEs
Peter Boghossian at PSU in 2012: https://youtu.be/WIaPXtZpzBw
Can SE hurt people? Objectively Dan: https://youtu.be/cmUS5oxRhB4

Dr. Brady Blevins, Senior Apologist with Watchman Fellowship, is a featured speaker and writer with the ministry. He also serves as the editor of our Profile Notebook. He holds a BS in Bible and Pastoral Ministries from Arlington Baptist College, a MA in Counseling from Dallas Baptist University and a Doctorate in Educational Ministries from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. For more information: www.watchman.org/staff/BradyBlevinsBio.pdf.

Daniel Ray, Staff Apologist at Watchman Fellowship, is a speaker, writer, and podcast producer with the ministry. He holds a BS in Interdisciplinary Studies from Austin Peay State University and an MA in Cultural Apologetics from Houston Baptist University. He is coeditor and cowriter of The Story of the Cosmos, How the Heavens Declare the Glory of God. For more information: www.watchman.org/staff/DanielRayBio.pdf.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

FREE: We are also offering a free subscription to our 4-page bimonthly Profiles here: www.watchman.org/Free.

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship
For more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

This week's episode of Apologetics Profile is the conclusion of a two part discussion on apologetics and evangelism featuring our Senior Apologist, Dr. Brady Blevins and staff apologist Daniel Ray. In this series, Daniel and Brady discuss practical principles of communication that we can apply to our personal Christian apologetics and relational evangelism.

Dr. Brady Blevins, Senior Apologist with Watchman Fellowship, is a featured speaker and writer with the ministry. He also serves as the editor of our Profile Notebook. He holds a BS in Bible and Pastoral Ministries from Arlington Baptist College, a MA in Counseling from Dallas Baptist University and a Doctorate in Educational Ministries from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. For more information: www.watchman.org/staff/BradyBlevinsBio.pdf.

Daniel Ray, Staff Apologist at Watchman Fellowship, is a speaker, writer, and podcast producer with the ministry. He holds a BS in Interdisciplinary Studies from Austin Peay State University and an MA in Cultural Apologetics from Houston Baptist University. He is coeditor and cowriter of The Story of the Cosmos, How the Heavens Declare the Glory of God. For more information: www.watchman.org/staff/DanielRayBio.pdf.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Spurgeon’s Sorrows: Realistic Hope for those who Suffer from Depression, by Zack Eswine: https://amzn.to/3rw7ADD

FREE: We are also offering a free subscription to our 4-page bimonthly Profiles here: www.watchman.org/Free.

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship
For more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

Spurgeon’s Sorrows: Realistic Hope for those who Suffer from Depression

Smooth Stones Taken From Ancient Brooks

This week's episode of Apologetics Profile is the first of a two part discussion on apologetics and evangelism featuring our Senior Apologist, Dr. Brady Blevins and staff apologist Daniel Ray.

Last week we concluded our discussion with professor of communication, Dr. Steven Beebee, about the legendary Christian apologist C.S. Lewis and the skills and techniques he used to be such an effective communicator. In this series, Daniel and Brady discuss practical principles of communication that we can apply to our personal Christian apologetics and relational evangelism.

Dr. Brady Blevins, Senior Apologist with Watchman Fellowship, is a featured speaker and writer with the ministry. He also serves as the editor of our Profile Notebook. He holds a BS in Bible and Pastoral Ministries from Arlington Baptist College, a MA in Counseling from Dallas Baptist University and a Doctorate in Educational Ministries from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. For more information: www.watchman.org/staff/BradyBlevinsBio.pdf.

Daniel Ray, Staff Apologist at Watchman Fellowship, is a speaker, writer, and podcast producer with the ministry. He holds a BS in Interdisciplinary Studies from Austin Peay State University and an MA in Cultural Apologetics from Houston Baptist University. He is coeditor and cowriter of The Story of the Cosmos, How the Heavens Declare the Glory of God. For more information: www.watchman.org/staff/DanielRayBio.pdf.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Spurgeon’s Sorrows: Realistic Hope for those who Suffer from Depression, by Zack Eswine: https://amzn.to/3rw7ADD

FREE: We are also offering a free subscription to our 4-page bimonthly Profiles here: www.watchman.org/Free.

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship
For more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

Smooth Stones Taken From Ancient Brooks

Spurgeon’s Sorrows: Realistic Hope for those who Suffer from Depression

Are we consciously aware of how we choose our words? Are we cognizant of what kind of tacit impressions our words have on others? Are we loving our neighbors in such a way that we can understand their language? Their experiences? Can we translate what we know to those who have little familiarity with what is so familiar to us?

How can we effectively share the Gospel with those who are lost? How do we plant seeds? How do we water? How do we harvest? Shockingly, much of the work of evangelizing and discipleship is in wisely using our words. Jesus commands us to go into all the world, proclaiming His truth, but do we know the world well enough to be able to communicate effectively and redemptively with them? Do we have the right words?

On part two of our conversation with professor of communication Dr. Steven A. Beebe, we explore more in depth about how C.S. Lewis’s conversion to Christianity equipped him with the remarkable ability to reach an enormously broad audience, even long after his death in 1963. How is it that Lewis could be such an effective communicator? How did his Christian faith inform the way in which he communicated and what can we learn in our own attempts at sharing Christ with others?

From a small biscuit tin garden made by his brother to his trip to the Whipsnade Zoo in the sidecar of his brother’s motorcycle, to the prolific volumes of correspondence and professional writing, Lewis’s life stands as an example of the impact we can have if we too, by the grace of God, choose our words carefully.

ABOUT STEVEN A. BEEBE: Dr. Beebe is Regents' and University Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Communication Studies at Texas State University. He served as Chair of his department at Texas State for 28 years and concurrently as Associate Dean of the College of Fine Arts and Communication for 25 years. Prior to joining the faculty at Texas State he was a tenured member of the Communication faculty at the University of Miami for 10 years. He is author and co-author of fourteen books (with editions totaling more than 75 books) that have been used at hundreds of colleges and universities (including international, Canadian, Russian and Chinese editions) by several million students throughout the world. Steve’s research focuses on instructional communication and communication skill development.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

C.S. Lewis and the Craft of Communication by Steven Beebe: www.cslewisandthecraftofcommunication.com.
Dr. Beebe's author page on Amazon.com: https://amzn.to/2Ngo1VY

FREE: We are also offering a free subscription to our 4-page bimonthly Profiles here: www.watchman.org/Free.

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship
For more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

We at Watchman Fellowship are committed to helping and equipping the church to effectively communicate the Gospel to those of other religions and worldviews. But such communication is never really easy.

The first step in being able to successfully articulate the Gospel is a relatively simple one, though -- Being familiar with the message.
The second step is to know the language of your audience. Are they Mormons? Atheists? Muslims? Jehovah’s Witnesses?

The wisdom and skill in effective communication is to be able to translate the message of the Gospel to your audience, using reason, imagination, metaphors, story, and parable, just as Jesus did. If you’ve ever tried sharing the Gospel with people, you have likely experienced the need to further clarify what you are trying to share to people unfamiliar with language that is familiar and common to you. How do you explain the atonement to atheists? The Trinity to Muslims? The Deity of Jesus to Jehovah’s Witnesses?

On this special two-part episode with communications professor Dr. Steven A. Beebe, we look into the craft and techniques of communication used by C.S. Lewis. How have Lewis’s works become so widely popular and influential in communicating the Christian faith to people? What can we learn from Lewis as we try to communicate the truth of God’s word to a non-Christian world that neither understands nor accepts it?

In part one, Dr. Beebe shares how he became interested in Lewis and how Lewis’s ability to communicate makes his readers feel that they have a genuine relationship with the author.

ABOUT STEVEN A. BEEBE: Dr. Beebe is Regents' and University Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Communication Studies at Texas State University. He served as Chair of his department at Texas State for 28 years and concurrently as Associate Dean of the College of Fine Arts and Communication for 25 years. Prior to joining the faculty at Texas State he was a tenured member of the Communication faculty at the University of Miami for 10 years. He is author and co-author of fourteen books (with editions totaling more than 75 books) that have been used at hundreds of colleges and universities (including international, Canadian, Russian and Chinese editions) by several million students throughout the world. Steve’s research focuses on instructional communication and communication skill development.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

C.S. Lewis and the Craft of Communication by Steven Beebe: www.cslewisandthecraftofcommunication.com.
Dr. Beebe's author page on Amazon.com: https://amzn.to/2Ngo1VY

FREE: We are also offering a free subscription to our 4-page bimonthly Profiles here: www.watchman.org/Free.

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship
For more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

In part two, Dr. Brady Blevins and Daniel Ray conclude their discussion of the controversy surrounding Bikram Yoga and its fugitive founder who fled the US refusing to pay a $7 million court-ordered judgement.
Bikram Choudhury and his trademarked Bikram Yoga has attracted significant media scrutiny as accusations from former students and associates have multiplied. The media accounts mainly focused on these credible abuse allegations and on fact-checking questionable claims Choudhury has made about his past. This episode of Apologetics Profile goes beyond those concerns to examine the underlying doctrines and theology at the foundation of Bikram Yoga and to evaluate those beliefs from a Christian perspective.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Our free 4-page Profile on Bikram Yoga by Brady Blevins: www.watchman.org/ProfileBikramYoga.pdf
Our free 4-page Profile on Yoga by Robert Velarde: www.watchman.org/staff/jwalker/ProfileYoga.pdf
"Yoga: Exercise or Religious Practice" by Brad Scott: www.watchman.org/articles/new-age/yoga--exercise-or-religious-practice/
Bikram: Yogi, Guru, Predator (Nov. 2019; Netflix Original Official Trailer on YouTube: www.bit.ly/BikramYouTube)

FREE: We are also offering a free subscription to our 4-page bimonthly Profiles here: www.watchman.org/Free.

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship
For more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

In this episode, Dr. Brady Blevins and Daniel Ray discuss the controversy surrounding Bikram Yoga and its founder. Facing a warrant for his arrest from the Los Angeles County Superior Court, Bikram Choudhury, the guru who founded Bikram Yoga, has fled the United States refusing to pay a court-ordered judgement of about $7 million in damages. This judgement resulted from a wrongful termination and sexual harassment lawsuit filed by his former legal adviser, Minakshi Jafa-Boden. But as Daniel and Brady discovered, the legal, ethical and spiritual controversies surrounding Bikram Yoga go much deeper than this one lawsuit.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Our free 4-page Profile on Bikram Yoga by Brady Blevins: www.watchman.org/ProfileBikramYoga.pdf
Our free 4-page Profile on Yoga by Robert Velarde: www.watchman.org/staff/jwalker/ProfileYoga.pdf
"Yoga: Exercise or Religious Practice" by Brad Scott: www.watchman.org/articles/new-age/yoga--exercise-or-religious-practice/
Bikram: Yogi, Guru, Predator (Nov. 2019; Netflix Original Official Trailer on YouTube: www.bit.ly/BikramYouTube)

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Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship
For more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

In part 2, James Walker continues his discussion with Naomi Wright about her unique journey out of a polygamous cult led by her father to faith in Jesus Christ. Her religion was a radical breakoff of a controversial sect founded by William Branham. Her father borrowed many of Branham's doctrines including "serpent seed," legalism, works-based salvation and anti-Trinitarianism then added in other elements from Oneness Pentecostalism. On this doctrinal foundation, he introduced the practice of polygamy and the claim that the group's leaders were immortal.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Our free 4-page Profile on Branhamism by Phillip Arnn: www.watchman.org/profiles/pdf/branhamismprofile.pdf
Our free 4-page Profile on Oneness Pentecostalism by Jason Barker: www.watchman.org/profiles/pdf/onenesspentecostalismprofile.pdf
Naomi Wright Ministries (Official Website): www.NaomiWrightMinistries.com

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SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship
For more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

James Walker interviews Naomi Wright about her unique journey out of a polygamous cult led by her father to faith in Jesus Christ. Her religion was a radical breakoff of a controversial sect founded by William Branham. Her father borrowed many of Branham's doctrines including "serpent seed," legalism, works-based salvation and anti-Trinitarianism then added in other elements from Oneness Pentecostalism. On this doctrinal foundation, he introduced the practice of polygamy and the claim that the group's leaders were immortal.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Our free 4-page Profile on Branhamism by Phillip Arnn: www.watchman.org/profiles/pdf/branhamismprofile.pdf
Our free 4-page Profile on Oneness Pentecostalism by Jason Barker: www.watchman.org/profiles/pdf/onenesspentecostalismprofile.pdf
Naomi Wright Ministries (Official Website): www.NaomiWrightMinistries.com

FREE: We are also offering a free subscription to our 4-page bimonthly Profiles here: www.watchman.org/Free.

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship
For more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

Daniel Grissom was one of Jehovah's Witnesses when he first connected with James Walker and the Watchman Fellowship ministry team. By God's grace, Daniel left the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society for the grace of Jesus Christ and now serves on our Board of Directors. In this episode (part two) we conclude our discussion. Daniel talks about the importance of discipleship and how to talk with the Jehovah's Witnesses when they knock on your door:

Is the average Christian church equipped to help former Jehovah's Witnesses transition to the true gospel of the grace of Christ?
What is one of the best questions we can ask a Jehovah's Witness?
How can a "SEE" (significant emotional event) be a catalyst for spiritual transition?
Besides the Bible, what one book helped Daniel clearly see the Jehovah's Witnesses errors?
Why did Daniel join the leadership team as a board member at Watchman Fellowship?

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Our free 4-page Profile on the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society by Jason Barker: www.watchman.org/profiles/pdf/watchtowerprofile.pdf
Jesus Is Not Your Mediator by Daniel Grissom (YouTube): https://youtu.be/upJtFKKw2vA
Watchtower documentation for Jesus Is Not Your Mediator: www.watchman.org/mediator.pdf
Crisis of Conscious by Raymond Frans, former Governing Body member of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society (594-pages): www.watchman.org/Crisis
Ministry update from the Board of Directors by Daniel Grissom (video 2-min.): www.watchman.org/video

FREE: We are also offering a free subscription to our 4-page bimonthly Profiles here: www.watchman.org/Free.

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship
For more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

In this very short, special bonus edition of Apologetics Profile, Daniel Grissom shares a two-minute update about the future of our ministry. Daniel is a former Jehovah's Witness who serves on our Board of Directors.

End-of-Year Ministry Update

As we come to the close of 2020, we are at a crossroads. Our ministry opportunities have never been higher but our donations have dropped drastically. Barring a miracle between now and the end of the year, our support will drop to a 20-year low. We are asking for your prayers and financial support to finish the year strong. We want to go into 2021 ready to maximize our calling and ministry. We want to continue:

Training and sending missionary teams to Utah each year
Reaching nonbelievers through our Atheist & Christian Book Club
Publishing 4-page Profiles on cults and alternative religions
Broadcasting two weekly podcasts: Good Heavens! and Apologetics Profile
Hosting our Mormons in Transition monthly meetup for Latter-day Saints with questions
Sharing the gospel with those of other faiths and religions (and much more!)

We know many are now unable to support the ministry because of health, finances, or both. Believe me, we understand! For those who can help, now is the critical time. Your help is much needed and greatly appreciated.

SUPPORT: If you are able to stand with us, please consider a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give. Every gift counts!

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship
For more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

Daniel Grissom was one of Jehovah's Witnesses when he first connected with James Walker and the Watchman Fellowship ministry team. Daniel left the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society for the grace of Jesus Christ and now serves on our Board of Directors. In part one of this discussion, Daniel shares his journey from the Kingdom Hall to the Kingdom of God:

When he first got the knock at his front door, what attracted Daniel to listen to the Jehovah's Witnesses and initially embrace their teachings?
What caused Daniel to mistake the Jehovah's Witnesses sincerity for their accuracy?
Why is it difficult for former Jehovah's Witnesses to believe in Jesus even after they learn their religion was wrong?

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Our free 4-page Profile on the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society by Jason Barker: www.watchman.org/profiles/pdf/watchtowerprofile.pdf
Jesus Is Not Your Mediator by Daniel Grissom (YouTube): https://youtu.be/upJtFKKw2vA
Watchtower documentation for Jesus Is Not Your Mediator: www.watchman.org/mediator.pdf
Crisis of Conscious by Raymond Frans, former Governing Body member of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society (594-pages): www.watchman.org/Crisis
Ministry update from the Board of Directors by Daniel Grissom (video 2-min.): www.watchman.org/video

FREE: We are also offering a free subscription to our 4-page bimonthly Profiles here: www.watchman.org/Free.

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship
For more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

In this week's episode Brady Blevins and Steve Matthews conclude their conversation about Kip McKean, World Missions Evangelist of the controversial International Christian Church (ICC). Brady and Steve address some questions underlying decades of criticism the the movement has received from Christian discernment ministries and secular cult-watch organizations:

How can we distinguish between a strong commitment to Christian discipleship and inappropriate high-demand organizations which can foster spiritual abuse?
To what degree and on what level should a "discipler" be given control of a follower's personal discussion-making?
Does salvation require water baptism into a ICC-style "discipling" church?

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Our free 4-page Profile on the International Churches of Christ (ICC) by Steve Matthews and Brady Blevins: www.watchman.org/ICC
Our original 4-page Profile on the Boston Church of Christ / International Churches of Christ (ICOC) by Rick Branch: www.watchman.org/Boston
Our 4-page Profile on Spiritual Abuse by David Henke: www.watchman.org/Abuse

FREE: We are also offering a free subscription to our 4-page bimonthly Profiles here: www.watchman.org/Free.

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship
For more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

In this week's episode Brady Blevins and Steve Matthews discuss Kip McKean, World Missions Evangelist of the controversial International Christian Church (ICC), a worldwide movement headquartered in Los Angeles. In part one of this two-part discussion we explore the history, growth and some of the criticisms directed at the organization that first began as an on campus discipling ministry of the Crossroads Church of Christ at the University of Florida in Gainesville.

McKean became the world leader when the sect was known as the Boston Church of Christ and later as the group expanded its worldwide strategies under the name International Church of Christ (ICOC). In the midst of external and internal criticisms and calls for reform, McKean resigned from the ICOC later forming his rival organization, the ICC.

The movement has been under fire for decades even being banned from major university campuses including "American University, the University of Lowell (Mass.), Birmingham University (United Kingdom), the University of Manchester (United Kingdom), Boston College, Marquette University, Boston University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the Georgia Institute of Technology, Harvard University, the University of London (United Kingdom), Vanderbilt University, the University of Miami, Northeastern University, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Smith College, the United States Military Academy, the University of Southern California and York University (Canada)."1

Why is the ICC so popular and what drives the criticisms? Brady and Steve discuss some of the controversies surrounding Kip McKean and the ICC including their theological distinctives and questionable discipleship practices.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Our free 4-page Profile on the International Churches of Christ (ICC) by Steve Matthews and Brady Blevins: www.watchman.org/ICC
Our original 4-page Profile on the Boston Church of Christ / International Churches of Christ (ICOC) by Rick Branch www.watchman.org/Boston
Our 4-page Profile on Spiritual Abuse by David Henke: www.watchman.org/Abuse

FREE: We are also offering a free subscription to our 4-page bimonthly Profiles here: www.watchman.org/Free.

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship
For more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

1 John W. Morehead, "International Christian Churches: Disciples of Abuse?" www.apologeticsindex.org/i05.html

In this week's episode Daniel Ray and Dr. Luke Barnes conclude their discussion of the question "What is Scientism?" Science is fully compatible with the Christian worldview and for the most part has done much to expand knowledge and in most cases provided tremendous progress in advancing human wellbeing and flourishing. There is, however, a controversial philosophy of science that seems to be growing in popularity that can be called Scientism.

In part two of their conversation, Daniel and Luke critique some assumptions and draw some conclusions on and questions raised by Scientism:

Must science and religion be seen as in conflict?
Has science disproven the existence of God?
Is science the best or even only way to know truth?
For anything to be true, does it have to be observable, testable, repeatable and peer reviewed?

Luke A. Barnes is a theoretical astrophysicist, cosmologist, and postdoctoral researcher at Western Sydney University. He received his PhD in Astronomy from the University of Cambridge in 2009. He is a John Templeton Fellow. He has published papers in the fields of galaxy formation and the fine-tuning of the Universe for life. For more on Dr. Barnes, see his CV here: http://bit.ly/LukeBarnes

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Our free 4-page Profile on Scientism by Luke Barnes and Daniel Ray: www.watchman.org/Scientism
A Fortunate Universe by Geraint Lewis and Luke Barnes: https://amzn.to/2GaGDDD
The Cosmic Revolutionary's Handbook by Geraint Lewis and Luke Barnes: https://amzn.to/34FvXGD
The Story of the Cosmos by Daniel Ray and Paul Gould: www.watchman.org/CosmosBook
Scientism and Secularism: Learning to Respond to a Dangerous Ideology by JP Moreland: https://bit.ly/Scientism1

FREE: We are also offering a free subscription to our 4-page bimonthly Profiles here: www.watchman.org/Free.

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship
For more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

A Fortunate Universe: Life in a Finely Tuned Cosmos

The Cosmic Revolutionary's Handbook: (Or: How to Beat the Big Bang)

In this week's episode Daniel Ray and Dr. Luke Barnes explore the question "What is Scientism?" Science is fully compatible with the Christian worldview and for the most part has done much to expand knowledge and in most cases provided tremendous progress in advancing human wellbeing and flourishing. There is, however, a controversial philosophy of science that seems to be growing in popularity that can be called Scientism.
In part one of this two-part conversation, Daniel and Luke discuss some of the assumptions made and questions raised by Scientism:

Must science and religion be seen as in conflict?
Has science disproven the existence of God?
Is science the best or even only way to know truth?
For anything to be true, does it have to be observable, testable, repeatable and peer reviewed?

Luke A. Barnes is a theoretical astrophysicist, cosmologist, and postdoctoral researcher at Western Sydney University. He received his PhD in Astronomy from the University of Cambridge in 2009. He is a John Templeton Fellow. He has published papers in the fields of galaxy formation and the fine-tuning of the Universe for life. For more on Dr. Barnes, see his CV here: http://bit.ly/LukeBarnes

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Our free 4-page Profile on Scientism by Luke Barnes and Daniel Ray: www.watchman.org/Scientism
A Fortunate Universe by Geraint Lewis and Luke Barnes: https://amzn.to/2GaGDDD
The Cosmic Revolutionary's Handbook by Geraint Lewis and Luke Barnes: https://amzn.to/34FvXGD
The Story of the Cosmos by Daniel Ray and Paul Gould: www.watchman.org/CosmosBook
Scientism and Secularism: Learning to Respond to a Dangerous Ideology by JP Moreland: https://bit.ly/Scientism1

FREE: We are also offering a free subscription to our 4-page bimonthly Profiles here: www.watchman.org/Free.

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship
For more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

A Fortunate Universe: Life in a Finely Tuned Cosmos

The Cosmic Revolutionary's Handbook: (Or: How to Beat the Big Bang)

British philosopher Mary Midgley suggests that evolutionary "theory itself has again and again been distorted by biases flowing from over-simple, unbalanced world-pictures. The trouble does not, of course, lie in mere wish-fulfilment of the obvious kind that paints the world as we should like it to be. It involves being obsessed by a picture so colorful and striking that it numbs thought about the evidence required to support it. Standards of proof fall headlong.”

Midgley notes that there is an underlying assumption about evolution she calls “hypertrophied forms of cosmic optimism...” Essentially, the “cosmic optimism” is the idea that evolution is a kind of progress from “gas to genius,” that the future is one of guaranteed improvement of our species toward what Midgely calls “some superhuman spiritual stratosphere”.

On part two of our discussion with Discovery Institute fellow Dr. Michael Keas, we explore the falsehoods and false hopes of the messianic-like blank check myth of our time. This myth suggests that either through the discovery of benevolent superintelligent extraterrestrial beings and/or sheer technological progress, mankind will eventually progress from his sullied and sad state of death, disease, and decay into a poorly defined "superhman spiritual stratosphere", a kind of "Singularity" as many futurists term it, where man and machine combine to produce a quasi kind of spiritual perfection and eternal existence.

Will artificial intelligence or extraterrestrial intelligence save us? No, Keas reminds us. "The futuristic ET enlightenment myth and its terrestrial Singularity companion share a strong aversion to Christianity... Both ET and AI salvation are supposed to occur by technological good works, not by accepting the undeserved sacrificial gift of Jesus," Keas writes.

We hope this episode will equip and encourage you to think biblically about the modern futuristic myths promulgated by science and give you the tools to respond to your secular friends, neighbors, and family members who may be caught up in the utopic-like hopes of modern science.

As the Apostle Peter proclaims of the Lord Jesus Christ, "And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12).

For more information on Dr. Keas' work, you can visit his website at the Discovery Institute (https://www.discovery.org/p/keas/). We also encourage you to check out his latest book, Unbelievable - 7 Myths About the History and Future of Science and Religion (http://bit.ly/MikeKeas).
FREE: We are also offering a free subscription to our 4-page bimonthly Profiles here: www.watchman.org/Free.

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship
For more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

Welcome to this special combinded edition of our two podcasts, Good Heavens! (www.watchman.org/GoodHeavens) and Apologetics Profile (www.watchman.org/Podcast). This episode is a recent talk by Dr. Sarah Salviander's presenting her chapter on God and black holes from our book, The Story of the Cosmos - How the Heavens Declare the Glory of God (www.TheStoryOfTheCosmos.com).

What is a black hole? Where are they? How were they discovered? How does the majesty, mystery, and enigma of black holes point to the glory of God? Come along on this special episode and find out!

Dr. Sarah Salviander received her PhD in astrophysics from the University of Texas at Austin. She was a researcher at UT for sixteen years, where she specialized in the study of quasars, supermassive black holes, and galaxies. She is the author of several peer-reviewed journal papers and a comprehensive Astronomy & Astrophysics homeschool curriculum. She is currently writing books about the remarkable confluence between Christianity and modern science.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Watch the video edition of this podcast on YouTube: https://youtu.be/xi0CwpY5ICg
The Story of the Cosmos book: www.watchman.org/CosmosBook
The Story of the Cosmos online video course: www.watchman.org/CosmosCourse
Dr. Salviander's Author Website: www.sarahsalviander.com
Follow Sarah on Twitter: @SarahSalviander

Sarah presented her talk at LifePoint Church in League City, Texas (South Houston) on October 21st, 2020, as part of their Wednesday Night "Unfiltered. Conversations that Matter" apologetics ministry. Thanks to Trevor Shakiba and Pastor Josh Sharpe for coordinating the event and for the assistance in the production of the video. You can visit the church’s website at https://golifepointchurch.org. LifePoint provided the audio and video. Daniel Ray of Watchman Fellowship edited and produced the final video. Daniel is also the co-editor and co-contributor to The Story of the Cosmos.

FREE: We are also offering a free subscription to our 4-page bimonthly Profiles here: www.watchman.org/Free.

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Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship
For more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

C.S. Lewis once wrote that there is a certain kind of “mythology that follows in the wake of science." A prescient insight for our time, as secular popularizers of science, with the awe, aura, and authority of science surrounding them, perpetuate many myths that are simply unsound on a multitude of levels; scientific, philosophical, historical, and theological just to name a few.

On this two-part episode Daniel Ray sits down with Dr. Michael Newton Keas of the Discovery Institute (https://www.discovery.org/p/keas/) to talk about several of these modern myths that have come about in the "wake of science"; myths in relation to the interplay between science and religion, more specifically.

We discuss his newest book, Unbelievable - 7 Myths About the History and Future of Science and Religion (http://bit.ly/MikeKeas). Dr. Keas outlines the predominant myths that are promulgated today, ideas he has heard in his over 25 years of teaching science at the university and collegiate levels. Keas exposes the falsehoods of these myths by providing a solid historical background for how they've grown and taken on a life of their own in the minds of popular culture.

About Dr. Keas: "After earning a Ph.D. in the history of science from the University of Oklahoma, Mike Keas won research grants from such organizations as the National Science Foundation and the American Council of Learned Societies. He experienced some of the last historic moments behind the Berlin Wall as a Fulbright scholar in East Germany. Keas serves as lecturer in the history and philosophy of science at Biola University and on the board of directors of Ratio Christi, an alliance of apologetics clubs on college campuses."
On part one, Dr. Keas provides the genesis of his book, discusses why we indeed have a special and unique purpose in the cosmos and we discuss the kind of salvific hope that undergirds many of the myths of our time.

Watch a short presentation on science and religion (https://youtu.be/8zC8tOVLjdE) from Dr. Keas produced by the Gospel Coalition. For more information on Dr. Keas' work, be sure to visit his homepage at the Discovery Institute in the link above.
FREE: We are also offering a free subscription to our 4-page bimonthly Profiles here: www.watchman.org/Free.

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship
For more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

C.S. Lewis's The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe turned 70 this month (October 2020). In the midst of a difficult year of pandemics and politics, now is the perfect time to reacquaint yourself with C.S. Lewis's timeless classic. What's in your "spare oom" that can lead to adventures undreamt and unsought?

BONUS EPISODE: Come along with us on this special edition broadcast which is a joint program of both Watchman Fellowship podcasts -- Good Heavens! and Apologetics Profile. In this show Daniel Ray celebrates the imaginative, cosmological, literary, and apologetic wonders of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe with C.S. Lewis scholar Dr. Michael Ward.

Dr. Ward served as Daniel's master's thesis advisor at Houston Baptist University in 2016. Daniel is the first to have written a master's thesis on Dr. Ward's 2008 book, Planet Narnia - The Seven Heavens in the Imagination of C.S. Lewis.

Michael is the author of several published works and scholarly articles about Lewis, the imagination, and theology. He has lectured in 30 of the 50 states, holds a doctorate of divinity from St. Andrews, and has made numerous radio, podcast, and television appearances. More on Michael's work can be found here and here.

BONUS LINKS: Here are some additional resources:

Michael Ward with Eric Metaxas in conversation about Planet Narnia.
Michael and others from around the world reading from The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.
Laura Miller's book mentioned in the broadcast. The Magician's Book - A Skeptic's Adventure in Narnia.

FREE: We are also offering a free subscription to our 4-page bimonthly Profiles here: www.watchman.org/Free.

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship
For more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

Planet Narnia: The Seven Heavens in the Imagination of C. S. Lewis

The Magician's Book: A Skeptic's Adventures in Narnia

In part 2 Daniel Ray and Brady Blevins continue their discussion on the Ouija Board,* a controversial but extremely popular best-seller made by game and toy maker Hasbro.® Some of the questions they explore include:

Is this a mere game or toy "for entertainment purposes" only?
Why did the inventer argue in court that communicating through his "talking board" was actually a religious practice?
Could it actually be a tool of the occult that allegedly allows a medium to contact the dead (necromancy), a practice clearly forbidden in the Bible (Deut. 18:10-12)?
Why did it take an IRS lawsuit appealed all the way to the US Supreme Court for the Ouija to be classified as a game?

BONUS LINKS: Here are some additional resources:

Ouija Board Profile by Dr. Brady Blevins: www.watchman.org/Files/Profile_Ouija.pdf
Occult Profile by James Walker: www.watchman.org/profiles/pdf/occultprofile.pdf

FREE: We are also offering a free subscription to our bimonthly Profiles here: www.watchman.org/Free.

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship
For more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

* Introduction audio excerpt courtesy "The Home of Horror," Paranormal Witness (Season 1 Episode 5): A family's use of a Ouija board brings an evil entity into their home, YouTube, July 17, 2019: https://youtu.be/lucRKtuCjtU

In this episode Daniel Ray and Brady Blevins discuss the Ouija Board, a controversial best-seller made by game and toy maker Hasbro®, from a Christian perspective. Some of the questions they address include:

Is this a mere game or toy "for entertainment purposes" only?
Why did the inventer argue in court that communicating through his "talking board" was actually a religious practice?
Could it actually be a tool of the occult that allegedly allows a medium to contact the dead (necromancy), a practice clearly forbidden in the Bible (Deut. 18:10-12)?
Why did it take an IRS lawsuit appealed all the way to the US Supreme Court for the Ouija to be classified as a game?

BONUS LINKS: Here are some additional resources:

Ouija Board Profile by Dr. Brady Blevins: www.watchman.org/Files/Profile_Ouija.pdf
Occult Profile by James Walker: www.watchman.org/profiles/pdf/occultprofile.pdf

FREE: We are also offering a free subscription to our bimonthly Profiles here: www.watchman.org/Free.

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship
For more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

* Introduction audio excerpt courtesy "The Home of Horror," Paranormal Witness (Season 1 Episode 5): A family's use of a Ouija board brings an evil entity into their home, YouTube, July 17, 2019: https://youtu.be/lucRKtuCjtU

Founded by Keith Raniere, a quasi-religious group called NXVIM (pronounced NEX-ee-um) has been in the headlines following the arrests of Raniere, Smallville TV actress Allison Mack, and other leaders on charges of sex trafficking. Prosecutors and the FBI alleged women were coerced and blackmailed by Mack and other leaders to have sex with the group’s founder. Victims also claim to have been called "slaves" and branded with the letters "KR," Keith Raniere's initials.

As more horrifying details emerged, investigators sought testimony from additional victims. "F.B.I. assistant director-in-charge William F. Sweeney called the operation a 'pyramid scheme' and asked for anyone who might have been a victim to come forward with any information."* Raniere, Mack and other leaders were subsequently convicted and imprisoned.

In this week's episode, our Senior Apologist, Dr. Brady Blevins, interviews Frank Parlato of the Frank Report, a former NXVIM insider who became a chief whistle-blower. His testimony, documentation and evidence aided in the FBI's investigation leading to the arrests, indictments and prison sentences.

BONUS LINKS: Here are some additional resources:

NXVIM Profile by Dr. Brady Blevins: www.watchman.org/NXIVM.pdf
Frank Report by Frank Parlato: www.frankreport.com

FREE: We are also offering a free subscription to our bimonthly Profiles here: www.watchman.org/Free.

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship
For more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

* Hilary Weaver, “This Keith Raniere Sex-Cult Story Is Much Deeper Than Allison Mack’s Arrest,” Vanity Fair, April, 2018: https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2018/04/allison-mack-arrested-in-connection-to-keith-raniere

How did an outdated New Age trend called the Enneagram become a wildly popular fad now sweeping through American Christianity? We address this phenomena in this week's Apologetics Profile. This is the final episode of our part two-part discussion on the Enneagram. This week we explore some additional questions related to the controversial history and practice of the Enneagram and the role played by one of its leading advocates, Richard Rohr.

Who were the real architects of the Enneagram?
What does Richard Rohr mean when he said that Christ is something "larger and older" than Jesus?
What is Panentheism and is it compatible with a biblical worldview?
Should the Enneagram be viewed as a harmless tool for personality assessment or does it pose a potential for spiritual danger?
Can God "redeem" the Enneagram from its occult roots for His own purposes?

To discuss these questions, James Walker, president of Watchman Fellowship, continues his interview with Marcia Montenegro and Don Veinot, two of the coauthors of the 2020 book, Richard Rohr and the Enneagram Secret. Marcia is also the author of our 4-page Profile on the Enneagram (see links below).

BONUS LINKS: Here are some additional resources:

Enneagram Profile by Marcia Montenegro: www.watchman.org/Enneagram.pdf
Richard Rohr and the Enneagram Secret by Marcia Montenegro, Don Veinot and Joy Veinot: www.watchman.org/RohrBook
Astrology Profile by Marcia Montenegro: www.watchman.org/profiles/pdf/astrologyprofile.pdf

FREE: We are also offering a free subscription to our bimonthly Profiles here: www.watchman.org/Free.

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship
For more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

How did a New Age “spirit guide” named Metatron help inspire the Enneagram, a major fad currently sweeping American Christianity? This is just one of the questions we address in this week's episode of Apologetics Profile. In part one of this two-part podcast, we explore some preliminary subjects related to the Enneagram’s controversial history and practice:

What is the Enneagram and how does it work?
Is the Enneagram based on ancient, forgotten Christian practices or is it rooted in 20th century occultism?
Why has the Enneagram's secret origins made it so controversial?
Should Christians use the Enneagram as a spiritual path to their “true self”?

To discuss these questions, James Walker, president of Watchman Fellowship, interviews Marcia Montengro and Don Veinot, two of the coauthors of the 2020 book, Richard Rohr and the Enneagram Secret. Marcia is also the author of our 4-page Profile on the Enneagram (see links below).

BONUS LINKS: Here are some additional resources:

Enneagram Profile by Marcia Montenegro: www.watchman.org/Enneagram.pdf
Richard Rohr and the Enneagram Secret by Marcia Montenegro, Don Veinot and Joy Veinot: www.watchman.org/RohrBook
Astrology Profile by Marcia Montenegro: www.watchman.org/profiles/pdf/astrologyprofile.pdf

FREE: We are also offering a free subscription to our bimonthly Profiles here: www.watchman.org/Free.

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship
For more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

This week Daniel Ray continues his discussion with Christian apologist, philosopher and author, Dr. Douglas Groothuis about his book Christian Apologetics: A Comprehensive Case for Biblical Faith. This book is a popular textbook at Christian colleges and seminaries, was winner of the 2012 Christianity Today Book Award of Merit.

In part 2 of their discussion, Daniel and Doug explore some additional arguments for the Christian worldview put forward in the book and address some key questions:

Are some atheists arguing that the best explanation for much of the universe is that there is no explanation for it?
Should skepticism be the default position?
How can we creatively and wisely relate to people who seem to be far away from the gospel?
Why do Christians need to go beyond focusing on merely winning arguments?

Douglas Groothuis is a member of the Evangelical Theological Society, Evangelical Philosophical Society, and Society of Christian Philosophers. Dr. Groothuis received a Ph.D. and a B.S. from the University of Oregon, and an MA in philosophy from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. He has served as adjunct professor at Seattle Pacific University, visiting instructor in apologetics for Westminster Theological Seminary, and instructor at the University of Oregon. He is the author of ten books, including Truth Decay, Unmasking the New Age, On Jesus, On Pascal and In Defense of Natural Theology (coeditor and contributor). He has published two dozen academic articles in journals such as Religious Studies, Think, Inquiry, Sophia and Philosophia Christi.

BONUS LINKS: Here are some additional resources:

**Christian Apologetics: A Comprehensive Case for Biblical Faith**, by Douglas Groothuis, IVP Books (2011), 752-pages: https://amzn.to/39olHDb
Truth Decay: Defending Christianity Against the Challenges of Postmodernism, by Douglas Groothuis, IVP Books (2000), 303-pages: https://amzn.to/30Gk3cb
Douglas Groothuis Website: https://douglasgroothuis.com/
FREE: We are also offering a free subscription to our bimonthly Profiles here: www.watchman.org/Free.

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Join the Apologetics Profile podcast team for as little as $1 here: www.patreon.com/WatchmanFellowship.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship
For more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

Truth Decay: Defending Christianity Against the Challenges of Postmodernism

Christian Apologetics: A Comprehensive Case for Biblical Faith

In this week’s discussion, Daniel Ray talks with Christian apologist, philosopher and author, Dr. Douglas Groothuis about his book Christian Apologetics: A Comprehensive Case for Biblical Faith. This book is a popular textbook at Christian colleges and seminaries, was winner of the 2012 Christianity Today Book Award of Merit.

In their discussion Daniel and Doug discuss some of the arguments for the Christian worldview put forward in the book and address some key questions:

Can the Christian worldview stand up to the experiences of human suffering?
How do we get from a defense of objective truth and the key arguments for God to a case for the credibility of Jesus, the incarnation and the resurrection?
Do alternative worldviews adequately explain morality?

Douglas Groothuis is a member of the Evangelical Theological Society, Evangelical Philosophical Society, and Society of Christian Philosophers. Dr. Groothuis received a Ph.D. and a B.S. from the University of Oregon, and an MA in philosophy from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. He has served as adjunct professor at Seattle Pacific University, visiting instructor in apologetics for Westminster Theological Seminary, and instructor at the University of Oregon. He is the author of ten books, including Truth Decay, Unmasking the New Age, On Jesus, On Pascal and In Defense of Natural Theology (coeditor and contributor). He has published two dozen academic articles in journals such as Religious Studies, Think, Inquiry, Sophia and Philosophia Christi.

BONUS LINKS: Here are some additional resources:

**Christian Apologetics: A Comprehensive Case for Biblical Faith**, by Douglas Groothuis, IVP Books (2011), 752-pages: https://amzn.to/39olHDb
Truth Decay: Defending Christianity Against the Challenges of Postmodernism, by Douglas Groothuis, IVP Books (2000), 303-pages: https://amzn.to/30Gk3cb
Douglas Groothuis Website: https://douglasgroothuis.com/
FREE: We are also offering a free subscription to our bimonthly Profiles here: www.watchman.org/Free.

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Join the Apologetics Profile podcast team for as little as $1 here: www.patreon.com/WatchmanFellowship.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship
For more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

Truth Decay: Defending Christianity Against the Challenges of Postmodernism

Christian Apologetics: A Comprehensive Case for Biblical Faith

This podcast is part two of a discussion about the significance and spiritual implications of an annual phenomena known as the Burning Man Festival.

Burning Man Festival is a huge outdoor event that began in 1986 that now attracts tens of thousands of participants, known as "Burners," who gather to experience everything from decadence, drugs and promiscuity to art, music, and spiritual transformation.

Is this a New Religion? It may be a mistake to characterize the festival as merely an opportunity for debauchery or an excuse to throw the ultimate wild party to end the summer. In some ways, Burning Man has begun to function as both a parody of religion as well as a surrogate for traditional religion.

Lee Gilmore, author of Theater in a Crowded Fire: Ritual and Spirituality at Burning Man, explained, that "the biggest [misconceptions] is to brand Burning Man as nothing more than a giant party rife with intoxicants, nudity, and bald hedonism." While acknowledging all those practices are part of the festival, they are not central to the ultimate experience that is at the very least "spiritual" if not a "semi-religious cultural happening."*

Listen in as Brady Blevins, Senior Apologist at Watchman Fellowship and Steve Matthews, author of our 4-page Profile on Burning Man, discuss some of the social, cultural and spiritual questions raised by Burning Man and other transformational festivals.

BONUS LINKS: Here are some additional resources:

Burning Man Profile by Steve Matthews: https://www.watchman.org/burningman.pdf
International Christian Church Profile by Steve Matthews and Brady Blevins: https://www.watchman.org/files/ProfileInternationalChristianChurch.pdf
World Mission Society Church of God Profile by Steve Matthews: https://www.watchman.org/Files/Profile_WMSCOG.pdf

FREE: We are also offering a free subscription to our bimonthly Profiles here: www.watchman.org/Free.

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Join the Apologetics Profile podcast team for as little as $1 here: www.patreon.com/WatchmanFellowship.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship
For more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

Lee Gilmore, "Burning Man: Religious Event or Sheer Hedonism?" Religion Dispatches, June 16, 2010, http://religiondispatches.org/burning-man-religious-event-or-sheer-hedonism/

Photo Credit: Andrew Wyatt, courtesy of burningman.org

This podcast is part one of a discussion about the significance and spiritual implications of an annual phenomena known as the Burning Man Festival.

Burning Man Festival is a huge outdoor event that began in 1986 that now attracts tens of thousands of participants, known as "Burners," who gather to experience everything from decadence, drugs and promiscuity to art, music, and spiritual transformation.

Is this a New Religion? It may be a mistake to characterize the festival as merely an opportunity for debauchery or an excuse to throw the ultimate wild party to end the summer. In some ways, Burning Man has begun to function as both a parody of religion as well as a surrogate for traditional religion.

Lee Gilmore, author of Theater in a Crowded Fire: Ritual and Spirituality at Burning Man, explained, that "the biggest [misconceptions] is to brand Burning Man as nothing more than a giant party rife with intoxicants, nudity, and bald hedonism." While acknowledging all those practices are part of the festival, they are not central to the ultimate experience that is at the very least "spiritual" if not a "semi-religious cultural happening."*

Listen in as Brady Blevins, Senior Apologist at Watchman Fellowship and Steve Matthews, author of our 4-page Profile on Burning Man, discuss some of the social, cultural and spiritual questions raised by Burning Man and other transformational festivals.

BONUS LINKS: Here are some additional resources:

Burning Man Profile by Steve Matthews: https://www.watchman.org/burningman.pdf
International Christian Church Profile by Steve Matthews and Brady Blevins: https://www.watchman.org/files/ProfileInternationalChristianChurch.pdf
World Mission Society Church of God Profile by Steve Matthews: https://www.watchman.org/Files/Profile_WMSCOG.pdf

FREE: We are also offering a free subscription to our bimonthly Profiles here: www.watchman.org/Free.

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Join the Apologetics Profile podcast team for as little as $1 here: www.patreon.com/WatchmanFellowship.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship
For more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

Lee Gilmore, "Burning Man: Religious Event or Sheer Hedonism?" Religion Dispatches, June 16, 2010, http://religiondispatches.org/burning-man- religious-event-or-sheer-hedonism/

Photo Credit: NK Guy, www.dezeen.com

In this week’s episode, Brady Blevins continues his discussion with Watchman Fellowship's president, James Walker, about his most recent book, What the Qur'an Really Teaches About Jesus. Islam may be the geopolitical issue of our lifetime. This book encourages and equips Christians to discuss the gospel of Jesus Christ with their Muslim coworkers, neighbors and friends.

James is an ordained Baptist minister and holds a B.A. in Biblical Studies and an M.A. in Theology from Criswell College. In addition to his work at Watchman Fellowship, he teaches as an adjunct professor at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and Arlington Baptist University. He is also cofounder of the Atheist & Christian Book Club, a monthly gathering of believers and skeptics respectfully discussing important books from both perspectives.

BONUS LINKS: Here are some additional resources:

What the Qur'an Really Teaches About Jesus, by James Walker (Harvest House, 240-pages) - Request a signed copy of the book here: www.watchman.org/Quran
Islam Profile by James Walker: www.watchman.org/profiles/pdf/islamprofile.pdf
Debate on Video - James Walker Vs Khalil Meek "Jesus Christ Prophet of Allah or Savior of the World? On DVD and streaming video for ANY donation here: www.watchman.org/IslamDebate
FREE: We are also offering a free subscription to our bimonthly Profiles here: www.watchman.org/Free.

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Join the Apologetics Profile podcast team for as little as $1 here: www.patreon.com/WatchmanFellowship.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship
For more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

In this week’s episode, Brady Blevins talks with Watchman Fellowship's president, James Walker, about his most recent book, What the Qur'an Really Teaches About Jesus. Islam may be the geopolitical issue of our lifetime. This book encourages and equips Christians to discuss the gospel of Jesus Christ with their Muslim coworkers, neighbors and friends.

James is an ordained Baptist minister and holds a B.A. in Biblical Studies and an M.A. in Theology from Criswell College. In addition to his work at Watchman Fellowship, he teaches as an adjunct professor at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and Arlington Baptist University. He is also cofounder of the Atheist & Christian Book Club, a monthly gathering of believers and skeptics respectfully discussing important books from both perspectives.

BONUS LINKS: Here are some additional resources:

What the Qur'an Really Teaches About Jesus, by James Walker (Harvest House, 240-pages) - Request a signed copy of the book here: www.watchman.org/Quran
Islam Profile by James Walker: www.watchman.org/profiles/pdf/islamprofile.pdf
Debate on Video - James Walker Vs Khalil Meek "Jesus Christ Prophet of Allah or Savior of the World? On DVD and streaming video for ANY donation here: www.watchman.org/IslamDebate
FREE: We are also offering a free subscription to our bimonthly Profiles here: www.watchman.org/Free.

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Join the Apologetics Profile podcast team for as little as $1 here: www.patreon.com/WatchmanFellowship.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship
For more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

This episode is part 2 of Daniel Ray discussion with Dr. Rhyne Putman about his new book, When Doctrine Divides the People of God: An Evangelical Approach to Theological Diversity. Interpretations of the Bible and deeply held convictions often put Christians at odds. Where should we draw the line? Should we even draw lines? As evangelicals, we desire to be biblical — we want our doctrine to be rooted in the Bible, our lives to be guided by the Bible, and our disagreements to be resolved by the Bible. And yet, conflicts within our church communities continue to appear and seemingly multiply with time. Rhyne and Daniel explore some ways Christians can best demonstrate grace in disagreement while maintaining firmness in truth.

Rhyne Putman serves on the Board of Directors at Watchman Fellowship and is the author of numerous Watchman Fellowship Profiles. He earned a B.A. from Williams Baptist College, an M.Div., Th.M. and Ph.D. from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary (NOBTS). He has taught for over ten years at NOBTS where he serves as Associate Professor of Theology and Culture. Shortly after this interview was recorded, Dr. Putman announced that he would be returning to his alma mater, Williams Baptist University, as Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs, Director of Worldview Formation and Professor of Christian Ministries.

BONUS LINKS: Here are some additional resources:

Richard Dawkins Profile by Rhyne Putman: https://www.watchman.org/Dawkins.pdf
Bart Ehrman Profile by Rhyne Putman: https://www.watchman.org/ProfileBartEhrman.pdf
Sam Harris Profile by Rhyne Putman: https://www.watchman.org/files/ProfileSamHarris.pdf
Eckhart Tolle Profile by Rhyne Putman: https://www.watchman.org/profiles/pdf/eckharttolleprofile.pdf
When Doctrine Divides the People of God: An Evangelical Approach to Theological Diversity, by Rhyne Putman (available at Amazon.com in Paperback or Kindle Editions: https://amzn.to/3hfLO1J).

FREE: We are also offering a free subscription to our bimonthly Profiles here: www.watchman.org/Free.

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Join the Apologetics Profile podcast team for as little as $1 here: www.patreon.com/WatchmanFellowship.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship
For more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

When Doctrine Divides the People of God: An Evangelical Approach to Theological Diversity

In this week’s episode, Daniel Ray talks with Dr. Rhyne Putman about his new book, When Doctrine Divides the People of God: An Evangelical Approach to Theological Diversity. Where should we draw the line? Should we even draw lines? As evangelicals, we desire to be biblical — we want our doctrine to be rooted in the Bible, our lives to be guided by the Bible, and our disagreements to be resolved by the Bible. And yet, conflicts within our church communities continue to appear and seemingly multiply with time. Interpretations of the Bible and deeply held convictions often put Christians at odds. Rhyne and Daniel discuss how Christians can best demonstrate grace in disagreement while maintaining firmness in truth.

Rhyne Putman serves on the Board of Directors at Watchman Fellowship and is the author of numerous Watchman Fellowship Profiles. He earned a B.A. from Williams Baptist College, an M.Div., Th.M. and Ph.D. from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary (NOBTS). He has taught for over ten years at NOBTS where he serves as Associate Professor of Theology and Culture. Shortly after this interview was recorded, Dr. Putman announced that he would be returning to his alma mater, Williams Baptist University, as Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs, Director of Worldview Formation and Professor of Christian Ministries.

BONUS LINKS: Here are some additional resources:

Richard Dawkins Profile by Rhyne Putman: https://www.watchman.org/Dawkins.pdf
Bart Ehrman Profile by Rhyne Putman: https://www.watchman.org/ProfileBartEhrman.pdf
Sam Harris Profile by Rhyne Putman: https://www.watchman.org/files/ProfileSamHarris.pdf
Eckhart Tolle Profile by Rhyne Putman: https://www.watchman.org/profiles/pdf/eckharttolleprofile.pdf
When Doctrine Divides the People of God: An Evangelical Approach to Theological Diversity, by Rhyne Putman (available at Amazon.com in Paperback or Kindle Editions: https://amzn.to/3hfLO1J).

FREE: We are also offering a free subscription to our bimonthly Profiles here: www.watchman.org/Free.

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Join the Apologetics Profile podcast team for as little as $1 here: www.patreon.com/WatchmanFellowship.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship
For more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

When Doctrine Divides the People of God: An Evangelical Approach to Theological Diversity

"It is an ancient Mariner,
And he stoppeth one of three.
'By thy long grey beard and glittering eye,
Now wherefore stopp'st thou me?'"

This is the opening stanza to Samuel Taylor Coleridge's 1798 poem The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, an epic saga of sin, remorse, regret and redemption set in the tale of an aged sailor, telling of his woes to someone about to enter into a wedding celebration.

Why poetry in the midst of a pandemic, though? What does Coleridge have to say to us in 2020?
Much in every way. In April of this year, several celebrities took turns reading The Rime of the Ancient Mariner online (https://bit.ly/Ancient_Mariner). It was a surprising success. As The Atlantic noted in May (https://bit.ly/TheAtlanticMag), it is a poem written in 1798 for people in 2020. Though over two centuries removed from our own, there appears within Coleridge's verse a timeless resonance with our own turbulent times.

Indeed, poetry, parable, metaphor, and the imagination are absolutely essential for our ongoing defense of the Christian faith in the cultural darkness in which we find ourselves.

On part two of my discussion with Malcolm Guite, we talk more about Coleridge's influence on Guite's thought and the important role imagination plays in our conversations about everything from moonlight to the glory of God.
Malcolm Guite is an Anglican Priest and is the Chaplain of Girton College, Cambridge where he also teaches for the Divinity Faculty. He lectures widely in England and North America on theology and literature. Mr. Guite has published poetry, theology, and literary criticism, and worked as a librettist. His books include Word in the Wilderness, Faith, Hope and Poetry: Theology and the Poetic Imagination, and Mariner: A Voyage with Samuel Taylor Coleridge.

BONUS LINKS: Here are some additional resources:

Malcolm Guite Blog: https://bit.ly/GuiteBlog
A Spell in the Library, Malcolm Guite's YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/MalcolmGuite
Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Poetry Foundation: https://bit.ly/SamuelColeridge

FREE: We are also offering a free subscription to our bimonthly Profiles here: www.watchman.org/Free.

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Join the Apologetics Profile podcast team for as little as $1 here: www.patreon.com/WatchmanFellowship.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship
For more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

What role does the faculty of the imagination play in our defense of the Christian faith? Is the imagination inferior to logic and reason or is it a needful aspect in our engagement with contemporary culture?

Consider the incredible popularity of the movies and TV drama series. We are storytellers, image bearers of our Creator, who delight in creating, whether it be stories, buildings, automobiles, or works of art or literature, we are constantly using our imagination, often without thinking about it.
On this episode of Apologetics Profile, Watchman staff apologist Daniel Ray speaks with poet, priest, and author Malcolm Guite about the necessity of the imagination in cultivating a deeper understanding and appreciation for the world that God has created and for the way God communicates with us.
In part one, we talk about how Malcolm became interested in poetry as a child and how the poetry and philosophy of the Romantic poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge played an integral role in Malcolm coming to faith in Christ.

Malcolm Guite is an Anglican Priest and is the Chaplain of Girton College, Cambridge where he also teaches for the Divinity Faculty. He lectures widely in England and North America on theology and literature. Mr. Guite has published poetry, theology, and literary criticism, and worked as a librettist. His books include Word in the Wilderness, Faith, Hope and Poetry: Theology and the Poetic Imagination, and Mariner: A Voyage with Samuel Taylor Coleridge.

BONUS LINKS: Here are some additional resources:

Malcolm Guite Blog: https://bit.ly/GuiteBlog
A Spell in the Library, Malcolm Guite's YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/MalcolmGuite
Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Poetry Foundation: https://bit.ly/SamuelColeridge

FREE: We are also offering a free subscription to our bimonthly Profiles here: www.watchman.org/Free.

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Join the Apologetics Profile podcast team for as little as $1 here: www.patreon.com/WatchmanFellowship.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship
For more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

In this week’s episode, Daniel Ray concludes his conversation with Dr. Robert M. Bowman Jr., by discussing his most recent book which compares some of the foundational truth claims of Christianity with those of Mormonism. Published earlier this year, Rob's book, Jesus' Resurrection and Joseph's Visions: Examining the Foundations of Christianity and Mormonism, compares the evidence for Jesus’ resurrection with the evidence for Joseph’s visions. Bowman demonstrates how the historical data confirm the truth of Jesus’ resurrection and that the accounts of Joseph Smith’s visions are historically unreliable.

For Mormons who have doubts about their religion, this podcast will help them find a more reliable basis for faith in Christ. For Christians, this episode should provide a fresh angle on the historical evidence for the truth of Christianity.

Robert Bowman is a former staff member at Watchman Fellowship and the author of numerous Watchman Fellowship Profiles. He earned a B.A. from California State University, an M.A. in Biblical Studies and Theology from Fuller Theological Seminary, and a Ph.D. in biblical studies at South African Theological Seminary.

BONUS LINKS: Here are some additional resources:

Atheism Profile by Robert Bowman Jr.: www.watchman.org/profiles/pdf/atheismprofile.pdf
Word Faith Movement Profile by Robert Bowman Jr.: www.watchman.org/profiles/pdf/wordfaithprofile.pdf
The Shack Profile by Robert Bowman Jr.: www.watchman.org/profiles/pdf/shackprofile.pdf
Faith Has Its Reasons: Integrative Approaches to Defending the Christian Faith, by Kenneth Boa and Robert Bowman Jr. (available at Amazon.com in Hardback or Kindle Editions: https://amzn.to/2YKeecD)
Jesus' Resurrection and Joseph's Visions: Examining the Foundations of Christianity and* Mormonism***, by Robert M. Bowman Jr.: https://amzn.to/2zHH2Kz
Putting Jesus in His Place: The Case for the Deity of Christ, by Robert Bowman Jr. and Ed Komoszewski (available at Amazon.com in Hardback or Kindle Editions: https://amzn.to/3d5KqMU)
The Faith Thinker, Dr. Bowman's Blog: https://robertbowman.net/

FREE: We are also offering a free subscription to our bimonthly Profiles here: www.watchman.org/Free.

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Join the Apologetics Profile podcast team for as little as $1 here: www.patreon.com/WatchmanFellowship.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship
For more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

Faith Has Its Reasons: Integrative Approaches to Defending the Christian Faith

Jesus' Resurrection and Joseph's Visions: Examining the Foundations of Christianity and Mormonism

In this week’s episode, Daniel Ray talks with Dr. Robert M. Bowman Jr., coauthor of the book Faith Has Its Reasons. In part one, they discuss the four major approaches to Christian apologetics laid out in this book. These four basic categories are Classical, Evidential, Reformed, and Fedeist. Does faith have its reasons? Why Christians believe and how they share that faith with nonbelievers is largely determined which kind of apologetics they embrace. What are the strengths and weaknesses of each approach?

Rob Bowman is a former staff member at Watchman Fellowship and the author of numerous Watchman Fellowship Profiles. He earned a B.A. from California State University, an M.A. in Biblical Studies and Theology from Fuller Theological Seminary, and a Ph.D. in biblical studies at South African Theological Seminary.

Dr. Bowman's latest book, Jesus' Resurrection and Joseph's Visions: Examining the Foundations of Christianity and Mormonism (2020), is the subject of part two of this interview featured in next week's podcast. Stay tuned!

BONUS LINKS: Here are some additional resources:

Atheism Profile by Robert Bowman Jr.: www.watchman.org/profiles/pdf/atheismprofile.pdf
Word Faith Movement Profile by Robert Bowman Jr.: www.watchman.org/profiles/pdf/wordfaithprofile.pdf
The Shack Profile by Robert Bowman Jr.: www.watchman.org/profiles/pdf/shackprofile.pdf
Faith Has Its Reasons: Integrative Approaches to Defending the Christian Faith, by Kenneth Boa and Robert Bowman Jr. (available at Amazon.com in Hardback or Kindle Editions: https://amzn.to/2YKeecD)
Jesus' Resurrection and Joseph's Visions: Examining the Foundations of Christianity and* Mormonism***, by Robert M. Bowman Jr.: https://amzn.to/2zHH2Kz
Putting Jesus in His Place: The Case for the Deity of Christ, by Robert Bowman Jr. and Ed Komoszewski (available at Amazon.com in Hardback or Kindle Editions: https://amzn.to/3d5KqMU)
The Faith Thinker, Dr. Bowman's Blog: https://robertbowman.net/

FREE: We are also offering a free subscription to our bimonthly Profiles here: www.watchman.org/Free.

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Join the Apologetics Profile podcast team for as little as $1 here: www.patreon.com/WatchmanFellowship.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship
For more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

Faith Has Its Reasons: Integrative Approaches to Defending the Christian Faith

Jesus' Resurrection and Joseph's Visions: Examining the Foundations of Christianity and Mormonism

In this week’s episode, Daniel Ray continues his conversation with Justin Bass about his 2020 book, The Bedrock of Christianity: The Unalterable Facts of Jesus’ Death and Resurrection.

Dr. Bass completed his undergraduate degree at SMU’s Cox School of Business then earned a ThM in Theology and a PhD in New Testament Studies at Dallas Theological Seminary. He currently works at an NGO in Amman, Jordan serving Christian and Muslim refugees fleeing ISIS. He is also professor of New Testament at Jordan Evangelical Theological Seminary (JETS) and author of The Battle for the Keys: Revelation 1:18 and Christ’s Descent to the Underworld.

BONUS LINKS: Here are some additional resources:

The Bedrock of Christianity: The Unalterable Facts of Jesus’ Death and Resurrection(2020), by Justin Bass: https://bit.ly/JustinBassBk
The Battle for the Keys: Revelation 1:18 and Christ’s Descent to the Underworld (2014), by Justin Bass: https://bit.ly/JBassBook2
Justin Bass, “Why Western Intellectuals Are Dreaming Christian Dreams,” The Gospel Coalition, (May 15, 2020), https://uhop.me/JustinBassGC
Jordan Evangelical Theological Seminary (JETS), Amman, Jordan: www.jets.edu

FREE: We are also offering a free subscription to our bimonthly Profiles here: www.watchman.org/Free.

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Join the Apologetics Profile podcast team for as little as $1 here: www.patreon.com/WatchmanFellowship.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship
For more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

In this week’s episode, Daniel Ray, staff apologist of Watchman Fellowship, interviews Dr. Justin Bass, author of The Bedrock of Christianity: The Unalterable Facts of Jesus’ Death and Resurrection. Dr. Bass completed his undergraduate degree at SMU’s Cox School of Business then earned a ThM in Theology and a PhD in New Testament Studies at Dallas Theological Seminary. He currently works at an NGO in Amman, Jordan serving Christian and Muslim refugees fleeing ISIS. He is also professor of New Testament at Jordan Evangelical Theological Seminary (JETS) and author of The Battle for the Keys: Revelation 1:18 and Christ’s Descent to the Underworld.

In part one of this interview, Justin recounts his unexpected journey to belief in Christ, his passion to defend the Christian faith, and his calling to serve and teach in the middle east.

BONUS LINKS: Here are some additional resources:

The Bedrock of Christianity: The Unalterable Facts of Jesus’ Death and Resurrection(2020), by Justin Bass: https://bit.ly/JustinBassBk
The Battle for the Keys: Revelation 1:18 and Christ’s Descent to the Underworld (2014), by Justin Bass: https://bit.ly/JBassBook2
Justin Bass, “Why Western Intellectuals Are Dreaming Christian Dreams,” The Gospel Coalition, (May 15, 2020), https://uhop.me/JustinBassGC
Jordan Evangelical Theological Seminary (JETS), Amman, Jordan: www.jets.edu

FREE: We are also offering a free subscription to our bimonthly Profiles here: www.watchman.org/Free.

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Join the Apologetics Profile podcast team for as little as $1 here: www.patreon.com/WatchmanFellowship.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship
For more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

In this episode, James Walker and Daniel Ray interview Dr. Gary Habermas, Distinguished Research Professor of Apologetics and Philosophy at Liberty University. The conversation explores some of the mysteries and controversy surrounding Near Death Experiences (NDE).

Dr. Habermas is a Christian apologist who is recognized as one of the world’s leading experts on the resurrection of Jesus Christ. He has also studied the phenomena of NDE – human consciousness and awareness experienced in subjects during clinical death followed by resuscitation. This podcast unpacks some of the latest developments in the emerging field of NDE studies and address some provocative questions, including:

What is Near Death Experience?
Is the field of NDE studies somehow related to resurrection scholarship?
Can virtually all NDE accounts be explained by either hallucination or fraud?
While most NDEs are “unevidenced,” what are some documented examples of “evidenced” NDE reports?
How trustworthy and consistent are the “evidenced” NDE accounts that are being documented in the current literature?

BONUS LINKS: Here are some additional resources:

VIDEO — You may also watch this Podcast here: www.watchman.org/NDE
Beyond Death, by Gary Habermas and J.P. Moreland: https://amzn.to/3dgj5bJ
In Defense of Miracles, by R. Douglas Geivett and Gary Habermas: https://amzn.to/2Xf5A6v
Miracles: The Credibility of the New Testament Accounts, by Greg Keener: https://amzn.to/3epe294

FREE: We are also offering a free subscription to our bimonthly Profiles here: www.watchman.org/Free.

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Join the Apologetics Profile podcast team for as little as $1 here: www.patreon.com/WatchmanFellowship.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship
For more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

In Defense of Miracles: A Comprehensive Case for God's Action in History

Miracles: The Credibility of the New Testament Accounts

Beyond Death: Exploring the Evidence for Immortality

In this episode, James Walker continues his interview with Sandra Tanner, great-great-granddaughter of the Mormon Prophet Brigham Young. Sandra left the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and became an evangelical Christian. She and her late husband, Jerald, have been recognized as some of the world's leading critics of early Mormon history and theology. Together, they founded Utah Lighthouse Ministry in downtown Salt Lake City, a Christian outreach to Latter-day Saints that Sandra directs.

PART 2 of 2 - The Changing World of Mormonism: In part two of this interview, James and Sandra discuss some of the major changes in the doctrines and scriptures of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Why were all black people denied entrance into the Mormon temple before 1978?
When and why did Mormons discontinue the doctrine of polygamy or "plural wives"?
When did "Mormon" become a bad word to Latter-day Saints?
What are some of the other recent changes in LDS practices and policies?

BONUS LINKS: Here are some additional resources from Watchman Fellowship and Utah Lighthouse Ministry:

Watchman Fellowship's Profile on The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: www.watchman.org/profiles/pdf/ldsprofile.pdf
Utah Lighthouse Ministry: www.utlm.org
Witnessing to Mormons with the Book of Mormon -- James Walker speaking at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary: www.youtube.com/watch?v=NfgURrzhdmc

FREE: We are also offering a free subscription to our bimonthly Profiles here: www.watchman.org/Free.

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Join the Apologetics Profile podcast team for as little as $1 here: www.patreon.com/WatchmanFellowship.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship
For more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

In this episode, James Walker interviews Sandra Tanner, a great-great-granddaughter of the Mormon Prophet Brigham Young. Sandra left the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and became an evangelical Christian. She and her late husband, Jerald, have been recognized as some of the world's leading critics of early Mormon history and theology. Together, they founded Utah Lighthouse Ministry in downtown Salt Lake City, a Christian outreach to Latter-day Saints that Sandra directs.

PART 1 of 2 - Sandra Tanner's Testimony: In part one of this interview, Sandra chronicles her amazing journey from Mormonism to Christianity. What caused her to have a crisis of faith? Why did she ultimately decide to leave? What does she believe now?

BONUS LINKS: Here are some additional resources from Watchman Fellowship and Utah Lighthouse Ministry:

Watchman Fellowship's Profile on The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: www.watchman.org/profiles/pdf/ldsprofile.pdf
Utah Lighthouse Ministry: www.utlm.org

FREE: We are also offering a free subscription to our bimonthly Profiles here: www.watchman.org/Free.

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Join the Apologetics Profile podcast team for as little as $1 here: www.patreon.com/WatchmanFellowship.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship
For more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

In this episode, Daniel Ray and Brady Blevins discuss psychic divination and necromancy (communication with the dead) from a Christian perspective.

PART 2 of 2: Why does the Bible forbid communication with the dead? How do psychics apparently know so many details about their clients deceased family members? Psychics often rely on fakery but can they in some cases make actual contact with real, evil beings?

BONUS PROFILES: Watchman Fellowship has published a collection of our 4-page Profiles critiquing popular psychics in contemporary culture. We are making them all available along with some related content for free this month here:

Psychics: www.watchman.org/profiles/pdf/psychicsprofile.pdf
Occult: www.watchman.org/profiles/pdf/occultprofile.pdf
Channeling: www.watchman.org/profiles/pdf/channelingprofile.pdf
John Edward: www.watchman.org/profiles/pdf/johnedwardprofile.pdf
James Van Praagh: www.watchman.org/staff/jwalker/ProfileVanPraagh.pdf
Long Island Medium: www.watchman.org/staff/jwalker/ProfileLongIslandMedium.pdf
Kelly and Michael Clip: www.youtube.com/watch?v=OzxCkGxipyI

FREE: We are also offering a free subscription to our bimonthly Profiles here: www.watchman.org/Free.

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Join the Apologetics Profile podcast team for as little as $1 here: www.patreon.com/WatchmanFellowship.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship
For more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

In this episode, Daniel Ray and Brady Blevins discuss psychic divination and necromancy (communication with the dead) from a Christian perspective.

PART 1 of 2: Why does the Bible forbid communication with the dead? How do psychics apparently know so many details about their clients deceased family members? Psychics often rely on fakery but can they in some cases make actual contact with real, evil beings?

BONUS PROFILES: Watchman Fellowship has published a collection of our 4-page Profiles critiquing popular psychics in contemporary culture. We are making them all available along with some related content for free this month here:

Psychics: www.watchman.org/profiles/pdf/psychicsprofile.pdf
Occult: www.watchman.org/profiles/pdf/occultprofile.pdf
Channeling: www.watchman.org/profiles/pdf/channelingprofile.pdf
John Edward: www.watchman.org/profiles/pdf/johnedwardprofile.pdf
James Van Praagh: www.watchman.org/staff/jwalker/ProfileVanPraagh.pdf
Long Island Medium: www.watchman.org/staff/jwalker/ProfileLongIslandMedium.pdf
Kelly and Michael Clip: www.youtube.com/watch?v=OzxCkGxipyI

FREE: We are also offering a free subscription to our bimonthly Profiles here: www.watchman.org/Free.

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Join the Apologetics Profile podcast team for as little as $1 here: www.patreon.com/WatchmanFellowship.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship
For more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

In this episode, Daniel Ray, Staff Apologist at Watchman Fellowship, interviews Rich Day about the controversial religious group known as the Black Hebrew Israelites. Recently under fire by the media, the group has been linked, probably unfairly, to last year's Jersey City shooting. The history and theology behind this loosely connected collection of organizations is fascinating and certainly unorthodox. Rich Day gives you a Christian critique of the background and insights into their unusual beliefs.

BONUS: Rich Day has also authored our 4-page Watchman Fellowship Profile on the movement. We are making it available for free this month here: www.watchman.org/files/ProfileBlackHebrewIsraelites.pdf.

FREE: We are also offering a free subscription to our bimonthly Profiles here: www.watchman.org/Free.

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Join the Apologetics Profile podcast team for as little as $1 here: www.patreon.com/WatchmanFellowship.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship
For more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

In this episode, Daniel Ray, Staff Apologist at Watchman Fellowship, presents a Christian critique of the controversial television series Cosmos originally featuring Carl Sagan and now hosted by Neil deGrasse Tyson. The original 1980s series was arguably the most influential and popular documentary on PBS. The current edition, with deGrasse Tyson, an outspoken atheist, is premiering now on National Geographic Television and airing later on the Fox network. Daniel give a Christian critique of Cosmos highlighting some aspects of the series believers may find some common ground and identifying presuppositions and truth claims that are in opposition to a biblical worldview.

VIDEO: This podcast was recorded before a live audience and is also available by video here: www.watchman.org/PodcastPlayerCosmos.htm.

BONUS: Daniel Ray has also authored a 4-page Watchman Fellowship Profile on the Cosmos TV Series available free here: www.watchman.org/files/ProfileCosmos.pdf.

BOOK: Daniel Ray is author of the book, The Story of the Cosmos, available here: www.watchman.org/store/general-topics-doctrine/the-story-of-the-cosmos/

FREE: We are also offering a free subscription to our bimonthly Profiles here: www.watchman.org/Free

SUPPORT: Become part of the Apologetics Profile podcast team for as little as $1. Become a Patreon here: www.patreon.com/WatchmanFellowship.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship
For more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

Whether we recognize it or not, everyone is a philosopher. Our assumptions about reality, truth and life itself are based on the foundation of our underlying philosophies. For believers, we should diligently seek a personal philosophy that is sound, consistent and grounded in a biblical worldview. Beyond that, a good Christian philosophy is one that is also characterized by grace.

In this episode of Apologetics Profile, Daniel Ray concludes his conversation with Christian philosopher, Dr. Tim McGrew. They discuss every believer's responsibility to develop a Christian philosophy that is both sound and gracious. This is one way we love the Lord our God all our minds (Luke 10:27) and in doing so we ultimately glorify God.

The interview takes place at the 2020 Defend apologetics conference on the campus of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. Dr. McGrew earned a Ph.D. in Philosophy at Vanderbilt University in 1992 and is currently a professor in the Department of Philosophy at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo. His teaching interests include:

Epistemology
History and philosophy of science
Philosophical applications of probability
Philosophy of religion

BONUS: In March of 2018, Tim was also the guest author at Watchman Fellowship's Atheist & Christian Book Club (www.AtheistChristianBookClub.com). The book club is a monthly gathering in Arlington, Texas of believers and skeptics respectfully discussing important books from both perspectives. All clubs are also live streamed on Facebook Live. You can watch Tim McGrew's full book club here: https://vimeo.com/406917816

FREE: We are also offering a free subscription to our bimonthly Profiles here: www.watchman.org/Free

SUPPORT: Become part of the Apologetics Profile podcast team for as little as $1. Become a Patreon here: www.patreon.com/WatchmanFellowship.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship
For more information, visit www.watchman.org
© Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

In times of deep personal crisis, we are often tempted to postpone or abandon our quest for biblical understanding and godly wisdom. We simply don't have time for such noble pursuits when we are in survival mode. But that reaction is dangerous as it focuses our attention on the fear of the circumstances and off the face of the Savior.

In this episode of Apologetics Profile, Daniel Ray begins his conversation with Christian philosopher, Dr. Tim McGrew, on the reason everyone does philosophy and why every believer should strive to develop a solid Christian philosophy to the glory of God -- especially during difficult times.

The interview takes place at the Defend apologetics conference on the campus of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. Dr. McGrew completed his Ph.D. in Philosophy at Vanderbilt University in 1992 and is currently a professor in the Department of Philosophy at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo. His teaching interests include:

Epistemology
History and philosophy of science
Philosophical applications of probability
Philosophy of religion

BONUS: Tim was also interviewed for one of our meetings of the Atheist & Christian Book Club (www.AtheistChristianBookClub.com) to respond to Bart Ehrman's book, Jesus Interrupted. You can watch that interview here:

VIDEO -- Tim McGrew interview Part 1 (12-min.): https://vimeo.com/249968983
VIDEO -- Tim McGrew interview Part 2 (8-min.): https://vimeo.com/249969201

FREE: We are also offering a free subscription to our bimonthly Profiles here: www.watchman.org/Free

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship
For more information, visit www.watchman.org
© Watchman Fellowship, Inc.