Apologetics at Redeemer
Apologetics is a theological discipline that seeks to defend and commend the Christian faith. The apologetic tradition of Westminster attempts to apply Reformed theology to the challenges that confront Christianity and the church. Apologetics is an indispensable preparation for gospel ministry and for evangelism. To that end, the Apologetics curriculum enables students:
- To understand biblical religion as a world-and-life view, rather than a set of isolated truths
- To develop arguments which address the deepest levels of various worldviews
- To articulate biblical principles for the defense and commendation of the gospel of Jesus Christ in evangelism
- To understand the patterns and cultural trends of our times
- To develop answers to some of the most frequent challenges raised against Christian faith
- To know something of the history of thought
- To be familiar with some of the most articulate apologists throughout history
- To articulate the relationship between faith and reason
“Every form of intellectual argument rests, in the last analysis, upon one or the other of two basic presuppositions. The non-Christian’s process of reasoning rests upon the presupposition that man is the final or ultimate reference point in human predication. The Christian’s process of reasoning rests upon the presupposition that God, speaking through Christ by his Spirit in the infallible Word, is the final or ultimate reference point in human predication.” – Cornelius Van Til
AP101 Introduction to Apologetics
Purpose: to introduce students to Christian apologetics, to learn the art of presuppositional argument, to learn how to lift up Christ and give reasons for the hope that we have (1 Peter 3:15), to develop tools in order to understand the surrounding culture. Topics covered in the course include the biblical and theological basis for apologetics, informal logic and the nature of argument, developing a world and life view, presuppositionalism, and the application of apologetics to problems in philosophy. 3 semester hours. (M.Div. requirement)
AP213 Christian Apologetics
Purpose: To build on the principles established in AP 101; to establish the Scriptural warrant for the Christian faith; to understand the place and importance of evidences in apologetics; to establish biblical principles necessary for a defense of Christianity. Topics covered in this course include the nature and structure of arguments, an in-depth analysis and critique of some of the traditional proofs for the existence of God, and the necessity of a Reformed doctrine of revelation for apologetics. Prerequisite, AP 101 and Greek III or equivalent completed or in progress. 3 semester hours. (M.Div. requirement)
