A new start this Thursday

And so it starts again. For the fourth time, my wife and I will be hosting a twelve-week series on apologetics at our church, dealing with rational defenses of the Christian faith. I'm really looking forward to it.

One joy is the people involved. We have met teens, young marrieds, older marrieds dealing with adult children, singles dealing with careers, and those in their 80s. They all share a love of learning and a love of discussion. We have some thoughtful sessions in which people share their experiences in whatever area we are studying.

I also love the material we cover. This time we'll be reading a book called Evidence for God, edited by William Dembski and Mike Licona. These men have organized fifty interesting articles showcasing various approaches to Christian apologetics. There's a wide range of material here--philosophy, science, Biblical research, the historical Jesus, etc. The authors are some of the best in the field of apologetics--Craig Blomberg, Darrell Bock, Paul Copan, William Dembski, Mike Licona, Gary Habermas, Paul Maier, Nancy Pearcey, and Ben Witherington.

In addition, I enjoy dealing with a topic that is so relevant today. Christianity is under attack from the new atheists, college professors, the mass media, as well as others who have more emotion than logic. The good news is how well the faith holds up under this pressure. Each of us has a responsibility to defend Christianity as a way to strengthen our faith and challenge those who bring charges agaainst it.

Finally, I like seeing how the members of the class take on this challenge. I get to hear of conversations, letters, classroom discussions, and other opportunities in which it has been demonstrated that Christianity is not a simple leap-in-the-dark faith. Instead, it can more than hold its own against the prevailing doctrines of the day.