The past 40 or so years have seen a recovery of natural theology—and thereby, the classical arguments for the existence of God—within the field of academic philosophy.  Some of the most influential philosophers of our day are not only theists, but outspoken Christian believers.  We’ve even seen one of the most influential atheists of this past century, Anthony Flew, become a theist due in large part to the advances of today’s design arguments.  And in conjunction with this philosophical movement is a renewed appreciation among young people for apologetics—that is, giving winsome and cogent arguments for the Christian faith.  

Rational arguments for God’s existence and the coherence of the Christian faith are once again playing a vital role in people’s spiritual journeys with Jesus.  Despite all the popular chatter about this postmodern generation of young people having no interest in supposed “modernist” concerns for apologetics, reality seems to be just the opposite.  In a recent short article from the July 2008 edition of Christianity Today entitled, “A New Day for Apologetics,” reporter Troy Anderson of the Los Angeles Daily News notes that “People young and old are flocking to hear—and be changed by—winsome arguments for the Christian faith.”  He goes on to report that aside from jam-packed apologetic conferences around the nation, whole new programs are popping in universities and seminaries—“crammed with students pursuing graduate degrees in philosophy and apologetics.”  And ministers in the church who have their ear to the ground, Anderson remarks, are starting to realize this and make use of apologetics in their ministry to their congregations.

This new appreciation for philosophically astute thinking in the church and among the average lay person is evidenced even by the above mentioned edition of Christianity Today.  For the first time the magazine is featuring an article by noted Christian philosopher, William Lane Craig.  Not only that, but his article, “God Is Not Dead Yet”, is also the cover story of the July edition.  In the article, Craig gives a quick tour of some of the current arguments of natural theology—the cosmological argument (including the kalam version), the teleological argument, the moral argument, and the ontological argument.  He also offers some recommended reading for both “introductory” and “advanced” levels. 

If you haven’t already picked up the July edition, I’d encourage you to read Craig’s article from Christianity Today online (“God Is Not Dead Yet.”).

Also check out Troy Anderson’s article in the same edition (“A New Day for Apologetics”).
WHAT DO YOU THINK?
1. What role has apologetics (finding compelling answers to faith’s tough questions) played in your journey?
2. What do you think are the toughest apologetic questions that you run into with others, or that you deal with yourself?
3. Which of the arguments for God’s existence (as mentioned in the article, “God Is Not Dead Yet.”) do you think is most compelling and why?