Apologetics Calmly Considered - A Conversation with Todd Christine

Methodists aren’t exactly famous for apologetics in the online space. While Reformed and independent voices dominate the conversation, Wesleyans have often stayed quiet. Is that a problem? Should we even try to enter the fray? And if we do, what should it look like?

In this collaborative conversation between Jeffrey Rickman (PlainSpoken) and Ed Rodarmel (Omni Methodist), we sit down with Rev. Todd Christine, author of Apologetics, Calmly Considered, to explore these questions.

Todd doesn’t present apologetics as intellectual combat or online sparring. Instead, he frames it as something that belongs inside discipleship — a practice that forms the apologist as much as it addresses the person on the other side of the conversation. Drawing from 1 Peter 3:15, he insists that any defense of the faith must be rooted in a life already marked by gentleness, reverence, and hope.

We talk about:

* What apologetics actually means (and why the word itself confuses people)

* The difference between apologetics and polemics

* Why the telos (the goal or end) of apologetics matters more than winning the argument

* How Wesleyan theology — with its emphasis on holiness, the means of grace, and prevenient grace — offers a distinctive approach

* Why truth is not merely a set of propositions but a Person

* How early church figures like Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, and Tertullian modeled different postures in different contexts

* Why many young people leave the faith in college — and what churches (and parents) can do about it

Todd is especially passionate about the next generation. After discovering the scarcity of Wesleyan resources on the subject, he restructured his church’s entire educational program to include apologetics from first grade through adulthood. He also helped launch a conference summer camp centered on the topic — and the fruit has been striking.

The conversation stays warm, thoughtful, and pastoral rather than combative. If you’ve ever wondered whether Methodists have something unique to offer in the realm of defending and explaining the faith, this episode will give you plenty to chew on.

Where to get the bookApologetics, Calmly Considered is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Westbowpress.com. It includes a small group study guide in the back, making it useful for churches, leadership teams, and parents who want to engage the material together.

Westbow Link - https://www.westbowpress.com/en/bookstore/bookdetails/875167-apologetics-calmly-considered

Get full access to PlainSpoken at plainspokenpod.substack.com/subscribe