Just and Sinner Podcast Christian Apologetics Amid the Meaning Crisis
Jan 27, 2026
A conference talk on how apologetics must adapt to a widespread meaning crisis. It traces the shift from new atheism to existential questions about identity and purpose. It contrasts views of human nature from materialist, gnostic, and social theories. It introduces truth, goodness, and beauty as central realities and links them to arguments about mind, language, and modern philosophy.
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Shift From Facts To Meaning
- College students today ask 'Who am I?' and 'Is there purpose?' more than historical proof questions about Jesus.
- The cultural shift moves apologetics from defending facts to addressing meaning and identity.
Broaden Apologetics To Address Meaning
- Don't abandon traditional apologetics, but broaden focus to identity, purpose, and meaning questions.
- Equip ministries to address existential concerns alongside historical and philosophical arguments.
Knowing Humanity Grounds Theology
- The question 'What is a human?' is foundational because answers shape how we view God and the world.
- Without a coherent human nature, concepts like sin, law, and relationship to God lose intelligibility.
