Why Do You Believe?

While many modern conservative Christians uphold the idea that there are two genders, they often inadvertently eviscerate the male and female genders by making the masculine and feminine roles interchangeable. If we disregard the specific man/woman directives and differences in scripture, are we really valuing God’s design for us? Specifically, what should biblical womanhood really look like in the 21st century? Is historic Christianity's view of womanhood outdated and oppressive? Join us as we discuss these issues with SES alumna Nora Hale.

We conclude our overview of the new SES infographic "Nine Essential Arguments for Effective Christian Apologetics" by looking at the final three points that seek to demonstrate the truthfulness of Christianity specifically. The foundation has been laid regarding the nature and knowability of truth, the existence of God, and the fact that miracles are at least possible. Join us as SES Provost Dr. Richard G. Howe walks us through the final steps of our apologetic by examining the reliability of the Bible and the reality of Jesus' resurrection.

Last week we discussed the nature of truth, its knowability, and the fact that every aspect of physical reality has a metaphysical nature which we are capable of knowing and communicating about. As we continue our journey through the essential arguments for a complete apologetic for Christianity, we're joined again by SES Provost Dr. Richard Howe to discuss the existence of God and the implications this has to further our apologetic. If there is no God, there can be no Word of God. But how can we know that God actually exists?

We talk a lot about specific issues and nuanced philosophical and theological concepts. But at the end of the day, what are the basic arguments that form the foundation for a solid Christian apologetic? In our post-Christian culture, it is imperative that believers at least know the basics in order to become effective ambassadors for Christ in their proclamation and defense of the Gospel. Join us for this series with SES Provost Dr. Richard Howe as we discuss nine essential arguments for effective Christian apologetics.

Once again, Dr. William Lane Craig, along with Dr. James White, has mischaracterized Aquinas' view of divine simplicity, its importance, and its implications. This matters because divine simplicity, properly understood, is one of the most important doctrines of God from which the other divine attributes properly follow and are understood. SES professor Dr. Brian Huffling will discuss his recent blog post graciously responding to our brothers' continued misunderstanding and mischaracterizations.

A couple of episodes ago we began talking about the book “Answering the Music Man: Dan Barker’s Arguments Against Christianity” written by several of our SES alumni. The book is a response to Dan Barker, the co-president of the Freedom From Religion Foundation. Barker touts many of the typical, and shallow, talking points common to what has come to be known as the “new atheists." Today, we’ll be talking with three more authors of the book and their specific responses to Barker.

We all know that one of the most well-known and difficult issues facing Christian apologetics is the problem of evil. Book after book has been written on the subject. There is one particular aspect of the problem of evil that is gaining in popularity amongst skeptics and unbelievers. That is the so-called problem of animal suffering. Why would a good God create animals and allow them to suffer in so many horrible ways?. Some, like Alex O’Conner also known as the Cosmic Skeptic on YouTube, go so far as to claim this is the single greatest problem to Christianity. What exactly is the problem of animal suffering, and how should Christians respond?. We’ll be discussing this issue with Dr. Kyle Keltz, SES alum and author of “Thomism and the Problem of Animal Suffering.”

At our National Conference on Christian Apologetics, Dr. Richard Howe debated professing-Christian-music-minister-turned-atheist Dan Barker. Barker is the co-president of the Freedom From Religion Foundation. After the debate, two of our SES Ph.D. alumni decided to begin a book project to dive more deeply into answering the many claims and assertions Barker promoted at the debate. The result is a relatively new book entitled “Answering the Music Man: Dan Barker’s Arguments Against Christianity." We’ll be discussing the book with a few of the authors this week and next week.

The conversation dives into the rise of critical race theory and LGBTQ+ ideologies in universities, discussing their long-term societal effects. It highlights the challenges Christian students face in this shifting landscape and emphasizes the need for engagement and robust apologetics. The speakers explore the vital role of community in overcoming isolation, especially during times like the COVID pandemic. They also focus on evangelism efforts in predominantly Mormon Utah, urging listeners to understand diverse perspectives and participate in mission activities.