Today's interview is with Chad Meister, professor of philosophy at Bethel College. He talks about his background and how he got into philosophy and apologetics, a defense of philosophy as a tool in apologetics, what philosophy is and isn't, his book Building Belief: Constructing Faith from the Ground Up, the starting points for apologetic/evangelistic engagement, ontology/epistemology distinctions when reasoning about God's existence, the role of the Holy Spirit, advice for communicators, and more.Enjoy.

Today's interview is with Lou Markos, Professor in English and Scholar in Residence at Houston Baptist University. And he's a C.S. Lewis expert. He talks about literary apologetics (or cultural apologetics), why and how Christians should write and be involved in culture, his recent book On the Shoulders of Hobbits: The Road to Virtue with Tolkien and Lewis, the different approaches of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, The Silmarillion, how we need cultural apologists today, HBU's apologetics program, advice for apologists, and the biggest apologetic lesson he has learned from C.S. Lewis.Enjoy.

Hello, this is Brian Auten of Apologetics 315.This week I'd like to ask for your support for the ongoing work at Apologetics 315.In particular, this is related to the ongoing project to transcribe the interviews that you are listening to in this podcast. Personally, I find these interviews some of the most valuable resources on Apologetics 315. However, not everyone is a podcast listener; I believe many more people can gain access to the content of these interviews if they were written.So here's the vision: to transcribe all of them. This will take some time, but it is doable with the help of volunteer transcribers as well as with the help of financial support to fund some of the transcription. Do you feel like you can help with transcription? If it seem that it's the sort of thing that's right up your alley, then please contract me at interviews@apologetics315.com. If you can't even type, but still would love to see this happen, then why not donate 10, 20, or 50 dollars toward the project? Just click on the support tab on the Ap315 homepage. So that's a bit about the transcription project. But I'd like to ask for your help with Apologetics 315 in another way... and that's by considering supporting us through year-end giving. Apologetics 315 is a registered non-profit organization and donations are tax-deductible. If you are considering year-end giving, please keep us in mind with your gift toward the work we're doing to make the best apologetics resources available and accessible to as many people as possible.Finally, there's one more easy way to help Apologetics315 a whole lot by doing very little. If you do your shopping online through amazon.com, amazon.co.uk, or amazon.ca, by using Apologetics315's affiliate link a portion of your purchases actually is credited to our organization. So maybe you want to buy a book for yourself... well, just use the link found at apologetics 315 (look along the right hand side of the page with the amazon logo) and click that link... it takes you to amazon where you buy your book as normal. And that's it... that helps us. And if you do your Christmas shopping there... whether it's buying baby clothes or a BBQ, that all counts in a very real way toward our goals here. So please use that link—and bookmark it if you like in your browser for whenever you shop with Amazon.Thanks again for being a listener and a visitor to apologetics 315. And as always, feel free to recommend future interview guests, topics, or even second interviews of past guests. This is Brian Auten of apologetics 315 and thanks for listening.

Today's interview is with apologist Mary Jo Sharp, founder of Confident Christianity and assistant professor at Houston Baptist University. She talks about apologetics ministry, exploring Masters programs in apologetics, her recent LifeWay DVD Bible study: Why Do You Believe That? A Faith Conversation, tips for conversations and communication, overcoming roadblocks to dialogue, women in apologetics ministry, and more. Also check out her book: Defending the Faith: Apologetics in Women's Ministry.Enjoy.

Today's interview is with author of Arguing with Friends: Keeping Your Friends and Your Convictions. He also runs the blog whyjesus.ca and arguingwithfriends.com. He talks about influences in apologetics, conversational apologetics, the goal in personal interactions with others, understanding arguments (this Monty Python skit), tactics vs. strategies, learning from mistakes in doing apologetics, and advice for effective communication.Enjoy.

Today's interview is with David Marshall, founder and director of the Kuai Mu Institute for Christianity and World Cultures and editor of the forthcoming Faith Seeking Understanding: Essays in Memory of Paul Brand and Ralph Winter. He talks about his work and background, apologetics in missions, his latest book, the influence of Paul Brand and Ralph Winter, how the Gospels demonstrate the historicity of the Gospel story, advice for those doing apologetics, and more.Enjoy.

Today's interview is with pastor and reformed theologian Douglas Wilson. He talks about his background and influences, his pastoral ministry, apologetics and its role in the local church, how to incorporate apologetics into preaching, encouraging apologetic engagement within the church, his debates with Christopher Hitchens (and the DVD Collision), the presuppositional approach to apologetics, biggest lessons learned from speaking and debating, pitfalls to avoid, advice for apologists, and more.Enjoy.

Today's interview is with K. Scott Oliphint, Professor of Apologetics and Systematic Theology at Westminster Theological Seminary. He is author of a number of books, including God With Us: Divine Condescention and the Attributes of God, and Reasons for Faith: Philosophy in the Service of Theology. He talks about his background and influences, Christian Apologetics Past & Present: A Primary Source Reader, presuppositional apologetics, the work of Cornelius Van Til, "covenantal apologetics," the practical application of presuppositionalism, common ground, common misconceptions of presuppositionalism, recommended reading, advice, and much more.Enjoy.

Today's interview is with Craig Parton, attorney and author of The Defense Never Rests: A Lawyer's Quest for the Gospel as well as Religion on Trial. He is also the United States Director of the International Academy of Apologetics, Evangelism and Human Rights in Strasbourg, France. He talks about his faith journey, a lawyer's perspective on the evidence for Christianity, how to investigate religious truth claims, how we know things are true, evidential methodology, "beyond a reasonable doubt", how the burden of proof works, how to disprove Christianity, the apologetics academy in Strasboug, lessons learned as an apologist, advice for those doing apologetics, and more.Enjoy.

Today's interview is with Frank Beckwith, associate professor of Church-State Studies at Baylor University and associate director of the J. M. Dawson Institute of Church-State Studies. He talks about his background, the importance of ethics and church-state issues, the reason for controversy about Christianity and politics, the meaning of "separation between church and state," what the Bible says about politics, how Christians should be engaged politically, thinking about hot-button issues, how to properly argue for issues, factors for evaluating candidates, the importance of voting, his book Politics for Christians: Statecraft as Soulcraft (review here), recommended reading, and advice for apologists.Enjoy.