A few notes and quotes from the talk:
The conservative and liberal responses to apologetics:
"Don't persuade, proclaim!"
"Don't defend, dialogue!"
Some limitations of apologetics
Much apologetics is limited in appealing only to the open and the interested. What about the other 95%?
Much apologetics is limited in appealing only to the needy.
Much apologetics is limited in appealing only to those with a similar worldview to us.
Much apologetics is limited in appealing only to the rational, literate, abstract thinker.
Much apologetics remain within Christian circles and never makes it's way into the world.
"... to transcend these limitations, we're going to have to develop an apologetics which is flexible enough to communicate to anyone at any level of consciousness, any religion or worldview, of any nationality or language or whatever. In other words, the tough thing in modern apologetics will be to develop a persuasive cross-contextual communication. That's what the best apologetics always was in the past – and is in the Scriptures. It's what the modern situation calls for and what some of the best modern theory points towards."
"How can we be close enough to communicate to real people and yet at the same time be clear enough to be saying something to them? And these are the sort of questions which underlie this demand of our age of cross-contextual, persuasive communication which I think is at the heart of apologetics."
"How do we make convincing sense [of the gospel] to our generation with all these different worldviews?
"Do we say nothing? That's uncharacteristic of us, if not unchristian.
"Do we say something that's meaningful only to us because we're only speaking to each other? Well that doesn't help.
"Do we just say it again and say it much louder? That doesn't really get it over, yet that's what much evangelism is.
"Do we say it in their language and express something different from what we really mean, so we betray Christian truth? That's what much dialogue has done and that doesn't help either.
"Or do we say something that's clear and convincing and Christian? And if so, how? That's what we're after."
"According to the American Heritage Dictionary, apologetics is “formal argumentation in defense of something, such as a position or system.” A Christian “apologetic” is not an apology as we usually use the term, that is, to say you are sorry for something. We use the word “apology” in the sense that we give a defense of the Christian faith. Apologetics comes from the Greek word apologia, “to give an answer.” 1 Peter 3:15 gives us the defining statement: “But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer (apologia) to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.” The Scriptures do not divorce the content of apologetics from the character of the apologist. The apostle Peter, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, knew the hazards and the risks of being an answer-bearer to the sincere questions that people would pose of the Gospel. For that very reason the Scriptures give us a clear picture of the apologist: one who has first set apart Christ in his or her heart as Lord, who then responds with answers to the questioner, and does so, with gentleness and respect."
