http://www.cmf.org.uk/index/christian_apologetics.htm Latest Christian apologetics related content from Christian Medical Fellowship en-gb webmaster@cmf.org.uk (CMF Webmaster) 60 http://www.cmf.org.uk/publications/content.asp/?context=article&id=2128 John Lennox - Lion Hudson 2007 - £8.99 Pb 192 pp - ISBN 0 74595 3034 John Lennox is an Oxford lecturer in mathematics and the philosophy of science. This slim paperback is his much awaited contribution to the science-faith debate that, for many people, has become the key apologetic issue of the day. Lennox provides an excellent overview and is particularly strong on the philosophical underlay, historical background, and cosmology. His text is well referenced and packed with... Mon, 21 Jul 2008 13:00:00 GMT http://www.cmf.org.uk/publications/content.asp/?context=article&id=2128 http://www.cmf.org.uk/publications/content.asp/?context=article&id=2124 Henry Callahan - Lulu 2007 - £12.99 Pb 224pp - ISBN 978 1 84753 095 0 This is a Christian response to Richard Dawkins' The God Delusion , with helpful insights which counter the Dawkins onslaught, including a short history of distinguished scientists who are also Christians, an outline of scientific method, some philosophy of science, advice on how to read the Bible properly, and quite a bit of theology. Within this he challenges many Dawkins' statements, not least: 'Who designed... Mon, 21 Jul 2008 13:00:00 GMT http://www.cmf.org.uk/publications/content.asp/?context=article&id=2124 http://www.cmf.org.uk/publications/content.asp/?context=article&id=2090 Is God Obsolete? - Brad Burke - Victor 2006 - £6 Pb 160pp - ISBN 078144280X The aim of Is God Obsolete? is to encourage Christians and non-Christians to think about their lives, and the extent to which God is a part of it. Dr Burke sets out this intention clearly from the start by quoting Thomas à Kempis, 'For a small reward a man will hurry away on a long journey, while for eternal life many will hardly take a single step.' Using nicely set up, but sometimes drawn out,... Fri, 18 Jul 2008 13:00:00 GMT http://www.cmf.org.uk/publications/content.asp/?context=article&id=2090 http://www.cmf.org.uk/publications/content.asp/?context=article&id=2083 The title of this article is a contradiction in terms for Richard Dawkins. 'Faith', he tells us, 'requires no justification and brooks no argument.'[1] Its adherents are no more than 'dyed-in-the-wool faith-heads'[2] who have no evidence base to support their beliefs and ignore all evidence against them. Dawkins' view of faith has an element of truth. In talking with young people about science and religion, I often come across the view that science is about facts and proof and that religion is... Fri, 18 Jul 2008 13:00:00 GMT http://www.cmf.org.uk/publications/content.asp/?context=article&id=2083 http://www.cmf.org.uk/publications/content.asp/?context=article&id=1580 But Don't All Religions Lead to God? - Michael Green - IVP 2002 - £5.99 Pb 92pp - ISBN 0851112811 It's not surprising that people are muddled when the world we live in tolerates all kinds of behaviour and thinking. I've lost count of the number of times people have said to me, 'it doesn't matter what you believe as long as you're sincere', or, 'aren't all religions much the same?' While I definitely don't agree with these statements, I have often struggled to come out with a... Fri, 1 Apr 2005 13:00:00 GMT http://www.cmf.org.uk/publications/content.asp/?context=article&id=1580 http://www.cmf.org.uk/publications/content.asp/?context=article&id=1581 Body Beautiful: recovering the biblical view of the church - Melvin Tinker & Nathan Buttery - Authentic Lifestyle 2003 - £7.99 Pb 160pp - ISBN 1850784655 In a secular society where we hear a lot of negative facts and opinions about the church (church attendance is at an all-time low; and most people consider the church to be irrelevant today), we could easily fall into the trap of thinking that the church has a bleak future. Body Beautiful seeks to 'recapture in a popular... Fri, 1 Apr 2005 13:00:00 GMT http://www.cmf.org.uk/publications/content.asp/?context=article&id=1581 http://www.cmf.org.uk/publications/content.asp/?context=article&id=1291 Philosophical Foundations for a Christian Worldview - JP Moreland & William Lane Craig - IVP 2003 - £25.99 Hb 654pp - ISBN 0830826947 In an address given in 1980, former Secretary-General of the United Nations, Charles Malik, identified what he saw as the two tasks of evangelism: saving the soul and saving the mind; converting people not only spiritually, but also intellectually. The western church, he warned, is lagging dangerously behind with this second task. Things have... Sat, 1 Jan 2005 13:00:00 GMT http://www.cmf.org.uk/publications/content.asp/?context=article&id=1291 http://www.cmf.org.uk/publications/content.asp/?context=article&id=1295 Mark Pickering and Peter Saunders return to a classic apologetics topic.[1] Have you ever been embarrassed by the miracles in the Bible? Have you winced at the thought of defending them before your medical colleagues? How about the account of creation,[2] the ten plagues of the Exodus,[3] the day the sun stood still,[4] or perhaps some of the healing miracles of Jesus? The theologian Rudolph Bultmann (1884-1976) tried to 'demythologise' the teaching of Jesus by stripping away the miraculous. He... Sat, 1 Jan 2005 13:00:00 GMT http://www.cmf.org.uk/publications/content.asp/?context=article&id=1295 http://www.cmf.org.uk/publications/content.asp/?context=article&id=391 Mark Pickering and Peter Saunders revive a series that looks at vital issues where Christians regularly face opposition. This article is based on material from the popular 'Confident Christianity' course.[1] We now live in a 'global village', a multi-faith society where exclusive claims may offend. Many adherents of other faiths are prepared to recognise Jesus as a great teacher, prophet, leader and reformer -even perhaps as one way to God. Are we not then being arrogant, intolerant and... Mon, 1 Oct 2001 13:00:00 GMT http://www.cmf.org.uk/publications/content.asp/?context=article&id=391 http://www.cmf.org.uk/publications/content.asp/?context=article&id=1281 If we are living a consistent Christian life and praying for opportunities to speak of Christ, they will come. But will we be ready? Will we be able to explain confidently and coherently what we believe? Where should we start? What should we include? How should we finish? Thankfully we have the example of the apostles themselves to follow. In the Book of Acts we find nine apostolic sermons which give a summary of the Gospel. Acts 2:14-40 Peter at Pentecost - Acts 3:12-26 Peter to Jewish... Mon, 1 Jan 2001 13:00:00 GMT http://www.cmf.org.uk/publications/content.asp/?context=article&id=1281 http://www.cmf.org.uk/publications/content.asp/?context=article&id=1282 If you would like to get involved in dialogue evangelism discuss the various possibilities with other Christian leaders in your medical school. Review your programme, and pray through the implications. Dr Peter Saunders at the CMF Office in London will advise you about the possibility of arranging a Training Conference for your CU. How many of your group could you manage to get there? What do you think of the booklet ? Would you like to distribute them, and how? What about a Talk-Back? How many... Mon, 1 Jan 2001 13:00:00 GMT http://www.cmf.org.uk/publications/content.asp/?context=article&id=1282 http://www.cmf.org.uk/publications/content.asp/?context=article&id=1283 Evangelism - - Know and Tell the Gospel - John C Chapman - Hodder & Stoughton - Evangelism - Now and Then - Michael Green - IVP - How To Give Away Your Faith - Paul Little - IVP - Explaining Your Faith without losing your friends - Alister McGrath - IVP - Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God - J I Packer - IVP - Out of the Saltshaker - Rebecca Pippert - IVP - Evangelism Without Sounding Spiritual - Rebecca Pippert - Marc - Apologetics - - The Evidence for the Resurrection - Norman... Mon, 1 Jan 2001 13:00:00 GMT http://www.cmf.org.uk/publications/content.asp/?context=article&id=1283 http://www.cmf.org.uk/publications/content.asp/?context=article&id=1284 Explanatory Notes for Would-Be HostsOne of the most effective methods of engaging in evangelism is to invite your friends round for a meal with the explicit purpose of having an after-supper discussion about Christianity. Ideally one or two Christians need to invite about a dozen of their uncommitted friends. An attractive and enjoyable meal is had by all. The dialogue leader has the opportunity to get to know the guests. Preferably everyone then retires to another room, leaving the washing-up... Mon, 1 Jan 2001 13:00:00 GMT http://www.cmf.org.uk/publications/content.asp/?context=article&id=1284 http://www.cmf.org.uk/publications/content.asp/?context=article&id=1286 Given that the Gospel itself is God's powerful agent in evangelism through which he reveals himself (Rom 1:16,17), and given that it is in the mind of God to whom he chooses to reveal himself (Matt 11:27), we then have the right framework to discuss what constitutes success in evangelism. Without this perspective on the sovereignty of God and the Gospel as his chosen means of bringing people under his kingly rule, we will be liable to see success in terms of head counts and look for power in... Mon, 1 Jan 2001 13:00:00 GMT http://www.cmf.org.uk/publications/content.asp/?context=article&id=1286 http://www.cmf.org.uk/publications/content.asp/?context=article&id=1288 Many people today, like the philosophers at Athens, are miles away in their thinking and their behaviour. A short presentation of the Gospel may be the first they have ever learned about Jesus. If they are to come to trust him, they will need to learn much more. Hopefully they will read the Gospels for themselves and will probably have to wrestle with many questions and issues. The seed is sown but may even take years to come to fruition. The Church Growth Movement has popularised the 'Engel... Mon, 1 Jan 2001 13:00:00 GMT http://www.cmf.org.uk/publications/content.asp/?context=article&id=1288 http://www.cmf.org.uk/publications/content.asp/?context=article&id=1290 Starting in the Right Place. Some outlines start with the fact of sin, and blindly assume both the existence of God and the fact that his character is morally pure. Other outlines start with a statement about the love of God, also making assumptions about his existence and character. While many people hold vague assumptions about God's existence, they would seem to be even less certain as to what he is like. It seems therefore important to start with an affirmation about God's existence,... Mon, 1 Jan 2001 13:00:00 GMT http://www.cmf.org.uk/publications/content.asp/?context=article&id=1290 http://www.cmf.org.uk/publications/content.asp/?context=article&id=1292 Christians commonly present a circular argument in the way they discuss the authority of the Bible. They say that Jesus is the Son of God and produce proof texts from the Word of God to make their point. The unbeliever replies that he does not believe the Bible. The Christian then produces sayings of Christ that show the Scriptures to be the Word of God. The non-Christian replies that he does not accept that, only to be told that he should trust Jesus because He is the Son of God! Each is... Mon, 1 Jan 2001 13:00:00 GMT http://www.cmf.org.uk/publications/content.asp/?context=article&id=1292 http://www.cmf.org.uk/publications/content.asp/?context=article&id=1293 'Christianity stands or falls on the claim that Jesus Christ rose from the dead.' So claimed Ludwig Kennedy in a recent radio debate with Lord Rees-Mogg. He was right. The Apostle Paul put it even more bluntly: 'If Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith'. (1 Cor 15:14) The resurrection is of first importance (1 Cor 15:3,4), and yet the difficulty of accepting it is a major barrier to faith. How can we defend our belief in it? We need to argue that although the... Mon, 1 Jan 2001 13:00:00 GMT http://www.cmf.org.uk/publications/content.asp/?context=article&id=1293 http://www.cmf.org.uk/publications/content.asp/?context=article&id=1297 'If God did not exist it would be necessary to invent him.' Voltaire - Isn't it possible to explain Christian conversion and behaviour in purely psychological terms? This question can be rather threatening. Our faith in Christ is intensely personal, and we are right to feel deeply about it. But emotional feeling can also be a snare (Je 17:9, Pr 14:12.) If our conviction that Christianity is true is based solely on the fact that it 'brings us peace and joy', then we will be in trouble when those... Mon, 1 Jan 2001 13:00:00 GMT http://www.cmf.org.uk/publications/content.asp/?context=article&id=1297 http://www.cmf.org.uk/publications/content.asp/?context=article&id=1298 In answering we need to ask why and when our friends think the Bible has been changed? There are four separate questions here: Did the events really happen in the way the eyewitnesses claimed they did? (Are there errors of fact?) If the eyewitnesses did not relate the events as they originally occurred, then there are only two possibilities. Either they were mistaken or they deliberately lied. Individuals may suffer from errors of perception but not whole groups. Unlike the 'revelations' of... Mon, 1 Jan 2001 13:00:00 GMT http://www.cmf.org.uk/publications/content.asp/?context=article&id=1298 http://www.cmf.org.uk/publications/content.asp/?context=article&id=1299 We now live in a 'global village', a multi-faith society where exclusive claims may offend. Many adherents of other faiths are prepared to recognize Jesus as a great teacher, prophet, leader and reformer - even perhaps as one way to God. Are we not then being arrogant, intolerant and narrowminded by suggesting he is the only way? First we must admit that the world's religions do have some things in common - they all recognize a spiritual dimension and have broadly similar moral codes. But... Mon, 1 Jan 2001 13:00:00 GMT http://www.cmf.org.uk/publications/content.asp/?context=article&id=1299 http://www.cmf.org.uk/publications/content.asp/?context=article&id=1300 In a recent television interview Peter Ustinov, the famous actor, was asked for his 'doctrine of man'. He gave the reply 'Man is essentially good!' and was rewarded with sustained applause from the audience. Even among those who believe in the reality of heaven and hell, the popular conception is that the latter is reserved only for arch villains like Stalin, Hitler or Genghis Khan - perhaps along with a handful of gang rapists and serial killers. Most people, however, are thought good enough... Mon, 1 Jan 2001 13:00:00 GMT http://www.cmf.org.uk/publications/content.asp/?context=article&id=1300 http://www.cmf.org.uk/publications/content.asp/?context=article&id=1301 Many people say they are unable to believe what the Bible says about God because they are unable to believe that miracles happened. They are at least clearly able to see what some liberal theologians can't - that belief in the God of the Bible implies belief in the miraculous. To deny the miraculous is to deny God himself. If miracles did not happen, then the resurrection did not happen and our faith is therefore in vain (1 Cor 15:32). So as Christians we must argue that miracles did happen -... Mon, 1 Jan 2001 13:00:00 GMT http://www.cmf.org.uk/publications/content.asp/?context=article&id=1301 http://www.cmf.org.uk/publications/content.asp/?context=article&id=1302 In short, we do not know! 'The secret things belong to the Lord our God' (Dt 29:29). Certainly we cannot speak for any individual. However, the Bible does not leave us totally in the dark and various approaches towards an answer can be made. We are not here considering the fate of those who openly reject Jesus. The Bible has much to say on that score (eg 2 Thes 1:8-10). Rather we are considering the fate of those who through no fault of their own have never heard of Jesus. We only need to think... Mon, 1 Jan 2001 13:00:00 GMT http://www.cmf.org.uk/publications/content.asp/?context=article&id=1302 http://www.cmf.org.uk/publications/content.asp/?context=article&id=1307 A Study Guide on a Recurring Theme in Dialogue - The Christian world view has a great deal more to say about suffering than any other religion or philosophy. It gives substantial (albeit incomplete) answers to our questions. The Bible is a practical book, not satisfying our idle intellectual curiosity (Mt 11:25) but giving us enough information to live by. Certain truths seem clear: - God is good and everything he created was 'very good'. Ps 100:5; Mt 5:48; Gn 1:4,10,12,18,21,25,31. - God whose... Mon, 1 Jan 2001 13:00:00 GMT http://www.cmf.org.uk/publications/content.asp/?context=article&id=1307