StudyGuide

ApologeticsforaNewGeneration
DiscussionQuestions

CHAPTER1:ADifferentKindofApologistDanKimball

1. WhatchallengedyoumostaboutDanschapter?
2. DoyouagreewithDanthatthereisanincreasedneedandinterestinapologeticsinour
emergingculture?Whyorwhynot?
3. Thinkaboutthediscussionsyouhavehadaboutapologeticsoverthepastmonth.Howmany
havebeenwithChristiansandhowmanyhavebeenwiththosewhoarenotChristians?
4. Whyisitsoimportanttolistenfirstbeforelaunchingintoanapologeticargumentfor
Christianity?Whathappenswhenwedonttakethetimetogenuinelylisten?

CHAPTER2:TruthNeverGetsOldBrettKunkle

1. Haveyouseentheimpactofrelativismonyoungergenerationstoday?Trytocomeupwith
somepracticalexamplesfrompopularmedia(movies,music,TV,etc.)orfromyourpersonal
experiencewithyouth.
2. DoyouthinkrelativismisathreattotheGospel?Whyorwhynot?
3. Discussthedifferencebetweenobjectiveandsubjectivetruth.Comeupwithsomeadditional
examplesofbothkindsoftruth.
4. Doyouthinkthereareobjectivetruthsaboutreligionandmorality?Ifso,howwouldwe
discoverthosetruths?
5. Howcanweconnectabstractdiscussionsabouttruthtoeverydaylife?

CHAPTER3:AFreshApologetic:RelationshipsthatTransformJoshMcDowell

1. DidJoshssurpriseorshockyou?Whyorwhynot?
2. WhydoyouthinkoutsidershaveextremelybadimpressionsofChristians?Doyouagreewith
Joshthatmuchofitisbecausetheydontlikewhattheyseeinus?Howdowecounterthese
negativeimpressions?
3. Whatrelationshipshavebeenmostinfluentialintheformationofyourworldview?
4. Whatdoyouthinkisthemostpowerfulapologetictoday?Arationalargument?Aloving
community?Orboth?

CHAPTER4:ChristianityandCulture:DefendingourFathersandMothersJohnMarkReynolds

1. WhatisthedifferencebetweentheChristianaspilgrimandtheChristianascitizen?
2. Whatistherelationshipbetweenavalidargumentandtruth?
3. Whatshouldourviewbetowardsmediaandpopculture?
4. Howcanweexpressbeautyinourdailylives?
5. Howcanwefindbeautyeveninculturaleventsthatwereproducedbypeoplewithwhomwe
disagree?

CHAPTER5:AHumanApologetic:TillingtheSoulDaleFincher

1. Howimportantdoyouthinkimaginativeapologeticsisforsoultransformation?Cananalytical
argumentsalonetransformthesoul?Whyorwhynot?
2. WhyisitsocriticaltohaveanaccurateviewofGod?Whathappenstooursoulswhenweview
Godincorrectly?
3. Doyouthinkthechurchasawholedoesagoodjobofallowingpeopletoexperiencedoubt?
Howcanwecreateanenvironmentinourchurch,families,andcommunitiesthatallowfor
genuinedoubt?
4. HowcandoubtleadsomeonetoadeeperfaithinGod?
5. WhatfalseideasaboutGodcanbemostdamagingtothesoul?

CHAPTER6:CapturingtheImaginationbeforeEngagingtheMindCraigHazen

1. Shareexamplesyouhaveseenofapologetictruthsbeingtaughtcreatively,suchasindrama,
comedy,orfilm.
2. DoyouagreewithJohnWarwickMontgomerysdistinctionbetweenthosewhoaretough
mindedandtenderhearted?Whichcategorywouldyouputyourselfin?
3. Areyouconvincedbytheclaimthattherearearchetypesinhumanculturesthroughoutthe
agesthatcapturebasicthebasicthemesofhumanexperienceanduniversalhumanneed?Can
youseehowthesearchetypesappearinSleepingBeauty,MotherGoose,andtheLionKing?
4. HowimportantisitthatweproclaimanddefendChristianityincreativewaysthatengagethe
imagination?Whatfactorsarenecessaryforsuchproclamationstobesuccessful?

CHAPTER7:ConversationalApologetics:EvangelismfortheNewMillenniumDavidGeisler

1. HaveyouseenthedisconnectbetweenapologistsandevangeliststhatDavidtalksabout?How
so?Whydoyouthinkthereissuchadisconnectinthefirstplace?
2. DoyouagreewithDavidthatoneofthebigreasonswhymanyChristiansdontseethevaluein
apologeticsisthattheyhaventbeentaughthowtouseitinpracticalwaysthatactually
producesresults?Howcanwemakeapologeticspractical?
3. Whatisaheartbridge?Howimportantdoyouthinkbuildingheartbridgesisforevangelism
today?
4. Whatisthevalueofapologeticslite?Whenisitnecessarytogiveamoreheavyapologetic?

CHAPTER8:StorytellingandPersuasionBrianGodawa

1. Whataresomestories(frombooks,moviesoranyothermedium)thathaveimpactedyourlife
inasignificantway?Explainwhataboutthestoriesaffectedyoumost.
2. Namesomeexamplesofstoriesthatyouthinkaresubversiveofaworldvieworculture.
3. Talkaboutimportantsecularorgodlessauthorsorcommunicatorsthatyoufamiliarwith,and
explainwhyyouthinkitisimportantforChristianstoknowtheirwork.Pickoneoftheirworks
thatyouarefamiliarwithandtalkaboutitsrelevance.
4. Talkaboutwhereyoudrawthelineinexposingyourselftonarrativeofaspecificgodless
worldview.Atwhatpointdoyouthinkitmaybegintoaffectyounegatively?Whatcanyoudoto
protectyourselfagainstnegativeeffects?

CHAPTER9:ApologeticsandEmotionalDevelopment:UnderstandingourWaysofKnowingand
FindingMeaningMarkMatlock

1. Howimportantisittodaytoteachbiblicaldoctrinetoyoungergenerationstoday?What
happensifweteachdoctrinetoyoungpeoplelackingemotionalhealth?
2. DoyouagreewithMarkthatfewpeoplemakedecisionsbasedonsoundargumentsas
opposedtogutfeelings?Ifso,whyisapologeticsevenimportant?
3. Doyouthinktheprevalenceofrelativismcouldbelargelydueto,asMarksuggests,the
breakdownincommunityandnotjustarejectionoftheconceptoftruth?
4. Whatisthedifferencebetweenexplicitandimplicitknowledge.Thinkofpracticalexamplesthat
illustratethedifference.Howimportantisimplicitknowledgetothesuccessofourexplicit
message?

CHAPTER10:MakingApologeticsComeAliveinYouthMinistryAlexMcFarland

1. Whydoyouthinkmanyyouthministershavealowviewofapologetics?DoyouagreewithAlex
thatwevesettheintellectualbartoolowforstudents?
2. Alexsaysthat,basedonhisexperience,teenswanttoknowthereasonswhywebelievewhat
webelieve.Hasyourexperiencebeenthesame,ordifferent?
3. Whatdoyouthinkhappenstoteensthatarenottrainedinapologetics?
4. Howcanwemotivateyoungpeopletocareaboutapologetics?Whatarethemosteffective
strategiestocapturetheirattention?

CHAPTER11:HomeFieldAdvantageChrisSherrod

1. Whatroledoesthedevelopmentofabiblicalworldviewplayinwhymanykidsleavethefaith?
2. Whatwasyourhomelifelike?Didyouparentsmodelandteachyoubiblicaltruth?Howdidthey
doit(ornotdoit)?
3. Inoneconcisesentence,whatwouldyousayisthegoalofChristianparenting?
4. Whatcanparentsdotogivekidsthefreedomtoasktroublingquestions?Howcanparents
knowinglyorunknowinglyunderminekidsfreedomtoasksuchquestions?

CHAPTER12:Jesus:RisenforaNewGenerationJasonCarlson

1. Jasonmentionedtheconceptofbridgesforthegospel(p.176).Whenyouthinkaboutthe
nonChristianfriendsinyourlife,whatpotentialbridgesforsharingyourfaithcanyouidentify
inthoserelationships?
2. WhenaskedtoboilitalldownandexplainhisbottomlineforwhyhewasaChristian,Jason
pointedtotheresurrectionofJesusChrist.Ifyouwereaskedthisquestionbyastranger,what
wouldyousay?WhatcompelsyoutoputyourtrustinJesus?
3. In1Corinthians15:1220theapostlePaulsaysthatwithouttheresurrectionfollowingJesusis
uselessandevenfutile.AlongthislineofreasoningJasonhighlightedthreepoints(pp181
183)forwhyhebelievestheresurrectioniscentraltotheChristiansfaith.Whatwerethose
threereasonsandwhichofthemdoyoupersonallyfindmostsignificant?
4. Ifgivenanopportunitytospeaktosomeonefacingdeathordealingwiththelossofalovedone,
howmightabiblicalunderstandingofJesusresurrectioninfluenceyourabilitytoprovidehope
andcomforttothem?

CHAPTER13:ApologeticsandRaceAlisonThomas

1. WhatraciststatementshaveyouheardaChristianusetheBibletobackup?
2. WhatprejudicesmightyoubeharboringagainstChristiansofadifferentrace?
3. WhatcanAmericanslearnfromthewayChristianityispracticedinothercountries?
4. IfyouweretopaintapictureofJesus,whatwouldhelooklike?Howdoesyourconceptionof
hisraceandculturalbackgroundaffectyourunderstandingofChristianity?

CHAPTER14:Homosexuality:KnowtheTruthandSpeakItwithCompassionAlanShlemon

1. Whataresomeofthewaysthechurchhashurtitseffectivenesswiththehomosexual
community?
2. WhatarethreepracticalthingsaChristiancandotoreachouttohomosexuals?
3. HowwouldyourespondifaChristianfriendtoldyoutheystruggledwithsamesexattractions?
4. Whataresomeofthewayswetreathomosexualsorthesinofhomosexualitydifferentthan
othersins?Isthisdifferencejustified?
5. Canyouthinkofsomewaysthatknowingthetruthabouthomosexualitymightcauseyouto
speakitwithmorecompassion?

CHAPTER15:AbortionandCommonGroundStephenWagner

1. Haveyouhadaconversationaboutabortioninthepastyear?Wasitproductive?Explain.
2. Doyouagreethatdiscussingabortioncanbethekeythathelpsahurtingpersonfindhealingfor
apastabortionexperience?Haveyouseenthishappen?
3. Doyouagreethatelectiveabortions(thosenotnecessarytosavethemotherslife)arewrong?
Whataspectsofthisbeliefaredifficultforyoutoaccept?
4. Manypeoplesaytheythinkabortioniswrongbutitshouldbelegal.Canyouidentifywiththis
belief?Isthereasounddefensefortheview?
5. Stephenbelieveshavingaconversationwithafriendcansometimesbemuchharderthan
havingaconversationwithastranger.Canyouthinkofafewpeopleyouknowwellwithwhom
youveneverdiscussedabortion?Whyhaventyoudiscussedthetopic?Whatareyourfears
aboutdiscussingabortionwiththisperson?Doyoulackconfidenceinyourviews,courageto
sharethem,ordoyoulackpracticaltools?

CHAPTER16:DefendingFemininityJonalynGraceFincher

1. Whatdoyoufindvaluableaboutwomen,orifyouareawoman,whatdoyoulikeaboutbeing
female?
2. Haveyoudiscoveredanypagan(ornonBiblical)ideasaboutfemininityinthechurch?Ifso,
whatarethey?
3. HowdoesJesusinteractionwithwomenprovehisvalueforthem?Somesuggestedpassages:
Womanatthewell,John4:730;MarthaandMary,Luke10:3842;Womenfinancialsupporters,
Luke8:13;Maryatthetomb,John20:118;Womanwithhemorrhage,Mark5:2434.
4. WastheideathatJesusvaluedwomenmorethanotherreligiousfoundersanewoneforyou?
Whichcomparisonmeantthemosttoyou?Canyouthinkofafewfriendswhomightbe
interestedinChristianitybecauseofthiscomparativestudy?
5. Haveyounoticedwomenbeingblamedforanyofthechurchsproblems?Ifso,whichones?
HowcanyouactlikeJesusandstandupforwomeninyourlocalbody?
6. Howmightadogmaticpositionaboutcomplementarianism(someofficesreservedformen)or
egalitarianism(allofficesopentowomenaslongastheyaregifted)preventapersonfrom
meetingJesus?WhatargumentscanbothpositionsusetoshowhowGodisafanoffemales?
(hint:TNIV,isGodmale?,allinthefamily)