Apologetics to the Glory of God

Author: C. L. Bolt

  • Is Fristianity Sufficient?

    Michael Butler as quoted by Sean Choi contends, “If Fristianity is otherwise identical to Christianity, the only way for us to know [that its god is a quadrinity] would be for the Fristian god to reveal this to us.” Choi takes this proposition to be false and explains why.

    That the Fristian God is a quadrinity is something we know to be true in virtue of stipulation… (Indeed, that is how Butler himself introduced the concept of Fristianity.) Butler is suggesting that there is mystery here when there is none. “Fristianity” has come to mean what it does precisely because

    …

  • A Case Study In Apostasy by ZaoThanatoo (Guest Post)

    I had planned to write a chapter-by-chapter critical review of prominent atheist John Loftus’ book, Why I Am an Atheist; however, upon reading the book I believed that such an analysis was overkill and unnecessary in refuting Loftus’ claims.  Providentially, shortly after I finished reading Loftus’ three books the fellas over at Triablogue released their collaboration, The Infidel Delusion, in response to Loftus, et al.  So I thought my little collection of posts might just be blogospheric white noise in the flurry of responses exchanged.

    So I reworked the bit that I had written in response to Loftus …

  • The Comma Johanneum: A Critical Evaluation of the Text of 1 John 5.7-8

    The Comma Johanneum as a Textual Problem

    Introduction

    The phrase “Comma Johanneum” is the name given to a short clause of a sentence found in 1 John 5.7-8 which has become a famous problem in textual criticism. The word “comma” as it is used here just means a short clause of a sentence and “Johanneum” refers to the writings of the Apostle John.[i] The phrase “Comma Johanneum” thus refers to a short clause of a sentence (comma) which has some relevance to the writings of John (Johanneum). …

  • Presuppositionalist Concept of Presupposition

    Don Collett argues that traditional forms of argument do not do justice to presupposition as a concept. He works from Peter Strawson’s semantic account of presupposition.

    According to Strawson, a statement A may be said to presuppose a statement B if B is a necessary precondition of the truth-or-falsity of A. Strawson’s interpretation of the concept of presupposition has been restated in succinct fashion by Bas van Fraassen as follows:

    A presupposes B if and only if A is neither true nor false unless B is true.

    This may also be stated as follows:

    (1) A presupposes B if

    …

  • Dr. James R. White Begins Work On "What Every Christian Needs to Know about the Qur'an"

    Dr. James R. White has “officially” announced that he will be working on two books in 2011. He writes, “What Every Christian Needs to Know about the Qur’an will be my contribution to the effort to educate, motivate, and edify the Body of Christ in the area of Islamic evangelism and apologetics.” Keeping in mind the current popularity of Islam it is my opinion that these books will be some of the most significant contributions to Christian apologetics of this century. Dr. White uses his apologetic both on the street and in public debate with the result that …

  • Servant Songs (Christmas 2010)

    Merry Christmas From Choosing Hats!

    Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my Spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations. 2 He will not cry aloud or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street; 3  a bruised reed he will not break, and a faintly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice. 4 He will not grow faint or be discouraged till he has established justice in the earth; and the coastlands wait for his law.

    Isaiah 42:1-4 …

  • Positive Covenantal Apologetics

    A popular objection to the covenantal apologetic is the claim that it  lacks positive arguments or otherwise falls short of providing a positive apologetic. There are at least three responses to this criticism.

    1. The distinction between a negative and positive apologetic and how the distinction is made is largely attached to apologetic method. Assuming definitions and a distinction that covenantal apologetics by their very nature do not share and then raising an objection to covenantal apologetics based upon the unshared categories of an alternative method is roughly equivalent to critiquing covenantal apologetics because they are covenantal apologetics and not …

  • God Hates Arrogance in Apologetics

    Might we take a moment to set everything aside, read or listen to this message from John Piper, and remember that God hates our arrogance and our pride. God is really not all that concerned about apologetic ministries, letters behind names, popularity, erudition, logical precision or lack thereof as much as many of us would often tend to think. Apologetics is not about you. How foolish we can become in this respect; how often we need a reminder.

    “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” 2 Corinthians 10.17…

  • Al Mohler On "The Knowledge of the Self-Revealing God: Starting Point for the Christian Worldview"

    Excellent post today from Al Mohler…

  • Request (Updated)

    My time for Choosing Hats is likely to be limited for at least a short while. The doctors think that my wife Kerri has something in her brain pressing against her optic nerve. They would like to schedule a CT scan right away. Thank you for your prayers.

    *UPDATE* Kerri had an MRI which had completely normal results. These results eliminate a number of potential problems. The next step is an appointment with a more specialized doctor. Thank you again for your prayers.…