It's the end of apologetics!
Well, at least that's what a recent book by Myron Bradley Penner claims, which is big if true.
If apologetics has reached its end, after all, your intrepid cohosts will soon need to bid adieu, since there's no need for an apologetics podcast if the extinction of apologetics is imminent.
But, alas, seconds before Timothy turns to Garrick with mist in his eyes and whispers, "The Quest is achieved, and now all is over. I am glad you are here with me. Here at the end of all things," the eagles arrive and sweep the dynamic duo away to a shire of hope in ancient Athens.
As it turns out, the title of Myron Bradley Penner's book is somewhat exaggerated, and there is a future for apologetics after all. Timothy is convinced that this future is actually found in the past—in the church fathers of the second century, to be exact. To prove this point, Garrick Bailey and Timothy Paul Jones appeal to a paper that Timothy presented at the most recent gathering of the Evangelical Theological Society. If you've never heard of ETS, don't despair; it's basically Comic-Con, except it's for theologians and biblical scholars instead of comic-book cosplayers, which results in a lot less Spandex than you see at Comic-Con—and that’s a good thing because, even though “Thëölögïäns ïn Spändëx” would be a great name for a band, it’s not something you would want to see in real life.
In the end, in an act of heroism of a sort that hasn't been seen since Avengers: Endgame was in the theaters, Garrick and Timothy bravely prevent the end of apologetics. They do this by showing how the life of the church provides a defense of the faith. Also, Live Aid would never have happened in 1985 if it hadn't been for the rise of Christianity nearly two thousand years earlier.
This round of Indiana, Jones, and the Raiders of Church History pits a clipeus of Constantine against the sudarium of Veronica. As you might imagine from all the times in your life when your clipeus has gone to war against your sudarium, the results are rather messy. Before it’s all over, Veronica's sudarium—also known as a veil utilized to wipe sweat—is defeated by the appearance of a boss. Sadly, this boss not The Boss, also known as Bruce Springsteen. It's the iron knob embedded in a clipeus—also known as a circular shield—and it's this boss that brings about the decisive defeat of Veronica's veil, also known as Garrick loses this round.
ABOUT HOSTS
Timothy Paul Jones, Ph.D., is C. Edwin Gheens Professor of Christian Ministry at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He teaches in the areas of family ministry and applied apologetics. He has authored or edited more than a dozen books, including Why Should I Trust the Bible?, The God Who Goes Before You, Perspectives on Family Ministry, and Christian History Made Easy. Follow Dr. Jones at @DrTimothyPJones.
Garrick Bailey is a Ph.D. student in systematic theology at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, studying Herman Bavinck and Roman Catholicism under the supervision of Gregg Allison.
LINKS TO CLICK
The End of Apologetics (book by Myron Penner)
Telling a Better Story (book by Josh Chatraw)
Apologetics at the Cross (book by Josh Chatraw)
The Apology (book by Aristides)
Patreon Support
theapologeticspodcast.com
Urban Ministry Podcast
CLOSING CREDITS
Music for the podcast has been licensed through Artlist.io and performed by Cunningham Manor. Brief excerpts of music played in each program are included solely for the purposes of comment and critique as allowed under the fair-use provision of U.S. copyright law. “The fair use of a copyrighted work … for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, … scholarship, or research, is not an infringement of copyright” (U.S. Code § 107, Limitations on exclusive rights: Fair use).
Josh Chatraw: Apologetics at the Cross + "Word on a Wing" (David Bowie)
Timothy Paul Jones and Garrick Bailey: Is the Coronavirus Evil? + “Sympathy for the Devil” (The Rolling Stones)
Timothy Paul Jones and Garrick Bailey: Were the Stories of Jesus Borrowed from Pagan Sources? + “We Didn’t Start the Fire” (Billy Joel)
Three Chords and the Truth Goes to the Movies: Star Wars: Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker
Robert Plummer: The Perplexing Problem of When Quirinius Governed Syria + "The Living Years" (Mike + the Mechanics)
Dan DeWitt: Why Do the Apologetics of C.S. Lewis Matter? + “All Along the Watchtower” (U2)
Timothy Paul Jones and Garrick Bailey: Why Everyone Needs Creeds + “Where the Streets Have No Name” (U2)
Eric Johnson: How Can a Good God Allow Evil in the World? + “Free” (Stryper)
Peter Gurry and Elijah Hixson: Mistakes Apologists Make About Textual Criticism + "Learning to See" (Van Halen)
Peter Gurry and Elijah Hixson: Was the Bible Copied Accurately? + "You Belong to the City" (Glenn Frey)
Jonathan Pennington: What Are the New Testament Gospels and Why Should We Trust Them? + "We Are the World" (USA for Africa)
Doug Blount: What's the Relationship Between Evidence and Faith? + "Jack and Diane" (John Cougar Mellencamp)
Joshua Swindall and Grady Adkins: What Christian Beliefs Do College Students Struggle to Defend? + "Don't Stop Believin'" (Journey)
Three Chords and the Truth Live: Questions and Answers about Creation, Resurrection, the Canon of Scripture, and the Problem of Evil
Sean McDowell: Did the Apostles Really Die for Their Faith? + “Dust in the Wind” (Kansas)
Sean McDowell: Resurrection, Sacrifice, and Why Sean McDowell Didn't Love Avengers: Endgame + "Hotel California" (The Eagles)
Three Chords and the Truth Goes to the Movies: Avengers: Endgame
Robert Plummer: How Did Judas Iscariot Really Die? + "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" (Blue Öyster Cult)
Tom Schreiner: The Earliest Christian Confession about the Resurrection + "Cat's in the Cradle" (Harry Chapin)
Robert Plummer: Historical Evidence for Supernatural Signs at the Death of Jesus + “American Pie” (Don McLean)
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