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Reasons for Christian Belief
or All the Doings of Peoples
Veritas Forums are university events that engage students and faculty in discussions about life's hardest questions and the relevance of Jesus Christ to all of life. The forums are created by local university students, professors, and ministers while shaped and guided by the national Veritas Forum team. Veritas began at Harvard University in 1992 when a visiting student
at the Harvard Divinity School, Kelly Monroe, observed that many of her
fellow students felt isolated in their search for meaning and truth.
This sense of disconnection was particularly striking in contrast with
what she learned about Harvard’s spiritual history. As she read these accounts of lives changed and true life found, Kelly
wondered: Why not gather these humble and bright believers in person
and invite the whole university to join in, exploring our questions in
relation to veritas—knowable in and through the life of Jesus Christ? ~ Site's "About" The Veritas Forum's sites features well organized audio recordings of hundreds of talks and exchanges between eminent thinkers on "life's hardest questions".
Reasonable Faith aims to provide in the public arena an intelligent,
articulate, and uncompromising yet gracious Christian perspective on
the most important issues concerning the truth of the Christian faith
today, such as: the existence of God, the meaning of life, the objectivity of truth, the foundation of moral values, the creation of the universe, and the reliability of the Gospels. Reasonable Faith features the work of philosopher and theologian Dr.
William Lane Craig in order to carry out its three-fold mission: 1) to provide an articulate, intelligent voice for biblical Christianity in the public arena. 2) to challenge unbelievers with the truth of biblical Christianity. 3) to train Christians to state and defend Christian truth claims with greater effectiveness. ~ About this Site
A "one-stop shopping superstore" in the marketplace of ideas; a searchable collection of resources and interactive opportunities; a ResourceBASE containing thousands of articles, reviews, research papers, essays, books & book chapters, commentaries, video & audio files, poems and more; rooted in the university, sponsored by Christian Leadership Ministries, the faculty outreach and training arm of Campus Crusade for Christ International, Leadership U includes resources from the high school to research levels, with an emphasis on the scholarly; a multi-disciplinary vehicle to help reach professors, students and other thinkers with the best in Christian thought on a variety of compelling issues; a growing community of apologists for the historical Christian faith who are engaging their culture on a variety of fronts; a current-issues-based approach to the deeper issues facing humanity (e.g., evil and suffering, morality and ethics, public policy, philosophy, origins and eternity).
In its own words: "The Scriptorium is the new media daily of the Torrey Honors Institute at Biola University. Established by John Mark Reynolds, Paul Spears, and Fred Sanders in 2005, the Scriptorium seeks to combat what we perceive to be the decline of a reasonable pursuit of the Christian faith and the transition away from the use of the mind in the Christian journey. This decline is causing Christians to lose their confidence in the truth claims of Christianity. As a result, Christians are also losing their ability to appreciate the depth, richness, and beauty of the works of God in the world. By actively engaging in the conversations of today's culture and challenging the predominant, non-Christian worldviews therein, the Scriptorium is a winsome, thoughtful, active Christian voice in the marketplace of ideas."
As a scholar, professor, and author, Dr. Bart Ehrman has undeniable influence over students and much of the American public. Yet there are equally qualified scholars who deal with the same issues and come to very different conclusions than Dr. Ehrman. The Ehrman Project is a website dedicated to engaging the ideas that Dr. Ehrman is famously expounding in the complex and nuanced realm of Biblical scholarship. It is not intended to answer all of Dr. Ehrman's claims nor answer the ones it does completely. Rather it is intended to give small snapshots that will potentially motivate viewers to research more information on the particular topic. After interacting with many students over the years, Miles O’Neill, a campus minister at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, began considering an online resource in response to Dr. Ehrman’s popular claims. Dustin Smith, a Religious Studies major of UNC-CH, enrolled in Dr. Ehrman’s New Testament course in the spring of 2009. Soon after, Mr. O’Neill and Mr. Smith started collaborating together on The Ehrman Project. With the help of numerous students, colleagues, professors, and friends, EhrmanProject.com was able to launch in early 2011. ~ Site's Self Description
Randal Rauser is a systematic and analytic theologian of evangelical
persuasion. He is driven by apologetic concerns and above all by the
tireless pursuit of truth. The downside is that this requires him to
recognize when he is wrong (which is often) for truth is complex and it
offers us no guarantees that we shall always find it. At the same time,
Randal does not despair of finding truth, for he believes that in a
profound sense Jesus Christ is the truth. For Randal, being like Jesus means knowing the truth, loving the
truth, and living the truth. As Randal seeks to live the truth he
promotes a culture of life that is anti-militaristic and pro-family,
pro-environment and anti-abortion, anti-consumerist and pro-animal. A
disciple on the way … alas, he is not half as smart or as good or as
right as he thinks he is.
In a culture that is increasingly indifferent and ignorant of Christianity, it is not only important for Christians to understand what we believe but why. We must see it necessary to reclaim the importance of the intellectual life, not only to safeguard the witness of the New Zealand church but also its health and identity. Without diminishing a passion for lives that demonstrate radical love and conformity to the Gospel, we must yet take seriously the biblical call to always be ready to give a reason for the hope that is in us (1 Peter 3:15) and to thoroughly refute secular arguments that are raised against it (2 Corinthians 10:5).
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The Centre for Public Christianity (CPX) is an independent research and media organization seeking to promote the public understanding of the Christian faith in Australia and beyond employing the best of scholarship via the best of media. Established by Dr John Dickson and Dr Greg Clarke the Centre: seeks to be a benchmark for Christian thinking and communication in Australia and beyond; offers free vodcast/podcast comment, lectures and interviews, and other web-based resources; produces a range of popular and academic works exploring the relevance of the Christian faith; is a one stop shop for media outlets in search of informed and independent Christian comment; runs events and short courses for the curious and sceptical alike; supports a network of Christian scholars and research projects across the disciplines; serves as a speakers bureau and training facility for Christian thinkers and communicators. The Centre has no denominational affiliation and seeks to represent historic Christianity as defined by the Nicene Creed.
Hendrik van der Breggen, Ph.D., is assistant professor of philosophy at Providence College, Otterburne, Manitoba.From the introduction: "Any argument in an apologia centers on showing respect to those persons with whom one disagrees. (Yes, I am here influenced by 1 Peter 3:15b.) Because
many people today are eager to belittle or hurt those with whom they
disagree (for example, by insult or, worse, by wearing explosives), I
am convinced—and convicted—that the art of apologia should be revived.
Hence, this column. Caution: I will undoubtedly err in this
column. I hope, therefore, that my mistakes will provide opportunities
for us to work together to draw nearer to truth. Plato calls truth our “common master.” I believe he is right.
The Harvard Ichthus is a journal of Christian thought. It exists for the purpose of fostering deep Christian thought among the members of the Harvard community, taking seriously the motto of Harvard University: “Veritas Christo et Ecclesiae,” in English “Truth for Christ and the Church.” In an age of skepticism, many come to the College with misconceptions about Christianity and whether a vigorous intellectual life is compatible with a Christian one. The Harvard Ichthus seeks to engage, critique, and ultimately defy these falsehoods about Christian faith. We will do so in a thoughtful, generous, and professional manner that bears witness to a God who desires-commands!-each of us to love Him with all our mind. ~ The About Page
Although the progress of scholarship has raised new questions and provided additional lines of evidence, many older works on apologetics are of more than merely historical interest. Most of the objections raised against Christianity today are variations on objections that go back hundreds of years. These objections were thoroughly discussed by some of the finest minds of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, and their responses are as cogent now as when they were first printed. Unfortunately, there has been little guidance to this literature for interested Christian readers, and as a result some masterpieces are almost unknown even among seminary graduates and students of apologetics. The Library of Historical Apologetics is dedicated to making accessible these historical resources and to advancing the ongoing dialog about Christianity’s historical claims.
Authored primarily by David Smart (Ryft) of British Columbia, the Aristophrenium addresses philosophy, religion, science, and politics. In its own words, it is: "a modest platform launched in early 2009 as a center for publishing intelligent, opinionated and engaging articles from a growing range of sincere contributors who are interested in exploring and sharing their unique perspective on issues related to philosophy, religion, and science. It is intended by its co-founders as a grassroots effort to broaden opportunities for collaboration and dialogue on these subjects between open-minded thinkers who are not imprisoned by either sacrosanct dogma or popular propaganda, people who are passionate about exploring the issues authentically and rationally with a civil tone." ~ From the About Page
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ConversantLife.com is a blog and social media hub that delivers engaging content on faith and culture. Our site is a free place where people can access content and connect with a community of believers and spiritual seekers on a variety of culturally relevant topics such as Creative Arts, Film, Music, Spirituality, Global Concerns, Relationships and more. We have a large number of bloggers who are creating daily content in the form of blogs, podcasts and videos. Our blog roll features communicators who are actively engaging their faith and writing about their experiences in key areas of the world. We have writers in missions across the world, professors who are experts in their field of education, pastors, as well as industry professionals in the Film industry, the Arts community, the Music world, Apologetics and more."
Credo:
"Christians do not hold the truth, we are held by it." About Tom: "My graduate degree is in Industrial and Organizational Psychology.
Science and philosophy are things I do in my free time. Does that
hinder my credibility here? I hope not. I do my homework, and I stick
to things I understand, or if I have questions you’ll know about it in
what I write... I/O Psych is among the most quantitative (i.e. mathematical) of all the
social sciences. The “hard” scientists sometimes say that none of the
social sciences are really science, but this comes as close as you’re
going to get. It has the advantage as well of trying to account for
personality, which enters into a lot of my thinking about evidences for
God, the ultimate personality. But the main question I invite you to
ask is, “Does what I say make sense?” And if it doesn’t, by all means
leave a comment and let me know!"
Responding to the current epidemic of atheist manifestos, Dinesh D’Souza applies just the right balm for the troubled soul. Assembling arguments from history, philosophy, theology, and science — yes, science! — he builds a modern and compelling case for faith in a loving God. If you’re seeking the truth about God, the universe, and the meaning of life, this is a great place to look." ~ Francis Collins D'Souza's site is primarily a clearing house for his books. A few articles are available, as well as videos from some of his debates and appearances.
Its mission: "Some think church is irrelevant. Others, out on their own for the first
time, are attracted by all the world has to offer and put God on the
back burner. Yet many leave because they’ve come to doubt Christianity.
In fact, intellectual skepticism is a major reason cited by those who
have left. Our mission at CrossExamined.org is to
equip high school and college students to know
why Christianity is true,
how to defend it, and how to refute those who try to corrupt them."
From his bio: "Atheist-turned-Christian Lee Strobel, the former award-winning legal
editor of The Chicago Tribune, is a New York Times
best-selling author of nearly twenty books and has been interviewed on
numerous national television programs, including ABC's 20/20, Fox News,
and CNN. Described by the Washington Post as "one of the evangelical
community's most popular apologists," Lee shared the prestigious Charles
"Kip" Jordon Christian Book of the Year award in 2005 for a curriculum he
co-authored about the movie The Passion of the Christ. He also has
won awards for his books The Case for Christ, The Case for Faith,
The Case for a Creator, and Inside the Mind of Unchurched Harry
and Mary." Lee's site includes his "Ask Lee" blog, a wealth of video resources, and of course, the chance to buy books and videos.
Stand to Reason trains Christians to think more clearly about their
faith and to make an even-handed, incisive, yet gracious defense for
classical Christianity and classical Christian values in the public
square. STR teaches the value of using our minds to love God and share the
Gospel. We teach careful reasoning and well thought-out answers so that
Christians will participate in public discussion (at home, at work, or
at the university) so that the Christian world view has a place in the
debate. We encourage Christians to develop coherent answers to
questions that challenge Christianity so that their faith is deepened
and thereby are emboldened to share the Gospel."
The mission of Mars Hill Review is to reveal
Christ in the various texts of our
contemporary culture. To this end, we
commission full length essays from
provocative thinkers, conduct in-depth
studies of issues having theological import
and obtain interviews with leading-edge
writers, teachers and artists. The journal
also publishes original fiction, nonfiction,
poetry and critical reviews of film, books
and music and other texts that remind us of
God and of his participation within the
stories of our contemporary lives.
Phil is a pastor, college instructor in philosphy and ethics, theology, and spiritual formation, book lover and hiker. His blog, according to its tagline, is "a set of reflections on the contemporary church, culture, Christian philosophy, and doctrine". Recent posts include the whether doctors have the right to not perform abortions as a matter of conscience, Newsweek's cover story on the demise of America as a Christian nation, a review of the Apologetics Study Bible, and President Obama's honorary degree from Notre Dame.
Ben Witherington III is an evangelical Biblical scholar, and lecturer on New Testament Studies. Witherington is Professor of New Testament Interpretation at Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, Kentucky. He is a graduate of UNC, Chapel Hill and holds an M.Div. degree from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and a Ph.D. from the University of Durham in England. He is an elected member of Studiorum Novi Testamenti Societas, a society dedicated to New Testament studies. Witherington is an author and speaker. He has written over thirty books, and has made many appearances on radio interviews, and on television programs featured on the History Channel, Discovery Channel, and other major networks.
In its own words: In a day and age where chicken soup for the soul was very telling of our culture's starvation with all things spiritual, well maybe we can serve some delicious thomistic tacos for the starving soul. An old recipe indeed; but like Thomas of Aquinas (1225-1274), old is gold. And when you have a man who loved common sense only because it was common sensical to do it, his life, work and legacy is a good recipe for a society where the only thing available in the soup kitchen is what we conjure by our vain attemtps to create sprituality. We should all love Thomas because he loved God. We will give resources to what Thomas wrote as well as resources in apologetics, theology, and philosophy in addition to commentary to politics, reviews, and ministries among other things novel.
Online resources, information, and media. Habermas is distinguished professor and chair of the Department of Philosophy and Theology at Liberty University. Habermas has dedicated his professional life to the examination of the relevant historical, philosophical, and theological issues surrounding the death and resurrection of Jesus. His extensive list of publications and debates provides a thorough account of the current state of the issue. Christian believers as well as unbelievers may find within the contents of this site a strong argument for the philosophical possibility of miracles and the historicity of the resurrection of Jesus, as well as the theological and practical implications of this event.
In his own words: "Doug is Professor of Philosophy in the Talbot
Department of Philosophy at Biola University (La Mirada, CA). He
teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in the areas of epistemology
and the philosophy of religion. In addition, he has taught courses on
the new atheism, and on film and philosophy. Doug is the author or
editor of several books. He is co-editor with Jim Spiegel of the book Faith, Film, and Philosophy: Big Ideas on the Big Screen.
He has lectured throughout the United States, and in Canada, England,
Scotland, Spain, France, Sweden, China, and Ukraine. Doug’s hobbies
include sea kayaking, reading outside his discipline, digital
photography, travel, and studying foreign languages. His favorite place
in the country is the Olympic Peninsula, Washington. He writes for
himself and others. He scavenges for useful tips for writing of all
kinds, for any of his hobbies, and for general life management. This blog is devoted to exploring all of these themes . . . and more. Doug has always believed that he fell into philosophy because he’s interested in so many seemingly unrelated things. As a philosopher, he lives with the illusion that they’re all connected."
Heeb magazine was brewed in Brooklyn in 2001 as a take-no-prisoners zine for the plugged-in and preached-out. Covering arts, culture and politics in a voice all its own, Heeb has become a multi-media magnet to the young, urban and influential.
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From Reason Online's "About Us": Reason is the monthly print magazine of “free minds and free markets.” It covers politics, culture, and ideas through a provocative mix of news, analysis, commentary, and reviews. Reason provides a refreshing alternative to right-wing and left-wing opinion magazines by making a principled case for liberty and individual choice in all areas of human activity.
