With John Crandall, Bob Howard, Don King, Ernie McClellan and Dave Unruh Scripture commands us always to be able to give answers for our hope and to do so with gentleness and respect. Our secularized and polarized culture requires us to deal with doubt, ours and others, to enable us to answer the “whys” as well as the “whats” of our biblical faith. The word translated “answer or defense” in our English Bibles is the Greek word “apologia” – thus, apologetics is the branch of theology concerned with defense of Christian doctrine. Our class will explore biblical content and contemporary application of our faith to better equip us to engage skeptics with heart as well as mind. We will utilize newly published DVD lessons and book titled “Apologetics at the Cross,” which has received numerous positive endorsements such as: “The most comprehensive, accessible, and up-to-date manual on Christian apologetics that I know of. Despite how full its treatment of the subject, it is eminently readable. Highly recommended.” - Timothy Keller, Redeemer Presbyterian Churches of New York City “One of the best books about apologetics I’ve read. It offers a compelling vision for the place of apologies in the life of individual believers and the church, drawing on the rich wisdom of the Christian past and the best recent approaches to the apologetic task.” - Alister E. McGrath, University of Oxford “This is a rare book: most defenses of the faith do not make the gospel their lodestar and template. This one breaks new ground in letting the reason for the Christian hope – Jesus crucified and risen – guide and govern the forms and methods of faith’s defense. This is a book brim full of apologetic wisdom – most notably, the wisdom of the cross.” - Kevin J. VanHoozer, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School Study guides are $8 and the book is $19.50 and will be available at the first meeting. No meeting February 9 or April 12.