LIBERTY UNIVERSITY JOHN W. RAWLINGS SCHOOL OF DIVINITY
How can you Help Students Think about Apologetics
A Paper Submitted to
the Faculty of the School of Divinity
in Candidacy for the Degree of
Doctor of Education in Christian Leadership (Ed. D) Department of Christian Leadership and
Church Ministries
By
Mary Gracias
Lynchburg, Virginia
5/2022
How can you Help Students Think about Apologetics
"Question everything. Learn something. Answer nothing." Euripides
I've no idea what Euripides really meant by that, but I know we all do have questions.
University in particular is a time to ask questions and to find answers, and that goes for our
personal and religious beliefs as well as our academic subject. Christian apologetics provides
reasons for our beliefs – but how can we get that into the hands, eyes or ears of our friends?
Answering the Questions People Ask
One way is through lunchbars that engage with the real questions that people ask - about
suffering, about other religions, about science and Christianity. An engaging and knowledgable
speaker is a good start, but after the speaker has gone, what next?
"Learn something"
Follow Euripides' advice and prepare for questions - find out in your CU, youth group or
homegroup what are the six most common questions people ask about Christianity. Then help
each other prepare for the questions and practice answering them. You might want to hold a
series of meetings to consider each question and how we can respond.
Find three articles on bethinking.org that cover the question
Work out some of the key points you would make in responding to the question
Think about whether you can ask questions back - 'a conversation' rather than 'a
sermon' (read ‘Questioning Evangelism’ by Randy Newman or listen to Conversational
Apologetics)
At your group sessions
- ask the questions; practice how you respond; ask more questions; engage with each other
- have the bethinking articles available - put links to them on your CU website or Facebook
Then, at your lunchbars or evangelistic meetings
- address real questions
- have appropriate bethinking articles available
- have bethinking postcards to give out
- make it easy for people to follow links to further talks - offer to listen with them and make
time for discussion
"Answer nothing"
But what about those who aren't interested? Our friends who just don’t care? Who think
they don’t need God? You can't provide answers because they're not asking the questions! You
need to start with helping them to identify their questions - then you can get into some real
issues. So 'Answer nothing' is a temporary stage - while you decide together what questions are
worth discussing.
You need to challenge the spiritual comfort zone of your friends, subvert their worldview
(help them realise they've got one!) – but remember “with gentleness and respect”. Your
friends listen to the same music, watch the same films, or read the same books as you. Lily
Allen’s Number 1 hit The Fear is on the radio. “Great song”, your friend remarks. What an
opportunity to challenge! What do they like about it? Why? What is she really trying to say?
What is her ‘Fear’? Ask questions! It’s a perfect opening to talk about some real issues.
Whatever your common interests, they provide a bridge to ask questions that matter – and lead
to answers that satisfy!
