LIBERTY UNIVERSITY BAPTIST THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY
Apologetics Application Paper Submission
Submitted to Dr. Fred Smith
in fulfillment of the requirements for the completion of
APOL 500-B08 LUO
by
Donna Wright
October 13, 2015
Introduction to Apologetics
Contents
Introduction…………………………………………………………………………………... 3
1. Summary of Postmodernism……………………………………………………………….3
Source of Ultimate Authority…………………………………………………………...4
Ultimate Reality…………………………………………………………………………5
Christian Existence……………………………………………………………………...5
Human Beings…………………………………………………………………………..6
2. Evaluation of Postmodernism……………………………………………………………...7
Explanation of Postmodernism…………………………………………………………7
Coherence……………………………………………………………………………….8
Factual adequacy………………………………………………………………………..8
Radical Readjustment…………………………………………………………………..9
3. The Christian Alternative………………………………………………………………….9
Explanation of Christian Worldview………………………………………………….10
Coherence……………………………………………………………………………...10
Factual Adequacy………………………………………………………………………10
Radical Readjustment…………………………………………………………………..11
4. Defense of Christianity……………………………………………………………………..11
Defense of the resurrection of Jesus…………………………………………………….12
Defense of objective truth and moral values…………………………………………….13
Conclusion………………………………………………………………………………………13
Bibliography…………………………………………………………………………………….14
Introduction
Postmodernism has become a way of thinking that denies absolute truth and has a belief
that truth is found through one’s own personal experiences and culture. The postmodernist way
of thinking raises much cause for concern because it denies ultimate reality; but, more interesting
than that is the denial of God as the ultimate source of all things that exist. In viewing the way
postmodernism has found its way into many areas of the social arena; it is not surprising that
many individuals lean towards this way of thinking. Those who choose to think as a
postmodernist; do so because it is what the majority is doing. The objective of this paper is to
show the Christian worldview as superior to postmodernism worldview. First, this paper will
provide insight on what postmodernism is and how it has gained considerable acceptance over
the past few decades. Secondly, postmodernism will be evaluated to show how this way of
thinking has no sure proof of validity. Third, the Christian worldview will be evaluated to its
superiority to postmodernism. Finally, this paper will provide a defense for the resurrection of
Jesus and also the defense of objective truth and moral values. At the conclusion of this paper,
the reader would have gained insight to the postmodernism worldview and will see how
Christianity is the superior worldview in comparison to postmodernism.
Summary of Postmodernism
When one thinks about postmodernism, the thought may be something occurring after
something has happened. So, one may say that postmodernism is what has occurred after
modernism. “There is no neat, simple definition of postmodernism. Only one fact is certain, and
that is that most experts have differing concepts of what it means.”1 Having different concepts
about what something is or is not, doesn’t by itself negate the fact that postmodernism has
11. Colin D. Standish and Russell R. Standish, Postmodernism and the Decline of Christianity
(Rapidan: Hartland Publications, 2007), 313, Kindle.
become a worldview that is dominating society and it has found its way into the church.
Examining postmodernism more closely will reveal that it is a worldview that is “very much
confused, has social ills, immorality, crime, secularism, divorce, irrationality, indiscipline,
emotional instability, illogical thinking, disorder, humanistic goals, and fragmented, transitory
lifestyles. This is a total breakdown of modern society which was seen in times past in ancient
Assyria, Babylon, and Rome.”2
Source of Ultimate Authority
The source of ultimate authority is the Scriptures. To a postmodernist, one who states
that is absolutely wrong. “Postmodernism holds that truth is not determined by its connection to
objective reality but by various social constructions devised for different purposes.”3 On the
opposite side is the Christian belief that the Scriptures is the ultimate source. In the grand
scheme of things, everything has a source. It doesn’t matter if one believes the source to be
grounded in truth or not; the point is, there is a source. “At some level, everyone has a
worldview or a take on how the world is and how it works. These views may or may not be
oppressive toward those who do not hold the worldview.”4 The Scriptures are viewed as having
ultimate authority because they speak with authority; an authority that is given by God. The
postmodernist do not view the Scriptures as the ultimate authority, however, the Scriptures lose
no credibility because of the postmodernist’s refusal to accept the Scriptures as the ultimate
authority. Now, because the postmodernism worldview rejects the Scriptures as the ultimate
authority, there is also a negative view on ultimate reality.
22. Ibid., 350.
33. Douglas Groothuis, Christian Apologetics: A Comprehensive Case for Biblical Faith
(Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2011), 1318, Kindle.
44. Ibid., 1339.
Ultimate Reality
There is no mistaking that as human beings; what we believe and don’t believe is shaped
by how we view the world (our worldview). This same principle also shapes what is believed to
be reality and what is not believed to be reality. This brings me to this point; there are those
who believe that God is real as well as those who don’t believe that God is real. God is seen as
the Creator of all things above and beneath in the book of Genesis. “In the beginning God
created the heavens and the earth” (Gen. 1:1). “Some contemporary writers such as
Wittgenstein, Cupitt, and Phillips have claimed that Christianity can exist apart from any
objective truth claims because the essence of religion is not a description or explanation of
reality, but a way or form of life that is meaningful.5 An example of this would be a belief that
the last judgment is not all people standing before expecting to be judged but rather it’s an
approach to life that says responsibility is the focus of thinking.6 As Christians, we hold that God
is real; whether one wants to accept that as ultimate reality is entirely up to them. The Christian
worldview comes under attack and as Christians we must know our existence.
Christian Existence
“At its fundamental base, postmodernism is the enemy of Christianity. In its very denial
of absolutes, it is in denial of God, the Creator and Ruler of the universe.”7 Postmodernist have
not established their philosophy on any basic paradigm, let alone the words of Scripture; rather,
they are highly affected by cultural and social developments which surround them and which, to
a greater or lesser extent, determine their course of action. Postmodernist are suspicious of
55. Ibid., 729-30.
66. Ibid.
77. Standish, Postmodernism and the Decline, 787.
anything which they might interpret as causing tyranny. This is a major reason why they reject
religion, strict moral codes, or ethical behavioral principles.8 These are the very things that
Christianity supports; however, it is sad to know that there are those Christian organizations and
well as Christians who have accepted these ideas of postmodernism because they want to be seen
as keeping up with the times. As Christians, there should be an unwavering stand against such
ideas because they contradict the essence of Christianity. They are a contradiction because these
ideas seek to please the carnal desires and there is nothing righteous about any of these ideas. To
deny the essence of the Christian belief is to deny our Creator in whose image we were all
created.
Human Beings
One thing we as human beings must know and understand is that God does not make
mistakes. It is not my mere chance that we are here on this earth. We were created and placed
on this earth for purpose and that purpose is not to just exist. We have to challenge ourselves to
know our great purpose. “Men and women were created by divine design for the purpose of
knowing God, filling the earth with humans, and governing and cultivating God’s good earth
(Gen. 1-2).”9 Postmodernism brought on a different outlook on how human beings viewed
themselves. It not only had humanity elevating itself above God; but the view of humanity had
been distorted to where human beings were viewed “as a restless wanderer engaged in an
unending adventure.”10 Human beings are quite different than any other living thing in the
88. Ibid., 824.
99. Ibid., 846. 10. Stanley J. Grenz, A Primer on Postmodernism (Grand Rapids: WBE Publishing, 1996), 1173,
Kindle.
11. Myron B. Penner, Christianity and the Postmodern Turn: Six Views (Grand Rapids: Brazos Press,
2005), 248, Kindle.
10
world, and what makes us so different is “the exercise of the mind or understanding.”11 Let’s
turn our attention to evaluating the postmodernism worldview.
Evaluation of Postmodernism
There is much disagreement on what postmodernism is. You will not find any two
scholars who will agree on all aspects of this worldview. This worldview is greatly debated
among scholars and theologians. What has become clear over the last several decades is “when a
definition of postmodernism is agreed upon, there is rarely agreement on whether
postmodernism, thus defined, is a good or bad thing. Furthermore, contrary to what some may
say, postmodernism is not the same thing as relativism.”12
Explanation of Postmodernism Worldview
Postmodernism is a philosophy that says absolute truth does not exist. Those who
support postmodernism deny long-held beliefs and conventions and maintain that all viewpoints
are equally valid. In today’s society, postmodernism has led to relativism, the idea that all truth
is relative (postmodernism and relativism are not the same). That means what is right for one
group is not necessarily right or true for everyone. Aside from the philosophical defining of the
term postmodernism, there is also a chronological meaning to the term. Postmodernism also
refers to a period of thought that follows, and is a reaction to the period called modernity—the
period of European thought that developed out of the Renaissance and flourished in the
Enlightenment.13 As previously stated, postmodernism is characterized by a high level of
confusion, immorality, social ills, crime, divorce, secularism, disorder, irrationality, indiscipline,
11
1212. James K. Beilby, Thinking About Christian Apologetics: What It Is and Whey We Do It
(Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2011), 125.
illogical thinking, emotional instability, humanistic goals, and fragmented, transitory lifestyles.
Coherence
All worldviews are to be evaluated by certain criterion. One of the criterion for
evaluation of a world view is coherence. What does it mean when a worldview is coherent? For
a world view to be coherent there has to be consistency within the worldview. Also, for a
worldview to be coherent it must be “tightly interrelated and conceptually linked.”14 In applying
the coherence criterion to postmodernism, one could say;
(1) Postmodernism is the best worldview because it rejects absolute truth.
(2) Christianity a better worldview because there is belief in God.
(3) Relativism claims morality is dependent upon social arena.
These statements are a collection of noncontradictory ideas; however they are not enough to
form a coherent worldview. “If a worldview’s essential propositions are coherent (meaningfully
interconnected conceptually), it is more likely to be true than if it’s essential propositions are not
related in this way.” Coherence is necessary; however, it is not enough for postmodernism and
any other worldview to be considered truth.
Factual Adequacy
Worldviews have another criterion called factual adequacy by which to be evaluated.
When applying this criterion to a worldview; the historical and empirical dimensions of life is
evaluated. Basically, “a worldview may be internally consistent yet inconsistent with respect to
1313. J. P. Moreland, “Postmodernism and the Christian Life, Part 1,” Boundless.org, July 08,
2004, accessed October 1, 2015, htttp://www.boundless.org/faith/2004/postmodernism-and-the-
christian-life-part-1.htm.
1414. Groothuis, Christian Apologetics, 512.
the reality it attempts to describe.”15 A good example of this is the claims of Jesus’ deity in the
Islam and Christian religions. Islam claims that Jesus could not affirm his ow deity and believes
the church teachings about Jesus affirming his own deity is distorted. When the New Testament
is studied, it reveals that Jesus did affirm his own deity and this a reason that Christianity
confesses Christ. If this is the case; one wonders what the solution is because both claims cannot
be truth. This is where arguments over the historical facts and proper interpretation of those facts
play a major role in resolving this issue.16
Radical Readjustment
This criterion for testing a worldview is a negative one; however, it is an important one.
“When a worldview is faced with potentially defeating counterevidence, an adherent may
readjust its core claims to accommodate the evidence against it. Various theories and worldviews
can legitimately refine their belief over time, but radical ad hoc readjustment reveals a deep
problem at the heart of the worldview.”17 For example, when a Christians alters their belief from
sound doctrine to something that has not been proven or because it is what the majority is
accepting as sound doctrine; this is considered radical readjustment. The Christian has altered
their view because the majority may stake claim that God doesn’t know the future and therefore
He can do nothing about the things that transpire in the world. “A radical ad hoc readjustment
may indicate that the original worldview could possibly be saved only through an illegitimate
move, or it may reveal that the original worldview itself has been sold short in favor of a foolish
alternative,”18
1515. Ibid., 518.
1616. Ibid.
1717. Ibid., 545.
1818. Ibid.
The Christian Alternative
The worldviews that have proven to be false or have no strong foundation have left a
question mark in the minds of those who are still searching for something to believe in. A viable
choice is Christianity. Why not try it if you have tried other worldviews and that worldview has
failed to deliver what it claims. “Christianity is a reasonable faith and a valid system of truth.”19
Explanation of Christian Worldview
The Christian worldview at its deepest level, is a system of truth claims or assertions about
reality. When speaking of the Christian worldview, it does not mean that Christians can or
should agree on everything, but at the least agree that the view aims at biblical truth. Christians
throughout history and those today differ in the understanding of what their convictions should
be. A biblical worldview attempts to capture the essential ideas of Christianity, its fundamental
doctrines, and how they gel together in the explanation of God, the universe and humans.
Christianity should be viewed as a set of behaviors and feelings and symbols, as opposed to a
bona fide worldview.20
Coherence
Remember, the test of coherence is related to consistency. In considering the Christian
claims about God, humans and salvation. God is a personal being who created humans in his
image. The Christian worldview is coherent because it holds consistent the doctrine of the
Christian faith. Keeping in mind that a worldview with essential propositions that are
meaningful and connected conceptually is more likely to be true. The Christian worldview can
be true without proof of coherency.
1919. Clayton H. Ford, Proof: The Evidence of the Christian Faith (San Dimas: Tree of Life
Publishing, 2008), 580, Kindle.
2020. Groothuis, Christian Apologetics, 751.
Factual Adequacy
This criterion states that if there is a strong scientific and philosophical evidence that the
universe did come into being out of nothing, then any worldview denying this is factually
inadequate on this essential point. Worldview often disagree over historical as well as cosmic
facts.21 “The greater the extent to which a worldview’s essential factual claims can be
established in various empirical, scientific and historical ways, the greater is the likelihood that
this worldview is true.”22
Radical Readjustment
A radical readjustment to the Christian worldview occurs when sound Christian doctrine
is altered unnecessarily. Consider the openness theology, those who advocate this understanding
of the Bible claim that we cannot solve the problem of evil without reconsidering the nature of
God. Therefore, they assert that if God has a strong providential control of history, evil must be
attributed to his agency. This adjustment to the doctrine of God---one that is supported by
neither the Bible nor the creeds and confessions of church history—is not strong candidate for
truth because it distorts the original understanding of God that is intrinsic to Christian theism.
“If a worldview substantially alters its essential claims in light of counterevidence, it loses
rational justification.”23
Defense of Christianity
The postmodernism worldview is oppressive to a Christian because a Christian does not
hold a postmodernism view. The Christian worldview on the other hand is not intrinsically
oppressive given its ethic of incarnation, love and justice. Christians view acts such as racism,
2121. Ibid., 512.
2222. Ibid., 525.
2323. Ibid., 552.
female genital mutilation, rape, child abuse and other such acts as objectively evil. The
postmodernism view says there are no objective moral facts but only endlessly differing
interpretations. It’s important to note in the defense of Christianity that the postmodernism
rejects objective truth and has self-refuting and false claims.24
Defense of the resurrection of Jesus
The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the core of the Christian belief; (2) it provided
the way for all mankind to have eternal life; and (3) it has been a debated issue among biblical
scholars, early church historians, and theologians. Robert B. Stewart writes, “The resurrection of
Jesus Christ is a central tenet of historic Christian belief and, for that reason alone, a matter of
great historical significance.”25 The resurrection also tells us who Jesus really is. Most of the
people who do acknowledge that Jesus once lived on this earth but reject his claim to being God
himself, choose to honor him as a good moral teacher or a good prophet, but Jesus himself did
not leave that option open to us. The resurrection of Christ validates his teaching. It tells us that
he knew what he was talking about. It tells us that he did receive his teachings directly from
God. It also tells us that God exists and that Jesus Christ was and is the Lord God Almighty
himself.26
“Of all the world’s religions Christianity alone purports to be based on the resurrection of
its divine founder. No other religion or worldview makes such an audacious and consequential
claim.” 27 There are those who would have someone to believe that “Christianity stole the idea of
resurrection from various mystery religions.”28 I agree with Groothuis that if the resurrection had
not taken place; “Christian preaching is useless; Christian faith is useless; Christians would be
2424. J. P. Moreland, “Postmodernism and the Christian Life, Part 2,” Boundless.org, July 08,
2004, accessed October 1, 2015, htttp://www.boundless.org/faith/2004/postmodernism-and-the-
christian-life-part-2.htm.
2525. Robert Stewart, The Resurrection of Jesus (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2006), 1-220,
Amazon Kindle Edition.
2626. Ibid, 399.
2727. Douglas Groothuis, Christian Apologetics: A Comprehensive Case for Biblical Faith,
(Chicago: InterVarsity, 2011), Kindle Edition, Location 5697.
2828. Ibid.
false witnesses about God; the Christian faith would be futile; Christians would be unforgiven
and left in our sins; those who have died in the faith are lost; and those who hope in Christ are
supremely pitiable,”29
Defense of objective truth and moral values
Many Christians are abandoning any objective and rationally knowable concept of truth
concerning Christianity itself. They claim that this concept of truth limits Christian witness and
ties it to an outmoded modernist account of truth that has failed to deliver. The postmodernism
worldview of objective truth is that truth does not lodge in statements that correspond to reality.
Truth is a matter of perspective only; it is something that individuals and communities construct,
primarily through language. Postmodernists sometimes respond to other worldviews by denying
that they take their own assertions and writing to be true, rational, and objectively meaningful.
Should these claims be correct, then the postmodernism worldview would then be saved from
self-refutation.30
Conclusion
The objective of this paper was to show the Christian worldview is superior to the
postmodernism worldview. This paper has presented a strong argument for the Christian
worldview and being the better worldview. Christianity has been proven to be a reasonable faith
and a valid system of truth. Postmodernism has not presented verifiable proof that it is better or
superior to the Christian worldview. This paper will help the reader to have a better
understanding of the postmodernism worldview and how when compared to the Christian
worldview, it does not measure up. Christianity grants relationship with God; the
2929. Ibid.
3030. Moreland, Postmodernism Part 2.
postmodernism worldview does not grant such a relationship. Like all worldviews, when it is
evaluated against the eight criterions of evaluation, it must say what it ought to say.
Bibliography
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