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{{Christianity}}

{{Christianity}}

'''Christian apologetics''' is the defense of the [[Christianity|Christian]] [[faith]] through [[logic]]/evidence based arguments. The word [[apologetics]] comes from the [[Greek]] word apologia (from Greek ἀπολογία), which means "speaking in defense." Christian [[Witnessing|witness]] to [[Jesus Christ]] in an informal, spontaneous setting, most often in conversation, is an oral form of Christian apologetics. ''See'' [[First Epistle of Peter (Translated)#3:15|1 Peter 3:15]]. Several compelling points are:

'''Christian apologetics''' is the defense of the [[Christianity|Christian]] [[faith]] through [[logic]]/evidence based arguments. The word [[apologetics]] comes from the [[Greek]] word apologia (from Greek ἀπολογία), which means "speaking in defense." Christian [[Witnessing|witness]] to [[Jesus Christ]] in an informal, spontaneous setting, most often in conversation, is an oral form of Christian apologetics. ''See'' [[First Epistle of Peter (Translated)#3:15|1 Peter 3:15]]. Several compelling points are:

*the four [[Gospel]]s were written by ethnic rivals -- a Jew, a Gentile, a Greek, and probably a Samaritan -- and yet fully corroborate each other's accounts;<ref>Non-believers falsely assert that the Gospels were not written until decades after the fact, when the evidence indicates otherwise (see, e.g., [[date of Mark]]). Regardless, the truth of what was written remains proven by their corroboration among ethnic adversaries.</ref>  

*According to [[Simon Greenleaf]], the legal scholar who was one of chief figures in the early days of the Harvard Law School, the four [[Gospel]]s corroborate each other's accounts and viewed their mutual support as a key strength under legal evidentiary rules. See: [[Christian legal apologetics]]<ref>[https://grok.com/share/c2hhcmQtNA%3D%3D_3e694dc6-5fc5-405e-b6df-12ac7543c531 Provide information on Simon Greenleaf's Testimony of the Evangelist. Also, does Simon Greenlead indicate that the four gospels corroborate each other?]</ref>

*the [[Bible]] including the [[New Testament]] is by far the best-selling book today and throughout history, and it rings true while being more helpful to people than any alternative;

*The Bible has many fulfilled prophecies.<ref>[https://grok.com/share/c2hhcmQtNA%3D%3D_20e9ac23-9c56-4dbc-a7a3-8a306444fc2d Do Christians indicate that the Bible has many fulfilled prophecies? Please summarize the book Science Speaks by Peter Stoner.]</ref> See: [[Bible prophecy]]

*non-believers have no plausible explanation for who [[Jesus]] was and his immense influence, if he weren't God;

*Non-believers have no plausible explanation for who [[Jesus]] was and his immense influence, if he weren't God <ref>[https://grok.com/share/c2hhcmQtNA%3D%3D_0bd7af04-49b1-415c-977e-d0eb390da507 How much influence did Jesus have on the world? How much influence has Christianity had on the world? Also, please cover Dr. James Kennedy's work "What if Jesus was not born?". Please cover the article "The Triump of the Gospel of Love" at: http://www.orthodoxresearchinstitute.org/articles/church_history/themistocles_triumph_love.html Also, cover the article The Surprising Discovery About Those Colonialist, Proselytizing Missionaries at https://archive.is/cDMnA#selection-1017.0-1017.76]</ref>;

*The [[Bible]] including the [[New Testament]] is by far the best-selling book today and throughout history, and it rings true while being more helpful to people than any alternative;  

*[[Christianity]], in contrast with [[atheism]] and other religions, urges searching for the truth with [[logic]] and [[faith]], and taking the less-traveled road;<ref>''See, e.g.'', [[Matthew, Chapter 7|Matthew 7:13-14]].</ref>

*[[Christianity]], in contrast with [[atheism]] and other religions, urges searching for the truth with [[logic]] and [[faith]], and taking the less-traveled road;<ref>''See, e.g.'', [[Matthew, Chapter 7|Matthew 7:13-14]].</ref>

*phenomenal music, art, and writings were inspired by Christianity: ''e.g.'', "all men are created equal" and "to err is human / to forgive, divine";

*Phenomenal art, music, writings and architecture were inspired by Christianity: ''e.g.'', "to err is human / to forgive, divine" and

*the [[Epistle to the Hebrews]] is a spectacular literary masterpiece -- among the finest Greek writing ever<ref>"In fact the author of the Epistle shows great familiarity with the rules of the Greek literary language of his age. ... His writing may even be included among those examples of artistic Greek prose whose rhythm recalls the parallelism of Hebrew poetry." [https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07181a.htm]</ref> -- which was beyond the local ability of anyone other than [[Jesus]] as the [[Son of God]];<ref>[[Paul]] was among the elite in the [[Middle East]], but the [[Epistle to the Hebrews]] is far above the [[Greek]] writings by Paul.</ref> and

*The [[Shroud of Turin]], impossible to replicate and unexplained by non-believers, confirms an intense flash of light in the [[Resurrection]].<ref>The flash of light captured on the Shroud includes even the flesh and bones of the man, analogous to an X-ray. Non-believers cling to doubt based on a 1988 carbon-dating of a corner sample containing cotton fibers, which was not an uncontaminated original. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPLEu1MMYfo]</ref>

*the [[Shroud of Turin]], impossible to replicate and unexplained by non-believers, confirms an intense flash of light in the [[Resurrection]].<ref>The flash of light captured on the Shroud includes even the flesh and bones of the man, analogous to an X-ray. Non-believers cling to doubt based on a 1988 carbon-dating of a corner sample containing cotton fibers, which was not an uncontaminated original. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPLEu1MMYfo]</ref>

Effective apologetics can be based in politics, [[faith]], reason, linguistics, science, experience, and/or history.  [[Atheist]]ic societies or values are notoriously inhumane and hostile to [[free speech|freedom of speech]].

Christian apologetics are based on evidence, reason, history, linguistics, science, and human experience.  [[Atheist]]ic societies or values are notoriously inhumane and hostile to [[free speech|freedom of speech]].

Three major schools of Christian apologetics are: [[classical apologetics]], [[evidential apologetics]] and [[presuppositional apologetics]]. A lessor known school of Christian apologetics is [[integrated apologetics]] which is a system of Christian apologetics introduced by [[Johnson C. Philip]]. Philip is a Christian apologist from India and he argues that while each school of Christian apologetics contains a part of the truth, they tend to be too narrow to do justice to the broad field of Christian apologetics. He proposes that all these schools of apologetics should be integrated into a harmonious whole.<ref>[http://creationwiki.org/Integrated_apologetics Integrated Apologetics] at [[CreationWiki]].</ref>

Three major schools of Christian apologetics are: [[classical apologetics]], [[evidential apologetics]] and [[presuppositional apologetics]]. A lessor known school of Christian apologetics is [[integrated apologetics]] which is a system of Christian apologetics introduced by [[Johnson C. Philip]]. Philip is a Christian apologist from India and he argues that while each school of Christian apologetics contains a part of the truth, they tend to be too narrow to do justice to the broad field of Christian apologetics. He proposes that all these schools of apologetics should be integrated into a harmonious whole.<ref>[http://creationwiki.org/Integrated_apologetics Integrated Apologetics] at [[CreationWiki]].</ref>

== External links ==

== External links ==

 

''See also:'' [[Christian apologetics websites|Christian apologetics websites and articles]] and [[Major Christian apologetics websites and their web traffic]]

''See also:'' [[Christian apologetics websites|Christian apologetics websites and articles]] and [[Major Christian apologetics websites and their web traffic]]

=== Historical and legal apologetics ===

=== Historical and legal apologetics ===

 

'''Historical apologetics:'''  

'''Historical apologetics:'''