Week Four: Apologetics & World Religions

TH363 – Apologetics
Week Four Outline:
1. Use video from Lutherans about “how Christianity is like all religions.”
2. Use video “Why I hate religion.”
1. Take a few minutes to talk about the Mid-term Essay – (:10)
2. Debrief from Greece trip – (:20)
What was one highlight from the culture and country that will stick with you?
What conversation did you have with another student or a person from Greece that moved toward explaining or defending the Message?

3. Give assignments for the next two weeks: (:10)
a. Next week, you’ll read CH. 2-3 from Zacharias. The focus will be from Ravi and on the world view of the atheist (as well as Vitale’s perspective on scientism, a key component in atheistic “religious systems”. We will also spend some time on the pivotal point of the Resurrection in relation to Apologetics and the Christian declaration of truth.
b. The following week, you’ll read CH 4 from Zacharias and Vitale’s argument against pluralistic world views. We will also revisit the work we do today in building a consistent Christian world view in light of pluralism. And we will look at logic and logic fallacies in relation to Apologetics. We will also return to Koukl and his keys to success in conversations as an Apologist.
4. Begin PPT on World Religions – Explain the Apologist’s role in response to World Religions. Explain the rest of the day’s Collaboration. Defining Key Questions. (:15)
5. BREAK
6. PPT on World Religions – Key Questions. (:15)
a. How did it all start? Where did we all come from? Creation
b. Who is God? Nature of God
c. Why is man broken? Nature of man
d. Why can’t we all just get along? Problem of Good and Evil
e. How do we get right with God? Is God knowable & reachable? Defining Salvation
f. What happens when we die? Heaven and Afterlife
g. How do we practice our faith? Key doctrines and celebrations in practice
7. Have students work in groups to develop the answers to these questions. Do the Poly and Pantheistic first, then the Philosophical, then the Monotheistic.
8. Key Religions of the World:
a. Christianity as a Religion
b. Polytheistic Religions
i. Indigenous Religions
ii. Hindu
iii. Shintoism
iv. Daoism
c. Philosophical Religions
i. Buddhism
ii. Confucianism
iii. Jainism
d. Monotheistic Religions
i. Sikhism
ii. Judaism
iii. Islam
e. Modern Religions
i. Mormonism
ii. Jehovah’s Witnesses
iii. Rastafari
iv. Baha’i