Christian Worldview & Apologetics

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[Note: This class is also offered online. Click here for details or to register.]

Building on Christian Worldview I's emphasis on understanding and appreciating the truths of the Christian faith, Christian Worldview & Apologetics will focus more on apologetics, looking at arguments for and against Christianity. This class will prepare students to "give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have" (I Peter 3:15). We will consider what makes Christianity a reasonable and compelling worldview, preparing students to withstand assaults on their faith in school or in the workplace and equipping them to respond persuasively and effectively - but also "with gentleness and respect" (I Peter 3:15b)!

When polls show a majority of professing Christian teens abandoning their faith under a flood of anti-Christian influences by the time they reach their 20's, it is critically important that students are able to feel intellectually honest about their faith. Too often, our kids receive simple and easy answers to difficult questions; answers which are simply unsatisfying in light of the attacks that will be brought against their faith. In Christian Worldview & Apologetics, we will take an honest, challenging look at the best arguments that are raised against Christianity and learn from the responses of some of this generation's greatest Christian apologists. As with all LTA classes, students will be challenged to really understand and apply the ideas they are studying, ensuring they carry what they've learned with them as they leave the classroom.

The main textbook for Christian Worldview & Apologetics is To Everyone an Answer: A Case for the Christian Worldview, a collection of apologetic and theological essays edited by Francis J. Beckwith, William Lane Craig, and J. P. Moreland. The book provides a point-by-point explanation and defense of Christian doctrine on key points including the relationship of faith and reason, the existence of God, the historicity of Jesus, the problem of evil, and more. In addition to this comprehensive overview, students will read excerpts from non-Christian authors, and class discussions will compare and evaluate the opposing arguments.

Because of the focus on argument analysis and refutation, this class is a great way for students to polish critical thinking and reasoning skills. Students are often more inclined to absord the principles of argumentation and critical thinking when they are thinking about something else, rather than studying critical thinking qua critical thinking, and the thinking skills learned here will apply everywhere from science and geometry to day-to-day decisions like whether to watch a particular movie or vote for a political candidate.

The class meets for one-and-a-half hours weekly for 16 weeks. It is very discussion-based and class participation is encouraged. Students will be assigned three three-page papers on relevant topics, and grades will be given based on the quality of the papers, scores on reading quizzes, and participation in classroom discussion. Tuition is $199. (Note: This class was formerly called Christian Worldview II. It has been renamed to clarify that Christian Worldview I is not a prerequisite.)