Table of Contents
Foreword Vera S. Poythress xiii
Preface to the Second Edition xxix
Preface to the First Edition xxxi
Introduction Joseph E. Torres xxxv
A Biblical Perspective on Apologetics xxxv
The Constant Need for Clarification xxxvii
A New Audience xxxviii
About this Edition xxxviii
Abbreviations xliii
1 Apologetics: The Basics 1
Definitions 1
Presuppositions 3
Circular Argument? 10
God's Responsibility And Ours 15
Sola Scriptura 18
Sola Scriptura And Natural Revelation 21
Values 25
Dangers 26
2 The Message of the Apologist 31
Philosophy 31
Metaphysics 34
God, the Absolute Personality 34
The Creator-Creature Relationship 39
The Sovereignty of God 42
The Trinity 44
Epistemology 47
Ethics 49
Good News 50
3 Apologetics as Proof: Some Methodological Considerations 53
Faith, Scripture, and Evidence 53
The Concept of Proof 56
The Need for Proof 58
Point of Contact 63
4 Apologetics as Proof: Transcendental Argument 67
Background 67
Tag in Outline 69
Logic Demands the Existence of God 70
Ethics Demands the Existence of God 71
Science Demands the Existence of God 72
Questions 73
Tag and the Trinity 80
Negative and Positive Arguments 83
Absolute Certainty and Probability 86
A Strategic Sketch 90
Some Conclusions: A Presuppositionalism of the Heart 91
5 Apologetics as Proof: Theistic Arguments 95
Atheism and Agnosticism 97
The Moral Argument 98
The Epistemological Argument 110
Metaphysical Arguments 111
Purpose: The Teleological Argument 112
Cause: The Cosmological Argument 116
Being: The Ontological Argument 120
6 Apologetics as Proof: Proving the Gospel 125
Scripture's Doctrine of Scripture 127
But What about Biblical Criticism? 132
Scripture's Rationale for the Gospel Message 138
The Argument from Prophecy 138
The New Testament Witness to Christ 142
Miracle and Resurrection 144
Are Miracles Possible or Probable? 145
Is There Sufficient Evidence for Believing in Biblical Miracles? 146
Do Miracles Serve as Evidence for the Truth of Christianity? 149
Conclusion 154
7 Apologetics as Defense: The Problem of Evil, Part 1-Questions, General Principles, and Blind Alleys 155
Is There a Problem of Evil? Is There an Answer? 155
Focus on the Bible 159
What the Bible Does Not Say 161
The Nature of Evil: The Unreality-of-Evil Defense 161
The Contribution of Evil 162
The Best-Possible-World Defense 162
The Free-Will Defense 164
The Character-Building Defense 167
The Stable-Environment Defense 168
Evil and God's Agency 168
The Divine-Weakness Defense 168
The Indirect- Cause Defense 169
The Ex Lex Defense 170
An Ad Hominem Defense 171
8 Apologetics as Defense: The Problem of Evil, Part 2-A Biblical Response 173
God is the Standard for his Actions 173
Scripture Gives Us a New Historical Perspective 180
The Past: The Wait and the Dialectic 180
The Present: The Greater-Good Defense 184
The Future: Some Scripture Songs 186
Scripture Gives Us New Hearts 188
9 Apologetics as Offense: Critique of Unbelief 189
The Unbeliever's Twin Strategies 191
Irrationalism and Rationalism 192
Atheism 198
Idolatry 199
Idolatrous Atheism 203
Christian Apologetic Responses 206
Against Atheistic Relativism 206
Against Idolatrous Rationalism 206
Against Atheistic Idolatry 206
10 Talking to a Stranger 207
Introduction 207
Encounter on a Plane 207
Appendix A Van Til and the Ligonier Apologetic 219
Introduction 219
Ligonier and Van Til 222
Autonomy, Reason, and Circularity 222
The Noetic Effects of Sin 228
The Ligonier Apologetic 233
Some Formal Matters 237
Conclusions 238
Appendix B Jay E. Adams's Reply to Frame 239
Appendix C Faith vs. Faith: Covenant Epistemology and Autonomous Fideism by Joseph E. Torres 241
Introduction 241
Dialogue 241
Closing Comments to Current Readers 247
Appendix D Between Scylla and Charybdis: Presuppositionalism, Circular Reasoning, and the Charge of Fideism Revisited by Joseph E. Torres 249
The Purpose of this Article 250
The "Problem" of Presuppositional Methodology 251
The Link between Fideism and Circularity 251
The Scylla of Fideism 252
The Charybdis of Circular Reasoning 253
Problem Statements 253
Circularity 255
Vicious and Virtuous Circles 255
Clarifying Statements 257
Fideism 260
Conclusion 263
Appendix E Divine Aseity and Apologetics 265
Aseity and the Distinctiveness of the Christian Worldview 267
Aseity and Biblical Epistemology 270
Aseity and Apologetic Strategy 274
Non-Christian Metaphysics 274
Non-Christian Epistemology 276
A General Strategy 277
Appendix F Epistemological Perspectives and Evangelical Apologetics 279
Historical Roots of the Issue 280
Some Biblical Considerations 283
Some Apologetic Implications 286
Appendix G Apologetics Glossary 289
Bibliography 299
Index of Scripture 309
Index of Subjects and Names 319
