Philosophy Apologetics & Theology - B. Kyle Keltz

Scientism

Some people elevate science to the level that they believe it is the only way to truth. If something isn't scientifically provable or testable, they say, then it is unknowable or irrelevant. In this episode, I am going to discuss this view of science (called "scientism"), and I will show how it is either self-defeating or simply false.

Faith and Reason

Popular atheists claim that "faith" is believing something you know to be false or believing in spite of the evidence, but this is not what Christianity teaches about the relation between faith and reason. In this episode, I will survey historical Christian views of faith and reason, explain one particular view in detail, and discuss the practical implications these views have for evangelism and apologetics.

The Bible and Evil

Traditional answers to the problem of evil show why God might allow evil, but they leave many questions unanswered. So, in this episode, I discuss what the Bible has to say about why there is evil in the world. Specifically, I show what the Bible says regarding God's purpose for creating, the purpose of humanity, and the results of the Fall. Noting these Biblical concepts helps to provide a more comprehensive and satisfying answer to the problem of evil.

Theodicies

The existence of evil in this world is a large barrier for many people considering whether the God of theism exists. If God is all-powerful, all-knowing, and all-good, then why do bad things happen? In this video, I discuss several theodicies (answers to the problem of evil) that provide reasons as to why God would allow evil. I discuss theodicies including the free-will defense and natural order defense, and I provide practical tips for sharing theodicies while doing evangelism/apologetics.

The Problem of Evil

If God is all-powerful, all-knowing, and all-good, then many people think that evil should not exist in the world. If God wants to eliminate evil and has the power to do so, then why does God allow evil? In this episode, I am going to discuss two main types of arguments that atheists have used to argue that God doesn't exist because evil exists. This episode will prepare us to discuss answers to the problem of evil in the next episode.

Destiny of the Unevangelized

If salvation is only available through Jesus Christ, then what happens to people who never hear about the gospel before they die? In this episode, I will discuss several Christian answers to this question and explain why I think one of the views is the best.

Religious Pluralism

It is claimed that all religions are the same at the core, so it doesn't matter what people believe as long as they believe in something. However, this claim involves the misconception that religions are simply meant to help people live moral lives. In this episode, I am going to discuss the topic of religious pluralism and emphasize that the claims of all world religions are contradictory, so they all can't be true.

Inerrancy and Inspiration of the Bible

It is claimed that believers cannot view the Bible as the word of God without being guilty of using circular reasoning. So, in this episode, I will discuss how the three-step apologetic method provides a way around this circularity problem and can be used to show it is rational to believe the Bible is inspired by God. I first discuss the definition of inerrancy, explain how inerrancy is defended, and then I discuss implications inerrancy has for evangelism and apologetics.

The Modern Trilemma Argument

The truth of Jesus' resurrection is the basis of Christianity, and in this episode, I will defend Jesus' resurrection using the Modern Trilemma Argument. I discuss the argument, show how it is defended, and then discuss how it answers objections to the resurrection.

The Resurrection of Jesus

The three-step apologetic method culminates in defending the historicity of Jesus' resurrection, and in this episode, I will survey three arguments for Jesus' resurrection. I will briefly introduce each argument and discuss reasons why I will focus on one of the arguments for an entire lecture in the next episode. Finally, also in preparation for the next episode, I will introduce several ancient, extra-Biblical sources that mention Jesus and early Christians.