Philosophy Apologetics & Theology - B. Kyle Keltz

The Synoptic Problem

Although there is evidence that the New Testament manuscripts and writers are reliable, there seem to be several places in the Synoptic Gospels where the authors are contradicting each other. In this episode, I will discuss several concepts that help to explain why there seem to be contradictions, but ultimately, there are none.

Jesus’ Self-Understanding

Some people have claimed that Jesus never said He was God, so in this episode, I discuss several claims Jesus made about Himself that are found in the Bible. Namely, I show that Jesus claimed to be the Messiah, the Son of God, and the Son of Man, and I explain how these titles are associated with divinity.

The New Testament Writers

In this episode, I discuss how the New Testament writings (and other extra-biblical sources) provide evidence that the New Testament authors wrote reliable, eyewitness accounts of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Here I will explain the "earmarks of historicity" and show how the New Testament writings possess each earmark.

The New Testament Manuscripts

In this episode, I discuss how the New Testament manuscripts provide evidence that we are certain that we have the original words that the New Testament authors wrote when describing the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Here I will explain the bibliographical test and show how the New Testament manuscripts are more reliable than any other ancient writings.

Historical Knowledge

In this episode, I argue that we can have objective knowledge of past events. After discussing the beginnings of modern historical methods, I explain the view of historical knowledge called historical relativism, consider arguments for it, and then provide objections to those arguments.

The Possibility of Miracles

In this episode, I will discuss why the possibility of miracles is so important when transitioning from defending God's existence to defending Jesus' life, death, and resurrection. I will explain and answer several objections to the possibility of miracles from philosophers like Baruch Spinoza and David Hume.

The Argument from Reason

In this episode, I discuss a few objections to mind-body dualism and then explain and defend two arguments showing that it is self-defeating to believe that physicalism is true.

Arguments for the Soul

In this episode, I discuss and defend two arguments for the existence of the soul that are against property dualism and for mind-body dualism. These arguments are known as the conceivability argument and the argument from unity and the first-person perspective.

Mind-Body Dualism

In this episode, I discuss mind-body dualism, which is the view that a human being has both a physical body and an immaterial soul. I discuss mind-body dualism, contrast it with physicalism, and then I explain and defend two arguments against physicalism.

The Moral Argument

This episode presents and defends the moral argument for God's existence, which is the argument that says that moral values and duties can only be objectively true if God exists. In this episode, I will defend the argument and discuss how to answer common objections.