Mere ApologeticsIn our culture, we are accustomed to associating the word "apology" with requests for forgiveness. But in the context of this course the word means something quite different. An apology, in the classical sense, is a defense offered in support of a position. And so, when we study apologetics as Christians, we are striving to provide a reasoned defense for belief in God, His Son and a whole host of ideas associated with living and thinking as a Christian. This is not to say (as many atheists assume we should) that Christians are obligated to shoulder the burden of proof in such matters. In fact, some philosophers have effectively argued that belief in God is the kind of belief that a person is justified in simply assuming and that the burden rests more properly on those who would deny God's existence or His truth. However, given that we have been called to love God with all our minds, it is profitable and fitting that we engage in thinking carefully about faith. It is also a privilege to communicate our faith to others in a reasonable and compelling fashion.
In this short, five-week class we will strive to discover substantive answers for five vital questions often posed to Christians: 1. How can you say that God exists? 2. How can you say, given all the evil that exists in the world, that God is good? 3. In light of current understanding of the way our brains function, how can you say that there is such a thing as a soul, or that there is a spiritual reality beyond the physical one we all perceive so clearly? 4. If faith involves a commitment to something one cannot see or prove, how can you say that faith has anything to do with reason? and 5. In this present age of scientific understanding, what business do you have in asserting the possibility of miracles? I believe this promises to be a challenging and enlightening class.
Details
This course will begin on Tuesday, the first day of July and run through July 29th. We will convene once a week, at 8:00 a.m Pacific time, for one hour and forty-five minutes (with a five-minute break). This provides for five class meetings. Readings and corresponding discussions are the main focus, but brief writing assignments will be given (with consideration that this is a summer course). The course is designed for students of High School age.
Text
We will use Faith and Reason by Ronald Nash as our primary text for this course. You may purchase the text at Amazon.
Cost
The cost of this tutorial is $100 per student. There is a 20 % discount for the second student enrolled from the same family.
Registration
To register, you may use my e-mail address tutor.alexandria@gmail.com and include the following:
Re: "Registration for Mere Apologetics"
Name, Parents' Names, Address, Age, Year in School, phone number, Background in Writing, How you heard about Alexandria, other experience in online tutorials, and an attached sample of a past essay.
Checks are made payable to Matthew Turnbull and a non-refundable deposit of $20 to reserve your seat is required by June 30th, the remainder is due the first week of class. The class is limited to 15 participants. Please send registration fees and tuition to: Matthew Turnbull / Alexandria Tutorials / 248 Benton St./ Leavenworth, WA 98826
Software
We will be utilizing the Webex Conferencing software for our tutorials. Please see the New Student Page for details about configuring your computer.
As you have any questions about this tutorial or the tutorial service, please feel free to contact the tutor at tutor.alexandria@gmail.com .
The serious, thinking man in the picture above is one of our heroes here at Alexandria Tutorials--Dr. Alvin Plantinga.