Apologetics Profile

On the next two episodes of the Profile we sit down with Qur'anic scholar and author Dr. Andy Bannister to discuss his very insightful and helpful 2021 book, Do Muslims and Christians Worship the Same God? ( uhop. Me/SameGod ). Andy gives us some wisdom from his own experiences and research in engaging Muslims over the last few decades. If you know a Muslim but are not sure how to begin a conversa...

This week we wrap up our conversation with authors Doug Groothuis and Ike Shepardson about their latest book The Knowledge of God in the World and the Word - An Introduction to Classical Apologetics . They offer some very practical and encouraging wisdom in how to effectively and compassionately engage in apologetics. Douglas Groothuis (PhD, University of Oregon) is professor of philosophy at Denv...

This week and next we talk with authors Doug Groothuis (GROW-tice) and Andrew "Ike" Shepardson about their new book The Knowledge of God in the World and the Word - An Introduction to Classical Apologetics and how vitally important apologetics remains for us today. Douglas Groothuis (PhD, University of Oregon) is professor of philosophy at Denver Seminary in Denver, Colorado, where he heads the ap...

Christian apologetics is not just a matter of crafting intellectual arguments and those who engage in Christian apologetics are not just computorial information machines dispensing facts. Our guest again this week,  author, pastor, and professor of theology at Dordt University, Dr. Justin Bailey , continues sharing his ideas from his 2020 book Reimagining Apologetics - The Beauty of Faith in a Sec...

187 Reimagining Apologetics [Part 1] with Dr. Justin Bailey and Daniel Ray What role does the imagination play in Christian apologetics today? How can we effectively implement a more holistic and imaginative approach in giving a defense for our faith in an ever-increasingly secular society? Our guest this week and next, author, pastor, and professor of theology at Dordt University, Dr. Justin Bail...

One hallmark of most any religious cult today is that there is no other way to God except through the cult leader and obedience to his deceitful doctrines and deceptive practices. Cult teachings and commands twist Scripture familiar to Christians and create a climate of fear and works-based salvation. This week Brady Blevins, Senior Apologist at Watchman Fellowship and Steve Matthews, author of ou...

How is a religious cult in South Korea making inroads into churches in the U.S.? Listen in as Dr. Brady Blevins, Senior Apologist at Watchman Fellowship and Steve Matthews, author of our 4-page Profile on the movement known as Shincheonji, discuss some of the ways in which this disciplined, doctrinally-deceptive, militant cult is infiltrating churches in the U.S. Learn how you can be prepared to r...

Even if one might be convinced that reason can lead us to God, there remains the very real difficulty of the problem of evil. How can evil exist if an all-knowing, all-loving, all-powerful God exists? There are finally no easy answers to this question. Our guest again this week, author and philosopher Dr. Josh Rasmussen, shares with us his personal and philosophical perspectives on how he has nego...

What is reason? How might it lead us to God? In Acts chapter 17, the Apostle Paul attempted to reason with the Athenian philosophers about the resurrection of Jesus. Some scoffed, but some listened. How does reason inform our understanding of God? Can a person come to know that God exists through means of reasonable arguments? And how does reason fit in with what we know about God?   On the next t...

182 JW Escape! [Part 2] Former Jehovah's Witness Elaine Bales shares her story with James Walker Jehovah's Witnesses are presently experiencing a tremendous institutional and public relations crisis as never before in the history of their organization. Many members have grown tired of the fear, intimidation, and unceasing, impossible demands of trying to earn favor with the wrathful and implacable...

This week and next, President of Watchman Fellowship James K. Walker sits down with Elaine Bales , a former Jehovah's Witness, to discuss her experiences as being a member since childhood, and her difficult escape from it to embrace the real Jesus and His gospel of grace.  Our very own Daniel Ray had a recent encounter with two Jehovah's Witnesses at the Dallas/Love Field Airport. On his phone, he...

On this episode of Apologetics Profile, Watchman senior apologist Brady Blevins talks with Christian author and apologist Dr. Richard Howe about what Satanism is today and how we as Christians can prayerfully and thoughtfully engage those whom we may know who self-identify as Satanists. What is Satanism? Are there different kinds of Satanism? Why is it that Christians today can not afford to ignor...

Pantheism comes from the Greek Pan meaning “all or everything” and Theos meaning “God.” In Pantheism, everything that exists is One (Monism) and that one substance is God. God, however, is not personal but impersonal – an “It” rather than a “He.” This worldview has significant implications. If everything is "God" then humans must also be a manifestation of God. This is reminiscent of the Serpent's...

Pantheism is one of four foundational “world views” held by millions of people around the world. It is the common theme of many of the world’s eastern religions including Hinduism, Buddhism and Taoism. In the West, it underlies the basis of Transcendentalism, Wicca (witchcraft) and much of New Age spirituality. How do we recognize Pantheism today? How should we respond? On the next two episodes of...

TWO FREE BOOKS - Take advantage of the special offer mentioned at the end of this episode: Watchman.org/Waco Thirty years ago this week, a small army of federal agents stormed the compound of the Branch Davidian cult led by David Koresh with armored vehicles, knocking down walls and launching tear gas. That deadly assault outside of Waco, Texas was the culmination of a 51-day standoff between gove...

TWO FREE BOOKS - Take advantage of the special offer mentioned at the end of this episode: Watchman.org/Waco Thirty years ago this week, a small army of federal agents stormed the compound of the Branch Davidian cult led by David Koresh with armored vehicles, knocking down walls and launching tear gas. That deadly assault outside of Waco, Texas was the culmination of a 51-day standoff between gove...

TWO FREE BOOKS - Take advantage of the special offer mentioned at the end of this episode: Watchman.org/Waco Thirty years ago this month, a small army of federal agents stormed the compound of the Branch Davidian cult led by David Koresh with armored vehicles, knocking down walls and launching tear gas. That deadly assault outside of Waco, Texas was the culmination of a 51-day standoff between gov...

According to the General Social Survey, there has been a dramatic increase in the rise of the religiously non-affiliated in the U.S. since 1972. Who are the Nones? What do they believe? Are they atheists? Agnostics? What does the data from the GSS suggest is happening to the religious practices and affiliations in the U.S. today?  This week, we continue our conversation with pastor and assistant p...

Since 1972, the General Social Survey, or GSS, has influenced and informed our cultural understanding of the religious landscape in the U.S. A multitude of college students, journalists, media outlets, and peer-reviewed articles and papers have cited the data from the GSS. You've probably seen a graph or two in the newspaper or on line somewhere which featured information from the GSS.  So what ex...

Have you ever wondered why the Gospel writers included the details they did? Our guest this week on the Profile, Dr. Timothy McGrew, suggests that if we pay careful attention to the lesser details included by the authors of the Gospel accounts, we will see with greater clarity how the accounts interlock and compliment one another. These details offer but one further bit of evidence that the Gospel...

If we are to love those who are not Christians, as Jesus commands, one of the essential components of loving our neighbors is being able to listen to them with intent, compassion, and sincerity. Discussions and debates about God can quickly become heated. We often don't really listen to another person's position carefully, but only wait for opportunities to make our point or speak over them.  Our...

You have likely heard a skeptic or two say that the New Testament is riddled with contradictions and therefore it is likely an untrustworthy source for understanding what happened in and around Jerusalem some 2,000 years ago.  This week on the Profile we continue our discussion with leading resurrection scholar Dr. Gary Habermas who gives us very practical insights about how we can answer our skep...

You have probably heard of atheist and New Testament scholar Dr. Bart Ehrman. Ehrman believes Jesus really existed in history but does not believe Jesus is God, does not believe Jesus really performed miracles, and does not believe Jesus resurrected from the dead.  This week and next on the Profile we sit down with leading resurrection scholar Dr. Gary Habermas who offers us some helpful insights...

Many of the top grossing box-office films of all time often feature story lines in some way related to the universe. "A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away" is almost as widely recognized as "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth."  Our guests this week authors Frank Turek and his son Zack sit down with us to discuss their latest book Hollywood Heroes - How Your Favorite Mov...

How well do we know what interests our non-Christian friends and neighbors? How much do we know about what they enjoy or what they believe? Can we take the beliefs and interests of unbelievers to build common ground and facilitate conversations about Jesus and the Gospel?  Our guests this week and next on the Profile, as well as we here at Watchman, say "Absolutely yes!" Author and Christian apolo...