Apologetics: God’s Existence—objections, answers and evidences

Kevin Lines, B.S. Biblical Studies, B.A. Biblical Theology, M.A. Philosophy, PhD Candidate Philosophy of Religion and Theology

I am currently in the dissertation proposal and qualifying examination stage of my doctoral degree. The higher the degree pursued the deeper one plunges into a particular subject matter. However, the narrower in scope one’s knowledge becomes. My area of expertise is religious epistemology and apologetic methodology, and Wittgenstein and Kant. I know a lot about a little, and for this reason I will attempt to keep my critical comments to my areas of competence. 

I say this because often one hears people with doctoral degrees speaking authoritatively on subjects they have little or no right speaking authoritatively on. For example, I am not a medical doctor. There is no more reason to accept my advice than someone else’s, or rather, there is no objective reason—a degree confirming institution standing behind my opinion. My point amounts to this, doctors are experts in their respective fields, not all fields. 

Apologetics became a passion for me back when I took my first Apologetics course from Frank Pastore over 14 years ago. I was 22. After that class, I read any apologetics book I could get my hands on. Apologetics and I have had a rocky love/hate relationship ever since. 

I am very familiar with most, if not all, of the heavy hitters in Christian apologetics. Please know that I do not make my criticisms of them flippantly. I have a great deal respect for them and what they have accomplished in their fields. It is because of my passion and love for philosophy and the nature of religious belief that I study this stuff. I hunger to know and understand many of these issues. I get frustrated and even angry when I feel they are being misrepresented or treated glibly. I have spent hours, hours, and hours wrestling with these thinkers and these issues. I have lost sleep and hair! I have real questions and real concerns regarding what Apologetics has to do with knowing God and others coming to know God. During this class we will not doubt have cause to talk about them.

Enjoy the class and feel free to ask me any questions regarding the material we covered either after class or by e-mail at lines.kevin@gmail.com