By Jeff Brumley
As many as 2,000 evangelicals are expected to attend a conference on apologetics this weekend in Charlotte, N.C., where the theme will be “defending a never changing faith in an ever changing world.”
Topics at the Southern Evangelical Seminary’s 21st annual National Conference on Christian Apologetics include God and science and Christianity and culture. Speakers include SES President Richard Land delivering the keynote speech and biologist/author Michael Behe addressing Darwinism and evolution.
Participants are promised a place “on the cutting edge of the next trend in Christianity” by attending.
“The next great trend in the evangelical church is apologetic evangelism,” according to the event website. It defined that evangelism as “those who can go and give a defense of the faith while they present the gospel.”
But some Christians question whether apologetics — at least in its classical form as a defense of the faith — is really what the faith needs in a postmodern, post-Christian culture.
The defensive posture implied in apologetics may create an unhealthy us-versus-them mentality that does more to push away potential converts than win them.
Proponents of an alternative approach acknowledge that living in a society where Christians are a minority makes being able to talk about Christ and salvation more important than ever. But engaging those with differing views on faith in a confrontational way assumes or creates adversarial relationships that will likely have little success luring Millennials and non-believers into churches.
‘What really matters today’
“Apologetics conferences have the laudable goal of helping Christians think seriously about the truth claims of our faith and how to communicate them,” said David Gushee, distinguished professor of Christian ethics and director of the Center for Theology and Public Life at Mercer University.
Gushee, who also serves as theologian-in-residence for the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, told ABPnews/Herald that such conferences are less relevant “today than ever” because postmoderns are not swayed by rational proofs.
Instead, it’s the example Christians set that speak the loudest, said Gushee, a senior columnist for ABPnews/Herald.
“The quality of our lives and the depth and breadth of our love of God and neighbor are what really matter today — and always.”
‘Not the best result’
But both of those propositions — knowing and communicating the faith and living it out authentically — are more challenging than ever, said Matt Cook, pastor at First Baptist Church in Wilmington, N.C., and CBF moderator-elect.
“I do think postmodernity has made explaining the faith a whole lot more important,” Cook said, explaining that the culture needs a strong Christian witness. “But the idea of ‘defending the faith’ is not … the best approach.”
The best approach?
Well, that’s not so easy to define — and it’s difficult and sometimes risky.
Cook said it involves being willing to be in authentic relationships with people of other or of no faith — and doing so without ulterior motives such as to convert or best in arguments.
It means being willing to have conversations that have no other purpose than to share information with each other about differing beliefs and worldviews.
“The highest goal is the friendship,” Cook said. “And if conversion comes as a result, great.”
‘Radical change agents’
The Charlotte conference, on the other hand, is taking a more traditional approach. In fact, one of its three themes is historical apologetics.
But there are modern touches with a heavy emphasis on science.
Behe, whose 1996 book Darwin’s Black Box challenges evolutionary theory, will open and close the event at Calvary Church in Charlotte.
Other scientific topics include astronomy, archeology, physics, mathematics and “how science affirms our faith,” according to the event website.
Under Christianity and culture, participants will cover subjects like abortion, gay marriage and education.
“Imagine a culture,” the conference website continues, “where more Christians are radical change agents, where churches reflect Christ not culture, where people are liberated from the cult of self and instead committed to the common good.”
‘A laissez-faire tolerance’
Cook said confrontational or triumphalist models of evangelism are the wrong approach.
“I’m more likely to get tense with a Christian who feels like they’ve got to wield truth as a blunt instrument … than I would with a non-Christian who disagrees with me,” he said.
But it’s also a mistake for liberal Christians to cede talking about faith to conservatives.
“Moderate and progressive Baptists — we value diversity and we value the opportunity to rub elbows with those who disagree with us. But that can degenerate into a laissez-faire tolerance that is neither deeply relational nor intellectually invigorating,” he said.