APOLOGETICS SERIES
Want to learn how to approach apologetics as a dialogue rather than a debate? In this second installment in a series of Table Briefing articles, Dr. Darrell L. Bock and Mikel Del Rosario discuss the concept of dialogical apologetics and how to engage in difficult spiritual conversations on a practical level.
THE TABLE BRIEFING
Dialogical Apologetics and Difficult Spiritual Conversations – Part 2
BY DARRELL L. BOCK AND MIKEL DEL ROSARIO
FORMAT: PDF
SOURCE: BIBLIOTHECA SACRA, 176 (October-December 2019): 476-84
THIS PEER-REVIEWED ARTICLE IS PART OF THE TABLE BRIEFING SERIES. ©2019 BY DALLAS THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY. USED BY PERMISSION.
Dialogical Apologetics and Difficult Spiritual Conversations – Part 2
INTRODUCTION
While actor and filmmaker Alex Kendrick is noted for his movies like Fireproof, War Room, and Overcomer, few people realize what undergirds his ethos of engagement. On an episode of the Table podcast called “Faith, Work, and Filmmaking,” he revealed how 1 Peter 3:15 became his life verse:
During college, I was talking to [someone] of the Baha’i faith. They believe there are a number of ways to get to heaven. . . . We got into a little bit of an argument and I found myself growing in frustration that he couldn’t see what I saw in the gospel. We began arguing and . . . both left frustrated. But the Lord convicted me . . . when I saw 1 Peter 3:15: “But in your heart, sanctify Christ as Lord.” In other words, set him apart as more important than anything else. Then it goes on to say, “And always be ready to give an answer to anyone that asks you of the hope that you have, but do this with gentleness and respect.”
Kendrick’s experience is not uncommon. Many Christians find it difficult to include both truth and love when engaging in difficult spiritual conversations. But what does it look like to engage with truth and love on a practical level?
The previous Table Briefing introduced the idea of dialogical apologetics for approaching difficult spiritual conversations not a debate but as loving dialogue. In this briefing, we share four guidelines for bringing truth and love together while navigating conversations with those who see Christianity differently… [Read More]