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Dialogical Apologetics: A Person-Centered Approach to Christian Defense
Does Christian witness mean being prepared to contend intellectually with competing philosophies? Or should witness address the felt needs of the person with whom Christ is shared? Both the worldview and the inner needs of the unbeliever are important, writes David K. Clark, as he considers how Christians can earn a hearing and use opportunities effectively. Dialogical Apologetics weds classical apologetics with person-centered evangelism theory. Logic and philosophy help answer questions of honest inquiry, but those answers must also fit the context where they will be lived out. The author looks at new windows of opportunity in philosophy, science, and interreligious dialogue. He shows how to build a flexible witness on an intellectual base. The books vivid writing and practical bent make it particularly useful for students who want to intellectually relate faith and life in a secular academic environment.
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First published July 1, 1999
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About the author
David K. Clark
17 books7 followersDavid Clark (PhD, Northwestern University) is Professor of Christian Thought at Bethel Seminary.
Dr. Clark's academic discipline is philosophy of religion. In addition to philosophy of religion, he teaches theology and apologetics. He has special interests in epistemology, the problem of evil, religious ethics, and the relation of theology to science. His approach to these topics emphasizes dialogue: he invites students to learn how to ground their faith perspectives with solid critical reason. And, in this day of uncivil discourse, he also challenges them to listen to others, to serve, and to share their perspectives in the context of respectful personal relationships.
David Clark and his family moved to Minnesota in 1988 to teach at Bethel Seminary. He has served in senior leadership in a church and at Bethel University. He just retired from his last role as VP and Dean of Bethel Seminary. During his years as faculty, he wrote eight books and dozens of articles. And he contributed as a member of several boards, including the national board of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship. He now serves the wider church through consulting and public speaking.
David is married to Sandy. Together, the Clarks have two sons: Tyler, who lives in Boulder with his wife, Renee, and Ryan, who lives in the Twin Cities with his bride, Rachel. The Clarks have three grandchildren, Griffin, Norah Jane, and Theo. For fun, David enjoys golf, remodeling (he built three different homes for his family), and serious conversations about leadership, ministry, and faith.
Dr. Clark's academic discipline is philosophy of religion. In addition to philosophy of religion, he teaches theology and apologetics. He has special interests in epistemology, the problem of evil, religious ethics, and the relation of theology to science. His approach to these topics emphasizes dialogue: he invites students to learn how to ground their faith perspectives with solid critical reason. And, in this day of uncivil discourse, he also challenges them to listen to others, to serve, and to share their perspectives in the context of respectful personal relationships.
David Clark and his family moved to Minnesota in 1988 to teach at Bethel Seminary. He has served in senior leadership in a church and at Bethel University. He just retired from his last role as VP and Dean of Bethel Seminary. During his years as faculty, he wrote eight books and dozens of articles. And he contributed as a member of several boards, including the national board of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship. He now serves the wider church through consulting and public speaking.
David is married to Sandy. Together, the Clarks have two sons: Tyler, who lives in Boulder with his wife, Renee, and Ryan, who lives in the Twin Cities with his bride, Rachel. The Clarks have three grandchildren, Griffin, Norah Jane, and Theo. For fun, David enjoys golf, remodeling (he built three different homes for his family), and serious conversations about leadership, ministry, and faith.
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November 5, 2017
Overall, this is a good book. In fact, the last three chapters should be required reading for all Christians, and especially for all apologists.
The first 155 pages, which is 2/3 of the entire book, are good, but virtually useless to trained apologists while being a little too in-depth for the uninitiated. This part of the book sets the foundation for apologetics, discussing the role of truth, reason, and science in faith (essentially covering basic epistemology) and presents the various apologetic methods. The content is good, but for a book that is supposed to be person-centered, this should have been limited to maybe 20 or 30 pages.
The final three chapters of the book finally got into a person-centered approach to apologetics and did so quite well, especially in the final chapter. I starred, highlighted, and underlined more in this final chapter than I did in the rest of the book. These final three chapters discuss the various factors that create barriers to dialogue and to belief, helping the apologist be aware of these and hopefully, overcome them. The last chapter puts it all together, encouraging the reader to listen and empathize with their dialogue partner...or in other words, treat them like they are human.
No matter where you are on your spiritual journey or training in apologetics, I highly recommend reading the last three, maybe even the last four chapters of the book (all of part 2). This will help you be a better evangelist, apologists, and a more compassionate person. For those who are new to apologetics, I would start with Cold-Case Christianity for basics of epistemology and an introduction to the arguments so you know how to respond to people in a person-centered way. If you are experienced in apologetics, you probably have a good idea of epistemology and apologetic methods, so I would recommend reading part 1 of the book as review, not quite skimming it but not reading closely either (unless you discover that you need a better understanding of that content).
The first 155 pages, which is 2/3 of the entire book, are good, but virtually useless to trained apologists while being a little too in-depth for the uninitiated. This part of the book sets the foundation for apologetics, discussing the role of truth, reason, and science in faith (essentially covering basic epistemology) and presents the various apologetic methods. The content is good, but for a book that is supposed to be person-centered, this should have been limited to maybe 20 or 30 pages.
The final three chapters of the book finally got into a person-centered approach to apologetics and did so quite well, especially in the final chapter. I starred, highlighted, and underlined more in this final chapter than I did in the rest of the book. These final three chapters discuss the various factors that create barriers to dialogue and to belief, helping the apologist be aware of these and hopefully, overcome them. The last chapter puts it all together, encouraging the reader to listen and empathize with their dialogue partner...or in other words, treat them like they are human.
No matter where you are on your spiritual journey or training in apologetics, I highly recommend reading the last three, maybe even the last four chapters of the book (all of part 2). This will help you be a better evangelist, apologists, and a more compassionate person. For those who are new to apologetics, I would start with Cold-Case Christianity for basics of epistemology and an introduction to the arguments so you know how to respond to people in a person-centered way. If you are experienced in apologetics, you probably have a good idea of epistemology and apologetic methods, so I would recommend reading part 1 of the book as review, not quite skimming it but not reading closely either (unless you discover that you need a better understanding of that content).
Displaying 1 of 1 review