Systematic Apologetics

by Timothy Carter, A. Johnson

Problems Promote EngagementClark (2008) “We know that learners must build their own knowledge and skill base in long-term memory. This is the meaning of constructivist learning. Therefore, active engagement with new content is an essential prerequisite to learning. By basing a lesson around a problem, the engagement process is initiated early in learning. If lessons are based on solving problems, engagement will permeate the entire experience. Starting with a problem makes learning a much more inductive experience, especially when the learner has multiple options to build the knowledge base needed to solve the problem” (Kindle Locations 3855-3860).Any aspiring apologist would do well to view the vast array of religious constructs, countless glossaries of jargon; numerous modified categories, along with the countless, multivariate varieties of their expressions as “problems” around which an engagement process might be initiated, so that she or he might build “the knowledge base needed to solve the problem.Approaching “problems” according to a systematic, apologetical reasoning process allows the apologist to define “problems” as opportunities to “build a knowledge base,” to further notice that in each problem might be found more than one (if not many) “irrational elements.” Evaluating, therefore, will become the greater part of the “process.” The textbook, A Handbook of Human Performance Technology Third Edition Principles, Practices, and Potential by James A. Pershing is unsurpassed as a guide to structured, professional evaluation methodologies. Wagonfoot noted in his book, “Mental Models” that “Essentially, all models are wrong, but some are useful.” Mental models, like formed categories, provide a necessary scaffolding upon which to build knowledge, and identify knowledge gaps between the Bible’s texts and the fallible features of all known “mental models” of men. The key feature within the building blocks of “mental models,” consequently, is that which Hollins referenced; specifically, “Not every word is created equal. There are plenty of small, obscure little words that don’t help you, and trying to force yourself to read them can only hurt. These words certainly have their place, of course, and we need them to construct sentences and ideas! But when we’re trying to read quickly, we can often skip these words with no ‘if,’ ‘is,’ ‘to,’ ‘the,’ ‘and,’ ’was’” (Kindle Edition). Helpful, is the willingness to do as Hollins “Seek dissenting opinions. Hopefully by now you’ve formed a working thesis; now you put it to the test by finding well-reasoned opposing viewpoints. Ideally, some of your filtered reading material contains at least one counterargument that has rationally constructed viewpoints” In the work of developing systematic, apologetical reasons for the certainty of enduring truths, the practitioner need to recall that those who went before them faced opposition throughout history.Emotionally charged, language, along with its cognitive and emotive dissonance catalyzes quite a dynamic arena into which the systemic and reasonable process of apologetics occurs. Perhaps no topic has generated more energy, and vitriol than that of the oft bantered expression called, Free Will.

444 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 29, 2020

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