Bill is back! After a one-show hiatus, Worldview Academy’s Bill Jack returns with a vengeance, taking time immediately to chip in his two cents about the last podcast — including an odd rant about Thomas the Train. Although co-host Jeff Baldwin does not want to rehash the discussion of “selling out” from the previous show, Bill won’t let it go. Eventually, they move on to listener mail and a discussion of the role of question-asking in apologetics.
Posts in category Apologetics
Casting Pearls Before Massachusetts
There were so many fun title options for this episode, including “How Long Should We Tolerate Intolerance?” and “Letting France and Massachusetts Sleep in the Beds They Made.” The problem, of course, is that this show deals with far more than a title can express. Should we be surprised to find the champions of tolerance being intolerant? Who are the swine Jesus refers to in Matthew 7:6? Should a Christian ministry choose its battles, or should it go looking for a fight? And is Jeff right to give up on France? Tune in and hear Bill poke Jeff with sharp sticks until he snaps.
The Pseudo-Science Fair
Ever heard of a “Pseudo-Science Fair”? Are you familiar with the “Amazing Randi”? There’s a growing atheistic movement on college campuses called The Secular Student Alliance that tries to discredit Christianity by hosting “Pseudo-Science Fairs” to call into question young earth creationism. Bill Jack attended one of these fairs hoping to video an interview with one of the organizers — or possibly featured guest Amazing Randi — but he was shut down. This podcast focuses on his firsthand account of the fair, as well as a brief discussion about burning rock and roll albums. What more could you want?
Tebowmania!
As long-time listeners know, co-hosts Bill Jack and Jeff Baldwin both live in Colorado, so they are naturally Broncos fans. They would always be thrilled to find a quarterback leading a mediocre team to a 7-2 record, but when that quarterback is an outspoken Christian who seems to understand his faith as a total worldview, they are ecstatic. But does God really care about who wins football games? The national media seems to think the answer is an obvious “no.” Jeff and Bill discuss this, and talk about living out your faith in the glare of the spotlight.
When the Killer Questions are Aimed at You
Nobody said using Bill’s Four Killer Questions would be easy. It’s one thing to ask others, “How do you know?” but quite another to have that question turned on you. In this show, Bill and Jeff respond to the question, “How do you know the Bible is the Word of God?” and remind listeners that many non-Christians are prepared to reject any evidence offered.
In Defense of the Faith
After hosts Bill Jack and Jeff Baldwin talk about where they ate for Jeff’s anniversary–you read that right–they discuss a letter from a thoughtful listener. This listener wants to apply his Christian faith to philosophy, but he has doubts that he can use philosophy to demonstrate the truth of the Christian worldview. Bill and Jeff take him back to general revelation and discuss the common ground that Christians share with non-Christians. Naturally, Bill also harps on the importance of asking questions.
Presuppositionalism vs. Evidentialism Part Two
If you haven’t yet listened to Part One, don’t start here! Hosts Jeff and Bill lay the foundation for this discussion in Part One, and then build on it in this show. Is evidentialism good philosophy? Is Worldview Academy fundamentally committed to just one approach to apologetics? And what about Cornelius Van Til? Jeff was less than impressed by his book The Defense of the Faith, and takes time to explain why.
Presuppositionalism vs. Evidentialism
It’s time for a weighty question about apologetics. What’s the best approach? Josh McDowell came to a saving knowledge of Christ by weighing all the evidence for the trustworthiness of scripture. Does this mean, then, that the best apologetic focuses on the evidence? Or is it better to focus on the faith assumptions undergirding a person’s worldview? Hosts Bill Jack and Jeff Baldwin take their time with this complicated topic.
Where Did God Come From?
Hosts Bill Jack and Jeff Baldwin are still plowing through the Mailbag, so after a brief discussion of upcoming speaking engagements (the section we like to call “Where’s Bill?”), they launch into a discussion about the problem of infinite regress and Aristotle’s idea of the First Cause. Where did God come from? As several thoughtful Christians have pointed out, the basis for any useful metaphysics is established in the first four words of the Bible: “In the beginning, God.” This discussion is followed by a letter asking about C.S. Lewis’s Space Trilogy, which Jeff is happy to critique interminably.
The Mailbag of Doom
Brace yourself: Radio Worldview has a FOURTH international listener! As hosts Jeff Baldwin and Bill Jack dive into a substantial mailbag, they begin with a question from a listener in Great Britain. The ensuing discussion focuses on ways in which to engage apathetic people in dialog about “spiritual” topics. Bill expounds on his four killer questions, and Jeff reminds Christians just how fruitful discussions about ethics can be.
Divine Command Theory
It’s an old question: is something good because God wills it, or does God will it because it is good? Some people think the Christian answer is untenable, while guests Brandon Booth and Mark Bertrand see the Christian answer as the only reasonable response. Nonetheless, it is a response steeped in paradox; don’t be surprised when the conversation strays toward Kierkegaard.
Are Christians Rebels?
Hosts Jeff Baldwin and Bill Jack read listener mail that includes some shocking revelations (Bill admits that there might actually be FIVE killer questions). Then they try to answer a listener’s question about obedience and true authority–which leads to some open bickering.
How Can You Know for Certain?
Was Rene Descartes right to conclude that he could know for certain, I think, therefore I am? Is it reasonable to assume that reason is trustworthy? Jeff Baldwin delves deep with Brandon Booth, a Worldview faculty member and philosophy major graduated from Hillsdale College. Brandon offers some helpful resources for understanding philosophy–especially epistemology.