Apologetics is the discipline of defending a position (often religious) through the systematic use of information. I had always been interested in apologetics and my training as a lawyer and my being a pastor has greatly spurred my interest in the subject.
It easy to loose one’s one faith especially now that information on almost anything is widely available in the Internet. Attacks on the supremacy of Scripture and on Christianity in general are prevalent and frankly speaking churches seems to be loosing the battle.
According to the site gotquestions.org, in a survey conducted by the Barna Group it was found out that less than 1 percent of the young adult population in the United States has a biblical worldview. Even more startling, the data shows that less than one half of one percent of Christians between the ages of 18 and 23 has a biblical worldview.
Additionally, two studies conducted by both the Barna Group and USA Today, found that nearly 75 percent of Christian young people leave the church after high school. One of the key reasons they do so is intellectual skepticism.
The statistics speak for themselves. Churches are loosing the battle because we are not addressing the issue. We have not prepared ourselves and our people to give an answer to everyone who ask for the hope that we have as admonished in 1 Peter 1:15. Mainstream evangelical churches has failed in its task to demolish arguments and every pretension that set itself up against the knowledge of God and to take captive every thought and make it obedient to Christ as emphasized by the Apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 10:5.
My ongoing studies in Anthropology and Cognitive Archeology puts me in a unique position unique as I have to take time to study in depth the various theories on the origins of humanity the development of culture, language and systems of religions among others. I wish to take whatever I have learned in these fields and examine it under the lens of Scriptures and or develop a Christian worldview that is more simplified and more integrated to daily life and ordinary learning.
To do this I have to balance my readings in Anthropology and Cognitive Archeology with Scripture itself and the works of Christian philosophers, scientists, theologians and above all apologists. The online class I have been attending on Medieval Manuscripts through Stanford online will be finishing next week and I was trying to find something to learn online for a month or two that is related to my fields of interest before my online computer science classes at the University of the People starts in June. To “balance” my readings, I decided to find an online Apologetics class.
I came across Dr. Greslier’s diploma in Christian apologetics (from the Veritas International Institute of Christian Apologetics) The cost is $400+ (U.S) and they did not offer any discounts. What’s great about this class though is that credits can be transferred to Veritas Evangelical Seminary and there is no timetable, you study at your own pace. (There are no online classes for Veritas Evangelical Seminary though)
Dr. Greslier’s class looks great, but I decided to search for an alternative to compare programs. Ravi Zacharias has always been my favorite apologist. I first listened to him live in Manila when he preached at the Christ Commission Fellowship in St. Francis square. From that time on, I had been listening to his program “Just thinking” an half an hour program that seek to explore issues such as life’s meaning, the credibility of the Christian message and the Bible, the weakness of modern intellectual movements, and the uniqueness of Jesus Christ. So I searched if he has an online apologetics class.
I came across Ravi Zacharias International Ministries (RZIM) Academy. Dr. Greisler’s course titles were great but I like RZIM’s core module’s better. Aside from that they have various speakers for each subject from RZIM Academy team of Apologists. Lecturers from RZIM’s Oxford Centre for Christian Apologetics will also be teaching. I’ll probably do Dr. Greisler’s class sometime in the future to compare both. RZIM’s cost is even much better at only $199.00 (U.S) for the core modules. What is so much better is that they offer a scholarship up to 80 % off the cost! There are no credit transfer to a seminary though, not at this time according to their website. Advance topics like “Islam,” “Religion and science” among others is offered as well.
RZIM Academy’s Core module is entirely online and comprises 26 lectures and runs for 12 weeks. The program is said to offer practical application and highly interactive environment between peers and moderators. Discussion forums and student blog pages for posting assignments are utilized in the program to facilitate learning. The pace is set from week to week but there are no synchronous elements so each student can accommodate any schedule within each week.
I applied for scholarship and was approved. The total cost for me is only $39.00 (U.S) Classes begin on March 2, 2015. I’ll be doing an online review of RZIM’s Academy program as soon as I finish.
Want to be my online classmate? Head on to RZIM Academy for more information and apply now!
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Good haggling @$39 tuition!
How was your learning from Ravi Z apologetics lessons (on line or live or from his books) affected by the controversy after his death?
I also followed (stalked) him up until his recent death. I even have in my Audible title collection his book, The Logic of God. Learned a lot from him.
So what do you “just” think ?
I would mark it as excellent, two thumbs up, 5 star review ! Learning mode was asynchronous. Tuition was discounted through their scholarship program. The program featured a lineup of knowledgeable speakers who were well-versed in their subjects. Videos, reading materials and discussion groups (text based) were effectively utilized for learning. Unfortunately, Ravi’s legacy was somewhat tarnished prior to his departure from this world which is quite sad.