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• The Good Book Blog

  Blind Faith

  William Lane Craig — August 07, 2015

  Dr. WIlliam Lane Craig, On October 21, 2013, you responded to a question by a lifelong Christian who said they were having trouble believing because of reading material from people like Richard Dawkins, and from discussions they had with their atheist friends (http://www.reasonablefaith.org/garbage-in-garbage-out). You chided this person (and other Christians like them) very strongly for the "cavalier way" that they "expose themselves to material which is potentially destructive to them." ... ... Personally, I don't understand what the value is of asking questions is, if you consider anyone who doesn't agree with the answers you already have to be "the wrong people." But that's not my main point. I'm more concerned about that first sentence, which sounds more like something you might hear from an imam of ISIS than a prominent Christian philosopher, who believes so strongly that Christianity is a reasonable faith. If Christianity truly is consistent with reality itself, then shouldn't it hold up to scrutiny? ...

• The Good Book Blog

  Is There Such a Thing as Balance? Questions Over Breakfast #5

  Kenneth Berding — August 06, 2015

  The dialogue between Michael and Jim continues: Michael: You said that the issue is whether the world determines the look of our lives, or whether the Bible determines it. Jim: Sometimes, biblical truths look extreme to us because we’re using the values of the world as our yardstick. Michael: So you think we should all be fools for Jesus. You think that we all need to make a decision to live radical, cut-loose lives for Jesus. Right? Jim: Right. Michael: I thought you said that the Lord has been teaching you about balance recently ...

• The Good Book Blog

  Remembering Edward John Carnell—Some Reflections of a Great Apologist

  Doug Geivett — August 05, 2015

  On April 25, 1967, the church lost a great Christian philosopher and apologist named Edward John Carnell. He was almost 48 years old. Today marks the 48th anniversary of his death. He was a graduate of Wheaton College and of Westminster Theological Seminary. He later earned doctoral degrees in theology and philosophy, at Harvard Divinity School and Boston University, respectively ...

• Biola News

  Biola Welcomes Athletes for Special Olympics World Games Los Angeles 2015

  Hundreds of athletes enjoy an afternoon of food and festivities on Biola's campus

  Staff — August 05, 2015

  On July 22, nearly 400 special olympics athletes were welcomed to the United States at a special event hosted by 51�ԹϺ���. The Biola...

• The Good Book Blog

  Do You Ever Reach What You’re Aiming For? Questions Over Breakfast #4

  Kenneth Berding — August 04, 2015

  The dialogue between Michael and Jim continues: Michael: Do you remember last week—one of the final things you said to me was, “I hope that you’re able to take hold of the life that the Lord has planned for you”? I think I responded with an “I hope so, too.” I’ve been thinking about this all week and I have another question I want to talk about. This one’s really nagging me. Jim: Shoot. Michael: Don’t start that again! Jim: OK. Michael: Do we ever actually get what we’re seeking? We’re told many times in the Bible that we’re supposed to seek the Lord. Is the Christian life all seeking, or is there any finding involved? ...

• The Good Book Blog

  Lessons from Time and Creation

  William Lane Craig — July 31, 2015

  Dear Dr. Craig I am Samuel, I am 20 years old, and I am currently studying for a science degree in Biology and Chemistry at the university of Malta. An argument which was brought up by my Atheist friend, which is currently studying physics and Chemistry, regarding the origins of the universe. My friend argued that because there was no time prior to the big bang, therefore there was no causal relation involved, because causes require time in order to occur. My response was that this thus implies a cause which transcends time, and I brought up an analogy to help explain it. I said that when a writer writes a story, the cause of the story goes beyond the reality of story timeline. But that does not mean that the story timeline lacks a cause because the cause didn't happen within the parameters of the story's reality. Anyway, my friend was not convinced, so I wanted to see how you would respond to such an argument. Does the universe have a cause, even when time didn't even exist prior the big bang? ...

• The Good Book Blog

  Let Go and Let God? Or Trust God and Try Hard? Questions Over Breakfast #3

  Kenneth Berding — July 30, 2015

  The dialogue between Michael and Jim continues: Jim: Haven’t you noticed that some preachers concentrate on themes of forsaking all to follow Christ, personal discipline, faithfulness in prayer, radical discipleship, the lordship of Christ, and the like, while others exhort us to let go of our self-reliance and learn about the inner joys of the life that God offers? Michael: I’ve never really though of it that way, but you’re right. Jim: Which should they be preaching? Michael: I’m not sure. Jim: I’ve got a theory ...

• The Good Book Blog

  Arnold Lunn (1888-1974) – Skiing Expert, Agnostic, and Christian Apologist

  Doug Geivett — July 29, 2015

  Arnold Lunn was born to a Methodist minister, but he was himself agnostic and a critic of Christianity—until he was 45 years old, when he converted to the faith. Lunn died on June 2, 1974. Lunn was a professional skier and full-time enthusiast. He founded the Alpine Ski Club and the Kandahar Ski Club. He brought slalom skiing to the racing world, and he’s the namesake for a double black diamond ski trail at Taos Ski Valley. Lunn credited his agnosticism to the wholly unconvincing cause of Anglicanism. He looked in vain for persuasive arguments for the existence of God and the truth of Christianity. Later he would say that “an odd hour or two at the end of a boy’s school life might not be unprofitably spend in armouring him against the half-baked dupes of ill informed secularists” (The Third Day, xvii). He wrote in criticism of the faith and debated Christianity’s prominent defenders ...

• The Good Book Blog

  Is the Christian Life Easy or Hard? Questions Over Breakfast #2

  Kenneth Berding — July 28, 2015

  The dialogue between Michael and Jim continues: Michael: But isn’t there any way that I can have the joy and peace of the Christian life without the necessity of suffering, pain and personal discipline? Jim: You want to have your cake and eat it too? Michael: That’s not what I mean. Jim: What do you mean? Michael: What about all those people who talk about the peace and joy they experience as Christians? Their lives don’t seem to be all that difficult. Perhaps I should aim at that type of life ...

• The Good Book Blog

  “Teaching Naked” in the Church, Idea #2

  Kevin Lawson — July 27, 2015

  This is the third in a series of four blogs on José Bowen’s book, Teaching Naked: How Moving Technology Out of Your College Classroom Will Improve Student Learning (Jossey-Bass, 2012). I shared in my first blog that his main thrust was for teachers to use technology to deliver content outside of class sessions and shift the use of class time to processing that information, promoting critical thinking and the application of knowledge to real life situations. There are three ideas from Bowen’s work that I think have the potential of deepening the impact of our teaching in the church. In my second blog, I put the focus on his first idea, finding ways to use technology to provide content to group members, preparing them for active learning in your Bible study group. In this blog, I want to focus on how to use your class time to help students in processing and applying the content of the Scripture you are studying together.

• The Good Book Blog

  Supreme Court’s Re-definition of Marriage

  William Lane Craig — July 24, 2015

  Hello Dr. Craig, With the recent Supreme court decision regarding same sex marriage I reread some of your Q/A response regarding homosexuality. In a question regarding the connection between interracial marriage and same sex marriage you said "Once we start down that route, anything goes: a man and two women, a man and a child, two men and a goat, etc. I see no reason at all to start down that road." with regards to same sex marriage. My question is does this statement constitute a slippery slope fallacy? My concern is that non believers would easily dismiss it ...

• The Good Book Blog

  Is a Relationship with God Really Like my Relationship with You? Questions Over Breakfast #1

  Kenneth Berding — July 23, 2015

  Two men in their in their late 20’s walk into a coffee shop around 7:00 a.m. In college they had been good friends, but over the past few years had gotten out of touch. Having lived in the same dormitory for three of their four years at City Christian College, they still had many fond—and a few not-so-fond memories—of their time together in college. Just by accident (or so Michael thought) they had run into each other in a hardware store about three weeks before, and had set up a time to talk over breakfast. Jim thought of their accidental meeting as a divine appointment. He considered any accidental meeting to be a divine appointment ...

• The Good Book Blog

  W. H. Griffith Thomas (1861-1924) – How We Got Our Bible

  Doug Geivett — July 22, 2015

  Born in 1861, W. H. Griffith Thomas died on June 2, 1924. His greatest and most sophisticated work is his book The Principles of Theology, a commentary on the Thirty-Nine Articles of the Anglican Church. But one short and reader-friendly book that should interest students of Christian apologetics is How We Got Our Bible ...

• Biola News

  Natasha Jackson Back At Her Best

  Despite an injury that occurred less than a year ago, Jackson is back to medaling.

  Neil Morgan — July 20, 2015

  CALGARY, Alberta --- It's been a trying year for Biola Hall of Famer Natasha Jackson. It was one that pushed her to the edge of what she can...

• Biola News

  51�ԹϺ��� named a “2015 Great College to Work For”

  University makes Honor Roll of Chronicle of Higher Education list

  Jenna Loumagne — July 20, 2015

  51�ԹϺ��� is one of the nation’s 86 best colleges to work for, according to a newly released survey by The Chronicle of Higher Education....

• The Good Book Blog

  Questions on Time and the Origin of the Universe

  William Lane Craig — July 17, 2015

  Dr. Craig, My name is Tejas and I'm 13 years old. I admire you and have watched many of your debates. I sincerely request you to answer this question, and thank you for taking your time to read this. My question regards the Kalam Cosmological Argument, that I have seen you present in some debates. The first part is, is the initial premise on causation refuted if the zero-energy universe hypothesis is true, and what would be the flaws if the universe were a vacuum fluctuation? And regarding the second premise, could you please tell me why you think the presentism ontology of time is true? ...

• Biola News

  Biola Leads NAIA In Scholar Teams

  For the second year in a row Biola has most teams with academic honors.

  Neil Morgan — July 15, 2015

  For the fourth time in six years 51�ԹϺ��� leads the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) in Scholar Teams. The Eagles...

• The Good Book Blog

  The Great Dane—Remembering Kierkegaard

  Doug Geivett — July 15, 2015

  Søren Kierkegaard was born May 5, 1813, in Copenhagen, Denmark. He’s been called a Christian existentialist, a fideist, a satirist, and “the melancholy Dane.” He was concerned about the disconnect between Christian profession and the lived reality of true Christianity. He called his contemporaries to a deeper personal encounter with God. And he wrote with penetrating insight about the failure of the purely aesthetic life—what we today might call secularism—which seeks pleasure without discerning its natural and ultimate end, namely, despair. Kierkegaard’s contribution is considerable, even for the evidentialist. In fact, his sermonic style may be of value to the apologist who insists on the value of evidence. E. J. Carnell, mid-twentieth century, did the most to bring Kierkegaard’s insight into an overall “combinationalist” approach to apologetics. Carnell wrote: “There can be no question that Søren Kierkegaard gave a profoundly convincing defense of the third locus of truth.

• The Good Book Blog

  Why Translators Shouldn’t Translate “Walk” as “Live” in Ephesians 4-5

  Kenneth Berding — July 14, 2015

  Recent English Bible translators have increasingly opted to translate the Greek word peripateo, whenever it is used metaphorically to describe one’s way of life, with the English word “live.” The other option at translators’ disposal is to retain the metaphor and translate it into English as “walk.” The motivation for the decision to translate with the word “live” instead of “walk,” apparently, is the fear that readers might not grasp the metaphor, and thus might either interpret verses that employ the metaphor literalistically (describing the manner in which you put one foot in front of the other), or, more likely, that readers might simply find themselves confused by the metaphor. Let me show you some verses from Ephesians 4-5 where this matters, comparing the English Standard Version and the New American Standard Bible, both of which tend to use “walk” in such contexts with the New International Version and New Living Translation, both of which tend to use “live” (or something similar). Then let me offer a critique.

• The Good Book Blog

  An Interview with Adam Johnson: Atonement; A Guide for the Perplexed

  The Good Book Blog — July 13, 2015

  Adam Johnson (assistant professor at 51�ԹϺ���’s Torrey Honors Institute (’01, M.A. ’07)) recently released Atonement: A Guide for the Perplexed. To learn more about this book, we asked Adam a few questions ...

• The Good Book Blog

  Questions about Body-Soul Interaction

  William Lane Craig — July 10, 2015

  Hello Dr. Craig! First of all, I would like to thank you for your work in the Kingdom of God. It has literally changed my life. I recently rededicated my life to Jesus Christ because of the ministry and power that He has bestowed upon you. I was watching your debate with Paul Draper yesterday and have had nagging questions about consciousness since then. I believe myself to be a dualistic interactionist, and I believe the brain is an instrument with which the soul interacts with physical reality. However, I am struggling with a few things: Does someone afflicted with Alzheimer's disease in anyway disprove the existence of a soul? There personality can change as their brain begins to deteriorate. I had surgery as a teenager and when I was anesthetized all I remember was waking up. Did my soul linger around my body while I was knocked out? Why can't I remember anything during the time of being unconscious? Are we the only creatures on planet Earth with a soul? I have heard Hank Hanegraff mention that he believes in different types of souls that God may have imbued animals with ...

• Biola News

  51�ԹϺ��� to Host Special Olympics Athletes

  Nearly 400 athletes for the 2015 Special Olympics World Games will stay at Biola

  Staff — July 08, 2015

  51�ԹϺ��� will host hundreds of Special Olympics delegates from Russia and Macau for the 2015 Special Olympics World Games coming to Los...

• Biola News

  Biola's Six-Member Pole Vault Team Leaps to Greatness

  Teams place in first, second and third at April Golden State Athletic Conference

  Mystiana Victorino — July 08, 2015

  51�ԹϺ���’s six-member pole vault team took first and second place in the women’s vault and second and third place in the men’s vault at...

• The Good Book Blog

  Melanchthon’s Message: Understanding Christian Fellowship

  Freddy Cardoza — July 06, 2015

  ... Because of the importance of Christian fellowship, it is important to distinguish biblical guidelines to guide and govern our interactions with other professing believers. This is especially true in a world such as ours, where there exists tremendous diversity in the beliefs and behaviors among those who call themselves Christians ...

• Biola News

  Alan Nakamura Named Women's Basketball Coach

  Long-time Point Loma assistant coach named new WBB head coach.

  Neil Morgan — July 06, 2015

  Alan Nakamura has been named the newest Biola Women's Basketball head coach, taking over for Dr. Bethany Miller as she transitions into the new...