LIBERTY BAPTIST THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY LIBERTY UNIVERSITY

EXPERIENCIAL APOLOGETICS A SUMMARY, CRITQUE, AND SUPPORTERS

SUBMITTED TO DR. GERARDO A. ALFARO IN PARTIAL COMPLETION OF COURSE REQUIREMENTS FOR INTRODUCTION TO APOLOGETICS (APOL 500-C09)

JASON DION (Student ID 23494458) JACKSONVILLE, FL MARCH 4, 2012

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................... 1 SUPPORTERS OF EXPERIENTIAL APOLOGETICS ................................................................ 2 BLAISE PASCAL ..................................................................................................................... 2 SREN KIERKEGAARD ......................................................................................................... 3 PAUL TILLICH.......................................................................................................................... 3 CRITIQUE OF EXPERIENTIAL APOLOGETICS ...................................................................... 4 CONCLUSION ............................................................................................................................... 4

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INTRODUCTION According to Beilby, Apologetics is, in its simplest possible terms, the attempt to defend a particular belief or system of beliefs against objections.1 Caner considers experiential apologetics one of the five traditional forms of apologetics, alongside classical, evidential, historical, and presuppositional apologetics.2 Experiential apologetics are based on personal testimony of a transformed believer, generally considered one of the most personal and intimate approaches to apologetics.3 Utilizing this approach, a person usually provides an account of their life prior to becoming saved by Jesus Christ, and the resulting change that occurs after their conversion. Additionally, this approach encompasses the use of dialogue concerned with the relationship between God and man, vice that of logic, facts, and reason. This method is quite popular in modern churches as it contains an inherent widespread ability to be performed by most Christians, all of whom have a testimony to share. Conversely, though, other religions have members with a testimony to share, therefore a testimony alone may be inadequate proof when conversing with a skeptic since a persons testimony is not able to be proved to another person and is completely subjective.4 Others claim this approach is superior to other more academic apologetics, such as evidential apologetics. Kierkegaard contends that providing evidential proof for Christianity is like a lover who must present three reasons in

1. James Bielby, Thinking about Christian Apologetics: What It Is and Why We Do It (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2011), 11. 2. Ergun Caner, Apologetics, Types Of, In The Popular Encyclopedia of Apologetics, ed. Ed Hindson and Ergun Caner (Eugene, OR: Harvest House Publishers, 2008), 64-66. 3. Ergun Caner, Apologetics, Types Of, In The Popular Encyclopedia of Apologetics, ed. Ed Hindson and Ergun Caner (Eugene, OR: Harvest House Publishers, 2008), 66. 4 Norman L. Geisler, Baker Encyclopedia of Christian Apologetics (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 1999), 43.

order to prove why they love their beloved, whereas it reduces their love to a lower status, since it required proof and reason in the first place.5 All forms of apologetics have the same end state in mind, though, winning souls for the Kingdom of Christ. The Apostle Peter wrote in 1 Peter 3:15 of the heart of apologetics, Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.6 The heart of experiential apologetics is that transformed life of the one providing the testimony, providing the emphasis on Gods transcendence and intimacy, with no further evidence presented, according to Geisler.7 A biblical example of this type of testimony comes from Acts 9 with the conversion of Saul of Tarsus, providing a poignant example of a truly transformed live from pre-Christ to post-Christ involvement.8 SUPPORTERS OF EXPERIENTIAL APOLOGETICS BLAISE PASCAL A well-respected physicist and scientist, Blaise Pascal was also a firm believer in Jesus Christ who was frustrated by the deist and humanist movements of his time.9 Although a man of reason in his occupation, he felt that reason alone could not uphold faith in Jesus Christ. In Penses he wrote, If we submit everything to reason, our religion will have no mysterious and supernatural element. If we offend the principles of reason, our religion will be absurd and ridiculous.10 A balance of both faith and reason must be held, otherwise one may falter in their
5 Sren Kierkegaard, Sickness Unto Death (Radford, VA: Wilder Publications, 2008), 85. 6 The Holy Bible: New International Version, (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1996), 1 Pe 3:15. 7 Norman L. Geisler, Baker Encyclopedia of Christian Apologetics (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 1999), 43.
8

The Holy Bible: New International Version, (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1996),

Acts 9. Ergun Caner, Pascal, Blaise, In The Popular Encyclopedia of Apologetics, ed. Ed Hindson and Ergun Caner (Eugene, OR: Harvest House Publishers, 2008), 389-391.
10 9

Blaise Pascal, Penses, (New York: E.P. Dutton & Company, 1958), 78.

faith easily. Due to this, Pascal wrote Penses in an attempt to provide rational arguments in which to persuade skeptics as to the validity of the Christian faith. In contrast to Penses, Pascal also wrote The Memorial, in which he wrote his testimony of his conversion and even had a copy sewn into his clothing to keep with him at all times.11 Pascal openly shared his faith and his personal testimony even led to the conversion of the Duke of Roannez.12

SREN KIERKEGAARD Kierkegaard was an experiential apologist like Pascal, believing that man cannot approach faith solely from a reason-based viewpoint. In Concluding Unscientific Postscripts, he claims that objective reason cannot find objective truth and logical proof either for or against Christianity cannot be determined.13 According to Kierkegaard, a faith in religious facts, such as the authority of Scripture, the incarnation, or the infallibility of God is not faith at all, but instead simply provides a point of reference for the believer. The most important thing is Gods relationship with humanity and his pure existence that is of true religious importance, according to his writings in Works of Love.14 PAUL TILLICH Tillich most prominent works were released during the mid-twentieth century. In his work entitled Dynamics of Faith, Tillich claimed that Faith as ultimate concern is an act of the

Ergun Caner, Pascal, Blaise, In The Popular Encyclopedia of Apologetics, ed. Ed Hindson and Ergun Caner (Eugene, OR: Harvest House Publishers, 2008), 389-390.
12 13

11

Ibid, 390.

Sren Kierkegaard, Concluding Unscientific Postscript To Philosophical Fragments, (Princton, NJ: Princeton University Press), 72-76.
14

Sren Kierkegaard, Works of Love, (New York: Harper & Row Publishers, 1962), 2,74.

total personalityit participates in the dynamics of personal life.15 Faith is not contrary to reason and emotion, according to Tillich, but instead faith transcends them both.16 CRITIQUE OF EXPERIENTIAL APOLOGETICS While it is clear that experiential apologetics has a very personal connection between the apologist and the unsaved person receiving the testimony, it is not always the most effective method. The strengths of the approach consisting of relational experience sharing with a nonbeliever, the ease of training believers to share their testimony, and the subjective experience it instills in non-believers can be very intriguing to those learning about the faith. Ideally, experiential apologetics tends to be most effective when combined with other apologetic methods , such as evidential apologetics.17 Conversely, though, we must consider the negative issues of subjectivism, nonprovability, and duplication by other religions. The entire concept of sharing ones testimony is subjective. A believer can tell someone about their horrible past, but if they did not know the believer before they were a believer, the testimony could fall flat. Additionally, it is an nonprovable method, since it is a personal feeling or experience the person is describing, not concrete proof. Finally, there is an issue with duplication by other religions, meaning that other religious believers have a testimony and experience to share, as well. Relying solely on the experiential apologetics leaves the apologist open to a myriad of problems with proof and deniability of their testimony.

15 16

Paul Tillich, Dynamics of Faith, (New York: Perennial, 2001), 5. Ibid, 51. Blaise Pascal, Penses, (New York: E.P. Dutton & Company, 1958), 78.

17 17

CONCLUSION Experiential apologetics proposes that knowledge of God and his grace has to come from a personal experience which then leads to acceptance of Gods truth expressed in the Scriptures. This personal experience may come from a testimony of a believer to an unbeliever, or through direct experience of a non-believer causing them to become a believer. While several proponents of this method have developed different interpretations of the form over time, the basic principle still remains valid that a shared experience can help to save a lost soul. Although experiential apologetics are considered one of the personal and intimate forms of apologetics, it is also considered one of the weakest forms due to its heavy reliance on personal testimony. Therefore, combining experiential apologetics with other apologetic methods may aid in the presentation of the Gospel, as it allows the apologist to provide the experiential perspective (emotions) with the logical proof (reason) that Pascal mentions in his work Penses. This combination

BIBLIOGRAPHY Beilby, James. Thinking about Christian Apologetics: What It Is and Why We Do It. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2011. Hindon, Ed and Caner, Ergun. The Popular Encyclopedia of Apologetics. Eugene, OR: Harvest House Publishers, 2008. Geisler, Norman L. Baker Encyclopedia of Christian Apologetics. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 1999. The Holy Bible. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1996. Kierkegaard, Sren. Concluding Unscientific Postscript To Philosophical Fragments. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1992. Kierkegaard, Sren. Sickness Unto Death. Radford, VA: Wilder Publications, 2008. Kierkegaard, Sren. Works of Love. New York: Harper & Row Publishers, 1962. Pascal, Blaise. Penses. New York: E.P. Dutton & Company, 1958. Tillich, Paul. Dynamics of Faith. New York: Perennial, 2001.