Four steps of the Serious Apologist
Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2007 5:40 pm
Credible Apologists follow the same basic path:
1) Explain what they really believe, in a clear and concise fashion. (This gets REALLY difficult, if not impossible, if you have secret beliefs.)
2) Explain how you derived those beliefs from sacred texts. Explain why and how your sacred texts have led to your doctrines.
3) Defend the INTERNAL evidence; the consistency of the texts in terms of doctrine. Where are the apparent inconsistencies? How do you reconcile them? (No good apologist will wait for others to point out the problems; he will point them out and explain his position. If he does not, he is dodging rather than explaining.)
4) Defend the EXTERNAL evidence. What do the sacred texts say about history, people, places, things, etc. Do the statements in the text(s) line up with known fact? If not, what is your explanation?
Of course this external evidence thing can get into very esoteric issues, like the Spalding/Rigdon theories. (Perfectly valid discussion, but only applicable to a piece of the overall argument.) Another position is to say that all apparently historic material was intended to be symbolic or metaphorical. Ordained Buddhist priests acknowledge that the "Life of Siddhartha" is a myth.
I read once, several years ago, that a group of highly placed Mormon scholars attempted a serious book of apologetics and concluded that the Book of Mormon was stricly metaphorical... like the Life of Siddhartha. And that they were excommunicated for their efforts. Does anyone know the name of this book or if it is even available? I am NOT interested in book that debunks Mormonism; I am interested in a book that attempts to defend it, and that does not hide from the severe difficulties inherent in this position.
Scott
ECC, Boise
As an example I would point out books like "Mere Christianity" by CS Lewis, or "The Jesus I Never Knew" by Phillip Yancey, or "The Case for Christ" by Lee Strobel. Anybody know of anything comparable on Mormonism? Something readable preferred.
1) Explain what they really believe, in a clear and concise fashion. (This gets REALLY difficult, if not impossible, if you have secret beliefs.)
2) Explain how you derived those beliefs from sacred texts. Explain why and how your sacred texts have led to your doctrines.
3) Defend the INTERNAL evidence; the consistency of the texts in terms of doctrine. Where are the apparent inconsistencies? How do you reconcile them? (No good apologist will wait for others to point out the problems; he will point them out and explain his position. If he does not, he is dodging rather than explaining.)
4) Defend the EXTERNAL evidence. What do the sacred texts say about history, people, places, things, etc. Do the statements in the text(s) line up with known fact? If not, what is your explanation?
Of course this external evidence thing can get into very esoteric issues, like the Spalding/Rigdon theories. (Perfectly valid discussion, but only applicable to a piece of the overall argument.) Another position is to say that all apparently historic material was intended to be symbolic or metaphorical. Ordained Buddhist priests acknowledge that the "Life of Siddhartha" is a myth.
I read once, several years ago, that a group of highly placed Mormon scholars attempted a serious book of apologetics and concluded that the Book of Mormon was stricly metaphorical... like the Life of Siddhartha. And that they were excommunicated for their efforts. Does anyone know the name of this book or if it is even available? I am NOT interested in book that debunks Mormonism; I am interested in a book that attempts to defend it, and that does not hide from the severe difficulties inherent in this position.
Scott
ECC, Boise
As an example I would point out books like "Mere Christianity" by CS Lewis, or "The Jesus I Never Knew" by Phillip Yancey, or "The Case for Christ" by Lee Strobel. Anybody know of anything comparable on Mormonism? Something readable preferred.