Details

What is Apologetics? 

Friday: 7:00 PM – 7:45 PM

The term “apologetics” comes from the Greek word apologia, which means “to give a defense.” In 1 Peter 3:15, Christians are urged to engage in this task: “but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense (apologia) to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect.”  People often have challenging questions about Christianity that deserve a thoughtful, respectful and gentle response, including

    • How can an all-loving, all-powerful God allow so much suffering?
    • What about all of the contradictions in the Bible?
    • Does science disprove Christianity?
    • Why did Jesus have to die on a cross?
    • Did Jesus really rise from the dead?
    • Is Jesus the only way to God?

This introductory session on the important role of apologetics will be presented by one of the world’s leading philosophers of religion and arguably the foremost Christian apologist in the world today, Dr. William Lane Craig.

Evidence of God Workshops (Held Concurrently)

Friday: 8:00 PM – 9:30 PM
Saturday: 9:00 AM – 10:30 AM

Workshop 1: The Beginning of the Universe – Evidence of God from Cosmology

  • Speaker: Dr. Doug Geivett
  • Workshop Title: Why Did the Universe Begin to Exist?
  • Addresses questions like:
          • Has science disproved God?
          • Is there good evidence that God exists?
          • What about the Big Bang and other theories?
          • Has the universe always existed?
          • Could the universe have come from nothing?
          • Does science point to a creator?
          • If God created the universe, then who made God?

Workshop 2: A Universe Fine-Tuned for Life – Evidence of God from Physics & Astronomy

  • Speaker: Dr. Guillermo Gonzalez
  • Workshop Title: Why Is the Universe Fine-Tuned for Life?
  • Addresses questions like:
          • Is there evidence that God exists?
          • What about science and religion?
          • What evidence is there of design in the universe?
          • What about other explanations that account for the appearance of design in the universe?
          • If a Designer designed the universe, then who designed the Designer?

Workshop 3: Morality Without a God? – Why & How Morality Argues for God’s Existence

  • Speaker: Dr. Paul Copan
  • Workshop Title: Can We Be Good Without God?
  • Addresses questions like:
          • Are there logical reasons to believe that God exists?
          • Can the world have morals without a God?
          • Who is to say what is right and what is wrong?
          • Is there such a thing as “good” or “evil” if God does not exist?
          • Are right and wrong best explained by God or evolution?
          • How can God be the foundation of morality?
          • What about some of the controversial commands God gave in the Old Testament?

What about Suffering? (Joint Session)

Saturday: 10:45 AM – 12:15 PM

  • Speaker: Dr. William Lane Craig
  • Address questions like:
          • Is there evidence that God does not exist?
          • If God is all-loving, wouldn’t he prefer a world without suffering?
          • If an all-loving and all-powerful God exists, then why is there so much pain and suffering?
          • Is pain and suffering in the world evidence of God’s absence?
          • What about suffering that comes from natural disasters and diseases like cancer?
  • Description:

One of the most challenging questions to answer concerns why there is so much suffering in the world if an all-loving, all-powerful God really exists. On the surface, this question seems to bring up a serious challenge to the existence of God.  To the contrary, however, Christianity uniquely addresses this problem in ways that neither atheism nor any other religion can. In this session, Dr. William Lane Craig will address the difficulties posed by the problem of evil & suffering and show several solutions to the problem that Christianity alone provides.

Who Was Jesus? (Joint Session)
Saturday: 1:30 – 3:00 PM

  • Speaker: Dr. Mike Licona
  • Addresses questions like:
          • Is the New Testament reliable?
          • What do we know about Jesus from sources outside of the New Testament?
          • What about the contradictions in the Bible?
          • Are the Gospels Biased?
          • Did Jesus really claim to be God?
          • How does Jesus compare to other religious leaders of the world?
          • What can we actually know about Jesus?
          • Who was Jesus really?
  • Description:

Jesus is the central figure of Christianity.  The truth of Christianity entirely depends on who Jesus actually was and what Jesus actually did. Dr. Mike Licona, one of the world’s premier NT scholars and expert on the life of Jesus, will present a compelling case for the reliability of the NT documents and the divinity of Jesus based on recent historical scholarship.

Did Jesus Rise from the Dead? (Joint Session)
Saturday: 3:30 – 5:00 PM

  • Speaker: Dr. Gary Habermas
  • Title: The Historical Evidence for the Resurrection of Jesus
  • Address questions like:
          • Are the New Testament writings about Jesus reliable?
          • Do we know what happened before & after Jesus’ crucifixion?
          • What do scholars believe about the resurrection of Jesus?
          • Does anyone really know where Jesus was buried?
          • Why think that Jesus’ tomb was actually empty?
          • Weren’t the stories about Jesus’ resurrection probably just made up?
          • What about other explanations besides Jesus’ resurrection?
          • Is there enough evidence to think the resurrection of Jesus actually happened?
  • Description:

Dr. Gary Habermas is  widely regarded as a leading expert on the historical Jesus and the evidence for the resurrection. In the final presentation of the conference, Dr. Habermas will present a fascinating and powerful case for the resurrection of Jesus.  This provocative presentation will address the central issue upon which Christianity stands or falls – did Jesus really rise from the dead?