BTheol Christian Apologetics 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which Greek word is the origin of the term 'apologetics'?
- apologia (Correct answer)
- agathos
- apokalypsis
- apostasia
Correct answer: apologia
Apologetics derives from the Greek 'apologia,' meaning a defense or reasoned argument, as used in 1 Peter 3:15.
Question 2: Which approach to apologetics argues that Christian theism must be presupposed as the precondition for all knowledge?
- Evidential apologetics
- Classical apologetics
- Presuppositional apologetics (Correct answer)
- Cumulative case apologetics
Correct answer: Presuppositional apologetics
Presuppositional apologetics, associated with Cornelius Van Til, holds that the Christian worldview is the necessary foundation for rational thought.
Question 3: The Cosmological Argument for the existence of God primarily reasons from:
- The complexity of living organisms
- The existence of the universe to a First Cause (Correct answer)
- The universal sense of morality
- The reliability of Scripture
Correct answer: The existence of the universe to a First Cause
The Cosmological Argument infers a First Cause (God) from the fact that the universe exists and could not have caused itself.
Question 4: Which apologist is most closely associated with the Moral Argument for God's existence, arguing that objective moral values require a divine lawgiver?
- Blaise Pascal
- Anselm of Canterbury
- C.S. Lewis (Correct answer)
- Justin Martyr
Correct answer: C.S. Lewis
C.S. Lewis famously articulated the Moral Argument in 'Mere Christianity,' contending that universal moral law points to a Moral Lawgiver.
Question 5: The Ontological Argument for God's existence was first formulated by:
- Thomas Aquinas
- Anselm of Canterbury (Correct answer)
- William Paley
- Alvin Plantinga
Correct answer: Anselm of Canterbury
Anselm of Canterbury formulated the Ontological Argument in his 'Proslogion,' defining God as 'that than which nothing greater can be conceived.'
Question 6: The Teleological Argument (Design Argument) was famously illustrated by William Paley using the analogy of:
- A burning bush
- A watchmaker (Correct answer)
- A potter and clay
- A father and son
Correct answer: A watchmaker
Paley argued that just as a watch implies a watchmaker, the complexity of nature implies an intelligent Designer.
Question 7: In classical apologetics, the 'two-step' method involves first establishing:
- The authority of the Pope, then the Bible
- Theism through reason, then Christianity through evidence (Correct answer)
- The resurrection, then the Trinity
- Prophecy fulfillment, then miracles
Correct answer: Theism through reason, then Christianity through evidence
Classical apologists first use natural theology to establish that God exists, then use historical evidence to defend specifically Christian claims.
BTheol Christian Apologetics 1
Which Greek word is the origin of the term 'apologetics'?