Y4: Apologetics: Defending the Faith by Caring for the Skeptic
Small group workshop presenter
Rev. Dr. Michael Berg
Christian apologetics can be described as “defending the faith using reason” or, from 1 Peter 3:15, “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason [apologia] for the hope that you have.” Yet there is more to the story. Apologetics is a ministry of caring. We care about the doubts of skeptics and believers alike. While Christians cannot produce faith in dead hearts, we can knock down faulty arguments against the Christian message and make a positive argument for the Christian faith. In this breakout group we will explore ways to think and speak clearly about our faith. From there the Holy Spirit does his work.
Rev. Dr. Michael Berg is an associate professor of theology at Wisconsin Lutheran College, where he teaches courses on worship, apologetics, Martin Luther, Christ in the Old Testament, and Christ and Culture. He is the author of Vocation: The Setting for Human Flourishing (1517), The Baptismal Life (Northwestern Publishing House), On Any Given Sunday: The Story of Christ in the Divine Service (1517), and an upcoming book from Northwestern Publishing House called Peter: Theologian of the Cross.
