Course Syllabus Course title: ST 501 Apologetics

Course description: An introduction to the task and method of defending the Christian faith. Includes a historical survey of the history of apologetics and a critique of the evidentialist approach to apologetics.

Course instructor: Robert R. Gonzales Jr. is the dean and a professor of Reformed Baptist Seminary. He holds a Master of Arts degree (M.A.) in Theology and a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Old Testament Interpretation from Bob Jones University. He is the author of Where Sin Abounds: the Spread of Sin and the Curse in Genesis with a Special Focus on the Patriarchal Narratives (Wipf & Stock, 2010) and a contributor to the Reformed Baptist Theological Review and The Founders Journal.

Course instructor: Jeffrey Johnson is the teaching pastor of Grace Bible Church in Conway, Arkansas. He has a Master of Religion (M.Rel.) and a Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.) from Veritas Theological Seminary. He is also the author of The Fatal Flaw of the Theology Behind Infant Baptism, Behind the Bible: A Primer in Textual Criticism, The Church: Why Bother?, The Kingdom of God: A Baptist Expression of Covenant & Biblical Theology, and The Absurdity of Unbelief. Jeff resides with his wife, Letha, and their three sons, Martyn, Christian, and Britain.

Course lecturer: Sam Waldron began serving as a pastor in 1977. He is a graduate and former professor of Trinity Ministerial Academy. Sam holds a Master of Theology degree (Th.M.) from Grand Rapids Baptist Seminary and a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Systematic Theology at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He has authored such books as A Modern Exposition of the 1689 Confession of Faith (Evangelical Press), Baptist Roots in America (Simpson Publishing), The End Times Made Simple (Calvary Press), and A Reformed Baptist Manifesto (Reformed Baptist Academic Press). He is currently a professor at Midwest Center for Theological Studies and an Associate Editor of the Reformed Baptist Theological Review. Sam and his wife, Charlene, have five children.

Course credit: 3 credits

Course requirements: Student must satisfactorily complete the following course requirements:

(1) Lectures The student must listen to all 24 audio lectures by Dr. Waldron on Apologetics, which may be accessed on the RBS online campus.

(2) Reading The student must read the following books in their entirety:

Cornelius Van Til. The Defense of the Faith. Fourth Edition. Phillipsburg: Presbyterian & Reformed, 2008. (Approximately 400 pages of reading)

Frame, John. Apologetics: A Justification of Christian Belief. Phillipsburg: Presbyterian & Reformed, 2015. (Approximately 300 pages of reading)

Johnson, Jeffrey D. The Absurdity of Unbelief: A Worldview Apologetic of the Christian Faith. Conway, AR: Free Grace Press, 2016. (Approximately 330 pages of reading)

(3) Book review The student should write a review of Johnson’s The Absurdity of Unbelief between 6 to 8 pages and/or between 2,000 and 2,500 words (double-spaced) in length. The first half of the review should include a summary of the book. The second half of the review should include an appraisal of the book, highlighting its strengths and any perceived weaknesses. The student should follow the guidelines for book reviews in the student handbook – Appendixes E and F.

(4) Course Exams There will be four exams. A “study guide,” which identifies the lecture content the student needs to know for the exams, is available on Virtual Campus. The student should direct any questions to Dr. Gonzales (dean@rbseminary.org).

Course grading: Lectures and reading = 10% Book review = 30% Exams = 30%