SOUTHERN

EVANGELICAL
SEMINARY
3000 TILLEY MORRIS RD MATTHEWS, NC 28105

Winter 2014

AP 501
Introduction to Apologetics

COURSE SYLLABUS
3 credit hours

Norman Geisler, Ph.D.

Daniel Janosik, Ph.D.
djanosik@ses.edu
(704) 8475600 x. 207
I.

DESCRIPTION OF THE COURSE

This course is a study of the principles involved in the science of apologetics. The course
examines the reasonableness of the evidence for Christian Faith, with emphasis placed on
the 12-step approach taken in apologetics and basic considerations of each.

II. FORMAT OF THE COURSE

This course has been designed as a Modular/Hybrid course, which will run from January
6th through March 1st, 2014. The first week of class (January 6-10) will meet face-to-face
on campus, Monday through Friday evenings from 7-9:30 pm. Distance students will be
able to participate during these sessions through online live-streaming. (Students who
will not be able to be present at these live sessions will still be able to sign up for the
course and watch the recorded streaming sessions as part of the online portion of the
class). During the face-to-face portion of the course (Jan. 6-10), Dr. Geisler will teach
and lead discussions. During the remaining portion of the course (Jan. 20-March 8), Dr.
Janosik will act as the facilitator in the hybrid format. During these weeks, there will be
weekly online videos/lectures by Dr. Geisler and Dr. Janosik, reading assignments, online
forums, live web sessions (Q&A), quizzes, assignments, a final exam based on the 12
Step approach and a final paper. All of these things will be done online through our
Moodle course management system. (Note that there is an extra week between the time
of the module (Jan. 6-10) and the beginning of the online portion, which begins on Jan.
20. You may want to use this week to begin your reading for your book critique).
III. OBJECTIVES
After completing the course, the student should be able to:
1.
2.
3.

Explain the 12-Step Approach to apologetics to a thinking and concerned

unbeliever.
Present a logical, systematic approach to Apologetics.
Answer some of the major questions that non-Christians ask concerning the
existence of God, miracles, the deity of Christ, and inspiration of the Bible.

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4.
5.
6.
7.

Present historical, scientific and archaeological evidence for the authenticity of the
Bible and the resurrection of Christ.
Give credible reasons for rejecting macro-evolution as an explanation of origins
and present evidence that supports the views of Intelligent Design.
Develop critical thinking skills through evaluation and analysis of opposing
viewpoints.
Develop a personal apologetic for Biblical Christianity that will stimulate a deeper
walk with the Lord and a life-long study in these areas.

IV. RESOURCES FOR THE COURSE

Required Books for the course:
Geisler, Norman and Frank Turek. I Dont Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist.
Wheaton, Ill: Crossway, 2004. [ISBN: 1-58134-561-5]
Suggested Books for the course and Book List for the Book Review:
Craig, William Lane. A Reasonable Response: Answers to Tough Questions on God,
Christianity, and the Bible. Chicago: Moody, 2013. [ISBN: 978-0802405999]
Feser, Edward. The Last Superstition: A Refutation of the New Atheism. South Bend: St.
Augustine's Press, 2008. [ISBN: 9781587314520]
Geisler, Norm. Christian Apologetics. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1988. [ISBN:
978-0801038228]
Geisler, Norman. Baker Encyclopedia of Christian Apologetics. Grand Rapids: Baker,
1998. [ISBN: 978-0801021510]
Geisler, Norman. A Handbook of Worldviews (www.BastionBooks.com).
Geisler, Norman. Miracles and the Modern Mind (www.BastionBooks.com).
Groothuis, Douglas. Truth Decay: Defending Christianity Against the Challenges of
Postmodernism. Downers Grove, InterVarsity Press, 2000. [ISBN:
9780851115245]
Habermas, Gary R. The Historical Jesus: Ancient Evidence for the Life of Christ. Joplin:
College Press Publishing, 1996. [ISBN: 9780899007328]
Keller, Timothy. The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism. Riverhead/Penguin,
2008. [ISBN: 978-1-59448-349-3]
Lewis, C. S. Mere Christianity. San Francisco: Harper, 2009. [ISBN: 978-0060652920]

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Lewis, C.S. Miracles. Nashville: B&H, 2000. [ISBN: 9780805493948]

McGrath, Alister. Mere Apologetics: How to Help Seekers & Skeptics Find Faith. Grand
Rapids: Baker Books, 2012. [ISBN: 978-0-8010-1416-1]
Moreland, J. P. Scaling the Secular City: A Defense of Christianity. Grand Rapids: Baker
Books, 1987. [ISBN: 9780801062223]
Nash, Ronald. The Gospel and the Greeks: Did the New Testament Borrow from Pagan
Thought? Phillipsburg: Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing, 2003. [ISBN:
9780875525594]
Strobel, Lee. The Case for Faith. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2000. [ISBN: 9780310234692]
V. REQUIREMENTS FOR THE COURSE
1.
2.

3.
4.

5.
6.

Reading. Read carefully the assigned portions of the text for each weeks
assignments. There will be a weekly online assessment to keep track of all
reading.
Attendance. Since this is primarily an online course, it is very important that you
make every effort to keep up with your weekly assignments and reading. Each
student should plan to put at least 12-15 hours a week into the course over the 8week period (135 hours total for a 3 credit hour course). Please see the breakdown
on the Assignments and Time chart located in your Documents folder online.
Quizzes. There will be on-line quizzes given as appropriate. These quizzes will be
comprised of objective questions based on the reading and the lectures. The
lowest quiz will be dropped.
Examinations. There will be a Final Exam focusing on the material covered by the
reading, lectures and quizzes. This will be comprised of both objective questions
and essay questions. This will include a knowledge of the 12-Point Approach to
Apologetics.
Projects. There will be two projects (see Guidelines below, Part IX).
(Project #1): Research Paper
(Project #2): Book Critique
Forum discussions:
These will cover various topics in apologetics and will help you formulate ways
to reach out to others using apologetics. Instructions for each discussion will be
online.

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VI. GRADING
Grading Scale
A = 97-100%

B- = 86-87%

D+ = 75-77%

A- = 94-96%

C+ = 83-85%

D = 72-74%

B+ = 91-93%

C = 80-82%

D- = 70-71%

B = 88-90%

C- = 78-79%

F = below 70%

Grade Percentages:
Assessments

Percentage

Approximate time

Reading (texts, articles, web links)

5%

40 hours (20 pgs/hr)

Completion of Lectures, Online Participation

5%

15 hours for the module, 20

hours for the remaining time

Forum Discussions

15%

10 hours

Quizzes

15%

10 hours

Final Exam

20%

5 hours (3-hour exam)

Project #1: Research Paper

25%

20 hours

Project #2: Book Critique

15%

15 hours

100%

135 hours

Total Time:

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VII. OUTLINE OF THE COURSE

The 12-Step Approach to Apologetics. The overall argument in defense of the Christian Faith
can be put in twelve basic propositions. They flow logically one from another:
1.

Truth about reality is knowable.

2.

Opposites cannot both be true.

3.

The theistic God exists.

4.

Miracles are possible.

5.

Miracles performed in connection with a truth claim are acts of God to confirm the truth
of God through a messenger of God.

6.

The New Testament documents are reliable.

7.

As witnessed in the New Testament, Jesus claimed to be God.

8.

Jesus claim to divinity was proven by a unique convergence of miracles.

9.

Therefore, Jesus was God in human flesh.

10. Whatever Jesus (who is God) affirmed as true, is true.

11. Jesus affirmed that the Bible is the Word of God.
12. Therefore, it is true that the Bible is the Word of God and whatever is opposed to any
biblical truth is false.

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VIII. 2014 SCHEDULE FOR INTRODUCTION TO APOLOGETICS

Week
1

Date

Class Topic

Text Reading

Day 1

1/6

Syllabus and Overview of Geisler, N. L. Baker

Encyclopedia of
Class
Christian
1. Truth about reality is
Apologetics (BECA):
knowable.

Nature of Truth
2. Opposites cannot both
Agnosticism
be true.
Logic
First Principles

Day 2

1/7

BECA:
3. The theistic God
exists.
Evidence for God
4. Miracles are possible. Miracle
5. Miracles performed in
connection with a truth
claim are acts of God to
confirm the truth of God
through a messenger of
God.

Day 3

1/8

BECA:
Science and Christianity:
Is Evolution Science?
Cosmological
Argument
Is Evolution Supported
Teleological
by the Evidence?
Argument
Are Problems with
Moral Argument
Evolution Real?
Janosik, Intelligent
Design

Day 4

1/9

BECA:
6. The New Testament
documents are reliable. Historicity of New
7. As witnessed in the
Testament
New Testament, Jesus
New Testament
claimed to be God.
Manuscripts
8. Jesus claim to
Deity of Christ
divinity was proven by a
unique convergence of
miracles.
9. Therefore, Jesus was
God in human flesh.

Assignments/
Quizzes
Forum #1: Getting
Acquainted

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Day 5

Week
2

1/10

Date
1/20-25

1/27-2/1

10. Whatever Jesus (who BECA:

is God) affirmed as true, Miracles in the
Bible
is true.
11. Jesus affirmed that
Trinity
the Bible is the Word of Jesus View of the
God.
Bible
12. Therefore, it is true
that the Bible is the
Word of God and
whatever is opposed to
any biblical truth is false.
Class Topic

Text Reading

(1,2) Epistemology: Is
Truth knowable?
Geisler video
Lecture: Worldviews
Lecture: Traditional
Christian Apologetics
Lecture: Always be
Prepared
Online Video: Ravi
Zacharias on Toward an
Evangelical
Understanding of
Postmodernism and
Mission

I Dont Have
Enough Faith to be
an Atheist (NG/FT):
7-32; 35-67

(3) Theology: Does God

exist?
Geisler video
Lecture: 20 Arguments
for the Existence of God
Lecture: Faith and
Reason
Lecture: Problem of Evil
Online Debate: William
Lane Craig Does God
Exist?

NG/FT: 73-112;
389-401

Quiz #1

Assignments/
Quizzes
Quiz #2
Forum #2

BECA: Types of
Apolotetics; Daniel
Janosik,
Apologetics

Quiz #3
Forum #3

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2/3-8

Ontology: How did we

get here?
Geisler video
Lecture: Fossil record of
man
Online video: PBS
special on Evolution

NG/FT: 113-193;
Janosik, How to
Think about
Evolution and the
Fossil Record of
Man

Quiz #4
Forum #4

2/10-15

(4,5) Are miracles

possible?
Geisler video
Lecture: Miracles

NG/FT: 197-217

Quiz #5
Forum #5

2/17-22

(6) Historicity: Are the

New Testament
Documents reliable?
Geisler video
Lecture: the authenticity
of the Scriptures

NG/FT: 221-324

Quiz #6
Forum #6

2/24-3/1

(7-12) Christology: Is
Jesus really God?
Geisler video
Lecture: The Uniqueness
of Christ
Lecture: Objections to the
Resurrection
Online interview: Gary
Habermas on the
Resurrection

NG/FT: 327-388;
Uniqueness of
Christ Janosik;
Gary Habermas,
Resurrection

Quiz #7
Forum #7

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3/3-3/8

(12) Christianity and

other religions: Is
Christianity true?
Lecture: Origin of
Religions
Lecture: How to Explain
the Trinity to a Muslim
Online Video: Ravi
Zacharias on Toward an
Evangelical
Understanding of
Postmodernism and
Mission

NG/FT: 402-408;
Janosik,
Explaining the
Trinity to a
Muslim

Final Exam
Due: Project #1
Due: Project #2
Course Evaluation

IX GUIDELINES FOR PROJECTS AND DISCUSSIONS:

A. Guidelines for Forum Discussions:
1. Forum discussions will provide opportunities to explore the material covered on a
more student oriented interactive level. The student will usually first post his own
response to the assigned questions and then later return to the forum area and
provide responses to other posts. The general format will be to submit the first
post by Thursday night and then respond to at least two other posts by the
Saturday midnight deadline.
2. To submit a post, the student should log into the Moodle site and either access the
appropriate forum discussion through the weekly venue or under the Forums tab at
the top of the web page. The student should then click into the discussion link
provided by the professor. After reading the directions, the student should submit
their response by clicking on the reply link in the lower right-hand corner of the
instructors post and then typing the response in the box that appears (or pasting
the response from Word).
3. In replying to another students post, first click into the appropriate students post
and then click on the reply link within that post. This will keep the threads
together in an organized fashion. You may note that there are four views by which
to view the posts.
4. The first post generally should be at least 300 words and proper grammar and
literary style should be employed. The students grade will be reduced for
inadequate responses or poor writing. Remember, others will read your posts, so
do your best.
B.

Guidelines for the Research Paper:

Each student must submit a research paper on an apologetics topic of his choice. You
may choose from the following broad categories, or on any other topic directly related

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to the course material. You may seek guidance if you are not certain of the category or
topic you have selected. Please focus your topics and avoid merely duplicating or
summarizing the material from the class. Your approach should further clarify an issue
or add something new to what has been taught.
Area of Topic:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

On the nature and knowability of Truth

On the existence and nature of God
On the creation/evolution controversy
On the nature and possibility of miracles
On the historicity of the New Testament
On the deity of Christ
On the Trinity
On Apologetic systems
On the problem of evil
On one of the objections against Christianity brought up by non-Christians.
(For example, Muslims will say that God cannot be a Trinity, Jesus was not
God, the Bible is corrupt and untrustworthy, and that Jesus did not die on the
cross and therefore could not have risen from the dead). Your argument
should be couched in the context of that religion or viewpoint.

Guidelines for Writing:

1.
2.

3.
4.

The paper must be written from an apologetic point of view.

Make sure that you have a strong thesis, well-developed ideas with good,
specific support, and a conclusion that not only brings resolution to the issue,
but also fulfills the directives of your thesis. You should review the rubric
used for this paper (posted on Moodle) in order to better understand how
these elements contribute to the paper and to the grading of the paper.
Use appropriate research format (Kate L. Turabian, A Manual for Writers, 7th
edition), especially for footnotes and the bibliography. (Please do not use
endnotes).
Include your full name, course name, project name, and date, all at the top
left side of your first page. Center your title underneath your heading (flush
left is also fine to use). Do not worry about paginating the title page. Begin
your numbering on the second page and keep the format consistent
throughout the paper, including the bibliography (top right or bottom right
are preferable).

Example:
Alexander Student
AP501: Introduction to Apologetics
Project #2: Research Paper
May 2, 2014

AP501: Introduction to Apologetics

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5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.

C.

Write your paper using double-spacing, at least a 12-pitch font and include a
separate page for your bibliography.
The body of your paper should be between 12-15 pages in length
(approximately 4,000 words).
You should use at least 6 different sources (and your internet sources should
not make up more than 50% of your sources). Be sure to list these sources
appropriately in your bibliography.
Remember to utilize footnotes whenever quoting or citing a source.
Format your final paper as a Word document. (If you use a different word
processor, then save your final version as a Word document).
Upload your paper digitally on Moodle in the appropriate drop box area.
Use an appropriate form for your documents file name that includes all
pertinent information. (For example, proj1.ResearchPaper.your name).
Guidelines for the Book Critique:
Use the following criteria adapted from the Oxford Journal submission standards
in order to write a book critique on one of the books listed under that suggested
resources in your syllabus.
Standard Book Reviews should be no longer than 2,000 words (5-6 pages),
although depending on the book being reviewed they may be shorter or longer. All
book reviews should be prepared and submitted following the general Instructions
to Authors of this journal.
The following information should be given about the book being reviewed at the
start of each review:
Author / Editor Name, Book Title, Publisher, Year of Publication, ISBN: 000-000-000000-0, Number of Pages, Price
Book reviews should consider the following:
Author background, education and apologetic orientation (apologetic
methodology)
The intended audience for the book and who would find it useful
The main ideas and major objectives of the book and how effectively these are
accomplished
Constructive comments about the strength and weaknesses of the book (be sure to
use examples, quotes and specific evidence to back up your critique)

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Explain how the book would be a valuable resource for lay people involved in
apologetics and be sure to give examples
Your critique should be double-spaced and use a 12-point Times Roman font (or
similar font type).
Use Turabian format and save your document as a Word file. Upload your
completed book critique on Moodle in the appropriate drop box.

X. BIBLIOGRAPHY (a bibliography will be placed online)