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A Newsletter Published for Members of
The International Society of Christian Apologetics
Donald T. Williams, PhD, Editor
Vol. 1, no. 2
November, 2014
THE EVOLUTION OF NONSENSE
The evolutionary paradigm had so pervaded the mind of European intellectuals
by the end of the 19th century that they were not even aware of its influence, nor of how
determinative it was of how they read "evidence" even outside of the field of biology.
Biblical scholars in Germany just “knew” that there had to have been an “evolution” of
biblical texts; and so they created it without a shred of textual or manuscript evidence to
base it on. How else can you account for assumptions as incredibly naive as "No ancient
writer could ever have known any synonyms for anything, so more than one name for
God must mean more than one writer or tradition in the evolution of the Pentateuch"?
Likewise, the simple Jesus of history had to have "evolved" into the divine figure
of the Gospels over several generations. Never mind that the canonical Gospels were
already being quoted as Scripture by the Apostolic Fathers before the end of the First
Century. When you figure how long they must have been being read to have achieved
that status by then, the time frame for this alleged evolution quickly disappears. But,
hey: Never let mere facts overturn a good theory!
I bring this up because in updating my defense of Lewis’s Trilemma argument
for a forthcoming book, I had to deal with scholars who question whether Jesus ever
actually claimed to be God. Some of them who think of themselves as Evangelicals (!) seem
to have accepted as fact theories that could never have existed without the dominance
of the dubious traditions of scholarship I’ve been describing.
Bottom line: Whatever validity you may think the theory of evolution has in
biology, whether much, little, or none, it is dangerous to apply it to other disciplines.
Doing so will make your “scholarship” a question-begging waste of time, and worse--a
blasphemous undermining of a faith that deserves better thinking on our part.
Donald T. Williams, PhD
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International, September 24, 2014. Go to
FORTHCOMING ISCA
PUBLICATIONS
http://calvinistinternational.com/2014/09/24/
schaeffer-today/;" Anselm and Aslan: C. S.
Lewis and the Ontological Argument."
Touchstone: A Journal of Mere Christianity
27:6 (Nov.-Dec., 2014): 36-39.
Richard G. Howe, "A Critique of
Young Earth Presuppositionalism," at the
Evangelical Philosophical Society meeting, San
Diego, CA Nov. 19, 2014
C. Fred Smith, Developing a Biblical
Worldview: Seeing Things God’s Way
(Nashville: B and H Academic, 2015) ISBN:
978-1433674464. Forthcoming, Jan 2015.
Developing a Biblical Worldview offers
a simple rubric for understanding the worldview
presented in Scripture, and for comparing it with
the reader’s own worldview, and the worldview
of the larger culture. Readers will be able to see
both biblical and unbiblical ideas lurking in
popular culture, such as TV Shows, sports, and
movies, and how to use these insights to open
apologetic conversations with skeptics and nonbeleivers. Central to the book is the idea that a
biblical worldview is not “adopted” but rather
develops over a lifetime of discipleship.
Don Williams, “Coming Home: The
Influence of Chesterton’s The Everlasting Man
on C. S. Lewis,” in The Ten Books that Most
Influenced C. S. Lewis (proceedings of the
conference of the same name), Bloomsbury,
April 2015; “Text vs. Word: C. S. Lewis’s
Doctrine of Inspiration and the Inerrancy of
Scripture,” chp. in festschrift for Nom Geisler,
(Wipf & Stock, 2015); “The ‘Trilemma’: Pro,”
in C. S. Lewis’s Defense of Christianity: For and
Against, ed. Gregory Bassham (Amsterdam:
Rodolpi, 2015).
PAPERS
PRESENTED
Don Williams gave a lecture on “Text
vs. Word: C. S. Lewis’s Doctrine of Inspiration
and the Inerrancy of Scripture,” at the Center for
the Study of C. S. Lewis and Friends of Taylor
University, Upland, IN, Friday, Oct. 17.
OTHER PUBLICATIONS
Mark S. Phillips, ISCA member and
publisher of Wythe-North Publishing, announces
the reissue of Wilhelm Schmidt’s The Origin
and Growth of Religion: Facts and Theories,
trans. H.J. Rose (Methuen, 1931; Cooper
Square, 1972; rpt. Wythe-North 2014), ISBN
978-0990738602.
PREACHING AND OTHER
SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS
Don Williams presented a week of
lectures on the Christian world view as it relates
to literature, hermeneutics, and apologetics at
Summit Semester, at Snow Wolf Lodge near
Pagosa Springs, CO, Oct. 12-16.
RECENT ISCA
PUBLICATIONS
Jason T. Glen, “Kierkegaard, Fun, and
The
Dark
Forest
of
Consumption,”
http://jtruettglen.com/2014/11/06/kierkegaardfun-and-the-dark-forest-of-consumption/
Don Williams, “’True Truth’: Francis
Schaeffer’s Enduring Legacy,” reprinted with
permission from Williams’ book Reflections
from Plato’s Cave: Essays in Evangelical
Philosophy (Lynchburg: Lantern Hollow Press,
2012): 29-45, in the online journal The Calvinist
“And should these things [about Jesus’
physical body] be falsely written of Him, all
the rest would risk the imputation, nor
would there remain in those books any
saving faith for the human race.”
Augustine, on Inerrancy (Confessions,
chapter XIX).
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THE GORDON LEWIS CENTER FOR
CHRISTIAN THOUGHT AND
CULTURE
6th Annual Veritas Evangelical
Seminary National Apologetics
Conference:
The Gordon Lewis Center for Christian
Though and Culture began operation in the fall
of 2013 as part of the mission of Denver
Seminary. Douglas Groothuis and Sarah Geis,
both professors at Denver Seminary, are the codirectors of the Center. Our purpose is to
demonstrate the truth and rationality of
Christianity to the church and the world. The
Center is named after Dr. Gordon Lewis,
Professor Emeritus at Denver Seminary. Dr.
Lewis is a prolific theologian and apologist,
whose life inspired The Gordon Lewis Center
for Christian Thought and Culture.
We have sponsored several events,
including two public lectures each semester
since the fall of 2013 as well as a seminar on
Christianity and art. Our most recent event was a
lecture by Groothuis called, “Christianity and
Science: Removing the Obstacles to Sound
Thinking.”
If you are interested in The Gordon
Lewis Center, please contact us through
Facebook or email Douglas Groothuis at
Doug.Groothuis@denverseminary.edu
CAN WE TRUST THE BIBLE?
Why are prominent evangelical Bible
scholars and apologists teaching that portions
of the Bible could be fiction and/or
legend? This disturbing trend is sweeping
through
evangelical
seminaries
and
universities, and is found among prominent
Christian apologists and New Testament
scholars. You will be stunned to discover
what reasons are offered to support this view.
These and other issues relating to the
trustworthiness of the Scripture will be
explored. For more information on this
alarming trend which changes the historical
statements in the Bible to fiction,
visit www.DefendingInerrancy.com. While
visiting be sure to sign the petition in support
of the full inerrancy of Scripture. The Battle
for the Bible is in full swing – again! Join us
and get equipped at this 6th Annual VES
National Apologetics Conference, Can We
Trust the Bible?
(Though registration is necessary, seating is
first come first serve)
ISCA CONFERENCE TO
EXAMINE ROLE OF SCRIPTURE
IN EVANGELICAL IDENTITY
Dates: November 7-8, 2014.
Times: Friday, 6:15pm to 9:30pm; Saturday,
9:30am to 4:00pm.
Admission: Free.
Location: Held at Calvary Chapel Costa
Mesa (main sanctuary), 3800 S. Fairview St,
Santa Ana, CA 92704.
For more information and to register, go to
http://www.veritasseminary.com/ves-2014national-apologetics-conference/
The annual meeting of the
International Society of Christian
Apologetics will take place at Southern
Evangelical Seminary in Charlotte,
NC, April 10-11, 2015. The theme
will be “Inerrancy and Evangelical
Identity.” Papers on other topics of
apologetic interest are also welcome.
Plenary speakers already lined up
include Dr. Richard Land and Sarah
Geiss. Watch the ISCA website for
further information, a call for papers,
and registration!
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The Executive Council of the International Society of Christian Apologetics includes Donald
T. Williams, President; Kerby Anderson, Acting Vice President; Dan Guinn, Treasurer;
Trevor Slone, Secretary; Phil Fernandez, At Large; Tim Adkisson, Webmaster; Bill Roach,
Journal Editor; Norm Geisler and Win Corduan, Past Presidents.
   
 is a newsletter published bimonthly for the members of the International Society of
Christian Apologetics, Donald T. Williams, PhD, editor. Please send news of publications recent
or forthcoming, papers, debates, etc. presented, preaching or other ministries, etc., to the editor
(Microsoft Word, Times New Roman, 11 pt., single-spaced) at dtw@tfc.edu. Short news articles,
essays, or book reviews (400 words) on issues relevant to our fellow apologists are also welcomed.
The deadline for submissions to the next issue is January 1, 2014.
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