CHRISTIANITY IN POSTMODERN AMERICA
WHAT IS POSTMODERNISM?
• A reaction to the assumed certainty of scientific,
or objective, efforts to explain reality
• Highly skeptical of explanations which claim to
be true for all people
• Focuses on the relative truths of each person
• Reality is based on our interpretations
WHAT IS POSTMODERNISM?
• Basic ideas behind postmodernism are good
• We should question the things that we are
taught and believe, and not assume that
everything we are told is true
• We begin to analyze the world around us to
make sure we are making good decisions based
on solid information
WHAT HAS OUR SOCIETY DONE TO JESUS?
• We’ve made Him a myth
• There are no eyewitnesses still alive
• There are minimal artifacts from His life
• There is little written documentation from His
time
• In a postmodern world where we demand proof
why should we believe?
DEFENDING CHRISTIANITY
• Apologetics- speaking in defense of a position
through the use of systematic information
• As a Christian you hold a belief that is often
under fire in modern society
• Utilizing apologetics strengthens your faith by
giving you logical arguments to back up your
beliefs and to counter misinformation
FACT #1: JESUS WAS A REAL PERSON
• 1. Little documentation exists from any person
from the time of Christ.
• There are 27 books in the new testament. Even
though some authorship is disputed by scholars
a large number of them have been proven
authentic, written by authors who knew Jesus or
knew others who knew Him
FACT #1: JESUS WAS A REAL PERSON
• 2. Jewish writers wrote about Jesus
• 3. Jewish historian Josephus wrote about Jesus
• 4. Tacitus affirmed that Jesus suffered under
Pilate. Multiple non-Christian ancient sources
mention Jesus
• 5. Historical Impact of His ministry is immense
FACT #1: JESUS WAS A REAL PERSON
• 6. Artifacts from the life of Christ
• Archaeologists have confirmed the existence of
Pilate and Caiaphas, possibly Simon Peter and
John the Baptist
• 7. Non-Christian historians wrote about Jesus
and His followers in a way that confirms the
writings in the Bible
FACT #1: JESUS WAS A REAL PERSON
• 8. Off-the-cuff comments by Paul and others
attest to Christ’s existence
• 9. A majority of modern scholars (sacred and
secular) agree that Jesus was a real person
FACT #2: JESUS DIED AND CAME BACK TO LIFE
• Why is this important?
FACT #2: JESUS DIED AND CAME BACK TO LIFE
• 1. Buried in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea
• Burial story was simple, lacks any signs of being
developed into legend, and there are no
competing stories
FACT #2: JESUS DIED AND CAME BACK TO LIFE
• 2. Resurrection discovered by women in a
patriarchal society
• Matthew 28 story trying to explain the missing
body confirms that He was no longer there
FACT #2: JESUS DIED AND CAME BACK TO LIFE
• 3. Multiple eyewitness accounts post
resurrection
• The women, Peter (Cephas), the Twelve, the
500, James, all the apostles, Paul
• Remember when Paul saw Jesus for the first
time he HATED Christians!
FACT #2: JESUS DIED AND CAME BACK TO LIFE
• 4. The disciples appear to sincerely believe
Jesus was raised from the dead and were willing
to die for their belief in Him
FACT #2: JESUS DIED AND CAME BACK TO LIFE
• Conclusions:
• 1. Resurrection is a logical reason for the missing
body and sightings
• 2. Resurrection is a plausible claim given His life of
miracles, predictions, and ministries
• 3. The evidence is not contrived but points to Jesus
being the son of God
• 4. The facts are overwhelmingly in favor of
resurrection
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR US?
• Jesus lived, died, and was raised from the dead
• He must have been the son of God and the
Messiah
• His other statements must also be true
ADDITIONAL READING ON APOLOGETICS
• J.P. Moreland, Alex McFarland, Lee Strobel,
Gary Habermas, Mike Licona, William Lane
Craig, Tim Keller, Josh McDowell, C.S. Lewis,
others