Date

4-26-2024

Department

Rawlings School of Divinity

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy in Theology and Apologetics (PhD)

Chair

Mark Allen

Keywords

Apologetics, Evangelism, Narrative, Story, Church, The Way, Worldview, Defense, Acts

Disciplines

Practical Theology | Religion

Abstract

Is it possible to articulate an apologetic practice from the account of Luke-Acts, which is not among the current popular Christian apologetic practices within contemporary apologetic scholarship? Can one consider the narratives in this history of Acts as a description of apologetic methodology, a sort of a first Christian apologetic practice demonstrated by Jesus and then replicated by His disciples? The answer is yes. The historical work of Luke offers an early apologetic practice in which the story of Scripture, the narrative of God, witnessed incarnationally through the life of Jesus and continued by the early church. Like Scripture, the concept of lived narrative demonstrates the capacity to create plausibility structures for non-Christians to become Jesus’ followers as they enter a new story/narrative to live. The church’s lived narrative was an apology and invitation to allow His story to explain life better.

Download

Share

COinS