Think Theism

SLAVERY in the Bible?! What do we do?

Tue, 15 Jul 2025 01:15:47 +0000

Weekly Meeting 4/3/2025

April 3, 2025 | Making Sense of Slavery in the Bible Biblical slavery is one of the most complex and often misunderstood discussions in religious and historical studies. How does the Hebrew law address slavery? Was it condoned, regulated, or challenged within its historical context? What do these passages mean for modern readers wrestling with questions of justice, human dignity, and faith?

RESOURCES FOR THIS VIDEO

Slides: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1T41FgCPf-EtHyfrw4LjrU14RQsLp8QYc/view?usp=drive_link

Handout: https://drive.google.com/file/d/17-eWMMFxu0KWUmIQf170xcf6eiIyW1va/view?usp=drive_link

Script: https://drive.google.com/file/d/11JEFeGr1LFNvBdAFGtDgodCn7ZYtyNj2/view?usp=drive_link

LINKS

Homepage: https://tx.ag/RatioChristi

New to apologetics? Check out our resource guide: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1gJfjwg2ZV6r3znkczVFciTKq-cGpOkJS5CERYv_6jU0/edit?usp=sharing

Archive of slides, handouts, etc from all our previous topics: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1yoXpZBQ4yG2DNNLL8rGo9gkYgbtjCNLmWJXQlzfZGDU/edit?usp=sharing

Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/nuZ3XSr2Gm

ABOUT

Ratio Christi (Latin “reason for Christ”) serves to defend the Christian faith in honest dialogue with both our skeptical & believing friends at Texas A&M. Together, we investigate the historical, philosophical, and scientific reasons for the truth, rationality, and significance of the message of Jesus Christ, a discipline known as apologetics. If you are a student, faculty, or staff at Texas A&M University, we invite you to join us. Contact us at https://tx.ag/RatioChristi

DISCLAIMER

The opinions represented herein are of the speaker only and do not necessarily reflect the beliefs or values of Ratio Christi, Inc. nor Texas A&M University. This content is presented to encourage discussion and critical thought about challenging questions.

All of our content, including this video and associated slides/handouts/etc, is dedicated to the public domain. You are free to distribute, modify, and adapt as you see fit. Just as the Gospel is freely given, our material is offered freely in hopes to aid you to grow in your faith and understanding in the admonition of the Lord. We ask that you do not use any of our material for commercial purposes. For more information, please visit https://copy.church/free/

Must Christians be Pacifists?

Thu, 10 Jul 2025 01:14:48 +0000

Weekly Meeting 3/28/2025

March 27, 2025 | Does Just War Justify Genocide? Does God condone war? When Jesus tells us to turn the other cheek, does that imply pacifism? This presentation examines Christian theories of war to answer these questions. From the early church fathers like Origen and St Augustine to contemporary thinkers. I will use examples of war and genocide in the Bible as case studies to test the different theories of just war and help the audience get a better understanding of how we should view war today and in the past. Finally, I hope to answer some questions about how wars and genocide were justified in the Old Testament.

RESOURCES FOR THIS VIDEO

Slides: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Hqt5WtOQ4Fr80AJN6xVxlqg_qhoyzSnW/view?usp=drive_link

Handout: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1zw62yaMez7J_53jH5Ci4YPvr_-_C6920/view?usp=drive_link

LINKS

Homepage: https://tx.ag/RatioChristi

New to apologetics? Check out our resource guide: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1gJfjwg2ZV6r3znkczVFciTKq-cGpOkJS5CERYv_6jU0/edit?usp=sharing

Archive of slides, handouts, etc from all our previous topics: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1yoXpZBQ4yG2DNNLL8rGo9gkYgbtjCNLmWJXQlzfZGDU/edit?usp=sharing

Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/nuZ3XSr2Gm

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Argue Like Jesus: Unlocking the Power of Narrative Apologetics

Tue, 08 Jul 2025 01:13:40 +0000

Weekly Meeting 3/20/2025

Apologetics is not about dispensing answers like a gumball machine, but rather a titanic struggle between narratives for a person’s soul. Jesus and the Apostles approached the apologetic task this way. They viewed the world as lost in darkness, captivated by evil, and employed the power of narrative to redirect people towards God’s Kingdom. Their apologetic vision was designed to encompass a person’s whole life, not just address specific questions.

RESOURCES FOR THIS VIDEO

Slides: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1f9K25X4JDt6vIfpbpxsxbIR2MKpDtP-1L6nfv8Cd4BE/edit?usp=sharing

Handout: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1tZnHNg-NqEwtjxfNrB5-8Nr2icYwZj9m/view?usp=drive_link

LINKS

Homepage: https://tx.ag/RatioChristi

New to apologetics? Check out our resource guide: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1gJfjwg2ZV6r3znkczVFciTKq-cGpOkJS5CERYv_6jU0/edit?usp=sharing

Archive of slides, handouts, etc from all our previous topics: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1yoXpZBQ4yG2DNNLL8rGo9gkYgbtjCNLmWJXQlzfZGDU/edit?usp=sharing

Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/nuZ3XSr2Gm

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No, the Bible is not sexist.

Thu, 03 Jul 2025 01:12:35 +0000

Weekly Meeting 3/6/2025

A Biblical Vision for Men and Women Is the Bible's vision of manhood and womanhood good? Is it repressive, or does it call Christians to what we're made for? This week, we'll make the case that the Bible's vision for men and women is joyful and enriching, balanced and reasonable.

Canon video: https://youtu.be/ESgy4sIV3tI

Hermeneutics video: https://youtu.be/70T4TwDWwh0

RESOURCES FOR THIS VIDEO

Slides: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1twePtGMFG2s-T_jTn9ZzRmfziH6In4T1/view?usp=drive_link

Handout: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Q1g8O2PNpuxU341yfPw_fB0uguEYjwsG/view?usp=drive_link

Outline: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1C0kOaNh-QrCP5swDglpN01GWoRFrB8VS/view?usp=drive_link

LINKS

Homepage: https://tx.ag/RatioChristi

New to apologetics? Check out our resource guide: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1gJfjwg2ZV6r3znkczVFciTKq-cGpOkJS5CERYv_6jU0/edit?usp=sharing

Archive of slides, handouts, etc from all our previous topics: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1yoXpZBQ4yG2DNNLL8rGo9gkYgbtjCNLmWJXQlzfZGDU/edit?usp=sharing

Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/nuZ3XSr2Gm

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What the Church Gets Wrong About Celibacy & Singleness

Tue, 01 Jul 2025 01:11:34 +0000

Weekly Meeting 2/27/2025

Joyful Celibacy in the Kingdom of God For the last half-century, marriage rates have been declining across the west, resulting in an ever-growing number of single people. This raises the question—what is Christian singleness? Is it the same as being unmarried, or being celibate? Why is singleness important? In this talk, we’ll walk through some of the ways Christians have viewed singleness in the past and the present, and build a coherent vision for how one can be joyfully celibate in the 21st century.

RESOURCES FOR THIS VIDEO

Slides: https://drive.google.com/file/d/11N00ppoqZLQQbUBmguhjdsEwuSNrtAFd/view?usp=drive_link

Handout: https://drive.google.com/file/d/19CbD7n1o4JoxguoiyN7LpFSBynfrQtzO/view?usp=drive_link

Outline: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1zDEE2BjHZygfEXhs83G4e_iso2LgIrtZ/view?usp=drive_link

LINKS

Homepage: https://tx.ag/RatioChristi

New to apologetics? Check out our resource guide: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1gJfjwg2ZV6r3znkczVFciTKq-cGpOkJS5CERYv_6jU0/edit?usp=sharing

Archive of slides, handouts, etc from all our previous topics: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1yoXpZBQ4yG2DNNLL8rGo9gkYgbtjCNLmWJXQlzfZGDU/edit?usp=sharing

Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/nuZ3XSr2Gm

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Interrogating Jesus: Four Aggies Question a Resurrection Scholar (ft. @MikeLiconaOfficial )

Thu, 26 Jun 2025 01:09:56 +0000

Professor Mike Licona ( @MikeLiconaOfficial ) of Houston Christian University discusses whether we can believe in Jesus’ resurrection. A panel of students, including the head yell leader, athletes, cadets, and other prominent Aggies, ask tough questions to determine whether Jesus truly rose from the dead.

Rudder Theatre at 7:00 p.m. on Sunday, February 23, 2025.

Interview with Dr. Licona: https://youtu.be/rbspN8Fsbrw

ABOUT VERITAS FORUM

Many of the world’s great universities were founded on the idea that faith and reason are inseparable in the pursuit of truth. We believe this still holds true—and that an openness to dialogue and discovery is essential to both the university and Christianity. The Veritas Forum puts the Christian faith in dialogue with other beliefs and invites participants from all backgrounds to seek truth together. Students, faculty, and chaplains at Harvard University planned the first Veritas Forum in 1992. Since then, 200+ universities in North America, Europe, and Asia have hosted 2,000+ Forums. Today, our work includes Forum events, student-run publications, original media content, and more. Learn more at veritas.org

ABOUT RATIO CHRISTI

Can Christians Disagree About Creation & Evolution?

Tue, 24 Jun 2025 01:08:34 +0000

Weekly Meeting 2/20/2025

Can Christians Disagree on Creation? The age of the universe and human origins are some of the most controversial topics in Christianity, and many have left the faith because of them - but why? This presentation will cover the most common ways Christians have interpreted Genesis 1-11 to broaden your understanding and strengthen your faith in the truth of scripture.

RESOURCES FOR THIS VIDEO

Slides: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1bu99mMaqK5lnkRUDLzoWLYS1XDkEHe39/view?usp=drive_link

Handout: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1yyHXK02Zw9I0uZ_a9eIz-uNtUbMVclM3/view?usp=drive_link

Outline: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1taO2xYcMeE9xgtApyBIlqC8xmgkS2ak7/view?usp=drive_link

LINKS

Homepage: https://tx.ag/RatioChristi

New to apologetics? Check out our resource guide: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1gJfjwg2ZV6r3znkczVFciTKq-cGpOkJS5CERYv_6jU0/edit?usp=sharing

Archive of slides, handouts, etc from all our previous topics: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1yoXpZBQ4yG2DNNLL8rGo9gkYgbtjCNLmWJXQlzfZGDU/edit?usp=sharing

Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/nuZ3XSr2Gm

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Why Americans get the Bible wrong (and how the Church Fathers can help)

Thu, 19 Jun 2025 01:07:33 +0000

Weekly Meeting 1/30/2025

Reading the Bible as it Was Meant to Be Read “The Bible” is one of the most revered books of all time, and its contents are foundational to Christian doctrine. But why do Christians disagree as to the meaning of the Bible? Join us Thursday night as we discuss the various ways Christians have interpreted the Bible throughout history. Together, we will attack the Gordian Knot of Christian Hermeneutics and build a coherent framework for interpreting the Bible today.

RESOURCES FOR THIS VIDEO

Slides: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1IaAz7YdKVy7M5DpcPhWV19yxK8W-TBUg/view?usp=drive_link

Handout: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1FX8-2qDjxXP5nyE1r23DeoUo3To0XioV/view?usp=drive_link

Outline: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1bTiM87nYzsw7JpB_NtiwkM8CNUG8SKrC/view?usp=drive_link

LINKS

Homepage: https://tx.ag/RatioChristi

New to apologetics? Check out our resource guide: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1gJfjwg2ZV6r3znkczVFciTKq-cGpOkJS5CERYv_6jU0/edit?usp=sharing

Archive of slides, handouts, etc from all our previous topics: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1yoXpZBQ4yG2DNNLL8rGo9gkYgbtjCNLmWJXQlzfZGDU/edit?usp=sharing

Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/nuZ3XSr2Gm

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Perils of Christian Nationalism

Tue, 17 Jun 2025 01:06:26 +0000

Weekly Meeting 1/23/2025

RESOURCES FOR THIS VIDEO

Slides: https://drive.google.com/file/d/13mjjh6q22S7Jidd1KPU48Me3YNdVyYZN/view?usp=drive_link

LINKS

Homepage: https://tx.ag/RatioChristi

New to apologetics? Check out our resource guide: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1gJfjwg2ZV6r3znkczVFciTKq-cGpOkJS5CERYv_6jU0/edit?usp=sharing

Archive of slides, handouts, etc from all our previous topics: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1yoXpZBQ4yG2DNNLL8rGo9gkYgbtjCNLmWJXQlzfZGDU/edit?usp=sharing

Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/nuZ3XSr2Gm

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When Atheists Are Right

Thu, 12 Jun 2025 01:05:14 +0000

Weekly Meeting 1/16/2025

RESOURCES FOR THIS VIDEO

Slides: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1I7NJZ_2jhG7LEIPygYwwPZEHTKcZ7SKH/view?usp=drive_link

Handout: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1IBJA5NiKvf_vuXz7GkCJWsXRxWevl0eC/view?usp=drive_link

LINKS

Homepage: https://tx.ag/RatioChristi

New to apologetics? Check out our resource guide: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1gJfjwg2ZV6r3znkczVFciTKq-cGpOkJS5CERYv_6jU0/edit?usp=sharing

Archive of slides, handouts, etc from all our previous topics: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1yoXpZBQ4yG2DNNLL8rGo9gkYgbtjCNLmWJXQlzfZGDU/edit?usp=sharing

Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/nuZ3XSr2Gm

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Does Skeptical Theism Undermine Natural Theology? w/ Dr. Matthew Lee

Tue, 10 Jun 2025 01:04:02 +0000

Weekly Meeting 11/14/2024

Skeptical theists argue that our cognitive limitations undermine evidential arguments from evil against God's existence, as such arguments assume we possess greater sensitivity to justifying reasons for allowing evil than we actually do. Critics counter this by proposing the "Skeptical Parity Thesis" (SPT), which claims that atheological arguments from evil and evidential arguments for God's existence (e.g., from fine-tuning) are equally affected by our cognitive limitations—either both fail or neither does. The SPT suggests that natural theologians cannot use skeptical theism to dismiss arguments from evil without also undermining their own evidential arguments for God. Ted Poston has argued against SPT, proposing a moderate skeptical theism compatible with natural theology. This paper demonstrates that Poston’s argument is unsuccessful, as it overlooks relevant symmetries between the two types of arguments. However, it also explores the potential for a form of skeptical theism that respects these symmetries while remaining consistent with natural theology.

RESOURCES FOR THIS VIDEO

Handout: https://drive.google.com/file/d/12av1Chhd1GWiNIKg6cvRG66vKWT0srkP/view?usp=drive_link

Outline: https://drive.google.com/file/d/12av1Chhd1GWiNIKg6cvRG66vKWT0srkP/view?usp=drive_link

LINKS

Homepage: https://tx.ag/RatioChristi

New to apologetics? Check out our resource guide: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1gJfjwg2ZV6r3znkczVFciTKq-cGpOkJS5CERYv_6jU0/edit?usp=sharing

Archive of slides, handouts, etc from all our previous topics: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1yoXpZBQ4yG2DNNLL8rGo9gkYgbtjCNLmWJXQlzfZGDU/edit?usp=sharing

Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/nuZ3XSr2Gm

ABOUT

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Trinity in the Old Testament?

Thu, 05 Jun 2025 01:03:08 +0000

Weekly Meeting 11/7/2024

RESOURCES FOR THIS VIDEO

Slides: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-4vCSaPOLxkv5flwZIrRDRCEsmjnv8_4/view?usp=drive_link

Handout: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-7KQls_uG6CWpbR6YzZhNwXfNJ_gB8c3/view?usp=drive_link

LINKS

Homepage: https://tx.ag/RatioChristi

New to apologetics? Check out our resource guide: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1gJfjwg2ZV6r3znkczVFciTKq-cGpOkJS5CERYv_6jU0/edit?usp=sharing

Archive of slides, handouts, etc from all our previous topics: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1yoXpZBQ4yG2DNNLL8rGo9gkYgbtjCNLmWJXQlzfZGDU/edit?usp=sharing

Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/nuZ3XSr2Gm

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Where do demons come from?

Tue, 03 Jun 2025 01:01:48 +0000

Weekly Meeting 10/31/2024

RESOURCES FOR THIS VIDEO

Slides: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-0EJUg0HPRlUX-vxxJn1vdwzZenWeTQp/view?usp=drive_link

Handout: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1OEuncoKu5naqW1BJiaV4hR7a7VCjf2bV/view?usp=drive_link

LINKS

Homepage: https://tx.ag/RatioChristi

New to apologetics? Check out our resource guide: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1gJfjwg2ZV6r3znkczVFciTKq-cGpOkJS5CERYv_6jU0/edit?usp=sharing

Archive of slides, handouts, etc from all our previous topics: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1yoXpZBQ4yG2DNNLL8rGo9gkYgbtjCNLmWJXQlzfZGDU/edit?usp=sharing

Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/nuZ3XSr2Gm

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Was Jesus A Failed Prophet?

Thu, 29 May 2025 01:00:40 +0000

Weekly Meeting 10/17/2024

Jesus hasn't returned yet. Is it Joever for Christianity?

‘…But there is worse to come. ‘Say what you like,’ we shall be told, ‘the apocalyptic beliefs of the first Christians have been proved to be false. It is clear from the New Testament that they all expected the Second Coming in their own lifetime. And, worse still, they had a reason, and one which you will find very embarrassing. Their Master had told them so. He shared, and indeed created, their delusion. He said in so many words, “this generation shall not pass till all these things be done.” And He was wrong. He clearly knew no more about the end of the world than anyone else.’

RESOURCES FOR THIS VIDEO

Slides: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1OtwYXq_S3XtUig64AIOxWn03CJDvSphF/view?usp=drive_link

Handout: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1AesSxkHRXUxGX4i7BXgRl-4qqt-Ph_5V/view?usp=drive_link

LINKS

Homepage: https://tx.ag/RatioChristi

New to apologetics? Check out our resource guide: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1gJfjwg2ZV6r3znkczVFciTKq-cGpOkJS5CERYv_6jU0/edit?usp=sharing

Archive of slides, handouts, etc from all our previous topics: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1yoXpZBQ4yG2DNNLL8rGo9gkYgbtjCNLmWJXQlzfZGDU/edit?usp=sharing

Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/nuZ3XSr2Gm

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How Christ’s Atonement Makes Sense

Tue, 27 May 2025 01:00:36 +0000

Weekly Meeting 10/10/2024

RESOURCES FOR THIS VIDEO

Slides: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-WYIMdwPit7ohIm_AClW9egeRoBrN9ER/view?usp=drive_link

Handout: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-V6LRf6d4BCvH68z38wZi7qA2vg57bZk/view?usp=drive_link

Responses to Objections: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-TWYk90tPQhWg-sDmpTP7SQU0LVORm9N/view?usp=drive_link

LINKS

Homepage: https://tx.ag/RatioChristi

New to apologetics? Check out our resource guide: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1gJfjwg2ZV6r3znkczVFciTKq-cGpOkJS5CERYv_6jU0/edit?usp=sharing

Archive of slides, handouts, etc from all our previous topics: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1yoXpZBQ4yG2DNNLL8rGo9gkYgbtjCNLmWJXQlzfZGDU/edit?usp=sharing

Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/nuZ3XSr2Gm

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How Was the Bible Written?

Thu, 22 May 2025 00:58:35 +0000

Weekly Meeting 10/03/2024

RESOURCES FOR THIS VIDEO

Slides: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-RsAxjUzftLdUf4MWdPoWD8LHhJNKD1R/view?usp=sharing

Handout: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-Q0r62luuXupBs3SJxM8eW1WPsp9KwaE/view?usp=sharing

Spreadsheet of authorship claims: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1qJ6mDxxxfaCTG4Zme7Oh-y0iD0w0zH57SLeSNliL1sE/edit?usp=sharing

Ben's video on Pauline forgeries: https://youtu.be/w4P478gymzA

Zach's video on Mosaic authorship: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C98I8Maw-ZA&t=2329s

LINKS

Homepage: https://tx.ag/RatioChristi

New to apologetics? Check out our resource guide: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1gJfjwg2ZV6r3znkczVFciTKq-cGpOkJS5CERYv_6jU0/edit?usp=sharing

Archive of slides, handouts, etc from all our previous topics: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1yoXpZBQ4yG2DNNLL8rGo9gkYgbtjCNLmWJXQlzfZGDU/edit?usp=sharing

Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/nuZ3XSr2Gm

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Sex Advice from the Bible: Premarital Sex, Contraception, and more

Tue, 20 May 2025 00:57:15 +0000

Weekly Meeting 9/26/2024

Notes

Dyspareunia is genital pain during or after sexual intercourse that can be medically or psychologically induced. The women in the article were experiencing dyspareunia due to overactive pelvic floor muscles. Basically, their bodies were involuntarily trying to clamp the vagina shut and not let their husband’s penis in. Women who survive sexual assault often present in this way, but, as stated, these women were not assaulted. The leading hypothesis is that the cycle of shame and fear instilled by their Christian upbringing resulted in this psychologically induced condition. By meditating on the Song of Songs and the positive view of sexuality therein, one can cultivate a healthier relationship with sexuality and help prevent or reduce this pain.

RESOURCES FOR THIS VIDEO

Thanks to @annakitko for encouraging and advising me on this topic. Please check out her helpful video here: https://www.youtube.com/live/DGdvdVc1LD0?feature=shared

Slides: https://drive.google.com/file/d/11HqXb_RYGeyAwFy_5MP95jGm2Aty90hM/view?usp=drive_link

Handout: https://drive.google.com/file/d/110ft6x_K1kiEWzNzEfxRVPPagAYint67/view?usp=drive_link

Parkins, et al. (2020) paper on dyspareunia: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/338164010_I_just_beared_through_it_Southern_US_Christian_women's_experiences_of_chronic_dyspareunia

Fertility awareness/NFP: https://www.marquette.edu/nursing/institute-natural-family-planning/model.php

Birth control: https://www.plannedparenthood.org/learn/birth-control

Concerns about abortifacient effects of birth control: https://studentsforlife.org/learn/contraception/

LINKS

Homepage: https://tx.ag/RatioChristi

New to apologetics? Check out our resource guide: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1gJfjwg2ZV6r3znkczVFciTKq-cGpOkJS5CERYv_6jU0/edit?usp=sharing

Archive of slides, handouts, etc from all our previous topics: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1yoXpZBQ4yG2DNNLL8rGo9gkYgbtjCNLmWJXQlzfZGDU/edit?usp=sharing

Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/nuZ3XSr2Gm

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DISCLAIMER

TIMESTAMPS 0:00 Churches are failing you at sex 4:00 Song of Songs celebrates erotic love 7:29 Meditate on Song of Songs to let it transform you 9:19 'One flesh' union is for life 11:28 Why is premarital sex such an issue? 14:33 how babby formed? how girl get pragnent? 15:32 Q: what "aphrodisiac" mean? 16:03 Q: how prostitution = 'one flesh'? 17:13 Q: premarital porn? 18:33 Sex Ed: penis & vulva 20:37 The orgasm gap 22:52 Q: circumcision? 23:53 Q: intersex conditions? 26:20 Sex Ed: sperm & eggs 28:18 Four views on family planning 31:40 Fertility Awareness/NFP explained 37:56 Contraception explained 39:18 Talk conclusion 41:40 Q: contraception pills for medical use? 43:20 Q: "abortifacient contraceptives"? 48:30 Q: premarital sex "immoral", "harmful", or "unwise"? 50:38 Q: does unconscious r-pe = 'one flesh' union? 51:50 Q: how clitoris work? 53:08 Q: are contraceptives biblical?

Why the Exodus is Central

Thu, 15 May 2025 00:55:31 +0000

Weekly Meeting 9/19/2024

RESOURCES FOR THIS VIDEO

Previous Exodus video: https://youtu.be/I3loJ7Urljc

Slides: https://drive.google.com/file/d/12QtzxBcS0k0QL3KKoPQrZ9yNlzSJ0MIL/view?usp=drive_link

Handout: https://drive.google.com/file/d/12NXO16SwcABuhso0da4qpKTpxGFQkdco/view?usp=drive_link

LINKS

Homepage: https://tx.ag/RatioChristi

New to apologetics? Check out our resource guide: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1gJfjwg2ZV6r3znkczVFciTKq-cGpOkJS5CERYv_6jU0/edit?usp=sharing

Archive of slides, handouts, etc from all our previous topics: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1yoXpZBQ4yG2DNNLL8rGo9gkYgbtjCNLmWJXQlzfZGDU/edit?usp=sharing

Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/nuZ3XSr2Gm

ABOUT

DISCLAIMER

Evolution & the Bible – Does Biology Kill Faith?

Tue, 13 May 2025 00:53:17 +0000

Weekly Meeting 9/12/2024

RESOURCES FOR THIS VIDEO

Slides: https://drive.google.com/file/d/104n20mh8j1wpPeg4AdKQu42FHFY-c7Lj/view?usp=drive_link

Handout: https://drive.google.com/file/d/12KaG6FRpfi8HYl-msvDwSjK7-mK50yTM/view?usp=drive_link

LINKS

Homepage: https://tx.ag/RatioChristi

New to apologetics? Check out our resource guide: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1gJfjwg2ZV6r3znkczVFciTKq-cGpOkJS5CERYv_6jU0/edit?usp=sharing

Archive of slides, handouts, etc from all our previous topics: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1yoXpZBQ4yG2DNNLL8rGo9gkYgbtjCNLmWJXQlzfZGDU/edit?usp=drive_link

Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/nuZ3XSr2Gm

ABOUT

DISCLAIMER

New Testament Canon and Authenticity of Scripture

Thu, 08 May 2025 00:50:31 +0000

Weekly Meeting 9/5/2024

RESOURCES FOR THIS VIDEO

Slides: https://drive.google.com/file/d/104n20mh8j1wpPeg4AdKQu42FHFY-c7Lj/view?usp=drive_link

Handout: https://drive.google.com/file/d/106526EetjlNaMR7beK7Rji1ZQkM-trTy/view?usp=drive_link

Outline: https://drive.google.com/file/d/10JyGRAjj9D-cydXpxHUn0Z7F7iRuvrt-/view?usp=drive_link

LINKS

Homepage: https://tx.ag/RatioChristi

New to apologetics? Check out our resource guide: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1gJfjwg2ZV6r3znkczVFciTKq-cGpOkJS5CERYv_6jU0/edit?usp=sharing

Archive of slides, handouts, etc from all our previous topics: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1yoXpZBQ4yG2DNNLL8rGo9gkYgbtjCNLmWJXQlzfZGDU/edit?usp=drive_link

Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/nuZ3XSr2Gm

ABOUT

DISCLAIMER

Can we have Biblical authority without “inerrancy”? w/ Dr. Micah Green

Mon, 05 May 2025 09:08:49 +0000

Weekly Meeting 8/29/2024

RESOURCES FOR THIS VIDEO

Slides: https://drive.google.com/file/d/104esD0p5twnimpNMeFK3x3Z-7lILZaaG/view?usp=drive_link

LINKS

Homepage: https://tx.ag/RatioChristi

New to apologetics? Check out our resource guide: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1gJfjwg2ZV6r3znkczVFciTKq-cGpOkJS5CERYv_6jU0/edit?usp=sharing

Archive of slides, handouts, etc from all our previous topics: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/180R5igfQPt0PntHa9EIxkvveaUj8gJE5?usp=drive_link

Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/nuZ3XSr2Gm

ABOUT

DISCLAIMER

Veritas 2024: Changing My Mind – A Skeptical Professor Meets a Surprising God w/ Dr. Molly Worthen

Mon, 30 Sep 2024 21:20:29 +0000

Veritas Forum 4/15/2024

Video: https://youtube.com/live/Fob0Jj7jL_k

How can we tell when we should change our mind? Join professors Molly Worthen and Lorien Foote for a discussion about how we negotiate the tension between skepticism and belief. Professor Worthen will describe the factors that led her to embrace faith after researching the good, the bad and the ugly of Christian history.

Molly Worthen’s research focuses on North American religious and intellectual history. Her most recent book examines American evangelical intellectual life since 1945. Worthen teaches courses in global Christianity, North American religious and intellectual culture, and the history of politics and ideology. In 2017 she received the Manekin Family Award for Teaching Excellence in Honors Carolina. She writes regularly about religion, politics and higher education for the New York Times and has also contributed to Politico, the New Yorker, Slate, the American Prospect, Foreign Policy, and other publications. She has also created courses for Audible and the Teaching Company on the history of charismatic leadership as well as the history of global Christianity since the Reformation. Worthen is currently working on a book about the history of charisma in America since 1600.

Lorien Foote is the Patricia & Bookman Peters Professor in History. She is the author of four books. Her most recent, Rites of Retaliation: Civilization, Soldiers, and Campaigns in the American Civil War, was awarded the 2022 Organization of American Historians Civil War and Reconstruction Book Award. The Yankee Plague: Escaped Union Prisoners of War (2016), was a Choice Outstanding Academic Title, and The Gentlemen and the Roughs: Manhood, Honor, and Violence in the Union Army (2010), was a finalist and honorable mention for the 2011 Lincoln Prize. She is the co-editor of three volumes, including The Oxford Handbook of the American Civil War (2021). Dr. Foote is the creator and principal investigator of the Digital Humanities Project “Fugitive Federals,” which visualizes the escape and movement of 3000 Federal prisoners of war during the American Civil War: https://sites.google.com/tamu.edu/fugitive-federals/the-project.

Eyewitnesses at Easter – The Authenticity of the Gospels’ Accounts

Mon, 23 Sep 2024 21:20:49 +0000

Weekly Meeting 4/18/2024

Video: https://youtu.be/LlMdjbkqTWU

This lecture is from our 2024 Spring lecture series. For more information and resources go to https://tx.ag/RatioChristi

Spring 2024 slides and handouts: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1B8Z4KtRud-cxTKGYx5hunvt88iwviUXD

DISCLAIMER

Think Theism lectures are supported by Ratio Christi @ Texas A&M, but the opinions represented herein do not necessarily reflect the beliefs or values of Ratio Christi, Inc. nor Texas A&M University. This content is presented to encourage discussion and critical thought about challenging questions.

Is cosmic fine-tuning evidence for God?

Mon, 16 Sep 2024 21:20:00 +0000

Weekly Meeting 4/11/2024

Video: https://youtu.be/OmRR4Sqzd14

It seems as if small changes in this universe’s basic features would have made life impossible. Does this point to divine design?

This lecture is from our 2024 Spring lecture series. For more information and resources go to https://tx.ag/RatioChristi

Spring 2024 slides and handouts: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1B8Z4KtRud-cxTKGYx5hunvt88iwviUXD

DISCLAIMER

Depending on God: the argument from contingency

Mon, 09 Sep 2024 21:20:24 +0000

Weekly meeting 4/4/2024

Video: https://youtu.be/C1TZ_wgVkLk

The fact that there is something rather than nothing poses an interesting challenge to any worldview, but Theism is able to give a compelling answer.

This lecture is from our 2024 Spring lecture series. For more information and resources go to https://tx.ag/RatioChristi

Spring 2024 slides and handouts: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1B8Z4KtRud-cxTKGYx5hunvt88iwviUXD

DISCLAIMER

Mind, Consciousness, and the Failure of Naturalism w/ Dr. Micah Green

Mon, 02 Sep 2024 21:20:40 +0000

Weekly meeting 3/21/2024

Video: https://youtube.com/live/Ddzc82C19kM?feature=share

This lecture is from our 2024 Spring lecture series. For more information and resources go to tx.ag/RatioChristi Spring 2024 slides and handouts: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1B8Z4KtRud-cxTKGYx5hunvt88iwviUXD

-------------------- DISCLAIMER ---------------------

Problem of Hell and Justice of God

Mon, 26 Aug 2024 21:20:36 +0000

Weekly meeting 2/29/2024

Video: https://youtu.be/MuARt2Y6BxY

Check out our previous episode on hell: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_6DWPxP0pA

This episode is from our 2024 Spring lecture series. For more information and resources go to tx.ag/RatioChristi

Spring 2024 slides and handouts: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1B8Z4KtRud-cxTKGYx5hunvt88iwviUXD

DISCLAIMER

What About Those That Never Hear the Gospel?

Mon, 26 Aug 2024 21:20:02 +0000

Weekly meeting 2/22/2024

Video: https://youtu.be/aTrdcdPJvmo

This episode is from our 2024 Spring lecture series. For more information and resources go to tx.ag/RatioChristi

Spring 2024 slides and handouts: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1B8Z4KtRud-cxTKGYx5hunvt88iwviUXD

DISCLAIMER

Paul the…Philosopher? Reading the Apostle in Context

Mon, 19 Aug 2024 21:20:31 +0000

Weekly meeting 2/9/2024. Video: https://youtu.be/HsspQRglpPY

This video is from our 2024 Spring lecture series. For more information and resources go to tx.ag/RatioChristi

Spring 2024 slides and handouts: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1B8Z4KtRud-cxTKGYx5hunvt88iwviUXD

DISCLAIMER

Reading Outside of the Bible to Understand Inside of the Bible

Mon, 12 Aug 2024 21:20:00 +0000

Weekly Meeting 2/1/2024. Video here: https://youtu.be/g8A70Qw0kac

The Bible, like all works of written communication, leaves many elements implicit to be filled in by the audience’s assumptions. To cooperate with the author, we need to reconstruct, as best as possible, the shared world (or cognitive environment) of the original author and audience. One important tool is comparing literature from the same cognitive environment.

This episode is from our 2024 Spring lecture series. For more information and resources go to tx.ag/RatioChristi

Spring 2024 slides and handouts: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1B8Z4KtRud-cxTKGYx5hunvt88iwviUXD

DISCLAIMER

Mental Trauma & Threat of Hell – Finding Healing on a Historical Tour of the Afterlife

Mon, 05 Aug 2024 21:20:13 +0000

This was the topic of our meeting on 10/5/2023. Unfortunately, the original recording was corrupted; thanks to our speaker who recorded this backup! Watch the video here: https://youtu.be/u_6DWPxP0pA

This video is from our 2023 Fall lecture series. For more information and resources go to tx.ag/RatioChristi

Fall 2023 slides and handouts: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1Tjz1EcTD7Wbmc3R2IjE8X48I6FzpatK0

DISCLAIMER

Jesus: The Smartest Man Who Ever Lived?

Thu, 01 Aug 2024 21:20:01 +0000

Weekly meeting 1/25/2024

Video: https://youtube.com/live/z834RsS8gHM

This episode is from our 2024 Spring lecture series. For more information and resources go to tx.ag/RatioChristi

Spring 2024 slides and handouts: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1B8Z4KtRud-cxTKGYx5hunvt88iwviUXD

DISCLAIMER

Making Sense of Biblical Genocide

Mon, 29 Jul 2024 21:20:24 +0000

Weekly Meeting 10/19/2023

This episode is from our 2023 Fall lecture series. Watch video here: https://youtu.be/ldRNurwKRNI

For more information and resources go to tx.ag/RatioChristi

Fall 2023 slides and handouts: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1Tjz1EcTD7Wbmc3R2IjE8X48I6FzpatK0

DISCLAIMER

Prayer and Providence

Thu, 25 Jul 2024 21:20:51 +0000

Weekly Meeting 4/13/2023

Video: https://youtube.com/live/_UYFywxa8Dc

This episode is from our 2023 Spring lecture series. For more information and resources go to thinktheism.org

NOTE: Tech difficulties cut out the audio for the last 5 mins.

DISCLAIMER

Can Technology Be Redeemed? A Theology of Technology

Mon, 22 Jul 2024 21:20:33 +0000

Weekly Meeting 9/28/2023

This episode is from our 2023 Fall lecture series. Watch video here: https://youtu.be/eMlHY_jDUq0

Fall 2023 slides and handouts: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1Tjz1EcTD7Wbmc3R2IjE8X48I6FzpatK0

DISCLAIMER

Did God Make Me Do It?: Divine Foreknowledge and Free Will

Thu, 18 Jul 2024 21:20:55 +0000

Weekly meeting 10/26/2023

Video: https://youtube.com/live/dICLZPVW1_k

This episode is from our 2023 Fall lecture series. For more information and resources go to tx.ag/RatioChristi

Fall 2023 slides and handouts: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1Tjz1EcTD7Wbmc3R2IjE8X48I6FzpatK0

DISCLAIMER

General Revelation: How God Can Be Known in Nature

Mon, 15 Jul 2024 21:20:48 +0000

This episode is from our 2023 Spring lecture series. Watch video here: https://youtu.be/_IKsWuRB8W4

DISCLAIMER

Can Evolutionary Psychology Explain Away Belief in God? (w/ Dr. Paul Rezkalla)

Thu, 11 Jul 2024 21:20:11 +0000

Weekly meeting 10/12/2023

Video: https://youtube.com/live/4FHHPuHEsSE

This episode is from our 2023 Fall lecture series. For more information and resources go to tx.ag/RatioChristi

Fall 2023 slides and handouts: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1Tjz1EcTD7Wbmc3R2IjE8X48I6FzpatK0

DISCLAIMER

Does Evolution Undermine Christian Belief? w/ James Madden (Thomistic Institute)

Mon, 08 Jul 2024 21:20:03 +0000

NOTE: audio is rough at the beginning but clears up at 6:00

Handout: https://ia601604.us.archive.org/6/items/the-compatibility-of-christianity-and-evolution.docx/The%20Compatibility%20of%20Christianity%20and%20Evolution.docx.pdf

Video: https://youtu.be/_fE4Vlh9gVc

Prof. Madden refers to a previous lecture he gave on a similar topic. You can listen to it here: https://soundcloud.com/thomisticinstitute/does-evolution-undermine-christianity-prof-james-madden

The Thomistic Institute at Texas A&M University presents a lecture by Prof. James Madden of Benedictine College titled “Does Evolution Undermine Christianity?”.

Thursday, October 13, 2022

About the Speaker James Madden is Professor of Philosophy at Benedictine College. He lives in Atchison, Kansas with his wife (Jennifer) and their six children; William, Martha, J. Patrick, Brendan, Jack, and Cormac. He is originally from Wisconsin, where he received a B.A. from St. Norbert College, and did his graduate work at Kent State (MA, 1998) and Purdue (Ph.D., 2002). He was awarded the Benedictine College Distinguished Educator of the Year Award in 2006.

About the Thomistic Institute The Thomistic Institute exists to promote Catholic truth in our contemporary world by strengthening the intellectual formation of Christians at universities, in the Church, and in the wider public square. The thought of St. Thomas Aquinas, the Universal Doctor of the Church, is our touchstone. The TI is an academic institute of the Pontifical Faculty of the Immaculate Conception at the Dominican House of Studies in Washington, D.C. For more information, go to thomisticinstitute.org/campus-chapters/texasam

Veritas 2023: Is Anything Worth Dying For? w/ Dr. Sean McDowell & Dr. Matthew Vess

Thu, 04 Jul 2024 21:20:24 +0000

Dr. Sean McDowell (Biola University) & Dr. Matthew Vess (Texas A&M University) in dialogue about martyrdom and if anything is really worth dying for.

Video: https://youtube.com/live/jMmsPWb6wZo

Dr. Sean McDowell is Associate Professor in the Talbot School of Theology at BIOLA University. He is a communicator with a passion for equipping the church, and in particular young people, to make the case for the Christian faith. Dr. McDowell is the author, co-author, or editor of over twenty books including The Fate of the Apostles: Examining the Martyrdom Accounts of the Closest Followers of Jesus (Routledge, 2018) in which he offers a comprehensive, reasoned, historical analysis of the fate of the twelve disciples of Jesus along with the apostles Paul, and James. The willingness of the apostles to die for their faith is a popular argument in resurrection studies and McDowell offers insightful scholarly analysis of this argument to break new ground within the spheres of New Testament studies, Church History, and apologetics. To learn more about Dr. McDowell, visit seanmcdowell.org

Dr. Matthew Vess is Associate Professor in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences at Texas A&M University. His research broadly focuses on the psychological processes and consequences associated with people’s efforts to manage existential concerns, including concerns about personal identity, meaning, and mortality. Dr. Vess is a Principal Investigator of the Existential Psychology Collaboratory at Texas A&M University. This research aims to understand how people answer the “big” questions in life and how people’s answers to those questions influence their attitudes and behavior. This includes formulating and testing a wide range of hypotheses related to many types of existential concerns focusing on the antecedents and consequences of the experience of meaning in life, authenticity, self-alienation, perceptions of free-will, and mortality awareness. To learn more about Dr. Vess and the Existential Psychology Collaboratory, visit existentialpsych.sites.tamu.edu

Introduction to the Moral Argument | Think Theism

Mon, 01 Jul 2024 21:20:32 +0000

This video is from our 2022 Fall lecture series. Watch the video here: https://youtu.be/zsqHrL0nBnc

DISCLAIMER

Veritas 2022: (Re)Considering Faith: How to Navigate Doubt Amidst Chaos (Ft. Karen Swallow Prior)

Thu, 27 Jun 2024 21:20:36 +0000

Video: https://youtube.com/live/9Zvh_taZkCY

College students can and should examine their core beliefs about meaning and purpose to see if it’s more than just an inherited belief system. Students frequently take their beliefs apart (“deconstruction”), but struggle to put those beliefs back together. This is especially true in the context of American Christianity, where the lines between the historic Christian faith and our cultural, religious expressions can be blurry and frustrating. Dr. Prior will walk us through the process of navigating doubt and deconstruction in a healthy way, so that our core beliefs can handle the hard questions.

About the Speaker: Karen Swallow Prior, Ph. D., is Research Professor of English and Christianity and Culture at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. She is the author of Booked: Literature in the Soul of Me (T. S. Poetry Press, 2012), Fierce Convictions: The Extraordinary Life of Hannah More—Poet, Reformer, Abolitionist (Thomas Nelson, 2014), and On Reading Well: Finding the Good Life through Great Books (Brazos, 2018). She is co-editor of Cultural Engagement: A Crash Course in Contemporary Issues (Zondervan 2019) and has contributed to numerous other books. Her writing has appeared at Christianity Today, The Atlantic, The Washington Post, First Things, Vox, Relevant, Think Christian, The Gospel Coalition, Religion News Service, Books and Culture and other places.

Finding the Right Hills to Die On | Think Theism

Mon, 24 Jun 2024 21:20:25 +0000

This video is from our 2022 Fall lecture series. Watch the video here: https://youtu.be/FRJRWLaqfME

DISCLAIMER

Veritas 2021: Beyond Brains – The Case for the Soul (ft. J.P. Moreland)

Thu, 20 Jun 2024 21:20:18 +0000

Dr. J.P. Moreland (Biola University) and Dr. Robert Garcia (Baylor University) in conversation on whether humans are merely brains or if there is an immaterial soul.

Video: https://youtube.com/live/-8UvxQWQHtE

Timestamps 0:00 MC Introduction 2:45 Dr. J.P. Moreland's talk 38:50 Dr. Garcia & Dr. Moreland Discussion 1:10:10 Audience Q&A

Handout: tx.ag/beyondbrains

About the talk In a culture in which science is believed to hold the answers to every question, spiritual realities like the soul are often ignored or ridiculed. We are told that neuroscience holds the key to explaining every aspect of human behavior. Yet Christian philosopher J. P. Moreland argues that Scripture, sound philosophical reasoning, and everyday experience all point to the reality of an immaterial soul. Countering a material-only view of humanity, Moreland demonstrates why it is both biblical and reasonable to believe humans are essentially spiritual beings.

Dr. Moreland will be in conversation with Dr. Robert Garcia of Baylor University about how neuroscience and the soul are not competing explanations of human activity, but that both coexist and influence one another.

Resurrection: The Christian Hope | Think Theism

Mon, 17 Jun 2024 21:20:27 +0000

This video is from our 2022 Fall lecture series. Watch the video here: https://youtu.be/bzqcN1uAH2A

DISCLAIMER

DEBATE: Does Evolution Make Sense Without God?

Thu, 13 Jun 2024 21:20:01 +0000

Our end of semester debate with the Secular Student Alliance on evolution.

Video: https://youtube.com/live/8ogchMBDgd8

DISCLAIMER

This debate is cosponsored by Ratio Christi @ Texas A&M and Secular Student Alliance TAMU, but the opinions represented herein are of the speakers only and do not necessarily reflect the beliefs or values of Ratio Christi, Inc. nor Texas A&M University. This content is presented to encourage discussion and critical thought about challenging questions.

Did Paul Invent Christianity? | Think Theism

Mon, 10 Jun 2024 21:20:28 +0000

This video is from our 2022 Fall lecture series. Watch the video version here: https://youtu.be/jNjUIVDhZUs

DISCLAIMER

Was Jesus A Failed Prophet?

Thu, 06 Jun 2024 21:20:48 +0000

Weekly meeting 9/14/2023

Video: https://youtube.com/live/E5XllcgQlys

This episode is from our 2023 Fall lecture series. For more information and resources go to tx.ag/RatioChristi

Fall 2023 slides and handouts: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1Tjz1EcTD7Wbmc3R2IjE8X48I6FzpatK0

DISCLAIMER

“Law without a Lawgiver? Why Natural Rights Require a Divine Source” w/ Prof. Francis Beckwith

Mon, 03 Jun 2024 21:20:12 +0000

The Thomistic Institute at Texas A&M University presents a lecture by Prof. Francis Beckwith of Baylor University titled “Law Without a Lawgiver? Why Natural Rights Require a Divine Source." Watch the video version here: https://youtu.be/Is-cMWNam3Y

NOTE: There are a few glitches in the camera feed near the middle of the talk. The audio and slides are unaffected.

About the Speaker: Francis J. Beckwith is Professor of Philosophy & Church-State Studies at Baylor University, where he also serves as Associate Director of the Graduate Program in Philosophy. Among his over one dozen books are Defending Life: A Moral and Legal Case Against Abortion Choice (Cambridge University Press, 2007), Politics For Christians: Statecraft As Soulcraft (IVP, 2010), and Taking Rites Seriously: Law, Politics, and the Reasonableness of Faith (Cambridge University Press, 2015), winner of the American Academy of Religion's prestigious 2016 Book Award for Excellence in the Study of Religion in Constructive-Reflective Studies. He is a graduate of the Washington University School of Law, St. Louis (MJS) as well as Fordham University (PhD, MA, philosophy).

How Reason can Lead to God | Think Theism

Tue, 28 May 2024 01:01:40 +0000

This episode is from our 2022 Fall lecture series. Watch the video here: https://youtu.be/h_cZNnGDI50

DISCLAIMER

Chapters (Auto-Generated) 0:00 Introduction 1:18 THE BRIDGE OF REASON 4:57 The Foundation Theory 10:57 How did the capacity to produce an effect (power) come to exist? 18:08 Emergentism? 23:06 How do we explain the existence of organized matter? 27:23 Mathematical and logical principles exist … where did they come from? 29:30 A quick recap…

How to Be an Intellectually Fulfilled Christian | Think Theism

Mon, 20 May 2024 21:20:15 +0000

This episode is from our 2022 Fall lecture series. Watch the video here: https://youtu.be/tQrAxkDIlnk

DISCLAIMER

(Re)constructing What It Means To Be Human | Think Theism

Mon, 13 May 2024 21:21:10 +0000

This episode is from our 2022 Spring lecture series Deconstruction & Reconstruction. Watch the video version here: https://youtu.be/MAr-UOUeGVM

DISCLAIMER

(De)constructing Transhumanism | Think Theism

Mon, 13 May 2024 21:20:47 +0000

This episode is from our 2022 Spring lecture series Deconstruction & Reconstruction. Watch the video version here: https://youtu.be/qYcqt-cTg_8

DISCLAIMER

“The Revenge of Conscience: What Happens When We Lie to Ourselves” w/ Dr. J. Budziszewski

Mon, 06 May 2024 21:20:11 +0000

The Thomistic Institute at Texas A&M University presents a lecture by Prof. J. Budziszewski of the University of Texas at Austin titled “The Revenge of Conscience: What Happens When We Lie to Ourselves.”

Watch the video version here: https://youtu.be/I4_TPn9c9VI

About the Speaker: J. Budziszewski (Ph.D. Yale, 1981) is a professor of government and philosophy at the University of Texas at Austin. His main area of research is the natural moral law, and he is most well known for his work on moral self-deception, “the revenge of conscience,” what happens when we tell ourselves that we don't know what we really do know. However, he has written about all sorts of things such as moral character, family and sexuality, religion and public life, toleration and liberty, and the unraveling of our common culture. The most recent of his thirteen books are Commentary on Thomas Aquinas's Treatise on Law and Commentary on Thomas Aquinas’s Virtue Ethics, both from Cambridge University Press, as well as On the Meaning of Sex, from Intercollegiate Studies Institute. His book for students, How to Stay Christian in College has sold several hundred thousand copies. He also maintains a personal website and blog, The Underground Thomist. Married for more than 45 years, Dr. Budziszewski has several children and a clutch of grandchildren. Presently he is completing a book on the meaning of happiness.

“God, Beauty, & Mathematics” w/ Dr. Alexander Pruss (Thomistic Institute at Texas A&M)

Mon, 29 Apr 2024 21:20:39 +0000

The Thomistic Institute at Texas A&M University presents a lecture by Prof. Alexander Pruss of Baylor University titled “God, Beauty, and Mathematics.”

Watch the video version here: https://youtu.be/rNRhAFakfoc

About the speaker Alexander Pruss has doctorates both in philosophy and mathematics, and is currently Professor of Philosophy at Baylor University. His books include The Principle of Sufficient Reason: A Reassessment (Cambridge University Press), One Body: An Essay in Christian Sexual Ethics (Notre Dame University Press), and Actuality, Possibility and Worlds (Continuum). His research areas include metaphysics, philosophy of religion, Christian ethics, philosophy of mathematics and formal epistemology.

(Re)evaluating the Trinity | Think Theism

Mon, 22 Apr 2024 21:20:42 +0000

This episode is from our 2022 Spring lecture series Deconstruction & Reconstruction. Watch the video version here: https://youtu.be/H-6cPH6AHxk

Recommended Resources

Grounding Your Faith in the Essentials

"Warranted Christian Belief" by Alvin Plantinga: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0059EQ4DY
"Reasonable Faith" by William Lane Craig: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00G5M1BFK
"The Resurrection of Jesus" by Michael Licona: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005LUJDNE

Knowing the Landscape of Secondary Issues

"A Flexible Faith" by Bonnie Kristian: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075CT7ZP7
"Across the Spectrum" ed. Greg Boyd & Paul Eddy: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008BLTV28
"Evangelical Faith and the Challenge of Historical Criticism" ed. Chris Hays & Chris Ansberry: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0801049385

DISCLAIMER

(Re)considering the Resurrection of Jesus w/ Mike Licona| Think Theism

Mon, 15 Apr 2024 21:20:27 +0000

Dr. Mike Licona joins us to discuss the resurrection of Jesus and what we can know from history.

"The Resurrection of Jesus" by Michael Licona: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005LUJDNE

This episode is from our 2022 Spring lecture series Deconstruction & Reconstruction. Watch the video version here: https://youtu.be/F6wEGMon404

Note: This video has been slightly edited for length and clarity. There is a small recording glitch at the beginning and at the Q&A.

DISCLAIMER

(Re)constructing the Text of the Bible | Think Theism

Mon, 08 Apr 2024 21:20:13 +0000

This episode is from our 2022 Spring lecture series Deconstruction & Reconstruction. Watch here: https://youtu.be/Lb0XLRTbSRg

Note: This video has been slightly edited for length and clarity.

DISCLAIMER

(Re)considering Inerrancy: How to Avoid Making a Brittle Bible w/ Micah Green | Think Theism

Mon, 01 Apr 2024 21:20:53 +0000

This is from our 2022 Spring lecture series Deconstruction & Reconstruction. Video version here: https://youtu.be/UrairX8aTTU

Note: This video has been slightly edited for length and clarity.

Recommended Resources

Grounding Your Faith in the Essentials

"Warranted Christian Belief" by Alvin Plantinga: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0059EQ4DY
"Reasonable Faith" by William Lane Craig: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00G5M1BFK
"The Resurrection of Jesus" by Michael Licona: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005LUJDNE

Knowing the Landscape of Secondary Issues

"A Flexible Faith" by Bonnie Kristian: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075CT7ZP7
"Across the Spectrum" ed. Greg Boyd & Paul Eddy: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008BLTV28
"Evangelical Faith and the Challenge of Historical Criticism" ed. Chris Hays & Chris Ansberry: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0801049385

DISCLAIMER

(Re)considering Science: A Former Young-Earth Creationist Tells His Story | Think Theism

Mon, 25 Mar 2024 21:20:03 +0000

This episode is from our 2022 Spring lecture series Deconstruction & Reconstruction. Watch here: https://youtu.be/S3VzNd7RY3Q

Recommended Resources

Grounding Your Faith in the Essentials

"Warranted Christian Belief" by Alvin Plantinga: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0059EQ4DY
"Reasonable Faith" by William Lane Craig: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00G5M1BFK
"The Resurrection of Jesus" by Michael Licona: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005LUJDNE

Knowing the Landscape of Secondary Issues

"A Flexible Faith" by Bonnie Kristian: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075CT7ZP7
"Across the Spectrum" ed. Greg Boyd & Paul Eddy: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008BLTV28
"Evangelical Faith and the Challenge of Historical Criticism" ed. Chris Hays & Chris Ansberry: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0801049385

DISCLAIMER

(Re)constructing Faith: A Former Oneness Pentecostal Tells His Story | Think Theism

Mon, 18 Mar 2024 21:20:49 +0000

This video is from our 2022 Spring lecture series Deconstruction & Reconstruction. Watch here: https://youtu.be/vhAZRHqP2T0

Note: This video has been slightly edited for length and clarity.

Timestamps

0:00 Disclaimer 0:23 Introduction + Veritas Forum: tx.ag/Veritas22 1:43 What is "deconstruction"? 6:40 What is "Pentecostalism"? 12:03 Baby Zach 12:45 Round 1: Does me speaking in tongues prove Christianity? 15:13 Round 2: Could I be faking my tongues? 23:01 Round 3: Does tongues+interpretation prove Christianity? 29:30 Round 4: Is there evidence tongues+interpretation is non-divine? 32:55 Why didn't I spiral into atheism? 40:37 The Road Out + Recommended Resources 44:10 Q&A: "Is your current church boring compared to the UPCI?" 46:57 Q&A: "Did you get rebaptized?" 48:05 Q&A: "What is the difference between Presbyterian and Reformed Baptist?" 49:04 Q&A: "What's the deal with baptizing babies?" 50:30 Q&A: "Why didn't you leave the UPCI as soon as you thought your tongues were fake?" 52:21 Q&A: "Did you have a rift with your family?" 53:00 Jesus loves all his children and will draw them home to him in time (John 6:44).

Recommended Resources

Oneness Pentecostalism

"What Are Oneness Pentecostals?" (Ready to Harvest): https://youtu.be/3HHKwl9ZoL0
"Oneness Pentecostals and the Trinity" by Greg Boyd: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0801010195
"Oneness of God" by David K. Bernard: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00307SA0W/

Grounding Your Faith in the Essentials

"Warranted Christian Belief" by Alvin Plantinga: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0059EQ4DY
"Reasonable Faith" by William Lane Craig: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00G5M1BFK
"The Resurrection of Jesus" by Michael Licona: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005LUJDNE

Knowing the Landscape of Secondary Issues

"A Flexible Faith" by Bonnie Kristian: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075CT7ZP7
"Across the Spectrum" ed. Greg Boyd & Paul Eddy: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008BLTV28
"Evangelical Faith and the Challenge of Historical Criticism" ed. Chris Hays & Chris Ansberry: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0801049385

Additional Commentary from Zach

If you are currently Oneness or former Oneness or questioning Oneness, please leave a comment with your story or reach out to me privately at zacharytlawson+pentecostal [at] gmail [dot] com.

Like I said at 6:18, my goal was not to provide a decisive refutation of Oneness theology. Rather the purpose was to retrace my steps in the first part of an ongoing spiritual journey. The arguments that persuaded me back then are not going to be persuasive to everyone nor are they the strongest arguments against Oneness doctrines. In particular, introspecting on my experience speaking in tongues is a necessarily subjective process that bears no evidential weight for anyone other than me. Some Pentecostals have the opposite experience, desperately trying to speak in tongues but never succeeding.

Per request, one of the strongest lines of argument against Oneness, in my current estimation, is the evidence of divine plurality in the Hebrew Bible (aka Old Testament) that culminated in the "Two Powers in Heaven" controversy during the Second Temple period. Classic Biblical texts include the "second YHWH" of Genesis 19:24, the "Son of Man" of Daniel 7, and the equation of Jesus with the Angel of YHWH who delivered the Hebrews from Egypt (Judges 2:1-4 // Jude 5). Recent research into so-called "Jewish Binitarianism" has revealed strains of Jewish theology as early as 200 B.C./B.C.E. that interpreted these (and other) Biblical texts to be distinct persons of the one God YHWH; moreover, that this "binitarian" view may have been the dominant theology of Jesus's time (c.f. "Two Powers in Heaven" (1977) by Segal, "Border Lines" (2006) by Boyarin). This is a strong refutation of the common retort from Oneness apologists "why didn't the Jews think of the Trinity?". Such a retort is predicated on equating "Judaism" with Rabbinic theology that wasn't developed until well into the 400s A.D./C.E, centuries after the "Two Powers" language was appropriated by Christians to identify Jesus as the "second YHWH". While this does not, on its own, demonstrate the truth of Nicene orthodoxy, it is powerful Biblical evidence against modalism. For more on this, see below

"Three Persons, Two Powers, One God" - Zachary Lawson: https://youtu.be/j3fZWNUrN20?t=1678 "Two Powers of the Godhead" - Michael Heiser: https://youtu.be/CUkhWBKCuXc

DISCLAIMER

Interview with Dr. Mike Licona

Mon, 11 Mar 2024 21:20:06 +0000

Dr. Mike Licona ( @MikeLiconaOfficial ) joins us to discuss the historicity of the resurrection, why there are differences in the Gospels, and biblical inerrancy. Video version here: https://youtu.be/rbspN8Fsbrw

TIMESTAMPS

00:28-05:38 What is the current state of resurrection research? 05:38-07:35 What is the minimal facts approach and how has it evolved? 07:35-09:53 How does the "minimal" approach compare to the "maximalist" approach? 09:53-14:18 What are the "minimal facts" and which is the strongest attested? 14:18-16:36 What is the strangest evidence for the resurrection? 16:36-17:40 What is the strangest alternative hypothesis to the resurrection? 17:40-29:00 What's the deal with Matthew's zombies? 29:00-38:23 What does it mean to say the Bible is inspired and/or inerrant? 38:23-41:14 How does God's providence of the text affect our view of God's providence in our lives? 41:14-51:05 Why are there differences in the Gospels? 51:05-52:13 How to you respond to your critics who say you deny inerrancy? 52:13-58:25 Does the compositional device of displacement address the question of the delay of Jesus's second coming? 58:25-1:05:52 What do you think about the latest stir over Genesis 1-11 and William Lane Craig's new book? 1:05:52 How early is the material in the Pauline epistles?

LINKS

Mike Licona's YouTube channel and interview with William Lane Craig : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nc1ekr03KVA

DISCLAIMER

Think Theism is produced in associate with Ratio Christi @ Texas A&M, however the opinions represented herein do not necessarily reflect the beliefs or values of Ratio Christi, Inc. nor Texas A&M University. This content is presented to encourage discussion and critical thought about challenging questions.

Interview with Dr. David Baggett on God, Morality, and Meaning

Mon, 04 Mar 2024 22:20:42 +0000

Zach interviews Dr. David Baggett, professor of philosophy and Director of the Center for Moral Apologetics at Houston Christian University. Video: https://youtu.be/YWrif8pvWXc

"The Morals of the Story" https://www.ivpress.com/the-morals-of-the-story

With his co-author, Jerry Walls, Dr. Baggett authored Good God: The Theistic Foundations of Morality. The book won Christianity Today’s 2012 apologetics book of the year of the award. In 2016 he published a sequel with Walls that critiques naturalistic ethics, God and Cosmos: Moral Truth and Human Meaning. A third book in the series, The Moral Argument: A History (2019), chronicles the history of moral arguments for God’s existence. They are under contract with OUP for the fourth book of their tetralogy—on the topic of moral realism, Dr. Baggett has also co-edited a collection of essays exploring the philosophy of C. S. Lewis, edited the third debate between Gary Habermas and Antony Flew on the resurrection of Jesus, and in 2018 co-wrote (with his wife Marybeth) The Morals of the Story: Good News about a Good God. Dr. Baggett currently is a professor of philosophy and Director of the Center for Moral Apologetics at Houston Christian University. For more information, go to MoralApologetics.com

Timestamps 0:00 Why moral apologetics? 4:20 Importance of personal character 7:10 Moral knowledge 12:50 Evolutionary ethics and moral knowledge 17:21 Moral Platonism and moral knowledge 19:22 Moral transformation 24:22 Secular alternatives 27:33 Does the Bible cause moral regression? 31:45 Why follow God's commands? 33:25 Does God contradict our deepest moral intuitions? 37:05 Does Calvinism make God evil? 43:56 Is the world run by an evil God? 48:29 How God grounds the Good, the True, and the Beautiful

Gospel Objections 8: The Problem of Aliens!

Tue, 15 Feb 2022 22:20:42 +0000

Would the discovery of extraterrestrial life send Christianity to the dustbin of history?

This video is from our 2021 Fall lecture series responding to Gospel Objections. Each week, we evaluate a common objection to the core message of Jesus. For more information and resources go to http://rc-tamu.org/gospel-objections

Note: This video has been slightly edited for length and clarity.

DISCLAIMER: Think Theism lectures are supported by Ratio Christi @ Texas A&M, but the opinions represented herein do not necessarily reflect the beliefs or values of Ratio Christi, Inc. nor Texas A&M University. This content is presented to encourage discussion and critical thought about challenging questions.

Video version available at https://www.youtube.com/c/RatioChristiTexasAMUniversity

Gospel Objections 7: The Problem of the Delay of the Paraousia (Jesus’s Second Coming)

Thu, 10 Feb 2022 22:20:19 +0000

Jesus famously said "this generation shall not pass away until all these things come to pass". After 2000 years, and many dead generations later, is it time to stop waiting?

Note: This video has been slightly edited for length and clarity.

Video version available at https://www.youtube.com/c/RatioChristiTexasAMUniversity

Gospel Objections 6: The Problem of Deconversion

Tue, 08 Feb 2022 22:20:37 +0000

Recent years have seen a slew of high profile Christians publicly renouncing their faith, deconverting, and/or deconstructing. Unfortunately, many of these "Exvangelicals" have received nasty responses and even many well-meaning people have unintentionally responded offensively. What is the healthy way to approach the issue of deconstruction? What can be learned from these public figures? Do the phenomena of deconstructions and deconversions provide evidence against Christianity?

In this meeting, we discuss excerpts from the deconstructions of Rhett & Link and @Paulogia. The full length sources for these excerpts can be found below. Rhett's Spiritual Deconstruction: https://youtu.be/1qbna6t1bzw Rhett's One Year Follow-Up: https://youtu.be/CnYG6x-aOTk Link's Spiritual Deconstruction: https://youtu.be/w1AZhlyoD9s Link's One-Year Follow-Up: https://youtu.be/ujtXatJVeN0 Christians Probe the @Paulogia Deconversion Origin Story: https://youtu.be/h5SYO5mQfkE Ken Ham made me an atheist. (An intro to @Paulogia.): https://youtu.be/pxmedqvaP_Q

Note: This video has been slightly edited for length and clarity.

Video version available at https://www.youtube.com/c/RatioChristiTexasAMUniversity

Gospel Objections 5: The Problem of Transhumanism

Thu, 03 Feb 2022 22:20:19 +0000

The advancement of modern science has opened the door to a future where human weakness is transcended by technology. Is the promise of the gospel irrelevant in the face of the transhumanist alternative?

Note: This video has been slightly edited for length and clarity.

Video version available at https://www.youtube.com/c/RatioChristiTexasAMUniversity

Gospel Objections 4: The Problem of Science

Tue, 01 Feb 2022 22:20:14 +0000

Contemporary science is often presented as being in massive contradiction to the Gospel message. Is Jesus irrelevant in an age of modernity?

Note: This video has been slightly edited for length and clarity.

Video version is available at https://www.youtube.com/c/RatioChristiTexasAMUniversity

Gospel Objections 3: The Problem of Atonement

Thu, 27 Jan 2022 22:20:25 +0000

The core message of the gospel is that Jesus died for the sins of the world. Does this make any sense at all?

Note: This video has been slightly edited for length and clarity.

Video version available at https://www.youtube.com/c/RatioChristiTexasAMUniversity

Gospel Objections 2: The Problem of Hell

Tue, 25 Jan 2022 22:20:04 +0000

What about those that reject the Gospel? Is eternal punishment proper justice for finite sins?

Note: This video has been slightly edited for length and clarity.

Video version available at https://www.youtube.com/c/RatioChristiTexasAMUniversity

Gospel Objections 1: The Problem of the Unevangelized

Thu, 20 Jan 2022 22:20:05 +0000

What happens to those that never hear the message of Jesus? Wouldn't it be unfair of God to punish people for what they do not know? (Note: we had some audio difficulties with this recording. Audio from 0:00-0:59 is loud and audio at 20:00-22:00 is quiet).

Note: This video has been slightly edited for length and clarity.

Video version available at https://www.youtube.com/c/RatioChristiTexasAMUniversity

Gospel Objections 0: What is the Gospel?

Mon, 17 Jan 2022 22:20:30 +0000

An overview of the good news of the kingdom of God.

Video version is available at https://www.youtube.com/c/RatioChristiTexasAMUniversity

Natural Theology 9: Reformed Epistemology

Thu, 13 Jan 2022 22:20:40 +0000

A review of the semester and overview of Plantinga's account of warranted Christian belief. We've spent this semester discussing arguments and evidence for the truth of Christianity, but is this evidence *necessary* for warranted belief in God?

This video is from our 2021 Spring lecture series covering Natural Theology & the Truth of Christianity. Each week, we evaluate the classical arguments for and against the existence of God and truth of Christianity. For slides and handouts go to http://rc-tamu.org/natural-theology

Note: This video has been slightly edited for length and clarity.

DISCLAIMER: Think Theism lectures are supported by Ratio Christi @ Texas A&M, but the opinions represented herein do not necessarily reflect the beliefs or values of Ratio Christi, Inc. nor Central Church BCS nor Texas A&M University. This content is presented to encourage discussion and critical thought about challenging questions.

Video version is available at https://www.youtube.com/c/RatioChristiTexasAMUniversity

Natural Theology 8: Did Jesus Rise from the Dead?

Tue, 11 Jan 2022 22:20:10 +0000

An overview of the historical argument for the resurrection of Jesus.

This video is from our 2021 Spring lecture series covering Natural Theology & the Truth of Christianity. Each week, we evaluate the classical arguments for and against the existence of God and truth of Christianity. For handouts and slides go to http://rc-tamu.org/natural-theology

Note: This video has been slightly edited for length and clarity.

DISCLAIMER: Think Theism lectures are supported by Ratio Christi @ Texas A&M, but the opinions represented herein do not necessarily reflect the beliefs or values of Ratio Christi, Inc. nor Central Church BCS nor Texas A&M University. This content is presented to encourage discussion and critical thought about challenging questions.

Video version available at https://www.youtube.com/c/RatioChristiTexasAMUniversity

Natural Theology 7: Did Jesus Exist?

Thu, 06 Jan 2022 22:20:06 +0000

An overview of the historical evidence for the existence of Jesus.

Note: This video has been slightly edited for length and clarity.

DISCLAIMER: Think Theism lectures are supported by Ratio Christi @ Texas A&M, but the opinions represented herein do not necessarily reflect the beliefs or values of Ratio Christi, Inc. nor Central Church BCS nor Texas A&M University. This content is presented to encourage discussion and critical thought about challenging questions.

Video version available at https://www.youtube.com/c/RatioChristiTexasAMUniversity

Natural Theology 6: The Problem of Miracles

Tue, 04 Jan 2022 22:20:02 +0000

Guest speaker Dr. Micah Green provides an overview of the contemporary philosophical problem of miracles and "Hume's Abject Failure".

Note: This video has been slightly edited for length and clarity.

DISCLAIMER: Think Theism lectures are supported by Ratio Christi @ Texas A&M, but the opinions represented herein do not necessarily reflect the beliefs or values of Ratio Christi, Inc. nor Central Church BCS nor Texas A&M University. This content is presented to encourage discussion and critical thought about challenging questions.

Video version available at https://www.youtube.com/c/RatioChristiTexasAMUniversity

Natural Theology 5: The Problem of Evil (Part 2)

Thu, 30 Dec 2021 22:20:27 +0000

An overview of the probabilistic problem of evil and several influential theodicies.

This video is from our 2021 Spring lecture series covering Natural Theology & the Truth of Christianity. Each week, we evaluate the classical arguments for and against the existence of God and truth of Christianity. For handouts and slides go to http://rc-tamu.org/natural-theology

Note: This video has been slightly edited for length and clarity.

DISCLAIMER: Think Theism lectures are supported by Ratio Christi @ Texas A&M, but the opinions represented herein do not necessarily reflect the beliefs or values of Ratio Christi, Inc. nor Central Church BCS nor Texas A&M University. This content is presented to encourage discussion and critical thought about challenging questions.

Video version is available at https://www.youtube.com/c/RatioChristiTexasAMUniversity

Natural Theology 4: The Problem of Evil (Part 1)

Tue, 28 Dec 2021 22:20:56 +0000

An overview of the logical problem of evil and Plantinga's influential Free Will Defence.

Note: This video has been slightly edited for length and clarity.

DISCLAIMER: Think Theism lectures are supported by Ratio Christi @ Texas A&M, but the opinions represented herein do not necessarily reflect the beliefs or values of Ratio Christi, Inc. nor Central Church BCS nor Texas A&M University. This content is presented to encourage discussion and critical thought about challenging questions

Video version is available at https://www.youtube.com/c/RatioChristiTexasAMUniversity

Natural Theology 3: The Moral Argument

Thu, 23 Dec 2021 22:20:37 +0000

An overview of the contemporary argument from morality for God.

Note: This video has been slightly edited for length and clarity.

DISCLAIMER: Think Theism lectures are supported by Ratio Christi @ Texas A&M, but the opinions represented herein do not necessarily reflect the beliefs or values of Ratio Christi, Inc. nor Central Church BCS nor Texas A&M University. This content is presented to encourage discussion and critical thought about challenging questions.

Video version is available at https://www.youtube.com/c/RatioChristiTexasAMUniversity

Natural Theology 2: The Fine-Tuning Argument

Tue, 21 Dec 2021 22:20:10 +0000

An overview of the contemporary argument from design for God.

Note: This video has been slightly edited for length and clarity.

DISCLAIMER: Think Theism lectures are supported by Ratio Christi @ Texas A&M, but the opinions represented herein do not necessarily reflect the beliefs or values of Ratio Christi, Inc. nor Central Church BCS nor Texas A&M University. This content is presented to encourage discussion and critical thought about challenging questions.

Video version available at https://www.youtube.com/c/RatioChristiTexasAMUniversity

Natural Theology 1: The Kalam Cosmological Argument

Thu, 16 Dec 2021 22:20:50 +0000

An overview of a classical cosmological argument for the existence of God.

Note: This video has been slightly edited for length and clarity.

DISCLAIMER: Think Theism lectures are supported by Ratio Christi @ Texas A&M, but the opinions represented herein do not necessarily reflect the beliefs or values of Ratio Christi, Inc. nor Central Church BCS nor Texas A&M University. This content is presented to encourage discussion and critical thought about challenging questions.

Video version available at https://www.youtube.com/c/RatioChristiTexasAMUniversity

Natural Theology 0: Reason Can Lead to God

Tue, 14 Dec 2021 22:20:58 +0000

An introduction to apologetics and how to have conversations about faith in good faith. This video is from our 2021 Spring lecture series covering Natural Theology & the Truth of Christianity. Each week, we evaluate the classical arguments for and against the existence of God and truth of Christianity. For more information go to http://rc-tamu.org/natural-theology

Note: This video has been slightly edited for length and clarity.

DISCLAIMER: Think Theism lectures are supported by Ratio Christi @ Texas A&M, but the opinions represented herein do not necessarily reflect the beliefs or values of Ratio Christi, Inc. nor Central Church BCS nor Texas A&M University. This content is presented to encourage discussion and critical thought about challenging questions.

Video version available on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/c/RatioChristiTexasAMUniversity

OT Controversy 9: Why is the Catholic Old Testament Bigger?

Mon, 23 Nov 2020 10:20:24 +0000

Ben (our resident Catholic) discusses the seven books of the Deuterocanon (or Apocrypha), what they are, and why they are included in the Catholic Old Testament canon.

N.B. While Ratio Christi at Texas A&M does not officially take a position on the canonical status of these books and many Protestants reject them, they nevertheless are useful for understanding the Second Temple period.

Slides and video available at http://rc-tamu.org/confronting-old-testament-controversy/

OT Controversy 8: Were the Ancient Israelites Polytheists?

Mon, 16 Nov 2020 10:20:11 +0000

We turn to the question of ancient Israelite religion. While we usually think of Christianity, Islam, and Judaism as the big three monotheistic religions, is the historical reality more complicated than that? Psalm 82 takes centre stage in a discussion of the unseen spiritual realm.

Slides and video available at http://rc-tamu.org/confronting-old-testament-controversy/

OT Controversy 7: Did God Command Canaanite Genocide?

Mon, 09 Nov 2020 10:20:20 +0000

We conclude our discussion on the question of Israelite origins by tackling the ethical objection to the Hebrew invasion of Canaan. Did God command genocide? How does Jesus influence our interpretation of these unnerving accounts?

Slides and video available at http://rc-tamu.org/confronting-old-testament-controversy/

OT Controversy 6: Did the Israelites Conquer Canaan?

Mon, 02 Nov 2020 10:20:21 +0000

The question of Israelite origins remains one of the hottest debates amongst ancient historians. Did a massive Hebrew invasion force wipe out the Canaanites in the 15th/13th century B.C.? Is the entire military career of Joshua invented from thin air? Building off of the previous discussion of the exodus, we proceed into the murky waters of the conquest of Canaan. Jericho takes center stage in a discussion about pottery, Carbon-14, and ancient texts.

Slides and video available at http://rc-tamu.org/confronting-old-testament-controversy/

OT Controversy 5: Did the Exodus Really Happen?

Mon, 26 Oct 2020 09:20:16 +0000

The Hebrew exodus from Egypt is the founding event both in Israel's history as a people and the redemptive history of Christian faith. But, is there any evidence such an event occurred? We discuss the archaeological background, the major options for dates (early, late, and more), as well as different theories about the exodus.

Slides and video available at http://rc-tamu.org/confronting-old-testament-controversy/

OT Controversy 4: Does Genetic Evidence Contradict Adam & Eve?

Mon, 19 Oct 2020 09:20:40 +0000

We conclude our discussion on Genesis, creation, and evolution by addressing the controversy over the historical Adam & Eve. First, we outline the biblical data concerning Eve & Adam. Next, we survey the scientific data related to human origins. Lastly, we wrap up by integrating different interpretations of Eve & Adam with various theological systems.

Slides and video available at http://rc-tamu.org/confronting-old-testament-controversy/

Addendum to “Does Genesis Contradict Science?”

Tue, 13 Oct 2020 09:20:06 +0000

Zach and Andrew casually chat about some loose threads from the Genesis and science meeting. They clear up some confusion about stellar parallax, discuss additional interpretations of the days of Genesis, and expand on the intelligent design movement.

Referenced Papers

Laland Kevin N.,et al (2015) The extended evolutionary synthesis: its structure, assumptions and predictionsProc. R. Soc. B.28220151019. http://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2015.1019

OT Controversy 3: Does Genesis Contradict Science?

Mon, 12 Oct 2020 09:20:46 +0000

We continue addressing the controversy on Genesis, creation, and evolution. In this episode, we focus on the scientific questions of (i) the age of the earth, (ii) common ancestry, and (iii) how life diversified. Next time, we will hone in on the question of Adam & Eve.

Slides and video available at http://rc-tamu.org/confronting-old-testament-controversy/

OT Controversy 2: How Should We Read Genesis 1-11?

Mon, 05 Oct 2020 09:20:13 +0000

Confronting Old Testament Controversy 2: We begin our discussion on creation, evolution, and Genesis by addressing the controversy over the genre of Genesis 1-11, aka the "Primeval History". Andrew surveys the relevant literary categories and the debate over literalism, metaphor, and history.

Slides and video available at http://rc-tamu.org/confronting-old-testament-controversy/

OT Controversy 1: How did we get the Old Testament?

Mon, 28 Sep 2020 09:20:36 +0000

Confronting Old Testament Controversy 1: Zach discusses the text of the Old Testament (Tanakh) including the primary text types; the Septuagint, the Masoretic text as well as the most important manuscripts, including codex Leningradensis as well as the Dead Sea Scrolls discovered in Qumran. Next Zach discusses textual transmission and the questions of editorial activity and authorship with a focus on the Mosaic authorship of the Pentateuch.

Slides and video available at http://rc-tamu.org/confronting-old-testament-controversy/

What Do We Do With the Old Testament? w/ Dr. Micah Green

Mon, 07 Sep 2020 09:20:03 +0000

Despite being the majority of the Bible, the Old Testament remains a difficult and sometime perplexing corpus of writing. With ancient laws, long histories, and confusing prophecies, we are often left wondering…what do we do with the Old Testament?

We kick off our Fall 2020 semester with guest speaker Dr. Micah Green to address the question "What Do We Do With The Old Testament?"

Slides and video available at http://rc-tamu.org/confronting-old-testament-controversy/

Paul, Justification, and Sin: a Ratio Christi Roundtable

Mon, 30 Mar 2020 09:20:28 +0000

In this audio from the vault, Jace leads a conversation about what St. Paul meant by justification and how that influences our view of sin and Christs's wo

Subscribe to the Think Theism podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify or thinktheism.org

Disclaimer: Think Theism is an independent podcast produced in association with Ratio Christi TAMU. The opinions, perspectives, and beliefs expressed in individual episodes are those of the participants only and not necessarily a reflection of Ratio Christi nor Texas A&M University.

The Genealogical Adam & Eve – an interview w/ Dr. Joshua Swamidass

Mon, 23 Mar 2020 09:20:20 +0000

Zach and Andrew interview Dr. Joshua Swamidass about his new book The Genealogical Adam & Eve which aims to show that a literal Adam & Eve is fully compatible with the contemporary evolutionary account of human origins.

Video of the interview: https://youtu.be/HKZxPXiF9rA

Resources mentioned during or relevant to the episode

"The Genealogical Adam & Eve" by Joshua Swamidass (2019) https://www.ivpress.com/the-genealogical-adam-and-eve
Fazale Rana vs. Joshua Swamidass - The Genealogical Adam & Eve - https://youtu.be/I2-STA7n0V0
TEMPLETON, A. Biological races in humans. Stud Hist Philos Biol Biomed Sci. 2013;44(3):262–271. doi:10.1016/j.shpsc.2013.04.010
ROHDE, DLT. Modelling the Recent Common Ancestry of All Living Humans.
HEIN, J. Human Evolution: Pedigrees for All Humanity. Nature 431 (2004): 518–19, https://doi.org/10.1038/431518a;
DONNELLY, P. Discussion: Recent Common Ancestors of All Present-Day Individuals. Advances in Applied Probability 31 (1999): 1027–35, https://doi.org/10.1017/S0001867800009599;
CHANG, JT. Reply to Discussants: Recent Common Ancestors of All PresentDay Individuals. Advances in Applied Probability 31 (1999): 1036–38, https://doi.org/10.1017/S0001867800009605.
LOKE, ATE. Reconciling Evolution and Biblical Literalism: A Proposed Research Program, Theology and Science (2016), 14:2, 160-174, https://doi.org/10.1080/14746700.2016.1156328

Subscribe to the Think Theism podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify or thinktheism.org

Interview w/ Dr. Joshua Swamidass (Part 2)

Mon, 16 Mar 2020 09:20:52 +0000

Part 2 of our interview with Dr. Joshua Swamidass. We discuss some of the particulars of why neo-Darwinianism is no longer the reigning paradigm in contemporary evolutionary biology. Swamidass argues that the deficiencies intelligent design theorists point to have been acknowledged (and addressed) as early as the 1960s. In particular, "Haldane's dilemma" which was proposed in 1957 but widely considered to be solved by Motoo Kimura in 1968. Stay tuned Part 3 of our interview where we discuss Dr. Swamidass's new book The Genealogical Adam & Eve.

Video of the interview: https://youtu.be/k0VQ5twZFXg

Resources mentioned during or relevant to the episode

"Cancer and Evolution" by Joshua Swamidass. https://peacefulscience.org/cancer-evolution/
VAN VALEN, L. Haldane's Dilemma, Evolutionary Rates, and Heterosis. The American Naturalist 97, no. 894 (1963): 185-190. https://doi.org/10.1086/282267
KIMURA, M. Evolutionary Rate at the Molecular Level. Nature 217, 624–626 (1968). https://doi.org/10.1038/217624a0
KOONIN, E.V. Splendor and misery of adaptation, or the importance of neutral null for understanding evolution. BMC Biol 14, 114 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12915-016-0338-2
DURET, L. (2008) Neutral theory: The null hypothesis of molecular evolution. Nature Education 1(1):218. https://www.nature.com/scitable/topicpage/neutral-theory-the-null-hypothesis-of-molecular-839/

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Interview w/ Dr. Joshua Swamidass (Part 1)

Mon, 09 Mar 2020 09:20:48 +0000

Part 1 of our interview with Dr. Joshua Swamidass. We discuss Dr. Swamidass's journey from young-earth creationism to "affirming evolutionary science". We also address the role evolution has played in some high profile deconversions from Christianity. Stay tuned for Part 2 and Part 3 of our interview where we discuss the particulars of intelligent design and Dr. Swamidass's new book The Genealogical Adam & Eve.

Video of the interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-z6ECgxIxQ

"Finding Confident Faith in Science" by Joshua Swamidass: https://peacefulscience.org/download/confident-faith-in-science/

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Darwinism Devolving – an interview w/ Dr. Michael Behe

Mon, 02 Mar 2020 10:20:44 +0000

Zach and Andrew interview Dr. Michael J. Behe, professor of Biological Sciences at Lehigh University and Senior Fellow at Discovery Institute’s Center for Science and Culture. We discuss Dr. Behe's work in the intelligent design movement with his book trilogy Darwin's Black Box, Edge of Evolution, and Darwin Devolves. Next, we revisit the past with Dr. Behe's contribution in the 2004 federal court case Kitzmiller v. Dover. We spend some time on Dr. Behe's unique contributions and dissent from other I.D. theorists. Finally, we wrap up with a few theological questions integrating intelligent design with Christianity. Purchase Darwin Devolves on Amazon or wherever books are sold! Dr. Behe's website is darwindevolves.com

Watch interview on YouTube

During the interview, we reference our previous episodes with Dr. Paul Nelson, the Veritas 2020 debate, and a few other resources. Links to these are below

This episode was recorded in the RED-C Radio Studio! Learn more at REDCradio.org

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“God and/or Evolution?” – Dr. Michael Behe vs Dr. Joshua Swamidass (Veritas 2020)

Fri, 28 Feb 2020 10:20:18 +0000

Dr. Michael Behe and Dr. Joshua Swamidass debate evolution, intelligent design, and which way the evidence points.

Video of the debate available at tx.ag/veritas2020

The scientific community seeks to give an account of the world around us in terms of mathematical laws and natural processes; this description even extends to the account of biological life’s origin and evolution. For Christians, this consensus has posed a number of challenges. Does evolution account for biological life? Was God involved in evolution? How? Is there evidence to tell us one way or another? We are happy to host a spirited discussion between Dr. Michael Behe (Lehigh University), one of the leading Intelligent Design advocates in the world, and Dr. Joshua Swamidass (Washington University at St. Louis), one of the rising stars at the intersection of faith and science. The Veritas Forum at Texas A&M is an occasion for students of all faiths and no faiths to come together and examine the big-picture questions of life.

About the Speakers

S. Joshua Swamidass (MD, PhD, UC–Irvine) is a scientist, physician, and associate professor of laboratory and genomic medicine at Washington University in Saint Louis, where he uses artificial intelligence to explore science at the intersection of medicine, biology, and chemistry. He is a Veritas Forums speaker and blogs at Peaceful Science (peacefulscience.org)

Michael J. Behe is Professor of Biological Sciences at Lehigh University in Pennsylvania and a Senior Fellow at Discovery Institute’s Center for Science and Culture. He received his Ph.D. in Biochemistry from the University of Pennsylvania in 1978. Behe's current research involves delineation of design and natural selection in protein structures.

About the Veritas Forum

The Veritas Forum at Texas A&M University is an annual event sponsored by the Christian Faculty Network at Texas A&M, Ratio Christi TAMU, Catholic Faculty & Staff Network, Texas A&M RUF, and KYX - Texas A&M. The opinions, perspectives, and beliefs expressed in individual Forums are those of the participants only and not necessarily endorsed by the sponsoring organizations nor Texas A&M University.

“Aquinas & Quantum Theory” w/ Fr. Robert Verrill

Mon, 17 Feb 2020 10:20:40 +0000

Fr. Robert Verrill (Baylor University) joins us to discuss the implications of contemporary quantum theory with Thomistic metaphysics. The premise may seem bizarre. St. Thomas Aquinas (i) lived 700 years before the advent of quantum theory, (ii) believed in a geocentric cosmos, and (iii) believed that earth, air, fire, and water were the only four elements in the sublunar realm. What possible relevance could his understanding of the cosmos could have to quantum theory? Fr. Verrill's answer may surprise you.

Video: Aquinas and Quantum Theory YouTube
Slides: Aquinas and Quantum Theory Slides
Transcript: Aquinas and Quantum Theory Transcript

Announcement: Veritas Forum 2020 "God and/or Evolution?" is this Thursday Feb 20, 2020 at 7pm in Rudder Theatre. Featured speakers are Dr. Michael Behe and Dr. Joshua Swamidass. Get free tickets at tx.ag/VERITAS2020

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