Bold Faith in a Postmodern World (Apologetics Training)
Develop your Christian worldview and discover how to effectively contend for the faith
Bold Faith in a Postmodern World (BFPW) is an apologetics training aimed at helping believers forge a resilient and coherent Christian worldview. In this programme, we would explore the evidence for Christianity, while simultaneously empowering individuals to effectively share and uphold their faith in the face of the growing secular challenges present in contemporary life.
Why are you a Christian? Why do you believe there is a God? Why should I believe in the God of the bible and not of other religions? How can you trust what the bible says about Jesus or anything? How can you say Christianity is the only true religion? If God is all-loving and all-powerful, why is there so much evil and suffering in the world?
These are just some of the countless questions that Christians would encounter implicitly or explicitly at some point in their lives. These questions can pop up in different contexts, including the workplaces, educational environments, family settings, and among friends.
Today, we are navigating a landscape of dramatic social change, filled with tension, confusion, and conflict. This environment makes it increasingly difficult to find clear answers to many of life’s critical questions. Furthermore, the voices that influence our cultures, especially in the west, are steering our societies toward a post-faith and post-modern direction. Data from Statistics Netherlands indicates a continuous drop in religious involvement, with 55.4% of the Dutch population identifying as non-religious. Among the 35% who identify as Christians, fewer than half consider their faith to hold significant importance in their lives, as suggested by the Pew Research Center’s findings.
Being a Christian does not insulate us from the events that unfold in our surroundings; rather, it often amplifies our awareness of them. The transformations taking place in our cultures present significant challenges to our Christian identity and the very foundation of our faith. In my work with various individuals (particularly students) throughout the years, a recurring issue has surfaced. It appears that many insightful individuals are struggling with the intense pressure their faith faces from their environment. This pressure often leads to tough questions about their Christian beliefs, making some reluctant to share their faith openly. If these questions are left unaddressed, they can breed doubt. If such doubts continue over time, they can gradually chip away at their faith, potentially leading to a complete abandonment of it. (Deconstruction process. see fig.1)
Fig1. (Deconstruction Process)
Given this context, the training has been developed specifically to tackle these challenges. Thankfully, we will discover how the Christian worldview is fundamentally anchored in a wealth of compelling evidence and experiential relevance. The training will be challenging, but inspiring with no boring moment!!!