Apologetics By Any Other Name
“What’s apologetics?” That may be the first question you hear from people who are not familiar with the discipline of giving a rational defense of the Christian faith.
And even if someone does understand the meaning of the word, the actual word “apologetics” may carry with it some negative baggage. For instance, some equate apologetics with being argumentative, being overly intellectual, or being too philosophical.
For this reason, it’s often useful to simply bypass the word altogether. Why start with a stumbling block? Instead, apologetics can be referred to as defending the faith. Or maybe giving good reasons. Or answering tough questions. The list goes on…
And so here’s a growing list of alternative words or phrases for apologetics. Feel free to offer your suggestions in the comments below.
- defending Christianity
- the defense of the faith
- thinking through the issues
- being thoughtful about your convictions
- being thoughtful about the faith
- critically examining Christian truth
- contending for the faith
- answering the tough questions
- examining worldviews
- studying Christian defenses
- handling tough issues
- answering skeptics
- discussing your convictions
- pre-evangelism
- persuasive evangelism
- showing Christianity is true
- giving good answers
- asking the big questions
- evaluating the evidence
- answering questions; questioning answers
- making the case for faith
- defending and confirming the Gospel
- showing why Christianity is true
- reasoning with unbelievers
- searching for truth
Perhaps some combination of these sorts of words or phrases are more self-explanatory and helpful for those who are unfamiliar with apologetics as a discipline. Share your tips!