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Study and Improvisation in Apologetics

Study and Improvisation

Some wrongly think that inspiration in apologetics or Christian witness in general has little or nothing to do with previous study. This is dead wrong—for both apologetics and jazz. The best improvisers practice the most, such as John Coltrane. This saxophone virtuoso was known to practice incessantly and even right before bed, causing him to fall asleep with his saxophone. When Jesus told his disciples not to worry how they would respond when they were imprisoned for their faith, he did not say not to study, but not to worry (Mark 11:13; Luke 12:11).  Moreover, the disciples had studied and lived with the Master Teacher for about three years before his statement. They were already well-equipped to produce under pressure.

Defense of Christianity

Defense is proper and necessary because in every age historic Christianity will be under attack. Defense does not mean being on the defensive. One must not be embarrassed about the use of the word defense. The proponents of any position who are alive to their own generation must give a sufficient answer for it when questions are raised about it. Thus, the word defense is not used here in a negative sense, because in any conversation, in any communication which is really dialogue, answers must be given to objections raised. Such answers are necessary in the first place for myself as a Christian if I am going to maintain my intellectual integrity, and if I am to keep united my personal, devotional and intellectual life--Francis Schaeffer, 1912-1984.

Article about Groothuis Talk

Here is an article about my lecture at the recent Defend the Faith Conference.

Atheism and Christianity on the Human Condition (Corrected)

Marvin Strauss and I will be discussing the Christian and atheist views of the human condition on Friday, February 21, 6:30, 1B50 of Eaton Humanities. This room can hold 255 people. This is on the University of Colorado-Boulder campus. It is free and open to anyone.

The format is that Mr. Strauss begins; I follow; then we each have a ten minutes rebuttal; then questions from the audience, which will be written down and sorted, then given to the speakers.

The apologist does not recite talking points (like talking heads), but instead finds conversation points through the exchange of ideas. Sparks fly and may ignite the friendly fires of truth.

Spiritual Formation and the Life of the Mind Lecture on line

Here is the lecture discussion from my talk, "Spiritual Formation and the Life of the Mind," given through The Gordon Lewis Center for Christian Thought and Culture at Denver Seminary on February 3, 2014. If you would like the lecture outline, contact me through Denver Seminary.

Sarah Geis, MA, an Affiliate Faculty Member at Denver Seminary, will join me for the question-answer time after my lecture on "Spiritual formation and the life of the mind," to be given at Denver Seminary tomorrow at 7:00 PM. This event is sponsored by The Gordon Lewis Center for Christian Thought and Culture. This event is free and open to the public. A five page outline will be provided as well as other free materials.

Recommended reading on Spiritual Formation and the Life of the Mind

Harry Blamires, The Christian Mind. Servant, 1963.

Douglas Groothuis, The Soul in Cyberspace. Baker Books, 1997; reprinted by Wifp and Stock.

Os Guinness, Fit Bodies, Fat Minds. Baker, 1994.

Richard Lovelace, Dynamics of Spiritual Life. InterVarsity Press, 1979.

George Marsden, The Outrageous Idea of Christian Scholarship. Eerdmans, 1998.

J.P. Moreland, Love Your God With all Your Mind, 2^nd ed. NavPress, 2013.

J.I. Packer, Knowing God. InterVarsity Press, 1973.

Eugene Peterson, Eat This Book. Eerdmans, 2008.

John Piper, Think. Crossway, 2011.

Francis Schaeffer, True Spirituality. Tyndale, 1972

Francis Schaeffer, The God Who is There. InterVarsity, 1968.

Francis Schaeffer, The New Super-spirituality. InterVarsity. No longer available as a booklet, but included in The Collected Works of Francis Schaeffer.

James Schall, The Live of the Mind. Intercollegiate Studies, 2008

James Sire, Habits of the Mind. InterVarsity Press, 2000.

Of Love and Suffering

Only love makes suffering bearable. 
Only suffering tests the mettle of love.

Football Under Scrutiny

My essay, "Football, Baseball, and the Culture of Violence."

Jazz in the Classroom

What teachers and students can learn from Miles Davis and John Coltrane 

One of the many great Miles Davis units was made up of Miles, Ron Carter (bass), a very young Tony Williams on drums, Herbie Hancock on piano, and Wayne Shorter on tenor saxophone. While listening to the complete "Live at the Plugged Nichol" is was again obvious that these musicians listened intently to each other. The give and take of the playing is uncanny. This does not come naturally. One jazz virtue is developing and keeping "big ears" or being keenly aware of what your bandmates are playing and responding accordingly. Of course, this is improvisation; but it is group improvisation, not solos per se.

The same is noted in Coltrane's "classic quartet," which took on the world from 1961-1965. Trane, of course, played tenor and, later, soprano saxophone, along with McCoy Tyner on piano, Elvin Jones on drums, and Jimmy Garrison on bass. Elvin told an interviewer that they relationship was "almost telepathic." They, like all good jazz groups, never played the same tune the same way twice. Rather, each piece provided some form for their collective freedom.

Take this into the classroom. Students and teachers must develop big ears. What is the teacher saying and why? How are the students responding? How can teachers and students spur each other on, challenge each other to play better? A jazz performance is not distracted by people checking their watches or cell phones or sending text messages. The musicians focus; it is uni-tasking, not multi-tasking. The classroom should be the same. The center point, the reason for being is knowledge discovered through group improvisation: form and freedom. Technologies such as PowerPoint, and the use of most video clips, detract from this magical dynamic. As such, they should be eliminated. For some teachers (or presenters), when the PowerPoint fails, the class is over. Why is this? The teachers lack the chops to improvise within a theme with a class. They are beholden to the technology and become its servant (slave). Teacher and students with big ears are no thus hindered. They can swing.

C.S. Lewis

My former student, friend, and scholar, Robert Velarde, is an expert on C.S. Lewis and an excellent writer. Please consider getting his on line book at Amazon. 

Hate

The word "hate," as popularly used, is the new thought-stopper. Take any idea you do not like and say it is based on "hate," and you have refuted it. It is that simple. Of course, some things are worth hating--anything that dishonors God or debases beings made in his image--and one can disapprove of many things without hating anyone. 

Further, one can wrongly hate something (since it is the wrong emotional response) and still be correct in one's judgment. For example, one may hate an abortionist and call him a murderer. He is a murderer, which is especially obvious if he performs late term abortions. However, one should not hate the murderer, but love him. That is not incompatible with deploring what he does and wanting to put him out of business. Love does not mean enabling evil.

Renew Your Mind

Decide for Yourself: A Community Course at Denver Seminary

Are you interested in deepening your understanding of the Christian worldview? Sign up for our eight-week class on the fundamentals of Christian theology and philosophy. The class will run from 6:45-8pm on Tuesday nights, and will be held on the Denver Seminary campus. We will use Dr. Gordon Lewis's excellent book, "Decide for Yourself: A Theological Workbook." This course will be taught by a hand-picked group of some of our very best seminary students, alumni, and professors. The learning level will be geared toward adults, but will also be suitable for mature high school students. If you can think of someone who may benefit from this course, please let them know soon. We have 20 seats available. 

Dates: Tuesdays, February 11th through April 1st
Time: 6:45-8pm
Cost: $15 per person (textbook included)
If you or someone you know will have difficulty paying the $15, ask us about scholarships. 

To register, please email The Lewis Center director Douglas Groothuis (douggroothuis@gmail.com) or associate director Sarah Geis (Sarah.Geis@denverseminary.edu) with "Decide for Yourself" in the subject line. 

Upcoming Event: Spiritual Formation and the Life of the Mind

Join The Lewis Center for our first event of the spring semester. On Mondaynight, February 3rd, Dr. Douglas Groothuis will explore how philosophy, theology, and the Christian spiritual life relate. There will be a question and answer time after the lecture. We hope to see you there! 

Cost: Free
Time: 7pm 
Location: Room 100B on the Denver Seminary campus (6399 South Santa Fe Drive, Littleton, CO, 80120)

Pedogobots

Teachers are unreliable. They are late. They grade unfairly. They talk too much or talk to little. They even mumble at times. And they play favorites. They are slow to give back papers.

This should all end, and end soon. It can.

Pedagobots are reliable; the are never late; they grade fairly (the algorithm); they talk the programmed amount; they never mumble (the volume is regulated); they are fair (you are a number, not a face); they are always on time.

Pedagobots are also less expensive, take no sabbaticals, and never come to work drunk.

Pedagobots: the future of education

Blaise Pascal on Jesus, from Pensees

Jesus Christ. Offices.—He alone had to create a great people, elect, holy, and chosen; to lead, nourish, and bring it into the place of rest and holiness; to make it holy to God; to make it the temple of God; to reconcile it to, and save it from the wrath of God; to free it from the slavery of sin, which visibly reigns in man; to give laws to this people, and engrave these laws on their heart; to offer Himself to God for them, and sacrifice Himself for them; to be a victim without blemish, and Himself the sacrificer, having to offer Himself, His body, and His blood, and yet to offer bread and wine to God…

Frigid Cold and Frozen Souls

Frigid Cold and Frozen Souls

I had seen her before. A bell-ringer for The Salvation Army sat in her wheel chair about ten feet from the opening and closing automatic doors of King Soopers. It was zero degrees outside. She sat and stared outside as I shopped. I kept looking over at her and wondering. When I checked out, I said hello and asked if I could help. She had called a cab company twice to pick her up. No one had come. I called the cab company and insisted they send someone soon. She had no cell phone.

I won't tell all of the rest of the story, but will adamantly make one point. No one in the store, neither the workers, nor the few customers did anything to help her. When I came back later, she was not by the door, but was wheeling her manual wheel chair across the store. Meanwhile about six employees chatted among themselves, since there were no customers to speak of. If anyone ever looked pathetic and needy, it was Lisa; and Lisa was wheeling herself at a glacial pace across the store. Yes, she has a name, damn it. Lisa had rung the bell all day in freezing cold and could not buy a ride home. Lisa had waiting well over an hour for a cab that never came. Lisa was, as far as I could tell, was abandoned in an upscale King Soopers (near "The Presserve") with well-to-do people rushing in and out, stepping by Lisa.

"As you have done it to the least of these, my brethren, so you have done it to me"--Jesus Christ. Have you heard of him? He was sitting in the cold all day and could not get a ride home.

No, I am not mentioning this for my ego, blast it. I am a stupid sinner, believe me.  I am mad as hell about people's neglect of those at the margins of society, those too easy to pass by. These poor souls are made in the image and likeness of God, like it or not. These folks should interrupt our precious schedules, like it or not. And you don't have to do that much to show them some heart. Buy them a hot drink. Ask them their name. If they look like they are distress, see what you can do. You do not have to take them home or be their social worker. But you can do something, anything in love.

Will you please pray for this dear soul and remember, too, those without homes when it is cold out enough to kill?

Philosophy of Card Writing

1. Use your own handwriting. Chose a tasteful pen. Write slowly.
2. Write for consolation, encouragement, or to share you life with a close friend. Or write strangers whose work you appreciate. I write musicians, authors, and more They almost never write back. The exception is Peter Brötzmann.
3. Ponder before you write. Pray, too.
4. Perhaps adorn the card with stickers or your own drawings.
5. Although I always want my cards reciprocated in some way, I almost always write more than I am written to--at least since my mother died. If someone never writes back after two or three cards, I usually give up.
6. Be creative in conveying truth and love in this way. It can mean much to many. I know.

Preface for the Korean Edition of On Jesus

Preface

I was delighted to discover that On Jesus would be translated into Korean, especially since I have and esteemed Korean colleague, Dr. Sun Wook Chung, and several beloved Korean students at Denver Seminary, and because of the resurgence of Christianity in Korea in recent decades. I hope that its translation will contribute to wise philosophical discussion about Jesus and Christianity in Korea and among Korean readers elsewhere, whether these readers are followers of Christ or not.

While some of the cultural references employed may be unique to American culture, the essential issues that are raised in On Jesus are not uniquely American, but timeless. Jesus addressed issues that are perennial for human beings, and which have been categorized by philosophers as matters of metaphysics, epistemology, and morality. One thing that distinguishes Jesus from most philosophers is the metaphysics of his own identity. The Bible, Christian creeds, and orthodoxy through the ages have confessed and defended [SG1]  the claim that this prophet from Nazareth was both human and divine: one person with two natures. Therefore, this book discusses this significant claim in some detail. However, I discuss this topic in much more depth in chapter 21 my book, Christian Apologetics: A Comprehensive Case for Christian Faith (InterVarsity Press, 2011).

If I had originally written this small book for a Korean audience, I would have added more comparison and contrasts between the teachings of Jesus with those of Buddhism and Confucianism. However, I hope that the attentive Korean reader will supply this analysis and bring the philosophy and identity of Jesus into a uniquely Korean context. Although On Jesus does consider some of the differences between Jesus and the teachings of other religions, Christian Apologetics deals with this important topic in more detail, especially in chapters 19-24. (This book is now being translated into Korean and should appear in 2014.)

Perhaps many Koreans will also be intellectually provoked by my chapter, “Jesus’ View of Women,” given the influence of the Confucianism view of women and the assumption of male leadership in the church.

I further hope that this small volume challenges more Korean Christians to confidently enter the philosophical calling, with Jesus are their model and inspiration. As he said, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, strength, and mind” (Matthew 22:37-38; see also Isaiah 1:18).

Douglas Groothuis, Ph.D., September 12, 2012

Professor of Philosophy

Denver Seminary

Denver, Colorado, USA

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 [SG1]defended