Living in the Information Age (Video)

John Stonestreet shares some helpful insight here:



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15th Anniversary Edition of Love Your God with All Your Mind by JP Moreland

There are few books that have been more impactful on my Christian life than Love Your God with All Your Mind by J.P. Moreland. I also had the privilege of studying philosophy of religion and ethics under JP (along with the other excellent faculty at Talbot School of Theology / Biola University). He is one of the most thoughtful and encouraging people I have ever met and his passion for Christ is contagious. He has a message that every Christian desperately needs to hear.

Moreland has recently released the 15th anniversary edition (the Amazon Kindle edition is only $2.99!) and the updated portions make a must read even more impressive.

(About the Book) "Love Your God with All Your Mind explains the importance of using your mind not only to win others to Christ but also to experience personal spiritual growth. Author J. P. Moreland challenges you to use logic to further God’s kingdom through evangelism, apologetics, worship, and vocation.


This revised edition includes expanded appendices and three new chapters that outline how to argue for the reality of God and the historicity of Jesus’ life teachings, death, and resurrection."

Read this book and invite others to do the same. Christians are called to a thoughtful faith and there is no better book out there that models and teaches this as well. Buy. Read. and Grow!

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A Faith Worth Defending

Claims of a married Jesus reinforce the need for apologetics. Read my new article at Leadership Journal Online.

My latest book is available (today's the last day!) on Kindle and all eBook platforms for only $3.99

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Limited Time Offer! Think Christianly eBook available for only $3.99

If Christianity is true, then it speaks to all of life. Learn how to live out your faith in the midst of the many cultural opportunities and challenges we face each day with my new book Think Christianly. For a limited time only, the eBook is only $3.99! (available on all devices).

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A Great review from Apologetics 315

WHAT CHRISTIAN LEADERS ARE SAYING:

"As someone who has devoted many years of ministry to teaching Christian worldview. I am thrilled to see dynamic and faithful worldview leaders like Jonathan Morrow stepping to the fore. Think Christianly...equips Christians young and old to engage the culture winsomely, intelligently, and with confidence."-Chuck Colson, colsoncenter.org

"We Christians love to lob rhetorical grenades at the surrounding culture from the safety of our holy huddle. What's far more difficult...is to engage the issues of our day with intelligence, moral clarity, and biblical wisdom. That's exactly what Jonathan Morrow does in Think Christianly."-Drew Dyck, Managing editor of Leadership Journal

"In a time when truth is distorted and biblical teachings are misunderstood, our commitment to engaging culture must not be compromised...Think Christianly is a much needed resource as we seek to honor God in both what we believe and how we live."-Jason Hayes, National Young Adult Ministry Specialist, LifeWay Christian Resources

"Think Christianly is a remarkable and important achievement. Written in an...accessible style, it covers an exhaustive range of topics. Indeed, I know of no other book like it in this regard, and it is now the first book to which to turn for learning the specifics of how to think Christianly."-J. P. Moreland, author of The God Question

(From Back Cover) In Think Christianly, Jonathan Morrow gives church leaders the biblical framework and practical resources for helping churchgoers boldy engage today’s cultural moments. Addressing issues such as injustice, sexuality, suffering, politics, science, the exclusivity of Jesus and what it means to be human, Morrow refuses to shy away from tough questions and includes interviews with some of today’s most influential Christian leaders, including:

• Dennis Rainey (Family Life)
• William Lane Craig (Reasonable Faith)
• Barrett Ward (The Mocha Club)
• Sean McDowell (Worldview Ministries)
• Reggie Joiner (Orange)
• Jay Richards (Discovery Institute)
• Kyle Strobel (Metamorpha)
• Kelly Monroe Kullberg (The Veritas Forum)
• more...

The Bible doesn’t make us choose between cultivating a thoughtful faith and demonstrating radical love. Why should the church?

Will science someday rule out the possibility of God?

That is the title of an interesting new MSNBC article based on an interview with theoretical cosmologist Sean Carroll. Here's an excerpt:

Over the past few centuries, science can be said to have gradually chipped away at the traditional grounds for believing in God. Much of what once seemed mysterious — the existence of humanity, the life-bearing perfection of Earth, the workings of the universe — can now be explained by biology, astronomy, physics and other domains of science.

Although cosmic mysteries remain, Sean Carroll, a theoretical cosmologist at the California Institute of Technology, says there's good reason to think science will ultimately arrive at a complete understanding of the universe that leaves no grounds for God whatsoever. 

Carroll argues that God's sphere of influence has shrunk drastically in modern times, as physics and cosmology have expanded in their ability to explain the origin and evolution of the universe. "As we learn more about the universe, there's less and less need to look outside it for help," he told Life's Little Mysteries. 

He thinks the sphere of supernatural influence will eventually shrink to nil. But could science really eventually explain everything? (read more)

The leading defender of the Cosmological Argument for God's existence is William Lane Craig, and he addresses some of the claims made by Carroll in this article, here.

Looking for an accessible introduction to the evidence for God based on the beginning of the universe? Start here (chapter 5).

Isn’t apologetics only for academics and intellectuals?

Here's a common objection you may have encountered: Isn’t apologetics only for academics and intellectuals? The short answer is no. Here’s why. Everyone has questions—you do, your kids do, your friends and neighbors do, your family does, and our culture certainly does. It’s that simple. We will either think carefully or poorly about these questions, but the questions themselves cannot be avoided. Secondly, if Christianity is true, then it speaks to all of life. It doesn't get more 'everyday' than that (1 Pet. 3:15).

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Why hasn't Christianity had more influence on major intellectual institutions?

"One reason Christianity has failed to exert much influence on the major intellectual institutions of America is that too many Christians hold their beliefs in an uninformed and precarious fashion. Instead of pursuing answers to the toughest questions an unbelieving world can marshal, they attempt to preserve certainty through ignorance and isolation, relying on platitudes rather than arguments."-Douglas Groothuis (Christian Apologetics: A Comprehensive Case for Biblical Faith)

In short, a faith founded on unstable feelings and blind irrationality will not make much of an impact on the unbelieving world. Maybe that's also why this kind of faith has so little impact on the believing world too.

We can do better. I lay out a vision for how Christians can cultivate a thoughtful faith in chapter 5 of my latest book. You can learn more about it here.

Resisting the Spirit of the World at Our Cultural Intersection

Paul wrote to the Colossians, “See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ” (Colossians 2:8). This is not a blanket condemnation of philosophy, but rather philosophy based on human reason alone. Ideas can captivate and capture us if we are not careful. Furthermore, we must “no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming” (Ephesians 4:14). Our adversary is clever, and he brings the battle to us in different ways in different generations. As Francis Schaefer prophetically reminds us, “The Christian must resist the spirit of the world in the form it takes in his own generation.”

There are idea systems today that are neutralizing the effectiveness of the church. Two of the most corrosive idea systems being perpetuated by the world system are naturalism and hedonism. If the physical universe is all there is, there is no room for God. Christianity is then false by definition. If humans exist only to satisfy their desires and live only for their own pleasure, then life with God becomes practically impossible. Who will passionately engage with the gospel if we are conditioned to think that the supernatural is for fairy tales and that all of our time, energy, money, and resources are devoted to the pursuit of more stuff? Our cultural intersection requires a specific response, and Christians need to be equipped to resist the spirit of the world system as we engage the world God loves.

Here is a place to start preparing to engage well:

Let's Talk About Reality...Not Religion

Recently I had the honor and pleasure of speaking to the students at Summit Ministries worldview camp in TN. It was a blast! First it was so encouraging to meet young men and women excited about understanding, defending, and living out the Christian worldview. Second, this experience fires me up to keep doing what I am doing--the next generation needs to be encouraged and equipped to Think Christianly! (2 Tim. 2:2; Jude 3). They ARE the future.

In today's post I want to share a conversation I had with some of the sharp young men during lunch. It had to do with how we talk about Christianity with our friends, family, and coworkers. Most of the time, well meaning Christians talk about Christianity in the context of religion…not reality. Is that a problem? Yes, and here's why. Religion is understood as a personal and private feeling that is not accessible by everyone else. You can't question, challenge, or investigate it; you must simply be tolerant of it (and by tolerant, I am using the modern misunderstanding of tolerance which believes that all religious views are equally valid simply because a person sincerely believes them). That's why having a conversation about Christianity as a religion is a dead end. It's a non-starter.

That's why I encouraged these students to talk about Christianity in the context of reality where terms like truth, knowledge, reason, and evidence apply. Any claim about reality is either true or false (it can't be both). If Christianity is not the kind of thing that can be true or false…the battle has already been lost and the Gospel cannot be seriously considered. We need to talk about Christianity in the same way we talk about having a prescription filled at the pharmacy or receiving instruction from a Doctor.

In today's society, religion is a fuzzy (i.e., socially constructed or psychologically projected) category that makes little difference in everyday life. But if Christianity is true, then it speaks to ALL of life. It makes a comprehensive claim on reality. Jesus didn't intend to merely address two hours of our week. As Christians we need to have more conversations about reality and less about religion.

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Why Does God Allow Tragedy and Suffering? Lee Strobel reflects on the shooting tragedy in Aurora, Colorado

The following is adapted from a sermon preached by author and apologist Lee Strobel on Sunday, July 22, at Cherry Hills Community Church in Highlands Ranch, Colorado.

"It's already being called the worst mass shooting in American history: 70 people shot by a gunman, 12 of them killed, while they were watching the midnight showing of a new movie. It all happened just 21 miles from where we're sitting. There are no words to describe the anguish being felt by those who are suffering today; our heart and prayers have, and will, go out to them. There are so many tragic stories, so much pain. And many people are asking the question, "Why? Why did God allow this?"

This has been a heart-rending summer for Colorado. First came the wildfires, which ravaged the houses of hundreds of our neighbors, prompting many of them to ask the same question, "Why?"

And those two tragic events are just added to the everyday pain and suffering being experienced in individual lives. There's illness, abuse, broken relationships, betrayal, sorrow, injuries, disappointment, heartache, crime and death. And perhaps you've been asking the question too. "Why? Why me? Why now?"

That "why" question is not a new one; it goes back thousands of years. It was asked in the Old Testament by Job and the writers of the Psalms, and it was especially relevant during the 20th Century, where we witnessed two World Wars, the Holocaust, genocides in the Soviet Union and China, devastating famines in Africa, the killing fields of Cambodia, the emergence of AIDS, the genocide in Rwanda and the ethnic cleansing of Kosovo. And the 21st Century didn't start any better. There was 9/11 and now the Syrian slaughters, and on and on. Why do all of these horrific things happen if there's a loving and powerful God? Why do bad things happen to good people?

Several years ago, I commissioned a national survey and asked people what question they'd ask if they could only ask God one thing. The number one response was: "Why is there suffering in the world?"

Maybe you've never asked why our world is infected with pain and suffering, but my guess is you will when they strike you or a loved one with full force. And Jesus said they are coming. Unlike some other religious leaders who wrote off pain and suffering as mere illusions, Jesus was honest about the inevitability of suffering. In John 16:33 he said, "You will have suffering in this world." He didn't say you might—he said itis going to happen.

But why? If you ask me, "Why did God allow the gunman to spray the Aurora movie theater with gunfire just two days ago?" the only answer I can honestly give consists of four words: "I do not know."

I don't have God's mind; I don't share his perspective. In 1 Corinthians 13:12 we're told, "Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity."

Someday we'll see with clarity, but for now things are foggy. We can't understand everything from our finite perspective. And frankly, the people suffering from the Aurora tragedy don't need a big theological treatise right now; any intellectual response is going to seem trite and inadequate. What they desperately need now is the very real and comforting presence of Jesus Christ in their lives. And I'm so grateful that so many churches and ministries of this community..."

Read the rest here.

Knowledge isn't that important...is it?

"People perish for lack of knowledge, because only knowledge permits assured access to reality; and reality does not adjust itself to accommodate our false beliefs, errors, or hesitations in action. Life demands a steady hand for good, and only knowledge supplies this. This is as true in the spiritual life as elsewhere." - Dallas Willard

Not only is it critical to be able to ask and argue if Christianity is true but even more important is whether it can be known to be true.

Here's a good place to start your search and learn how to make the case for the Christian worldview.

Something From Nothing, Lawrence Krauss, & The Colbert Report

Theoretical physicist Lawrence Krauss attempts to defend the view that 'nothing' is actually a 'something' on the Colbert Report. This is just great TV...enjoy!

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As Sean McDowell and I state in our book Is God Just a Human Invention? And Seventeen Other Questions Raised By The New Atheists, "For something to cause itself to come into being, it must first already exist. But if it first already exists, then it must have a cause outside itself. The idea that something could cause itself is absurd. This is why the laws of nature cannot plausibly explain the origin of the universe. Natural laws can only act on things that already exist, so they can’t be the first cause for the universe itself. The laws came into existence with the big bang, so they can’t be the explanation for the big bang." Colbert's question is actually very reasonable and rational...so where did the nothing that is actually a something come from?
Contrary to what Krauss asserted (i.e., did not make an argument for) on the Colbert Report, there is good evidence for belief in God. Read an accesible treatment of the evidence for God here:



Read Dr. William lane Craig's reply to Dr. Krauss's assertions / arguments here.

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2 Reasons Why a Gap Year is a Great Idea for Students

While there are many reasons I’m a fan of students taking a gap year, in this post I will briefly mention two. But before I get to them, I want to say a few words from the perspective of one who wants to see students flourish as Christ-followers’ in college and beyond. I have the privilege of working with high school and college students both in the local church setting and as I speak around the country. I’m more convinced than ever...(read the rest of my guest blog post at the Lid).

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Religion Is Not The Problem...People Are

Throughout history, power has been used in disturbing ways and religious beliefs have been co-opted for personal or political gain. Philosopher Keith Ward’s comments are helpful:

"No one would deny that there have been religious wars in human history. Catholics have fought Protestants, Sunni Muslims have fought Shi’a Muslims, and Hindus have fought Muslims. However, no one who has studied history could deny that most wars in human history have not been religious. And in the case of those that have been religious, the religious component has usually been associated with some non-religious, social, ethnic, or political component that has exerted a powerful influence on the conflicts."

This observation about the history of warfare reinforces the critical point that all ideals, religious or irreligious, are capable of being abused. Upon reflection, most would agree that people are the problem, not religion. There are deeper issues at work. The human heart is corrupt.

The prophet Jeremiah's words are as true today as when they were penned: "The heart is deceitful above all things,and desperately sick; who can understand it?" (Jer. 17:9). Sean McDowell and I go into more detail on this and other issues in our book:


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The Projection Theory Cuts Both Ways

If it can be argued that humans created God out of a need for security or a father figure (cf. Freud), then it can just as easily be argued that atheism is a response to the human desire for the freedom to do whatever one wants without moral constraints or obligations. Perhaps atheists don’t want a God to exist because they would then be morally accountable to a deity. Or maybe atheists had particularly tragic relationships with their own fathers growing up, projected that on God, and then spent most of their adult lives trying to kill a “Divine Father Figure" (for more on this point, see the chapter by Dr. Paul Vitz here).

Moreover, perhaps the idea that humans invented God to meet their desires is precisely backward. Perhaps the reason humans have a desire for the divine is because something or someone exists that will satisfy them. C. S. Lewis powerfully articulates this point: “Creatures are not born with desires unless satisfaction for those desires exists. A baby feels hunger: well, there is such a thing as food. A duckling wants to swim: well, there is such a thing as water…If I find in myself a desire, which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world."

But is there good, positive evidence for God? Yes. I write about that here with Sean McDowell:


I recently released a new podcast about preparing students for college, you can subscribe to the latest Think Christianly podcast here (iTunes / RSS).

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How to Test a Worldview in 3 Easy Steps

There are so many different worldviews and belief systems out there...how can we make a wise choice? In this video, I share 3 tests you can apply to any worldview.




I just released a new podcast about preparing students for college, you can subscribe to the latest Think Christianly podcast here (iTunes / RSS).

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I'd love to hear what you think. For you, what is the most compelling thing about the Christian worldview? Feel free to leave a comment below.

How to Prepare Teenagers for College and Beyond - New Podcast

Click Here to Order Welcome to College

There's a lot of confusion among teenagers today...

• 72% of 18-29 year olds self identify as “Spiritual but not religious”
• 54% of “conservative protestant” teenagers affirmed that there was more than one way to God
• 32% of 13-17 year olds left their faith behind because of “intellectual skepticism”
• Less than “one-half of one percent of adults in the Mosaic generation – i.e., those aged 18 to 23 – have a biblical worldview.”
• 60% percent of young people who went to church as teens drop out or disengage after high school.

In light of these challenges, what can you do as a parent to prepare your teenager to flourish in college? To not just see them survive the challenges of college life, but to see them influence others for Jesus Christ? I talk about this and more in the latest Think Christianly podcast (iTunes / RSS).

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What do you think is the greatest challenge that today's students face in college?

Think Christianly, Welcome to College, and My Interview on Stand to Reason

On Sunday I had the opportunity to be interviewed on Stand to Reason's weekly radio show. I am a huge fan of Stand to Reason (they do wonderful work!). Here is a link to my interview where I offer biblical advice for engaging culture and how to help students make the most of college (My segment occurs in the final hour).

***Also, my publisher has generously made Welcome to College available for only $5 at Amazon until tomorrow night (May 25th). If you are a parent or have a teenager, you can gift it to them or buy yourself a copy. It's a GREAT deal (72% off). My goal is to get Welcome to College in as many student's hands as I can during the graduation season. If you like what you see can you help spread the word by sharing this link on Facebook and Twitter? http://amzn.to/mcPGCx Here's what people are saying about the book:

"Wow! What a book! Quite frankly, this is the book I've been waiting for the last forty years to give to college students. It is the single best volume I have ever read for preparing students for how to follow Jesus and flourish as his disciple in college." -- J.P. Moreland, Distinguished Professor of Philosophy, Talbot School of Theology, Biola University

"Jonathan has both the intellectual resources as well as the practical experience to provide an effective students' survival guide to university life. I'm impressed with the wide array of issues he discusses, from intellectual challenges to financial problems to sexual snares to getting enough sleep! All this is done in easily digestible bits for the student on the run." -- William Lane Craig, Theologian and author, Reasonable Faith

"Reading this book is like having your own personal mentor and friend to guide you through the rough rapids of college life. College is a great experience, but it can also be faith-shattering if you are not adequately prepared. This book is perfect for the high school senior who is curious about what college life will be like. It is also helpful to the college student who is dealing with the day-to-day challenges and questions faced both in and out of the classroom. -- Mark Schmahl, Pastor of Student Ministries Believers' Chapel

"This book will prepare anyone who is either enrolled in college or is planning to go to college for the daily challenges Christians deal with on campus. Jonathan Morrow is aware of the real college world and is dead-on with his excellent insight." -- Blake Smith, Junior, Texas Tech University

"Unpacking biblical truths, Welcome to College is a treasure book of wisdom that will literally save lives and help build a culture of life." -- Kelly Monroe Kullberg, Author, Finding God Beyond Harvard: The Quest for Veritas

"Whether you are an incoming freshman or upperclassman, Jonathan provides straightforward, practical insight for dealing with current issues regarding living the Christian life on campuses everywhere. Not only is this a great read, but you will find a place to turn to when questions or struggles show their face." -- Taylor McCabe, Junior, Baylor University


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How Much Manuscript Evidence Is There For The New Testament?

"The wealth of material that is available for determining the wording of the original New Testament is staggering: more than fifty-seven hundred Greek New Testament manuscripts, as many as twenty thousand versions, and more than one million quotations by patristic writers. In comparison with the aver- age ancient Greek author, the New Testament copies are well over a thousand times more plentiful. If the average-sized manuscript were two and one-half inches thick, all the copies of the works of an average Greek author would stack up four feet high, while the copies of the New Testament would stack up to over a mile high! This is indeed an embarrassment of riches." - Dan Wallace

Explore the evidence for the reliability of the NT further here.

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Zondervan's Think Christianly Blog Tour...

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