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EPS Apologetics Conference

November 17, 2011
Biola University/Evangelical Philosophical Society

Apologetics Culture Truth Audio Lecture

These two lectures were part of an apologetics conference hosted by the Evangelical Philosophical Society and Biola University in various locations over three days in the area of San Francisco and Berkeley, California. The conference theme was "To Everyone an Answer." 

Resources

1: Knowledge in the Context of Spiritual Formation

Does it matter whether or not we think of the spiritual life as a possible domain of knowledge? Dallas reframes the discussion of knowledge, truth, and authority in light of Christian spiritual formation. He challenges the audience to see spiritual formation as an educational process—one that every person undergoes—but in Christ it becomes the transformation of the whole self into his likeness. Dallas insists that real knowledge of God is not abstract but lived, reshaping character and rooting discipleship in reality rather than opinion or performance. 

2: Jesus, the Smartest Man Who Ever Lived

The brilliance of Jesus is brought to the forefront—challenging the cultural tendency to relegate him to the margins of intellectual life. Rather than seeing Jesus as merely a religious figure, this talk calls for recognition of him as the smartest person who ever lived, whose wisdom and insight surpass the academy, philosophy, and human schemes of knowledge. 

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Knowledge in the Context of Spiritual Formation

Highlights:

  • Spiritual Formation as Universal: Everyone undergoes spiritual formation—Hitler and Mother Teresa alike. The question is not if, but which kind of formation shapes a person’s life.
  • Transformation, Not Just Formation: In the Christian context, formation means transformation into Christlikeness—moving beyond surface behaviors into the very character and reality of Jesus.
  • Knowledge and Reality: Knowledge is not mere opinion but confidence grounded in reality. Christian knowledge rests on truth that can be lived out, not just asserted.
  • Authority of Jesus as Teacher: Discipleship hinges on recognizing Jesus as the most reliable source of knowledge about reality, including moral and spiritual life—not just as a religious figure but as an actual teacher of truth.
  • Apologetics Reframed: Apologetics is not about winning arguments but about guiding people into confidence that the teachings of Jesus correspond to reality and can be trusted in practice.
  • Integration of Life and Knowledge: True knowledge of God integrates into daily living—transforming thought, behavior, and relationships—so that apologetics is embodied in lives that make the Kingdom visible.

Additional Assets

Jesus, the Smartest Man Who Ever Lived

Highlights:

  • The Question of Jesus’ Intelligence: Modern culture often misses the reality that Jesus is the most brilliant person who ever lived. To take him seriously means seeing him as the ultimate authority on life, knowledge, and truth.
  • Jesus and the University: Charles Malik once asked, “What does Jesus Christ think of the university?”—a question still pressing today, as Jesus is largely excluded from academic respectability.
  • Intellectual Marginalization of Christ: Centuries of cultural drift have pushed Jesus out of the intellectual mainstream, leaving him admired morally but dismissed as irrelevant to knowledge.
  • Wisdom Beyond Philosophy: Jesus’ teachings reveal a depth and coherence that surpass the greatest philosophers. His insights into human life, morality, and reality continue to expose the limits of purely human thought.
  • The Scholar’s Spiritual Life: Developing the spiritual life of the scholar requires re-centering intellectual pursuits around Christ, recognizing him as the foundation of all true learning.
  • Trusting Jesus with the Mind: Discipleship involves more than devotion; it means confidence that Jesus knows best about every aspect of reality—including ethics, human flourishing, and the structures of knowledge.
    rately needs to be his apprentice.