Search — Theology Explorer

Joseph Blinzler Women observers

Women observing the burial - multiply attested detail

Additional corroboration of historical memory

Josephus Roman burial practices

Roman crucifixion burial practice rebutted by Josephus and archaeological evidence

Addressing main historical objection to empty tomb

Criterion of embarrassment Joseph of Arimathea

Joseph of Arimathea - multiply attested, named, testable, criterion of embarrassment

Joseph as historical figure validating burial account

Apollonius of Tyana Geography as evidence

Jerusalem location - worst place to fabricate the empty tomb legend

Why the location itself argues for historicity

Q&A: Shroud of Turin and evidence issues

Discussion of physical evidence claims

Shroud of Turin

Gary Habermas Resurrection appearances

Habermas's 2005 scholarly consensus paper on resurrection appearances

Academic consensus on resurrection appearances

Swoon theory Naturalistic explanations

Rebuttal of swoon theory - physical evidence against resuscitation

Addressing alternative naturalistic explanations

Stolen body theory Hallucination theory

Stolen body theory problems - requires all disciples to unanimously fabricate

Addressing 'hallucination' and conspiracy objections

Historicity Comparative religion

Christianity's historical uniqueness in resurrection claims

Comparative religion - why Christianity's claims stand out

Capturing Christianity Christian apologetics Cameron Bertuzzi

Cameron Bertuzzi's background: photographer turned apologist after brother became an atheist; runs Capturing Christianity blog and YouTube channel

Cameron introduces himself to Mike's audience

problem of evil moral argument for God Cameron Bertuzzi

Argument from morality as a compelling Christian argument: moral facts (e.g., torturing children for fun is wrong) require a grounding explanation

Cameron presents the moral argument as interesting for its emotional grip, parallel to the problem of evil

problem of evil emotional vs. logical reasoning philosophical method

Emotional vs. logical reasoning: the importance of separating emotional response from logical analysis of arguments

Cameron's methodological point about evaluating arguments

John McCrae problem of evil John McCrae SIDS / sudden infant death

Personal account: two friends experienced SIDS (crib death/sudden infant death) and responded differently — one drew closer to God, one turned away

John shares a personal story illustrating different responses to suffering

gospel grace human nature

Humans are worse than they think they are, but Christ loves them more than they know — the paradox of the gospel

John wraps up his reflection on suffering and human nature

atheism epistemology burden of proof

Definition of atheism debate: classical (affirming God does not exist) vs. modern redefinition as "lack of belief" to avoid burden of proof

Q&A question from Isaiah Armstrong about the definition of atheism

miracles divine intervention Scripture as sufficient revelation

Q&A: Why doesn't God interact visibly today as in Bible times? Mike's answer: miracles were always rare; God interacts spiritually now; the Bible establishes the foundation

Q&A question from "I'm Zen"

Cameron Bertuzzi argument from contingency necessary being

Closing the gap problem in cosmological arguments: a necessary being with limited properties would require an explanation for those limits, but there can be no deeper explanation — therefore the necessary being must be unlimited/infinite in value (i.e., God)

Q&A question for Cameron about the gap problem in cosmological arguments

Cosmic Skeptic Steve Krei Non Sequitur Show

Favorite atheist YouTubers: Cosmic Skeptic, Steve Krei (Non Sequitur); least favorite: emotional, illogical ranters

Q&A about favorite/least-favorite atheist YouTube channels

monotheism empty tomb post-resurrection appearances

Q&A: If an atheist accepts that a creator God exists, why should that God be the Christian God? Answer: cosmological arguments narrow the field to monotheism; historical evidence for the resurrection identifies Christianity specifically

Q&A question from Emily Towler about identifying which God among creation stories

omnipotence perfect being theology soul-building theodicy

Q&A on omnipotence: can a perfect God bring about states of affairs that are less than perfect? Cameron: yes — the question confuses God's perfection with the value of created states of affairs

Q&A question from "P or not P" about omnipotence and perfection

Josephus empty tomb swoon theory

Refutation of Paulogia's claim that Romans denied honorable burial to crucifixion victims: Josephus explicitly says Romans made an exception for Jews

Mike provides a specific example of responding to a resurrection objection

John McCrae John McCrae What Do You Mean emotional vs. logical reasoning

John McCrae's ministry goal: counter emotionally compelling but logically weak objections; reach younger audiences with the full human (intellectual + emotional) case for Christianity

Each host shares their goals for their YouTube channel

John McCrae gospel logical fallacies John McCrae

Closing message to skeptics from John: separate psychological/emotional persuasiveness from logical validity; the gospel has explanatory power for the whole world

Closing messages to atheist/skeptic viewers

logical fallacies Rationality Rules atheist YouTube

Rationality Rules YouTube channel criticized: incorrectly labels valid arguments as circular reasoning

Mike and Cameron discuss atheist YouTube channels

atonement gospel apologetics

Closing message from Mike to skeptics: the evidence for Christianity is robust and surprising; Jesus really died for sins; God is personal and loves people; life is not purposeless

Mike's closing address to skeptic viewers

Apologetics A Manual for Creating Atheists Peter Boghossian

Introduction: Mike presents the book "A Manual for Creating Atheists" by Peter Boghossian as the foundational text for the Street Epistemology movement

Opening of Tuesday livestream, Mike sets the tone as reasoning together, not adversarial

Peter Boghossian Street Epistemology Doubt

Street Epistemology defined as a procedure to instill doubt in people's beliefs about God and religion

Mike explains what Street Epistemology actually is as a method

A Manual for Creating Atheists Peter Boghossian Faith

Page 15 quote: Boghossian's stated goal is to create a generation of Street Epistemologists who help people abandon faith and embrace reason

Mike reads page 15 of the book at length

Hebrews 11:1 Hebrews 11:1 Peter Boghossian Faith

The false definition of faith makes Christian claims appear unreasonable before dialogue even begins

Mike explains the downstream effect of Boghossian's redefinition

Atheism A Manual for Creating Atheists Peter Boghossian

Summary of chapter 2: Boghossian redefines faith, atheism, and agnosticism to rig the intellectual playing field

Mike synthesizes his analysis of chapter 2

Stand to Reason Tim Barnett Peter Boghossian

Boghossian claims faith is an epistemology — a way of coming to know things — which Mike and his guests argue is fundamentally wrong

Mike identifies the second major pillar-error in the book

Mark 2 William Lane Craig Stand to Reason Tim Barnett

Tim Barnett (Stand to Reason): faith is not an epistemology but a way of trusting; knowledge and trust are distinct categories

Video clip from Tim Barnett responding to Boghossian

Peter Boghossian Street Epistemology Faith

The two foundational false pillars of Street Epistemology: (1) faith = belief without evidence, (2) faith is an epistemology

Mike synthesizes the two central errors he has identified

Circular reasoning A Manual for Creating Atheists Peter Boghossian

Page 30: Boghossian's principal argument against faith is circular — it presupposes his false definition

Mike analyzes Boghossian's core argument structure

A Manual for Creating Atheists Peter Boghossian Faith

Page 43-44: Boghossian claims faith removes wonder and curiosity; Mike counters that faith enhances his intellectual engagement

Mike quotes and rebuts pages 43-44

Atheism Nihilism Morality

Mike argues that atheism, consistently followed, leads to nihilism — no morality, purpose, beauty, love, personhood, free will, or meaning

Mike offers his counter-worldview assessment

Apologetics A Manual for Creating Atheists Peter Boghossian

The book assumes religious people have not thought through their beliefs — which Mike says is demonstrably false

Mike identifies a core assumption embedded in the book

David Hume A Manual for Creating Atheists Peter Boghossian

Boghossian self-contradicts by quoting David Hume approvingly: "A wise man proportions his belief to the evidence"

Mike identifies a self-contradiction on page 45

Apologetics A Manual for Creating Atheists Street Epistemology

Chapters 4+ of the book present the tactics: primary tactic is to avoid facts and simply ask questions to instill doubt

Mike transitions to Boghossian's tactical section

Peter Boghossian Street Epistemology Socratic method

The SE tactic in practice: be friendly, don't disclose your agenda, and ask "how do you know that?" repeatedly

Mike describes the practical method of Street Epistemology

Street Epistemology Psychological manipulation Socratic method

Guest John explains why the SE questioning tactic is effective but potentially manipulative: it exploits inability to articulate beliefs under surprise

Video clip from guest John (from "What Do You Mean?")

Apologetics Capturing Christianity Cameron Bertuzzi

Cameron Bertuzzi (Capturing Christianity): inability to answer a question doesn't mean Christianity is false; testimony is a legitimate epistemic basis

Video clip from Cameron Bertuzzi with pastoral/apologetic advice for Christians facing SE

Greg Koukl Stand to Reason A Manual for Creating Atheists

Greg Koukl contrasts his book "Tactics" with Boghossian's book: both use questions, but Koukl cares about truth and intellectual virtue while Boghossian cares only about instilling doubt

Video clip from Greg Koukl (Stand to Reason)

Hebrews 11 Hebrews 11:1 Hebrews 11 Hebrews 11:1 Amy Hall

Q&A: Hebrews 11:1 is a description of faith in action, not a definition of faith

Question from "search for truth" about Hebrews 11:1

1 Peter Romans 8 Revelation 2-3 1 Peter Romans 8 Revelation 2-3

Prison epistles and other NT letters as evidence that suffering was a church-wide reality needing sustained pastoral address

The pervasive theme of persecution across the entire NT corpus

2 Corinthians 11:24-28 Paul the Apostle apostolic martyrdom apostle sincerity

2 Corinthians 11:24-28 — Paul's own catalog of sufferings as direct first-person evidence of his willingness to endure persecution for Christ

Paul's own testimony as evidence of sincerity

James the brother of Jesus James son of Zebedee Clement of Alexandria apostolic martyrdom Eusebius

Clement of Alexandria (c. 150-250 AD, preserved in Eusebius) on two men named James: one thrown from the Temple pinnacle and beaten to death with a fuller's club, one beheaded

Additional patristic attestation of James's death, clarifying the two men named James

resurrection eyewitness testimony apostle sincerity

Response to the objection "9/11 bombers were also sincere" — the distinction between sincere indoctrinated believers and sincere eyewitnesses

Q&A style engagement with the most common objection to the sincerity argument