Search — Theology Explorer

homosexuality compromise theological drift

Homosexuality as a watershed issue — waffling on it signals accommodation of a worldly Christianity

Winger identifies the theological stakes in avoiding the question.

Homosexuality as a canary in the coal mine for the broader attack on Christian truth

Q&A question about whether this issue signals a wider cultural assault on truth.

truth love homosexuality

Matthew Vines Romans 1 hermeneutics eisegesis false teaching

Matthew Vines' approach to Scripture is driven by a prior commitment to affirm homosexuality, not honest exegesis

Q&A question about advocates like Matthew Vines who try to make homosexuality fit within Scripture.

repentance gospel holiness

The real offense of the gospel is not Jesus' love but Jesus' holiness — and that is what must be proclaimed

Closing summary tying the Lauren Daigle situation back to the nature of the gospel.

Mike Winger idea 2019-03-20

Debate preparation with Matt Dillahunty context

Mike explains this video is part of his preparation for a debate on the resurrection of Jesus with atheist Matt Dillahunty on April 11th on the Capturing Christianity YouTube channel.

apologetics Matt Dillahunty Capturing Christianity

biblical authority Ben Shapiro Robert Barron

Mike's verdict: Vatican II is not actually clear on Ben Shapiro's specific case

Summing up the Vatican II analysis

conscience Robert Barron voice of Christ

Bishop Barron's theology of conscience: conscience is 'the aboriginal voice of Christ'

Mike identifies a second major theological claim Barron makes beyond Vatican II

Romans 11 Torah Tanakh Nevi'im

The New Testament is a Jewish book written by Jews about the Jewish Messiah

Mike contextualizes the gospel for Ben as a Jewish person

Romans 11 Messianic Judaism grafted in Romans 11

Christianity is a Jewish religion; Gentiles are grafted in — not the other way around

Mike speaks directly to the Jewish identity of Christianity

Council of Trent Vatican II inclusivism

Q&A: When did inclusivism/relativism become prevalent in the Catholic Church? Vatican II was deliberately vague

Answering viewer question from Michael Cato

faith belief without evidence Christian apologetics

Opening thesis: defining faith as 'belief without evidence' is a disastrous mistake for Christianity

Mike opens the livestream by stating his core argument for the session.

faith Matt Dillahunty gullibility

A Christian caller's agreement with the 'faith = belief without evidence' definition hands skeptics a rhetorical victory

Mike analyzes the Atheist Experience clip where the atheist host anticipates the Christian caller's definition and immediately labels it 'gullibility.'

hermeneutics faith apologetics methodology

Methodology: test the definition of faith against Scripture first, then the dictionary

Mike outlines his approach for the rest of the session.

Islam resurrection comparative religion

No other religion has a comparative apologetic to Christianity

Mike makes a comparative religion claim after discussing Christian evidential resources.

Hebrews 2:3-4 evidence-based faith Hebrews 2:3-4 eyewitness testimony

Hebrews 2:3-4 — signs, wonders, miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit as confirmation of the gospel message

Mike's final direct positive scriptural argument that Christianity is evidence-based.

evidence-based faith skepticism Christian apologetics

Skeptical objections to Christianity are often based on misunderstanding, misrepresentation, and bad scholarship rather than genuinely superior evidence

Mike's meta-level assessment of the state of skeptical arguments against Christianity.

personal testimony faith spiritual apprehension

Dictionary definition of faith: Google's two definitions — 'complete trust or confidence' vs. 'strong belief based on spiritual apprehension rather than proof'

Mike moves from Scripture to the dictionary to examine the secular definition of faith.

faith Christian apologetics definition of faith

Webster's dictionary definitions of faith: 'allegiance,' 'loyalty,' 'belief and trust in God' — the 'firm belief in something for which there is no proof' definition exists but does not represent biblical Christianity

Mike examines Webster's multiple definitions of faith.

faith apologetics methodology sloppy thinking

Why Christians accept the bad definition: 'sloppy thinking' — illustrated by the peanut butter sandwich experiment

Mike explains how well-meaning Christians end up using imprecise language that harms their apologetic position.

faith apologetics methodology sloppy thinking

Skeptics take advantage of Christians' sloppy language; Christians must speak precisely about faith

Mike's conclusion on the source of the problem and call to action.

Greg Koukl William Lane Craig apologetics resources

Recommended apologetics ministries and resources for Christians who want a robust, evidence-based faith

Mike provides a resource list for viewers who want to deepen their apologetics.

personal testimony evidence-based faith comparative religion

Evidence for Christianity spans multiple disciplines: Scripture, philosophy, history, science, and personal experience

Mike summarizes the scope of Christian evidential resources before moving to Q&A.

Holy Spirit personal testimony apologetics methodology

Q&A: How to explain to non-believers that the Holy Spirit's presence is a reason for faith

Viewer question from Cam 94.

Romans 1:19-20 personal testimony Romans 1:19-20 natural theology

Q&A: Personal testimony — Bradley Wilcox found God through science and history; Mike shares friend Travis's conversion testimony

Viewer comment on creation as evidence; Mike illustrates with a personal conversion story.

Mike Winger idea 2019-01-30

119 Ministries opens by appealing to an "unsettling feeling" — Mike critiques this as emotional manipulation, not theological argument

Mike plays and critiques the opening rhetorical move of 119 Ministries' video, which begins by affirming that many Christians feel something is missing.

Hebrew Roots Movement 119 Ministries Rhetorical manipulation

Mike Winger idea 2019-01-30

119 Ministries misrepresents mainstream Christianity as teaching the Old Testament is "no longer true" — Mike corrects this as a straw man

Mike plays and analyzes a 119 Ministries clip that characterizes traditional Christianity as teaching the Old Testament is no longer true.

Genesis 22 Abraham Genesis 22 Law of Moses

Mike Winger idea 2019-01-30

Paul's legitimacy as an apostle — Mike answers a claim that Paul was not a true Jew and therefore untrustworthy

Q&A: a viewer's sister and brother-in-law argue that Paul was not a true Jew and deceived his audience; they use this to reject his letters.

Acts 13 Paul Peter Paul rejection

Mike Winger idea 2019-02-07

Kalam Cosmological Argument for God's existence

Mike presents the Kalam Cosmological Argument as a fourth reason to believe in God.

apologetics monotheism cosmological argument

Mike Winger idea 2019-02-13

Why Christianity and not other religions: incompatible truth claims require choosing

Viewer asking how to respond to someone asking why they should believe Christianity and not another religion

Islam resurrection apologetics

Mike Winger idea 2019-02-13

Strategy for protecting college students from JWs and the Mother God cult (World Mission Society Church of God): inoculate, don't isolate

Viewer on a college campus encountering JWs and World Mission Society Church of God

Mormonism evangelism Jehovah's Witnesses

Matthew 6 Matthew 6 Seek first the kingdom Wealth and Christianity

Distinction between being wealthy and pursuing wealth; Matthew 6 "seek first the kingdom" as the proper framework.

Wrapping up the prosperity gospel question.

Apologetics methodology Evangelism Pantheism

How to evangelize pantheists: demonstrate Christianity is true rather than directly refuting pantheism.

Michael Gilbert asks how to evangelize to pantheists and polytheists and prove their views false.

Apologetics methodology Evangelism Hinduism

Evangelizing Hindus: ask why they believe, listen to their evidence/reasons, then compare with the reasons for Christianity.

Continuing the evangelism methodology for polytheism/Hinduism.

John McCrae Capturing Christianity Cameron Bertuzzi John McCrae

Collaboration project: 20 videos with Cameron Bertuzzi (Capturing Christianity) and John McCrae (What Do You Meme) releasing daily.

Mike announces a collaborative YouTube project.

Mike Winger idea 2019-02-27

Enemy attestation - Matthew 28, Justin Martyr, Tertullian acknowledge the empty tomb

Even opponents of Christianity conceded the empty tomb as historical fact

Matthew 28 Tertullian Matthew 28 Justin Martyr

Mike Winger idea 2019-02-27

Christianity's historical uniqueness in resurrection claims

Comparative religion - why Christianity's claims stand out

Historicity Comparative religion

John McCrae Capturing Christianity Cameron Bertuzzi John McCrae

Introduction: Mike Winger hosts a collaborative livestream with Cameron Bertuzzi and John McCrae examining the YouTube landscape for Christians vs. atheists

Opening segment establishing the premise of the livestream and introducing co-hosts

Christian apologetics Hemant Mehta atheist objections to Christianity

20-video collaborative series answering Hemant Mehta's atheist objections, one video per day

Mike describes the structure and goals of the joint project

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

Christian unity essentials vs non-essentials in doctrine ecumenical cooperation

Principle of Christian unity: partnering across doctrinal differences on non-essentials while agreeing on essentials

Mike articulates the philosophy behind the collaboration

Cameron Bertuzzi argument from contingency theism

Cameron presents the "mansion analogy" for building a cumulative case for Christianity: theism first, then Christianity

Discussion of best arguments for Christianity

Cameron Bertuzzi argument from contingency necessary being

Argument from contingency explained: every contingent thing has an explanation; the collection of all contingent things requires a non-contingent (necessary) being as explanation

Cameron explains his favored philosophical argument for God's existence

apologetics theism philosophy and theism

Mike's claim: philosophy rightly done points toward God and ultimately toward Christ

Mike's reflection on the relationship between philosophy and theism

philosophy etymology of philosophy

Etymology of "philosophy": love of wisdom; Christians need not fear it

Cameron's brief note on philosophy

John McCrae Trinity John McCrae argument from contingency

John McCrae's favored arguments: contingency, Kalam, J.P. Moreland's argument from consciousness; also finds psychological features of the Bible's content persuasive

John introduces himself and shares his apologetic focus

John McCrae John McCrae J.P. Moreland argument from consciousness

Argument from consciousness: mind and matter are ontologically distinct; consciousness is irreducible to physical processes (the hard problem of consciousness)

John explains the argument from consciousness more fully

resurrection of Jesus Tim McGrew Lydia McGrew

Tim McGrew and Lydia McGrew's paper on miracles and the resurrection as a sophisticated cumulative case for Christianity

Cameron recommends a freely available academic paper

resurrection of Jesus Tim McGrew apologetics accessibility

The level of philosophical sophistication available for defending the resurrection surprises many skeptics and Christians alike

Mike and Cameron reflect on accessibility and depth of resurrection arguments

problem of evil Cameron Bertuzzi logical problem of evil

Problem of evil as the strongest argument for atheism: suffering and evil as evidence (not logical disproof) against God's existence

Discussion of atheist arguments