Part Five:   Apologetics Is Indispensable for Preparing Students for What They Will Encounter in Secular College *

In my previous blog article, I explained why apologetics is extremely valuable in evangelism, especially in today’s secular, post-Christian, and increasingly cynical world. I also said that there are two other areas where apologetics can be used most effectively in popular culture. This article will explore the second one. Apologetics is indispensable in terms of teaching young people how to identify and respond to the anti-Christian philosophies, alluring worldly values, and fallacious views of Christianity that they will encounter in secular universities and colleges.

It is widely acknowledged today that up to eighty percent of young people reared in Christian homes fall away from the faith when they enter secular college. This should not be surprising, considering that they are cast into an academic environment where professors teach naturalistic evolution as scientific fact; where they are introduced to a reconstructed version of history that diminishes the importance of Western culture and deemphasize the achievements of America’s greatest heroes; where professors and students alike decry traditional moral values and insist that absolute truth is non-existent in virtually all areas of knowledge; and where professors insist that the world would be better off discarding all religious faiths—and in particular Christianity.

Apparently even a good foundation in the Bible is not enough to keep many Christian students committed to their faith while attending secular colleges. Christian scholar Nancy Pearcey gives an insightful comment relevant to this:

A recent study by Fuller Seminary found that when teens graduate from high school, they often “graduate from God” as well. But the research also discovered one factor that proved most effective in helping young people retain their Christine convictions. What would you expect it to be? More prayer? More Bible study? As important as those things are, surprisingly, the most significant factor was whether they had a safe place to wrestle with doubts and questions before leaving home. (Nancy Pearcey, Saving Leonardo: A Call to Resist the Secular Assault on Mind, Morals, & Meaning, 16.)

So what’s the solution? How do we prepare our young people to resist being seduced by the secular philosophies and worldly values they will encounter in academia? The answer is a vigorous and thorough training in apologetics before entering college. Pearcey further comments on this:

To be effective in equipping young people and professionals to face the challenges of a highly educated secular society, the church needs to redefine the mission of pastors and youth leaders to include training in apologetics and worldview. . . . Pastors must once again provide intellectual leadership for their congregations, teaching apologetics from the pulpit. Every time a minister introduces a biblical teaching, he should also instruct the congregation in ways to defend it against the major objections they are likely to encounter. A religion that avoids the intellectual task and retreats to the therapeutic realm of personal relationships and feelings will not survive in today’s spiritual battlefield. (Nancy Pearcey, Total Truth; Liberating Christianity from Its Cultural Captivity, 127.)

I agree with Pearcey that apologetics can be a major factor in stopping the exodus of young Christians from the church. Whether churches engage in training their own people or seek out parachurch ministries that specialize in apologetics, one truth is certain. Apologetic training must be done before young people leave home to attend college or enter the secular workforce. Youth leaders in particular must embark on a course of study that trains pre-college students in the kinds of anti-Christian philosophies and worldviews they will encounter in secular universities and colleges—and how to refute them apologetically. If young people learn how to recognize when their professors (and classmates) are peddling untruths and misrepresenting Christianity, it will provide them with a shield of protection against the anti-Christian rhetoric and false ideologies commonplace in modern academia. ©

* This blog article is adapted from chapter one of my book The Christian Combat Manual; Helps for Defending Your Faith: A Handbook for Practical Apologetics (AMG Publishers), which can be ordered through most outlets.