About

Welcome. This blog is being re-launched. It contains observations by Albert Spalding, and offers thoughts on Christian apologetics from a Gospel-driven emphasis and perspective.

This blog went dormant for a couple of years, but after my recent debate at Wayne State University I’ve been persuaded to at least try to re-activate it.

In addition to occasional random posts, I expect that this blog will again be a collection of apologetics-related content, including:

• Handouts from my ABF (adult Bible fellowship) classes at my church.
• Things I am learning as I interact with Rural Church Initiative pastors who partner with Crossroads Farm.
• Things I am learning from students and faculty as I continue to work with Ratio Christi at Wayne State University and as I develop and teach apologetics, wisdom literature and humanities courses at Geneva College.
• Podcast-style recordings that include:
  • Occasional commentary (“Questions I Have”) on social, cultural and historical topics, mostly from a Gospel (and/or apologetics) perspective.
  • Observations about “compassionate personal evangelism” (CPE) as I interact with non-believers (i.e., folks who do not identify as followers of Christ).
  • Brief studies of words and phrases in the Bible (“My Favorite Bible Words”) that point to larger concepts and ideas that I think are interesting and thought-provoking.

By “Gospel” is meant the good news that Jesus Christ has made it possible for people to be reconciled to God. The Gospel involves the story of creation of the universe by God, the rebellion of the human race (the “fall”), and the redemption made possible by the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15). Simply put, Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living (Romans 14:9). To become a citizen of His kingdom, each person is invited to make a choice as to whom they will follow, and to whom they will listen (John 10).

By “apologetics” is meant both content and  conversation. Content, in the sense that this blog takes into account various questions and objections to faith in Christ that are asked by thoughtful folks. Questions such as: Isn’t morality relative, rather than absolute? What about the problem of evil in view of a so-called loving God? Was God an angry deity in the Old Testament, and a somewhat different personality in the New Testament? Doesn’t evolution disprove creation?

Of course, apologetics makes most sense when it takes place in conversation. Conversation about the Gospel, and conversation about the barriers to belief in Christ that are sometimes experienced by people with inquiring minds who are seeking truth.

So, this blog continues to be called “Gospel Apologetics” because it focuses on the questions that are often asked, and concerns that are sometimes raised, by truth-seekers of good faith. These are important and worthwhile questions and concerns. They are sometimes asked by believers and nonbelievers alike (Mark 9:24). The difference is that even as they continue to seek and find greater understanding, followers of Christ have hope (1 Peter 3:15).