At the end of October, Alaska Bible College hosted Dr. Richard G. Howe for a series of talks on Apologetics. Apologetics is the branch of Theology focused on defending the faith.
Dr. Howe is the Emeritus Professor of Philosophy and Apologetics at Southern Evangelical Seminary in Charlotte NC, and also serves as the President of the International Society of Christian Apologetics. He regularly travels the world speaking at various venues on important topics in defense of Classical Christianity.
From October 27-30, Howe spoke at a few different locations in the Matanuska Susitna Valley. Up first was a talk at Wasilla Christian Church on “The Top Three Questions Skeptics Ask” and Howe followed it up with a time of Q&A, which was very fruitful. Howe also spoke at Farm Loop Christian Center on the topic of “The Biblical Mandate and Cultural Need for Apologetics in the Church,” in which he emphasized the directive from Scripture to always be ready to give a reason for the hope within (1 Peter 3:15-16). In this talk he shared his testimony on the role Apologetics has played in his own life, and how the believer needs to become equipped to know what we believe and why we believe it. Howe gave a special extended presentation in the chapel at Alaska Bible College entitled “The Role Christian Philosophy Plays in Aiding Our Understanding of Scripture and Forming Our Theology.” This talk helped to more deeply root our understanding of how we come to know and discern truth from God’s revelations, both in creation and in His Word. Dr. Howe also emphasized the need for a revitalization of Classical Theism- to hold firmly to the theological and philosophical distinctions that affirm and uphold God as the metaphysically ultimate Being. This must be affirmed in the church because it contrasts with contemporary trends in modern evangelicalism that anthropomorphize God into a finite, limited, and imperfect being.
At Alaska Bible College, we believe firmly that students need to be equipped and prepared to present and defend the truth. We look forward to the possibility of hosting another Apologetics conference in the future!
Contributed by Matthew Cotê.