One of my clients made it all the way through committee and they were supposedly putting the deal points together when it suddenly got nixed from somewhere upstairs. "We haven't had much luck with apologetics," was given as the reason.
The client's response was that the book was NOT apologetics, but I told him they had read it and if they thought that was what it was, then arguing with them about it would be futile.
But it did cause me to think. I know what apologetics are, defending a position (usually our faith) with logic and reason, a rational explanation against objections and alternate views. But I don't like the word, never have. It sounds too much like apology or apologizing to me and I never have and never will apologize to anyone about my faith.
I wish there were another title we could get the genre label switched to. It's a lot like evangelism, but that word has a little different connotation. Maybe some word that had iron to it and didn't sound like passive defense but more like strong offense. I don't know what the word would be, do you?
Of course it will never happen and I will just have to continue to live with it, but...
I don't have to like it.
2 comments:
I agree, I don't like that word either.
Early Christian writers who sought to defend their faith were called apologists.
Something just seems SO wrong about that.
You're right we may have to live with it, but we don't have to like.
Ditto.
Maybe we could coin the term "Unapolegetics."
What do you think?
Jean
Write2Ignite
Post a Comment