‘You believe in God? Even in the God of the Bible? Are you stupid?’ If you are in frequent contact with atheists at your workplace or in your neighbourhood, these questions might sound familiar to you. Many people claim that either you are a rational person or you can have blind faith in God. In this Master Class, we want to debunk this myth. We will argue why plausibility is worldview-dependent. We will have a look at how shortcut arguments usually get the whole thing wrong. And we will examine arguments for a personal God and for the Christian God especially. After this Master Class, you should be equipped to respond in an inviting manner to the above questions.
1. A Matter of Worldview
What we consider to be rationally acceptable is dependent on our worldview presuppositions. Hence it is worth the effort to have a look at what a worldview is and how it shapes our thinking. And how we can compare worldviews and their plausibility.
2. A Matter of Argumentation
When we compare worldviews in regard to their respective evidence, we are tempted to take logical shortcuts in order to prove our position. A theist, e.g., might argue that we have no idea which physical processes led to the origin of the universe, hence there must be a creator. Of course, the atheist will simply reply, we don’t know yet, but science will find out, and there is no need for God. Both arguments are logical shortcuts and simply reinforce the presuppositions that we held before, but they do not help to advance the case. So how can we build a sound case for the Christian God?
3. Is Faith the Opposite of Reason?
It is worth noting that faith is in no way the opposite of reason. The Bible and important Christian thinkers have always held reason and evidence in high esteem. Christian faith is not blind faith, but rests on evidence and can be justified by logical reasons.
4. Arguments for a Personal God
We will discuss the cosmological, the teleological, the moral, and the argument from reason and consciousness for the existence of a personal God. These arguments make a plausible case for the existence of a personal God.
5. Arguments for the Christian God
Finally, we will discuss arguments, why this personal God is the triune Christian God who has revealed himself in Jesus Christ. What is so unique about the person of Jesus, and which reasons are there that his resurrection was a real space-time event in history?
