The Case for Christianity: Strengthening Faith with Reason, Logic, and Fact

Introduction

Welcome to the course, The Case for Christianity: Strengthening Faith with Reason, Logic, and Fact. In this course, we'll be walking through the book, On Guard: Defending Your Faith with Reason and Precision by William Lane Craig. Copies of the book will be available for free for you to pick up when you arrive on Aug.20.

Making use of the book, On Guard

Note: A copy of the information below can also be found on the web page, How to Get the Most Out of Your Reading.

In order to get the most out of this book, or any book, for that matter, try to focus, be curious, and interact with the content. Here are some practical things to do as you read:

• Read Actively - As you read through the book, On Guard each week, try to read actively, not passively.
• Skim the Headings - Before you begin reading the chapter, take a quick skim at the headings to get a broad overview.
• Ask Questions While Reading - Turn headings and subheadings into questions. Continually ask yourself: What is the author's main point? How does this section connect to what I read before.
• Take Notes and Annotate - Jot down key points, unfamiliar terms, and your personal reactions.
• Summarize and Paraphrase - After reading each section or chapter, summarize the content in your own words. This ensures you understand rather than just recognize the information.
• Make Connections - Relate what you are reading to your own experiences, other readings, and real-word experiences and issues. This will make the material more memorable and meaningful.
• Reflect on What You Read - Ask yourself how the reading fits with what you already know and how it challenges or confirms your thinking.
• Revisit and Review - Regularly review notes, summaries, and annotations to reinforce learning and retention.
• Adjust Your Reading Speed - Some of the content of the book will be "denser" than other parts. Slow down for difficult sections and reread a paragraph, if necessary.

Argument Maps

At the end of most chapters in the book you'll find a diagram called an argument map. The book indicates that the argument maps for each chapter can be found at http://davidcook.com/onguard, but that is an old link. Instead, you can found them here - OnGuard_ArgumentMaps_Images.pdf

What To Do Before Next Week's Session

1. Read Chapter 1 - What is Apologetics? from On Guard: Defending Your Faith with Reason and Precision by William Lane Craig along with the webpage for Week 2 - Week 2.
2. Go to Google Docs and access the handout for next week's class (Week 2 - Chapter 1 - What is Apologetics?) - Ch.1 - What is Apologetics? - Google Docs
   • Reminder: Use the Week 2 webpage as a Reading Guide. Also, you'll notice there is a video to watch, an article to read, and some Reflection Questions to be completed before the next class.
   • For instructions on how to save the file to your Google Drive or if you want a copy but don't have a Google account, go to Handouts.

Email me if you have questions

** Email me at thecaseforchristianity2025 at gmail.com (put the @ symbol in place of the "at") if you have any questions during the week. I am pretty quick at responding to emails so check your email soon after you have emailed me to see if I have responded.

Resources

• You can find a list of books and articles related to apologetics by going here - Resources for Learning Apologetics.
• Resources related to learning more effectively can be found here - Learning More Effectively - Resources.