Foundational Apologetics – Eastern Time Zone

In a world of challenges and questions, this lecture champions Christian apologetics. It tackles objections, encourages sincere listening, highlights the growth potential in healthy questioning, and emphasises that apologetics, rooted in Jesus’ teachings, and early church practices can deepen faith and spark fruitful conversations with seekers. It advocates a culturally engaged, biblically rooted, and evidence-backed approach, merging apologetics with mission and evangelism to lead people toward faith in Jesus Christ.

Increasingly the Bible feels remote for people who have not grown up in a context of faith. In this session we will examine some of the reasons we can give for the Bible being trustworthy as a text as well as being worthy of attention in the midst of busy lives. The reliability and the relevance of the Bible matter for us as Christians as well as being areas we might find ourselves needing to talk about with friends exploring faith.

In this lecture, we explore how worldviews shape us. We define and categorize them, stress the importance of mapping, discuss their daily impact, and address guiding others in belief exploration. Understanding worldviews is crucial, as they deeply influence our perspectives, attitudes, and responses.

This lecture is a response to ‘religious pluralism’ which maintains that the various religious cultures around the world can offer a path to knowing God. Examples of religious pluralism will be provided. I argue that there is objective truth contrary to pluralism, that various founders of religions pointed in different directions, so it makes no sense to amalgamate them. I also demonstrate that religious pluralism is a truth claim that dismisses other truth claims and is therefore no more tolerant than Christianity. I then present a case for why Jesus is unique amongst the world religions.

The question of whether there is good evidence for God is one that Christians are bound to keep encountering, particularly in post-Christian cultures where the idea that the world is the handiwork of a creator seems very far from obvious to many people. In this seminar we look at three arguments for God’s existence that have generated much discussion not only amongst philosophers but also beyond the confines of the academy, namely: the argument from cosmic fine-tuning, the argument from morality, and the argument from consciousness.

Coming soon…

This lecture explores the Christian approach to understanding God, emphasizing that it’s not just intellectual but also deeply relational. It introduces ‘theology’ as a tool for this understanding, touching on topics like Christology and God’s transcendence. The lecture contrasts natural theology, based on nature and reason, with revealed theology centered on Jesus Christ as the divine revelation.

The Resurrection of Jesus Christ is the most important event in human history, and yet many today find it difficult to believe it could be anything more than a myth or a fairy tale. However, because the resurrection is an historical event it is also an event that can be studied historically. With this in mind, the key question this lecture shall address is: “Is belief in the resurrection of Jesus Christ a rational belief?” And we shall address this question by asking two related questions” “What is the historical evidence for the resurrection?” and “Are there any plausible alternative explanations for the historical evidence, other than the Christian one?”

In this lecture we will explore the role of Apologetics in proclaiming the gospel. We will consider some of the objections to apologetics and demonstrate how putting the Bible at the centre of our apologetics helps avoid some of the pitfalls. We will look at some examples of how the Bible has been used during church history and then consider how we can use the Bible today.

For any who have experienced abuse within the church, whether by a leader, or by someone who has used theology to defend their actions, this question can loom large. Whether a first-hand experience, or witnessing another suffer, harm done in the name of God causes untold damage. In this lecture we will think about Christianity’s chequered past, what this means for the truth claims of the Christian faith, and what it means for Christians struggling to reconcile a faith they love with acts they hate.

A lot of people these days really don’t care if Christianity is true, if they can’t see how it’s at all relevant to their lives. So, in order for Christian apologetics to be effective today it must go beyond merely helping people to see that Christianity is true, to helping them see that it is also relevant. With that in mind, this lecture will introduce the notion of existential apologetics, as well as the importance of demonstrating the way in which Christianity offers a better story than competing cultural narratives. And it will finish by offering some concrete examples – that you could use in an evangelistic context – of the way in which Christianity offers a more satisfying account of reality by addressing our deepest questions and satisfying our deepest needs.

Women have experienced oppression within many religious communities around the world, including Christianity. Does that mean that the Bible has encouraged Sexism? What can we know about what God thinks of women? In this lecture we will be exploring a number of ways we can approach this these questions and how they could help us to talk to anyone who wants to engage a Christian on this topic.

Coming soon…

For many years now, people have raised questions about the Christian sexual ethic, both for heterosexuals and those identifying as LGBT+. In the last few years, one particular objection has been around whether ‘traditional’ views on christian sexuality are actually harmful to those aiming to follow them. During this talk, we will look at this question in particular. We will evaluate the concept of ‘harm’ in this area; we will look at if/when God asks us to make difficult decisions; and whether we harm ourselves when we choose to be celibate or abstinent. We will finish by looking at what relational intimacy is available to a single person following Jesus.

Given that you’re on this course, it’s likely that you’ll be enthusiastic about sharing your faith in Jesus with others, or maybe you’d like to get to that place! But how do you actually go about doing it, and what may be some of the obstacles for you? We’ll be focussing on three areas in this topic: 1. Welcoming people into our lives, 2. Working at our answers and 3. Wonder – infusing creativity and narrative into our conversations.

In this lecture on the meaning of pain, various worldviews— including Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Atheism—are explored in their responses to suffering. Each worldview offers unique interpretations, from seeing pain as a test from a divine being to a result of individual actions across lifetimes. The Christian perspective posits that while suffering is a consequence of human rebellion, it is Jesus Christ who provides hope and meaning, emphasizing God’s compassionate response and the eventual triumph over suffering and evil.

This course (Eastern Timezone Foundational Apologetics) is intended to make our content more accessible to people who want to study from all over the world. The format is predominantly the same, and students will have access to all the same pre-recorded content. However, live sessions will be run by a combination of OCCA team, associates, and friends who live in a timezone that works better for the time of the sessions!

This course is open to anyone over 18, with no specific educational requirements. However, in order to complete the course please be aware that you need to attend at least 75% of live contact time sessions (2.5 hours per week) and complete all pre-required material including watching pre-recorded lectures, and assignment.

Unfortunately the evening sessions are a required part of the course – you’re expected to attend 75% of them. If you can’t make these, keep an eye out for our other courses and events that will be coming soon!

The total time commitment per week is 3 hours: 30 minutes in preparation watching a pre-recorded lecture, and 2.5 hours live contact time.

The assignment is a conversational interview with a friend, with a short written reflection to upload.

We do offer group discounts – contact us to find out more! We’d love for you to take part along with your household or church group. Every member of the group will still need to register individually, using a special link.

Anyone over the age of 18 is welcome! We have a whole mix of backgrounds so please don’t think this course isn’t for you – if you have any specific queries about whether this course is right for you, please do contact us.

Yes there will! We run the Foundational Apologetics Course regularly, at various timings.

It isn’t! Check our other courses and events, including our free Confident Faith series for small groups, the One Year Hybrid course, and our summer events in Oxford.

Tuition for the course is £380 and can be paid online when signing up. If it is helpful for you, there is also an option to pay in three monthly instalments.

Bursaries

Limited bursaries may be available. Please contact us if you are interested in applying for a bursary.