Presuppositional apologetics – What is it?

TL;DR:

Presuppositional apologetics is an internal analysis of worldviews. The goal is to show the Christian worldview is consistent, while the non-Christian worldview is inconsistent.

Presuppositional apologetics is an approach to defending the Christian faith that analyzes a person's presuppositions, or worldview. Everyone has presuppositions -- ideas or assumptions they take for granted. Worldviews can be defined as the fundamental perspectives through which we perceive and interpret reality. Worldviews encompass our beliefs, values and assumptions. Our worldview influences our thoughts, emotions, behaviors, and decision-making processes.

The starting point for presuppositional apologetics is acknowledging the Bible as God's inerrant Word, and hence the authoritative standard by which all truth claims are evaluated. The Bible is the ultimate standard of truth on any matter on which it touches. The two goals of presuppositional apologetics are first, to internally analyze the Christian worldview and show how it is consistent. Secondly, to internally analyze the non-Christian's worldview and show how it is contradictory or inconsistent. To avoid straw-man fallacies (false assumptions) a worldview must be analyzed internally, by the person holding it, and not from the outside.

from the old testament

Presuppositionalists can engage unbelievers in a way that exposes inconsistencies of their worldview while affirming the biblical perspective (Proverbs 26:4-5).

from the new testament

In Acts 18:27-28 Apollos refuted opponents and proved from the Scriptures that Jesus was the Messiah.
Apologetics seeks to produce faith in Christ by removing stumbling blocks in the hearts and minds of unbelievers (2 Corinthians 10:5).
"See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ" (Colossians 2:8). We can stand against deceptive philosophies and human reasoning by knowing God’s Word and understanding our faith.
We are encouraged to be prepared to defend our faith, not by using worldly reasoning, but by presenting the hope in Christ with gentleness and respect, acknowledging that the truth of God’s Word is the ultimate basis for all answers: "but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect" (1 Peter 3:15-16).
Christians are to contend for (defend) the faith (Jude 3).

implications for today

Presuppositional apologetics makes a defense for the Christian faith by showing that a biblical worldview allows one to make better sense of the world than other, non-biblical worldviews (or presuppositions). In this sense, the presuppositional approach differs significantly from the classical and evidential approaches to Christian apologetics, which take a more "first principles" approach to demonstrating the superiority of Christian faith. Another way of saying this would be that, whereas classical and evidential apologetics focus on demonstrating the truth of Christianity, presuppositional apologetics focuses on demonstrating the internal consistency of Christianity. And of course, all three approaches do ultimately encourage belief in orthodox Christian teaching. Overall, we must be able to defend our faith with gentleness and respect, speaking the truth in love, and with a life that matches what we say we believe. The defense of the Christian faith starts with our heart attitude. What we preach must be lived out in our lives.

understand

Presuppositional apologetics analyzes worldviews to show the consistency of the Christian worldview and the contradictions in non-Christian worldviews.
Presuppositional apologetics begins with the Bible as the ultimate standard of truth.
We are to defend the faith with gentleness, respect, and a life that reflects the truth of God’s Word.

reflect

What are some things that have shaped your worldview, and how do you let God’s Word shape your worldview now?
How does understanding your worldview influence the way you approach faith and interact with others' beliefs?
What helps you remember to defend your faith with gentleness and respect?

engage

What are ways we can determine a person’s presuppositions?
How does understanding worldviews help in our conversations about faith and beliefs?
How can we ensure that our defense of the faith is both logical and compassionate when engaging with others?