I've known of his ministry for some time and have just recently poured over some of his videos on YouTube and some other selected internet readings. Thoroughly impressed with the breadth of his explanations. He draws from so many different sources and ideologies. I'm not implying that he's "to good to be true" but I was wondering what some of the more studied of you thought of his body of work. I remember reading that there was some dust up surrounding his speaking at the Mormon Tabernacle in Salt Lake City. I can't recall all the details though.

Just curious.

He's probably the largest influence on my not becoming an agnostic.

I have never heard of him, but you definitely have sparked an interest in watching videos by him.

Ravi Zacharias is second in my mind only to C.S. Lewis when it comes to apologists. I love his work and enjoy listening to "Let My People Think", his radio broadcast.

I've listened to Ravi several times and he's really great. He tells some great stories.

Ravi Zacharias is second in my mind only to C.S. Lewis when it comes to apologists. I love his work and enjoy listening to "Let My People Think", his radio broadcast.

I prefer Zacharias to Lewis. Not to minimize Lewis' mighty contribution to apologetic, especially to academics. I just find that Zacharias has a much broader scope of knowledge. On top of having as many academic answers as you like for Christianity, he's thoroughly knowledgeable in Islam and Judaism as well.

I prefer Zacharias to Lewis. Not to minimize Lewis' mighty contribution to apologetic, especially to academics. I just find that Zacharias has a much broader scope of knowledge. On top of having as many academic answers as you like for Christianity, he's thoroughly knowledgeable in Islam and Judaism as well.

Exactly.

The story he told of being in the home of the 3rd most prominent Islamic leader and asking such pointed questions in regards to the Koran contradicting itself was fascinating. He's so smooth.

In one the videos he referenced an unfinished response he was authoring to Sam Harris' book. Has anyone heard that he's finished it? Read it? I'd love to get my hands on a copy.

Ravi is the greatest Apologist of our generation. A truly brilliant mind.:yes: And like HisLeast, he has had a lot to do with my coming to Christ. Our Lord is doing quite a work through my man Ravi!!

Geez, how have I not heard of him until now!?!?!?!

Exactly.

The story he told of being in the home of the 3rd most prominent Islamic leader and asking such pointed questions in regards to the Koran contradicting itself was fascinating. He's so smooth.

In one the videos he referenced an unfinished response he was authoring to Sam Harris' book. Has anyone heard that he's finished it? Read it? I'd love to get my hands on a copy.

Yes. My father gave me a copy but in all the moving I was doing that week I seem to have misplaced it. For the life of me I can't remember what the title was. What surprised me was how short it was!

Geez, how have I not heard of him until now!?!?!?!

Get busy, man! You've got homework to do.

Ahahaha.....

Get busy, man! You've got homework to do.

Ahahaha.....


Man, I really do. As soon as I get to computer that doesn't have flash disabled I will get to watching those videos-it would be a nice break from reading all the time.

Does he have just a specific article area on his site? Is there somewhere good I can read all his works?

Yes. My father gave me a copy but in all the moving I was doing that week I seem to have misplaced it. For the life of me I can't remember what the title was. What surprised me was how short it was!

Got it. Here's an excerpt from a site that references his response.

"This year Ravi Zacharias, a well known apologist, offers The End of Reason: A Response to the New Atheists (Zondervan, May), addressing atheist arguments in a succinct 144 pages. Readers looking for more depth can turn to Zacharias’s Beyond Opinion (Thomas Nelson, Jan.), which brought together members of his international team of apologists for what PW’s review called “a relatively concise treatment of major apologetic themes"

Geez, how have I not heard of him until now!?!?!?!
Oh Romber, you are in for a real treat. I would suggest Can Man Live Without God to start. Though his video's/audio's are fantastic, his books are where he really shines. He makes so much sense out of God and Jesus that at times I find myself giggling at the logic he uses to arrive at these beautiful conclusions. The :idea:'s are endless. He really is something else.

http://www.rzim.org/

Enjoy!!!

Oh Romber, you are in for a real treat. I would suggest Can Man Live Without God to start. Though his video's/audio's are fantastic, his books are where he really shines. He makes so much sense out of God and Jesus that at times I find myself giggling at the logic he uses to arrive at these beautiful conclusions. The :idea:'s are endless. He really is something else.

http://www.rzim.org/

Enjoy!!!

Thanks Gulah. I will have to get to reading his stuff. I am sure it will give me plenty of things to use in my own apologetic quest.

His series of Youtube videos where he's talking at universities is exceptionally good. What strikes me about Ravi, is that no matter the difficulty of the question or the tone of the questioner his answers are ALWAYS polite, reasoned, and to the point. I've never once seen him try to belittle anyone or cause offense. Thoroughly different approach in a world where the new norm is "its ok to be a choad as long as you're right".

Ravi Rocks -- I got to meet him during a seminar down in Georgia 6 years ago and he is just as his video's portray him. All with a gentle spirit and deep patience.

I love listening to and watching him. He's a great teacher. I wish I had some of his knowledge to dispense to the secular skeptic.

I'll have to read some of his stuff. I've tried listening to podcasts but there's something about his voice that makes me want to just scream, and try as I might, I couldn't get beyond 10 minutes of listening.

One of my favourite contemporary Christian apologists (maybe even my most favourite).

Well fancy that. I just found him on facebook.

Well fancy that. I just found him on facebook.

Speaking of that, is there a post where members of BF share their facebook links? I'd post mine but the site is down for maintanance. It's the LORD's way of telling me to go back to work:lol:

Speaking of that, is there a post where members of BF share their facebook links? I'd post mine but the site is down for maintanance. It's the LORD's way of telling me to go back to work:lol:

There was a thread on it recently.

Agreed. One of the greatest apologists I have ever heard. I love his sermons, writings, debates. Pretty much everything he does.
You can find his debates and sermons on Youtube. Search for ravi zacharias and LDS. His speaking engagement at the LDS church is brilliant.

I'll have to read some of his stuff. I've tried listening to podcasts but there's something about his voice that makes me want to just scream, and try as I might, I couldn't get beyond 10 minutes of listening.
I am the same way Bethany, something with the accent is difficult for me. Read his books...they are spectacular!

I watched a couple of his videos and he is quite eloquent. I for one don't mind his voice to bad, since nearly half my family has similar accent (being from South Africa). What are some of the other great contemporary apologists?

What are some of the other great contemporary apologists?

I haven't read any thing but articles from him but I hear John Frame is very good. He studied under Van Til so what do you expect? :)

I must have been hiding under a rock.

Will check this out ASAP. I love C.S. Lewis. Should enjoy this ... Ravi ... person too, eh? :)

I watched a couple of his videos and he is quite eloquent. I for one don't mind his voice to bad, since nearly half my family has similar accent (being from South Africa). What are some of the other great contemporary apologists?

William Lane Craig is another good one.:pp

I echo what Gulah and others say here. Ravi writes excellent books. He lends a more devotional side to apologetics which compliments the more theological approach given by Norm Geisler, Ron Rhodes and others very well. :)

I heard him mentioned on the radio and thought his name was Robby. I'll go and clean my ears, and look for him on youtube now.:D

Ok, he's not the guy with the sitar. Good.

I haven't read any thing but articles from him but I hear John Frame is very good. He studied under Van Til so what do you expect? :)

Is Van Till's presuppositionalist apologetics as complicated as everyone makes it out to be? I've heard after 10 pages you're lost. I've seen a couple of articles and I couldn't quite get the gist of it. Sounded a bit like semantics to me, but like I said, I'm not sure I was really following it.

Is Van Till's presuppositionalist apologetics as complicated as everyone makes it out to be? I've heard after 10 pages you're lost. I've seen a couple of articles and I couldn't quite get the gist of it. Sounded a bit like semantics to me, but like I said, I'm not sure I was really following it.

To be honest, I have no idea. I have Van Til's The Defense of The Faith but I haven't read it yet and won't until after I read Frame's book on Van Til. Van Til is hard reading though. I read, not comprehended, most of his An Introduction to Systematic Theology which is just as much apologetic as it is theological.

I think, basically, presuppositional apologetics says that there is no neutral ground. Believers operate on the presupposition that God is true and the non believer presupposes there is no God. So what do you do? I found this quote from Van Til.

The Christian apologist must place himself upon the position of his opponent, assuming the correctness of his method merely for argument’s sake, in order to show him that on such a position the “facts” are not facts and the “laws” are not laws. He must also ask the non-Christian to place himself upon the Christian position for argument’s sake in order that he may be shown that only upon such a basis do “facts” and “laws” appear intelligible. (Van Til, Defense, 100-101)

There's more but I think the basic tenent of the apologetic is that we must presuppose God's existence. Something like that. :)

Presuppositional apologetics is much like analytical philosophy... You'll lose yourself easily if you aren't familiar with the ground you're walking. That said, Van Til is an excellent writer, especially if you're also a fan of Schaeffer.

I too have only heard good things about Ravi Zacharias - my family members have several of his books that I am waiting to read. - will go check out youtube as well!!! Thanks~!

I enjoy Ravi and had the opportunity a few years back to see him speak and he was great.

My only concern with his approach and really apologetics in general is that I think it can end in conveying to people a purely "intellectual" faith based on facts and figures and belief that something (God, Christianity) is true, but not lead a person to true repentance and the exercise of faith in the Lord himself to save them from their sins.

Yes, I understand you have to believe something is true before you can put your faith in it, (Jesus in this case) but I think that the aspect of true saving faith sometimes takes a back seat to intellectualism in Ravi's approach and people become more impressed with his intellectual abilities to debate and prove a point rather than in Jesus.

Tom

Is Van Till's presuppositionalist apologetics as complicated as everyone makes it out to be? I've heard after 10 pages you're lost. I've seen a couple of articles and I couldn't quite get the gist of it. Sounded a bit like semantics to me, but like I said, I'm not sure I was really following it.

Presuppositionalist apologetics teaches that everyone has presuppositions about God. That is, the atheist presupposes He doesn't exist and builds all arguments from there. The Christian presupposes that God does exist and builds all beliefs from there.

It is quite pointless to debate Christianity with an atheist, according to Van Til, because there is no connecting point. Their presupposition is flawed and until they presuppose God exists, they won't believe in Christianity.

Schaeffer put a twist on it, saying that we do have presuppositions, but we can change those presuppositions.

If you're interested in either, let me know. I've read Van Til and Schaeffer quiet extensively, specifically on their views of truth and epistemology.

I enjoy Ravi and had the opportunity a few years back to see him speak and he was great.

My only concern with his approach and really apologetics in general is that I think it can end in conveying to people a purely "intellectual" faith based on facts and figures and belief that something (God, Christianity) is true, but not lead a person to true repentance and the exercise of faith in the Lord himself to save them from their sins.

Yes, I understand you have to believe something is true before you can put your faith in it, (Jesus in this case) but I think that the aspect of true saving faith sometimes takes a back seat to intellectualism in Ravi's approach and people become more impressed with his intellectual abilities to debate and prove a point rather than in Jesus.

Tom

That is a real danger of apologetics. Hence why I value Francis Schaeffer's apologetic approach. He taught that apologetics is not evangelism and should never be confused with evangelism. Instead, it "lifts the roof off" of people's intellectual thoughts. It shows people why their current beliefs are flawed and how Christianity is plausible. It opens them up to have that experience with Christ.

I think of his True Spirituality where he said that Christianity is intellectual and has an intellectual basis, but requires an experiential conversion. Apologetics clears the way for the Gospel, for the invitation to a relationship.

Exactly.

The story he told of being in the home of the 3rd most prominent Islamic leader and asking such pointed questions in regards to the Koran contradicting itself was fascinating. He's so smooth.

In one the videos he referenced an unfinished response he was authoring to Sam Harris' book. Has anyone heard that he's finished it? Read it? I'd love to get my hands on a copy.
Yep, I saw it on the shelves at my local LifeWay bookstore just today. :pp

That is a real danger of apologetics. Hence why I value Francis Schaeffer's apologetic approach. He taught that apologetics is not evangelism and should never be confused with evangelism. Instead, it "lifts the roof off" of people's intellectual thoughts. It shows people why their current beliefs are flawed and how Christianity is plausible. It opens them up to have that experience with Christ.

I think of his True Spirituality where he said that Christianity is intellectual and has an intellectual basis, but requires an experiential conversion. Apologetics clears the way for the Gospel, for the invitation to a relationship.

Man... thats exactly what my gut has been trying to translate into words for years!

I heard one of Ravi's messages about a year ago, and I cannot remember the title - but he told a story about his young son playing tee ball. He described how he had done something good in the game, and he turned around to see his father's reaction. Ravi related this to how Jesus Christ did everything He did in order to please the Father - and it really brought the point home.

I would love to have a transcript of the message - or at least the title of the message so that I could share it with a friend. If anyone recognizes it and has any information please let me know.

Thanks so much,
Lisa

I haven't had much exposure to Ravi Zacharias, but awhile back I rented a video from the library about the problem of evil. It was a debate, I think, or more like a dialogue before an audience. I don't quite remember what part Zacharias played in it, but I think he sort of "moderated," and he participated in the dialogue sometimes, too. There was another Christian, a Hindu, and an atheist there. I was new to the Bible, so I didn't really understand much; nonetheless, it was interesting. That atheist introduced me to Job =)

Since I don't remember much of what happened, I can't say much about Ravi Zacharias. But from what I'm seeing on this thread, he's apparently a very good defender of the faith.

Reading Ravi's "Beyond Opinion" right now, and am thoroughly enjoying it. The man definitely walks the talk, and is living out the faith he proclaims and defends (like the subtitle of the book states).

Definitely called by God to bring clarity in an age of confusion. Very needed ministry.