BC-212: CHRISTIAN APOLOGETICS
This course explores answers to challenging questions about the Christian faith, addressing them from philosophical, scientific, Scriptural, and spiritual perspectives, and discusses how to communicate truth in a manner that will touch the heart and transform the mind.
About this course
From ancient times people have wondered, questioned, challenged, and even ridiculed Biblical truth about God, creation, purpose of life, the authenticity of the Bible, the uniqueness of Christ, morality, existence of evil, life after death and many other topics. God is not intimidated by our questioning. He gave us our mind to use, and we must use it correctly. We must encounter and present the God of power and wisdom, so that others can encounter Him too. He reasons with His wisdom, and He demonstrates His power. Christian apologetics is communicating His wisdom and demonstrating His power, in love, so that people may know and encounter the One who is Truth. This course explores answers to challenging questions about the Christian faith and discusses how to communicate truth in a manner that will touch the heart and transform the mind. We combine four streams: philosophical, scientific, Scriptural, and spiritual in addressing these questions.
This is an instructor-led course. Recordings of classroom lectures will be released weekly. Complete the objective type questions, quizzes and other assignments that are given as you progress through the course. It is recommended that you keep up with the lectures and assignments on a weekly basis. This course starts the week of Monday August 02, 2021 and will complete on or before Friday November 26, 2021 (23:59 UTC).
Requirements
There are no prerequisites for this course other than a willingness to think, analyse, research, reason, discuss and dialogue from a Biblical perspective on a wide range of challenging topics.
What you will learn
Some of the main themes we cover in this course include:
- Biblical apologetics - reason and demonstrate
- Existence of God
- Creation
- Science and faith
- Was Darwin right?
- The Big Bang theory cosmology
- The Bible - its authenticity and accuracy
- The uniqueness of Jesus Christ
- The resurrection of Jesus Christ
- Salvation in Jesus Christ
- Sharing Christ with a Hindu
- Sharing Christ with a Muslim
- Response to other world views
- Response to contemporary cults
- Response to social challenges
- Biblical understanding of suffering
- Other common questions
Get your certificate
This course is part of the second year Bible College curriculum. Completing this course is a requirement to work towards your two-year or three-year degree. Once you complete this course successfully, you will immediately receive a digital copy of a Certificate of Completion. Churches and Christian Ministries may use this Certificate of Completion to ensure that their staff and volunteers have the required training for specific roles in ministry.
Meet your instructor
Ashish Raichur
Senior Pastor, APCWO, Bangalore
Ashish Raichur has a Master’s of Science (M.Sc.) degree in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Medicine & Dentistry (UMDNJ) and Rutgers University, NJ, USA. He spent 18 years working in the IT industry, 13 of which was spent in running his own technology business while pioneering APC (2001-2014). He has been with APC full-time since June 2014.
Ashish began to preach and minister the Word of God from the age of 13. A passion to impact the nation of India with the Gospel was indelibly imprinted in his spirit. He continued ministering during his college days as well as during his professional career. His passion is to nurture, equip and empower people in the Word of God and the Spirit of God and see them become all that God has called them to be. He enjoys pioneering new works for the extension of God's Kingdom.
Credentials
- May 1995 - Master of Science Degree in Biomedical Engineering University of Medicine & Dentistry and Rutgers University, New Jersey, USA
- May 1990 - Bachelor of Engineering in Electronics and Communications Engineering Manipal Institute of Technology, Mangalore University, India
Course evaluation
This is an instructor-led course. Course lecture videos will be released on Thursday, each week, by 5pm Indian Time.
You will be evaluated for this course as follows:
Students will be given three graded assessments during the course of the Semester. Each of these assessments will be in reference to all content covered till that point in the course. These will contribute towards the final grade as shown below:
Mid September 30%
Mid October 30%
End November 40%
Course will be graded as follows:
91% - 100% Grade A+
76% - 90% Grade A
51% - 75% Grade B
35% - 50% Grade C
Below 35% Grade F (Fail)
Course cost/tuition waiver
All Bible Courses are being offered FREE during Fall 2021 semester. The regular cost per course is Indian Rupees 500. Tuition waiver will be available for all students in financial need for all upcoming semesters.
Frequently asked questions
What web browser should I use?
The Open edX platform works best with current versions of Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Internet Explorer, or Safari.
Can I view the course offline?
No. To view the course content, you need an active internet connection.
Can I pause in between a lesson, log out, and continue at a later time?
Yes. You can pause in between a lesson and log out. When you log back in the next time Open edX will take you right back to where you left and you can continue your lesson.
What is the difference between "Self-paced" and "Instructor-led" courses?
In self-paced courses, all the course content is available as soon as a course is released. They do not have a fixed schedule for assignments, so you can complete the course at your own pace. In instructor-led courses, the course content is released at specific intervals as the course progresses. They have a fixed schedule. The course team sets specific due dates for assignments and exams, and you complete the course within a defined time frame.
Will I be able to ask my questions and clear any doubts I have, while doing this course?
Yes. There is a discussion board where you can post questions. You can also view questions asked by other students and engage in discussions. APC Staff will respond to your questions.
Can I do some courses ON-CAMPUS, some ONLINE and some via E-LEARNING?
Regardless of the learning option you choose (ON-CAMPUS, ONLINE or E-LEARNING) once you enroll, you are considered a student at APC Bible College and receive the same certificate/degree on completion of the program requirements. We also offer you the flexibility of completing some courses ON-CAMPUS, some courses ONLINE and others via the E-LEARNING platform. Your student Id remains the same. Please enroll in a course only in one learning option at a time (Example: Please do BC-101 either in Online classes or in E-learning during a particular semester. If you fail to complete BC-101 while doing it in Online Classes, in a future semester you can repeat BC-101 in E-learning).
Can I take courses in any order or should I follow the order specified by the college?
We strongly recommend that you follow the sequence of courses outlined by the college, semester by semester, year by year. However, at your discretion you are welcome to take courses in any order and sequence. Kindly ensure you successfully complete all courses required for a particular program (C.Th., Dip.Th., or B.Th.) in order to receive that certificate.
Are the requirements to pass a course exactly the same in all three learning options?
Not exactly. The course content remains the same in all three learning options (ON-CAMPUS, ONLINE or E-LEARNING). To successfully complete a course for ON-CAMPUS and ONLINE classes you must have both (A)minimum 85% attendance and (B)obtain a passing grade 35% marks or higher (grade C or better). For the E-LEARNING option, you must (A)watch all the lecture videos and (B)obtain a passing grade 35% marks or higher (grade C or better). The course assignments for ON-CAMPUS, ONLINE and E-LEARNING students may differ, and is left to the discretion of the Course Instructor.
Do you offer transfer credit for completing a certificate program?
We offer a certificate, diploma or bachelors degree from APC Bible College. We do not offer transfer credit for completing a course(s) or certificate program. Recognition of APC Bible College can vary based on the church/ Christian ministry/ institution/ organization/ agency that is reviewing your credentials and the country/region of their location and is the sole determination of the receiving church/ Christian ministry/ institution/ organization/ agency. Governmental agencies can also vary in their recognition of APC Bible College. At their discretion, the receiving organization may choose to give you transfer credit for the course(s) and certificate you have received from APC Bible College.
Will Christian organizations offer employment based on course(s) or certificate programs from APC Bible College?
This is the sole determination of the receiving church/ Christian ministry/ institution/ organization/ agency. Many APC Bible College graduates are successfully and fruitfully engaged in Christian ministry, some working independently and some working with Christian and other organizations.
Which version of the Bible should I use?
While you are welcome to use the version you are most comfortable reading, we recommend using the New King James Version of the Bible.