ISS

UE

7S

PR

ING

20

11

PAGE 2 PAGE 11

OCCARadio

THE APOLOGETIC OF THE APOLOGIST

PAGE 12

Who Lit the Blue Touch Paper? God, Hawking and the Big Bang

INSIDE THIS ISSUE...

OUTDATEDAND IRRELEVANT?What has Christianity got to offer us today?

PAGE 4

R Z I M E U R O P E ’ S M A G A Z I N E

Building Dedication PAGE 3

PU

LS

E IS

SU

E 7

THIS ISSUE...

Welcome to the

seventh issue of

Pulse, the apologetics

magazine published

by our ministry.

This includes all the latest

information about RZIM

Europe (the Zacharias Trust)

and the Oxford Centre for

Christian Apologetics, as well

as articles on evangelism and

apologetics, details about training

opportunities and much more.

Michael writes… 1

The Apologetic of the Apologist 2

Building Dedication 3

Outdated and Irrelevant? What has

Christianity got to off er us today? 4-6

Dates for your Diary 7

Amy writes… 8

Training 9-11

Who Lit the Blue Touch Paper?

God, Hawking and the Big Bang 12-14

Meet our Associates 15

Around the World 16-17

PAG

E 1

The topic given was “Bearing witness to the love of Christ,” and I spoke of the challenges of gospel living. It is all too easy to operate in our comfort zone, yet the early church would not have recognized evangelism that costs nothing. The gospel must be lived and it must change our lives. It is important to ask ourselves whether we are clinging onto things that are holding us back from sharing this powerful, life-transforming gospel. Although it may require suff ering on our part, all of our words and actions should be said and done in the name of Christ, for Christ, to Christ, and because of Christ.

As we start this New Year, we remain committed to reaching out to the many sceptics of our society. Yet, many Christians no longer truly believe that sharing the gospel will bring about change. Instead, they think that they are just adding to the problem when they try to articulate the gospel, rather than

being part of the solution. This is one of the key reasons RZIM exists - to help equip those who desire to defend their faith in a confi dent, reasoned and gracious way.

We have a training day later this month and our annual Summer School week will once again take place in July (see page 9). These are complemented by the eight-week and one-year programmes at our Oxford Centre for Christian Apologetics (see page 10). More training events are being planned, because we believe that God wants to raise up a generation of people who can speak as confi dently and knowledgeably about the gospel as they can about their profession. Indeed, this was a key discussion point among some of the world’s top businessmen and women at the Global Executive Leadership Forum held during the Lausanne conference in Cape Town. Reaching people with the good news of the gospel is more than possible! The

gospel is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes (Romans 1: 16). If we don’t believe this, then we too have become sceptics, those without faith.

I pray 2011 will be an exciting adventure for you, as you continue to be a witness in all that you do and say, growing in your confi dence and knowledge.

Grace be with you,

A couple of months ago, I travelled to South Africa where I had the privilege of speaking to an audience of more than 4,000 believers from all around the world at the Th ird Lausanne Conference on World Evangelisation.

RZIM Europe (the Zacharias Trust) was founded in 1997 as RZIM Zacharias Trust, which is a part of Ravi Zacharias International Ministries. Our mandate is to engage people’s hearts and minds for Christ in an increasingly secular Europe. Working alongside the church, we seek to address the many objections and questions about Christianity so that lives can be transformed and renewed through the gospel message.

michael

PU

LS

E IS

SU

E 7

A starting point for taking

on the responsibility of the

work of Christian apologetics

is recognizing the role that

living out a disciplined

Christian life plays. Even a brief examination of the Scriptures reveals this striking imperative: one may not divorce the content of apologetics from the character of the apologist. Apologetics derives from the Greek word apologia, “to give an answer.” 1 Peter 3:15 gives us the defi ning statement: “But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer (apologia) to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect”.

I have always found this to be such a fascinating verse because the apostle Peter, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, knew the hazards and the risks of being an answer-bearer to the sincere questions that people would pose of the gospel. Indeed, when one contrasts the answers of Jesus to any of his detractors, it is not hard to see that their resistance is not of the mind but rather of the heart. Furthermore, I have little doubt that the single greatest obstacle to the impact

of the gospel has not been its inability to provide answers, but the failure on our part to live it out. The Irish evangelist Gypsy Smith once said, “There are fi ve Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, and the Christian, and some people will never read the fi rst four.” In other words, apologetics is often fi rst seen before it is heard.

For that very reason the Scriptures give us a clear picture of the apologetic Christian: one who has fi rst set apart Christ in his or her heart as Lord, and then responds with answers to the questioner with gentleness and respect. Therefore, one must not overlook the stark reality that the way one’s life is lived out will determine the impact upon the sceptic. There are few obstacles to faith as serious as expounding the un-lived life. Too many sceptics see the quality of one’s life and fi rmly believe that it is all theory, bearing no supernatural component. I remember well in the early days of my Christian faith talking to a Hindu. He was questioning the strident claims of the followers of Christ as being something supernatural. He absolutely insisted “conversion was nothing more than a decision

to lead a more ethical life and that in most cases it was not any diff erent to those claims of other ‘ethical’ religions.” So far, his argument was not anything new. But then he said something that I have never forgotten, and often refl ect upon: “If this conversion is truly supernatural, why is it not more evident in the lives of so many Christians that I know?” His question is a troublesome one. After all, no Buddhist claims a supernatural life but frequently lives a more consistent one. The same pertains to many of other faiths. Yet, how often the so-called Christian, even while proclaiming some of the loftiest truths one could ever express, lives a life bereft of that beauty and character.

This call to a life refl ecting the person of Christ is the ultimate calling upon the apologist. The sceptic is not slow to notice when there is a disparity, and because of that, may question the whole gospel in its supernatural claim. Yet when they are met with gentleness and respect, we will help meet the deepest longings of the heart and mind, and they will fi nd where true discovery lies. Let us live accordingly.

Ravi ZachariasChairman of RZIM

“THE WAY ONE’S LIFE IS LIVED OUT WILL DETERMINE THE IMPACT UPON THE SCEPTIC”

PAG

E 3

2010 was a milestone for RZIM

Europe and the Oxford Centre for

Christian Apologetics. Having

searched for new and larger

premises for over a year, we fi nally

moved in September, enabling all

staff to be together in the same

building for the fi rst time in more

than fi ve years. This has been a

huge blessing for all the team.

At a special dedication ceremony in November, Dr Ravi and Mrs Margaret Zacharias (top image) offi cially unveiled a plaque in the presence of more than 70 people, including Board members from the US and UK. Ravi, Michael Ramsden, Alister McGrath and RZIM President Rick Pease each shared brief messages during a day of celebrations.

With a number of new team members being appointed in 2010 and with the largest ever number of students enrolled on our one year evangelism and apologetics course, 2011 is already shaping up to be a very exciting year.

Building Dedication

Outdated + Irrelevant?

PU

LS

E IS

SU

E 7

What has Christianity got to offer us today?

PAG

E 5

Stephen Hawking announces that science can explain the universe without any need for a creator. The press bursts to life and adds further layers onto the supposed triumph (yet again) of science over “blind belief” or “faith”. The New Atheists of course have been writing books of this type for some time (Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens, Victor Stenger, Sam Harris, etc) and going on the off ensive to remove God, belief, the Bible or any other such detritus from an earlier age, from the minds of a generation and from respectable discussion.

It may surprise our revered writers, that despite all the urgency and polemic to the contrary, many today fi nd Christ, the gospel and His message compelling. As a constant traveler, I meet many people from all walks of life, from diverse ethnicities, educational backgrounds, and professional experience who claim not only to know, but to follow the God of the Bible as the “Living God” - not as an abstract idea, or projection of psychological need, or as a moral philosophy. They claim (as do I) to have met this God, to know Him in a real sense, and to follow Him in their daily life and experience.

From Jakarta to London, from New York to Hong Kong, from Delhi to Damascus and much more, I can identify people and faces, who I believe are credible in their witness. There are some common features in their beliefs.

They accept, and act upon the Bible as authoritative. Really? In 2010? In a pluralistic world such as ours? You can’t be serious! I am. The Bible serves as a guide, as information, wisdom, poetry, instruction and light….on life. Its architecture is sound, its historicity well documented, but it is a message that packs the punch.

The Bible opens a complex take or view on reality. A world that is both physical and spiritual. A world in which ideas and actions have consequences. A world in which seen and unseen powers and forces have bearing on life. It shows men and women at their best and at their worst. It addresses the deepest questions of human existence and it unveils to us the workings of the

mysterious God. It deals with some questions that some modern men and women struggle to accept, yet which are validated by any serious refl ection on the human condition. The Bible speaks today, as it is a vehicle for the living God to continue to surprise, touch, and change lives by the unusual quality we are told is grace.

This grace is not a mere word, it really is an existing “thing”, given to us by God through the gift (of

grace) of His son. It is a power, a force, an energy that comes from God and achieves His ends in life, in people, and across history.

Now, lest you think I believe Christians have all the answers to every question or that we know all there is to know about things, this is not true. As a Christian, as a believer, I do know many things (much less than I’d like), but I know that I don’t know in an exhaustive way, rather in a suffi cient one. What do I mean? I believe that I know God really and truly. I believe I know some things about the world, life, suff ering, evil, and making choices. I don’t know any of them exhaustively - nor could I - but I do know them in a real and practical sense.

Christian thought across the centuries has wrestled with the issues, thought, and philosophies of its time. On any of the major questions of existence, the questions that lie at the core of existence, we fi nd Christian contributors fully engaged. We may not like what they say, we may not agree with what they say, but we should recognize that they are there, and that they have mounted credible responses to serious objections, as well as laying

C. S. Lewis was once asked if he followed Christ because it made him happy. He responded that he did not become a Christian because it made him happy, he always knew a bottle of Port could do that, but he followed Christ because he believed it was true! If Lewis was around today, he’d be immersed in the debates of our time, especially the issues of truth and relevance.

“many today fi nd Christ, the gospel

and His message compelling...”

PU

LS

E IS

SU

E 7

out the framework of serious Christian thought. Men like Alvin Plantinga contribute to serious discussions on philosophy, John Polkinghorne on physics, Jay Budziewski on moral philosophy, N.T. Wright on history, Alister McGrath on theology and many more. Peter Berger at Boston University, MA has spent many years studying “evangelicals” and documenting their contribution in Asia, Africa, and more recently in North America. He shows, contrary to popular caricatures, that many evangelicals, inspired by a robust biblical faith, go on to pursue higher degrees in education and to excel in many life spheres. Their faith is not only not outdated, but it gives them the inspiration, focus, impulse and assistance to navigate the complexities of a globalising world.

But what about religion and violence? This is indeed an issue and a concern. However, it need hardly be pointed out that violence is not the unique privilege of the religious. The 20th Century surely teaches us that ideologies and fanatical belief systems, secular and religious,

can (and have) led to violence. It is my deep conviction that the Way of Christ, the power of His Spirit and the teachings of His word, serve to renew and reorient the heart, and to tame and domesticate the worst in humanity. I don’t deny that many ills and wrongs have been committed by some who use the

name of Christ, but I do deny they are central to this faith, or the norm, or are practiced by those who truly follow Him and His way.If atheism, as an applied philosophy, is the answer, how do we explain the experience of the former Soviet Union? How do we explain Pol Pot’s actions in Kampuchea? What do we do with North Korea? I realize these are extreme examples, but they are nevertheless “real” examples. I believe there are many good atheists - and I do not believe that atheism necessarily entails these outcomes - but I cite them both as a caution for any yet-to-be-realized utopias, and as a memory that history must be weighed carefully.

The Christian faith is a view that leads to hope. What do I mean? In biblical terms, I root myself in the following assertions:

+ The world that is, is not the world that was. We are in a creation, yet something additional, detrimental, and damaging is part of “reality” now. Things are not as they are supposed to be and there is brokenness, a fl aw, a disruption at the heart of existence. It is a fallen world.

+ The world that is, is not the world that must be. God has acted, and His actions have unleashed the power of change, of renewal, of new life into the system. We are not fatalists, nor do we think that things must remain as they are. We believe change is possible, necessary and commanded, by our Lord.

+ The world that is, is not the world that will be. The biblical drama points towards a renewal, a fi nal restoration, the summing up of all things. It is a decisive act on the part of God, which completes the story and brings about the “good end” that scripture promises and all hope for.

+ The God who creates, redeems, sustains, and brings in His end, is the great relational God who calls us to Himself to be known and to know, to be loved and to love, to experience grace in order that we may share it. This God moves in the real world. In the world of commerce, the city and busy daily life. In the world of the academy and of lectures and learning. In the world of governance and decisions, as well as decision making.

+ Christianity calls me to recognize and surrender to the great God, in and through Christ. It invites me to lay down my selfi sh ambitions and self-centered ways and embrace His truth, His way, and His life. It calls me to “love my neighbor as myself”, and to go and share the good news of His life-giving kingdom and way. It encourages me to pursue truth, to desire goodness and to appreciate beauty, wherever it is found. It calls me; it calls all, to a life of reverential awe and practical service.

So my conclusion? The Christian message is a hard call in a pleasure obsessed time, and it is a demanding faith to follow, but is it outdated and irrelevant? I don’t think so, and as long as it meets humanity where we live, I suspect it never will be!

Stuart McAllisterVice-President for Training

and Special Projects, RZIM (USA)

“ The Bible speaks today, as it is a vehicle

for the living God to continue to surprise, ...”

PAG

E 7

4 - 8 JANUARY UCCF Staff Conference, Shropshire (John Lennox)

10 - 13 JANUARY OICCU House Party, Oxford (Michael Ramsden)

22 JANUARY Doubt: Helping the thinker believe and the believer think, RZIM Europe’s Training Day, Oxford (Team) – see page 9 for further details

24 JANUARY Men’s Apologetics Evening, Cheltenham (Michael Green)

25 - 27 JANUARY Agape Conference, Slovenia (John Lennox)

28 JAN - 5 FEB Philippines (Michael Ramsden)

3 FEBRUARY Outreach Event, State University, N.C. (Michael Green)4 - 5 FEBRUARY Collegiate Conference, Southeastern, N.C. (Michael Green)

6 FEBRUARY Holy Trinity and Providence Baptist Church, N.C. (Michael Green)

12 - 18 FEBRUARY OICCU Events, Oxford (Michael Ramsden)

23 - 25 FEBRUARY Open Forum, Atlanta (Michael Ramsden)

25 - 28 FEBRUARY Detroit (Michael Ramsden)

26 FEBRUARY Conservative Christian Fellowship, London (Sharon Dirckx)

4 MARCH Women Walking with God Conference, Edinburgh (Amy Orr-Ewing and Sharon Dirckx)

6 MARCH Church of Christ the King, Brighton (Michael Ramsden)

7 - 11 MARCH Sheffi eld University Mission (Michael Green)

11 MARCH CICCU Lunch Bar, Cambridge (Michael Ramsden)

15 - 20 MARCH Hester Lectures on Preaching, Golden Gate Seminary, San Francisco (Michael Green)

27 MARCH Kings Arms Church, Bedford (Michael Ramsden)

1 - 6 APRIL Slovakia (Michael Ramsden)

3 - 10 APRIL Leyland Mission (Michael Green)

4 APRIL DNA Course, London (Tom Price)

4 - 9 APRIL Veritas Forum Events, California (John Lennox)

14 MAY “Is God a Delusion?”, London (John Lennox)

20 - 25 MAY European Leadership Forum, Hungary (Team)

1 JUNE Scottish Prayer Breakfast (John Lennox)

17 - 23 JULY Affl uenza: Money and Power, RZIM Europe’s Summer School (Team) – see page 9 for further details

20 JULY Debate with Peter Singer, Melbourne (John Lennox)

For further information about any of the above or to be added to our email list

to be notifi ed about upcoming events, please contact our Oxford offi ce. All of the events listed are correct at time of print, but some may be subject to change.

PU

LS

E IS

SU

E 7

Looking back over the last

12 years of ministry with

RZIM there is so much to

give thanks to God for.

Apologetics and mission are

unwavering passions in my

life, but alongside this I have

always been involved in local

church leadership with my

husband Frog.

Before the parish system was fully functioning in the church, many hundreds of years ago, resource centres for spiritual and missionary growth were established in strategic locations. These hubs were diverse, learned, engaged and often connected to important transport routes. In recent years missiologists, recognising the missionary context of Western Europe in particular, have begun discussing whether a return

to Minster churches, alongside parochial or local forms of church, is long overdue.

Frog and I moved to South Bucks over the summer on the very edge of the M25 and M40 with a small team and a big vision to plant this kind of church. As Latimer Minster, we are enthusiastically planting a church with missionary and spiritual seriousness reaching out to lost generations all around us. Moving closer to the Oxford Centre for Christian Apologetics is a great blessing in itself, so that I am not doing the commute from south London. As a result, I will be increasing my time at the OCCA to help develop it further. We are also using the church plant as an ideal training ground for some of the OCCA students, as all our students have placements alongside churches to ensure they develop a practical aspect to their ministry.

In the past:

‘Minsters’ were large churches connected to monasteries. They were the centre of monastic communities and missionary sending bases, and, as such, were at the heart of monastic movements.

‘Monasteries’ were both a community of people (usually monks) living a life focused on discipleship, prayer and mission together in the place where they lived.

We are excited by what God is doing. A prayerful missional community has been established and we are busy reaching out to people who don’t go to church. Frog can be found every Wednesday evening in a local pub talking to seekers and answering their questions about the Christian faith. We have seen many prodigals returning to the faith as well as conversions. We meet on Sunday mornings and some Saturday nights and we have been thrilled to see a people gathering much faster than we anticipated.

Why “Latimer” Minster? Hugh Latimer was an English Reformer. In his closing moments as a martyr on the streets of Oxford in 1555 he was reported to have uttered this moving phrase to his friend and fellow martyr: “Be of good comfort Master Ridley, and play the man: we shall this day light such a candle by God’s grace in England, as I trust shall never be put out.” This is the kind of attitude needed for the rising generation if we are to fulfi ll the purposes of God – a passion for the transformation and the evangelisation of the nation, and a willingness to count the cost if necessary. In naming the Minster after this man we are anchoring our future in the courage of our heritage.

PAG

E 9

Affl uenza: Money and Power

“Money makes the world go around”

Voltaire famously said, “When it is a question of money, everybody is of the same religion”. Yet, in spite of this

seemingly universal quest, a number of commentators

have been surprised to observe that increased levels of

prosperity in society do not appear to have delivered

the kind of happiness or fulfi llment that they seemed to

promise. Instead, the never-ending drive to accumulate

more and more has been likened to a contagious

disease, which can result in suff erers feeling worthless

and dissatisfi ed.

This affl iction is popularly described as “affl uenza,”

a term coined by Oliver James. Although many in

the world may be in the grip of this condition, it also

presents an amazing opportunity for the Christian.

During the Summer School, we will look at the causes,

conditions and consequences of this global social

phenomenon, in order to learn more about how

we might communicate the gospel message more

eff ectively to a world suff ering from affl uenza. As Robert

McNamara challenges us, the test of this generation

“will not be how well you stood up under adversity, but how well you endured prosperity.”

DATE: 17 – 22 July 2011

VENUE: Queen’s College, Oxford and St Aldate’s Church

SPEAKERS: Ravi Zacharias, Tanya Walker, Vince Vitale,

Tom Tarrants, David Sutherland,

Michael Ramsden, Tom Price, Amy Orr-Ewing,

Naomi McNeil, Alister McGrath, Stuart McAllister,

Jeremy Marshall, Lord Michael Hasting CBE,

Os Guinness and Michael Green

COST: See www.rzim.eu/summerschool for full details.

There is a £100 discount for early bookingTICKETS: Places are limited and are sold on a “fi rst-come fi rst-served” basis.

Doubt: Helping the Believer

Think and the Thinker Believe

“Lord I believe! Help my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24) neatly

sums up the unease that many Christians feel at certain

times. We not only live in a postmodern age that is highly

sceptical of any truth claim, but believers are told by the

new atheists that there is almost certainly no God.

The result is that many people experience a nagging

sense of uncertainty; an attitude epitomised by the

journalist John Humphrys in his book, In God We Doubt: Confessions of a Failed Atheist.

How then should Christians deal with the issue of doubt?

Do other competing worldviews really off er the kinds

of proof that Christianity supposedly lacks and what

responses should we give to those who are sceptical

about aspects of our faith? Could it even be possible

that doubt might actually be a positive force that

invites us to grow in our faith and understanding?

Doubt is a day of apologetics training, held at St Aldates

church, designed to tackle vital questions such as these.

The event aims to help Christians develop a confi dent

faith that is able to respond to the important issues today

without ducking the diffi cult questions.

DATE: 22 January 2011

TIME: 9 am to 4.30 pm

VENUE: St Aldates Church, Oxford

SPEAKERS: Alister McGrath, John Lennox, Tanya Walker and

a combined session from Michael Ramsden

and Amy Orr-Ewing

COST: £27.50 (including lunch) or £20 if unwaged. There is also a 10% discount for bookings of 10 or more peopleTICKETS: Places are limited and are sold on a “fi rst-come fi rst-served” basis from www.rzim.eu

For further information about the training and for details about how to book, please visit our website at www.rzim.eu

Places are limited, so please book early to avoid disappointment.

PU

LS

E IS

SU

E 7

The courses off ered are:

One year full-time

Certifi cate in Christian

Apologetics

This course is designed for

those who wish to dedicate

a whole year immersing

themselves in evangelism and

apologetics. The emphasis of

the course is upon training

in practical evangelism and,

as well as in-depth teaching

in apologetics, students are

given the opportunity to use

what they have learned in real

ministry settings. An integral

part of the course is the close

mentoring of our students to

equip them according to their

specifi c gifting.

Eight week full-time

Business Programme

This course is designed for

those who wish to dedicate

themselves to an intensive

period of apologetics.

It covers teaching in

evangelism, apologetics,

Biblical studies and workplace

evangelism. Students also

attend the annual Oxford

Summer School.

THE DEADLINE FOR

APPLYING FOR BOTH

COURSES IS 31 JANUARY 2011

For further information and for

details of how to apply please

visit www.theocca.org.

A Student Shares his Experience of the OCCA 8 Week Business Programme:

The OCCA 8 Week Business Programme was truly a

watershed in worship and witness! The time spent in

the company and conversation of the tutors was so

stimulating for my faith and my mind. It has really

shaped my understanding of worldviews, evangelism

and apologetics - and opportunities to share the gospel

have been greatly enriched by what I learned in Oxford.

Since returning to Northern Ireland, I’ve been involved

with an apologetics and evangelism focus group at my

church. It includes running a forum-style group called

“Open to Question” for people with diff erent worldviews

to hear and dialogue through a Christian response to

important life questions. They range from “Are the

Gospels reliable?” to “What does it mean to be human?”

Tutorials with Tom Price were especially invaluable in

getting to grips with culture. I now get together with

fi ve friends about once in six weeks to listen to what the

world is saying through fi lm, books and media. We work

from the principles given to us in the tutorials and discuss

how we can engage their worldviews with the gospel.

The guys keep saying how much they enjoy this and

how helpful it’s becoming.

I continue to remember the OCCA and RZIM regularly in

prayer - I am thankful to God for the great encouragement

and equipping I received during my short time in Oxford.

Timothy Shaw OCCA 8 Week Business Programme 2010

continued...

PAG

E 1

1

OCCA RadioFrom the Oxford Centre for Christian Apologetics

Though still in its early stages, OCCA Radio is an exciting new initiative that is being launched by the ministry in 2011. Overseeing this is Esther Gardiner, who explains more about the project:

Why are we launching OCCA Radio?When it comes to evangelism, OCCA has always stood for a balance between intellectual excellence and practical application. With this is mind, the opportunity for our esteemed speakers to be heard by millions regularly is just too good to miss! Looking at the staff team, it’s so clear that God has blessed us with immense resources, and we’re keen to walk through any doors that we feel are being opened by Him, that will let them share their gifts with more people.

What will it be like?Listeners will be treated to an in-depth and entertaining half-hour of apologetics discussion, hosted by Amy Orr-Ewing and Tom Price. The programmes will be aired on Premier Christian Radio and each will be based around a key issue or question that affects modern-day Christians. They will include street interviews as well as contributions from different OCCA staff. We want to bring popular and academic opinion together, consider how they inform each other, and ultimately equip Christians as they speak out about their own faith. Topics in the pipeline include ‘faith communities’ and religious relativism, Jesus and popular misconceptions about Him (Pullman, anyone?), community, sexual ethics, science and faith... and more. Times of broadcast are not set, as of yet, so keep looking out on the website for more updates regarding progress!

Esther Gardiner OCCA Intern

PU

LS

E IS

SU

E 7

If you are interested in science and religion then it will probably not have escaped your attention that Stephen Hawking, arguably the most famous scientist in the world, has recently written a new book (co-authored by Leonard Mlodinow), entitled Th e Grand Design. A number of commentators highlighted the physicist’s supposed shift in thinking from a position that theoretically left the door open to the possibility of there being a creator (when he hinted in A Brief History of Time that scientifi c developments might help us to “know the mind of God”), to now saying that a deity is no longer needed as an explanation for the universe, because the physical laws of nature themselves can explain how everything here began. Although his earlier reference to a creator was almost certainly meant in a metaphorical sense, this latest work leaves the reader in no doubt about his position, as he says “It is not necessary to invoke God to light the blue touch paper and set the universe going”.

God, Hawking and the Big Bang

PAG

E 1

3PA

GE

13

What, then, should Christians make of this latest pronouncement? Is this, as some of the marketing has suggested, yet another nail in the coffi n of religious belief or is there more to this than meets the eye? The most obvious problem with attempting to answer this, is that most people are completely out of their depth when it comes to trying to understand or evaluate this kind of science. Theoretical physics is a specialized and complex discipline that few have grasped and even the terminology itself is alien to most people. The Grand Design, for example, relies upon M-theory, a so-called “theory of everything”, which postulates that the building blocks of sub-atomic particles are vibrating “strings” that operate in eleven separate dimensions. If this all sounds a bit complex, you may or may not be reassured by the often-quoted saying that “If you think you understand quantum mechanics, you don’t understand quantum mechanics.” Given the nature of the discipline, therefore, it is extremely important to exercise a great deal of caution when trying to evaluate the work, although fortunately there have been a number of responses from both religious and non-religious academics alike.

One of the statements in the book that has provoked the greatest reaction is the claim that

Philosophy is dead. It has not kept up with modern developments in science, particularly in physics. As a result scientists have become the bearers of the torch of discovery in our quest for knowledge.

John Lennox describes this as “scientistic hubris”, whilst William Lane Craig suggests that

Th e professional philosopher will regard their verdict as not merely condescending, but also as outrageously naïve. Th e man who claims to have no need of philosophy is the one most apt to be fooled by it.

Although no one would deny that spectacular advances in our understanding have been made by science and, importantly, that these do sometimes confound the philosophers, the main problem with this suggestion, argues Craig, is that the most important conclusions of The Grand Design are themselves philosophical. He suggests that the reason behind this sleight of hand is that it allows the authors “to cloak their amateurish philosophizing with the mantle of scientifi c authority and so avoid the hard work of actually arguing for, rather than merely asserting, their philosophical viewpoints.”

But, he continues, the problems go deeper than this, because the authors are claiming that “because there is a law such as gravity, the Universe can and will create itself from nothing.” The fi rst issue with this statement is that they are clearly not referring to “nothing” as we would understand the term, but are instead meaning a “quantum vacuum”. If it truly were nothing, says Craig, then it could not be constrained and there would be no more reason to expect a universe to pop out of it than, for example, a bicycle. The second problem is that the statement is logically incoherent. Lennox points out that it is all very well to state that X can bring Y into existence, but they are instead making the tautological argument that Y is in some way responsible for the creation of itself.

Another issue with this is that they are off ering a false set of alternatives, it is either God or the laws of physics. Lennox points out that this is a category mistake akin to asking us to choose between Frank Whittle and the laws of physics, in order to explain the jet engine. This would be an error, because there are two levels of explanation that are both needed, agency and mechanism. The latter, such as the laws of nature, may be able tell you what will happen if you hit a snooker ball across a table, but, as Lennox explains, they won’t create the table or the cue in the fi rst place. As Rowan Williams has stressed, “Physics on its own will not settle the question of why there is something rather than nothing.” Instead, as Lennox points out, “atheist scientists are forced to ascribe creative powers to less and less credible candidates like mass/energy and the laws of nature.”

Nevertheless, even if you were to fi nd a “natural” explanation for the process, this would not rule out God, as Alister McGrath pointed out on Channel 4 News. He stressed that if you emphasise the importance of the laws of nature then:

You are really inviting the obvious question of where did these come from, why are they so reassuringly fi ne-tuned to values that led to the existence of life? Th at itself requires explanation and therefore the debate is just shift ed back one step.

Furthermore, the idea that scientifi c developments render the explanatory power of a creator redundant is based on the assumption that believers adopt a “God of the Gaps” approach to

PU

LS

E IS

SU

E 7

science. This is when you invoke God to explain the things you don’t understand (such as how life began, for example) and, therefore, as scientifi c knowledge advances there is less and less to ascribe to the power of a deity. Although there are certainly some who may adopt this kind of approach, it would be misleading to suggest that most Christians believe because of what they don’t know, rather than what they do. Similarly, it is therefore incorrect to claim that you have to choose between science and God, or that one side has the evidence and the other relies on blind faith. This is especially pertinent when addressing The Grand Design, because, as Roger Penrose pointed out on Premier Christian Radio, M-theory is hardly even science. He argues that it is better to view it as “a collection of ideas, hopes,[and] aspirations.” This is because “it’s not even a theory” and “the book is a bit misleading in that respect. It gives you the impression that here is this new theory that is going to explain everything. It’s nothing of the sort.”

Rather than this representing mainstream science, therefore, Jim Al-Khalili points out that critics of the theory “have been sharpening their knives for a few years now,” because it is untestable experimentally. So it is certainly premature to be putting too much weight on the idea, especially as Hawking himself admitted on Larry King’s TV show that he’d like to be able to travel forward in time to fi nd out whether M-theory is indeed a “theory of everything”.The New Scientist perhaps summed it up best, therefore, when it concluded, “Until there is empirical

evidence for M-theory, Hawking’s suggestion that it has all the answers is just a matter of faith.”

So why have such grand claims been made about the book? Craig points out that, in terms of content, the book actually doesn’t even contain much that Hawking has not already said, nor does it deal with many of the criticisms that have been aimed at his earlier theories. Perhaps the most conspicuous omission, he suggests, is the failure to deal with Roger Penrose’s argument (in The Road to Reality) that if the Many Worlds Hypothesis for explaining the universe is correct, then it is far more probable that we should be observing a highly diff erent universe than we do.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t take a doctorate in physics to work out that any marketing department worth its salt would realize that emphasizing that God is not required as an explanation for the universe would help to create controversy and that this would inevitably translate into the sale of books. This is not to cast any doubt on the motivations of the authors, who are certainly trying to ascertain the truth, but when it comes to marketing, as Graham Farmello points out “It seems to be a fundamental law of PR that the God-science debate is a sure-fi re source of publicity. Always welcome when one has a book to sell.” Alister McGrath confi rmed this on Channel 4 News when he said that “A publisher said to me the other day that if you want to sell a book make sure (a) it’s about God and (b) it rubbishes God.”

He went on to stress that he wasn’t convinced that The Grand Design was trying to do this, but that “we have to be aware that there is a sort of cultural climate within which this debate is taking place.”

Being alert to the wider context is certainly wise advice when it comes to evaluating the claims of anything that is written (or said, for that matter). Though not speaking about this title, Roger Penrose mentioned on Premier Christian Radio, that there are lots of ideas that are passed off as “science,” and that it is not uncommon for books intended for a popular readership to over-simplify the ideas or to over-play the signifi cance of a particular fi nding or theory.

It is, however, safe to say that The Grand Design is a brilliant attempt to try and answer some of the most interesting questions about life but, as Craig argues, given the “desperation and/or irrelevancy” of their preferred ways of escaping the strongest arguments for God “their book turns out to be quite supportive of the existence of a transcendent Creator and Designer of the cosmos.” Lennox, therefore concludes, that “Hawking’s fusillade will not shake the foundations of an intelligent faith that is based on the cumulative evidence of science, history, the biblical narrative and personal experience.”

Simon WenhamResearch Coordinator

For a more comprehensive response to The Grand Design, see the newly released God and Stephen Hawking by John Lennox (published by Lion Hudson).

Th e ideas represented in this article have been heavily infl uenced by the following sources: • “Stephen Hawking and God” by Chris Knight (on www.bethinking.org). • “Stephen Hawking and God” by John Lennox (on www.rzim.eu)• “Has Stephen Hawking ended the God debate?” by Graham Farmello (Daily Telegraph, 3 September 2010) • Questions of the week numbers 180 and 181 answered by William Lane Craig (on www.reasonablefaith.com) • Stephen Hawking on Larry King Live, 10 September 2010 • Interview with Alister McGrath and John Butterworth on Channel 4 News, 2 September 2010 • Interview with Alister McGrath and Roger Penrose on “Hawking, God and the Universe” (on www.premier.org.uk/unbelievable, 25 September 2010)

PAG

E 1

5PA

GE

15

When I was seven, I had an

encounter with Jesus Christ,

thus becoming the seventh

Christian generation in my

family. My parents had shared

the gospel with me in the

kitchen that night, while I

was sitting on my father’s

lap. Ten minutes later in bed,

conviction of sin, awe for Jesus’

love toward me as he died on

the cross, Jesus’ presence and

the divine voice in my head

repeating the words “I love

you,” led me to experience life

for the fi rst time. I was a brand

new 7-year-old boy who had

peace, true joy and a sense of

holiness that was new to me.

But it wasn’t until the age of

17, when I started attending a

new church, that I learned to

share my faith in a meaningful,

intentional way. From then on,

I knew my passion, gift and

call was to point people to

Jesus and his gospel.

In 2003 I married Lisi and the next year began theological training at Schloss Mittersill, Austria. One day my wife read about the OCCA, clipped the paragraph out of the RZIM newsletter, and kept it in her journal to pray and dream about. Could I ever attend after our time in Austria? For us it was impossible, but

God knows all about dreams and hidden newsletter clippings. At just the right time in 2007, he sent someone who asked us the right question and then God opened all the right doors until we found ourselves in Oxford, still reeling over every miracle along the way. My year at OCCA was the most life-transforming of my Christian walk. Both my wife and I then felt God’s call to reach university students back in Spain, our home.

Since then (2008), God has given me many opportunities to share the faith and connect with people from radically diff ering backgrounds. I have given evangelistic talks at churches, restaurants and university faculties, and have covered apologetic topics such as defending the Trinity or the Resurrection. At the same time, I’m involved in training Christians nationally, whether at camps or campaigns.

We currently do not have any secret newsletter clippings stashed away,

but we trust in our miracle-loving God. In him, my dream is to continue impacting Spanish society with the gospel, whether that means becoming a more recognised conference speaker, equipping believers to share the truth or leading small Bible discovery groups.

meet our

Andy Wickham lives in Granada, Spain, with his wife and two children. He works in four cities in southeastern Spain as a staff worker for GBU, the local IFES movement. He earned an MTh in Old Testament Th eology aft er studies in Electronic Technical Engineering (Madrid) and Th eology (Austria). He is originally from Madrid and his British grandparents came to Spain as missionaries in the days of the dictatorship.

“I knew my passion, gift and call was to point people to Jesus”

PU

LS

E IS

SU

E 7 Ravi Zacharias

International Ministries has offi ces in the following places:

AMERICA

Atlanta, USA

CANADA

Toronto, Canada

INDIAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAaround the world . . .

ASK! Why?

The pluralistic mindset coupled with the postmodern mood of the times has tempted teens to buy into more confusion than conviction, when it comes to Christian truth claims. Their tremendous potential for Christian witness can be unleashed if they are encouraged and taught to love God with not just their heart, soul and strength, but also with their minds! Teenagers who are enabled to appreciate the truth are not only less likely to abandon Christian faith, but are more likely to impact their circles of infl uence by their witness to Christ.

Simply put, reclaiming the minds of teens for Christ is the fulcrum around which the ASK training module revolves.

ASK! What?

Primarily, ASK deals with the four important topics relating to the fundamental questions of life:

• Origin Where did the universe come from? Where did I come from?: The Sense of Wonder. The fi rst section begins by affi rming the interconnectedness between faith and reason.

The focus here is the question of why there is what there is, rather than the what and how of the universe!

• Meaning Who am I? Why do I exist? The Answer of Truth. This begins with the assertion that meaning cannot be found in one’s fame, wealth or even achievements. This section highlights the dangers in the recent trend of plugging into fake spiritualities, such as the new age, to try and fi nd the same.

• Morality How do I live?

The Longing for Love. Exposing

PAG

E 1

7

EUROPE

Oxford, UK (Head Offi ce)Arad, Romania

MIDDLE EAST

INDIA

Chennai, India(Head Offi ce)

ASIA PACIFIC

Singapore

HONG KONG

Hong Kong

The Indian team of RZIM has recently

developed an initiative to specifi cally

reach and equip teenagers, called ASK.

A assess the signifi cance of the Biblical worldview amidst

confl icting points of view

S seek the Truth by developing the vital skill of discernment

K know the meaningfulness of Christian faith when applied to

personal and community lifeAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAthe self-defeating stance of relativism, this section affi rms that absolute morality is inescapable. The special feature on “responding to God’s love” aims not only to emphasize the advantages of yielding to God’s moral standards, but also to lead them to a personal commitment/re-commitment to follow Christ.

• Destiny Where do I go from here?

Provision of Security. In this fi nal section, the teenagers are helped to refl ect upon various views of destiny off ered by other religions/faiths. The uniqueness

and inescapable nature of the biblical reality based on Christ’s resurrection is then explained.

ASK! How ?The Methodology for Presentation

• Every event is a perfect blend of creative presentations, fun activities, group discussions and an ample dose of Q&A sessions.

Paul Anbarasu is providing leadership for “ASK” with the help of a group of our ministry team and alumni of the training academy.

ASK’s workshops have reached not only the younger generation, but have also equipped adults including Youth Pastors, Youth Fellowship Leaders, Sunday School Teachers and people working with Christian Teenagers (through its Train the Trainers’ Workshops).

There is an overwhelming response to ASK from many Christian educational institutions and Churches, recognizing the need of the hour is to challenge teens to consider why they believe what they believe.

RZIM Europe

76 Banbury Road

Oxford

OX2 6JT

T: +44 (0)1865 302900

F: +44 (0)1865 318451

www.rzim.eu

RZIM Europe is an operating name of RZIM Zacharias Trust, a charitable

Company Limited by Guarantee and Registered in England and Wales.

Company No. 3449676. Charity No. 1067314

Prin

ter: V

erite

CM

So

lutio

ns (v

erite

cm.co

m) D

esig

n &

Illustra

tion

: Ka

ren

Sa

wre

y (k

are

nsa

wre

y.co

m) P

ho

tog

rap

hy

: Joh

n C

airn

s.