Excerpt from Basic Ideas in Religion: Or Apologetic Theism
The importance of a philosophical study of Apologetics cannot be over-estimated, for doubt, flippant or earnest, is in the very air, and the student should be made familiar with its myriad forms ere they arise in practical experience.
The many references and quotations will explain themselves. The theological professor of today labors under a certain odium. He is popularly supposed to be biased, incapable of fairness, and seldom qualified to discuss the scientific and philosophic problems which arise in modem Apologetics. He must, therefore, fortify every statement and argument by recognized authorities. The literature in the vast field of modern Apologetics is vital and varied, historical, philosophical and scientific. The Christian leader must study thoroughly and with sympathy the grounds and manifestation of every form of doubt in the perplexed believer and the honest sceptic.
The writer trusts his own position will be made plain, that Christianity is essentially the response of the spirit in faith and self-surrender to the revelation of God in Christ, and not the conclusion of any process of intellectual analysis and reasoning, though such work of the intellect is indispensable to the religious leader who would sympathize with the sad questionings of honest doubt and meet the assault of philosophical and scientific unbelief.
The scepticism of today is often courteous in tone and serious in spirit, but it is deadly in intent and more widespread than ever before. It strikes at the foundation principles of all faith in God and man. Its victory would mean the death of the spirit of religion itself. Spiritual faith does not spring from nor rest on reasoning, but neither can it thrive apart from reason.
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