Reasonable Faith Adelaide is a Christian apologetics group that is a local chapter of Reasonable Faith in the US, which is led by Dr William Lane Craig. We aim to provide a specific voice on Christian apologetics in South Australia, are non-denominational and adhere to mainstream Christian beliefs as summarized in the Nicene Creed.
The purposes of Reasonable Faith Adelaide are to:
Provide an articulate, intelligent voice for biblical Christianity in the public arena,
Strengthen the faith and foundational beliefs of believers,
Equip believers to engage unbelievers,
Reach out to unbelievers, and
Create an environment in which the Christian faith is perceived as a viable intellectual option such that the gospel can be heard.
The aim will be to provide events that are of interest to people of all persuasions.
I encourage you to invite friends or acquaintances who are likely to be interested in this venture.
We usually meet at 7-9 pm on every 2nd and 4th Thursday of the month via Zoom. Sign up to receive our twice monthly email using the sign up form on the right hand pane. This does not commit you to pay any money and you can unsubscribe at any time.
The Bible (both Old and New Testaments) has a lot to say about the fear of God. Is this fear good and could it be beneficial, or is it “old hat” and no longer relevant, and how should we understand this fear?
Geoff Russell is a professional electrical engineer. He has a Bachelor of Engineering with Honours from the University of Adelaide, a post-graduate Diploma in Engineering & Computer Applications and an Associate in Theology from the Bible College of South Australia. Two years ago, Geoff retired to Warrnambool, but he’s as busy as ever. In a sea change from engineering, he’s become an Associate Pastor at a local Baptist Church and the sole Chaplain at the Warrnambool Campus of Deakin University. He’s doing what he loves!
Kevin Rogers is the director of Reasonable Faith Adelaide. He is now mainly retired after having an electrical engineering career for 40 years and then working as a research Fellow, lecturer and PhD student at the University of South Australia.
On the 23rd February 2023, Kevin Rogers provided a presentation on What is an experience of knowing Christ?’
He describes his talk as follows:
It is often claimed that being a Christian means having a personal relationship with Christ, but what does this mean, how should it feel like, and do I have one?
Within conservative protestant circles, assurance is often based on scriptural promises. E.g., we can know we are a Christian if we have put our faith in Christ, or ‘Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so’. However, although these statements are true, they do not go far enough. Both Jesus and Paul state that assurance goes beyond this, and Paul expects his readers to share in his own experience.
Apologetics by reasoned arguments is commanded and is useful for providing intellectual support, but it does not go the whole way. God can do more than that such that we can we truly know. The Spirit can attest with our spirit that we are children of God.
During this talk, I will cover:
The value and limitations of apologetics,
My own Christian experience,
The Biblical warrant for Christian experience and assurance,
Paul’s teaching on knowing Christ, and
The conditions for knowing Christ,
Kevin Rogers
Dr Kevin Rogers
Kevin Rogers is the director of Reasonable Faith Adelaide. He is now mainly retired after having an electrical engineering career for 40 years and then working as a research Fellow, lecturer and PhD student at the University of South Australia.
On the 1st of December 2022, Jeff Zweerink (from Reasons to Believe) provided a presentation on what astrophysics tells us about God.
The Milky Way
He describes his talk as follows:
While in college, I decided to pursue a graduate degree in astrophysics because that area of physics had the most direct overlap with what the Bible describes about the universe. Our understanding of the universe has advanced significantly in the last thirty years. Although many apparent challenges to God’s existence have arisen (like inflation, the multiverse, and research into quantum gravity), the evidence for a beginning of the universe and its design for human life have grown tremendously.
We will discuss these major advances to understand them better. That understanding will help Christians use this potent evidence to share the Gospel while avoiding pitfalls that undermine the public perception of Christianity.
Since my earliest memories, science and the Christian faith have featured prominently in my life, but I struggled when my scientific studies seemed to collide with my early biblical training. My first contact with Reasons to Believe (RTB) came when I heard Hugh Ross speak at Iowa State University. It was the first time I realized it was possible to do professional work incorporating both my love of science and my desire to serve God. I knew RTB’s ministry was something I was called to be a part of.
Christians are a “house divided” on the meaning of the six days in Genesis 1, the age of the earth, and how much truth there is in evolutionary theory. This year, we are paying particular attention to these topics and are allowing speakers to present and argue for their views. This applies to organizations that hold either young earth or old earth perspectives.
On Thursday the 17th November, Don Batten talked on Genesis and genetics from a young earth perspective. He provided the following outline of his talk, including links to background material:
My journey from theistic evolution / day-age to biblical creation and why I found it compelling and important
How the modern molecular biology revolution undoes neo-Darwinism
Bioinformatics: the information in living things
The inadequacy of evolution to explain living things
How the modern science of genetics underscores Genesis as history
Don received both his B.Sc.Agr. (First Class Honours) and his Ph.D. from the University of Sydney. He worked for 20 years as a research horticulturalist with the NSW Department of Agriculture. He conducted a number of research projects and published his results in scientific journals. Don joined the Creation Ministries International (CMI) in Brisbane, Australia in 1994 and has spoken around the world on the creation issue. He is co-author of The Creation Answers Book, One Blood, Answers to the 4 Big Questions, 15 Reasons to Take Genesis as History, and author of various booklets, including What about carbon dating? and What about arguments for evolution? Dr Batten was the CEO and Managing Director of CMI-Australia from 2015 to 2022. He is now Senior Scientist, focusing on research, writing, and speaking.
