by Dr. Brad Alles
Background
For 28 years I taught religion in two Lutheran high schools. Many questions were posed by students about the truthfulness of the Bible and the existence of God. When answers were provided, students felt more certain in faith. These questions led to my research study.
Religious doubts are common as children mature (Baltazar & Coffen, 2011). Smith (2005) found such skepticism to be the main reason for youth abandoning the faith. Therefore, apologetics education, helping students defend the faith, is utilized in some Christian high schools (Baltazar & Coffen, 2011; Chandler, 2015; Charter, 2012; Cox & Peck, 2018; Deirdre, 2018; Gushiken, 2010; Thayer, 2011). However, no study was found in the literature review regarding apologetics education in Lutheran high schools.
Research Design and Methodology
This absence led me to research questions regarding the perception of students, teachers, and principals regarding the impact of apologetics education on students’ faith development. A qualitative design was chosen centering on three Lutheran high schools serving as case studies. All Grade 12 students were given the opportunity to participate. A total of 64 individuals volunteered. The study included a survey and focus group interviews. From those participants, one male and one female Lutheran, Christian, and non-religiously affiliated students were asked to do one-on-one interviews. Interviews were also conducted with the Grade 12 religion teacher and principal at each school. Student responses were compared with those of the religion teachers and principals.
Summary of Results
After analyzing the data, four themes emerged after interviews with students, teachers, and principals. Through the utilization of apologetics education:
· knowledge was gained;
· spiritual growth was encouraged;
· defense of the faith was enabled; and
· evangelism was increased.
These results were common among the Lutheran, Christian, and non-religiously affiliated students.
Qualitative results of student, teacher, and principal perceptions
The following quotes are a small sample of four themes that emerged. To safeguard participant’s identities, a number (1, 2, 3, etc.) was ascribed to each student (S), teacher (T), and principal (P). In addition, a letter was given to each school (A, B, or C).
Knowledge gained. Through apologetics, A-S10 was able to “understand the religion more.” “With the apologetics class we learn about religions and different denominations” (B-S6). Inquiries could be answered: “I actually do have an answer for that. So, it is just kind of knowledge I learned” (C-S9). B-S3 reported she never learned apologetics until high school. “We asked the questions, but they never answered it” (B-S3).
Spiritual growth encouraged. A-T stated students wanted “evidence of God's existence” and “physical proof such as miracles.” Likewise, B-P said students struggle with “the existence of God” and the “absence of truth.” Consequently, apologetics fostered growth. A-S10 confessed, “Apologetics helps understand that the Bible events could have happened.” B-S10 admitted to “a stronger connection and relationship” with God. “I had doubts, but because of learning how to defend [my faith], I've grown more” (B-S3). C-S2 stated, “Questions I never knew I had were answered for me through the class.”
Defense of faith enabled. Corroborating biblical events with history was beneficial for A-S19. “I don't like having a debate without having actual facts and evidence” (A-S19). A-S18 liked learning “how to defend my faith and how to do it intelligently to make other people understand.” For example, B-S3 was able to “deny evolution with genetics and mutations.” C-S7 appreciated learning apologetics “in a rational, reasonable, and understandable way.”
Evangelism increased. With apologetics, A-P said students learned “how to respond” to others. A-S18 explained, “Sometimes you have to plant that seed because people have many questions.” B-P admitted, “75% of what is going on now is evangelism” due to enrollment by unchurched students. B-S4 stated students were “able to be strong in what [we] believe and also share it with others.” “Going back to the facts that I've learned has definitely helped me share my faith” (B-S6). Speaking with unbelievers, C-S7 stated, “Apologetics definitely helped me in conversations with people, like being rational and having respect for one another.”
Implications of Results
These findings can shape apologetics use in Lutheran high schools. First, apologetics education helps achieve objectives for LCMS schools since its inception: evangelism and discipleship (Doering & Eells, 2010; Rietschel, 2000; Schmidt, 2016). Apologetics education requires critical thinking and logic to demonstrate the reliability of Christianity’s claims. Such confirmation leads to spiritual growth when doubting is commonplace (Baltazar & Coffen, 2011). With apologetics, Lutheran high schools could achieve curricular consistency and students could obtain greater spiritual growth.
Second, understanding how students develop spiritually is essential for teachers. Fowler listed six stages of spiritual growth: Intuitive-Projective, Mythic-Literal, Synthetic-Conventional, Individuative-Reflective, Conjunctive, and the Universalizing (Peters, 2016). It is essential that all LCMS educators comprehend these stages of faith. Instructional practices can be enhanced by understanding these developmental stages (Espinoza & Johnson-Miller, 2014). Most notably, teachers should be prepared with apologetics to answer questions that naturally arise.
Third, preparing students for evangelizing a post-Christian culture is critical (Barna Group, 2011). Explanations will be crucial for biblically ignorant and illiterate Generation Z (White, 2017). Pew Research Center (2018) recorded the greatest percentage of unbelievers is those in their late teens and twenties. Apologetics prepares students to interact with growing numbers of unbelievers.
Fourth, students need to engage a post-Christian culture that is increasingly hostile to Christianity. As Kinnamon and Lyons (2016) noted, Christianity is viewed as irrelevant and extreme due to its adherence to moral absolutes. Critical thinking from apologetics will serve students well here. Myers and Noebel (2015) also suggested explaining the societal benefits of a biblical worldview regarding theology, philosophy, ethics, biology, psychology, sociology, law, politics, economics, and history. robust approach will better prepare students in post-Christian America.
Conclusion
I expected to find data showing the positive impact of apologetics on spiritual growth of Lutheran high school students. That is what I found. Instead of abandoning faith, students were embracing it. The spiritual goals in Lutheran schools of evangelism and discipleship were realized.
If you want to know more about my study and what you can do in your Lutheran schools, I’d love to have a conversation with you or anyone in your theology department. God’s peace to you and yours, now and always.
Dr. Brad Alles teaches in the School of Education at Concordia University Wisconsin. A nationally-renowned speaker, he has already published several books on apologetics. He can be reached at Brad.Alles@cuw.edu.