Volume 39:Issue 5

To purchase this individual issue click here.

CONTENTS:

04 From the Editor
Have You Seen Our Online Film Reviews?

06 Effective Evangelism
Confessions of an Evangelist: Stereotypes Don’t Always Have to Be True

08Practical Hermeneutics
Is It Possible for Humans to See God?

10 Suicide Squad, Deadpool, and the Rise of the Comic Book Antihero
by John McAteer
Cultural Apologetics: Something is changing in our cultural portrayal of superheroes. In highly successful films such as Deadpool, Batman vs. Superman, and Suicide Squad and popular TV shows such as Lucifer and The Preacher, morally compromised superheroes are willing to lie, steal, torture, and even murder bad guys. How should we respond to the rise of the antihero?

18 Mythicism and the Public Jesus of History
by Craig A. Evans
Historical Apologetics: Although the vast majority of historians and other scholars affirm the historical existence of Jesus of Nazareth, the view that such an individual never existed—mythicism—is gaining popularity in the public arena. Settling the issue is a matter of historical evidence, and, beyond question, the existence of Jesus is the best explanation of this evidence.

26Logical and Biblical Defeaters of Reincarnation and Karma
by Douglas Groothuis
Interfaith Apologetics: While appealing on the surface, reincarnation and karma are riddled with inconsistencies. For example, the religions undergirding them deny the existence of a personal God, yet the karmic system of justice makes no sense if not executed by such a God. Denying the possibility of grace, karma and reincarnation ultimately become a burden no one can bear.

34 Rejoicing over Owls: Thoreau and the Gift of Being
by Stephen Mitchell
Cultural Apologetics: At Walden Pond, Henry David Thoreau spent two years in solitude rigorously considering his own life so as to discover what is essential to the life of a man. He celebrated creation and embraced the gift of being with joyful gratitude. But is attuning oneself to the patterns of nature sufficient for living an essential human life?

40 An Ethic of Instagram
by Amber M. Stamper
Ethical Discernment: Since the launch of the social media photo-sharing app Instagram in October 2010, the trendy service has grown exponentially across a broad spectrum of users. What precisely are the appeal factors, and what is the most ethical approach to Instagram for conscientious users?

48 The Internal Testimony of the Holy Spirit: How Do You Know That the Bible Is God’s Word?
by James N. Anderson
Doctrinal Discernment and Biblical Apologetics: The Protestant Reformers held that in order to have an assured knowledge that the Bible is God’s Word, there must be an internal testimony of the Holy Spirit in the believer’s heart. This view has its attractions, but it also raises theological and philosophical concerns, which in this article James N. Anderson answers quite lucidly.

55 Reviews
A Summary Critique: Perry Marshall’s Evolution 2.0Douglas Groothuis’s Philosophy in Seven Sentences

58 Viewpoint
Should We Continue to Use the Term Sexual Purity?

60 Postmodern Realities
Patriotism or National Idolatry? Rightly Ordering Love of Country

62 Ask Hank
Can Resurrection and Reincarnation Be Harmonized?