Do You Follow?
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I once read a quote, I think it was from Martin Luther but I cannot be sure, and the gist of it is that one of the most important things to help you grow as a Christian is to find a teacher and follow them, read them, learn from them, become so familiar with their thought that you find yourself thinking like them. Obviously, Luther wasn’t simply talking about following Jesus (which is a given, I think). Rather, he was talking about mentors, those we give the sacred place of influencers in our lives. In Luther’s case, he was particularly fond of William of Ockham (1285-1347), the Franciscan philosopher and theologian he referred to as mein lieber meister, “my dear master.” Truly, Ockham’s influence was profound for Luther, and it is unlikely that anything he ever wrote or said was untouched by him.
As an apologist, I try to take seriously Luther’s encouragement. While I don’t necessarily follow Ockham, I have found that I need key influencers in my life, substantive teachers from the past and present to help shape and form my soul to better understand, live, and defend my faith. Bearing this in mind, I’d like to share with you three of my apologetic mentors, hoping that you consider them for yourself. I suspect their names are known to most, especially those who regularly follow MoralApologetics.com. You will notice that the first two are men from the Christian past, important figures for their influence on the study and practice of apologetics. The third is a contemporary philosopher and apologist, and the weight of his influence on me is hard to calculate, but it’s immense. In discussing each of these men, I will share what I deem the three most important lessons I have learned from each thus far in my journey.
My first apologetic mentor is Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274), the important Roman Catholic thinker dubbed the Angelic Doctor. My first serious engagement with Aquinas was through the lens of the late Norman Geisler’s work, who was arguably the greatest Thomistic evangelical to date. I also had the privilege of earning a master’s degree in philosophy from Thomist scholars at a Roman Catholic college, and I wrote the thesis for that program on Aquinas’s argument from gradation of being. From Aquinas I learned: 1) faith and reason are the closest of friends, and far from enemies: 2) taking the time to learn an opponent’s position is just as important as being able to answer it; and 3) never lose a sense of wonder for God’s great goodness amid the study of His particulars. On this last lesson, I find Aquinas’s reported mystical experience near the end of his life, an experience that led him to stop writing, to be just delightful as a reminder to look beyond my learning to the Source of knowledge. When pressed by his brother friar, Reginald, about why he stopped writing his Summa Theologiae, Aquinas replied, “The end of my labors has come. All that I have written appears to be as so much straw after the things that have been revealed to me.” Amen, Thomas. Amen.
My second apologetic mentor is C. S. Lewis (1898-1963), who described himself as something of a dinosaur. As a literary scholar, philosophical adept, and apologetic popularizer (a compliment, by the way), I am drawn repeatedly to the well of Lewis’s writings for insight, comfort, and nurture. From Lewis I learned: 1) think broadly and write narrowly, never attempting the one without the other; 2) learn to see segues to the divine in everything, for everything (and everyone) is a means of seeing and hearing God’s voice; and 3) the world always needs apologetics, especially when everything but apologetics seems apropos. I take this third lesson from Lewis from his commitment to deliver the radio talks that would later be compiled into Mere Christianity at a time when his island home of England was under attack by Nazi bombers as the world was plunging into a terrible war. Lewis’s answer to the cry of his time? Heartfelt, brilliant apologetic engagement. Indeed, Lewis. Indeed.
My third apologetic mentor is Dave Baggett, author of numerous erudite and timely books, founder of MoralApologetics.com, and director of the Center for the Foundations of Ethics at Houston Baptist University. My relationship with Dave began when he was my professor, and it has since flourished and grown into what I consider among the rarest blessings in my life. This delightful friendship aside, what Dave has taught me thus far about apologetics, and specifically moral apologetics, comes down to three things: 1) the fabric of all existence is interwoven with moral clues revealing divine commands issuing forth from God’s intrinsic goodness which makes moral transformation possible and morality rational; 2) learn to argue without being argumentative, and abductive arguments are usually the best way to do this by making a winsome case and keeping a genuine relationship with your interlocutor; and 3) at the center of all that matters in the world is God’s love, and this is a non-negotiable. It was Dave who taught me that God not only loves me but He also even likes me. Thank you, doc. I needed to hear that.
What about you, friend? Are you teachable? Who are your traveling partners along the apologetic road, your mentors, your influencers? You need them. I need them. We all need them. Do you follow?
Dr. Thomas J. Gentry (aka., TJ Gentry) serves as the pastor of First Christian Church of West Frankfort, Illinois, the Executive Editor of MoralApologetics.com, and Executive VP of Bellator Christi Ministries. Dr. Gentry is a world-class scholar holding 5 doctorate degrees and 6 masters degrees. Additionally, he is a prolific writer as he has published 7 books including Pulpit Apologist, Absent from the Body, Present with the Lord, and You Shall Be My Witnesses: Reflections on Sharing the Gospel. Be on the lookout for two additional books that he will soon publish. In addition to his impressive resume, Dr. Gentry proudly served his country as an officer in the United States Army and serves as a martial arts instructor.
