Christianity On Trial Episode # 157 "1983 History Of Apologetics" Lesson 6 Part B
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Mar 25, 2026 A survey of 18th century shifts that birthed modern secularism. A look at Deism and the proclaimed sidelining of scripture. Traces how the loss of biblical authority reshaped morality through the 19th and 20th centuries. A concise run through Nietzsche’s challenge to transcendental values and the social consequences for human worth.
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18th Century Begins Modern Secularism
- The 18th century marks the first clear modern secularism that removes the Bible as special revelation while retaining belief in God and absolute morality.
- John Warwick Montgomery explains this shift as a bridge from Christian-dominant centuries to a new era where apologetics becomes necessary because unbelief becomes a daily interlocutor.
Treat Apologetics As A Bridge To Changing Unbelief
- Apologetics functions as a bridge between eternal scriptural truths and changing unbelief, so it becomes vital when secularism rises.
- Montgomery implies defenders should adapt apologetic methods to the dynamic challenges of modern secular thought.
Death Of The Bible Precedes Wider Moral Collapse
- Eliminating the Bible first leads to later losses: faith in God weakens in the 19th century and belief in human value erodes in the 20th century.
- Montgomery argues this is a causal sequence: removing Scripture undercuts the best evidence for God and absolute values, producing downstream collapse.
