Craig in the Sociological Context

Abstract

Here I shall examine the appeal of William Lane Craig, which ties in with the contemporary sociological phenomenon of some Christians’ desire to present a rational justification for their beliefs, via a brief social criticism. This apologetic attitude is contrasted with fideists and presuppositionalists; evidentialists are people who largely believe because they think the evidence suggests that they should. Christian fans of William Lane Craig seem to regard as important that their beliefs can be supported with objective evidence, a position that foregrounds the style of evangelism and apologetics practiced by New Theologians like William Lane Craig and his colleagues. This position diminishes the importance of the traditional faith-based belief in the central tenets of Christianity, and shall herein be described as ‘Christian evidentialism’.