Southern Seminary Magazine (Vol 90.1) The Light of Truth: Apologetics in the 21st Century

dustin bruce
who present the most full-throated vision of Christianity
will serve Gen Z best.
The Lord Jesus Christ makes comprehensive demands
on the life of those who follow him (Luke 9:57–62).
While the gospel remains a simple message that calls for
a straightforward response of repentance and faith, the
Christian faith works itself out as an entire world and life
view. Every generation must be presented with the truth
that all things were created through and for Christ (Col.
1:16). The comprehensive nature of Christ’s claim over
the lives of those who follow him should be a part of the
initial apologetic conversations and not an afterthought.
4. Make your case in the context of community. Gen
Z is not only the most secular generation but also the
loneliest. Recent reports from Pew and the Survey Center
on American Life detail how smaller families and broken
homes contribute to epidemic levels of loneliness in the
emerging generation.
Jean Twenge connects the ubiquitous presence of technology
to decreased social behavior among today’s teens
and young adults in her book, iGen. With all the supposed
opportunities and conveniences available to Gen
Z from contemporary secular culture, members of this
emerging generation are suffering from a lack of meaningful
relationships and community. This, of course, represents
an opportunity for the church.
Come Together
As we make our appeal to the next generation, we must
be clear that the summons to follow Christ includes
the commitment and blessing of Christian community.
Christ expects his disciples to gather (Matt. 18:20) and “to
stir up one another in love and good works” (Heb. 10:24).
Apologetics aimed at Gen Z will be most effective
when accompanied by a genuine invitation into a personal
relationship and the opportunity to witness Christian
community. Secularism ultimately cannot live up to
its promises. Christians have an opportunity to engage
in an “apologetic of normalcy” as secularism continues
to drive society in a direction at odds with creation order
and Scripture. The imperfect but rightly ordered lives
of Christians will present an attractive alternative to the
secular norm and undergird the work of the apologist.
While the apologetic task of reaching the next generation
looms large, those of us who work with Gen Z know
“the arm of the Lord is not too short to save” (Isa. 59:11).
As we make our defense of the faith to the coming generation,
we do so confident that many will “taste and see
that the Lord is good” (Ps. 34:8). The surveys and studies
alert us to the challenge of reaching the most secular generation
in history; but we rise to meet that challenge in
the confidence of the gospel of our Lord Jesus and by the
power of the Holy Spirit.
Dustin Bruce is Dean of Boyce College and Assistant Professor
of Christian Theology and Church History.
“APOLOGETICS AIMED AT GEN Z WILL BE MOST
EFFECTIVE WHEN ACCOMPANIED BY A GENUINE
INVITATION INTO A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP
AND THE OPPORTUNITY TO WITNESS CHRISTIAN
COMMUNITY. SECULARISM ULTIMATELY CANNOT
LIVE UP TO ITS PROMISES.”
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