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We live in a golden age of apologetics. There are more books, curricula, blogs, conferences, academic programs, and people interested in apologetics than ever before. As my friend Craig Hazen says, “Apologetics is a growth industry.”
Part of the vision of our Talbot M.A. Christian Apologetics program is to train apologists to be a resource for the local church. In fact, our dream is that churches would consider the need for a “Pastor of Apologetics” as important as a men’s ministry leader or a youth pastor. Until this dream becomes a reality, here’s a few ways to make a career in apologetics:
1. Professor of Apologetics. There are a growing number of academic programs offering undergrad and graduate degrees in apologetics, such as Liberty, Houston Christian, Colorado Christian, and Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. While there is need for qualified and articulate apologists to teach at the college level and beyond, these positions are few and far between. If you want to be an apologetics professor, it’s important to find a way to set yourself apart from the crowd with either your experience, expertise, or professional credentials.
2. YouTube Apologist. YouTube is one of the fastest growing platforms for apologetics. In the past few years, some apologists have emerged who use the platform effectively to teach apologetics: Mike Winger, Allen Parr, and Alisa Childers are a few examples. I also have a YouTube channel, which has become one of my favorite ways to reach and equip people today.
3. Author. There will always be need for quality apologetics books. The key for an effective apologetics book (and really any book) is not so much to say new things, but to say the important things in a fresh, unique way. Lee Strobel and J. Warner Wallace have excelled at this. While they are not primarily making new arguments in their books, they both write from personal experience (as a journalist and cold case detective, respectively) bringing unique stories and insights to apologetics. If you want to succeed as an author, you need a platform to sell books and a unique approach that motivates people to purchase and read your book(s). To be honest, this is difficult to do.
4. Blogger. The power of blogging is that anyone can do it. If you are willing to commit the time and effort, blogging is a powerful means of disseminating ideas. The down side is that it’s very difficult to make enough money blogging to do it full-time as a professional, and people are moving more towards consuming information via other platforms. If you like writing, and looking for niche to do apologetics today, you might try Substack. Just keep your full-time job for a while!
5. Speaker. There will always be need for qualified, dynamic apologetics speakers. There are many opportunities to speak at churches, camps, conferences, universities, schools, and other events worldwide. Some organizations, such as Stand to Reason and Apologetics, Inc. have full-time apologetics speakers. If you want to be an apologetics speaker, you need to set yourself apart as an effective communicator who has command of the subject and something fresh to say (and, of course, Christian character). If you want to be an apologetics speaker, here are some questions to consider: What is my unique voice? What message do I have that people need to hear? What is my training or experience that enables me to speak with authority? What sets me apart as a communicator? What unique stories do I have to tell? Here is a blog I wrote on tips for developing a public speaking ministry.
6. Join Ratio Christi. Ratio Christi is a growing ministry that aims to place apologists on college campuses around the world. The goal is to equip Christian students and faculty with the resources and relationships to live out their faith on the college campus, and also to engage non-believers with evidences for the faith. If you have apologetics skill, a pastoral heart, and a willingness to raise support, Ratio Christi could be a fantastic fit for you. I was classmates with the president of Ratio Christi, Corey Miller, in the Talbot MA Philosophy program in the early 2000s.
7. Christian School Teacher. Before accepting a teaching position at Talbot School of Theology, I taught theology and apologetics full-time at a private Christian school in southern California for a decade. Since teaching high school involves grading and disciplining students, it is very different than writing or speaking. But it is a valuable way to help Christian students think deeply about their faith, and also to critically engage non-Christian students (I have had many atheist, Buddhist, and Muslim students in my classes). If you want to teach at a Christian school, you will need both apologetics/theology knowledge (an undergraduate degree or M.A. is probably sufficient) as well as training as a professional educator.
8. Become an Apologetics Missionary. If you want to use apologetics in the mission field, check out the ministry Apologetics on Mission. They are looking for part-time and full-time workers to help them train people in apologetics worldwide.
9. Start Your Own Apologetics Ministry. If you don’t find a ministry that allows you to express your gifts, then you can start your own. Many leading apologists earned an M.A. in Apologetics or Philosophy of Religion from Talbot School of Theology (and other institutions) before starting their ministries. For example, Ryan Pauly created Think Well, Brett Kunkle started Maven, Hillary Morgan Ferrer is the founder of Mama Bear Apologetics, and Mary Jo Sharp leads Confident Christianity.
Additional Opportunities
We also have Talbot M.A. Christian Apologetics and M.A. Science and Religion grads utilizing their degrees to (1) teach classes on world religions and philosophy at the Junior College level, (2) work for a range of parachurch organizations, such as Cru, (3) work in classical Christian schools, (4) host radio programs, and (5) do research for various ministries (e.g., Melissa Cain Travis is a fellow with the Discovery Institute), and pursue a Ph.D. in fields such as theology, religion, philosophy, science, and so on.
And in the church, our grads regularly teach apologetics/theology/worldview classes, help pastors with research, serve as counselors for people who have doubts and questions, host apologetics events, serve in youth ministries, lead evangelism training and trips, and help part-time with a range of Christian ministries.
Here’s the bottom line: There are certainly a few opportunities for full time apologists. And there are also ways to do apologetics part-time. Neither is more important than the other, and the church desperately needs both. The question is, given our unique experiences, abilities, and interests, how can we each make a contribution?
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*If you are interested in learning how to be a more effective apologist, we have a new and updated certificate program with lectures from some of the top apologists in the world. Use the code smdcertdisc for a 25% discount. And we would love to have you in our M.A. Christian Apologetics program at Talbot School of Theology.