Lee Strobel Interviews Mary Jo Sharp

 Women in Apologetics

Mary Jo Sharp is equipping more and more women to defend their faith – and finding an increasingly enthusiastic response.

A professor of apologetics and founder of Confident Christianity Apologetics Ministry, Mary Jo Sharp is passionate about enlisting more women in defending the faith. In this interview, she describes how she’s finding a very receptive audience as she speaks at women’s ministries around the country:

• Why has there traditionally been a shortage of women in the field of apologetics?

I don’t have any statistical research on why women are not as publicly involved with apologetics. However, from my interaction with women at conferences, I have found a few repeating thoughts on the issue:

1) They’ve never been introduced to the field of apologetics before and/or they are not sure of its relevance to their life. Women in the church need to understand the importance of apologetics and its potential impact. I’ve found that once women’s groups are aptly introduced to the subject, they have some of the most impassioned responses to the material. It’s not so much of a lack of desire as a lack of proper introduction.  Click for the rest of the interview

MJ

What are we up to at HBU?

So, They Asked Me To Be A Professor...

"Welcome. This is an exciting time in the life of Houston Baptist University (HBU). Since its founding in 1960, the University has grown into a thriving community of faith and scholarship...HBU is taking steps to become a leading institution for Christian higher education in America.

From its home in the heart of Houston, Texas, one of the nation’s largest and most diverse metropolitan areas, HBU provides a learning experience that instills in students a passion for academic, spiritual, and professional excellence. This mission serves as the driving force behind our continued efforts to enrich the total student life experience.

By enhancing our campus facilities, strengthening our rigorous liberal arts core curriculum, expanding our graduate program offerings, and competing in NCAA Division I athletics, HBU is uniquely positioned to serve both undergraduate and graduate students seeking an excellent education.

Thank you for your interest in HBU. I hope you will take the opportunity to drop by and visit the HBU campus to experience firsthand all of the wonderful things the University has to offer. Our faculty, staff and students are ready to greet you.

Dr. Robert B. Sloan, Jr.
President
Houston Baptist University"

I have accepted the position of Assistant Professor beginning this fall at HBU!  More on this in a later blog post, but let me say that I whole-heartedly support President Sloan and incoming Provost John Mark Reynolds.  Along with new professor, Holly Ordway (pictured with me on campus), I find that HBU is the place to be!

MJ

Book Review: "Resurrection iWitness" by Doug Powell

Upon first look at Doug Powell’s innovative book, Resurrection iWitness, I was already impressed with its aesthetic appeal; not a typical feature of an argument-based apologetic work. With further exploration, I realized there was great potential for a lasting educational impact of the material because it taps into different learning styles. This book is ideal for establishing a foundation for belief in the resurrection for those persons who are visual or kinesthetic learners. In other words, if you wouldn’t necessarily be excited about reading through pages of arguments in text-only format, this might be the apologetics book for you.1

I took the book into the youth room at our church to get some reactions. The main word I heard over and over was “Cool!” A few people took the time to go all the way through the book, even though I just asked them to skim through. Bearing in mind that the youth room is full of distractions, I was impressed with the attention given to the work. This included adults as well as students! Some of the adults were extremely impressed with the work, asking where they could buy a copy. (You can purchase one here or on Amazon.)