Apologetics is the reasoned defense of the Christian faith. Scholars group the main approaches differently, but five methods are most commonly named: classical apologetics, evidential apologetics, presuppositional apologetics, reformed epistemology, and fideism.
Type Classical Apologetics
Classical apologetics argues for God’s existence using philosophy and reason first, then uses historical evidence, such as the case for the resurrection, to argue for the truth of Christianity specifically.
Type Evidential Apologetics
Evidential apologetics makes the case for Christianity directly from historical and factual evidence, such as the resurrection, without first building a separate philosophical argument for God’s existence.
Type Presuppositional Apologetics
Presuppositional apologetics starts from the truth of the Christian worldview as a presupposition and argues that logic, knowledge, and morality only make sense if that worldview is true.
Type Reformed Epistemology Apologetics
Reformed epistemology holds that belief in God can be rational and properly basic — held without first needing philosophical proof — much as belief in the reality of the past or other minds is.
Type Fideism
Fideism holds that faith in God does not rest on and cannot be fully established by reason or evidence, and that some truths of the Christian faith are accepted by faith alone.