Ron and Tonya Gordon of REAP (RenewaNation’s Education Advancement Program) recently sat down with Griffith Vertican, a licensed attorney, former national debate champion, and coach to many current debate champions in the United States. Together, they discussed skills critical for developing students’ biblical worldview and defense of their faith.
Ron Gordon: What is the connection between apologetics and debate?
Griffith Vertican: Apologetics and debate are two sides of the same coin. Both use logic and objective evidence to evaluate a topic, draw rational conclusions, and effectively communicate a given position. Apologetics and debate deal with the pursuit of truth based on reason, evidence, and refutation, where two or more sides are represented.
Ron Gordon: When many Americans hear the word “debate,” they automatically think of a presidential debate. Is this the type of debate you are referring to?
Griffith Vertican: Not at all. I actually use presidential debates when training students as examples of what not to do. The presidential debates have evolved into a performance geared at scoring political points, attacking and insulting your opponent, and avoiding the real questions to hit key talking points. An effective debater should actually employ the right attitude and persona to win over their audience and opponent with mutual dignity and respect. Proper debates are not focused on personal attacks, which we call ad hominem fallacies, but rather on issues and ideas. From Apollos in the Bible to Thomas Aquinas to C.S. Lewis, the best apologists have always focused on formulating logical and rational positions based on factual evidence.
Tonya Gordon: Similar to presidential debates, social media reflects the same approach of argumentative personal attack. Much of what we see on social media today resembles elementary playground bickering. Unfortunately, most Americans do not clearly understand what proper debate looks like, which is a result of our current educational system.
Griffith Vertican: I couldn’t agree with you more, Tonya. There is little appreciation and understanding of logical reasoning and rhetorical mastery in our educational institutions today. This quote from Thomas Sowell personifies what is happening in schools today: “Our whole educational system from elementary schools to universities is increasingly turning out people who have never heard enough conflicting arguments to develop the skills and disciplines required to produce a coherent analysis based on logic and evidence.”
Ron Gordon: The term “debate” often triggers a negative connotation of a heated argument, which seems to conflict with appropriate Christian behavior. Is debating something that a Christian should even do?
Griffith Vertican: Absolutely. We have numerous historical examples where Christians used apologetics and debate to engage culture and forward the truth of Jesus Christ. My favorite example from the Bible is the story of Apollos. We find that Apollos engaged in public debate and “powerfully refuted the Jews in public, showing by the Scriptures that the Christ was Jesus” (Acts 18:24-28). Apollos no doubt used Old Testament passages from Isaiah and others to confirm how Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection confirmed the prophetic message concerning the Messiah. The birth of the early church was rooted in apologetics and debate. Apostles Paul and Peter also gave us repeated examples of this in Scripture. If there’s one verse that provides the most direct instruction for Christians to engage in debate, it’s 1 Peter 3:15: “In your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect.”
C.S. Lewis’ best-selling book Mere Christianity provides a strong example of using logical defenses to answer the objections of atheists and skeptics about various facets of Christianity. In addition, the 2006 film Amazing Grace offers an excellent model of how Christians should engage in debate and what an appropriate use of debate looks like. It presents a compelling portrayal of Wilberforce’s use of refutation and evidence to argue for the abolition of slavery.
Ron Gordon: Great examples. I especially like the adjectives the Apostle Peter used to describe how we should share truth: “gentleness and respect.” Your other two examples, C.S. Lewis and Thomas Aquinas, are excellent models of the type of debate that Scripture calls us to, a debate that exudes humility with a winsome persona.
Griffith Vertican: In the coaching that I provide students, character development is as much of a focus as skill development for effective debate. We characterize it as confident humility. This approach is essential if we expect our students to engage with culture appropriately and allow their ideas to be truly heard and understood.
Ron Gordon: How important is understanding apologetics and debate for today’s youth? Most folks have heard the saying that schooling is all about learning the three “Rs” of arithmetic, reading, and writing. It seems we may be missing a fourth “R” with rhetoric. Is that a fair assessment?
Griffith Vertican: Most certainly. If our children can’t think well and articulate their thoughts with a winsome spirit, they’ll struggle to communicate ideas in any area of their life, whether in a job interview, a business meeting, or even sharing their faith. How do you expect someone to play a violin without being taught? Why should we then expect our children to be able to defend their faith effectively without training them on how to do so through rhetoric? We need to teach them the language of debate to prepare them to communicate with logic, reason, evidence, and rhetoric.
If we don’t train our children this way, they will be increasingly swept away by the social pressures of our day and attacks from college professors or other influential speakers. Students must start asking logical questions as they look at the actual statistics of what’s happening around them to determine how they should live. The increase in drug addiction, suicide rates, and sexually transmitted disease infection rates are escalating at unprecedented levels. Yet, our young people continue living according to the passions of this world. We desperately need our children to learn apologetics and debate to turn the tide of our culture. If we don’t teach them, who else will?
Tonya Gordon: Agreed. Children must be educated to understand and process issues from a biblical perspective and learn effective communication skills. They must also understand their true purpose within the context of the Dominion Mandate and the Great Commission. Parents, churches, and schools must equip them not only to defend their faith but also to make disciples of Jesus Christ and expand His kingdom. Logic and rhetoric skills are critical for this to become a reality in culture.
Ron Gordon: Over the past decade, I’ve connected with hundreds of Christian schools across the country, and this is an area that I rarely see as a focus. Why aren’t Christian schools engaged in this type of training and development with their students?
Tonya Gordon: Two main reasons drive this. The first is a lack of awareness and appreciation for why this is so important. We must continue elevating this topic to help Christian parents, educators, and leaders realize the criticality of apologetics and debate in thoroughly equipping their students.
Secondly, most Christian school educators operate from a traditional school system mindset. School schedules are configured around the idea that standard courses and credit requirements do not allow for skill areas such as apologetics, logic, rhetoric, and debate. Sadly, if they are even offered, they are treated as electives.
There are multiple ways of resolving this perceived dilemma. For instance, intentionally identifying the right point within the formal curriculum’s scope and sequence to inject this training as required classes would ensure that all students are adequately equipped. Additionally, focused planning around incorporating these skills in all K-12 classes would provide students with numerous apologetic and presentation-based learning opportunities. Of course, professional development for educators would need to include training on how to integrate these key concepts and skills.
Griffith Vertican: I totally agree. Our educators can’t teach what they don’t know themselves. We must start with them. While these skill sets may not be evaluated on an SAT or ACT, the importance of logic and rhetoric is undeniable.
Tonya Gordon: When educators teach and implement these skills in their classrooms, their students are much more enthusiastic about learning and actively engage in class discussions. Children who possess these skills build and exhibit strong and respectful confidence when connecting with adults. They also desire to become lifelong learners.
Griffith Vertican: I would encourage any Christian schools that would like to learn more about developing a program for apologetics and debate to reach out to RenewaNation. I’ve been partnering with your team this year and am excited about the future. Glory to God for organizations like RenewaNation that are passionate about teaching children biblical truth and helping train students in apologetics, logic, rhetoric, and debate.