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The BioLogos Forum is designed to foster a serious and comprehensive discussion of Christian faith and the sciences. We believe that charitable engagement of different perspectives within the Church helps sharpen our thinking and deepen our commitment to the truth that is hidden in Christ. So while many of the articles and videos under the distinctive Forum banner come from BioLogos staff and Senior Fellows, we feature a range of voices, including those that disagree with us and with each other. Unless otherwise noted, views expressed are those of the authors, not necessarily of The BioLogos Foundation. You can read more about what we believe here, and join the conversation in the comments section at the end of each post.
Roger Nicole’s Polemic Theology
Christians are to be held to a higher standard for how we treat our opponents and their arguments than are unbelievers. Whether engaging with those who despise the faith or with our brothers and sisters in Christ with whom we differ in important doctrinal issues, we are called to love, even as much as we are called to truth. In this series, Roger Nicole explores a distinctively Christian way of dealing with conflict by posing three questions: What do I owe the person who differs from me? What can I learn from the person who differs from me? How can I cope with the person who differs from me?
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Polemic Theology: How to Deal with Those Who Differ from Us, Part 1
We owe it to our opponents to deal with them in such a way that they may sense that we have a real interest in them as persons, that we are not simply trying to win an argument or show how smart we are, but that we are deeply interested in them.
How to Deal with Those Who Differ from Us, Part 2
When we are unwilling to acknowledge our fallibility, we reveal that we are more interested in winning a discussion and safeguarding our reputation than in the discovery and triumph of truth.
How to Deal with Those Who Differ from Us, Part 3
We must ever strive to take account of the fullness of biblical revelation to have the boldness to advance as far as it leads, and the restraint to stop in our speculations where the Bible ceases to provide guidance.
How to Deal with Those Who Differ from Us, Part 4
A Christian who carries on discussions with those who differ should not be subject to the psychology of the boxing ring where the contestants are bent upon demolishing one another. Rather, "The Lord's servant must not quarrel: instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful." (2 Tim 2:24)