The Apologetics Study Bible, which you can learn about here, contains numerous features including:1. Articles by leading Christian apologists addressing common objections
2. Thoughtful commentary
3. Biographies of notable Christian apologists from the past such as C.S. Lewis, William Paley, and Thomas Aquinas.
It is David A. Horner's biography of Thomas Aquinas that offers us a glimpse of the attitude the follower of Jesus Christ should have when addressing someone with different beliefs.
Horner writes:
"Thomas Aquinas (1225-11274), one of the most influential thinkers of all time, was a medieval theologian, philosopher, professor, priest, poet, adviser to popes and kings- and apologist...in his writing Aquinas considered some 10,000 objections against his own position. He knew what others believed and why they believed it, especially the most influential views of his day. He treated these other positions accurately and fairly, and he responded with gracious but rigorous reasoning and argument. Above all he was interested in truth. (In this regard he appealed to Pr 27:17, saying that "iron sharpens iron.") He had no room for apologetic arguments that used cheap shots, caricatures, or shoddy reasoning, which are unfair and unloving to people and do not serve the truth." [1; Emphasis mine]
Let it be said of those of us who follow Christ that we "serve the truth" (Jn. 14:6).
Courage and Godspeed,
Chad A. Gross
Resources:
1) David A. Horner, Notable Christian Apologist: Thomas Aquinas, The Apologetics Study Bible, p. 957.
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