Apologetics Conference 2025
“Within the church in the West it is almost universally acknowledged that we live in a post-Christian culture,” writes Mark Sayers in his book, Disappearing Church. For that reason, the exhortation from Peter (1 Peter 3:15) to be prepared to make a defense for the hope of the Gospel is all the more relevant and crucial. This November, New Life Presbyterian Church in Yorktown will offer its third annual FREE apologetics conference to assist the church with this challenge. Join us November 2 as Aaron Renn and Senator John Crane help us navigate honoring God in a hostile culture. Lunch will be provided!
– SACRED BEAUTY: CHRISTIANITY AND THE ARTS –
Saturday, November 1, 2025
9:00 am – 3:00 pm
“Within the church in the West it is almost universally acknowledged that we live in a post-Christian culture,” writes Mark Sayers in his book, Disappearing Church. For that reason, the exhortation from Peter (1 Peter 3:15) to be prepared to make a defense for the hope of the Gospel is all the more relevant and crucial. This November, New Life Presbyterian Church in Yorktown will offer its fourth annual FREE apologetics conference to assist the church with this challenge. Join us November 1 as Rev. Russ Ramsey and Dr. Jim Spiegel help us navigate the relationship between faith and the arts. Lunch and childcare will be provided!
Speakers
Dr. JIM SPIEGEL
James S. Spiegel (Ph.D., Michigan State University) is Executive Director of the Kalos Center for Christian Education and Spiritual Formation in Columbus, Ohio. He has taught at Taylor University, Hillsdale College, and Indianapolis Theological Seminary and has published eleven books and over 100 articles and book chapters. His publications, which primarily explore issues in ethics, philosophy of religion, and virtue epistemology, have appeared in scholarly journals as well as popular periodicals such as Christianity Today, First Things, The Federalist, and Touchstone. Spiegel’s books include The Benefits of Providence (Crossway), Faith, Film, and Philosophy (InterVarsity), The Making of an Atheist (Moody), and the two-volume Idealism and Christianity series (Bloomsbury).
REV. RUSS RAMSEY
Russ Ramsey is an author and pastor with a passion for uniting art and faith. He has been in vocational ministry for more than twenty years and currently serves as the lead pastor of Christ Presbyterian Church’s Cool Springs location. He holds an MDiv and ThM from Covenant Theological Seminary, and is the author of six books, including Rembrandt is in the Wind: Learning to Love Art through the Eyes of Faith (Zondervan 2022), and Behold the King of Glory, recipient of the 2016 Christian Book Award for New Author. Russ was also a founding contributor and member of The Rabbit Room and is a featured speaker each year at The Rabbit Room’s annual conference, Hutchmoot. Russ lives with his wife and children in Nashville, Tennessee.
Agenda
9:00 am
Welcome
Rev. Bob O’Bannon
9:15 am
"A Thing of Beauty: How Everything is Art and Art is Everything"
Dr. Jim Spiegel
10:00 am
Testimony
David Slonim
BREAK
10:30 am
"Creating in Community: How a Painter You’ve Probably Never Heard of Used Friendship to Give Us Paintings Everyone has Seen."
Rev. Russ Ramsey
11:15 am
Alcuin Study Center
Dan Daugherty
11:30 am
Book Recommendations
Rev. Bob O’Bannon
11:45 am
Lunch
12:45 pm
"Kill the Dragon, Get the Girl: Why the Gospel is the Most Beautiful of All Stories"
Dr. Jim Spiegel
1:30 pm
"Van Gogh has a Broken Heart: What Art Teaches Us about the Wonder and Struggle of Being Alive"
Rev. Russ Ramsey
2:15 pm
Q&A Panel Discussion
Dr. Jim Spiegel & Rev. Russ Ramsey
3:00 pm
Adjourn
Presentation Descriptions
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Without Jean Frédéric Bazille, impressionism as we know it might not have happened. This presentation tells the story of how the creative life doesn’t just rely on technological innovations, creative epiphanies, or disciplined practice, but on other people in our communities.
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One of the most heart-breaking parts of Van Gogh’s story is how he often remembered his outbursts and breakdowns. This presentation outlines the details of the fateful night Van Gogh cut off his ear, and examines the sacred work of what it looks like to steward one another’s pain.
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This talk will show how a biblical view of the nature of God implies that literally all aspects of the cosmos and human experience are quite literally art objects.
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This talk aims to show not only that the Christian Gospel is the most beautiful story but that this is a sign of its ultimate truth, because beauty tracks on truth.
Join Us
New Life Presbyterian Church
8000 W River Road
Yorktown, IN 47396
Apologetics Conference 2024
In 2024, Aaron Renn and Senator John Crane discussed honoring God in a hostile culture in preparation for November’s national and local elections.
– HONORING GOD IN A HOSTILE CULTURE –
“Within the church in the West it is almost universally acknowledged that we live in a post-Christian culture,” writes Mark Sayers in his book, Disappearing Church. For that reason, the exhortation from Peter (1 Peter 3:15) to be prepared to make a defense for the hope of the Gospel is all the more relevant and crucial. In 2024, Aaron Renn and Senator John Crane discussed honoring God in a hostile culture in preparation for November’s national and local elections.
Speakers
SEN. JOHN CRANE
John Crane is a respected educator and cultural thought leader who spends much of his time equipping leaders to understand our times. He graduated from Taylor University and went on to receive his M.A. in Communications and Culture from Trinity International University. In 2008, John completed an apologetics training program through the Oxford Centre for Christian Apologetics, in partnership with Wycliffe Hall, Oxford University. John has served as a pastor and is a Colson Fellow with the Chuck Colson Center for Christian Worldview. In 2016 John was elected to the Indiana Senate.
AARON RENN
Aaron Renn is a writer and consultant in Indianapolis, and author of the book Life in the Negative World: Confronting Challenges in an Anti-Christian Culture. He is a senior fellow at American Reformer, and a former Senior Fellow at the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research and Managing Director at Accenture. He hosts a podcast called “The Aaron Renn Show” where he converses with some of the world’s leading thinkers on the issues of today.
Presentations
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This session will explore lessons from Christian cultural engagement over the past 70 years and suggest strategies for churches, institutions, and individuals to live faithfully in the "negative" world—a culture opposed to Christian values and teachings.
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This session will analyze from a Christian perspective the opportunities and limitations within the political environment, including the essential criteria for finding a proper balanced approach to our political rhetoric and engagement.
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This session will focus on evaluating the church's current position in a negative world, while offering a thoughtful analysis (and practical examples) of how to proactively shine the light in our darkening world.
Apologetics Conference 2023
In 2023, Dr. Jeff Zweerink and Dr. Eric Hedin presented on the relationship between science and faith.
– CAN SCIENCE AND FAITH CO-EXIST? –
“Within the church in the West it is almost universally acknowledged that we live in a post-Christian culture,” writes Mark Sayers in his book, Disappearing Church. For that reason, the exhortation from Peter (1 Peter 3:15) to be prepared to make a defense for the hope of the Gospel is all the more relevant and crucial. In 2023, Dr. Jeff Zweerink and Dr. Eric Hedin presented on the relationship between science and faith.
Speakers
ERIC HEDIN
Eric Hedin earned his doctorate in experimental plasma physics from the University of Washington, and conducted post-doctoral research at the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, Sweden. He has taught physics and astronomy at Taylor University and Ball State University in Indiana, and at Biola University in Southern California. At Ball State, his research interests focused on computational nano-electronics and higher-dimensional physics. His BSU course, The Boundaries of Science, attracted national media attention, resulting in Dr. Hedin’s recent book, Canceled Science: What Some Atheists Don’t Want You to See, highlighting scientific evidence pointing to design.
Since fall, 2021, Dr. Hedin has transitioned into speaking at universities around the country with God’s Not Dead Events, led by Dr. Rice Broocks. These evangelistic outreach events present evidence from science, philosophy, and history for God as Creator and the resurrection of Christ.
JEFF ZWEERINK
Astrophysicist Jeff Zweerink is a research scholar at Reasons to Believe (RTB). He writes and speaks on the compatibility of science and the Christian faith and on evidence for intentional design from multiverse theory, exoplanets, and artificial intelligence (AI). His books include Escaping the Beginning?, Is There Life Out There?, Who’s Afraid of the Multiverse?, and Building Bridges (coauthor).
Jeff earned a BS in physics and a PhD in astrophysics with a focus on gamma rays from Iowa State University. Prior to joining RTB, Jeff taught and ran the planetarium at Loras College in Dubuque, Iowa, until postdoctoral research in gamma rays led him to University of California, Riverside. He still holds a part-time project scientist position at UCLA. Jeff’s speaking engagements take him to universities, churches, conferences, and other venues around the world.
Presentations
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According to the popular narrative, science is on a relentless quest to truly understand the universe and that quest will inevitably make all religions (including Christianity) obsolete. This talk will debunk that narrative by showing how major scientific findings over the past 100 years provide a wealth of evidence supporting the truth of Christianity. Additionally, a little historical investigation shows that the Judeo-Christian worldview provided the necessary philosophical foundation for the scientific enterprise to develop.
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Science has revealed multiple layers of fine-tuning in the physical properties of our home planet that are essential for Earth’s ability to sustain life in all its myriad forms over the course of history. We’ll look at many of these key properties as evidence for God’s creative design and purpose for lives.
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Scientists discover that the universe had no beginning. We live in a multiverse and that explains all the fine-tuning. Astronomers find another planet capable of hosting life. Unless we act now, global climate change will irrevocably destroy the planet. Statements like these—that seem like a challenge to Christian principles—repeatedly show up in the news. By applying a few powerful principles, we can use such controversial ideas to stimulate conversations about important biblical ideas.
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All living organisms exhibit a high degree of information based on the specific complexity of the biochemistry within each cell. This specified complexity results in functional, living systems and stands out as one of the most profound pieces of evidence for God’s hand in creation. We’ll examine this line of evidence in light of nature’s limits to show that life is consistent with John 1:3 – “All things were made through Him.”
Apologetics Conference 2022
In 2022, Dr. Paul Copan and Dr. Jim Spiegel tackled some of the topics that often raise questions in our contemporary culture about the morality of the Christian faith.
– THE MORALITY OF THE CHRISTIAN FAITH –
“Within the church in the West it is almost universally acknowledged that we live in a post-Christian culture,” writes Mark Sayers in his book, Disappearing Church. For that reason, the exhortation from Peter (1 Peter 3:15) to be prepared to make a defense for the hope of the Gospel is all the more relevant and crucial. In 2022, Dr. Paul Copan and Dr. Jim Spiegel tackled some of the topics that often raise questions in our contemporary culture about the morality of the Christian faith.
Speakers
PAUL COPAN
Paul Copan, Ph.D., is a Christian theologian, analytic philosopher, apologist, and author. He is currently a professor at the Palm Beach Atlantic University and holds the endowed Pledger Family Chair of Philosophy and Ethics.
He is author or editor of over 40 books, including works such as Is God a Moral Monster? and That’s Just Your Interpretation. He has also contributed essays to over 50 books, both scholarly and popular, and he has authored a number of articles in professional journals.
Paul lives in Florida with his wife, Jacqueline; together they have six children.
JIM SPIEGEL
James S. Spiegel (Ph.D., Michigan State University) is currently Head of School at Lighthouse Christian Academy, and starting this January he will be a TempletonResearch Fellow at Hillsdale College.
Jim has published eleven books and 100 articles and book chapters. His books include The Benefits of Providence (Crossway), The Making of an Atheist (Moody), Hell and Divine Goodness (Cascade), and the award-winning How to be Good in a World Gone Bad (Kregel). Jim’s wife, Amy, is also anauthor (Letting Go of Perfect, B&H Press), and the two of them blog together at Wisdom and Folly. Jim and Amy have four children: sons Bailey (22), Sam (20) and Andrew (16) and daughter Maggie (18). Jim’s hobbies include wood-working, racquetball, songwriting, and music production.
Presentations
“The Bible and Sexuality” | Jim Spiegel
“The Bible and Warfare” | Paul Copan
“The Bible and Abortion” | Jim Spiegel
“The Bible and Slavery” | Paul Copan