Today, Dr. Groothuis shares his biggest academic failure—the rejection of his first dissertation proposal—and how God redeemed it for good. Inspired by William Lane Craig’s story of academic struggle, Dr. Groothuis shares the humbling and humorous journey from disappointment to breakthrough.

Through tales of philosophical debate, divine providence, lawnmower interruptions, and academic resilience, this episode offers listeners a deeper understanding of how setbacks often serve God's greater purposes—even if the benefits unfold over years or decades.

🔑 Main Takeaways

• Rejection isn’t the end: Dr. Groothuis’s first dissertation on Blaise Pascal was rejected—twice. But that failure led to a revised and ultimately successful dissertation on Pascal’s rejection of natural theology.

• Nothing is wasted: Material from his rejected dissertation later became a published book (On Pascal) and a peer-reviewed article in Religious Studies.

• Humility and perseverance are essential to both academic and spiritual growth. Writing under pressure and against disagreement sharpened Groothuis’s convictions and writing.

• A one-year delay led to the perfect job opening at Denver Seminary—where he taught for 31 years.

• A lawnmower anecdote and the loving intervention of his late wife, Rebecca, became part of the unique story of his defense day.

• Through it all, Romans 8:28 reminds us that God works through failure to bring about our final good: Christlikeness.

📖 Key Bible Verse Referenced

• Romans 8:28 –
  Read at BibleStudyTools.com
  “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

🧠 Topics Covered

• The rejection and rewriting of a doctoral dissertation

• Pascal’s critique of natural theology

• The importance of natural theology in Christian apologetics

• Academic endurance and divine timing

• Personal anecdotes from dissertation committees

• Reflections on suffering and sanctification

🔗 Relevant Resources

• 📘 On Pascal by Douglas Groothuis (Wadsworth Philosophers Series)

• 📘 Christian Apologetics (2nd Ed.) – Especially the section on natural theology

• 📘 Walking Through Twilight – Dr. Groothuis’s book on grief and loss after his wife’s decline and passing

• 💻 DouglasGroothuis.com

• 🏫 Cornerstone University

• 🏛️ Cornerstone Theological Seminary

📣 Calls to Action

• 🙏 Reflect on how God may be using your failures for a greater purpose.

• 📢 Share this episode with students, professors, and anyone navigating setbacks.

• 💡 Explore more of Dr. Groothuis’s teachings, books, and ministry at DouglasGroothuis.com

• 🎓 Learn more about Christ-centered education at Cornerstone University

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

In this powerful and intellectually provocative episode, Dr. Douglas Groothuis reads his essay from the Summer 2025 issue of Salvo Magazine, titled “Escape from the Acid Bath: Can Darwinism Support Morality?” Drawing from his broader work in Christian Apologetics (2nd ed.), Dr. Groothuis critically examines the claim that Darwinian evolution can serve as a sufficient foundation for objective morality, contrasting that with the moral implications of a theistic worldview grounded in divine character and design.

This essay-style episode surveys the views of prominent atheists such as Daniel Dennett, Karl Marx, Richard Dawkins, and Sam Harris, and demonstrates the internal philosophical weaknesses of moral theories rooted in evolutionary naturalism. Instead, Dr. Groothuis makes a compelling case for Judeo-Christian theism as the only viable foundation for universal moral truths.

🔑 Main Takeaways

• Daniel Dennett’s “universal acid” metaphor reveals how Darwinism corrodes all foundations of purpose and morality in the universe.

• Evolutionary theories of morality — while attempting to explain altruism, cooperation, and conscience — fail to justify why these traits are morally binding or intrinsically good.

• C.S. Lewis’s insights in The Abolition of Man clarify why objective moral values cannot arise from mere instincts or natural processes.

• Even atheists who believe in objective morality (atheistic moral realists) must borrow metaphysical tools from theism to make their arguments coherent.

• The essay concludes that Darwinism, as a materialist worldview, lacks the resources to support moral law — but the Christian tradition offers a firm foundation for it.

📖 Key Bible Verses Referenced

• Romans 2:14–15 – Read at BibleStudyTools.com

• 1 Corinthians 15:3–4, 17, 20 – Read at BibleStudyTools.com

• Colossians 2:8 – Read at BibleStudyTools.com

• 2 Corinthians 10:3–5 – Read at BibleStudyTools.com

• Ephesians 6:10–19 – Read at BibleStudyTools.com

👤 Guest

None for this episode.
This is a solo reading and analysis by Dr. Douglas Groothuis, professor of philosophy at Cornerstone University and Cornerstone Theological Seminary.

🔗 Relevant Resources Mentioned

• 📰 Salvo Magazine – Issue 73 (Summer 2025)

• 📘 Christian Apologetics (2nd Edition) by Douglas Groothuis

• 📘 Darwin’s Dangerous Idea by Daniel Dennett

• 📘 The Abolition of Man by C.S. Lewis

• 📘 The Moral Landscape by Sam Harris

• 💻 DouglasGroothuis.com

• 🏫 Cornerstone University and Cornerstone Theological Seminary

📣 Calls to Action

• ✅ Reflect deeply: Can your worldview account for objective moral truth?

• 📢 Share this episode with those wrestling with questions about morality, evolution, and faith.

• 🌐 Explore more content and connect with Dr. Groothuis at DouglasGroothuis.com

• 🎓 Learn more about Christ-centered higher education at Cornerstone University

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

In this episode, Dr. Douglas Groothuis offers a passionate critique of the current state of online apologetics, prompted by the growing flood of YouTube, Instagram, and podcast-based apologetics influencers. While affirming the good work being done by some leaders, he cautions against the rise of shallow, flashy, and poorly studied content that too often passes for serious Christian defense.

Drawing from nearly 50 years of ministry, teaching, and academic publishing, Dr. Groothuis outlines 12 core competencies every public apologist must master — from a well-formed biblical worldview to knowledge of logic, philosophy, Scripture, world religions, and more. This episode is both a sobering warning and a visionary charge to anyone who desires to contend for the faith in today’s media-saturated culture.

🔑 Main Takeaways

• Understand the dangers of “apologetics on the cheap” — content divorced from prayer, Scripture, and rigorous study.

• Learn the 12 essential questions every public apologist should be able to answer, covering:

  • Biblical worldview and doctrine

  • Scriptural knowledge and memorization

  • Logic and philosophical reasoning

  • Historical apologetics methods

  • Theological cults and New Age movements

  • Relational skill in real-world dialogue

• Discover why rhetoric, logic, and spiritual discipline are non-negotiable for sound apologetics.

• Be exhorted to pursue apologetics with reverence, humility, prayer, and fire in your bones — not pride or platform chasing.

• Explore recommended reading for each area of growth, including works by James Sire, Walter Martin, Francis Schaeffer, Ronald Nash, Paul Little, and Os Guinness.

📖 Key Bible Verses Referenced

• Galatians 1:6–13 — Read at BibleStudyTools.com

• 1 John 4:1–6 — Read at BibleStudyTools.com

• Ephesians 2:1–10 — Read at BibleStudyTools.com

• Colossians 2:8 — Read at BibleStudyTools.com

• James 3:1–3 — Read at BibleStudyTools.com

• 2 Corinthians 10:3–5 — Read at BibleStudyTools.com

• Ephesians 6:10–19 — Read at BibleStudyTools.com

• 1 Peter 3:15 — Read at BibleStudyTools.com

• Matthew 22 (Jesus and apologetics) — Read at BibleStudyTools.com

• Jude 3 — Read at BibleStudyTools.com

• Jeremiah 20:9, Acts 20:24, Matthew 22:37–39, 1 Corinthians 13, Romans 12:1–2

🔗 Recommended Resources

• 📘 The Universe Next Door by James Sire

• 📘 Kingdom of the Cults by Walter Martin

• 📘 Unmasking the New Age and Confronting the New Age by Douglas Groothuis

• 📘 Life’s Ultimate Questions by Ronald Nash

• 📘 From Thales to Dewey by Gordon H. Clark

• 📘 Tactics by Greg Koukl

• 📘 Bridge-Building Apologetics by Lindsay Medenwald

• 📘 How to Give Away Your Faith by Paul Little

• 📘 Warfare Prayer by Mark Bubeck

• 📘 The Knowledge of God in the World and the Word by Groothuis & Sheppardson

📣 Calls to Action

• 🧠 Aspiring apologist? Use this checklist to evaluate and strengthen your approach to defending the faith.

• 🔔 Subscribe to Truth Tribe for more biblically grounded cultural critique and apologetics instruction.

• 🌐 Explore more at DouglasGroothuis.com

• 🏫 Learn about Dr. Groothuis’s work at Cornerstone University and Seminary

• 💬 Share this episode with anyone preparing for public ministry or navigating apologetics in today’s digital age.

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.