YouTube as the Modern Day Areopagus
Shownotes
We welcome Eli Ayala, host of Revealed Apologetics, to discuss Christian apologetics in the digital public square. Drawing an analogy to the Areopagus of Acts 17, Camden Bucey and Ayala consider YouTube’s remarkable reach, its dangers, the spiritual dimension of apologetics, the union of biblical content and method, current movements in online apologetics, and the pastoral task of guiding young people who encounter theology online.
Ayala recounts his path from a Pentecostal upbringing to Reformed theology and presuppositional apologetics, including the decisive influence of the Greg Bahnsen–Gordon Stein debate. He also explains the origins of Revealed Apologetics and reflects on the opportunities and distortions created by algorithmic media. Throughout the conversation, apologetics is presented as a distinctly Christian calling: intellectual, moral, spiritual, ecclesial, prayerful, and governed by gentleness and respect.
Links Chapters- 0:00 Introduction
- 2:03 YouTube as the Modern Areopagus
- 3:43 Eli Ayala’s Background and Work
- 8:39 Spiritual Warfare and Apologetics
- 12:47 An Apologetic Awakening
- 17:06 The Bahnsen–Stein Debate and Presuppositionalism
- 20:42 The Origins of Revealed Apologetics
- 25:35 YouTube’s Promise and Peril
- 36:31 Biblical Content, Method, and Character
- 43:13 The Online Apologetics Landscape
- 47:33 Eastern Orthodoxy and Presuppositionalism
- 49:32 Islam and Christian Apologetics Online
- 50:52 Roman Catholic Apologetics Online
- 54:11 Guiding Young People through Online Theology
- 1:01:13 Conclusion
Participants: Camden Bucey, Eli Ayala