So, you want to enter the Vox Apologia?

Read the following instructions.

You’re in the right place. Look up, and to your right. You’ll see a section entitled “Apologetics”. Directly under that (and, this is where it will stay, as I am the host, and originator), will be a sub-section, with the heading “Vox Apologia”. Under that, you’ll find the current “Vox Apologia” entries, and the current host (the weekly editions will be hosted at different blogs, every week. This panel will let you know where, and when this will happen.). You’ll see the next date, host, and topic listed directly under “Current.”

Future listings will be directly under _that_. Directly under the “Coming Up” information, is a link that says “Submit your entry” – this is an email address, for the upcoming host. This is where you send the address for the blog entry you wish to enter. Click the link, and it should open your email client, with the subject already filled out. When you do, please include the following items:

Host name: (ex. RazorsKiss)
Host URL: (ex. https://razorskiss.net/wp)
Entry Title: (ex. My Vox Apologia Entry)
Entry URL: (ex. https://razorskiss.net/wp/voxapologiaentry.html) < -- Yes, I know it doesn't exist.
Synopsis (If desired): (ex. “This post is about such and such”)

So, you want to host the Vox Apologia?

Any dates that do not yet have hosts will have a link that says “Like to host?” That emails me. So, if you do – click it – and it will. Also with the subject filled out. The last link (at the time of this entry) says “Vox Apologia FAQ” – that is this post. So, you probably clicked it to get here.

When you are scheduled to host the next week, you need to email me, or the current host, at LEAST 24 hours before the preceding Vox Apologia is scheduled to go up. That way, you can have your information included in that edition, to point people to the right place.

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Ok, now for the “About”.

I decided to start this a while back. Maybe, oh, two months ago. (I’m writing this on 1/20/05). I was still on Oblivion’s Gate, and trying to rack my brains to figure out how to do something like this on that software. I decided I couldn’t do it. I spent the next week hunting for blog software, and another week after that, building/tweaking my blog.

Then, Joe Carter, from Evangelical Outpost, started several projects, in succession. I also read “Blog”, around the same time. Between the two, they convinced me I needed to start _doing_ something – and doing it now. I started to do some legwork – I examined the “Carnivals” and “Symphonies”, and I found the model I liked. However, I’ll say this upfront: This is NOT your normal “symphony.”
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Go here, read what they have to say, and please – help them out.

The resources they offer are INESTIMABLE to apologists, and to the online Christian community.

(HT: Bene Diction

Article 4 in “The Ghetto: Solutions”.

So, yeah – I’m a new kid on the block, I have some interesting ideas – maybe. That’s nice. So what. The blogosphere is an interesting phenomenon, but can it be used the way I’m talking about? If we do the same old things… No. That’s why we’re in the Ghetto to begin with. Remember? To change the paradigms, and actually get _out_ of the Ghetto – we have to rebuild it. Will it happen all at once? Of course not. Can it happen? I believe it can. Why do I believe this? I’m about to tell you why. I’m also going to tell you _how_ I think it’s possible for us to do it.

I’ll go back to my familiar themes. Hubs/Metablogs, Meta-Niching, and Individual Blogs.

This, time, though, I’m going to step past theories, models, and ideas – and get to practical application. I told you I was going to…
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We’ve discussed concepts, we’ve discussed theory – now, let’s discuss organizational models.

We all know by now what the “Ghetto” is. It’s the circular, exclusionary group of Christian god-bloggers who can’t seem to get out of their rut. That rut consists of several elements – but I want to focus on two – and the organization (or lack thereof), which causes them.
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Updates:

Wheat and Chaff takes on DarkSyde (~DS~, from EO commenting), concerning his Dare to Dream – primarily concerning his use of “self-evident” as a faith statement – when he’s an avowed atheist.

(HT: Evangelical Outpost, New Covenant)

Apologetics:

AllThings2All weighs in on Pascal’s Wager. Intelligent read, and a timely reminder.

Welcomes:

Weapons of Warfare, to the Apologetics scene. He should be asking to be added to the aggregator right about… now.

Now.

Now.

Well… whenever he’s ready. 😀

Thank you’s:

Evangelical Outpost, for the flood of traffic, and kind words, he’s been shooting my way. Thank you very much Joe. Want a fan club? I’ll do it!

Jollyblogger, for the very nice multi-flog.

View from the Pew, for the paragraph-long adulation! I’m not worthy. Seriously 😀

Mr. Dumpling, for his flog.

(Note, however, that I WILL take whatever nice things people say about me… lol.)

Around the ‘sphere:
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Well, we put forth the “concept”, in the first post – and got some commentary. Now, let’s look at a bit more of what I’m speaking of. I do understand, I really do, what Brad is getting at with his points about helping the church. I’m trying to take some concepts out of his discussion, and apply them to the God-blogosphere, though. As much as I love helping at my church (and I do), blogging isn’t how I believe I can help my church. My church needs my technical skills, and my musical skills. That’s where I help them. The young(er) denizens are the ones who are “hip” with the computers, technology, and the like. But… the internet ministry in my area doesn’t have much demand, and doesn’t get much play. Let me explain why, so you see where I’m coming from.
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At Every Thought Captive! The subject this week is “What does apologetics mean to today’s Christian church?”

Go read it – NOW!

I’m very encouraged, and very happy about the good number of entries – especially for an initial offering. I’ll be hosting the next Vox Apologia right here. I’ll have the subject posted on Wednsday.

Would you like to host? Please drop me a line at rk AT razorskiss DOT net

Now, this time – note how this is affecting the mid-level blogs – particularly how much they are moving. See what the “anti-ghetto” is doing? I just honestly didn’t have time to plumb the depths of the ecosystem yet again… so I just did up to 1000. We now have 50 (that I counted – I didn’t go over it that thoroughly) in the top 1,000. We were at 37 to start with.

(Links were updated for all in the top 500, and all that Joe annotated in the original. I added a |first week#| (+ /-) |second week #| to all of the link-annotated blogs.)
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I’ve been following the conversation at Evangelical Outpost with a tremendous amount of interest. Joe is really shaking things up in the Evangelical blog community. I’m wondering, if it really isn’t an attempt to encourage what Brad, from 21st Century Reformation is saying over at The Dialogical Coffeehouse. I certainly took it that way myself.

What way? Well, let me tell you. Glenn Reynolds, the Instapundit, is so widely influential because his blog is what is known as a “metablog”. He links to specialists, who have the specific commentary on an issue. Well, I think we DO need meta blogs. But, we also need “communities”. If we are going to be “God blogs”, let’s follow the Biblical model. There is the overarching church – there are the individual churches – then there are the ministries within that church, and the small groups – the bible studies, and the like. So, let’s look at Brad’s graphic, concentrating on the right.
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This entry is for the first “Vox Apologia,” a weekly showcase for apologists, and the defense of the Christian faith.

I believe I’ll examine what apologetics is to many churches, and to society – and a bit about where the “common” conceptions are wrong.

The Culture
The common conception, from the “culture’s” view can be summed up as follows:

I’m sorry. Allow me to enter an objection to the term ‘apologist’ as being more pre-judicial than probative. In short, the implications of the term ‘apologist’ implies in common wording that I am allowing for an ‘apology’ for something. Since I have no desire to provide an apology, be it in justification sense or otherwise.

In short. Anybody who asks for my justification that there _is_ a god, and that the Christian types are on the right track in that particular quest, must first provide his own justification or ‘apology’ otherwise.

Until the moment when an ‘Atheist Philosopher’ becomes an ‘Atheist Apologist’ I shall maintain this view. The term is unfairly prejudicial.

Which is a good point. Sort of. It “apologizes” way too much to “common usage”, and not enough to “classical scholarship”, though.

But, even more telling… I read this in a forum signature the other day.

What, is something so bad about Christianity, that you have to apologize for it?

Popular culture really doesn’t know what apologetics is. They don’t know, because they rarely see it. They have bought into the lie that Christianity is something “private”, and that they shouldn’t be “forced” (as if anyone can be “forced to listen to anything…) to hear what someone has to say about it. So, anyone who tells them what Christianity is, that doesn’t match up with the preconceptions they’ve been given, is either intrigued, or appalled by “insensitivity”.

It’s an interesting dilemma. However, that’s not the subject. Forgive me for digressing.
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