This section is for materials that thematically express the mission and purpose of Tekton's ministry.
Motivational Essays
On the Failure of the Church to Educate -- why is Christianity in crisis in the West?
Why Critics of the Bible Don't Deserve the Benefit of the Doubt -- explains why you should not give credence to Internet Skeptics and other critics of the Bible
Leading Christian Myths -- common misconceptions about Christianity by both believers and Skeptics
Extreme Apologetics -- a parody on the priorities of the church
So You Want to be an Apologist? -- advice on entering the field. Includes a bibliography of good resources to become familiar with apologetics.
Search Engines and Knowledge -- does Google make us stupid? A look at an article by Nicholas Carr in Atlantic Monthly that suggests just that.
How to Use Sources Critically -- how do you decide whether a resource offers reliable information? The librarian in me speaks.
Biblical Exposition
The Social World of the Bible -- separate subject hub
Anachronisms and the Bible -- why are there some things in the Bible that seem to be "out of time"?
Copyist errors and inerrancy -- the Bible was not copied perfectly over the centuries; is it fair to appeal to these errors in transmission as explanations?
Proverbial literature in the Bible -- some parts of the Bible, like poems and proverbs, were never meant to be taken literally; an explanation, and how critics misuse these texts by reading them literally.
Hyperbole and dramatic expression in the Bible -- the people of the Bible were much more "into" dramatic and hyperbolic expression than we are.
What is Faith? -- Once we contextualize certain important words, their meaning shifts dramatically. Also part of this series: What is hope? What is love? What is mercy? What is worship? What is humility? What is repentance? What is wisdom? What is forgiveness?
Other Programmatic Essays
The Impossible Faith Offers 17 reasons why Christianity could not have survived in the ancient world unless it had indisputable evidence of the resurrection of Jesus. Now available in book form from Amazon.com
"Argument by Outrage" -- on a common form of criticism of the Bible, in which God or some person is described as mean, unjust, etc. Some general comments on this type of argument.
How to Use Your Bible -- practical advice for using the Bible as a study aid.
The Spanish Inquisition -- Lots of myths out there about this one; get the facts from our sources, real historians.
The Patriot Analogy -- How to answer the question, "Who's a real Christian, then?"
A Survey of Misused Quotes -- We check into the authenticity of some oft-used quotes used by Skeptics (and even Christians) on the Net.
On ignorance as a form of objection
The appeal to authority fallacy claim
On poor quality in Wikipedia editing
Is the Bible filled with "clutter"?