The Reliability of Faith in an Age of Doubt: Why Apologetics Must Become Pastoral Again Dr. Ben Shaw Episode #DCLX The Doctor of Digital™

The Reliability of Faith in an Age of Doubt: Why Apologetics Must Become Pastoral Again
Purpose of the Show
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This show exists to awaken wisdom, spark clarity, and help thinkers, leaders, and creators live with a depth of purpose the modern world has forgotten. Every conversation is an invitation — not simply to defend truth, but to dwell in it, live from it, and let it shape who we become.
Introduction
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What happens when a theologian, philosopher, apologist, and black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu sets his life’s work toward one mission:
Helping the Church recover confidence in the truth of Scripture?
Today’s guest, Dr. Ben Shaw, is part of a new generation of Christian scholars who refuse to separate rigorous intellect from pastoral care. His work stands at the intersection of philosophy, history, theology, and discipleship — and he believes apologetics is not merely about winning arguments, but forming souls.
In a culture drowning in skepticism, distraction, and deconstruction, Ben is giving believers something rare:
A reasoned, interdisciplinary, historically grounded confidence that the New Testament is trustworthy.
Credibility + Background
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Ben is the President of CORE Apologetics, a national nonprofit equipping churches, universities, and organizations with the tools to think deeply and disciple faithfully.
He is the author of Trustworthy: Thirteen Arguments for the Reliability of the New Testament (IVP, 2024), a work already gaining traction among pastors, professors, and serious lay thinkers.
With more than a decade of research alongside world-renowned scholar Dr. Gary Habermas, Ben has contributed to and co-authored over two dozen publications in historical, philosophical, and theological scholarship.
His background is a rare blend of disciplines:
- BS in Marketing

- MA in Religious Studies

- PhD in Theology and Apologetics (Liberty University)

- More than 10 years as an insurance industry vice president

- Black Belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

- Hockey player, official, and lifelong interdisciplinary thinker

Ben teaches at Liberty University and Colorado Christian University, develops apologetics curricula for the Lee Strobel Center, and speaks across churches, conferences, and campuses nationwide.
His conviction is simple and profound:
No discipline is an island — and the Church is strongest when it thinks across them.
Episode Summary
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This conversation confronts one of the deepest anxieties of our age:
Can we still trust anything — including Scripture — in a world where skepticism feels like maturity?
Together, we explore:
- why modern Christians doubt more psychologically than intellectually

- how interdisciplinary apologetics strengthens discipleship

- why historical arguments for the New Testament matter more in 2026 than ever before

- how believers can cultivate a faith that is both emotionally grounded and intellectually unshakable

- the surprising skill overlaps between Jiu Jitsu and spiritual formation

- and how churches can respond to the rising tide of deconstruction with compassion and clarity

This is not merely a defense of faith — it is a vision for Christian confidence in an era of cultural disintegration.
Call to Action
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If this conversation awakens something in you — a desire to articulate your ideas with clarity, to shape your message for the next generation, or to capture your life’s work in a book that strengthens the Church — I would be honored to walk with you.
Inside my exclusive, high-level book-coaching program, I help select authors translate scholarship into storytelling, turn insight into structure, and shape manuscripts that carry weight, beauty, and staying power.
If you're ready to write the book God has placed on your heart — the one that will serve, teach, and endure — my door is open.


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