It’s been a tiring but fruitful month or so.
On the one hand, I’ve had some recurring and ongoing health issues, including a Gastroenterinal ‘bug’ of some sort (testing simply ruled out various serious potential causes) that my immune system couldn’t shake, and some lumps on my shoulder that turned out to be cysts, one of which became infected. I was given a course of antibiotics, and while the mystery bug seems to have been taken care of, the latter issue is proving more stubborn. My doctor’s surgery is on the case.
On the other hand, I’ve had some exciting projects on the go…
For example, I’ve now completed the final phase of checking the printing proofs of my new book Stepping Stones to Christianity: Reflections on Intelligent Design, Natural Theology, and the Historical Jesus (Wipf and Stock, 2025).
Stepping Stones to Christianity introduces a rational case for Christianity in three steps, starting with scientific arguments for design in biology and cosmology, moving on to philosophical arguments for the existence of God, and closing with an overview of the evidence for a Christian understanding of the historical Jesus, in the context of competing contemporary worldviews. By bringing together revised and expanded versions of materials written to introduce three of my “Essays on . . .” books with Wipf & Stock, Stepping Stones to Christianity equips readers to consider the case for design in nature, to investigate philosophical arguments for God, and to wrestle with the identity of Jesus.
Dr. Darrell L. Bock, Executive Director of Cultural Engagement and Senior Research Professor of New Testament Studies, Dallas Theological Seminary, has offered the following endorsement:
“Stepping Stones is exactly that, a look at the credibility of Christian claims about Jesus one step at a time in a world that does not know what to do with him. Whether we think about the world we live in, its design, or what we can know about Jesus, the world portrays much uncertainty about who we are, where we came from, and why we are here. This book helps to point us in a solid direction for all those key questions. So read this book and take a step in a most useful direction.”
From September 13th-17th I joined the first phase of the NLA University College UK Study Tour as they stayed at English L’Abri. This year we had 27 participants, which is a new record! Most were students of theology from the Bergen campus of NLA, or of the “Worldviews and Communication” course from the Kristiansand campus, alongside a few adults taking a study break. (The study tour is now a 10 Credit module that can be stand-alone or part of a full semester programme.)
Besides being able to teach about how truth, goodness and beauty help us think about apologetics in a holistic way, I got to teach about the apologetic legacy of Francis Shaeffer, and C. S. Lewis’ first steps away from the materialistic world view he embraced as a young man.
As ever, I enjoyed talking to tour participants one on one or in small groups. Still, the biggest impact on the students is seeing the Christian community at L’Abri in action, so thanks to everyone at the fellowship for their hosting and input.
The tour continued on to Oxford and then London, but I came home to Southampton to visit my GP practice and get an ultrasound scan at the Royal South Hants Hospital.
In preparation for the study tour, NLA invited me to create three videos introducing C.S. Lewis, Francis Shaeffer and John Stott, the three figures at the heart of the study tour programme, together with a short series of videos on the transcendental values of truth, goodness and beauty. I also joined a couple of online zoom meetings with tour participants before they came to England, and gave a short lecture on the objectivity of the transcendentals.
Williams, Peter S. “Introducing the Trancendentals: Exploring Truth, Goodness, and Beauty.” (YouTube Playlist.)
Williams, Peter S. “The Objectivity of Truth, Goodness, and Beauty.” (Podcast).
Williams, Peter S. “Apologetics in 3D: L’Abri 2025.” (Podcast.)
Williams, Peter S. “The Apologetic Legacy of Francis Schaeffer.” (Podcast.)