Ever thought about hosting an evangelistic event that brings different worldviews into dialogue? Here, Zachary Ardern draws on many years of experience in university ministry to share his top tips for hosting a discussion, debate or dialogue.
Contrast, if not the unique mother of clarity, is at least part of the same family. But how often do you hear the Christian view of the world rigorously compared with another view, in a way which is fair to both? This does not occur as often as I would like, which is why I am an advocate of public dialogues, discussions, and debates between those who have different views of the ultimate shape of the world. I’ll call these “dialogue events” as they put worldviews in dialogue for the sake of clarity about what the Christian faith means for a particular topic, and/or what reasons there are to take Christian faith seriously in the university.
When thinking about potential outreach events for your Christian Union, here are some advantages of debates and similar dialogue events which are worth considering:
- More people will probably come to a debate or discussion than to a talk by a Christian guest speaker. Experience suggests you can expect two to three times more people at such events.
- The audience are often very engaged in a debate context, where the back and forth of discussion is intrinsically compelling.
- A discussion between worldviews provides an opportunity to connect with others on campus. Perhaps a well-known sceptical lecturer, a department (e.g. Philosophy or Religious Studies) or another student group (e.g. an Islamic Society or Philosophy Club).
- Students do come to Christian faith through such events - particularly when they are paired with some kind of suitable follow up.
Planning your event
This is all very well, but how to actually hold such an event on your campus? It’s not likely that famous Christian apologists who do this full time like John Lennox or William Lane Craig will just happen to be in the neighbourhood when you want them - and even if they were, how to get students to come? And would they be the best fit for your university context? Perhaps the idea of a formal debate doesn’t sit well with you, but you’re interested in a dialogue between lecturers who hold different views - either is fine with me!
Elsewhere I’ve summarised what I consider the core components of a successful outreach event with the corny acronym “CARE CAFE”. In my experience a good event will have at least most of these facets covered:
Credible speaker
Accessible location
Relaxed atmosphere
Engaging topic
Clear follow up
Advertising well in advance
Food, and a small team of
Event organisers.
I won’t repeat that content here - instead I’ll consider what is special about a debate or a dialogue.
Sourcing your speakers
The most difficult part of organising a dialogue event is finding the right speakers, and - equally important - the moderator. Relatively few people are prepared to speak in this way. The speakers should both be credible proponents of the view they are advocating, and should be briefed on what you are expecting.
I would suggest considering university lecturers - perhaps recently retired - with more time on their hands! The moderator should be experienced with similar events and confident enough to bring leadership to the discussion, to keep the dialogue moving forward, while also professional enough to be neutral between the speakers and not favour one. Of course, it’s also possible to run an event with student speakers.
Again, the speakers need to be sensibly matched. If one speaker is a philosophy postgraduate student, it’s not fair to have another view represented by a first year undergraduate in a different subject. If the topic is reasons for and against belief, usually philosophers have thought more about it.
I would also recommend choosing a topic which goes “with the grain” of concerns and interests in your department, rather than one which sets the Christian speaker(s) up against the mainstream view - no need to make their task even harder than it is.
Perfecting the practicalities
Because a debate or dialogue is likely to be a larger event than a talk, a large room will be useful. Less important is providing food. While it’s nice to have something to nibble on or drink after such an event and this can promote discussion afterwards, it is likely that people will come regardless!
Regarding speakers, asking people to speak in this way is a significant request so you should consider whether they can be paid in some way. There are lots of details that could be discussed, but event logistics - though rarely done perfectly - are fairly straightforward and should largely be common sense.
The aspect that is most often neglected is organising suitable follow-up opportunities, where people who realise (perhaps unexpectedly!) that they’re interested in the topic will have an opportunity to find out more. You could consider advertising a follow-up discussion, or a talk on a related topic hosted by the CU. Most effective however will be CU members engaging well with those who come, including their friends, and arranging to discuss it further. Having resources available - ideally for free - is always a good idea - such as “Uncover” gospels and short apologetic books e.g. by Dr. Rebecca McLaughlin.
Resources to help you
- My summary of the CARE CAFE outreach event principles: https://www.postgradinitiative.org/poititt
- The Veritas Forum are in my view the leaders in this area. Watching a few of their most popular forums will teach a lot about what a good academic dialogue looks like: https://www.veritas.org/ One of their most appealing aspects is that they allow the speakers to be very authentic and open about things they’re working through - which can be different to a formal debate.
- This debate titled 'Does Science Point to Atheism?' might be a good place to start:
Does Science Point To Atheism? | Satyan Devadoss & Conor Mayo-Wilson (Transcript) | The Veritas Forum | The Veritas Forum | OpenTheo - Dr. Rebecca McLaughlin used to work for the Veritas Forum and has written multiple helpful books, including small ones which are good to give away.
https://www.rebeccamclaughlin.org/ - Justin Brierley is a very experienced moderator (a difficult job to do well!), and listening to some of the discussions he has hosted will show some aspects of good discussion - https://justinbrierley.com/
- For a historical perspective on debates I recommend “Crisis of Doubt” - a collection of biographical chapters on leading atheists and free thinkers in the 19th Century who became Christians through the process of public discussions. This might be a bit ‘niche’ but if you’re interested in history or apologetics, I recommend finding a copy - https://global.oup.com/academic/product/crisis-of-doubt-9780199544035
I hope this overview has helped you consider hosting a dialogue event, and that more public discussions of Christian truth claims will happen on our university campuses in order that Jesus, who is the way, the truth, and the life, will be glorified in the places where we are privileged to work and study.
Enjoyed this content? You might like these other resources on a similar topic:
