Published on April 24, 2025 by Neal Embry  
ApologeticsLaunch

Samford University’s Beeson Divinity School is pleased to announce it will offer a concentration in apologetics beginning in January 2026.

The approach to apologetics in this concentration is intended to go deeper than “mere arguments,” said Joshua Chatraw, Beeson’s Billy Graham Chair of Evangelism and Cultural Engagement. “Apologetics is no longer a niche ministry that can be left to a few ‘experts.’ We find ourselves in confusing and quickly changing times. What was once assumed must now be defended. In teaching, discipleship, evangelism and counseling, ministers need to be prepared to commend the goodness, beauty, and truth of the gospel. This calls for a mature apologetic--theologically robust, historically aware, philosophically astute and pastorally sensitive.”

The concentration will be available for Master of Divinity and Master of Arts in Theological Studies students. Students will take courses focusing on the theology and practice of evangelism, the history, practice and issues surrounding Christian apologetics, cultural apologetics and more.

Beeson is pleased to offer the concentration with support from the Timothy Keller Center for Cultural Apologetics. Many courses and co-curricular events will feature fellows from the Keller Center, including Chatraw and Collin Hansen, the center’s executive director. The center will also assist Beeson in promoting the concentration.

 
Samford is a leading Christian university offering undergraduate programs grounded in the liberal arts with an array of nationally recognized graduate and professional schools. Founded in 1841, Samford is the 87th-oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. Samford enrolls 6,101 students from 45 states, Puerto Rico and 16 countries in its 10 academic schools: arts, arts and sciences, business, divinity, education, health professions, law, nursing, pharmacy and public health. Samford fields 17 athletic teams that compete in the tradition-rich Southern Conference and ranks with the second highest score in the nation for its 98% Graduation Success Rate among all NCAA Division I schools.