The Best-Kept Secret on Campus

It’s not on campus. It’s not even in the Professional Building. You have to pretend you’re going to the doctor’s office in order to find it. But there, hidden midst the dentists and opticians in the medical building across from Stater Brothers, you’ll ride the elevator to the third floor and find the Christian Apologetics Program (“Biola’s best-kept secret,” as Vicky MacMillan, a student worker and art major affectionately calls it).

Open the door – which in the long hallway creates a wind tunnel effect that would work great for hair model commercials – and meet Kristen Anderson, the receptionist. Unwrap a Reeses or a Hershey’s Kiss from her candy bowl. Browse two rooms of floor-to-ceiling shelves stocked with lectures and debates and films and books by William Lane Craig, Lee Strobel, Dallas Willard, Ben Stein, Os Guinness and others. Poke your head in the doorways along the hall and say hello to the staff and student workers. Step into the kitchen to fill a paper cup with cold Culligan water, then prepare to meet the boss.

Don’t worry. The boss likes people. He’ll smile, give you a firm handshake, and cordially welcome you into his corner office (with an awesome view of the San Bernadino mountains). He’ll chat with you about classes, dorm life, politics, Bible-stumper questions, and even the weather if you’re afraid to talk about anything else. He’ll tell a legit joke or two. But he won’t stop there. He’ll pry – just a bit – to see how your life with Christ is developing and then he’ll give you a tip on evidence for the resurrection of Jesus.

Ask him about who’s the best on any apologetics topic, and he’ll refer you to a Biola or Talbot prof like J.P. Moreland, John Mark Reynolds, Doug Geivett, Dave Horner, John Bloom, Gary DeWeese, Fred Sanders or Walt Russell. “We’ve got some geniuses on this campus,” he says. Those geniuses headline at major events sponsored by the apologetics department, debating atheists like Peter Singer and Christopher Hitchens, or addressing topics like “Archaeological Evidence for Scripture” and “Goodness, Truth and Beauty from Dante to Harry Potter” and “Intelligent Design and the Nature of Science.”

Yet the incredibly humble guy behind it all is Dr. Craig Hazen, founder and director of the M.A. Program in Christian Apologetics here at Biola – and he is a genius himself. Hazen speaks at college campuses, in churches and at the White House. He lectures internationally about comparative religion, the certainty of Scripture, the reasonableness of Christianity and more. He edits the renowned scholarly journal Philosophia Christi which mails to 1700 first-rank philosophers from North America, in the UK, France and Germany. He is author of numerous articles and books including The Village Enlightenment in America and the novel The Five Crossings.

Hundreds have earned their certificate or M.A. through Hazen’s brainchild apologetics program. Thousands have grown in faith or found faith through his flagship apologetics events. About a dozen call him “boss” (Christy Giannestres calls Hazen “the best boss ever”) and help him pull off this amazing work. They talk around the water cooler and they all agree: Biola’s best family – and best secret – is Apologetics.

An interview with the Apologetics staff:

What is your favorite thing about working in the Christian Apologetics Department?

“The first-hand experience of seeing God change people's lives. Our awesome staff and faculty....And my space heater.” Abigail Schilling, Events & Media Associate

“Having the opportunity to bring world-class thinkers to campus for events that have a Kingdom impact on how people see the world.” Jimmy Prehn, Program Administrator
What is your funniest memory?*

“Clay Jones discovering that his bathroom key also opened the door to the roof of the Bright Medical Building.” Joe Gorra, Academic Research Manager

“A photo of atheist/Darwinian naturalist Michael Ruse dressing up as a Catholic priest for Halloween.” Jimmy Prehn

“One of our student workers creating the ‘Apologet-Bot’ and walking around the office spitting out Defending the Faith CD's from his output slot.” Christy Giannestras, Academic Advisor

If you could take only one of our speakers or one of our lecture recordings with you to an island, which or whom would you choose...and why?

“Anything from Dallas Willard. His pastorally soothing and grandfatherly voice (almost like Garrison Keillor) is restful to me. Rum, Willard, and an Island – pretty darn good.” Joe Gorra

“John Mark Reynolds, because he is a good friend, he tries never to give the same talk twice, and he would try to seek the good, true, and beautiful things out of our situation.” Jimmy Prehn

“Craig Hazen: He knows a lot of random stuff so he'd be useful, plus I've heard all his jokes a million times and they still make me laugh.” Abigail Schilling

What's the weirdest apologetics question you've been asked?

“Whether it was really possible for Noah and his family to scoop the poop of all those animals on the ark for the year that they were closed up in it.” Jimmy Prehn

“I get asked ‘Why bother with apologetics?’ a lot which seems weird to me. Why bother studying God's word? Why bother defending it? Why bother dialoguing with other faiths and belief systems? Why bother doing anything else?!?” Abigail Schilling

If you had to leave the office tomorrow and never return, what would you miss the most? And what would you be happy to leave behind?

“I would miss our zany office dynamics, our epic excursions to the La Mirada/Imperial Starbucks, and interacting with our students. I would not miss begging students to register on time, textbook requisitions, and grade change forms. ” Christy Giannestres

“My erratically screaming monkey (a stuffed animal), although helpful therapy when dealing with my rage against the machine, often more of an unnecessary attachment (think Linus' blanket) than not.” Joe Gorra