Prem is a Christian apologist who grew up across India, Nigeria, and New York City. When his keen interest in science led him to ask questions that his church could not answer, Prem became an agnostic and an evolutionist. He came to Christ in New York while pursuing his undergraduate degree, majoring in Physics and Computer Science, and is currently pursuing an M.A. in Philosophy at the Southern Evangelical Seminary in Matthews, North Carolina. Since 1998, Prem has taught New Testament and lectured on scientific apologetics at churches, college campuses and high schools in the United States and India. He is especially interested the relationship between Christianity and science and the relevance of the Biblical doctrine of Creation to understanding Christianity.
Topics:
At the University/Seminary Level:
- Exposing Scientism. Pop culture and the media have uncritically exalted science to the level of a comprehensive philosophy capable of answering all legitimate questions, and authoritatively dismissing questions it cannot answer as not even worth asking. The purpose of this talk is to show the philosophical bankruptcy of this position. This will be done by critiquing the philosophy of naturalism, and demonstrating that Science actually depends on a body of knowledge which it did not discover.
- Philosophical Issues in Modern Physics. In recent decades, physicists, have assumed the role of philosophers, using their status to opine on the big questions of God, origins, human purpose, and the afterlife. Modern physics has become a tool in the hands of atheists to undergird a materialistic worldview. However, all is not well in the world of physics. Voices from within the scientific community have begun to cry out against the excesses within this discipline. This talk focuses on demonstrating how modern physics has become increasingly plagued by bad philosophy, leading to unverifiable speculations. Topics will include the confusion between metaphysics and epistemic access in Quantum Theory, circular reasoning in Cosmology and Particle Physics, and the confusion between mathematical probability and empirical reality. The implications for theism, i.e. belief in a Transcendent God will be discussed.
At the Church Level:
a. Problems in Biological Evolution. The theory of evolution has been challenged at various points by scientists. Using insights from Stephen J. Gould, Michael Denton, Michael Behe, William Dembski and others, this talk will highlight some of the main challenges to the dogma of biological evolution. Darwin’s comments on the fossil record, the problem of biological information, abiogenesis, and irreducible complexity at the biochemical level will be discussed.
b. Science and the Existence of God. Far from disproving the existence of God, modern science actually furnishes evidence that point to God’s existence. This talk will demonstrate what Romans 1:19,20 asserts, that God and some of His attributes can actually be demonstrated directly from the universe, without appealing to the Scriptures or to subjective experience.
c. The Scientific Accuracy of the Bible. If the Bible is the Word of an omniscient loving God, then it cannot be in error about anything it teaches or implies. This talk demonstrates the scientific accuracy of the claims that the Judaeo-Christian Scriptures make about the material universe. Various passages are compared against the disciplines of Astronomy & Cosmology, Biology, Medical Science, and Geology. Claims made by other world religions, mythologies, superstitions will be mentioned for contrast.
d. Origins and the Inspired Word of God. The framework of Genesis 1-11: Christians are woefully ignorant of the Biblical text pertaining to cosmology and human history. Regardless of how issues of controversy are decided, we must not remain ignorant of the Biblical record itself. This seminar will set forth the main points of the Genesis narrative, to demonstrate importance of the Creation Doctrine, and its relevance for Christian life and witness today. Marriage, abortion, homosexuality, the origin of “races”, death, salvation and resurrection will be examined in the light of Genesis. The viewpoints held by the Lord Jesus and the apostles will be highlighted.
e. Views on the Age of the Earth. This talk will give an overview of Atheistic Evolution, Theistic Evolution, Old Earth Creationism, Young Earth Creationism. These views will be assessed in the light of scientific knowledge as well as orthodoxy. Various assumptions underlying each view will be discussed and exemplars of each will be mentioned.