My Story
Growing up, I wrestled with unsettling feelings of meaninglessness and boredom, driving me to seek answers to life’s big questions. An encounter with Christian philosophy in Mere Christianity by C. S. Lewis led me to examine the New Testament and finally believe that Jesus Christ is the divine Son of God, the Lord and Savior of the world. From then on, I pursued an intellectually satisfying faith.
I began studying Christian philosophy and theology voraciously. I earned an undergraduate degree in philosophy and social science from Concordia University and an MA in theological studies from Talbot School of Theology. For seven years, I worked as senior research consultant and correspondence editor at the Christian Research Institute (CRI) and regularly cohosted call-in radio program, The Bible Answer Man, with Dr. Walter Martin.
Today, as senior research scholar at science-faith think tank Reasons To Believe (RTB), I love using what I’ve learned to help others find the answers to life’s questions. My goal is to encourage believers to develop a logically defensible faith and to challenge skeptics to engage Christianity at a philosophical level.
Writing
7 Truths That Changed the World: explores some of Christianity’s most transformational ideas and offers a biblical, historical, and philosophical look at how the world changed when Christ and his followers came on the scene.
A World of Difference: tests the validity of five major worldviews–Christianity, naturalism, Islam, postmodernism, and the pantheistic monism of Eastern religions.
Without a Doubt: provides clear, solid answers to 20 of the toughest questions about the Christian faith.
Lights in the Sky and Little Green Men: search for truth to answers about extraterrestrial life from a Christian perspective (coauthored with astronomer Dr. Hugh Ross and national security expert Dr. Mark Clark).
Speaking
My weekly podcast, Straight Thinking, is dedicated to encouraging Christians to utilize sound reasoning in their apologetics. Subscription to Straight Thinking is available for free through RTB’s web site, as well as iTunes. You can also hear me and my fellow RTB scholars offer unscripted answers to listener questions on the I Didn’t Know That! podcast.
An avid speaker and debater, I have appeared on numerous radio programs such as Voice America Radio, Newsmakers, The Frank Pastore Show, Stand to Reason, White Horse Inn, Talk New York, and Issues Etc. I’ve also lectured on Christian apologetics and thinking at a number of churches and universities, including:
- Willow Creek Community Church
- Houston Second Baptist Church
- Fullerton Evangelical Free Church
- Christ’s Church of the Valley
- Northshore Christian Church
- Calvary Chapel, Murrieta
- Texas A&M University
- Biola University
- Azusa Pacific University
- Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo
- Regent College
- St. John’s College
- Legana Christian Church, Australia
- Christian Neuroscience Society
If you’re interested in booking me to speak at your event, please contact Ken Hultgren at events@reasons.org or by calling (626) 335-1480 ext. 167, or go to reasons.org/whats-new/events and fill out the online request form. To schedule an interview, please email Kristi at publicity@reasons.org.
Teaching
I currently lecture for the Master of Arts program in Christian Apologetics at Biola University. I also teach adult classes at Christ Reformed Church in Southern California.
My hope is that this blog will help and challenge Christians to think carefully about the implications of their worldview.
-Kenneth Richard Samples
Hi Ken,
Will read your blog with interest. I have put a link to your blog on “Faith Interface” and hope you will consider responding in kind.
Roger Morris
Queensland, Aus.
Pingback: Tweets that mention About | Reflections -- Topsy.com
Hello Ken:
Looking forward to your blogs! Your books have helped me to worship God with my whole mind.
Looking forward to some great content. But I can’t find the RSS feed link. Have your wordpress website administrator add the RSS link widget to your sidebar please.
Notify me of site updates via email…
Can I please post your 100 Academic Commandments on my websites for my students and parents? I will post it as -is with the link back to your site.
I’m seeing far too many smart, talented students falling behind in life and accepting not just mediocrity, but apathy to the point of indolence. And I am not in an “inner city” situation by any means. We have a number of brilliant students, but sitting in the next desk or chair may be a student who never does homework and will accept any grade just above the level of “no one’s yelling at me.”
After 30 years, I can tell you that apathy towards excellence is still a gr0wing trend. (Starting right after 1963, boosted in 1968, 1973 and the 80′s. Brief trends upwards with techno-geek movement.)
Your post below captures a major factor in this apathy:
“In a profound sense we are what we think.
The Christian worldview highly values logic and rationality, which find their source in God. As the only creatures made in the image of God (Genesis 1:26–27), human beings possess superior intellectual faculties. Humans alone read and think. They pursue, discover, and reflect upon the truths of logic, mathematics, science, philosophy, religion, and the arts. Only human beings develop a comprehensive world-and-life view and philosophize about whether their belief systems best match reality.”
Academia abandoned the above in the 19th century, and public schools after
Abington School District v. Schempp. When you remove “reality” from education, of what value is it?
Thank you for your work with RTB! I’ve been with you guys for a long time!
john
Ken,
I am looking forward in hearing you speak at Texas A&M University in a few weeks. I am getting my wife and friends from my church to come to both nights.
Sincerely,
Paul
I really enjoy you podcasts, I have listened to every one of them. Keep up the good work!
HI FROM CARMICHAEL CA. WILLIAM BRANHAM HAD IT ALL. LOOK INTO IT. DON’T MISS IT. FATHER IS NOT A NAME MATT 28 19 JESUS WAS GOD IN THE FLESH SO HIS NAME IS THE NAME ABOVE EVERY NAME. IF JESUS WAS GOD MANIFEST IN THE FLESH THEN HE CANNOT BE ANOTHER PERSON. 1TIM 3 16
Re: Linda
I dated a follower of William Marrion Branham in college. Branham and his followers deny the doctrine of the trinity yet there is plenty of evidence for the trinity in scripture.
How can two be one let alone three? It’s very easy for God, but not so easy for us to understand without help. Something that helped me was a little book called ‘Flatland’ by Edwin A. Abbott published in 1884. You can find a legal and free copy online.
Flatland is the story of a two-dimensional shape thrown into a three-dimensional world. God can be three-in-one easily if we understand the parallel that our existence is restricted to three dimensions of length, width, and height yet God exists beyond these restrictions.
I pray that you come to this truth.
Hi Kenneth,
I have read your books, “A World of Difference” and “Without a Doubt” and I really enjoyed them.
Do you know anything about Ratio Christi? Ratio Christi is a Christian apologetics organization on many college campuses in the United States. I’m thinking about becoming involved with this organization by doing some occasional teaching.
Curt
Pingback: Marvel Comics and Logical Fallacies « Take Two