Most of our apologetic energies in recent decades have focused on talking to the materialist-secular mind.
For example, we have all the fine work by Dr Paul Barnett and Dr John Dickson looking at the historical credibility of the gospels' presentation of Jesus.
The most recent effort is the Anglican Media/CPX produced Life of Jesus screened on Good Friday.
But as I reported in my previous column most Australians are believers in the supernatural.
Aussies already believe that Jesus rose from the dead and had miraculous healing powers.
Belief in ghosts
So in this light I was fascinated to come across new research reported by Ruth Gledhill in the Times that proves that belief in spiritual forces has exploded over the past 60 years.
Research by Theos, a theology think-tank, shows that belief in ghosts has grown fourfold in the life span of the Boomer generation.
Research by Gallup in 1950 found that just one in ten Britons believed in ghosts, and a mere two percent thought they had seen one. Today, 40 percent of Britons believe in them.
Likewise in 1951, fewer than one in ten said they believed in predicting the future by cards or stars. Today, 20 percent of Britons believe in astrology.
Paul Woolley, the director of Theos, told the Times: “The enlightenment optimism in the ability of science and reason to explain everything ended decades ago. The extent of belief will probably surprise people, but the finding is consistent with other research we have undertaken."
The Bible's guide to Spiritual warfare
Given this trend, it seems wise to be engaging more thoughtfully with the actual beliefs of the masses.
Spiritual warfare and the impact of deliverance ministries are also hot issues in internally within Sydney Anglican circles at present.
The Dean of Sydney, Phillip Jensen, will be leading a conference to address these issues at St Andrew’s Cathedral on June 8, the Queen's Birthday long weekend.
Likewise we will be talking about battling the spirit world in the upcoming edition of Southern Cross.
Below is a taste of a much longer interview with Dr Peter Bolt from Moore Theological College, who is editor of a new book on this topic called Christ's Victory over Evil.
In this grab, Dr Bolt is answering my question on exorcisms.
Given the spiritual realities of the 'other side', what should ministers do if they are asked to conduct an exorcism?
