A Renewed Call to Cruciform Apologetics

By: Leo Percer, Ph.D. | October 5, 2025

The word “apologetics” often makes people think of debates, arguments, or clever defenses of Christianity against skeptics. At its root, apologetics means “giving a reasoned defense” of the hope that is in us (1 Peter 3:15). In every generation, Christians have sought to explain and commend the faith to their neighbors, whether through philosophical reasoning, historical evidence, or moral witness. “Giving a reasoned defense” took center stage when I taught a Bible study on 1 Peter 3:13-17. The class wanted to learn how to live the Christian faith in an inhospitable environment. Peter envisioned witnessing and defending the faith as something that is done while the Christian endures unmerited hardship or suffering. The main idea was that “giving a reasoned defense” made sense when Christians were responding with humility and grace to their communities (and especially to those who caused the hardship). This is a foundation for “cruciform apologetics,” and this essay issues a renewed call for Christians to embrace it today. To accomplish this, this essay offers: an overview of “cruciform apologetics”; a discussion of what it entails; practical suggestions for how to do it; and an overview of its necessity.

What is Cruciform Apologetics?

“Cruciform” living is not new. Michael Gorman discusses it extensively in his books and teaching.[1] Cruciformity is the experience of being shaped by the crucified and resurrected Christ, resulting in a life of self-giving love and obedience to God. Conformity to Jesus results in humble service and love to others, even if that leads to suffering for doing good. Jesus’ resurrection offers hope that God will accomplish his ongoing purposes through such humble service. God’s power and holiness are exhibited through humility and a cruciform life that will result in vindication by final resurrection (cf. Philippians 2:5-8; 3:7-11). Josh Chatraw and Mark Allen applied the idea of cruciform Christian living to apologetics.[2] Cruciform apologetics places the cross of Christ and the gospel at the absolute center of its methodology and practice. It emphasizes modeling a cruciform life—one characterized by humility, self-sacrifice, love, and conformity to Christ's pattern of death and resurrection—as a foundational part of engaging with and sharing the faith. Instead of relying solely on intellectual arguments or philosophical proofs, this approach centers the appeal of Christianity on Christ’s atoning work and seeks to model a life of self-giving love in the apologetic interaction. The goal is not to win an argument but to win hearts and to gain an audience for Christians to share the hope of Christ.[3]

Cruciform apologetics start with a posture of humility and service. Remember, Christians are bearing witness to the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. His humility, death, and resurrection provide the central revelation of God’s love, power, and holiness (1 Corinthians 1:18–25). Humility requires Christians to listen carefully before speaking, to honor the dignity of others, and to admit the limits of human understanding. Of course, some may see this as a weakness, but God’s power is revealed in weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9). Instead of overwhelming others with arguments, trust that the Spirit works through the apparent weakness of testimony, love, and service. Cruciform apologetics focuses on presence and service instead of “winning.” Sometimes traditional apologetics utilizes combat metaphors—“defeating objections,” “winning the debate,” “scoring points.” Cruciform apologetics changes the metaphor. The goal is not victory over others but love for and service to them. Cruciform apologetics emphasizes embodied witness—the gospel’s credibility revealed in the living Christian community. When Christians represent forgiveness, generosity, and justice, the plausibility of the gospel shines more brightly than through arguments alone. Instead of trying to prove others wrong, cruciform apologetics tries to bring them closer to the truth in Jesus.

Cruciform Apologetics Imitates Jesus

How does cruciform apologetics look? The primary focus is Jesus. Since the center of this approach is the good news God has given in Jesus, making his reputation great is the goal. Then, invite trust with others. Apologetics should not simply focus on truth claims but also on trust. In a world of competing narratives, people often ask: “Can I trust this person? Can I trust this community? Can I trust God?” Cruciform apologetics builds trust through honesty, vulnerability, and consistency between words and actions. When people see Christians willing to admit doubt, confess sin, and serve sacrificially, they may begin to see the gospel as trustworthy. Such actions may remove obstacles to belief. When Christians acknowledge past wrongs—whether personal failures or corporate sins—they embody a cross-shaped pattern of confession and forgiveness. This honesty can remove powerful barriers to faith. The goal is the hope of Jesus embodied in every person. The cross is not the end of the story—it leads to resurrection. By enduring hardship with grace, Christians demonstrate that suffering is not ultimate and that love is stronger than death.

Cruciform apologetics requires Christians to engage others in ways that may seem countercultural. To be effective witnesses, practice humility in listening. Listening disarms suspicion and creates opportunities to understand objections. When people feel heard—especially those who have been hurt by the church—trust grows. Resist the temptation to shout louder than others, or (even worse) to shout down the viewpoints of others. Christians must speak truth with gentleness and clarity, while demonstrating love even toward those who disagree. This requires us to be present among those we hope to convince. Being present in places of need embodies the gospel’s priorities and undermines caricatures of Christianity as selfish or merely doctrinal. The credibility gap is narrowed when our Christian lives cohere with our Christian message. Avoid polemic for its own sake, employ questions that foster reflection, and offer reasons without demanding immediate assent. Listen more and speak less, and share personal stories of how Christ is met in weakness. Testimony about transformed lives—especially where change is costly and sustained—speaks to both reason and imagination. Stories of repentance, reconciliation, and endurance under suffering carry weight that abstract proofs cannot. Finally, recognize that such a stand may come at a price. Our presence and stories will sometimes attract opposition—or worse. Cruciform apologetics prepares believers to endure opposition with faithfulness, to bear slander patiently, and to see persecution as participation in Christ’s witness rather than a sign of failure. In other words, the practice of cruciform apologetics helps us to conform to the image of Christ.

Developing Cruciform Apologetics

What preparation is needed? First, Christians must develop cruciform character—they must grow into the image of Christ. That formation happens in worship, discipleship, and practices that cultivate patience, forgiveness, repentance, and service. Apologetics that spring from such formation will sound different—avoiding gloating, acknowledging limits and ambiguities, and being ready to confess error. Second, Christians must be “in” the world: living among neighbors, befriending the marginalized, and bearing others’ burdens. This builds moral authority and opens spaces for testimony that arguments rarely open. Third, cruciform apologetics requires intellectual seriousness: it engages reason, history, and evidence wisely and winsomely—but always with a humility that recognizes human fallibility and the priority of love. To approach apologetics and witness in this way requires Christians to go out and engage the world with the message of hope, love, and truth offered by Jesus. The church must develop disciples who faithfully testify to their crucified and risen Savior, regardless of the risk.

Necessity of Cruciform Apologetics

Why is cruciform apologetics important? Scandals, partisanship, and hypocrisy erode the credibility of religious institutions. The deep cultural demand for integrity requires lives that model humility and service. Public life is polarized and often performative; people expect debate to be a contest to be won or lost instead of a conversation seeking truth together. People expect a monologue instead of dialogue. A position of vulnerability and neighborliness opens relational space for genuine conversation. Contemporary pluralism makes simple appeals to authority less effective; many are skeptical of institutions and are more likely to be moved by coherent lived examples over arguments or propositions. The cruciform approach situates apologetic claims inside a community whose embodied practices supply a persuasive context. A cruciform apologetic that shows how the gospel works for the poor, the immigrant, the marginalized, and the lonely gains ethical plausibility: it is harder to dismiss claims about God’s love when you see that love enacted sacrificially. Finally, the digital age amplifies rhetoric, fragments attention, and is detrimental to authenticity by encouraging an almost anonymous interaction. People today crave authenticity. They are quick to detect hypocrisy or hidden agendas. This makes cruciform apologetics essential, because it refuses to mask weakness. Christians who admit struggles, confess doubts, and live transparently display a kind of authenticity that resonates deeply with others. The authority of the cross decisively defeats the pretentious power of prestige and position.

Conclusion

The present age worships prestige, position, and power, but the kingdom of heaven esteems humility, service, and selfless living. In an age marred by self-promotion and competitive covetousness, Christians should exemplify humility and service. Do not merely prove the faith—live it. Let the cross shape not only the content of our claims but also how we present them. When Christians speak with humility, listen without haste, and serve without counting the cost, their words carry the aroma of life. In that fragile, costly congruence—where theology is practiced and argument is held in the embrace of love—cruciform apologetics offers a fresh and urgent way of witnessing Christ today. To make Jesus known, we must embrace the way Jesus did things. We must conform to him. Will we embrace cruciform apologetics?

About the Author

Leo Percer grew up in Millington, Tennessee, northeast of Memphis, when he first received his call to teaching ministry. He has been involved in numerous ministerial activities, including serving as an elder at Forest Community Church in Forest, Virginia. Dr. Leo Percer graduated with a Ph.D. from Baylor University, an M.A. from Western Kentucky University, and M.Div. from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, and a B.A. from Union University.

After graduating with his Ph.D., Dr. Percer has taught at Baylor University, McLennan Community College, and Liberty University, where he served as the Director of the Ph.D. in Theology and Apologetics program for years. His area of expertise is in Second Temple Judaism, the Epistles of Paul, and apocalyptic literature. Dr. Percer is an active member of the Evangelical Theological Society, the Society of Biblical Literature, and is on the board of directors at Ratio Christi. Dr. Percer resides in Lynchburg, VA with his wonderful wife, Lisa, and two children. He loves reading, collecting comic books, and is a coffee connoisseur.

Notes

[1] Michael J. Gorman, Cruciformity: Paul’s Narrative Spirituality of the Cross, 20th Anniversary Edition, Eerdmans, 2021; Gorman, Apostle of the Crucified Lord: A Theological Introduction to Paul and His Letters, second edition, Eerdmans, 2016; Gorman, Reading Revelation Responsibly: Uncivil Worship and Witness: Following the Lamb into the New Creation, Cascade Books, 2010.

[2] Josh D. Chatraw and Mark D. Allen, Apologetics at the Cross: An Introduction for Christian Witness, Zondervan Academic, 2018.

[3] Please note, the summaries here are mine and do not necessarily represent an exhaustive treatment of the ideas of Gorman or of Chatraw and Allen. For more information on how they apply this practically, see the books listed above.