"But in your hearts sanctify Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give a defense to everyone who asks you the reason for the hope that is in you. But respond with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who slander you may be put to shame by your good behavior in Christ."
— 1 Pet. 3:15-16
ISCA is the International Society of Christian Apologetics, founded with the following purpose:
“The purpose of the Society is to foster scholarly discussion of ideas among evangelical scholars relevant to the defense of the historic Christian Faith in accordance with the Doctrinal Statement of the Society.”
~ The Bylaws of the International Society of Christian Apologetics
ISCA is a community of Christian scholars, whose research, writing, and speaking is commensurate with evangelical Protestant theology, as expressed in our statement of faith. To that end we hold conferences and publish peer-reviewed articles in our journal. Furthermore, in the process we establish networks among evangelical academicians and trust that our results will strengthen the faith of all Christian believers.
Greetings ISCA Members,
The ISCA Board is pleased to announce our 20th Annual Conference of the International Society of Christian Apologetics. This year's theme, Reforming the Public Square, focuses on the intersection of Christian Apologetics and contemporary political questions and concerns.
Call for Abstract Proposals
ISCA Annual Conference (2026)
Reforming the Public Square
Celebration Baptist Church, Wichita, Kansas
September 10th - 12th
We are currently accepting abstract proposals for our annual conference. Submissions should not exceed 500 words in length. Priority will be given to novel academic research, specifically in the fields of apologetics, theology, philosophy, history, and science. Please note that we want this year's breakout sessions to be applicable to the laity so they can put what they learn into practice.
Here are some areas that would be helpful for the congregation of the host church:
How to talk to skeptics about the Christian faith in a relaxed, hospitable way, and when you are unsure what to say.
How parents and grandparents can talk to their adult children and grandkids about Christ.
How to effectively make your point without quarreling.
Where is God when there is so much evil and suffering?
What to say when people blame Christians for their unbelief.
How to keep Christian discipleship, evangelism, and apologetics about the greatness of God.
How and why to think theologically.
Send all abstracts to Dr. Joshua Pagan at japagan.jisca.ed@gmail.com.
Submission Deadline: August 10th, 2026
Please note that every submission will be reviewed upon receipt, so we can begin working on the conference schedule details.
About Our Keynote Speaker
Louis Markos holds a BA in English and History from Colgate University and an MA and PhD in English from the University of Michigan.
He is a Professor of English and Scholar in Residence at Houston Christian (formerly Houston Baptist) University, where he holds the Robert H. Ray Chair in Humanities. He teaches courses on British Romantic and Victorian Poetry and Prose, the Classics, C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien, Art and Film.
He is the author of thirty published books and two lecture series with the Teaching Company/Great Courses (The Life and Writings of C. S. Lewis; Plato to Postmodernism: Understanding the Essence of Literature and the Role of the Author).
He has published 300 articles and reviews in such journals as Christianity Today, Touchstone, Theology Today, Christian Research Journal, Mythlore, Christian Scholar's Review, Saint Austin Review, American Arts Quarterly, and The City, and has had his modern adaptation of Euripides' Iphigenia in Tauris, Euripides' Helen, and Sophocles' Electra performed off-Broadway.
He is a popular speaker in Houston and has given over 300 public lectures on such topics as C. S. Lewis, apologetics, education, ancient Greece, ancient Rome, and Dante in over two dozen states and in British Columbia, Canada, Oxford, England, and Rome.
He is committed to the concept of the Professor as Public Educator and believes that knowledge must not be walled up in the Academy but must be disseminated to all who have ears to hear.
Have you ever wanted to look over the shoulder of an expert apologist as he has conversations about faith?
Louis Markos, acclaimed author of From Plato to Christ and Passing the Torch, gives you a seat at his table for an international potluck dinner held in his home, where guests from many faith traditions and walks of life engage in spirited discussion about faith, miracles, and the meaning of life.
My Apologetics Dinner Party presents a method of talking about Christian faith that is not based primarily on propositional logic or the defense of truth claims (though these features do show up). Instead, he aims to clarify what Christians actually believe through a winsome and engrossing narrative in the tradition of Socratic dialogue. The conversations in this book are rooted in real-life interactions Professor Markos has had with skeptics, seekers, and adherents of other faiths throughout a lifetime as a professional apologist for Christianity.
In My Apologetics Dinner Party, you will
- get a unique opportunity to look over the shoulder of an expert apologist in action.
- observe a laid-back, conversational approach to evangelism built upon hospitality and designed for life in a modern, pluralistic society.
- see an example of how to engage in conversational apologetics among people of diverse cultural, educational, and religious backgrounds.
- hear dialogues, rather than debates, as creative narrative in the Socratic tradition.
