Clete Hux: The Harry Potter Phenomena: How Much Occult & New Age is Okay for a Child's Consumption?

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MP3 Available Here

Clete Hux, Counter-Cult Apologist for the Apologetics Resource Center (see http://www.arcapologetics.org/ ), will address: "The Harry Potter Phenomena: How Much Occult & New Age is Okay for a Child's Consumption?"

Tonight Clete will compare and contrast popular works of fantasy such as the "Harry Potter" series with the classics works of C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien, and why the former should be viewed as unacceptable in a Christian home while the latter should be welcomed.

The Apologetics Resource Center (ARC), is a Christian ministry which encompasses the full range of Christian Apologetics. "Apologetics" means to give an answer or defense for the historic Christian faith. Thus ARC's mission is "to reach the minds and hearts of people with the message and truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ," contending for the faith in the areas of resistance of skepticism, secularism, cults and other alien religions and philosophies.

As ARC's Counter-Cult Apologist, Clete heads up the ministry's answer to cults and new religious movements. He works with churches and individuals in providing a defense for a witness to the mission field of the cults, which has become the largest yet least evangelized mission field in the world.

Clete's interest in Christian apologetics and ministry to the cults began with his first witnessing opportunity. The day after he became a Christian in 1974, he encountered a homosexual member of the Church of Satan. Since then his interest in separating spiritual truth from error has motivated him to educate and evangelize.

He graduated from Mississippi College in 1974 with a BS in General Business. Clete was a college athlete, playing football at both Copiah-Lincoln Junior College and Mississippi College. He was listed in Who's Who Among Collegiate Athletes in America during 1970-1972.

After graduating, Clete worked as a claims representative in the insurance industry. During this time, he sensed the Lord's calling him to ministry. He responded by entering Birmingham Theological Seminary (BTS) in the fall of 1977. In 1981, Clete entered full time ministry serving as Assistant Pastor at First Presbyterian Church in Gadsden, AL. From 1982 to 1984, he served as Student Supply Pastor, Associate Pastor, and as a Church Planter for Warrior (AL) Presbytery.

Clete graduated from BTS in 1984 with a Master of Divinity degree, and was ordained as Pastor in the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA). He served as Senior Pastor for First Presbyterian Church in Eutaw, AL, and Roebuck Presbyterian Church in Roebuck, SC. From 1990 to February 2001, he served in counter-cult ministry with Watchman Fellowship, first as a Staff Missionary, then as Associate Director for the state of Alabama, and finally as Director of Missions. Clete remains a Teaching Elder in the PCA, and is a member of Evangel Presbytery.

In 1982, Clete married the former Karen Stemple. They have two sons; Michael, born in 1984 and Aaron, born in 1988. Clete and his family are active members of Briarwood Presbyterian Church.

Some of Clete's accomplishments in the area of cult apologetics include:

*Guest lecturer at over 900 churches throughout the US and beyond.

*Author of numerous articles about cults and new religious trends; has appeared as an expert commentator for print, radio, television, and internet media, locally, nationally, and internationally.

*Participated on a training team for pastors and key lay ministers in a National Cult Awareness Crusade in Romania, where he also made presentations on the New Age Movement for Romanian National Television, and the cults for Europe-wide broadcasting through Trans-World Radio.

*Has taught Apologetics/Cult Apologetics at Reformed Theological Seminary, Birmingham Theological Seminary, and Westminister Theological Colleges in Perth and Brisbane, Australia. He is a member of the faculty at Birmingham Theological Seminary where he has also taught classes in Old Testament Survey, Systematic Theology, Contemporary Theology, World Religions, and Church Growth. Clete has also taught courses in Systematic Theology at Birmingham Baptist Bible College.

*Guest lecturer for such institutions and ministries as: Beeson Divinity School, Wesley College, Youth With A Mission (YWAM) School of Evangelism, Emanuel College in Queensland, Australia, Campus Crusade for Christ, Inter-Varsity, Reformed University Fellowship, Campus Outreach Ministries, Navigator, and a campus ministry at University of Queensland, Australia

*Seminar presenter on New Age in Public Education at Beverly LaHaye's Concerned Women for America, National Convention in Washington, DC and speaker at Community Bible Study's Regional Leadership Conference.

*Panel speaker on the Word-Faith Movement at the Philadelphia Conference on Cults, the Occult and the Word-Faith Movement sponsored by Evangelical Ministries to New Religions (EMNR), Calvary Chapel of Philadelphia, and Eastern Christian Outreach. He is considered an expert on the Word-Faith Movement and continues to lead workshops at annual EMNR conferences.

*A regular seminar leader at Norman Geisler's National Apologetics Conference on Cults and Other Religions at Southern Evangelical Seminary in Charlotte, North Carolina as well as The Saint Louis Conference on Biblical Discernment.
Contact Clete Hux