This third book in a series of successful introductory textbooks by Craig Bartholomew and Michael Goheen builds on their previous projects, The Drama of Scripture and Living at the Crossroads, to offer a comprehensive narrative of philosophical thought from a distinctly Christian perspective. After exploring the interaction among Scripture, worldview, theology, and philosophy, the authors tell the story of philosophy from ancient Greece through postmodern times, positioning the philosophers in their historical contexts and providing Christian critique along the way. The authors emphasize the Reformed philosophical tradition without neglecting other historical trajectories and show how philosophical thought relates to contemporary life.
One of the marks of being a philosopher is participating in debates about what counts as "philosophy." Of particular note in such debates is the question of how to distinguish philosophy from theology. Although a variety of answers to this question have been offered in the history of philosophy, in recent decades, the prominence of Christian philosophy has been heralded by many as a genuine triumph over the problematic narrowness of strong foundationalism, positivism, and scientism. For others, however, it signals that philosophy continues to risk being replaced by confessional theology. Wherever one comes down on such issues, and however one interprets recent trends in philosophy of religion, the idea of Christian philosophy continues to present pressing questions for those working in meta-philosophy, epistemology, metaphysics, hermeneutics, and value theory. In this volume, established scholars representing a variety of cultural traditions, religious perspectives, and philosophical priorities all wrestle with how the idea of Christian philosophy should be understood, appropriated, and engaged in light of where philosophy is and where it is likely to go. The volume includes classical essays that have deeply marked the field and also new essays that explore the relevance of Christian philosophy to issues in disability studies, engaged pedagogy, lived phenomenology, the academic study of religion, and the workings of social power. Rather than offer a unified view that seeks to settle things, the contributors demonstrate that Christian philosophy remains a topic of lively debate. Wherever one comes down on the issues considered here, this volume shows that Christian philosophy is neither merely of historical interest, nor of interest only to Christians, but instead remains a thoroughly philosophical topic worthy of serious consideration and substantive critique. With a Foreword by Nicholas Wolterstorff, Noah Porter Professor Emeritus of Philosophical Theology at Yale University; Senior Research Fellow in the Institute for Advanced Studies in Culture at the University of Virginia; and Honorary Professor of Australian Catholic University.
Believing Philosophy introduces Christians to philosophy and the tools it provides believers, helping them understand, articulate, and defend their faith in an age of unbelief. Philosophy has been a part of Christianity since its earliest days, and theistic philosophy predates Christianity by thousands of years. But Christians today often don't realize or are skeptical of all that philosophy can offer them. In Part 1, author Dolores G. Morris explains why Christians should read and study philosophy. She begins with a historical overview of Christian philosophy from the church fathers to contemporary philosophers and then introduces the basic resources of philosophical reasoning: the role and aim of reason, distinctions between truth and reason and provability, and learning to read like a philosopher. These chapters address three foundational questions: What is philosophy? Why should a Christian study philosophy? How should a Christian study philosophy? In Part 2, Morris introduces students to philosophical arguments and questions relevant to Christians. She presents arguments by three key branches of philosophy: metaphysics, epistemology, and practical philosophy. Building on concepts introduced in Part 1, she explains what philosophical arguments are and how they ought to be evaluated from a philosophical and Christian perspective. The following chapters examine specific questions most pressing for Christians today: The problem of evil Rationality and faith Free will Skeptical theism The moral argument for the existence of God Reformed epistemology Each chapter introduces the problem, explains Christian responses, discusses the strengths and weaknesses of each response, and leaves the final verdict to the reader. Finally, each chapter concludes with a list of recommended further readings.
Why do worldviews matter? What characterizes a Christian worldview? Part of being a thoughtful Christian means being able to understand and express the Christian worldview as well as developing an awareness of the variety of worldviews. Well organized, clearly written, and featuring aids for learning, this is the essential text for either the classroom or for self-study.
Everyone is a philosopher, and how we live reveals what we most deeply believe. If you and God were asked the same question, would you both respond in the same way? Are Christians right to believe what we do? In We Are All Philosophers, John M. Frame takes seven major questions of philosophy and compares the Bible's answers with common philosophical ones: What is everything made of? Do I have free will? Can I know the world? Does God exist? How shall I live? What are my rights? How can I be saved? We Are All Philosophers carries all the marks of John Frame's books: he appeals to Scripture frequently and carefully. He writes elegantly and simply, a byproduct of having mastered the complicated philosophical topics he surveys.
This is the first full-length study of the doctrine of the Trinity from the standpoint of analytic philosophical theology. William Hasker reviews the evidence concerning fourth-century pro-Nicene trinitarianism in the light of recent developments in the scholarship on this period, arguing for particular interpretations of crucial concepts. He then reviews and criticizes recent work on the issue of the divine three-in-oneness, including systematic theologians such as Barth, Rahner, Moltmann, and Zizioulas, and analytic philosophers of religion such as Leftow, van Inwagen, Craig, and Swinburne. In the final part of the book he develops a carefully articulated social doctrine of the Trinity which is coherent, intelligible, and faithful to scripture and tradition.
Two experienced educators offer an up-to-date introduction to philosophy from a Christian perspective that covers the four major areas of philosophical thought: epistemology, metaphysics, philosophy of religion, and ethics. Written from an analytic perspective, the book introduces key concepts and issues within the main areas of philosophical inquiry in a comprehensive yet accessible way, inviting readers on a quest for goodness, truth, and beauty that ultimately points to Jesus as the source of all.
In this volume, an international group of scholars present Bonhoeffer's thought as a model of Christian thinking that can help shape a distinctly religious philosophy. They examine the philosophical influences on Bonhoeffer and explore the new perspectives his work brings to the perennial challenges of faith and reason, philosophy and theology, and the problem of evil. --from publisher's description.
This anthology brings together 59 classic and contemporary readings on the philosophy of religion which stress, in particular, the analytical viewpoint.
Fundamentals are indispensable to acquiring knowledge. They are the steel beams within which the entire paradigm of knowledge is constructed. But did you know that hardly anyone can summarize, in order, the sixteen different ways all things (entities) on earth exist? "What constitutes the unity and diversity of reality?"
