I first encountered existentialist philosophy in university. Thinkers like Sartre, Kafka and Camus had a big impact on me as they explored the seeming absurdity of existence with an unflinching bravery. Even if I didn’t accept their conclusions, I had to admit that there was an authenticity in their writing that was often absent from the Christianity […]
philosophy
92. God is everywhere: James Gordon on Divine Omnipresence
Christians regularly talk about God’s presence in space, but what do we mean when we use such language? I discuss this issue in the following passage on pages 22-23 of my 2009 book Finding God in the Shack: “if you go to church on a Sunday morning you might hear the pastor address the hushed congregation with the words: […]
Is Jeff Lowder a philosopher?
Several months ago I blocked John Loftus from commenting at my blog and I resolved not to respond any further to his asinine mud slinging. However, I do find the need to respond in this instance, not to Loftus’ attacks on myself, but rather on Jeff Lowder. As you probably know, Lowder has been a […]
God and Moral Obligation: A Review
C. Stephen Evans. God and Moral Obligation. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2013. John Rabe was a German businessman working in Nanjing, China in 1937 when it became clear that the advancing Japanese army was soon to overrun the city. Given the notorious reputation of the Japanese for brutality, the obvious course of action beckoned: flee the war-torn country by retreating […]
Does Neil deGrasse Tyson know the meaning of meaning?
This isn’t the first time I’ve written something critical of Neil deGrasse Tyson, so let me start by saying, I am in the adoring crowds … whenever he talks about science. However, I find my admiration beginning to erode — like a sandcastle in the face of an oncoming wave — whenever he begins to […]
Chicken soup for the motorcycling soul
Last autumn I wrote 90% of an article on motorcycling and theological reflection. I never quite finished the article and so it was slotted into the archives. When I came back to it a few days ago I contemplated a light editing for spring. But after a bit of reflection I decided I didn’t want […]
40. Oliver Crisp on the God of the Philosophers and the God of the Bible
The day was November 23, 1654, when Blaise Pascal, philosopher, mathematician, public intellectual, and one of the great minds of western history, experienced his conversion. He wrote a summary of that conversion which he sewed into the lining of his jacket to keep it ever close to his heart. The account begins: “From about half-past […]
Peter Boghossian’s Manual for Wasting Paper (Part 2)
Before I turn to chapter 1, I need to say something about the bizarre author’s bio on the back cover: Dr. Peter Boghossian is a full-time faculty member in Portland State University’s philosophy department. He was thrown out of the doctoral program in the University of New Mexico’s philosophy department. (emphasis added) Why would somebody […]
Evil and Nate’s Principle
Nate is a philosopher in our midst who comments regularly on the blog. He just wrote a comment in “A Martian’s perspective on the problem of evil” which I’d like to interact with in a couple days. The comment is quite long and elegantly stated. And since threaded comments don’t always get the attention they […]
Wandering in Darkness: A Review
Eleonore Stump. Wandering in Darkness: Narrative and the Problem of Suffering. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2010. There is no greater intellectual and practical objection to Christian faith than the problem of evil. Analytic philosophy offers powerful tools of logical analysis to explain the precise nature of the problem and offer positive solutions. At the same […]
33. Paul Copan on Apologetics
“Always be prepared,” Saint Peter said, “to give a reason for the hope that lies within.” (1 Peter 3:15) Christians refer to the pursuit and articulation of such reasons for faith as apologetics. Given that Peter commended the pursuit of apologetics, you might think that Christians would be enthusiastic about the discipline. But for many the reception is […]
27. Yoram Hazony on the Bible as philosophy
Some years ago I pulled open the nightstand drawer in the room of the hotel in which I was lodging. Inside I found the familiar Gideon’s Bible. With nothing much to do I pulled the book out and opened it up. Upon opening the book I discovered that some previous hotel guest had taken the […]
24. Travis Dumsday on evil and divine hiddenness
If there is any person in the modern age who has embodied saintliness, it was that pillar of faith, Mother Teresa. So it was quite the surprise when, after her death in 1997 her diaries were published and we discovered that this paragon of faith had often struggled with doubt. She wrote: “If there be a […]
A Review of William Alston, “A Sensible Metaphysical Realism”
William Alston, A Sensible Metaphysical Realism. Milwaukee: Marquette University Press, 2001. 65 pages. $15.00. Unfortunately, when it comes to philosophy, common sense almost always takes a backseat to self-confessed Copernican revolutions. As such, William Alston’s 2001 Aquinas Lecture at Marquette University, titled A Sensible Metaphysical Realism, might seem to have the deck stacked against it. But […]
