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Randal Rauser

Home of progressively evangelical, generously orthodox, rigorously analytic, revolutionary Christian thinking (that's what I'm aiming for anyway)

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philosophy

92. God is everywhere: James Gordon on Divine Omnipresence

April 22, 2016 by Randal

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: […]

Filed Under: Podcast-The Tentative Apologist, The Tentative Apologist Tagged With: Analytic theology, classical theism, interview, James Gordon, omnipresence, philosophy, systematic theology

Is Jeff Lowder a philosopher?

August 23, 2015 by Randal

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 […]

Filed Under: The Tentative Apologist Tagged With: Jeff Lowder, John Loftus, philosopher, philosophy

God and Moral Obligation: A Review

June 24, 2015 by Randal

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 […]

Filed Under: The Tentative Apologist Tagged With: C. Stephen Evans, ethics, God, God and Moral Obligation, metaethics, morality, philosophy, review

Does Neil deGrasse Tyson know the meaning of meaning?

January 20, 2015 by Randal

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 […]

Filed Under: The Tentative Apologist Tagged With: meaning, Neil deGrasse Tyson, philosophy

Chicken soup for the motorcycling soul

May 1, 2014 by Randal

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 […]

Filed Under: The Tentative Apologist Tagged With: motorcycle, philosophy, wisdom

40. Oliver Crisp on the God of the Philosophers and the God of the Bible

March 20, 2014 by Randal

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 […]

Filed Under: Podcast, Podcast-The Tentative Apologist, The Tentative Apologist Tagged With: Bible, hermeneutics, Oliver Crisp, philosophy, theology

Peter Boghossian’s Manual for Wasting Paper (Part 2)

February 12, 2014 by Randal

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 […]

Filed Under: The Tentative Apologist Tagged With: A Manual for Creating Atheists, atheism, epistemology, Peter Boghossian, philosophy, review

Evil and Nate’s Principle

January 30, 2014 by Randal

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 […]

Filed Under: The Tentative Apologist Tagged With: atheism, ethics, God, philosophy, problem of evil, providence, utilitarianism

Wandering in Darkness: A Review

January 28, 2014 by Randal

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 […]

Filed Under: The Tentative Apologist Tagged With: apologetics, defense, Eleonore Stump, epistemology, philosophy, problem of evil, review, theodicy, Wandering in Darkness

33. Paul Copan on Apologetics

January 24, 2014 by Randal

“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 […]

Filed Under: Podcast, Podcast-The Tentative Apologist, The Tentative Apologist Tagged With: apologetics, interview, Paul Copan, philosophy, theology

27. Yoram Hazony on the Bible as philosophy

December 10, 2013 by Randal

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 […]

Filed Under: Podcast, Podcast-The Tentative Apologist, The Tentative Apologist Tagged With: Bible, hermeneutics, interpretation, philosophy, reason, revelation, Yoram Hazony

24. Travis Dumsday on evil and divine hiddenness

November 19, 2013 by Randal

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 […]

Filed Under: Podcast, Podcast-The Tentative Apologist, The Tentative Apologist Tagged With: intelligent design, interview, philosophy, philosophy of science, science, Travis Dumsday

A Review of William Alston, “A Sensible Metaphysical Realism”

November 2, 2013 by Randal

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 […]

Filed Under: The Tentative Apologist Tagged With: A Sensible Metaphysical Realism, antirealism, metaphysics, philosophy, realism, review, William Alston

The Philosophy of Hebrew Scripture: A Review

October 12, 2013 by Randal

Yoram Hazony, The Philosophy of Hebrew Scripture. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2012. Yoram Hazony’s book begins with a question: “Is there something crucial missing in our understanding of what the Hebrew Bible is all about?” (ix) His answer, as you might have expected, is yes. But the nature of the answer is something you might not have anticipated. […]

Filed Under: The Tentative Apologist Tagged With: Bible, ethics, Hebrews, Israel, philosophy, reason, revelation, Yoram Hazony

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