Alvin Plantinga and Christian Apologetics
Overview
This book draws together the contributions of the philosopher Alvin Plantinga to address the major contemporary challenges to Christian belief, highlighting in particular his ground-breaking work in epistemology and the problem of evil.
Plantinga’s theory that both theistic and Christian belief is warrantedly basic is explored and critiqued, and an assessment offered as to the significance of his work for apologetic theory and practice.
Top Highlights
“Calvin held that a true and saving knowledge of God comes only as a result of the gracious revelation of God in the Scriptures, applied to the hearts and minds of his elect, through the working of the Holy Spirit. Calvin acknowledged that ‘there is within the human mind, and indeed by natural instinct, an awareness of divinity’,28 a sensus divinitatis,29 and that God has ‘revealed himself and daily discloses himself in the whole workmanship of the universe [as a consequence of which] men cannot open their eyes without being compelled to see him’.30 However, he believed that human sin was of such a character that any truth that comes as a result of nature’s witness is suppressed and distorted.” (Page 8)
“Schleiermacher’s theology can be seen as an attempt to circumvent the problems created by Kant’s philosophy for Christian faith. According to Schleiermacher, the essence of religion is not to be sought in dogma or in a commitment to certain propositional truths, but in inward experience, in man’s deepest feelings or intuitions of the divine. This feeling, described by Schleiermacher as the feeling of absolute dependence, is universal to human experience, finding expression in all religions. It is by this feeling that people were convinced of the reality of God, rather than by alleged proofs of his existence.” (Page 14)
“Plantinga has suggested a plausible and promising alternative to classical foundationalism and to the associated internalist theory of justification. However, his replacement theory is decidedly theistic in its assumptions. From Plantinga’s perspective, this is not a weakness. His intention, all along, has been to understand epistemology from a Christian perspective, which he happens to think is true.” (Page 125)
This is an important work on one of the most important philosophers of our time. Keith Mascord has not merely written an excellent account of Alvin Plantinga's philosophy but also shown us how Plantinga has contributed to a much broader field of inquiry than academic philosophy. In addition, in the last three chapters Mascord provides his own critical and original response to Plantinga.
—Peter Forrest, University of New England, Armidale, Australia
- Title: Alvin Plantinga and Christian Apologetics
- Author: Keith A. Mascord
- Publisher: Theological Studies Collection
- Publication Date: 2005
- Pages: 236