Philosophy: A Christian Introduction
Overview
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.
Key Features
- Provides a comprehensive resource for Christians new to philosophy
- Addresses questions of meaning, purpose, truth, goodness, beauty, justice, and love
- Covers disciplines of epistemology, metaphysics, ethics, and philosophy of religion
Contents
Part 1: Epistemology
- Truth and Knowledge
- Justification and Reformed Epistemology
- Skepticism, Certainty, and Virtue Epistemology
- Faith, Reason, and Modern Science
- Natural Revelation and Natural Theology
Part 2: Metaphysics
- The Nature of Reality
- Properties and Universals
- Particulars
- Freedom and Determinism
- Minds, Bodies, and Human Persons
Part 3: Philosophy of Religion
- The Existence of God
- Evil and the Hiddenness of God
- Divine Interaction: Miracles and Prayer
- The Possibility of Life after Death
Part 4: Ethics
- Metaethics
- Normative Ethics
Top Highlights
“Theological determinism moves not from prior truths about what you do but from either prior divine decrees or divine beliefs about what you do.” (Page 132)
“‘Free will’ is what we call this ability or power to choose our actions, character, and life story.1” (Page 131)
“As a noun, the term ‘faith’ simply refers to what it is that a person believes, or to a set of beliefs that are held by a particular group.” (Page 59)
“Intuitively, an action or choice is free if it is one of a number of alternative possibilities” (Page 134)
“At minimum, minds are entities that facilitate rational processes and process intelligent functions” (Page 147)
Praise for the Print Edition
Dew and Gould’s Philosophy: A Christian Introduction is a stunning success. Thoroughly researched and interacting with the best thinkers on the topics within the book’s purview, Dew and Gould have given us a work that can be trusted in its treatment of these topics. Moreover, the selection of subject matter is excellent for an introductory text. But the real contribution of this book is the clarity and accessibility of its content. This is my first choice for anyone who wants a readable, solid introduction to Christian philosophy.
—J. P. Moreland, distinguished professor of philosophy, Talbot School of Theology, Biola University; author of Scientism and Secularism: Learning to Respond to a Dangerous Ideology
If you’re a Christian student studying philosophy, this is the book you’ve been waiting for. If you’re a professor teaching philosophy in a Christian university, college, or seminary, this is the book you’ll want to assign. Beautifully organized and clearly written, Dew and Gould have produced an informative, inspiring introduction to philosophy that is at once uncompromisingly philosophical and unapologetically Christian.
—Richard Brian Davis, professor and chair of philosophy, Tyndale University
Well informed and up to date, this is a highly accessible introduction to the core ideas and latest developments in epistemology, metaphysics, philosophy of religion, and ethics. Especially valuable is Dew and Gould’s evenhanded treatment of the current controversies on nominalism versus realism, physicalism versus dualism, and naturalism versus theism in metaethics.
—Angus Menuge, professor of philosophy, Concordia University Wisconsin
Product Details
- Title: Philosophy: A Christian Introduction
- Authors: James K. Dew Jr. and Paul M. Gould
- Publisher: Baker
- Publication Date: 2019
- Pages: 304
- Resource Type: Introduction
- Topic: Philosophy
About the Authors
James K. Dew Jr. (PhD, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary; PhD candidate, University of Birmingham) is vice president for undergraduate studies and distance learning, associate professor of philosophy and the history of ideas, and dean of the college at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, North Carolina. He has written or edited several books, including How Do We Know? An Introduction to Epistemology and God and the Problem of Evil: Five Views.
Paul M. Gould (PhD, Purdue University) is the author of Cultural Apologetics: Renewing the Christian Voice, Conscience, and Imagination in a Disenchanted World, the coauthor of Stand Firm: Apologetics and the Brilliance of the Gospel, and the coeditor of Four Views on Christianity and Philosophy and Is Faith in God Reasonable?
