Philosophical Foundations for a Christian Worldview

by William Lane Craig and J.P. Moreland

Book Overview

Winner of a 2004 ECPA Gold Medallion AwardWinner of an Award of Excellence in the 2003 Chicago Book ClinicWhat is real?What is truth? What can we know? What should we believe? What should we do and... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0830826947
• ISBN13: 9780830826940
• Release Date: April 2003
• Publisher: InterVarsity Press
• Length: 653 Pages
• Weight: 3.50 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.9" x 7.2" x 10.3"

Customer Reviews

Six stars, a one of a kind masterpiece

This book is an excellent introduction to philosophy from a Christian perspective by two of the world's leading evangelical philosophers. This textbook covers everything from epistemology to metaphysics to philosophy of science to ethics to philosophy of religion. Craig and Moreland divide it up according to their specialties: Craig does most of the epistemology and philosophy of religion (and philosophy of space/time), while Moreland writes about metaphysics and philosophy of science. The book is written for those with no expereince in the field, though by no means is it a light fireside books. This comprehensive and thorough book acts partly as an introduction to philosophy and partly as an apologetic for the Christian worldview (this is evident in the chapters on God's existence, the coherence of theism, and substance dualism). Keywords are bolded, and each chapter has a useful summary at the end. There is also a helpful bibliography for further, more in depth, reading. If I was forced to say anything less than bubbly about it, I would say that at times, Craig and Moreland act like their specific view (for Moreland, substance dualism, for Craig, Molinism and God's omnitemporality) are the Christian view, when, in fact, there is dissent among Christian thinkers. Even though I agree with Craig and Moreland, I still think they should have been more up front about that. (Though, in all fairness, Moreland does make that point in his chapter on free will.) However, this is fairly minor and does not prevent the book from getting an A+ from me. If you can only have one book on Christian philosophy, this is definitely the one to get.

Extremely Difficult and Totally Worth Your Time!

To begin I must comment that before entering college I studied no logic of any kind whatsoever. I tend to be a rather emotional person and had this feeling like I was destined to be that way forever. Enter Dr. Rapinchuk...my first religion professor, who everyone tends to refer to as a "brain." He challenged every presupposition I had ever had about my Christianity and forced me to look for more than just feeling reasons for my belief in God. This semester myself and one of my best friends are using this book as the main text in an independent study apologetics class that Rapinchuk is directing for us. I have only one word to describe this book... unbelievable... in more ways than one. Beginning this book was unblievably hard. I have had one intro level philosophy class and I was glad for that. There are a lot of new and confusing terms in this book. If you learn the terms, the book gets much easier as you go along, so that after you are about 6 chapters in you may finally be able to say, "That was an easy chapter." Reading this book is of unbelievable worth. Moreland and Craig are positively amazing apologists. They understand their subject matter and do a fantastic job of explaining it. Every issue that they address is extremely well covered. They bring up an amazing number of arguments against their points and then show how they can be defeated, creating amazingly strong positions. They begin with the basics, so it is important not to dive into this book in the middle. However, we read the first 7 chapters for class and then have had some specific apologetics questions such as, "Does God Exist?" which is covered later in the book, and I was able to read and understand those chapters having read the basics already. However, the format is logical, and it is best to read the book from beginning to end. I pray that this type of work will become more prevalent and that more schools will require this type of reading. Moreland and Craig are fighting a battle for our minds, a very important battle which we have been losing until now. I think the most important message of this book is that faith and reason are not separate. Reason provides a strong foundation on which to base one's faith in God.

Beginning Students Find it Challenging

I certainly agree with those five-star reviewers about the thoroughness and depth of this volume. It offers up a vigorous defense of a robust Christian worldview, and does so in a way that is unmatched by any single volume of which I am aware. There is much good philosophy here, from its consideration of contemporary issues in epistemology, including the internalist-externalist debate and Plantinga's views on warrant as proper function, to a rare and careful discussion of issues in general ontology, then a careful assessment of alternatives to dualism in its discussion of the mind-body problem, and on to its work in the philosophy of time, God's relation to time, and various concerns in philosophy of religion. But I have found that the majority of even the best undergraduate students find it all but incomprehensible. I suppose one nice thing about this is that it makes me feel needed: they couldn't get through the text without a guide. But I know that many students are simply frustrated, with the result that the hedonic calculus ranks their first encounter with philosophy on roughly the same level as a root canal or a prostate biopsy. Keeping up class morale has become a sisyphusian task. This raises the question: Where is the market for this text? For what level is it intended? It is described as an "introduction," but, from several semesters of use, I do not recommend it for introducing undergraduates, unless, perhaps, they are in an honors track or the like. Nor would I think that the class time of graduate students is well spent in this text, as grads should be ready to head straight for the Kripkes and Kims and Quines. Perhaps it best serves as a ready reference on one's shelves as a primer and/or refresher for those who have been introduced by kinder, gentler means. And it could prove to be a valuable single-volume resource for pastors, theologians and seminarians. (But for this anecdotal caveat: a bright and well-educated theology/biblical studies colleague of mine recently confessed his struggles with it before moving on to something else in disgrace.) A less significant point: Here in my third semester of use, my own copy has physically fallen apart--cracked spine, loose pages. I have not used the book to mash out hamburger patties or to play fetch with my border collie, so I might have expected greater longevity.

A Definitive Introduction

We live in a modern culture that is not interested in the cultivation of the mind. This is true inside the church as well as outside. In "Philosophical Foundations for a Christian Worldview", authors Moreland and Craig, who are among the best in Christian scholars, place all of the fundamental concepts needed to provide a strong foundation for intellectual growth in one volume. The book is primarily written for the Christian but is very accessible for the non-Christian who is interested in the debate.The book begins by laying down a philosophical groundwork concerning concepts such as logic & rationality, epistemological issues such as truth and knowledge, and various important issues in metaphysics. Gradually, as the concepts build, the book covers areas in philosophy of mind, philosophy of science, ethics, concepts of God, arguments for the existence of God, Christian doctrines, etc.This book is a philosophical text and should be treated as such. That is, it should be rigorously studied and not just read. Most people who have not contended with weighty concepts in philosophy and religion may find some sections tedious and difficult to grapple with-hence the need to study. Fear not however, for the book is intended for the beginner and intermediate levels of understanding. Bold face text will alert readers to key definitions and concepts, and the chapters end with summary and list of concepts that should be mastered. Footnotes are placed at the end of book so as to not clutter the text.Philosophical Foundations for a Christian Worldview is an indispensable scholarly work that combines classical apologetics with fundaments philosophical concepts. It is sure to provide a solid platform by which the Christian can conduct his or her intellectual life. It also exemplifies the intellectual rigor that we have come to know in J.P. Moreland and William Lane Craig.Aristotle once said that the unexamined life is not worthy to be lived. With this book, one is well on their way to an examined life. It is high quality indeed

A Compelling Presentation of Christian Philosophy

I highly recommend this outstanding book. Moreland and Craig are two intellectual leaders in a growing movement of Christian philosophers who have offered to both the general public and the academic world sophisticated and compelling arguments for why it is rational, and sometimes obligatory, to embrace the beliefs that are central to the Christian worldview--e.g., the existence of God, the existence of the soul, the reasonableness of miracles, the coherence of the Incarnation, the possibility of theological knowledge, etc. If you have an interest in philosophy and its relationship to the rationality of Christian belief, do yourself a favor and buy this book...