# Best Christian Philosophy Books



## Joseph Scibbe

(I put this here because I am looking for good Christian philosophy books but if the mods want to move it to the book section that is fine)

What are the best available books on philosophy from a Christian perspective?


----------



## Marrow Man

Ronald Nash's _Life's Ultimate Questions_ is pretty decent.


----------



## Reformed Thomist

As is R.C. Sproul's _The Consequences of Ideas_.

Of course, if you really want something to sink your teeth into, there's always F.C. (Frederick Charles) Copleston's 11-volume _A History of Philosophy_. Copleston was a Roman Catholic -- a Jesuit priest, no less -- but a strong Thomist theologically (much closer to the Reformed position as regards soteriology than, say, Arminianism) and philosophically, and a scholar of the first order.

I would also take a look at the works of the late Étienne Gilson, another Thomistic historian of philosophy extraordinaire. Sproul is a big fan.


----------



## Jesus is my friend

I would like to recommend Gordon Clark I am currently reading and listening to his fine book "God and Evil:The Problem Solved" From what little I know of Christian Philosophy Clark is the "go to man"

http://www.trinitylectures.org/advanced_search_result.php?keywords=gordon+clark&x=0&y=0


----------



## "William The Baptist"

Reformed Thomist said:


> As is R.C. Sproul's _The Consequences of Ideas_.



I am currently listening to his series of lectures on this: 

Ligonier Ministries - SermonAudio.com


----------



## cih1355

I would recommend _The Love of Wisdom: A Christian Introduction to Philosophy _by Steven Cowan & James Spiegel. The book covers logic, epistemology, philosophy of science, metaphysics, human nature, philosophy of religion, ethics, political philosophy, and aesthetics.


----------



## Ask Mr. Religion

Marrow Man said:


> Ronald Nash's _Life's Ultimate Questions_ is pretty decent.


Yup!

AMR


----------



## MICWARFIELD

The One And The Many - by RJ Rushdoony

You dont have to be a Christian Reconstructionist to appreciate this book.


----------



## Philip

_Warranted Christian Belief_ by Alvin Plantinga is excellent.

I would also recommend Newbigin's _Proper Confidence_ (though he's not an inerrantist).

Of course if you're looking for classics, there's always Anselm (_Monologion_, _Proslogion_, and _On Freedom of the Will_).


----------



## FenderPriest

I'm kinda surprised nobody's listed this, but it is _really_ helpful: Reasons for Faith: Philosophy in the Service of Theology by K. Scott Oliphint. I haven't ready the others above, but I've certainly heard of them. Dr. Oliphint does some really helpful in this book to present a distinctly Christian understanding of philosophy. Really good stuff here.


----------



## Theogenes

Jesus is my friend said:


> I would like to recommend Gordon Clark I am currently reading and listening to his fine book "God and Evil:The Problem Solved" From what little I know of Christian Philosophy Clark is the "go to man"
> 
> Trinity Foundation Online Store - Search Results



I agree!


----------



## FenderPriest

I'm not so sure Clark is "the go to man" when it comes to Christian philosophy. I feel a warning is due when it comes to Clark's philosophy and logic. Scott Opiphint makes the following observation:


> Gordon Clark, in a biting critique of the entirety of history orthodox Christology, both Catholic and Protestant, and in order to make Christology fit his logic, argued that Christ is indeed two persons. Given his awkward definition of a person, however, (viz. a collection of propositions), any definition including the word _person_ cannot in this case be taken seriously. See Gordon Haddon Clark, _The Incarnation_ (Jefferson, MD: The Trinity Foundation, 1988).


From Reasons for Faith, p. 287, n.13

A Christian philosopher who works his doctrine in such a way to fit his philosophical and logical constructs to justify heresy is, at least in my opinion, to be taken with extreme caution.


----------



## Philip

FenderPriest said:


> I'm not so sure Clark is "the go to man" when it comes to Christian philosophy. I feel a warning is due when it comes to Clark's philosophy and logic. Scott Opiphint makes the following observation:
> 
> 
> 
> Gordon Clark, in a biting critique of the entirety of history orthodox Christology, both Catholic and Protestant, and in order to make Christology fit his logic, argued that Christ is indeed two persons. Given his awkward definition of a person, however, (viz. a collection of propositions), any definition including the word _person_ cannot in this case be taken seriously. See Gordon Haddon Clark, _The Incarnation_ (Jefferson, MD: The Trinity Foundation, 1988).
> 
> 
> 
> From Reasons for Faith, p. 287, n.13
> 
> A Christian philosopher who works his doctrine in such a way to fit his philosophical and logical constructs to justify heresy is, at least in my opinion, to be taken with extreme caution.
Click to expand...


This isn't the only problem with Clark/Scripturalism. _God and Evil: the Problem Solved_ more or less says that God is the author of evil.


----------



## MarieP

MICWARFIELD said:


> The One And The Many - by RJ Rushdoony
> 
> You dont have to be a Christian Reconstructionist to appreciate this book.


 
This is off-topic (I'm pretty sure, that is), but each time I see your avatar, I think, "Second Commandment Violation!"


----------



## elnwood

For a book on the history of philosophy, Colin Brown's work "Philosophy and the Christian Faith" is outstanding.


----------



## MICWARFIELD

MarieP said:


> MICWARFIELD said:
> 
> 
> 
> The One And The Many - by RJ Rushdoony
> 
> You dont have to be a Christian Reconstructionist to appreciate this book.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> This is off-topic (I'm pretty sure, that is), but each time I see your avatar, I think, "Second Commandment Violation!"
Click to expand...


Lol!


----------



## CharlieJ

A more general work that carries that C.S. Lewis-esque British charm and incisive wit is Henri Blamires' _The Christian Mind_. It's a small book, and the smooth prose tugs you to keep reading.


----------



## BobVigneault

I recommend Nash. Here is a link to his courses on Biblical Training. Listen to his History of Philosophy and then his Christian Apologetics. I love his humor and I sure miss him. 

Dr. Ron Nash | BiblicalTraining.org


----------



## T.A.G.

I would first suggest youtubing Greg Bahnsen and watching his problems with unbelieving worldviews 

Intro
Philosophical Foundation for a Christian Worldview by Craig and Moreland is a very good introduction and is what I would suggest to any Christian who is interested in learning philosophy and apologetics
The God who is there and Is not Silent-Schaeffer

201
Warranted Christian Belief by Alvin Plantinga 

Advanced 
Naturalism Defeated-Plantinga
The Emergent Self-Hasker
World Without Design- Rea
Natural Theology- Craig and Moreland
Nash is a little outdated and not a lot of depth in my opinion


----------



## Philip

T.A.G. said:


> The God who is there and Is not Silent-Schaeffer



Some words of caution with Schaeffer: he is very good on big picture analysis, but very unfair to individual thinkers. For example, his reading of Kierkegaard is horribly wrong (and ignores his context). And then he basically attributes the views of Paul Tillich to Karl Barth. That's not to say that Schaeffer isn't helpful or useful on a lot of points, but just to say that one has to read him carefully and take his analysis of individual thinkers with a grain of salt.


----------



## cih1355

P. F. Pugh said:


> T.A.G. said:
> 
> 
> 
> The God who is there and Is not Silent-Schaeffer
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Some words of caution with Schaeffer: he is very good on big picture analysis, but very unfair to individual thinkers. For example, his reading of Kierkegaard is horribly wrong (and ignores his context). And then he basically attributes the views of Paul Tillich to Karl Barth. That's not to say that Schaeffer isn't helpful or useful on a lot of points, but just to say that one has to read him carefully and take his analysis of individual thinkers with a grain of salt.
Click to expand...


Schaeffer claimed in one of this books that Aquinas believed that the human will is fallen, but not the human intellect. This would suggest that Aquinas believed that man can find some truth about God independently from the Scriptures. Is this an accurate representation of what Aquinas believed?


----------



## Philip

cih1355 said:


> Schaeffer claimed in one of this books that Aquinas believed that the human will is fallen, but not the human intellect. This would suggest that Aquinas believed that man can find some truth about God independently from the Scriptures. Is this an accurate representation of what Aquinas believed?



It's fair (I've heard Thomists claim as much). I would say that in theory it is possible for one to find the truth about God through nature, but in practice it never happens apart from an extraordinary grace.


----------

