# Intro Works on Analytic Philosophy



## ZackF (Mar 29, 2019)

I’m working to get a better grip on philosophy, particularly analytic philosophy. By ‘working’ I mean waded through a few wiki articles. Much of that was over my head. I figured that is important before tackling analytic theology. Roman Catholicism left a bad taste in my mouth for philosophy. I’ve had almost 15 years for that to wear off. Any recommendations for introductory works?


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## Bill The Baptist (Mar 29, 2019)

If you want to get a nice intro into Plantinga, he has a shortened version of his Warranted Christian Belief. It is called Knowledge and Christian Belief and it is less than 200 pages. 

https://www.amazon.com/Knowledge-Ch...154&s=gateway&sprefix=knowledge+and+ch&sr=8-1

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## ZackF (Mar 29, 2019)

Bill The Baptist said:


> If you want to get a nice intro into Plantinga, he has a shortened version of his Warranted Christian Belief. It is called Knowledge and Christian Belief and it is less than 200 pages.
> 
> https://www.amazon.com/Knowledge-Ch...154&s=gateway&sprefix=knowledge+and+ch&sr=8-1


Thanks but isn’t this theological? What assumptions does it make?


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## Bill The Baptist (Mar 30, 2019)

ZackF said:


> Thanks but isn’t this theological? What assumptions does it make?



This is Plantinga’s introduction to what he calls reformed epistemology. This is basically the idea that Christian Belief can be justified apart from evidence or argument because God has imparted the knowledge of himself in all men.

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## RamistThomist (Mar 30, 2019)

Many intro works on analytic theology can apply for analytic philosophy. They teach you the same type of moves and analysis. 

Beginner

Abraham, William. _Analytic Theology: A Bibliography_. Read it for free here.

Clark, Kelly James. _Return to Reason_. Good critique of the Cliffordian evidentialism. 

Crisp, Oliver. _Retrieving Doctrine_. Focused on topics in Reformed theology, but employs the analytic method. Very accessible.

McCall, Thomas. _Invitation to Analytic Theology_. It’s exactly what it says. The book was a treat to read.

Morris, Thomas V. _Our Idea of God_. Good primer on how to think about God from an Anselmian perspective.

Intermediate

Crisp. _An American Augustinian. _A leading analytic theologian meticulously examines WGT Shedd’s unique theology.

Crisp and Rea. _Analytic Theology: New Essays in Philosophy of religion_. Some essays are classic. Others are meh.

McCall, Thomas. _Which Trinity? Whose Monotheism? _Have you ever come across an idea and despite its initial plausibility, it seemed off? This book will show you why.

Plantinga, Alvin. _God, Freedom, and Evil_. The layman’s version of _Nature of Necessity_.

Nash, Ronald. _The Concept of God_. Nash took Plantinga’s _Nature of Necessity _and made it accessible for dummies like me.

Advanced

Moreland and Rae. _Body and Soul. _Fantastic defense of substance dualism. Moreland writes with Kingdom Power.

Morris, Thomas V. _The Logic of God Incarnate_. Probably the most important book on Christology in the last 30 years.

Plantinga, Alvin. _Does God Have a Nature? _A critique of some versions of Thomism. Still not sure what Plantinga’s conclusion was.

————. _God and Other Minds_. Good discussion of natural theology.

Richards, Jay Wesley. _The Untamed God_. Magnficent defense of essentialism.

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## RamistThomist (Mar 30, 2019)

I would probably start with:

Plantinga, Alvin. _God, Freedom, and Evil_. He does engage in free will theology, but the discussions surrounding the problem of evil are a goldmine.

Nash, Ronald. _Concept of God_. He took Plantinga's _Does God Have a Nature? _and simplified it. Plantinga has been accused of rejecting divine simplicity, but when you ask lay Thomists how he does that, you don't really get an answer.

Russell, Bertrand. _Problems of Philosophy_. Once you get past Russell’s being in love with himself, it’s actually a good book.

Chisholm, Roderick. _On Metaphysics_. First introduced me to the Problem of Theseus’s Ship.

Moreland, JP. _Universals_.

Plantinga and Wolterstorff. _Faith and Rationality_. Almost as important historically as it is philosophically.

Here is an example of how I review a book using analytic techniques
https://tentsofshem.wordpress.com/2016/09/28/review-of-dennison-on-van-til/

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## ZackF (Mar 30, 2019)

Thanks a lot Jacob. That’s a lot, even for you!

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## Taylor (Mar 30, 2019)

Plantinga’s _Knowledge and Christian Belief_ blew my mind, and ended up being my gateway drug to Van Til.

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## jwright82 (Apr 5, 2019)

"Philosopy's Second Revolution" by D.S. Clarke.

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