# Four Views on Christianity and Philosophy



## Toasty (Apr 27, 2016)

The book, _Four Views on Christianity and Philosophy_, will be released in September of this year. It looks interesting. The contributors discuss what they believe about the relationship between the Christian faith and philosophy. 

The contributors and views include:

Graham Oppy—Conflict: Philosophy Trumps Christianity
K. Scott Oliphint—Covenant: Christianity Trumps Philosophy
Timothy McGrew—Convergence: Philosophy Confirms Christianity
Paul Moser—Conformation: Philosophy Reconceived Under Christianity


Here is a link for more information:
http://www.amazon.com/Four-Views-Ch...6&sr=8-2&keywords=christianity+and+philosophy


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## ZackF (Apr 27, 2016)

Nice. This looks to be a good service to the Protestant church.


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## yeutter (Apr 27, 2016)

I have had the opportunity to read some of the exchanges in this book. [Dr. McGrew is a vestryman in my parish.] The exchanges in this book are frank and on target. The exchange between Professor McGrew and Professor Oliphint give us good insight into how the traditions of Warfield and VanTil differ in their understanding the relationship between Christianity and philosophy.


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## Peairtach (Apr 28, 2016)

Looks worth getting. Much more acceptable than e.g. "Four Views on Hell" 

Sent from my C6903 using Tapatalk


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## Toasty (Apr 28, 2016)

What does "Conformation: Philosophy Reconceived Under Christianity" mean? Is this the idea that Christians philosophize in a manner that is different from non-Christians? For example, a Christian would be concerned whether some idea is consistent with the word of God whereas the non-Christian would not care if something is contrary to the word of God.


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## yeutter (Apr 28, 2016)

Paul K. Moser wrote a book entitled: * The Severity of God: Religion and Philosophy Reconceived*. In this book Moser asks why a God worthy of worship would allow human life to be as difficult and filled with pain as we actually find it.
Needless to say Moser is a liberal who has a following among those who doubt that we can harmonize the goodness and severity of God.


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## Ask Mr. Religion (Apr 28, 2016)

Toasty said:


> What does "Conformation: Philosophy Reconceived Under Christianity" mean? Is this the idea that Christians philosophize in a manner that is different from non-Christians? For example, a Christian would be concerned whether some idea is consistent with the word of God whereas the non-Christian would not care if something is contrary to the word of God.


As noted above, one would need to read more of Paul Moser to anticipate where he is headed in that forthcoming section of the book.

For example, in _The Severity of God: Religion and Philosophy Reconceived_, Moser writes (p. x):

"This book attends to the widely neglected topic of the severity of God, in connection with its implications for religion and philosophy. It contends that divine severity points us to the volitional crisis of Gethsemane, for the sake of cooperative and lasting human life with God. In doing so, it invites us to consider the priority of divine power over philosophical propositions, persons over explanations, and God’s will over human wills. Accordingly, this book invites us to reconceive religion and philosophy in the light of the Gethsemane crisis, particularly in the significant areas of the methodology and epistemology of God, the value of human life’s ongoing flux, the divine redemption of humans, and the nature of philosophy under the severe God worthy of worship. This reconceiving leaves us with religion and philosophy renewed by a needed interpersonal and existential vitality, grounded in widely neglected but nonetheless salient evidence of God’s redemptive severity."

Further from (p. 183):

"Christian philosophy joins Gethsemane union with a religious epistemology oriented toward the Spirit of God and Christ. As Chapter 3 suggested, Christian philosophy must find knowledge of God, like human redemption, in divine grace rather than in human earning. In particular, a Christian philosophy must acknowledge that the things of God are taught by God’s Spirit, the Spirit of Christ, and not by “human wisdom.” Paul thus states that “we have received the Spirit that is from God, so that we may understand the gifts bestowed on us by God” (1 Cor. 2:12)."

See review of the book here:
http://themelios.thegospelcoalition...ty-of-god-religion-and-philosophy-reconceived


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## yeutter (Apr 29, 2016)

I look forward to reading the interaction between Moser and Oliphint. I think Oliphint will unpack Moser's misguided thinking.


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