Intro Works on Analytic Philosophy

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ZackF

Puritan Board Professor
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?
 
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.
 
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.
 
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/
 
Plantinga’s Knowledge and Christian Belief blew my mind, and ended up being my gateway drug to Van Til.
 
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