So LDSToronto wants to be a Philosopher?

[_MrStakhanovite]

Per LDST’s request, I’ve assembled him a reading list that introduces him into the Philosophy of Religion. This list is tailored to him specifically, but I thought I’d make it public anyways for lurkers to enjoy.

As I’ve noted in the past that to do good work in the Philosophy of Religion, you need to be strong in the four foundational areas. Since LDST has little desire to do good work, and just wants to learn something more than PRAGMATISM!


Your first step is to learn metaphysics, and to do that I recommend Riddles of Existence, it’s a slim book and an easy read that covers the main issues of contemporary metaphysics. In this book you’ll cover important topics, such as free will and determinism, fatalism, nature of time, universals, and necessary and possible existence, and God. This will pretty much put you ahead of the game when it comes to topics like “Free Agency” and what God knows and how that affects our freedom.

With that knowledge, you need a bigger picture about philosophy and how it ties into Christian theology, so I recommend Philosophy for Understanding Theology by Princeton Philosopher and Theologian Diogenes Allen. He’ll walk you through Plato, Aristotle, Aquinas, Kant, and Hegel, and explain how their philosophy impacted Christian thought. there is rich, deep and beautiful history to Christian thinking that LDS folk rarely ever get exposed to. This isn’t that C.S. Lewis tripe, it’s solid stuff. (It even covers Process Theology, I think you’ll get a kick out of a few certain types when you start reading someone who knows what they are talking about).

An excellent reply to the “New Atheists” by a Christian Philosopher (and theological liberal) comes from Eric Reitan and his Is God A Delusion?. Eric is an awesome guy (I’ve met him briefly) and is sharp and intelligent. This book will deal with Science and Religion, Religious Experience, and even Faith (concepts much different than whats in Alma 32).

If you actually read those three books, you will have zero problems articulating your ideas and be able to draw a lot of inspiration and ideas from multiple sources outside the typical narrow LDS paradigm found at MAD.

[_Morley]

Thanks for posting these, Stak. I'm looking forward to reading Diogenes Allen's book.

[_zeezrom]

I always assumed he was one already. He is in a stake presidency and allows himself to doubt so obviously he is being open to deep philosophical questioning.

[_Patriarchal gripe]

I haven't read the Mr. Reitan's book, but from reviews I gather it is a defense of religion that few people of faith would recognize (the religion, not the defense). I see Mormons gush over Rob Bell's "Love Wins" in the same way.

Stak, can you recommend a respected philosophical treatise that defends fundamental Christian core beliefs such as Hell, preordination, and free will beliefs? Stuff the regular pew-sitters might recognize and need defending?

[_MrStakhanovite]

I haven't read the Mr. Reitan's book, but from reviews I gather it is a defense of religion that few people of faith would recognize (the religion, not the defense). I see Mormons gush over Rob Bell's "Love Wins" in the same way.

Reitan is much farther to the left than Rob Bell, and your assessment isn’t far off. His faith is not the faith of the typical church-goer, but I think of LDST the same way, and think he’d enjoy reading the ideas of someone who can clearly articulate what he believes and has the tools to defend it.

Stak, can you recommend a respected philosophical treatise that defends fundamental Christian core beliefs such as Hell, preordination, and free will beliefs? Stuff the regular pew-sitters might recognize and need defending?

This is difficult to answer. The best Christian philosophers write their work for other philosophers, and it’s often technical and full of jargon. They don’t often write pop books like some famous scientists do, which is a tragedy.

Those who do publish accessible works defending Christian beliefs are apologists and apologetic ministries. The quality of that work leaves much to be desired, and it’s hard for me to really recommend something, since I’ve yet to come across an apologetic work that even engages me worldview seriously, much less defends their own from serious criticism.

The core beliefs you mentioned typically rest in theological works. No serious person would try to prove hell or the atoning death of Jesus to an atheist, they start with an assumption that you already believe in God and you find the Bible to be authoritative on some level. You’d need to find a work of systematic theology for what ever faith/tradition you are looking at.

Free Will is a philosophical topic that gets a lot of attention, to get to the best out there is going to require you to read your way up there. I would recommend starting with Riddles of Existence, and then using their “Further Reading” references and move up that way, they’ll direct you to the next step after the basics.

There really isn’t a one stop shop for all this, you pretty much have to start building a library and chasing things down. I hope this helps.

[_LDSToronto]

Since LDST has little desire to do good work

Story of my life. Thanks for the recommendations; I can hardly wait to be smarter.

H.

[_bcspace]

Story of my life. Thanks for the recommendations; I can hardly wait to be smarter.

Watch out for guarantees like double your I.Q. or no money back. Critics of the Church seem very susceptible to those.

[_LDSToronto]

Story of my life. Thanks for the recommendations; I can hardly wait to be smarter.

Watch out for guarantees like double your I.Q. or no money back. Critics of the Church seem very susceptible to those.

At least it ain't Amway.

H.

[_basilII]

Stak, can you recommend a respected philosophical treatise that defends fundamental Christian core beliefs such as Hell, preordination, and free will beliefs? Stuff the regular pew-sitters might recognize and need defending?

You could try 'Was Jesus God?' by philosopher Richard Swinburne. It's pretty short and argues for the plausibility of the central Christian doctrines of the Trinity and the Incarnation of God in Jesus. It also briefly discusses the Bible and the Church. A more developed argument can be also be found in his 'The Christian God'.

Of course anything by Swinburne is recommended for those who want to understand the debate about theism.

http://www.amazon.com/Was-Jesus-God-Ric ... 642&sr=8-1

http://www.amazon.com/Christian-God-Ric ... ep_dpt_1#_

[_brade]

I had to pop in here and put a plug in for the epistemological branch of philosophy of religion. Alvin Plantinga and William Alston have some interesting and nuanced views in defense of the rationality of religious belief. It wouldn't hurt to go through a broader summary of epistemology before digging into Warranted Christian Belief and Perceiving God: The Epistemology of Religious Experience (two of their most popular and accessible works).