Four Views on Christianity and Philosophy
Philosophy and Christianity make truth claims about many of the same things. They both claim to provide answers to the deep questions of life. But how are they related to one another? And are they always in conflict?

Four Views on Christianity and Philosophy introduces readers to four predominant views on the relationship between philosophy and the Christian faith and their implications for life. Each author identifies the propositional relation between philosophy and Christianity along with a section devoted to the implications for living a life devoted to the pursuit of wisdom.

The contributors and views include:

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

General editors Paul M. Gould and Richard Davis explain the background to the discussion and provide some historical background in the introduction, as well as helpful summaries of each position in the conclusion. In the reader-friendly Counterpoints format, this book helps readers to reflect on the strengths and weaknesses of each view and draw informed conclusions in this much-debated topic.

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Four Views on Christianity and Philosophy
Philosophy and Christianity make truth claims about many of the same things. They both claim to provide answers to the deep questions of life. But how are they related to one another? And are they always in conflict?

Four Views on Christianity and Philosophy introduces readers to four predominant views on the relationship between philosophy and the Christian faith and their implications for life. Each author identifies the propositional relation between philosophy and Christianity along with a section devoted to the implications for living a life devoted to the pursuit of wisdom.

The contributors and views include:

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

General editors Paul M. Gould and Richard Davis explain the background to the discussion and provide some historical background in the introduction, as well as helpful summaries of each position in the conclusion. In the reader-friendly Counterpoints format, this book helps readers to reflect on the strengths and weaknesses of each view and draw informed conclusions in this much-debated topic.

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Overview

Philosophy and Christianity make truth claims about many of the same things. They both claim to provide answers to the deep questions of life. But how are they related to one another? And are they always in conflict?

Four Views on Christianity and Philosophy introduces readers to four predominant views on the relationship between philosophy and the Christian faith and their implications for life. Each author identifies the propositional relation between philosophy and Christianity along with a section devoted to the implications for living a life devoted to the pursuit of wisdom.

The contributors and views include:

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

General editors Paul M. Gould and Richard Davis explain the background to the discussion and provide some historical background in the introduction, as well as helpful summaries of each position in the conclusion. In the reader-friendly Counterpoints format, this book helps readers to reflect on the strengths and weaknesses of each view and draw informed conclusions in this much-debated topic.


Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780310521143
Publisher: Zondervan Academic
Publication date: 09/13/2016
Series: Counterpoints: Bible and Theology
Pages: 240
Product dimensions: 5.20(w) x 8.00(h) x 0.65(d)

About the Author

Graham Oppy is Professor of Philosophy at Monash University. He is author of: Ontological Arguments and Belief in God; Philosophical Perspectives on Infinity; Arguing about Gods; Reading Philosophy of Religion (with Michael Scott); The Best Argument against God; Reinventing Philosophy of Religion: An Opinionated Introduction; and Describing Gods: An Investigation of Divine Attributes. He is editor of The Routledge Handbook of Contemporary Philosophy of Religion, and (with Nick Trakakis) The History of Western Philosophy of Religion.


K. Scott Oliphint is professor of apologetics and systematic theology at Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia and is the author of numerous articles and books, including Reasons for Faith: Philosophy in the Service of Theology and Covenantal Apologetics. He is also coeditor of the two-volume Christian Apologetics Past and Present: A Primary Source Reader and a contributor to Four Views on Christianity and Philosophy.


Richard Brian Davis is Professor of Philosophy at Tyndale University in Toronto, Canada. He is the author or editor of four books, including Loving God with Your Mind: Essays in Honor of J. P. Moreland. He has published thirty book chapters or articles in such places as Australasian Journal of Philosophy, Religious Studies, Acta Analytica, Philo, The Modern Schoolman, Philosophia Christi, Heythrop Journal, The Journal of Medicine and Philosophy, and Axiomathes. Rich blogs at: tyndalephilosophy.com.


Stanley N. Gundry is executive vice president and editor-in-chief for the Zondervan Corporation. He has been an influential figure in the Evangelical Theological Society, serving as president of ETS and on its executive committee, and is adjunct professor of Historical Theology at Grand Rapids Theological Seminary. He is the author of seven books and has written many articles appearing in popular and academic periodicals.

Table of Contents

Introduction (Davis and Gould) View 1 Conflict: Philosophy Trumps Christianity (Graham Oppy) Philosophy and Christianity make truth claims about the same things; further, they’re both ways of life. However, the deliverances of philosophy either refute the truth claims of Christianity (rebutting defeater), or at least undermine their rational or epistemic foundations (undercutting defeater); AND philosophy replaces Christianity as a way of life (e.g., pursuing truth, living a good life). That is, it either offers everything Christianity does (so that, by Ockham's razor, we don't need the Christian faith), or philosophy offers a superior way of living to that found in Christianity. (One might think, e.g., that Christianity included certain harmful elements, say, taking things by faith alone or being intolerant or uncritical.) The epistemic/methodological starting-point here is philosophy and the empirical data. Christianity contributes nothing to the warrant enjoyed by our ordinary philosophical beliefs. Response by Oliphint to Oppy Response by Mc Grew to Oppy Response by Moser to Oppy View 2 Covenant: Christianity Trumps Philosophy (Scott Oliphint) Philosophy and Christianity make truth claims about the same things; further, they’re both ways of life. However, the deliverances of Christianity (e.g., biblical truths) provide the ontological and epistemic foundations within which philosophy can properly do its work. Any philosophical claim that conflicts with orthodox theology is, by definition, illicit; AND Christianity replaces philosophy as a foundational discipline (e.g., properly pursuing truth, living a good life). It offers us a ground that philosophy cannot offer; and it describes and controls the approach to living if one wants properly to do philosophy. (One might think, e.g., that only Christianity can properly accommodate such moral essentials as redemption, reconciliation, and forgiveness.) The epistemic/methodological starting-point here is Christianity itself. Christianity doesn’t depend on philosophy for its warrant. Response by Oppy to Oliphint Response by Mc Grew to Oliphint Response by Moser to Oliphint View 3 Convergence: Philosophy Confirms/Completes Christianity (Timothy Mc Grew) Philosophy and Christianity make truth claims about some of the same things, including some of the same important things, though there is significant unique material on each side; further, they can both be a way of life, though one may (and some do) pursue philosophy on the intellectual side without the sort of personal commitment that Christianity demands. However, philosophy, very broadly construed—i.e., reflecting on and reasoning (deductively and non-deductively) from the data of human experience, including historical data, and attempting to answer fundamental questions in a manner that is conceptually precise and dialectically rigorous—is the best way of acquiring and extending our knowledge, BUT, such philosophical reflection provides the tools for a logical, systematic, intellectual defense of Christianity based on public evidence; AND a philosophical way of life at its best, with its wholehearted commitment to finding the truth and following the argument wherever it leads, while not identical with the Christian life, is certainly consistent with it and can enhance and support it in many respects. The epistemic starting-points here include the data of general revelation, subjected to philosophical reflection, BUT these data alone do not allow us to answer the deepest questions about human nature and human destiny; it is therefore necessary to see whether there is any authenticated revelation that can answer these questions. AND philosophical reflection on the historical data of the Christian revelation shows that revelation to be well supported, not only for philosophers but for many believers who have not the advantage of a philosophical education or the leisure for sustained ph

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

Gould and Davis have put together a grand-slam home run! I predict that this will be one of the very best in the Counterpoints series. The introduction and conclusion by Gould and Davis are helpful, informative,
and very interesting. And, wow, did they pick great representatives of each view or what? Oppy is, in my view, the top philosophical atheist writing today. And Mc Grew and Moser are not only household names in the field but top representatives of very important and distinctive views.
And Oliphint is among a very small handful of top Reformed apologists.
But what is really shocking about this treasure is that these high-level thinkers have managed to write chapters that are understandable to a nonspecialist. Christian philosophy is on the rise, and believers need to think through its role in Christianity. This book is the place to start that journey. — J. P. Moreland, Distinguished Professor of Philosophy, Talbot School of Theology, Biola University

Drs. Paul Gould and Richard Davis have put together a “must-have”
book on a topic of critical importance to the Christian community. Far from little-known scholars, their lineup of participants includes some of the most well-known and well-respected philosophers in the field. Four Views on Christianity and Philosophy will serve as an engaging text for courses at the college, university, or seminary levels. It is smoothly written, easily understood, and features a spectacular clash of ideas from philosophers of diverse perspectives. Students will love it. This volume ranks among the very best of Zondervan’s wide array of Counterpoints books. — Gary Habermas, Distinguished Research Professor; Chair of Philosophy, Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary

Gould and Davis have performed a great service. They have orchestrated an important and much-needed conversation on the relationship between the Christian faith and philosophy, and they have selected as dialogue partners truly excellent representatives of the respective “four views.” This volume will serve as a superb resource for years to come. — Paul Copan, Pledger Family Chair of Philosophy and Ethics, Palm Beach Atlantic University in West Palm Beach, Fl

Despite the resurgence of Christian philosophy during the past several decades, many Christians, as well as others, are dubious that there is any sort of positive relationship between Christianity and philosophy.
In this volume, four accomplished practitioners of philosophy with very different views of how it relates to Christianity debate this fundamental question. This is a valuable resource for persons on all sides of this fascinating and vital issue. — Jerry L. Walls, Scholar in Residence and Professor of Philosophy, Houston Baptist University

In addition to learning about different views relating philosophy to
Christianity, readers will see how these distinctive approaches are put into practice with the dynamic interaction from the four principal contributors.
Both newcomers and seasoned scholars will find many ideas in this book worthy of serious thought and reflection. — John M. De Poe, Associate Professor of Philosophy, Marywood University

Each contributor addresses the nature and methods of philosophy, the nature of Christian commitment, the relationship between faith and reason, and the value and extent of evidence for and against the Christian worldview. Ideal for classroom use or personal study, for anyone interested in answering
Tertullian’s famous question, this book is the place to start. — Steven B. Cowan, Associate Professor of Philosophy and Religion, Lincoln Memorial University

I’m a big fan of the Counterpoints series by Zondervan. And this is one of my favorites. The expert will find insight and clarification, and the novice will learn the scope of the debate. All will walk away with an appreciation of how important it is to wrestle with the relationship between philosophy and Christianity. — Sean Mc Dowell, Assistant Professor of Apologetics, Biola University, and author of A New Kind of Apologist.

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