The first issue of the Thinking Matters Journal will be published once construction of the new Thinking Matters site is complete. The theme for our inaugural edition is “Introducing Apologetics”. We’ll focus on what apologetics is, what it involves, and why it’s important. We’ll also briefly cover the various apologetic approaches, and expand on these in the next issue.
Recently, Dr John Lennox (Professor of Mathematics at Oxford University and author of God’s Undertaker: Has Science Buried God?) and Christopher Hitchens (social commentator and author of God is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything) debated whether the new Europe would be better off jettisoning its religious past and welcoming the new atheism. A report from an attendee summarizes the discussion at the Edinburgh event.
The relationship between science and theology is a question that has attracted much thought and controversy. For anyone interested in this discussion and particularly how it is evinced in the creation account of Genesis, two upcoming events in September are being held, one at Auckland university and the other with L’abri.
Exciting Developments® are Coming Soon™; this post explains what and why, and how come the first issue of the journal still isn’t out.
This months issue of Christianity Today features a cover article by Christian philosopher William Lane Craig on the vitality of natural theology and the current trends in the philosophy of religion. Today, Craig engages with some of the criticism that has arisen in response to that article.
An interview on the Colbert Report provides a valuable example of apologetics misapplied. Some of the responses to Bart Ehrman’s book Misquoting Jesus are briefly canvassed and discussed.
Dale Campbell recently posted three questions about science on his blog:
1. How should it be defined?
2. Is it inherently naturalistic and if so, why?
3. What is the relationship between philosophy and science?
Bnonn considers these questions from the perspective of someone who takes the Bible as his ultimate source of knowledge and authority.
Bnonn briefly explains the delay in publishing the first issue of the Thinking Matters journal, and provides a teaser of the planned articles.
Paul Copan’s new book When God Goes to Starbucks has been been announced; with a release date set for August 1. Copan is a philosophy professor at Palm Beach Atlantic University and also the President of the Evangelical Philosophical Society. He’s a penetrating writer (many of his published articles are available at his site) and the book looks to be an accessible and thoughtful response to the common intellectual snares put forward against the Christian worldview.
On Wednesday, June 18, Dr William Lane Craig spoke at the inaugural meeting of the Tauranga Thinking Matters group. Bnonn reports on the event, and the impression it made.
Susan Wunderink, at Christianity Today, interviews popular evangelical author and speaker, Tim Keller (from Redeemer Presbyterian Church in NYC), about his ministry and the challenges involved in presenting Christianity (HT: Justin Taylor). It’s brief, but worth a read.