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Christian Philosophy 18/4/06 12:39 Pm Page 1 Christian Philosophy 18/4/06 12:39 pm Page 1 Christian Philosophy A–Z Daniel J. Hill and Randal D. Rauser R and Daniel PHILOSOPHY A–Z SERIES GENERAL EDITOR: OLIVER LEAMAN al D. R These thorough, authoritative yet concise alphabetical guides introduce the J. Hill central concepts of the various branches of philosophy.Written by established philosophers, they cover both traditional and contemporary terminology. au ser Features & Christian Philosophy A–Z • Dedicated coverage of particular topics within philosophy • Coverage of key terms and major figures • Cross-references to related terms. Daniel J. Hill and A handy guide to the major figures and issues in Christian philosophy from Chri Randal D. Rauser Augustine to the present. This volume covers a broad historical sweep and takes into account those stian Philosophy A–Z non-Christian philosophers that have had a great impact on the Christian tradition. It concentrates, however, on the issues that perplex Christian philosophers as they seek to think through their faith in a philosophical way and their philosophical beliefs in the light of their faith. Examples of the topics discussed are the question of whether and how God knows the future, whether we actually know that God exists, and what Athens has to do with Jerusalem.The leaders of the recent revival of Christian analytic philosophy, especially Alvin Plantinga, Nicholas Wolterstorff, William Alston and Robert Adams are also included. This book will be of interest to those studying Christian philosophy and to Christians seeking to think philosophically about their faith. Daniel J. Hill is Lecturer in Philosophy at the University of Liverpool. Randal D. Rauser is Assistant Professor of Historical Theology,Taylor Seminary, Edmonton,Alberta, Canada Cover design: River Design, Edinburgh Edinb Edinburgh University Press 22 George Square, Edinburgh EH8 9LF barcode www.eup.ed.ac.uk ur gh ISBN 0 7486 2152 0 P1: FCG/SPH P2: FCG/SPH QC: FCG/SPH T1: FCG EUBK021-Hill/Rauser May 30, 2006 17:22 CHRISTIAN PHILOSOPHY A–Z i P1: FCG/SPH P2: FCG/SPH QC: FCG/SPH T1: FCG EUBK021-Hill/Rauser May 30, 2006 17:22 Volumes available in the Philosophy A–Z Series Epistemology A–Z, Martijn Blaauw and Duncan Pritchard Ethics A–Z, Jonathan A. Jacobs Indian Philosophy A–Z, Christopher Bartley Jewish Philosophy A–Z, Aaron W. Hughes Philosophy of Religion A–Z, Patrick Quinn Forthcoming volumes Aesthetics A–Z, Fran Guter Chinese Philosophy A–Z,BoMou Feminist Philosophy A–Z, Nancy McHugh Islamic Philosophy A–Z, Peter Groff Philosophical Logic A–Z, J. C. Beall Philosophy of Language A–Z, Alessandra Tanesini Philosophy of Mind A–Z, Marina Rakova Philosophy of Science A–Z, Stathis Psillos Political Philosophy A–Z, Jon Pike ii P1: FCG/SPH P2: FCG/SPH QC: FCG/SPH T1: FCG EUBK021-Hill/Rauser May 30, 2006 17:22 Christian Philosophy A–Z Daniel J. Hill and Randal D. Rauser Edinburgh University Press iii P1: FCG/SPH P2: FCG/SPH QC: FCG/SPH T1: FCG EUBK021-Hill/Rauser May 30, 2006 17:22 C Daniel J. Hill and Randal D. Rauser, 2006 Edinburgh University Press Ltd 22 George Square, Edinburgh Typeset in 10.5/13 Sabon by TechBooks India, and printed and bound in Finland by WS Bookwell A CIP record for this book is available from the British Library ISBN-10 0 7486 2212 8 (hardback) ISBN-13 978 0 7486 2212 2 (hardback) ISBN-10 0 7486 2152 0 (paperback) ISBN-13 978 0 7486 2152 1 (paperback) The rights of Daniel J. Hill and Randal D. Rauser to be identified as authors of this work have been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. iv P1: FCG/SPH P2: FCG/SPH QC: FCG/SPH T1: FCG EUBK021-Hill/Rauser May 30, 2006 17:22 Contents Series Editor’s Preface vii Introduction ix Acknowledgements xiii Christian Philosophy A–Z 1 Bibliography 201 v P1: FCG/SPH P2: FCG/SPH QC: FCG/SPH T1: FCG EUBK021-Hill/Rauser May 30, 2006 17:22 This book is lovingly and gratefully dedicated to our respective parents. vi P1: FCG/SPH P2: FCG/SPH QC: FCG/SPH T1: FCG EUBK021-Hill/Rauser May 30, 2006 17:22 Series Editor’s Preface One of the things that Christian philosophy has going for it is a central text, the New Testament, written in Greek. Greek is a highly appropriate language for philosophy, abstract and capable of fine conceptual distinctions, something the more concrete and basic Hebrew of the Old Testament had diffi- culty accomplishing. The traditional conflict between Athens and Jerusalem, between philosophy and religion, was often thus muted in Christianity since their religion was from the start pretty firmly established in Athens, at least linguistically speaking. The development of Christian philosophy was rapid since even in the early Christian communities the growth of the religion took place in a cultural environment where phi- losophy also flourished. Ever since then the ideas and issues of Christianity have been extensively explored using the var- ious philosophical techniques that have arisen within differ- ent philosophical traditions. It is often difficult to understand what is going on in Christian philosophy, though, since the blend of philosophy and religion may make the reader unsure precisely what argument is being presented, or how it is sup- posed to work. It is the aim of Daniel Hill and Randal Rauser’s guide to the vocabulary of the debate to throw light on this and other aspects of Christian philosophy, and we hope that readers will find it useful in gaining a pathway through this interesting intellectual territory. Oliver Leaman vii P1: FCG/SPH P2: FCG/SPH QC: FCG/SPH T1: FCG EUBK021-Hill/Rauser May 30, 2006 17:22 viii P1: FCG/SPH P2: FCG/SPH QC: FCG/SPH T1: FCG EUBK021-Hill/Rauser May 30, 2006 17:22 Introduction Fifty years ago a scan of bookshop shelves would have been as likely to find a dictionary of terms for alchemy as one for Christian philosophy. Indeed, one might well have thought that, though of course there were some Christian philosophers then, they were doomed to the same fate as the dodo. But, in a stunning reversal, today Christian philosophy is among the most vibrant areas of philosophy. While the story of that change is still being written, there are a few key factors. On the negative side, the last fifty years have seen the demise of some historically formidable opponents to Christian philoso- phy, most perspicuously logical positivism and classical foun- dationalism, and this demise is due in significant part to the work of Christian philosophers. On the positive side, there has been a revitalisation of Christian philosophy from a num- ber of sources, including the renewal of Catholic philosophy after the broadening of the Second Vatican Council as evi- dent, for instance, in the diversity of the American Catholic Philosophical Association. Another significant factor is the work of several key philosophers coming out of (or sympa- thetic to important features of) the Dutch Calvinist tradition. Philosophers such as Alvin Plantinga, Nicholas Wolterstorff and William Alston (who, though not a Calvinist, has sympa- thy with the broad approach of Plantinga and Wolterstorff) have provided a formidable body of original philosophical work, all in accord with, or explicitly building upon, their Christian convictions. This new vibrancy led to the founding ix P1: FCG/SPH P2: FCG/SPH QC: FCG/SPH T1: FCG EUBK021-Hill/Rauser May 30, 2006 17:22 x INTRODUCTION of the Society of Christian Philosophers in 1978 and the es- tablishment of its journal Faith and Philosophy in 1984. One of the first articles to be published in this journal, Plantinga’s seminal address ‘Advice to Christian Philosophers’ (Plantinga 1984), has served as a clarion call to a new generation to ap- proach philosophy without apology from a distinctively Chris- tian perspective. And Christian philosophers continue to do so. Although North America has seen the greatest growth in Christian philosophy, there has been a slower revival in other English-speaking countries, particularly in the UK. In England, Oxford University has, and London University’s King’s College had until recently, a ‘named chair’ for philosophy of religion held by an eminent Christian philosopher: the chair at Oxford was held recently by Richard Swinburne, who was followed by Brian Leftow; and the chair at London was held most recently by Paul Helm. Each of these has done much to advance the field of Christian philosophy in the UK, not least through the British Society for Philosophy of Religion, which developed out of the UK Society of Christian Philosophers. All this means that while alchemy remains an obscure footnote in the history of science, Christian philosophy has emerged as one of the liveliest fields in current philosophy. For that reason, the need grows for a manageable reference guide for students and the interested layperson to the specific tasks and concerns of Christian philosophy, and it is to that need that this book is aimed. Unfortunately, the task of composing a dictionary is a pre- carious one, as one is bound to leave out certain terms, move- ments, positions, or individuals that one or more readers will view as an egregious omission. The best way to respond to inevitable disappointment is to be clear on our criteria for including the particular definitions that we have. In short, we have included particular terms, movements, theories and individuals based on two criteria: either they put forward a P1: FCG/SPH P2: FCG/SPH QC: FCG/SPH T1: FCG EUBK021-Hill/Rauser May 30, 2006 17:22 INTRODUCTION xi distinctively Christian philosophy or they suggest a distinc- tively Christian reply.
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