Good Ideas From Questionable Christians And Outright Pagans

Steve Wilkens introduces the study of philosophy by exploring a single issue from each of these well-known philosophers: Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Augustine, Aquinas, Descartes, Kierkegaard, Marx, Nietzsche and Sartre.

With this introductory text, Steve Wilkens takes a fresh, friendly approach to understanding and evaluating various ethical systems. Beginning each chapter with a "bumper sticker" slogan ("If it feels good, do it"; "God said it, I believe it, that settles it;" "When in Rome..."), he then moves on to examine the complex questions, conclusions and assumptions that lie at its heart. Wilkens acquaints students with the vast array of classic and contemporary approaches to ethics: cultural relativism, emotivism, behaviourism, hedonism, ethical egoism, atheistic existentialism, utilitarianism, categorical imperative, hierarchicalism, situation ethics, theistic existentialism, theological voluntarism, and natural law ethics. For each system, his thorough introduction explores its popular "bumper sticker" expression, its core assumptions and basic elements, the questions that give rise to it, and its strengths and weaknesses. Students, professors and general readers will welcome Wilkens's engaging text which simultaneously offers a well-rounded assessment of ethical systems and shows the relevance and prevalence of ethical ideas in daily life. (Original edition.)

This book---an edited compilation of twenty-nine essays---focuses on the difference(s) that a Christian worldview makes for the disciplines or subject areas normally tauht in liberal arts colleges and universities. Three initial chapters of introductory material are followed by twenty-six essays, each dealing with the essential elements or issues in the academic discipline involved. These individual essays on each discipline are a unique element of this book. These essays also treat some of the specific differences in perspective or procedure that a biblically informed, Christian perspective brings to each discipline. Christian Worldview and the Academic Disciplines in intended principally as an introductory textbook in Christian worldview courses for Christian college or university students. This volume will aslo be of interest to Christian students in secular post-secondary institutions who may be encountering challenges to their faith---both implicit and explicit---from peers or professors who assume that holding a strong Christian faith and pursuing a rigorous college or university education are essentially incompatible. This book should also be helpful for college and university professors who embrace the Christian faith but whose post-secondary academic background---because of its secular orientation---has left them inadequately prepared to intelligently apply the implications of their faith to their particular academic specialty. Such specialists, be they professors or upper-level graduate students, will find the extensive bibliographies of recent scholarship at the end of the individual chapters particularly helpful. "Downey and Porter present a unique contribution to the perennial question of how faith interacts with the academic disciplines. Numerous factors contribute to this book's significance: the common conviction that one's Christian beliefs ought to shape the contents of one's teaching, the variety of perspectives and opinions, and the wide range of academic disciplines under discussion. The essays---originating among the excellent faculty of Trinity Western University---will deservedly be much used in undergraduate colleges and universities."---Hans Borsma J.I. Packer Professor of Theology, Regent College "Few faculty, Christian or otherwise, understand what their colleagues in other departments are doing or why. This collection of essays is not only an excellent introduction to the whole scope of academic enterprises but to the unique and important relationship between each discipline and the Christian faith. An important book not only for the entire range of faculty but for students yearning to understand both their Christian faith and what is being taught in the classroom."---James W. Sirf author of the Universe Next Door and, with co-author carl Peraino, Deepest Differences A Christian Atheist Dialogue "Christian Worldview and the Academic Disciplines is a book long overdue. It will serve as an outstanding textbook for interdisciplinary courses. But this book is more than that. Christian Worldview and the Academic Disciplines is a book that everyone concerned with Christian thought, especially in the context of the Academy, will want to read. I highly recommend it."---Craig A. Evans Payment Distinguished Professor of New Testament, Acadia Divinity College Nova Scotia

Popular Apologist Corrects the Record on What Christianity Is All About The Christianity our culture rejects may not be true Christianity at all. So many people today believe they have to be good to be accepted by God, or that the Bible is just a list of do's and don'ts, or that God is far away and unapproachable. Instead of providing "proofs" about God and the Bible, in this book Alex provides a reason to want to know Jesus. By sharing his own story of the loneliness and alienation of his youth, Alex taps in to universal fears of rejection and loneliness. We all seek acceptance and purpose--and there's only one solution. Learn how to be anchored in the Truth and security that comes through Christ.

The field of Christian ethics is the subject of frequent conversation as Christians seek to understand how to live faithfully within a pluralistic society. The range of ethical systems and moral philosophies available can be confusing to people seeking clarity about what the different theories mean for everyday life. This Spectrum Multiview volume presents a dialogue between four main approaches to ethics in the Christian tradition. Virtue ethics focuses less on the action itself and more on the virtuous character of the moral agent. A divine command approach looks instead at whether an action has been commanded by God, in which case it is morally right. Natural law ethics argues for a universal, objective morality grounded in nature. Finally, prophetic ethics judges what is morally right in light of a biblical understanding of divine justice and shalom. The four views and their proponents are as follows: Brad J. Kallenberg: Virtue Ethics John Hare: Divine Command Ethics Claire Peterson: Natural Law Ethics Peter Heltzel: Prophetic Ethics Christian Ethics: Four Views, edited by noted ethicist Steve Wilkens, presents an accessible introduction to the key positions in Christian ethics today. Spectrum Multiview Books offer a range of viewpoints on contested topics within Christianity, giving contributors the opportunity to present their position and also respond to others in this dynamic publishing format.

With notable nonbelievers such as Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, and Christopher Hitchens featured prominently in the media, it is no surprise that many Christians wonder how best to answer the growing number of atheist arguments they encounter every day. 10 Answers for Atheists is a one-of-a-kind resource from respected Christian apologist Alex McFarland that looks closely at the philosophical assumptions at the root of atheism and agnosticism and exposes the logical, historical, and conceptual fallacies that perpetuate unbelief. Readers will find easy-to-understand charts and clear explanations of key beliefs, as well as trustworthy, biblical answers to the honest questions posed by atheists and agnostics. Every reader, no matter where he or she falls on the spectrum of belief, will hear a call to thoughtful engagement with the historic Christian faith.

Søren Kierkegaard (1813-1855) had a mission. The church had become weak, flabby and inconsequential. Being a Christian was more a cultural heritage than a spiritual reality. His mission—reintroduce the Christian faith to Christians. How could he break through to people who were members of the church and thought they were Christians already? Like an Old Testament prophet, Kiergegaard used a variety of pointed and dramatic ways to shake people from their slumber. He incisively diagnosed the spiritual ailments of his age and offered a fresh take on classic Christian teaching. Mark Tietjen thinks that Kierkegaard's critique of his contemporaries strikes close to home today. We also need to listen to one of the most insightful yet complex Christian thinkers of any era. Through an examination of core Christian doctrines—the person of Jesus Christ, human nature, Christian witness and love—Tietjen helps us hear Kierkegaard's missionary message to a church that often fails to follow Christ with purity of heart.

We live in a day of advanced technology, but what lies behind it is applied knowledge. Knowledge is a sweeping term, serving as a common denominator undergirding science, philosophy, theology and the list goes on. It speaks to the condition of learnedness as opposed to merely opinion, or its absence, ignorance. Christianity is knowledge based too. Like pursuing a philosophic line of reasoning, this book engages the biblical trajectory that follows from the Tree of Knowledge. Drawing upon the great thinkers, topics such as the great debate over faith and reason, postmodernism, law in the confines of covenant, justice in the context of dominion, and the role of the Holy Spirit are addressed, distilling out key components related to knowledge, showing how the path forward leads into covenant-relationship.