God and the Philosophers: The Reconciliation of Faith and Reason (Oxford Paperbacks)

This book is *not* a book of apologetics. It is, rather, an insightful look into the personal lives and thoughts of some of the worlds top philosophers who are also Christians. It is very successful in that task. The contributors list is a veritable Who's Who of philosophy: Thomas Morris William P. Alston Peter van Inwagen Michael J. Murray William J. Wainwritght Merold Westphal C. Stephen Layman Jerry Walls Robert C. Roberts Jeff Jordan Marilyn McCord Adams Brian Leftow George Mavrodes Eleonore Stump This book will challenge the discerning reader from both the rationalistic Christian perspective as well as the skeptic who is reading attentively. Very highly recommended.

"Most of the philosophers in the history of Western Civilization have believed in God" editor Tom Morris writes in the introduction of this book, and so many of the American academic world's leading professional philosophers come forward to share their exciting journeys of faith and life in this exciting collection. Readers come to realize how many of these writers have not only clung to their faith in a very secular world, but have continued to examine and strengthen it after finding truth and reason in Christian theism. Many of the philosophers briefly describe how they find their positions of faith to be the most reasonable to the other alternatives(I say briefly because I know each one could turn their essay into an entire book). They also strongly examine the weaknesses associated with their beliefs(such as the problem of evil) by carefully examining those weaknesses and giving strong arguments towards those weaknesses. The philosophers also show how religious and spiritual faith is not simply based on reason(like demonstrating a mathematical formula's truth or demonstrating the strongest chemical reaction) but also a great life commitment. Each demonstrates how their faith challenges them to become a better person physically, ethically, spiritually, as well as intellectually. I recommend this book to all who want to better understand how religious faith and spirituality are not only compatible with intellectual endeavors, but also greatly enhance them.

I thought this book was great. I really enjoyed reading the autobiographical accounts of how each philosopher came to have belief in God--and it was interesting to see the varied paths that were taken to reach that belief. I was enthralled by the section written by Peter van Inwagen. And I was pleasantly surprised by Michael J. Murray's essay. He offers a rational and intriguing argument on how to reconcile the existence of an omnibenevolent God with the presence of evil. It's barely mentioned, and is only one or two paragraphs long, but it's really interesting because it's not the usual expanation people give for that age-old question. If you're not familiar with his line of argument, it's worth buying the book just for that. This book also represents the views of a couple of Jewish philosophers, so that offers a bit of variety from the Evangelical Christian and Catholic philosophers. Overall, the essays provoke thought and provide encouragement to other people who believe in God and also value rationality.

Strange to say that this book was a deeper, more argumentative book than its companion "Philosophers Who Believe", which I also recommend highly. PWB contains the spiritual autobiographies of Evengelical Christians, and you would think they would have a lot to say in defense of their particular and usually exclusive faith. Yet though this book, "God and the Philosophers", contains the spiritual autobiographies of thinkers of many different faiths and religions, they are much more earnest in defending their faiths and making clear how they incorporate them into their work as professional thinkers. This book was probably the better of the two, though both are top-knotch. Read my review of the other at that site. The personal essays in this book are moving, sometimes combative, but always very personal and searching. Some of the authors appear to have thought this the occassion for offering arguments for their faith, for offering apologies; others that it was time to explore how they came to faith and how that faith plays a role in their lives as people and as thinkers. Once again, many of the essays are deeply inspiring, no matter what faith is being defended. One can hardly help but feel that God has been met, and met in many different places, on many different paths. This is encouraging and hopeful; and it calls us to keep exploring faith and to keep seeking God, to find ways to know and love him.