R. Douglas Geivett's Blog, page 5
June 4, 2015
Teaching Philosophy of Religion to Junior High Kids
Yesterday I spoke in two classes, a 7th-grade class and an 8th-grade class, at Vineyard Christian School in Anaheim. Our topic? The Existence of God. I had a 2-page handout for them, and in 45 minutes we examined the value of evidence for what we believe, what it means to have evidence, and what sort […]
The Campus Crusaders – NYTimes.com
For some much-needed moral clarity about activist crusaders at colleges and universities today, here’s an article I recommend: The Campus Crusaders – NYTimes.com One goal here at my website is to cultivate the kind of “worldly philosophers” David Brooks alludes to at the end of his post. * * * Kirsten Power’s book The Siliencing […]
June 2, 2015
W. H. Griffith Thomas (1861-1924) – How We Got Our Bible
Born in 1861, W. H. Griffith Thomas died on this date in 1924. His greatest and most sophisticated work is his book The Principles of Theology, a commentary on the Thirty-Nine Articles of the Anglican Church. But one short and reader-friendly book that should interest students of Christian apologetics is How We Got Our Bible. […]
Arnold Lunn (1888-1974) – Skiing Expert, Agnostic, and Christian Apologist
Arnold Lunn was born to a Methodist minister, but he was himself agnostic and a critic of Christianity—until he was 45 years old, when he converted to the faith. Today is the anniversary of his death in 1974. Lunn was a professional skier and full-time enthusiast. He founded the Alpin Ski Club and the Kandahar […]
June 1, 2015
Justin Martyr—Apologist for Today
Today is the Feast Day for Justin Martyr (ca. 100-165 AD), considered by many to be the first great apologist of the Christian church. The apostle Paul is surely a better candidate for that distinction. But Paul was an inspired author of Scripture. This is not true of any of the other great Christian apologists. […]
May 26, 2015
Thingamajig #2
What’s the causal relation between these two objects, and what third object is missing from this picture? Filed under: Other Tagged: Thingamajigs, Tools
May 25, 2015
Crossing the Heath with William Paley (1743-1805)
On this date in 1805, the Christian church lost one of its ablest and most-remembered defenders. William Paley—Anglican minister, professor, and author—is permanently associated with the analogy of a watchmaker and the God of personal theism. He wrote that “the contrivances of nature . . . are not less evidently mechanical, not less evidently contrivances, […]
May 23, 2015
Death Is a Big Deal—Mortal Motivation Theory in Psychology
Death is a big deal. Most of us know it, or acknowledge it. Those of us who don’t are in denial—a fairly typical way of coping with unpleasant or unwelcome realities. A handful of psychologists have developed a theory about how the fear or anticipation of our personal demise influences the way we make sense […]
May 22, 2015
How One Psychologist Is Tackling Human Biases in Science
How One Psychologist Is Tackling Human Biases in Science. What is no doubt bad news for many scientists should be good news for the progress of science and the enterprise of knowing. It’s good to see greater effort being made to explore the place of intellectual virtue in the practice of science. And there is […]
May 21, 2015
‘Born Bad’: How the idea that we’re all sinners has shaped Western culture – The Washington Post
‘Born Bad’: How the idea that we’re all sinners has shaped Western culture – The Washington Post. Read this book review by Michael Dirda and consider where the argument about original sin and the history of Christian doctrine errs. Your observations are welcome. Feel free to share using the comments box below.Filed under: Books, Christianity, […]
