Justin Martyr was a pagan philosopher who converted to Christianity. Once a prominent thinker who taught in many of the great urban centers of the Roman Empire, he was eventually executed because of his faith. In his “First Apology,” Justin defends Christian truth and practice in a letter to the Emperor Antoninus Pius. In this […]
Joel Marks, professor emeritus of philosophy at the University of New Haven and a scholar at the Interdisciplinary Center for Bioethics at Yale University, recounts his loss of faith in a recent New York Times article. Don’t misunderstand, he’s always been an atheist, but now he’s lost his faith in morality. I had thought I
An Atheist Who Loses Faith in His Morals Read Post »
19 “Do you give the horse his might? Do you clothe his neck with a mane? 20 Do you make him leap like the locust?” . . . 26 Is it by your understanding that the hawk soars and spreads his wings toward the south? 27 Is it at your command that the eagle mounts
Must an Intelligent Christian Be a Theistic Evolutionist? Read Post »
Maybe the IMF’s Dominique Strauss-Kahn thought he was wearing the Ring of Gyges, a mythical piece of jewelry which allows the wearer to become invisible. It shows up in Plato’s Republic, where Socrates posed the question whether the owner could behave himself. His interlocutor, Glaucon, suggested that, once invisible, few could resist stealing things, taking
The Perils of Gyges’ Ring Read Post »
As a philosopher, I find it a little embarrassing that the only two direct Bible references to my discipline are sort of negative. First, there’s Colossians 2:8: “Be careful that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deceit based on human tradition, based on the elemental forces of the world, and not based
Watch Out for Philosophy! Read Post »
Philosopher and educator, Mortimer Adler (1902-2001) wrote on everything from how to read a book to the existence of God; he sought to help people think clearly on any subject. This was partially the impetus behind his founding of organizations like the Institute for Philosophical Research, the Aspen Institute, and the Center for the Study
Mortimer Adler: Learning Is a Pain Read Post »
