Rational Faith A Philosopher Defense of Christianity Stephen T Davis 9781525233609 Books
Download As PDF : Rational Faith A Philosopher Defense of Christianity Stephen T Davis 9781525233609 Books
Why believe in God? Renowned philosopher Stephen Davis argues that belief in God is indeed a rational and intellectually sound endeavor. Drawing on a lifetime of rigorous reflection and critical thinking, he appraises objections fairly and openly, offering thoughtful approaches to common intellectual problems. Examine for yourself the rationality of the Christian faith.
Rational Faith A Philosopher Defense of Christianity Stephen T Davis 9781525233609 Books
Clear and articulate reasoning by the author, and an Honest assessment of the various arguments. I really enjoyed reading this book.Product details
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Tags : Rational Faith: A Philosopher's Defense of Christianity [Stephen T. Davis] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Why believe in God? Renowned philosopher Stephen Davis argues that belief in God is indeed a rational and intellectually sound endeavor. Drawing on a lifetime of rigorous reflection and critical thinking,Stephen T. Davis,Rational Faith: A Philosopher's Defense of Christianity,ReadHowYouWant,1525233602,RELIGION Christian Theology Apologetics
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Rational Faith A Philosopher Defense of Christianity Stephen T Davis 9781525233609 Books Reviews
The goal of the book Rational Faith by Stephen T Davis is to demonstrate that belief in Christianity is reasonable, and the book succeeds admirably.
One argument that the author gives is an argument from an objective moral law to an objective moral lawgiver, using genocide as a clear example of something objectively evil. That argument is compelling.
Atheists use the argument from the existence of evil in the world as evidence that there is no God. Stephen Davis does a superb summary of depicting what sort of a world a good God would create, and his depiction is a good match for our world. This thought experiment is cogent in that it gives convincing reason for why God ‘hides’ and why God allows evil to occur.
Another argument by atheists is that religious beliefs cannot be falsified and therefore can’t be proven correct. But the author correctly counters as follows
Yes, some religious beliefs are indeed unfalsifiable, but that can hardly count as an indictment of all of them. There are unfalsifiable beliefs in every area of life, even in science (e.g., the belief that natural laws will hold I the future just as they have in the past). Atheists too hold unfalsifiable beliefs (e.g., the belief that there is no conscious life beyond death).
Rational Faith then proceeds to demonstrate how Christianity fulfills several needs that science can’t, such as the need for purpose and meaning in life, for a sound ethical system, for ultimate justice and for life after death. Both Christianity’s ability to fulfill fundamental needs and to explain many features of the world we live in (such as consciousness) support the reasonableness of Christianity.
The section of other religions gives sound arguments for why religious pluralism is false; some religions contain more true beliefs than others. To top that off, Davis gives arguments for why Christianity is unique and much more reasonable than competing religions.
Another excellent observation that this book points out is that believers and non-believers differ not only in their beliefs, but believers in Christianity trust God.
There’s only one good reason to believe anything, and that’s if the belief is true. This book demonstrates clearly, concisely and cogently that not only is Christianity rational, it’s also true.
Christian apologetics is the discipline of making a case for veracity of the faith. Christians are always in need of able apologists, those who can offer a reason for the hope belonging to those in Christ. Every age will have its own set of challenges, and some theological problems are persistent across time. In Rational Faith, Stephen T. Davis addresses both kinds of questions, making his best case for the coherence and cogency of Christian convictions. Davis serves as the Russell K. Pitzer Professor of Philosophy at Claremont McKenna College, and in this book offers his scholarly and philosophical perspective on important issues in an understandable, accessible style.
Davis begins the book by describing his own journey, recalling a conversation between himself and an older gentleman just prior to his high school graduation. This gentleman warned Davis to avoid philosophy while in college, believing that discipline led many away from Christian faith. But Davis was convinced that if Christianity was true it would hold up to scrutiny, and when he later undertook the study of philosophy, he found that the tools and traditions of inquiry available within that discipline were helpful in addressing the great questions and in presenting logical and compelling answers to many of the pressing issues of our time. In Rational Faith, Davis presents arguments that would be of interest to Christian academics, but primarily writes to undergraduate or graduate students who are either committed Christians or who are considering Christianity. He hopes his book will be of help in addressing concerns or in articulating responses to very real and valid challenges to the Christian faith.
Davis presents his case against relativism and for objective truth, and argues for belief in God, the reliability of the Gospel accounts, and the resurrection of Jesus. He also addresses contemporary questions about faith and science, including evolution and findings in the cognitive sciences. Davis believes evolution and Christian faith can be compatible, so long as one holds to God as the Creator of all things. He also addresses Christianity's uniqueness and particularity, the problem of evil, and happiness.
I read this book from cover to cover. I found some answers worth arguing with, and others of great help in my own efforts to make a rational and compelling case for Christianity. Some passages should be read slowly (at least, I needed to read slowly), especially when Davis proceeds with step by step philosophical argumentation. Davis might not satisfy you with every answer, but he does clear away many obstacles and clarify difficult matters. This is worthwhile reading, and a good resource.
Perfect condition, thank you.
I have thoroughly enjoyed reading Dr. Davis' book. It is easy to read and argued well. I encourage all Christians to pick this up.
Clear and articulate reasoning by the author, and an Honest assessment of the various arguments. I really enjoyed reading this book.
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