Last Seminary

Absolutely a must-have. Required reading for anyone interested in philosophical apologetics. C.S. Lewis was arguably the greatest Christian apologist of the twentieth century and he inspired a whole generation of apologists and philosophers that have come after him.-J.S.

This is by no means an entry-level work, and it may take a while for the beginner to work through, but it will definitely be worth the effort. Evans has truly given the thinking Christian a tremendous gift in this book. He has integrated epistemology, atonement theory, New Testament research, and much more to give us a complete picture of how the Christian can be rational in holding specific beliefs about the historical figure of Jesus. Modern "historical Jesus" research is badly in need of more input from philosophy in general, and Christians truly need the guidance and analysis of specifically Christian philosophers regarding the interface between historical research and their faith. This book belongs in the library of every thoughtful Christian. - J.S.

Excellent introductory text. Evans presents some of the reasons for belief that he thinks the ordinary person will find most convincing. Classical arguments for God's existence accompanied by Evans'  own unique arguments and angles, all presented in a style easily accessible to the layman. It is definitely not short on depth of insight as a result.  This is the kind of book the intellectual theist can meditate on. And if you have ever looked for that book to loan to a friend who is new to these issues but serious enough to grapple with them, this is that book. - J.S.

Another must-have. If your background is more along the lines of popular apologetics and you strain to see how analytic philosophy is relevant to your faith, then this is the book for you. The depth and clarity of this collection of essays is exceptional. New papers  covering the problem of hell and evil, ethics, eastern religions, arguments for the existence of God, pluralism, miracles, the inspiration of scripture and more. Contributors include Michael Murray, Robin Collins, Daniel Howard-Snyder, and Timothy O'Connor. Don't be fooled by the soft title and look of this book. It packs a punch. - J.S.

So you don't have the time or the money to go to school, but you want to read one single book that will instantly transform you into a Christian apologist/philosopher guru with a mastery of logic, metaphysics, epistemology, ethics , and theistic arguments? Well, that book doesn't exist, and you also probably need to stop watching the Matrix. But all hope is not lost. If you purchase this book by Craig and Moreland and actually study it, you're bound to have at least an intermediate grasp of the issues.  This is a book for serious students of apologetics and philosophy and is definitely not light reading. Its 653 pages cover more ground in a more cohesive manner than any other work I have seen on the subject. It should probably be renamed "The Christian Theists' Guide to the Galaxy." - J.S.

This is one of the best anthologies of contemporary Christian philosophy available. Religious Epistemology, Natural Theology, the Problem of Evil -- you name it, and its in here. There are even excellent philosophical treatments of core issues in Christian theology such as the Atonement, petitionary prayer, the Trinity, and the Incarnation. Contributors include William L. Craig, J.P. Moreland, Michael Murray, Eleonore Stump, Steven Porter, Philip L. Quinn, Robin Collins, and many more.

Cutting edge Philosophy of Religion. Covers most of the current important controversies (resurrection, divine hiddenness, evidential arg. from evil, open theism, etc.). Contributers include William Alston,  David Basinger, Craig A. Boyd, Stephen T. Davis, Evan Fales, , William Hasker, Paul Helm, Daniel Howard-Snyder,  Michael Martin, Paul K. Moser, Michael J. Murray, Del Ratzsch,  J. L. Schellenberg, Keith E. Yandell, and many more. This book is done in a debate-style format in which each topical essay is followed by a response from an opponent, and concludes with a shortened response to this rebuttal by the original essayist. - J.S.

"Few philosophers or theologians exerted as much influence on the shape of Medieval thought as Thomas Aquinas. He ranks amongst the most famous of the Western philosophers and was responsible for almost single-handedly bringing the philosophy of Aristotle into harmony with Christianity. He was also one of the first philosophers to argue that philosophy and theology could support each other. The shape of metaphysics, theology, and Aristotelian thought today still bears the imprint of Aquinas work.

"In this extensive and deeply researched study, Eleonore Stump enages Aquinas across the full range of his philosophical writings. She examines Aquinas' major works, Summa Theologiae and Summa Contra Gentiles and clearly assesses the vast range of Aquinas' thought from his metaphysics, theology, philosophy of mind and epistemology to his views on free will, action, the soul and ethics, law and politics. She considers the influence of Aquinas' thought on contemporary philosophy and why he should be still read today." - Amazon.com

"The third edition of this comprehensive work explores perennial questions in the philosophy of religion, adding valuable new material while retaining the accessible style and thorough coverage of previous editions. Drawing from the best in both classical and contemporary discussions, the authors examine standard topics in the field as well as more recent issues. The new edition adds material on feminist views of religious language, the new Intelligent Design argument, and the question of how relativity theory relates to divine timelessness. It also takes into account recent work by Marilyn Adams and Alvin Plantinga and adds a new chapter on God's action in the world." - Amazon.com

"Faith and Reason offers a wide selection including items rarely anthologised in such collections. This is ideal for courses in philosophy of religion and theology, and a very useful work of reference." - John Haldane, University of St. Andrews

Ronald Nash outlines the Christian way of looking at God, self, and the world, holding the Christian worldview up against the tests of reason, logic, and experience.