OldSchoolPresbyterian
Puritan Board Freshman
Can anyone recommend a good introduction to philosophy written from a Christian perspective? I'm looking for a book that goes over the basics of philosphy but with a Christian perspective. Thank you.
Best Intro to Philosophy from a Christian Perspective
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Polanus1561
Puritan Board Senior
I thought https://www.amazon.com/Lifes-Ultimate-Questions-Introduction-Philosophy/dp/0310223644 was very readable... @RamistThomist probably has better suggestions
RamistThomist
Puritanboard Clerk
Nash is a delight. Try to find his lectures. Sprouls consequences of ideas, particularly the ligonier course, is superb.
You can listen to R. C. Sproul on Philosophy in the series Consequences of Ideas.
https://www.ligonier.org/learn/series/consequences-of-ideas
https://www.ligonier.org/learn/series/consequences-of-ideas
- 25. The Enlightenment (Part 1)
R.C. SPROUL
- 25:13
26. The Enlightenment (Part 2)
R.C. SPROUL
- 24:46
27. Kant (Part 1)
R.C. SPROUL
- 24:24
28. Kant (Part 2)
R.C. SPROUL
- 24:53
29. Hegel
R.C. SPROUL
- 23:36
30. Marx
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- 25:08
31. Kierkegaard
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- 23:26
32. Nietzsche
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- 23:49
33. Sartre and Heidegger
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- 24:27
34. Russell
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- 23:14
35. Modern Philosophers
R.C. SPROUL
greenbaggins
Puritan Board Doctor
Gordon Clark's From Thales to Dewey is outstanding. Also, from a Roman Catholic perspective, Copleston's History of Philosophy is still non-pareil.
Charles Johnson
Puritan Board Junior
Julián Marías's History of Philosophy is great, although he is a Roman Catholic (not that it's a particularly "roman catholic" perspective. He was not a fan of the neo-scholastic Thomism of his day.)
Ulster Fry
Puritan Board Freshman
I really enjoyed Andrew Davison's The Love of Wisdom: An Introduction to Philosophy for Theologians. It's about 250 pages. There's a lot of options here to be honest, so you'll just have to decide what flavour you want. Davison puts a focus on dispelling the myth of the 'Dark Ages' and is particularly sympathetic to Aquinas' philosophy. He is very critical of contemporary analytic philosophy, especially when analytic philosophers of religion try to do theology (and I am largely in agreement with him here).
gcdugas
Puritan Board Freshman
Greg Bahnsen has this short series, and then he goes into more depth in other series also on sermon audio.
RamistThomist
Puritanboard Clerk
You'll have to pick and choose on the best intro to philosophy. This is also distinct from History of Philosophy.
One of the debates in the 20th century was between analytic and continental philosophy. The analytic guys focused on the relationship between logic and language. It could get tedious at times. Post-Ayer, though, analytic thinking has been quite fruitful and clear.
I strongly recommend Tom McCall's Introduction to Analytic Theology.
Continental guys up to Heidegger were interesting. Heidegger was a very poetic writer, but largely incoherent. You can avoid much of modern day continental philosophy. It is often a bunch of atheist communists who might have been pederasts. You'll get essays on "Queering the Other." While the following website is a joke (just keep hitting refresh), it is standard continental stuff.
One of the debates in the 20th century was between analytic and continental philosophy. The analytic guys focused on the relationship between logic and language. It could get tedious at times. Post-Ayer, though, analytic thinking has been quite fruitful and clear.
I strongly recommend Tom McCall's Introduction to Analytic Theology.
Continental guys up to Heidegger were interesting. Heidegger was a very poetic writer, but largely incoherent. You can avoid much of modern day continental philosophy. It is often a bunch of atheist communists who might have been pederasts. You'll get essays on "Queering the Other." While the following website is a joke (just keep hitting refresh), it is standard continental stuff.
Polanus1561
Puritan Board Senior
You read Frame's History of Western philosophy?
RamistThomist
Puritanboard Clerk
Yes. It's good on the modern era.
Ed Walsh
Puritan Board Senior
At the end of each overview of the many philosophers he discussed, he always gave a brief critique at the end of why they were wrong. (Job 38:1, 2)
Job 38:1-2
Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind and said, “Who is this that darkens counsel By words without knowledge?
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inkling
Puritan Board Freshman
As a supplemental text related specifically to reasoning, I liked, Come, Let Us Reason: An Introduction to Logical Thinking by Geisler and Brooks. I was assigned this in college 31 years ago and appreciated it so much that I still have the copy, which I have referred to many times since. Amazon reviews are all over the board: some say too simplistic, others too technical, and some even accuse it of a religious agenda (you don't say?), but most recommend it. I think it is a great introduction prior to Organon or commentaries by Aquinas. Logos has the electronic version available.
Charles Johnson
Puritan Board Junior
Speaking of logic, Polanus's Syntagma of Aristotelian-Ramist Logic is quite good. Hopefully it gets into English some day. It would put to bed a lot of silly rumors about post-Reformation views on logic and metaphysics, not the least of which is that Ramism is fundamentally anti-aristotelian (it's not.) Or that the Reformers were deeply interested in a Thomistic approach to metaphysics and logic (they were really just Aristotelian. They had their own works on logic and metaphysics and they weren't particularly interested in Thomas's writings on the matter).
RamistThomist
Puritanboard Clerk
I used this very text in my high school sunday school class yesterday.
inkling
Puritan Board Freshman
What a blessing for those young adults - reading, writing, and thinking clearly is such a precious gift to our faith and functioning in the world. Although our youngest (21) who is highly rational sometimes drives me crazy...
Polanus1561
Puritan Board Senior
Poythress on Logic. Seeing as it is free, it is worth a look. @RamistThomist thoughts?
RamistThomist
Puritanboard Clerk
It is over-priced. The material itself is good, but only half the book deals with logic. The rest of it is his basic "worldview" stuff.
Review: Logic-A God Centered Approach (Poythress)
This is not a logic textbook, yet it is not quite a worldview approach to logic. It is something of both, yet completely neither. I still liked it, though. He begins with a theological “gro…
tentsofshem.wordpress.com
jwright82
Puritan Board Post-Graduate
He also wrote a book on introducing philosophy as well. Worldview thinking, not to start a debate, is essential to tackling these issues. I believe its titled "Philosophy A God Centered Aproach".It is over-priced. The material itself is good, but only half the book deals with logic. The rest of it is his basic "worldview" stuff.
Review: Logic-A God Centered Approach (Poythress)
This is not a logic textbook, yet it is not quite a worldview approach to logic. It is something of both, yet completely neither. I still liked it, though. He begins with a theological “gro…
HauerVos
Puritan Board Freshman
Not a Christian perspective, but Simon Blackburn’s Think was used in my high school philosophy class, and I still flip through it on occasion. Philosophical Foundations for a Christian Worldview by Moreland and WLC is fine if you can discern, stomach, and contend with their social-trinitarianism and theistic personalism. Their chapters on Simplicity, Eternity, Immutability, etc. are essentially polemics. In fact, maybe I don’t recommend it.
HauerVos
Puritan Board Freshman
I second this recommendation. Some of the essays in Crisp and Rea’s edited volume Analytic Theology are helpful too.
RamistThomist
Puritanboard Clerk
Same here. When I was working through issues on substance dualism, I read it backwards and forwards. I can't recommend it, though, as much as I like Moreland.
JLB
Puritan Board Freshman
How I long for someone to but all his works to ink. Audio quality is hit or miss and I personally prefer reading over listening.Greg Bahnsen has this short series, and then he goes into more depth in other series also on sermon audio.
RobertPGH1981
Puritan Board Sophomore
At RPTS our professor had us purchase THALES to DEWY by Gordon H. Clark. I have found it thorough but decent.
RamistThomist
Puritanboard Clerk
Clark is an excellent writer, but I demur at some of his conclusions.
Ulster Fry
Puritan Board Freshman
This made me chuckle as I’ve just finished the latter work you mention. I completely agree - if you could cut off the entire section on Christian theology (maybe with the exception of the atonement chapter) then it is an excellent resource, particularly in how it is able to give good arguments against naturalism. But the section on God’s attributes is truly awful. I will only say that it is useful for someone like me trying to find out what arguments these theistic personalists are using and their objections to classical Christianity.
It’s also telling that you recommend Blackburn’s Think before the work that is supposed to be Christian! Better when you’re dealing with someone you know isn’t a Christian than a bunch of Christian philosophers trying to convince you to become a Neo-Apollinarian.
jwright82
Puritan Board Post-Graduate
Couldn't agree more. I have the second to last of Copleston's series and if the quality of that one is any indication of the rest than I'm positive the rest are good. Clark's book is great too.
jwright82
Puritan Board Post-Graduate
Yeah he completely, almost admittedly, the later Wittgenstein in his book on language. He professes conclusion at his philosophy without seeming to be of the power house it was in philosophy at the time.
RamistThomist
Puritanboard Clerk
Yes. There is more accessible material out there, but Holmes was a good scholar. His book on ethics is outstanding.
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