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>t r ack ing s pir i tual t r ends in the 21 s t centur y

volum e 18 : 30 (1 , 166) / August 7 , 201

In this issue:

ATHEISM - has Alvin Plantinga

inuenced Christian philosophy andapologetics more than any othercontemporary thinker?

+ a brie update on John W. Lous, theactivist skeptic who targets Christianapologists

CHRISTOLOGY - responding to theprogressive theology o resurrectionas metaphor and apparition

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ATHEISMIssue 54:1 o Southwestern Journal of Te-ology5 has a ocus on Te New Atheism,and it does a nice job o packaging the sub-

ject. It begins with Outrageous Quotes byNew Atheists (pp3-5), which illustratesthe dismissive and hostile attitude o thenew atheism, as well as the outrageousclaims made [by] several o the key authorsin the movement.

In his introduction to this issue, JohnD. Laing explains (pp6-12): Te articles inthis issue are not meant to address all othe claims and arguments made by the new

atheists, but rather to meet some o themost outlandish and/or compelling, whileoering some advice or engaging atheistsin dialog. ...

Te reader may also notice that a num-ber o the articles reerence the apologeticwork o Alvin Plantinga. Perhaps more thanany other contemporary thinker, Plantingahas impacted the discipline o Christianphilosophy and apologetics. ... His entirecareer has been dedicated to engaging thearguments o atheism at the scholarly levelwith the philosophical rigor o a logician....

Laing provides a brie summary o his workand its impact on the discussion, observingthat it is perhaps best to think o Plantingaswork as including deensive and oensiveapologetics. ...

Plantinga is most amous or hisresponse to the evidentialist argumentagainst theism, in which the claim is madethat one may only be justied in believingsomething on sucient evidence. ... Teidea is that persons can only be justied inbelieving in God i they do so because theyhave been convinced o His existence by

some sort o evidence, and this, usually bymeans o an argument rom the evidenceor or basic belies. Plantinga questions thepremise that belie works this way, and oerscounter-examples to the claim. Tank Godor Laings willingness to brave signicantrisk o oversimplication here in avor oproviding a masterully concise analysis.

Tere is also How to Debate an Atheist I You Must by William Dembski (pp55-70). Rather than serious technical instruc-tion, Dembski takes a pastoral approach

(which dees easy summarization here).Finally, John B. Howell III oers co

ments on Richard Dawkins Te God Desion,3 accessible or download at

Te Christian Delusion: Why Faith Fails, JoW. Lous, ed.1 Amos Briscoes helpreview contains little criticism and no snicant response. Aer a brie bibliographsurvey o the work that Lous has producBriscoe notes that since Lous comes roa Stone-Campbell heritage (studying undJames Strauss and William Lane Craig) a

once preached in churches o this persptive, it is unlikely that aithul scholars o theritage will stop engaging and respondito him.... Briscoe adds that this book is rst attempt to collect the essays o a numbo like-minded skeptics. ...

In an eort to provide some directionthis collection o essays, Lous has arrangthem under ve headings. Tese ve paare: Why Faith Fails, Why the Bible Is NGods Word, Why the Christian God Is NGood, Why Jesus Is Not the Risen SonGod, and Why Society Does Not Depe

on Christian Faith. At once, readers csee that Lous and company are not cocerned with broad philosophical argumeover Gods existence but instead are monarrowly ocused on criticizing Christiaitys theology and Scripture, oen with tmore acute task o responding to the vieo Christian apologists. Tis approachconsistent with Louss view o his rolestanding in the gap between Christiaand atheists. He wants to be the atheist thengages the arguments o Christian scholrather than dismissing them, and he wan

Christians to return the avor. ...While Louss low view o Christia

ity will continue to disappoint the aithhe is part o a long-overdue movement (both sides o the debate) away rom bliapologetics and generic arguments, atoward something more communicatiengaging, and human. Much o the marial in this volume represents responsesreal Christian scholarship. Believers shoucongratulate such honest disagreeme

(continued on next page)

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Atheism (continued)

the unprecedented, bizarre reports o therisen Jesus, knows that Jesus was not merelyresuscitated to return to mortal existence.

In Wrights terms, the risen Jesus existed ina transphysical body.

Wright asserts that the proclamationo an historical individual, Jesus, as risenLord and Messiah, is a startling, innova-tive mutation within Judaism that requiresexplanation.

Wells goes on to describe Wrightsinteraction with Progressive leaders. Wellssummarizes: Many weighty scholars andtheologians arm the bodily resurrectiono Jesus, and oer critique o the supposi-tions that underlie the theology o the Pro-

gressives. ...Others vigorously deend the bodily

character o the risen Jesus as more in linewith contemporary science and philosophi-cal anthropology. Tose mentioned includeJohn Polkinghorne, Nancey Murphy, andJrgen Moltmann.

Wells concludes that the progressivetheology o resurrection as metaphor andapparition is a pale and abstract doctrinethat oers little hope o sustaining a aithulChristian community in a dicult uture.ouchstone, 30:1 - 2012, pp35-43.

Also consider Te Christology o JohnDominic Crossan and an Alternative byDon Schweitzer in the same issue oSWJ(pp25-34) mentioned above. Schweitzer has

that acknowledge Christian academia andreturn the avor, as it appears Randal Rauserwill be doing in God or Godless?3 Stone-Campbell Journal, 15:2 - 2012, pp259-262.6

For an opposing view regarding Lousand his credentials:

CHRISTOLOGY

Te Resurrection o Jesus According toProgressive Christianity by Harold Wells opens with an attempt to acknowledgecommon ground, claiming that manyChristians have much in common withthose who call themselves progressive. Wegenerally concur with their sharp opposi-tion to simplistic biblical literalism, andknow that the Bible includes symbol, meta-phor and legend. We eel no need to creditevery miracle story as actual, and recog-nize discrepancies and elements o legendeven in the various gospel accounts o the

resurrection. ...Te Progressive theologians are not a

well dened group, but on the question othe resurrection o Jesus, major commonali-ties exist among such gures as John ShelbySpong, Marcus Borg, and John DominicCrossan, all inuential authors among ourchurch olk. A close look a their oerings onthe resurrection reveals that their main oper-ative concepts are metaphor and apparition.In this brie article, I will ask whether the res-urrection understood in these terms is reallymore credible than arming it as an actual,bodily event, and whether Christian aith issustainable into the uture on the basis o res-urrection understood in this way.

Aer examining the terms metaphorand apparition (and how progressivesapply them), Wells acknowledges thatCritical questions are raised, o couse, overagainst these progressive perspectives onthe resurrection. A major opponent is N.. Wright, whose vast knowledge o ancientreligious and philosophical texts outshines(in my view) even that o Crossan. In an

800-page volume, Te Resurrection of theSon of God,4 Wright challenges commonprogressivist arguments against the unique-ness o Jesus resurrection, such as the re-quent claim that it is analogous to other res-urrections in the ancient world....

Wright contends that nowhere withinJudaism, let alone paganism, is a sustainedclaim advanced that resurrection has actu-ally happened to a particular individual. ...Te Progressives oen speak pejorativelyo resuscitation o Jesus body as a naivemisunderstanding. But Wright, pointing to

a ocus on [Crossans] understanding Jesus Christ as a way o discussing the chrtology o Progressive Christianity.

souRCes: mnraph

1 - Te Christian Delusion: Why FaithFails, John W. Lous, ed. (Prometheus,2010, paperback, 422 pages)

2 - Te God Delusion, by Richard Dawkin(Houghton Mifin, 2006, hardcover, 288pages)

3 - God or Godless?: One Atheist. One Chrtian. wenty Controversial Questions, byJohn W. Lous and Randal Rauser (Baker2013, paperback, 208 pages)

4 - Te Resurrection of the Son of God, by. Wright (Fortress, 2003, paperback, 740pages)

souRCes: Pridica

5 - Southwestern Journal of Teology(Southern Baptist),

6 - Stone-Campbell Journal,

volum e 18 : 30 (1 , 166) / August 7 , 2013

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