November – 2011 – Thinking Christian

Monthly Archives: November 2011

A Taste of New Mystery: Thomism and Intelligent Design

My post on Plantinga raised an old question again: is Intelligent Design poor theology, poor metaphysics, as certain Thomist theologians/philosophers think it is? Specifically, does it “give the game away” to naturalists/materialists by conceiving of the world in a mechanistic sense, making God a tinkerer in his creation? Does it misconceive who God is in …

November 30, 2011 – 10:32 pm | By Tom Gilson | Posted in Origins and Science, Thinking Christianly | Tagged Behe, Dembski, Discovery Institute, Edward Feser, Evolution, Intelligent Design, Mechanism, Philosophy, Reductio ad Absurdum, Science, Strategy, Thomas Aquinas, Thomists | Comments (41)

“Singing Hymns to Gravity”

I thought you might enjoy this, from Tom Graffagnino: Stephen Hawking has been talking, Hawking Faith in what’s unseen; Rub the lamp and there you have it! We can see just what he means! … Watch!….. Spontaneous Creation! All from Nothing like we thought… “POOF!”…… String Theory’s “multiverses” All strung out in Godless Noughts. Mental …

November 29, 2011 – 6:00 am | By Tom Gilson | Posted in Origins and Science | Tagged Faith, Scientism, Stephen Hawking | Comments (1)

Happy Belated Pre-Thanksgiving!

It’s the belated pre-Thanksgiving Christian Carnival, at Ichthus77.

November 27, 2011 – 8:48 pm | By Tom Gilson | Posted in Worth Reading | Tagged Worth Reading | Comments (0)

Plantinga: There’s No Good Argument For Design, But Who Needs One?

Book Review There are heavyweights in Christian philosophy, and there is Alvin Plantinga, whose name virtually never comes up without the descriptor, “most influential Christian philosopher of our generation.” In his latest book, Where the Conflict Really Lies: Science, Religion, and Naturalism, he comes to a surprising conclusion about Intelligent Design. To put it perhaps …

November 27, 2011 – 7:22 am | By Tom Gilson | Posted in Intellectual Engagement, Origins and Science, Thinking Christianly | Tagged Behe, Book Review, Christian, Dawkins, Epistemology, Fine-Tuning, Intelligent Design, Naturalism, Philosophy, Plantinga, Religion, Science | Comments (114)

The Electronic Student: Bible Study (Black Friday Edition)

This entry is part 2 of 5 in the series The Electronic Student

The Internet is the best and worst thing that could have happened to serious study, I wrote last time in this series. The benefit is in the sheer quantity of information available. The chief problem is distraction. There are other risks, including that of becoming a Google scholar. Studying the Bible on computer is another …

November 25, 2011 – 8:55 am | By Tom Gilson | Posted in Bible, Intellectual Engagement, The Faith, Thinking Christianly | Tagged Accordance, Bible, Bible Study, Black Friday, Computer, Logos, Sword Project | Comments (1)

If Christianity Is Your Religion, Don’t Thank God for the Cross

If Christianity were my religion, I wouldn’t thank God for the Cross. But it’s not my religion, and on Thanksgiving Day here in the U.S. tomorrow, I will be giving God all the thanks I can give him for the Cross of Jesus Christ. I know I need to explain that, and I will. First …

November 23, 2011 – 8:13 am | By Tom Gilson | Posted in Life and Choices, Postmodernism/ Relativism, Religions, The Faith, Worldviews | Tagged Christ, Christianity, Cross, Pluralism, Thanksgiving, Ways to God | Comments (13)

The Argumentum ad Smarterum

I’m a firm believer in speaking the truth with love (Eph. 4:15) and letting my speech be gracious, “seasoned with salt” (Col. 4:6). Usually this means practicing great patience and gentleness. There is one frequent form of skeptic/atheist argument, though, for which love demands a firm and intense rebuttal. I’m referring to the argumentum ad …

November 21, 2011 – 1:33 pm | By Tom Gilson | Posted in Intellectual Engagement, New Atheism | Tagged Argument, Atheism, Christ, Evidence, Humility, logic, Love, Pride, Reason | Comments (28)

The Electronic Student, Part 1

This entry is part 1 of 5 in the series The Electronic Student

If learning is the key to human flourishing, then the age of electronics ought to be our long-awaited golden age of social renewal; for when in history have we had so much knowledge right at our fingertips? You’re not buying that, I can tell. Here I am kicking off a multi-part series on learning in …

November 18, 2011 – 1:34 pm | By Tom Gilson | Posted in Intellectual Engagement, Thinking Christianly | Tagged Distraction, Focus, Freedom, Internet, Nook, Reading, Study | Comments (0)

Thinking Christian

Monthly Archives: November 2011

A Taste of New Mystery: Thomism and Intelligent Design

“Singing Hymns to Gravity”

Happy Belated Pre-Thanksgiving!

Plantinga: There’s No Good Argument For Design, But Who Needs One?

The Electronic Student: Bible Study (Black Friday Edition)

If Christianity Is Your Religion, Don’t Thank God for the Cross

The Argumentum ad Smarterum

The Electronic Student, Part 1

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