I am privileged to be one of the general editors of the upcoming Dictionary of Christianity and Science (Zondervan, April 2017). Paul Copan, Tremper Longman, Michael Strauss, and I–along with our excellent team at Zondervan–have endeavored to create a reference work that tackles the most important terms, concepts, people, and debates at the intersection of Christianity and … [Read more...]
Cosmological Dialogue Concerning God’s Existence
Jane: Leibniz stated that “[w]hatever is not from something else is from itself, or from its own essence.”1 Would you agree with the axiom that everything that exists has an explanation of its existence either in the necessity of its own nature or in an external cause? John: Yes. Given the Principle of Sufficient Reason, I would agree with that axiom. Jane: Would you also agree … [Read more...]
Principle of Sufficient Reason
[This post is a work in progress as part of the CAA Catechism.] [Add the title only in the title field, not in the body of the post.] Summary in 400 words or less: Function of the PSR The Principle of Sufficient Reason (PSR) is a metaphysical philosophical theorem that Leibniz applied concerning both reality and truth. The PSR requires an explanation for why … [Read more...]
Leibnizian Cosmological Argument
[This post is a work in progress as part of the CAA Catechism.] [Add the title only in the title field, not in the body of the post.] Summary in 400 words or less: “Why is there something rather than nothing?” Good question. While Thomas Aquinas argued for God’s existence from ‘cause’ (God being the uncaused cause of the universe), Leibniz argued additionally from … [Read more...]
Convince Me There’s A God: Questions
Atheists know that “changing sides” is against the code. Not many of us do that – change sides – but I did. Atheists have been asking me for the past 40+ years why I went from atheism to theism. It’s a fair question and why I’m writing this series of articles about what convinced me that God exists. I’m reaching back to those months before May 1971 when I made “the change” to … [Read more...]
Convince Me There’s a God
So, you don't believe there's a God. I understand. I didn't believe in God either, until May of 1971. Most atheists I've talked with about the existence of God during the last 40 years have expressed their concern for me in one way or another. Some have asked if I was ill and on heavy medication at the time of my conversion. Others said I must have been a very poor atheist … [Read more...]