User:Drrll/William Lane Craig

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William Lane Craig
Born (1949-08-23) August 23, 1949 (age 74)
Peoria, Illinois
Era21st-century philosophy
RegionWestern Philosophy
SchoolAnalytic Philosophy
Main interests
Philosophy of religion, Natural theology, Philosophy of time, Christian Apologetics
Notable ideas
Kalam cosmological argument

William Lane Craig (born August 23, 1949) is an American Evangelical Christian apologist, theologian, and analytic philosopher known for his work in the philosophy of religion, historical Jesus studies, and the philosophy of time. He is a contemporary proponent of natural theology, often participating in debates on the existence of God. In 1979 he authored The Kalam Cosmological Argument, a defense of the argument with the same name. He is currently a Research Professor of Philosophy at Talbot School of Theology, Biola University.[1]

Biography[edit]

Craig was born in Peoria, Illinois, and became a Christian at the age of sixteen. Craig received a BA in communications from Wheaton College, Illinois in 1971 and two MA degrees from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, Deerfield, Illinois, in 1975 and 1976, in philosophy of religion and church history. He earned a Ph.D. in Philosophy at the University of Birmingham, England in 1977 and Th.D. under Wolfhart Pannenberg at the University of Munich in 1984. From 1980 to 1986 he was an Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He also briefly held the position of associate professor of Religious Studies at Westmont College, Santa Barbara, California in 1986. Between 1987 and 1994 Craig pursued further research at the University of Leuven, Belgium. Since 1994 he has been a Research Professor of Philosophy at Talbot School of Theology, La Mirada, California. He is a fellow of the Discovery Institute's Center for Science and Culture, which is the hub of the intelligent design movement,[2] and a fellow of the International Society for Complexity, Information and Design (ISCID).[3]

Craig suffers from a neuromuscular disorder called Charcot–Marie–Tooth disease, a hereditary disorder, which is autosomal dominant and X chromosome linked which means that his mother was a carrier of the mutant allele and passed it to him, that involves the slow disintegration of the myelin sheaths around the nerves in the forearms and legs, resulting in progressive muscular atrophy.[4]

Professional activities[edit]

Craig has been participating in debates concerning the existence of God for over 20 years, some of which have been subsequently published as books. During his career, Craig has debated the historical evidence for the resurrection of Jesus with Bart D. Ehrman,[5] Robert M. Price,[6] on the existence of God with Christopher Hitchens,[7] Antony Flew,[8] Quentin Smith,[9] as well as having debated the biblical scholar, former Catholic priest, and co-founder of the Jesus Seminar, John Dominic Crossan. Craig has also debated Muslims concerning the concept of God.[10]

Craig is a Molinist who embraces a reformed epistemology and is inclined towards progressive creationism,[11] although he is open to where the evidence leads. He has published on the historicity of the resurrection accounts of Jesus and the philosophy of time for which he advocates a tensed or A-Theory of time and a Neo-Lorentzian interpretation of the Theory of Relativity.[12] In addition, he argues extensively for a finely tuned theistic universe,[13] a personal cause of the universe, and a theistic objective morality.

His work in Christian apologetics includes critiques of evolution via natural selection,[14] new atheism,[15] liberal theology,[16] metaphysical naturalism, logical positivism, postmodernism,[17] moral relativism, Roman Catholicism,[18] Mormonism,[19][20][21] Islam,[22] engagement in homosexual practice (that is, he believes that a person can have both a homosexual orientation and be a "Spirit-filled Christian"),[23][24] and the Jesus Seminar.

Craig maintains an Atlanta-based ministry called Reasonable Faith, with 25 local chapters.[25] Its website of the same name offers resources in the field of Christian apologetics, including articles, newsletters, and transcripts of debates.

Bibliography[edit]

Scholarly books[edit]

  • The Kalam Cosmological Argument. London: MacMillan. 1979.
  • The Cosmological Argument from Plato to Leibniz. London: MacMillan. 1980.
  • The Historical Argument for the Resurrection of Jesus during the Deist Controversy. Toronto: Edwin Mellen. 1985.
  • The Problem of Divine Foreknowledge and Future Contingents from Aristotle to Suarez. Leiden: E.J. Brill. 1988.
  • Assessing the New Testament Evidence for the Historicity of the Resurrection of Jesus. Toronto: Edwin Mellen Press. 1989.
  • Divine Foreknowledge and Human Freedom: The Coherence of Theism I: Omniscience. Leiden: E.J. Brill. 1990.
  • (ed. with Mark S. McLeod) The Logic of Rational Theism: Exploratory Essays. New York: Edwin Mellen Press. 1990.
  • (co-authored with Quentin Smith) Theism, Atheism, and Big Bang Cosmology. Oxford: Clarendon Press. 1993.
  • The Tensed Theory of Time: A Critical Examination. Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic Publishers. 2000.
  • The Tenseless Theory of Time: A Critical Examination. Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic Publishers. 2000.
  • (ed. with J.P. Moreland) Naturalism: A Critical Analysis. London: Routledge. 2000.
  • God, Time and Eternity. Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic Publishers. 2001.
  • Time and The Metaphysics of Relativity. Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic Publishers. 2001.
  • (ed.) Philosophy of Religion: A Reader and Guide. New Brunswick: Rutgers University Press. 2002.
  • (ed. with Quentin Smith) Einstein, Relativity, and Absolute Simultaneity. London: Routledge. 2007.
  • (ed. with J.P. Moreland) The Blackwell Companion to Natural Theology. Oxford: Blackwell. 2009.

Popular books[edit]

  • The Son Rises: Historical evidence for the resurrection of Jesus. Chicago: Moody Press. 1981.
  • Apologetics: An Introduction. Chicago: Moody Press. 1984. ISBN 0802404057
  • The Only Wise God: The Compatibility of Divine Foreknowledge and Human Freedom. Grand Rapids: Baker Bookhouse. 1987.
  • Knowing the Truth About the Resurrection. Ann Arbor: Servant. 1988.
  • No Easy Answers. Chicago: Moody Press. 1990.
  • Reasonable Faith. Wheaton: Crossway. 1994. rev. 3rd ed. 2008.
  • God, Are You There?. Atlanta: RZIM. 1999.
  • Time and Eternity: Exploring God's Relationship to Time. Wheaton: Crossway. 2001.
  • What Does God Know? Atlanta: RZIM. 2002.
  • Hard Questions, Real Answers. Wheaton: Crossway Books. 2003.
  • (co-authored with J.P. Moreland) Philosophical Foundations for a Christian Worldview. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press. 2003.
  • (ed. with Francis Beckwith and J. P. Moreland) To Everyone an Answer: A Case for the Christian Worldview: Essays in Honor of Norman Geisler. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press. 2004.
  • (co-authored with Paul Copan) Creation out of Nothing: Its Biblical, Philosophical, and Scientific Exploration. Grand Rapids: Baker Bookhouse. 2004. ISBN 0801027330
  • (ed. with Paul Gould) The Two Tasks of the Christian Scholar: Redeeming the Soul, Redeeming the Mind. Wheaton: Crossway. 2007.
  • (ed. with Paul Copan) Passionate Conviction: Contemporary Discourses on Christian Apologetics. Nashville: Broadman & Holman. 2007.
  • (ed. with Chad Meister) God Is Great, God Is Good. Downers Grove: InterVarsity. 2009.
  • (ed. with Paul Copan) Contending with Christianity's Critics: Answering New Atheists & Other Objectors. Nashville: Broadman & Holman. 2009.
  • On Guard: Defending Your Faith with Reason and Precision. Colorado Springs: David C. Cook. 2010.

Debate books[edit]

  • Will the Real Jesus Please Stand Up? A Debate Between William Lane Craig and John Dominic Crossan (ed. Paul Copan). Grand Rapids: Baker Bookhouse. 1998.
  • Jesus' Resurrection: Fact or Figment? A Debate Between William Lane Craig and Gerd Ludemann (eds. Paul Copan and Ronald K. Tacelli). Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press. 2000.
  • Five Views on Apologetics (ed. Steven B. Cowan). Grand Rapids: Zondervan. 2000.
  • Divine Foreknowledge: Four Views (eds. James K. Beilby and Paul R. Eddy). Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press. 2001.
  • God and Time: Four Views (ed. Gregory Ganssle). Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press. 2001.
  • Who Was Jesus? A Jewish-Christian Dialogue. (eds. Paul Copan and Craig Evans). Louisville: Westminster-John Knox Press. 2001.
  • Does God Exist? The Craig-Flew Debate (ed. Stan W. Wallace). Aldershot: Ashgate. 2003.
  • (co-authored with Walter Sinnot-Armstrong)God?: A Debate Between a Christian and an Atheist. New York: Oxford University Press. 2003.
  • Is Goodness Without God Good Enough? (eds. Robert Garcia and Nathan King). Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield. 2008.
  • What Does God Control? Four Views on Divine Providence (ed. Dennis W. Jowers). Grand Rapids: Zondervan. forthcoming.

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Talbot School of Theology Faculty Page". Retrieved 8 May 2010.
  2. ^ "William Lane. Craig, Fellow - CSC". Center for Science and Culture (Discovery Institute). 2009. Retrieved 2009-04-24.
  3. ^ "ISCID Fellows". International Society for Complexity, Information and Design. 2009. Retrieved 2007-02-19.
  4. ^ "Maintaining Physical Stamina". Reasonable Faith. 2009. Retrieved 2010-09-14.
  5. ^ Craig, W.L.; Eherman, Bart D. (2006). "Is There Historical Evidence for the Resurrection of Jesus?" (PDF). Retrieved 2010-06-28.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  6. ^ Craig, W.L.; Price, Robert M. (1999). "Is There Historical Evidence for the Resurrection of Jesus?". Retrieved 2010-11-08.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  7. ^ "Craig, Hitchens ask 'Does God Exist?'". Whittier Daily News. April 5, 2009. Retrieved 2009-04-24.
  8. ^ Craig, W.L.; Flew, Anthony. "Does God Exist?". Retrieved 2010-06-28.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  9. ^ Craig, W.L.; Smith, Quentin (2003). "Does God Exist?". Retrieved 2010-06-28.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  10. ^ "50+ Christian vs. Muslim Debates". 2009. Retrieved 2010-06-28.
  11. ^ Craig, W.L. "Is Intelligent Design Viable". Note: reference question #4. Retrieved 2010-06-28.
  12. ^ Kuhn, Robert Lawrence (2009). "William Lane Craig". Closer to Truth: Cosmos, Consciousness, God website. Retrieved 2009-04-19.
  13. ^ "Cosmos and Creator". Origins & Design. March 1, 1996. Retrieved 2009-04-24.
  14. ^ Ayala, Francisco, Craig, W.L. (2009). "Is Intelligent Design Viable". Retrieved 2010-06-28.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  15. ^ Craig, W.L. (2010). "The New Atheism and Five Arguments for God". Retrieved 2010-06-28.
  16. ^ "The Challenge of History". Retrieved 2010-06-28.
  17. ^ "Do We Live in a Post-Modern Society?". Retrieved 2010-06-28.
  18. ^ "What About Catholicism?". http://www.reasonablefaith.org (Podcast). Reasonable Faith. {{cite podcast}}: External link in |website= (help)
  19. ^ "Critique of the Mormon Doctrine of Creation". Retrieved 06/28/2010. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  20. ^ "The Mormon View of Creation". http://www.reasonablefaith.org (Podcast). Reasonable Faith. {{cite podcast}}: External link in |website= (help)
  21. ^ Craig, W.L. "Counterfeit Claims to the Witness of the Spirit". Retrieved 2010-06-28.
  22. ^ "Is the Islamic Conception of God Morally Inadequate?". Retrieved 2010-06-28.
  23. ^ "West Wing Homosexuality Episode". http://www.reasonablefaith.org (Podcast). 09/22/2008. Retrieved 06/28/2010. {{cite podcast}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= and |date= (help); External link in |website= (help)
  24. ^ Craig, W.L. "Christian Homosexuals?". Retrieved 2010-06-28.
  25. ^ "List of Reasonable Faith Chapters". Retrieved 2010-06-28.

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