Dr Matthew Flannagan holds a PhD in Theology from the University of Otago, a Masters (with First Class Honours) and a Bachelors in Philosophy from the University of Waikato.  He also holds a post-graduate diploma in secondary teaching from Bethlehem Tertiary Institute and is a member of the Evangelical Philosophical Society.

His area of expertise is Philosophy of Religion, Ethics and Theology. He has formally debated Dr Zoe During (formerly of the Abortion Law Reform Association of New Zealand) and Dr Bill Cooke (then President of the New Zealand Association of Rationalist Humanists). His publications appear in several international journals of philosophy, theology and ethics.

Matt is politically a classical liberal but is theologically conservative. Married to Madeleine, with whom he writes for MandM, he has 4 children, is working towards his brown belt in Karate, enjoys keeping fit and being outdoors.

Matt is seeking full-time academic employment in either Philosophy or Theology or as a Religious Education or Philosophy teacher in the secondary sector and will consider vacancies anywhere in the world, his curriculum vitae is available on request.

Publications and Conference Papers

Works in Progress:
“Tooley, Plantinga and the Deontological Argument from Evil,” currently under consideration.

“Feticide, the Masoretic Text and the Septuagint,” preparing to submit.

“Walter Sinnott-Armstrong on Divine Commands,” preparing to submit.

“The Liberal Exclusionist Position on Religion and Public Life,” co-authored with Madeleine Flannagan, preparing to submit.

The Alexandrian Argument Against Feticide: A Contemporary Defence, in progress.

“Book Review of John Loftus’ The Christian Delusion,” in progress.

Forthcoming Works:
“The Premature Dismissal of Voluntarism,” Colloquium: The Australian and New Zealand Theological Review (November 2010).

“God and the Genocide of the Canaanites,” a paper to be presented to the Conference of the Evangelical Philosophical Society, Atlanta (20 November 2010).

“Navigating Old Testament Ethics” a contribution to a panel discussion with Paul Copan, Richard Hess & Randal Rauser presented to the Conference of the Society of Biblical Literature, Atlanta (21 November 2010).

“Ethics of ‘Holy War’ for Christian Morality and Theology” Old Testament ‘Holy War’ and Christian Morality: Perspectives and Prospects, co-authored with Paul Copan, edited by Jeremy Evans, Heath Thomas and Paul Copan (Paternoster Press, 2011).

“Does the Bible Condone Genocide?” In Defense of the Bible A Comprehensive Apologetic for the Authority of Scripture co-authored with Paul Copan, edited by Steven B. Cowan and Terry L. Wilder (B&H Academic, 2012).

Completed Works:
“Abortion, Harm and Eschatology,” Conference of The Systematic Theology Association in Aotearoa New Zealand, Ponsonby Baptist Church, Auckland (19-20 November, 2009).

“John W Loftus on the Christian Illusion of Moral Superiority,” in John Loftus’ Why I Became an Atheist Refuted, Tekton E-Block Online Journal (special edition, 2009).

“Does Evolution Make Belief in God Untenable? An Examination of the Common Arguments,” Faithful Science: Just How Well Do Science and Faith Get Along? Conference of the Theology and the Natural Sciences in Aotearoa, Northcote Baptist Church, Auckland (1 August 2009).

“Boonin’s Defense of the Sentence Criteria: A Critique,” Ethics and Medicine: An International Journal of Bioethics, 25:2 (2009) 95-106.

“Abortion and Capital Punishment: A Response to Beverley Harrison,” Think: A Periodical of the Royal Institute for Philosophy, 21 (2009) 99-103.

“God and the Moral Law in C. S. Lewis,” Theological Perspectives on C S Lewis Conference, Carey Baptist College, Auckland (1 July 2008).

“Abortion and Capital Punishment: No Contradiction,” Think: A Periodical of the Royal Institute for Philosophy, 16 (2008) 87-92.

“A Divine Command Theory of Ethics,” University of Canterbury Post-Graduate Conference (1998).