Social Commentary

Entries Tagged as 'Social Commentary'

Epistemology 101: Science, Faith and Authority Part II

July 21st, 2010 12 Comments

This three-part blog series is essentially the talk I gave at the recent Clearing the Air Forum, which was entitled “Discovering Truth in the Synthesis of Science and Faith.” The audience was comprised of scientists, church leaders, journalists and other interested parties so this is a fairly lay introduction to epistemology. In my first post, […]

Tags: AGW · Clear · Climate Change · Epistemology · Faith and Reason · Greg Dawes · John Locke · Keisha Castle-Hughs · Nicholas Wolterstorff · Richard Dawkins · Roy Clouser · Science and Religion

Epistemology 101: Science, Faith and Authority Part I

July 19th, 2010 14 Comments

Tags: AGW · Climate Change · Edmund Gettier · Epistemology · Faith and Reason · Science and Religion

There’s Probably No God? Fisking Atheist Billboards

July 12th, 2010 430 Comments

On the way back from Bloggers drinks we drove past one of the controversial atheist advertising billboards, put up by NZ Atheist Campaign, The Humanist Society and NZARH, which have appeared around Auckland. This appears to have come on the back of the Richard Dawkins inspired bus advertising that made headlines earlier this year. It […]

Tags: Alvin Plantinga · Bad Reasoning · Christopher Hitchens · John Hare · NZ Atheist Campaign · NZARH · Paul Kurtz · Philip Quinn · Richard Dawkins · Robert Adams · Stephen Layman · The Humanist Society · William Lane Craig

Contra Mundum: Fairies, Leprechauns, Golden Tea Cups & Spaghetti Monsters

July 8th, 2010 23 Comments

That belief in God is on par with belief in fairy tales is a fairly common charge levelled at Christianity. Highly regarded atheist Philosopher Michael Tooley argues, If there is no evidence in support of the existence of God, then it is reasonable to believe that God does not exist. The essential line of thought […]

Tags: Alvin Plantinga · Blaise Pascal · Contra Mundum · Fairies · Faith and Reason · Flying Spaghetti Monster · Investigate Magazine · James Jordan · Leprechauns · Michael Tooley · Orbiting Golden Tea Cups · William James

Clearing the Air: A Church Leaders Forum on Climate Change

July 6th, 2010 16 Comments

Matt has been asked to deliver the opening talk at the upcoming Clearing the Air Forum on 16-17 July 2010 at Unitec Institute of Technology, Auckland. The forum has been organised by New Zealand Christian Network (visionnetwork) and its purpose is to look at the synthesis of science and faith on climate change try to […]

Tags: AGW · Climate Change · New Zealand Christian Network

Bread and Circuses: NZ’s Most Trusted People List

July 5th, 2010 6 Comments

Flicking through the New Zealand Herald the other day reminded me of one of my pet peeves, celebrities being touted as authorities. I found the results of the survey about who New Zealanders most trust. The Readers Digest “New Zealand’s Most Trusted People 2010” were ranked as follows: 1. Corporal Willie Apiata, Victoria Cross recipient 2. […]

Tags: AJ Hackett · Alison Holst · Colin Meads · David Bain · Fair Go · Irene van Dyk · Joe Karam · John Kirwan · Kevin Milne · Margaret Mahy · Most Trusted People · Peter Jackson · Peter Snell · Readers Digest · Valerie Vili · Willie Apiata

The Theology of the Declaration of Independence

July 4th, 2010 27 Comments

As I write this it is just beginning to be the 4th of July in the United States now, though its been 4th July for some time here in New Zealand. The 4th of July is, of course, Independence Day. Typically in New Zealand, those members of the secular blogosphere, who consider themselves to be […]

Tags: Bill Vallicella · Classical Liberalism · Consenting Adults · David Farrar · Declaration of Independence · Divine Command Theory · Faith and Reason · Liberty · Peter Cresswell · Religion in Public Life · Religious History

Matthew Flannagan on Amazon

Did God Really Command Genocide? Coming to Terms with the Justice of God
Authors: Paul Copan, Matthew Flannagan

A common objection to belief in the God of the Bible is that a good, kind, and loving deity would never command the wholesale slaughter of nations. In the tradition of his popular Is God a Moral Monster?, Paul Copan teams up with Matthew Flannagan to tackle some of the most confusing and uncomfortable passages of Scripture. Together they help the Christian and nonbeliever alike understand the biblical, theological, philosophical, and ethical implications of Old Testament warfare passages.

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True Reason: Confronting the Irrationality of the New Atheism Eds: Tom Gilson, Carson Weitnauer

Today's New Atheists proclaim themselves our culture's party of reason. It is a claim they cannot sustain. Reason is the New Atheists' weakness, not their strength and in fact, the Christian faith is a far better place to look for True Reason. Making their case accessible to the first-time inquirer as well as the serious student, this top-flight team of writers presents a sound defense and a strong introduction to the true reason uniquely found in Christianity.

Feat. William Lane Craig, Sean McDowell, John DePoe, Chuck Edwards, Peter Grice, Matthew Flannagan, et al.

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In Defense of the Bible: A Comprehensive Apologetic for the Authority of Scripture
Eds: Steven B Cowan and Terry L Wilder

The book begins by examining foundational philosophical approaches to the Bible as well as the methodological challenges those philosophies create for interpreting the Bible. It then addresses textual and historical challenges and how to deal with them. Finally it looks at ethical, scientific, and theological challenges demonstrating the Bible's moral integrity in relationship to contemporary moral emphases.

Feat. R Douglas Geivett, William A Dembski, Mary Jo Sharp, Darrell L Bock, Paul Copan, Matthew Flannagan, et al.

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Virtues in Action: New Essays in Applied Virtue Ethics
Ed: Michael W Austin

Many philosophers have considered the strengths and weaknesses of a virtue-centered approach to moral theory. Much less attention has been given to how such an approach bears on issues in applied ethics. The essays in this volume apply a virtue-centered perspective to a variety of contemporary moral issues.

Feat. Michael W Austin, Robert K Garcia, Nathan L King, Gregory Bassham, Nancy E Snow, Matthew Flannagan, et al.

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Holy War in the Bible: Christian Morality and an Old Testament Problem
Eds: Heath A Thomas, Jeremy Evans & Paul Copan

The challenge of a seemingly genocidal God who commands ruthless warfare has bewildered Bible readers for generations. A range of expert contributors engage in a multidisciplinary approach that considers this issue from a variety of perspectives: biblical, ethical, philosophical and theological.

Feat. David Lamb, Paul Copan, Murray Rae, Heath Thomas, Stephen B Chapman, Douglas S Earl, Matthew Flannagan, et al.

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Come Let Us Reason: New Essays in Christian Apologetics
Eds: William Lane Craig & Paul Copan

The nineteen essays here raise classical philosophical questions in fresh ways, address contemporary challenges for the church, and will deepen the thinking of the next generation of apologists. Packed with dynamic topical discussions and informed by the latest scholarship.

Feat. J P Moreland, William Lane Craig, Gary R Habermas, Craig Keener, Paul Copan, Matthew Flannagan, et al.

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True Reason: Christian Responses to the Challenge of Atheism Eds: Tom Gilson, Carson Weitnauer

While New Atheists like Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, and others proclaim loudly their rationality, clear thinking, and incontrovertible scientific arguments, others are beginning to wonder how genuinely rational they are. Have they proved anything? Have they argued convincingly? Have they pinpointed any real challenges to the credibility of Christian faith?

Feat. William Lane Craig, Sean McDowell, John DePoe, Chuck Edwards, Peter Grice, Matthew Flannagan, et al.

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Entries Tagged as 'Social Commentary'

Epistemology 101: Science, Faith and Authority Part II

July 21st, 2010 12 Comments

Epistemology 101: Science, Faith and Authority Part I

July 19th, 2010 14 Comments

There’s Probably No God? Fisking Atheist Billboards

July 12th, 2010 430 Comments

Contra Mundum: Fairies, Leprechauns, Golden Tea Cups & Spaghetti Monsters

July 8th, 2010 23 Comments

Clearing the Air: A Church Leaders Forum on Climate Change

July 6th, 2010 16 Comments

Bread and Circuses: NZ’s Most Trusted People List

July 5th, 2010 6 Comments

The Theology of the Declaration of Independence

July 4th, 2010 27 Comments

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