Daniel J. Hill, Randal D. Rauser, eds. Christian Philosophy A-Z (Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2006), xi + 247 Pps., $28.00.
Daniel J. Hill is lecturer in philosophy, University of Liverpool. Randal D. Rauser is assistant professor of historical theology, Taylor Seminary, Canada. It is the goal of the authors to shed light on the vocabulary of Christian philosophy from Augustine to the present, enabling the modern day reader to understand the argument that is being presented by the ancient philosophies/philosophers, as well as philosophies/philosophers of the current era, for the state of philosophy is in constant flux.
The last fifty years, for example, has seen the demise of many past formidable foes to Christian philosophy, so it is incumbent for modern advocates of Christian philosophy to have a key guide to positions of the past, so as to be aware when such positions arise again. That is one intention, of many, of this present volume. Positively, the last fifty years has also experienced a wide rejuvenation of Christian philosophy from numerous sources, ranging from the Second Vatican Council and the Dutch Calvinist tradition. Alvin Plantinga, Nichloas Wolterstorff, and William Alston, for example, have provided much original analytic philosophical work for the Christian tradition, and as such one will find short synopses of their import in this guide. One will also find how select philosophers wrestle with their philosophical beliefs and their faith, questioning whether God exists, how God knows the future, and the relationship between ‘Athens and Jerusalem’. There are also lucid introductions, as well as suggestions for furthering reading, on such topics as epistemology, open theism, foundationalism, the falsification principle, middle knowledge. Moreover, historical people such as Aquinas, Augustine, Tillich, Swinburne, Whitehead, and Bertrand Russell also have entries in this volume.
This volume covers a broad historical sweep and takes into account those non-Christian philosophers that have had a great impact on the Christian tradition. However, it concentrates on the issues that perplex Christian philosophers as they seek to think through their faith in a philosophical way and their philosophical beliefs in the light of their faith. This text will be of interest to those undergraduates who are studying Christian philosophy, as well as to Christians in general who are seeking to think philosophically about their faith. It is an accessible and handy guide to the major figures and issues in Christian philosophy.
Bradford McCall, Regent University, Virginia Beach, VA.