The Analytic Christian

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I’m joined by Dr. Daniel Rubio, a professor of philosophy at Toronto Metropolitan University. He offers some criticisms of the ontological argument defended by William Lane Craig.

I’m joined by Dr. Luke Barnes. He comments on an animated video produced by Reasonable Faith that explains and defends the Fine-Tuning Argument.

I'm joined by Dr. Brian Cutter, a professor of philosophy at the University of Notre Dame. We discuss a paper he co-authored titled, "The Problem of Nomological Harmony" published in the prestigious journal Nous. Free access to paper: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nous.12463

I'm joined by Dr. Daniel Bonevac (professor of philosophy at the University of Texas Austin) to discuss his paper, "The Argument from Miracles."  The paper is linked below.  baylor.edu/content/services/document.php/80295.pdf   Please consider supporting me on patreon. Go to https://www.patreon.com/theanalyticchristian

Cruz Davis is a PhD candidate at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. In a forthcoming paper he presents the "Problem of the Ascension of Jesus" and then evaluates various solutions. Here are some of the questions we'll be discussing. If Jesus was *physically* raised from the dead, where is his body now?  If you say it's in heaven, does that mean heaven has a spatial location? If yes, does that mean it's theoretically possible to reach heaven if we just had enough advanced technology? If no, then how can Jesus have a physical resurrection body?   For more from Cruz Davis, check out his philpapers page linked below. https://philpeople.org/profiles/cruz-davis-1/publications?app=530&order=added  Please consider becoming a patron. Go to https://www.patreon.com/theanalyticchristian  For merch and more, go to https://www.theanalyticchristian.com

If there is no best possible world, then for any world God picked to actualize, God could have picked a better one. But if God could have picked a better one, then it seems that God could have performed a better action. And if God could have performed a better action, then God could have been better. But how can God be better if God is essentially unsurpassable (a.k.a. "the greatest conceivable being"). This is a serious challenge to theism, and in this video Dr. Kraay offers five responses to this argument.    To read more about this topic, check out Dr. Kraay's paper linked below. https://people.ryerson.ca/kraay/Documents/2010Companion.pdf  To see Dr. Kraay's defense of the view that there is a best possible world, and it is a multiverse, check out my interview linked below. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kyXDlyI0Swg&t=276s  Please consider becoming one of my patrons. Go to https://www.patreon.com/theanalyticchristian  To purchase t-shirts and more merch, go to https://the-analytic-christian.creator-spring.com/  For more resources on Christian philosophy & theology, go to https://www.theanalyticchristian.com

There are several views of divine providence. Among these options is the view that God providentially controls the world using simple foreknowledge. In this interview, Dr. Hunt defends simple foreknowledge against two objections- what he calls the metaphysical problem and the doxastic problem.    If you'd like to go more in depth on this topic, check out Dr. Hunt's paper linked below. https://place.asburyseminary.edu/faithandphilosophy/vol10/iss3/8/   Please consider supporting me on patreon. Go to https://www.patreon.com/theanalyticchristian   For more resources on Christian philosophy and theology, go to https://www.theanalyticchristian.com/

Dr. Matthew Flummer is a professor of philosophy at Porterville College, and co-host of the Free Will Show.  To go deeper into this topic, check out  the two links below.   Podcast: Season 3 of the Free Will Show https://youtu.be/tmFC10L2mJA  Book: Free- Why Science Hasn't Disproved Free Will by Alfred Mele https://www.amazon.com/Free-Science-Hasnt-Disproved-Will/dp/0199371628/ref=asc_df_0199371628/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=334440177734&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=5372019013947462128&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9014313&hvtargid=pla-493362807085&psc=1&tag=&ref=&adgrpid=69762313169&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvadid=334440177734&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=5372019013947462128&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9014313&hvtargid=pla-493362807085  If you'd like to participate in Ask A Scholar, become a patron! Go to https://www.patreon.com/theanalyticchristian  For merch and more, go to https://www.theanalyticchristian.com

Dr. Justin Mooney is a professor of philosophy at Denison University. He offers a simple argument for molinism, then we discuss possible objections to each premise.   To hear my other interview with Justin about molinism, check out the link below. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wUHjRvyDitQ&t=170s  To hear an overview of views on free will check out the link below. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LXMYRr8Cx4U&t=1s  To hear an argument against molinism, check out my interview with Dr. Philip Swenson linked below. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HE0fxXY3hjE&t=29s  The slide in this video (and other videos) are available to patrons. To become a patron go to https://www.patreon.com/theanalyticchristian  For merch and more, go to https://www.theanalyticchristian.com

Dr. Philip Swenson is a professor of philosophy at the College of William & Mary. His dissertation defended the view that moral responsibility is incompatible with causal determinism.    For more on Dr. Swenson check out the link below.  https://sites.google.com/site/philipjswenson/home  Please consider supporting me on Patreon. Go to https://www.patreon.com/theanalyticchristian  For more resources on Christian philosophy & theology, go to https://www.theanalyticchristian.com

I'm joined by Dr. Kenny Pearce, a professor of philosophy at James Madison University in Virginia. In this interview he defends a cosmological argument he's developed. For more on this argument, check out Dr. Pearce's debate book with Dr. Graham Oppy titled, "Is There A God?" Link to book: https://www.amazon.com/There-Little-Debates-about-Questions/dp/0367243946 Link to Dr. Pearce's website: http://www.kennypearce.net/ Link to Patreon & PayPal: www.theanalyticchristian.com

Dr. Max Baker-Hytch argues that the evil God challenge can succeed only if the "symmetry thesis" holds, but this symmetry thesis breaks down in three distinct ways.  To explore Dr. Baker-Hytch's argument in depth, check out his paper linked below.  https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/papq.12304  To hear a defense of the evil God challenge, check out my interview with Dr. Asha Lancaster-Thomas (TAC.17).   For more of Max's work, check out his website below. https://www.theocca.org/author/max-baker-hytch/  Please consider becoming a patron. Go to https://www.patreon.com/theanalyticchristian  For merch and more, go to https://www.theanalyticchristian.com

Dr. Asha Lancaster-Thomas has written a two part paper providing an  overview of the Evil-God Challenge. The papers are linked below.   (Part 1)  https://compass.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/phc3.12502 (Part 2)  https://compass.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/phc3.12543  In this interview, Dr. Lancaster-Thomas summarizes three versions of the argument, and defends one version against various objections. In next week's  interview (TAC.19),  Dr. Max Baker Hytch will critique the argument.   Please consider becoming a patron. Go to https://www.patreon.com/theanalyticchristian For merch and more go to https://www.theanalyticchristian.com

In this interview, Dr. Andrew Moon summarizes Alvin Plantinga's Evolutionary Argument Against Naturalism (EAAN), then responds to some objections.  For a short animated summary of the argument, check out the video linked below. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qap_FyQxILM  To go more in depth, check out Dr. Moon's recent paper, "Global Debunking Arguments" linked below. https://philpapers.org/rec/MOOGDA  Please consider becoming a patron. Go to https://www.patreon.com/theanalyticchristian  For merch and more, go to https://www.theanalyticchristian.com

In Romans 1:18-20 (NASB), Paul writes,  "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of people who suppress truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world, His invisible attributes, that is, His eternal power and divine nature have been clearly perceived, being understood by what has been made, so that they are without excuse." Does this text mean every single non-believer is resistant in their non-belief? In this video, Dr. Rauser provides several reasons to think the answer is no.   Please consider supporting me on Patreon. Go to https://www.patreon.com/theanalyticchristian  For merch and more, go to https://www.theanalyticchristian.com

For more on Dr. Anne Jeffrey, go to  https://www.annejeffrey.com/ Link to Dr. Jeffrey's book, God and Morality https://www.cambridge.org/core/elements/abs/god-and-morality/DDCD901317223C56BDEDB8E57D0366DE Please consider becoming a patron. Go to https://www.patreon.com/theanalyticchristian For merch and more go to https://www.theanalyticchristian.com

In this interview, I'm joined by Dr. Anne Jeffrey, a professor of philosophy at Baylor University. In 2019, her book, God & Morality was published with Cambridge University Press. There are three sections of the book. The first section surveys the philosophical literature on God's role in grounding moral normativity. The second section of the book surveys the philosophical literature on God's role in explaining moral knowledge. Our interview will be a summary of these two sections, and Dr. Jeffrey will explain how "thin theism" does not explain moral normativity and moral knowledge as well as "thick theism."   Here's the link to the Dr. Jeffrey's book-  https://www.amazon.com/God-Morality-Elements-Philosophy-Religion/dp/1108469442/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=god+and+morality&qid=1613158960&sr=8-3   Please consider supporting TAC on patreon. Go to http://www.patreon.com/theanalyticchristian.com   For more resources on Christian philosophy and theology check out my website. http://www.theanalyticchristian.com

Here's the google doc Dr. Sampson mentions in the interview. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1MBPYK_UHOoQhEKjR1URok4tO_tXgqCY5wy5pyFzSZDk/edit If you value the work that I'm doing please consider becoming a patron. Go to https://www.patreon.com/theanalyticchristian For more resources on Christian philosophy & theology go to https://www.theanalyticchristian.com

In this interview, Dr. Tomas Bogardus will offer an argument from dualism to theism. Check out last week's episode to hear a defense of dualism. Please consider supporting me on Patreon. Just go to https://www.patreon.com/theanalyticchristian For more resources on Christian philosophy & theology, go to https://www.theanalyticchristian.com