Philosophy & Science
Explaining Near-Death Experiences
Introduction Near-death experiences (NDEs) are fascinating phenomena that seem to intersect various fields of study, such as medicine, psychology, religion and theology, the philosophy of the mind, and more. These episodes seem to share striking characteristics: out-of-body experiences, journeys of various kinds, events involving lights and different figures, and coming back to “reality” with a…
Read MoreCan a Just and Loving God Send People to Hell?
By Steven B. Cowan I consider the concept of hell as endless torment in body and mind an outrageous doctrine, a theological and moral enormity. . . .How can Christians possible project a deity of such cruelty and vindictiveness whose ways include inflicting everlasting torture upon his creatures, however sinful they may have been? Surely…
Read MoreNear Death Experiences and Worldview Concerns: Addressing Difficult Questions
by Gary R. Haberman – Philosophers, theologians, and apologists often argue for the truth of Christianity at two levels: natural and revealed. The first category may involve religious considerations of a more general nature, regarding the existence of God, absolute morality, or an afterlife. Thus, these arguments may actually be shared by members of non-Christian…
Read MoreA Philosophical and Historical Case for Life After Death
by Chad V. Meister – MIND, BODY, AND THE POSSIBILITY OF LIFE AFTER DEATH Various conceptions of the human self-have been held in the West, the two foremost being dualism and materialism. Historically, dualism has been the more prominent of the two. There are different conceptions of dualism as well, but on one main account…
Read MoreFaith, Risk, and Rationality: The Prudential Incentives to Christian Faith
by Douglas Groothuis – This article will address prudential considerations with respect to Christian belief. Prudence, as I use the term here, concerns personal benefit and detriment in matters of belief in general and concerning Christianity in particular. Life today provides us with panoply of possible beliefs about a plethora of topics, and many face…
Read MoreGod and Time
by Gregory E. Ganssle – God is eternal. This claim is held by every philosopher who discusses the nature of God. What it means that God is eternal is something about which there is much disagreement. From Augustine through Aquinas, the major thinkers argued that God was not in time at all. They thought of…
Read MoreBiblical References to Key Divine Attributes
Biblical References to Key Divine Attributes Necessity/Self-existence God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” –Exodus 3:14 But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain you; how much less this house that I have built!–I Kings 8:27 The God who made the world and everything in…
Read MoreDivine Attributes Today
Necessary Existence, Omnipotence, Omniscience, Omnipresence by Charles Taliaferro – Who or what made God? If God exists necessarily (God’s existence is not contingent or dependent or accidental), can God destroy himself? If God cannot commit suicide, do creatures who can commit suicide have a power that God does not have? If God is omnipotent, can…
Read MoreVeritas: Questions on the Divine Attributes
by Craig Branch – Apologetics is for the believer as well as the unbeliever. Christians should know what they believe and then be able to defend that knowledge to doubters and to those who reject the truth. The topic of this issue of Areopagus Journal is especially relevant for both purposes of apologetics. Christians believe…
Read MoreThe Canaanite Conquest: A Paradigm for Christian Violence?
by Todd Borger – In the debate concerning the alleged inherent violence in the religion of Islam, the question has been raised as to whether Christianity is also inherently violent. A primary example of this supposed inherent or systemic violence in Christianity is found in the Old Testament stories about Israel’s occupation of the Promised…
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