Faith and Reason - FINAL

Restrictivism

holds that salvation is only through explicit faith in Christ

Universalism

believes all will be saved regardless of faith, heart posture emphasis

Inclusivism

focus on head and heart, all will have the opportunity to confess him, even if not in this life

Who are the proponents of Restrictivism?

John Calvin and Francis Schaffer

Who are the proponents of Universalism?

Origen and John Hick.

Who are the proponents of Inclusivism?

C.S. Lewis and Justin Martyr

What is the Problem of Evil?

the philosophical question of how to reconcile the existence of evil with an omnipotent, omniscient, and benevolent God.

What are the strengths of Problem of Evil theodicies?

the ability to provide a framework for understanding suffering and the role of human free will.

What are the weaknesses of Problem of Evil theodicies?

the challenge of explaining gratuitous evil and the adequacy of proposed solutions.

What is William Lane Craig’s Argument from Personal Experience?

personal experiences of God provide evidence for His existence and can affirm the truth of Christian claims.

How do Christian Theists answer the seven worldview questions?

affirm a personal God, creation, purpose based on biblical revelation, moral absolutes, and the promise of redemption.

How do Muslims answer the seven worldview questions?

emphasize Allah's oneness, creation by Allah, purpose being submission to Allah's will, and accountability in the afterlife.

How do Naturalists answer the seven worldview questions?

deny the supernatural, asserting that the universe is self-explanatory, humans are products of evolution, and morality is subjective.

How do Deists answer the seven worldview questions?

believe in a creator who does not intervene in the universe, viewing purpose through reason and the natural world.

What is Pascal’s Wager?

that it is a better bet to believe in God than not to, considering potential infinite gain versus finite loss.

How should Pascal’s Wager be used?

as a pragmatic argument for belief in God, particularly in contexts of uncertainty about God's existence.

What are the main contributions of hard Postmodern thinkers?

power is knowledge, incredulity toward metanarratives, there is nothing outside the text, philosophy aims at continuing a conversation rather than discovering truth

Hard Postmodern thinkers

reject objective truth completely

Soft Postmodern Thinkers

accept the existence of some truths but emphasize pluralism.

Who are the four Horsemen of Neo-Atheism?

Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens, Sam Harris, and Daniel Dennett.

Cold Deists

view God as a distant creator with no interaction in the world.

Warm Deists

embrace a personal connection to God

What is Andrew Newberg’s view on beliefs about God and the brain?

beliefs about God can lead to significant changes in brain structure and function, increases relaxation and helps people remeber and think clearly

common-enemy approach to cultural engagement

focuses on opposition to a shared adversary

common-humanity approach to cultural engagement

emphasizes shared values and understanding.

What are highlights of Blaise Pascal’s upbringing?

raised in a devout Christian family and showcased prodigious intellectual abilities from a young age in mathematics and science.

What is Pascal’s view on Truth and human responsibility to pursue it?

believed that existentially central topics had to be cared about and pursued because of their importance

What are existentially central topics?

those that fundamentally impact one's identity and meaning in life, such as purpose, faith, and love.

What are existentially peripheral topics?

those that, while interesting or relevant, do not significantly alter one's core beliefs or life direction.

What are the biggest challenges to Christian Theism?

the Problem of Evil, scientific disproof, religious pluralism, and moral objections.

What are the biggest challenges to Deism?

human beings are personal but created by an impersonal God?

What are the biggest challenges to Existentialism?

rational inconsistency

What are the biggest challenges to Nihilism?

isn’t livable

What are the biggest challenges to Naturalism?

problem of personality

What are Jeffrey Schwartz’s four steps to rewiring the brain?

1. Relabel; 2. Reframe; 3. Refocus; 4. Revalue

What are William Lane Craig’s five apologetic arguments?

1. Cosmological argument; 2. Teleological argument; 3. Moral argument; 4. Historical argument for the resurrection; 5. Argument from personal experience.

What are the four categories of apologetic arguments?

1. external; 2. internal; 3. historical; 4. pragmatic;

What is Moralistic Therapeutic Deism?

A belief system that emphasizes being good, feeling good, and that God exists to make people happy.

What are C.S. Lewis’s Trilemma and Peter Kreeft’s reformulation?

that Jesus is either Lord, liar, or lunatic. reformulated to emphasize the necessity of acknowledging Jesus's identity.

Which apologetic argument do Christopher Hitchens and new atheists find challenging?

argument from personal experience cannot be dismissed by logic alone

For a worldview to be viable, what three criteria must it meet?

1. Comprehensive; 2) Coherent; 3) Livable.

What are the similarities between Modern and Postmodern thinking according to Stanley Grenz?

Both are concerned with understanding human experience and the quest for meaning.

What are examples of soft postmodern thinkers?

Richard Rorty and Charles Taylor

Strong-benevolent

shows kindness to others while maintaining biblical standards of righteousness

Weak benevolent

emphasizes kindness and compassion but at the expense of upholding biblical standards of righteousness

Strong Hostile

maintaining a strong commitment to Christian standards of righteousness, but at the expense of showing kindness to others

What is McLaren’s view of Christian-Muslim relations?

we can’t have a superiority mindset and we need to speak out against hate no matter where it comes from

What is McLaren’s view of the Modern-to-Postmodern shift?

postmodernism allows Christians to present the gospel without all the baggage from the past

What is Francis Schaeffer’s view of Postmodern thinking?

critiques Postmodernism for abandoning absolute truth, claims it has created a moral decline

Moral Fideism

God’s ways are higher and contrary to our own

Moral Reliabilism

God’s ways are higher but not contrary to our own

What are Tina Fey’s four rules of Improv?

1. Always say 'yes'; 2. yes and 3. Make statements; 4. There are no mistakes, only opportunities.