In 1977 he earned his PH.D. from Birmingham (England), and in 1984 he received a Doctorate in Theology from the University of Munich (Germany). This is a very dangerous standard indeed. Note that this argument does not require a big bang. Dr. But this isn't your Fundamentalist grandma's Adam. Jesus certainly thought so. If Craig interprets Genesis as something other than literal history, then how will he defend the Christian doctrine of marriage as one man and one woman united by God for life? He took the creation of Adam and Eve to be an historical event, the foundation of marriage, and an event that took place at the beginning of creation (Mark 10:6-9). At age 16, while a junior in high school, he first heard the message of the Christian gospel and yielded his life to Christ. Jesus is grounding his teaching on marriage and divorce in historicity. Truth, said differently, depends upon historyreal history that is true. The piece, entitled The Historical Adam, has just run in First Things. 1. William Lane Craig is a visiting scholar in philosophy at Talbot School of Theology.He lives in Atlanta, Ga., with his wife Jan and their two teenage children Charity and John. From the outset Craig does not straightforwardly say. As a spoiler, the mythical always wins out. Let us proceed with caution at this point, and strive for clarity: by this I, that there are ahistorical features of this passage. For while those of us who are Christian theists undoubtedly find in God a source of moral strength and resolve which enables us to live lives that are better than those we should live without Him, nevertheless it would seem arrogant and ignorant to claim that those who do not share a belief in God do not often live good moral livesindeed, embarrassingly, lives that sometimes put our own to shame. We confess, , but we so easily waver from it, looking to other sources for support and corroboration and guidance. It is worth noting at this point that the established hermeneutical standard among those who affirm Genesis 1-11 as historical is to read this chapter as shaped history. What is the ultimate standard for Craigs faith? Like the Gospels, it is shaped history, written from different angles and with different points to make. William Craig (William Lane Craig) was born on 23 August, 1949 in 1949, is an Actor. He is from United States. the literary character of Genesis 1-3. Here Craig confusingly tips his hand in the opposite direction than the way he has predominantly emphasized in this article. And hence, when there is a conflict between the two, the evidentialist goes with mans word. There are poetic elements in the literary flow of Genesis 1-11. As an astrophysicist, I have yet to see any evidence of anything in the universe that absolutely requires long ages. Pure practical reason, even with a good knowledge of the facts, will not take you to morality. The purpose of the big bang is to explain the origin of the universe naturalistically without invoking God. He has stated that early and often. Debate and public speaking have been a big part of his life and faith since the beginning. Are the values we hold dear and guide our lives by mere social conventions akin to driving on the left versus right side of the road or mere expressions of personal preference akin to having a taste for certain foods or not? I appreciate that when somebody says Love they neighbor as thyself, they think they are referring above and beyond themselves . Such methods presuppose that the (fallible) mind of man is in a position to judge the infallible Word of God. He is by nature loving, generous, just, faithful, kind, and so forth. William Lane Craig is the author of over thirty books and has published articles in professional philosophy journals. Apart from Genesis history, how will Craig defend the doctrine of original sin, or death being the penalty for sin? by Dr. Lisle | Nov 30, 2018 | Apologetics, Refuting the Critics, Theology. Thus the absence of moral accountability from the philosophy of naturalism makes an ethic of compassion and self-sacrifice a hollow abstraction. If I just summarized this article, you wouldnt necessarily see this two-sidedness. Jesus is interpreting the story of Adam and Eve to discern its implications for marriage and divorce, not asserting its historicity. More particularly, what is the basis for the value of human beings? Rather, he wants to affirm two things of the subjects in question: they are myth even as they are in some sense history. It makes natural reason the standard of what is biblically feasible. Namely, God literally and historically created in six days (six earth rotations, each bounded by an evening and a morning as in Genesis 1:5), God literally created Adam from the earth, and Eve from Adams side on the sixth day, and that this occurred several thousand years ago (~6000). Here again this claim takes our breath away. Dr. Craig: The hermeneutical hypothesis concerns the correct interpretation of the early chapters of Genesis. If you doubt this claim, please feel free to consult the history of interpretation with regard to liberal Protestant exegesis. It is not written according to all the conventions of modern historical chronology, therefore, and in no way need be. The reasoning of Ruse is at worst a text-book example of the genetic fallacy and at best only proves that our subjective perception of objective moral values has evolved. The best answer to the question as to the source of moral obligation is that moral rightness or wrongness consists in agreement or disagreement with the will or commands of a holy, loving God. William Lane Craig is Research Professor of Philosophy at Talbot School of Theology and Professor of Philosophy at Houston Baptist University. Dr. Craig: That is a route one would prefer not to take. I pray the first is the case, and that Craig reverses course from here. The model posits that the universe suddenly appeared 13.8 billion years ago in a very dense, hot state that expanded and cooled into the universe we see today. William Lane Craig is a visiting scholar in philosophy at Talbot School of Theology in La Mirada, Calif. In 1980, he was offered a position at the Trinity College, where he taught Philosophy of Religion for the next six years. Craig has also worked on the Teleological or Design argument and the Objective Moral Values argument. Joes question is a good one. Secondly, if there is no mind distinct from the brain, then everything we think and do is determined by the input of our five senses and our genetic make-up. During the middle ages, most astronomers believed that the number of stars was just over 1000, yet the Bible indicates a humanly-uncountable number (Jeremiah 33:22). I do not know Craigs mind, to be honest. [1] The kalm (cosmological) argument is an argument from causality. and any deeper meaning is illusory . Well, I come from a non-Christian family, so, when I came to Christ in high school, I wanted to share my faith with my brother and with non-Christian friends in high school. From 198086, he taught Philosophy of Religion at Trinity, during which time he and Jan started their family. . Considered from the socio-biological point of view, such altruistic behavior is merely the result of evolutionary conditioning which helps to perpetuate the species. It reveals the systematic patterns God displays in upholding the present world, but it cannot by itself establish how or when such patterns came into existence. In addition, we have powerful practical reasons for embracing theism in view of the morally bracing effects which belief in moral accountability produces. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. Specifically with the Kalam Cosmological argument. At the age of sixteen as a junior in high school, he first heard the message of the Christian gospel and yielded his life to Christ. Whatever the extrabiblical sources say (and they say a great many things), the Bible is, As so often has occurred in the past, we evangelicals are always in danger of losing our confidence in Scripture. Dr. Craig: The scientific hypothesis concerns the empirical adequacy of the view that the universe is so young. Throughout his career, he has gone toe to toe with several intellectual heavy hitters, including Sam Harris,Shabir Ally, Christopher Hitchens, Lawrence M. Krauss, Lewis Wolpert, Antony Flew, Sean Carroll, Sir Roger Penrose, Peter Atkins, Bart Ehrman, Walter Sinnott-Armstrong, Paul Draper, Gerd Ldemann, and A. C. Grayling. Craig has developed and defended the Kalam Cosmological Argument for the existence of God. I personally think any exegesis or substantive meaning derived from the Genesis account will demand that one takes something of a position. He begins by drawing attention to the literary Adam: Have you not read . We can do what we wish. I have heard one torturer even say, I thank God, in whom I dont believe, that I have lived to this hour when I can express all the evil in my heart. He expressed it in unbelievable brutality and torture inflected on prisoners. I recognize that some in the evangelical guild today believe that they can hold to such a synthetic theology, a merged hermeneutic. Therefore, when there is a conflict between Gods Word and the popular opinions of man, the presuppositional Christian says, Let God be found true though every man be found a liar! (Romans 3:4). The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes. This is what the Bible does: it gives us real events, true events, and it unfolds their theological and spiritual significance. 1971), and graduate studies at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (M.A. Where does this ought come from? This is a truly explosive argument by Craig that threatens to destabilize Christian doctrine in general, not just the historical Adam, the creation account, the fall, and the imputation of Adams sin to all humanity. If, as Kurtz states, The moral principles that govern our behavior are rooted in habit and custom, feeling and fashion, [5]then the non-conformist who chooses to flout the herd morality is doing nothing more serious than acting unfashionably. It didn't take long for the young man to discover his passion for learning and speech. William Lane Craig (born August 23, 1949) is an American analytic philosopher, Christian apologist, author, and Wesleyan theologian who upholds the view of Molinism and neo-Apollinarianism. He writes: Suppose him to be called upon to immolate himself for the sake of the ant-hill. Here is Craigs response to Joes question in purple text, with my comments interspersed in black text: Dr. Craig: My current study of the historical Adam does burst the bounds of mere Christianity and represents my own personal desire for more understanding of this doctrine of Christian theology. Similarly, the question is not: Can we formulate a system of ethics without reference to God? If we take the Bible as our ultimate authority, as the infallible Word of God, and interpret it according to its self-authorizing hermeneutic, then we can come to no other conclusion than biblical creation. . Friedman, Does the Death of God Really Matter? International Philosophical Quarterly 23 (1983):322. As a result of socio-biological pressures, there has evolved among homo sapiens a sort of herd morality which functions well in the perpetuation of our species in the struggle for survival. Despite the inequities of this life, in the end the scales of Gods justice will be balanced. However, despite all this academic success, he was not ready to call it a day. He and his wife Jan have two grown children. Given YECs failure as a scientific hypothesis, we should have to conclude that the Bible teaches scientific error and therefore revise our doctrine of inspiration to accommodate this fact. Richard Wurmbrand, Tortured for Christ (London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1967), p. 34. We cannot, then, truly be good without God; but if we can in some measure be good, then it follows that God exists. William Lane Craig is a Research Professor of Philosophy at Talbot School of Theology in La Mirada, California. Craig: On the basis of such examples, we can see how naive it is to argue that merely because some New Testament author refers to a literary figure, whether found in the Old Testament or outside it, that figure is asserted to be a historical person. . If Craig has a cogent argument for vast ages, I would love to hear it. People do not have the ethical right to interpret the Bible as they wish so as to line up with their preferences or personal philosophy. So what do you say to someone who concludes that we may as well just live as we please, out of pure self-interest? . This doesnt surprise me. [1]. Your belief in the existence of God has enormous implications on your views of life, humanity, morality, and destiny. I do mean that Genesis 1-11 has obviously been shaped and structured by Moses, just as the Gospels of the New Testament are shaped history. 4; bk. Commentary: I find not the setup of Genesis 1-3 fantastic, but Craigs assumption that he knows the mindset of the Pentateuchal author to be fantastic. The location of his birth is Peoria, Illinois, USA. One might then ask, What exactly is your opinion based upon? I suggest that Craig accepts the majority opinion of secular scientists as his authority on matters of origins. If you use this admittedly simple reading key, you will save yourself a great deal of confusion and the real possibility of one day investing in one of those Faith Deconstruction Seminars that former evangelical personalities now offer for the low, low price of $299. . Science is only justified if the Bible including biblical creation is true. Then in chapters 3-4 I examine Genesis 1-11 in considerable detail and show . It was there that I felt the call to go into an area of evangelism that would appeal to the head as well as the heart.. There was a time when the experts taught a flat disk-shaped earth that floated in water, while the Bible taught a round earth that hangs on nothing (Isaiah 40:22, Job 26:7,10). The current age is 73 years old. However, William Lane Craig denies the literal history of Genesis because he has accepted the secular view of origins, namely, a big bang followed by billions of years of cosmic and then geologic evolution. So, I was immediately confronted with the necessity of providing reasons for my new-found faith. Craigs essay reminds us of these temptations that we all face, for it falls prey to them. Thus, even educated persons sometimes declare that such things are war, or abortion, or the violation of certain human rights, are morally wrong, and they imagine that they have said something true and significant. His height is 5'11'' tall, and his weight is 73 kg. Dr. Lisle: Since Craig is not a scientist, he can certainly be forgiven for failing to understand that operational science cannot establish the age of anything by empirical methods. The statements of our Lord concerning Adam are plausibly illustrative. Dr. Craig: Now with respect to your question, Joe, I find it crucial to distinguish between Young Earth Creationism (YEC) as a hermeneutical hypothesis and as a scientific hypothesis. Commentary: Craig follows this paragraph by trying to convince the reader that some mythical or mythological elements seem to be engaged and even believed by NT authors and characters. The last step in this proof tends to be the most problematic, and many would say that it doesnt follow logically. William Lane Craig. . This apologetic strategy did not pan out. It is not the word of men; it is the Word of God (1 Thessalonians 2:13). Mans understanding of nature is considered superior to Gods Word. In the final analysis, my guess is that Craig is trying both to extend an olive branch to highly intellectual skeptics and to shore up confidence among Christians who at some level take their cues from secular disciplines. Select this result to view William Lane Craig's phone number, address, and more. Dr. He writes, We have not been able to show that reason requires the moral point of view, or that all really rational persons should not be individual egoists or classical amoralists. At best, it destabilizes confidence in the historicity of the Bible. The Applicability of Mathematics Once More, 6606|6085|6086|6090|6091|6092|6605|6096|6103|6109|6114|6118|6121|6124|6095|6128|6129|6130|. This is because, as evangelicalism worked through in the days of ascendant Barthian neo-orthodoxy, something cannot be both mythical and historical. As it stands, Craigs essay The Historical Adam cannot rightly be said to affirm the historical Adam. _____ The Absurdity of Life without God by William Lane Craig The Scientific Age Uploaded by NoMirrorHDDHrorriMoN on Oct 3, 2011 _____ Episode VII - The Age of Non Reason _____ I love the works of Francis Schaeffer and I have been on the internet reading several blogs that talk about Schaeffer's work and the work below On the theistic view, objective moral values are rooted in God. the Holocaust as a sustained effort was possible only because a new ethic was in place that did not define the arrest and deportation of Jews as wrong and in fact defined it as ethically tolerable and ever good. (New York: Holt, Rinehart, & Winston, 1966), p. 878. Richard Taylor, an eminent ethicist, writes, The modern age, more or less repudiating the idea of a divine lawgiver, has nevertheless tried to retain the ideas of moral right and wrong, not noticing that, in casting God aside, they have also abolished the conditions of meaningfulness for moral right and wrong as well. than those of the state is understood. This format is necessary, as the reader will soon see, because Craig essentially makes two arguments in the piece that oppose one another. 1. A correct and full understanding of the Gospel requires a correct understanding of creation and the fall of man. Would that really be so bad? There is an elegant and indissoluble linkage of facticity and doctrine in the Word of God. Jesus believes in Adam, a real person. . Or are they valid independently of our apprehension of them, and if so, what is their foundation? . . It takes some intellectual gymnastics to take In six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth to mean over 13 billion years the Lord gradually evolved the heavens and the earth. I appreciate that Craig wants to approach the text with an open mind, although this might be difficult for him given that an exegetical reading of the text indicates a prospect that is terrifying to him. Michael Ruse, Darwinism Defended (London: Addison-Wesley, 1982), p. 275. He and his wife Jan have two grown children. Here again Craig fails to recognize Moses as the author of the Pentateuch. William Lane Craig (born August 23, 1949) is an American analytic philosopher, Christian apologist, author, and Wesleyan theologian who upholds the view of Molinism and neo-Apollinarianism. So I think it is evident that theism provides a sound foundation for morality. William Lane Craig is Visiting Scholar of Philosophy at Talbot School of Theology and Professor of Philosophy at Houston Christian University. But actually its not. Moreover, why think that we have any moral obligations to do anything? But the method of science is itself predicated upon the literal truth of Scripture, starting with an historical Genesis. . Theism is thus a morally advantageous belief, and this, in the absence of any theoretical argument establishing atheism to be the case, provides practical grounds to believe in God and motivation to accept the conclusions of the two theoretical arguments I just gave above. Paul Kurtz, Forbidden Fruit (Buffalo, N.Y.: Prometheus Books, 1988) p. 65. Even if there were objective moral values and duties under naturalism, they are irrelevant because there is no moral accountability. The hermeneutical structure Craig himself creates defeats his momentary assertion of the truthfulness of Adams existence. He and his wife Jan have two grown children. Please let us know in the comments section or on the Contact page if you find any incorrect or missing information. William Lane Craig was born onAugust 23, 1949, in Peoria, Illinois. 7 Bible Verse about Matthew the Tax Collector, The Life and Death of Matthew the Tax Collector. Dr. Craig: So Im very interested in exploring the suggestion of some commentators that the primaeval history of Genesis 1-11 is mytho-historical, a sort of fusion of history and mythology that should not be interpreted literally. Craig: Since the Pentateuchal author has an interest in history, he intends for his narrative to be at some level historical, to concern people who actually lived and events that really occurred. Whatever the extrabiblical sources say (and they say a great many things), the Bible is sui generis. His research on divine aseity and Platonism culminated with his book God Over All. Although I dont believe that the cosmological argument can stand alone apart from the Christian worldview, it does have some merit as a confirmation of biblical creation within the Christian worldview. We can avoid these antitheses by understanding the brief history they chronicle as a mytho-history, not to be taken literally. According to his own account of his conversion, he converted to Christianity "after he looked inside his own heart and saw only darkness and selfishness". What Paul asserts of the historical Adam does not, however, go beyond what we have already affirmed on the basis of our genre analysis of the primaeval history of Genesis 111namely, that there was a progenitor of the entire human race through whose disobedience moral evil entered the world. Uniformitarianism denies the global flood mentioned in Genesis 6-8. For my part, I do not have the ability to say what exactly he is doing here and throughout his article. This is not a sound framing. What do you do when the Bible clearly teaches something that is at odds with the opinions of the majority of scientists? Is the scientific evidence plausibly explained by the hypothesis that the universe originated only 10,000-20,000 years ago? As of 2022, Craig is a visiting scholar of Philosophy at Talbot School of Theology and a professor of Philosophy at Houston Baptist University. Moreover, if morality is just a human convention, then why should we act morally, especially when it conflicts with self-interest? Since all that he is and has or ever can have is his own present existence, surely in so far as he is free from the domination of the blind force of instinct he will opt for lifehis own life. [1] Well, yes. Dr. Lisle: Here Craig seems to admit that a young earth is biblically possible. It follows that moral obligations and right and wrong necessitate Gods existence. Everything that begins to exist has a cause. And Genesis lays the doctrinal foundation for everything that follows. Scientific evidence cannot even disprove Last-Thursdayism.. Reflection on it depresses me . Out of this population, God selected two and furnished them with intellects by renovating their brains and endowing them with rational souls. The third result is William Lane Craig age 70s in Dana Point, CA in the Lantern Village neighborhood. And what moral value does a puppet or its movements have? Craig said that he experienced a maniacal psychological state, where he believed he felt the presence of the Holy Spirit. Finally, on the theistic hypothesis God holds all persons morally accountable for their actions.

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