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# Paul Gould

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## Posts

- [Best Books of 2025](https://www.paul-gould.com/2026/01/02/best-books-of-2025/) - Reading is lots of fun. It feels a bit more difficult, in our video and social media saturated age, to quiet my heart and mind enough to settle into a good book. But once I do, I'm always glad. Reading is also serious business. As the poet Mary Oliver describes, "literature is the apparatus through
- [Favorite Books of 2024](https://www.paul-gould.com/2025/01/03/favorite-books-of-2024/) - As is now my custom, I am excited to list my favorite reads of 2024, in the categories of philosophy, apologetics/theology, spiritual formation, fiction, and non-fiction. I read 44 books in 2024. For each book read, I enter the date completed, title, author, and a one sentence summary of the book in my book
- [Favorite Books of 2023](https://www.paul-gould.com/2024/01/01/favorite-books-of-2023/) - Fueled by the conviction that stories sustain us because we were made to be nourished on the good, the true, and the beautiful, I determined to read one fiction book a month for this past year. And I read some very good stories! In addition to fiction, I have benefitted greatly this year from some
- [Favorite Books of 2022](https://www.paul-gould.com/2023/01/03/favorite-books-of-2022/) - I love to read. Of course, being a professor helps. I get to read as part of my job. That’s good. But I also love to read for the sheer pleasure of it. When it comes to fiction, I love entering into secondary worlds and journeying along with the characters of the story. Often non-fiction
- [Favorite Books of 2021](https://www.paul-gould.com/2022/01/10/favorite-books-of-2021/) - I love to read. It’s partly why I’m an academic today. What could be better than reading, writing, teaching, and learning every day? Reading books awakens me: to truth, goodness, and beauty. I try, each year, to read broadly. This year, I managed to read 47 books. I’ve been recording every book read in a
- [Men without Chests](https://www.paul-gould.com/2012/05/02/men-without-chests/) - Here is a handful: A culture that denies the existence of objective value (that is, beauty, goodness, and justice are merely in “the eye of the beholder” and not “out there” in the world) will inevitably produces “men without chests.” And without “chests,” humanity will disintegrate—our thinkings and willings will be at cross-purposes and we
- [Favorite Books of 2020](https://www.paul-gould.com/2021/01/02/favorite-books-of-2020/) - 2020 has been a year of change for my family. We moved in the middle of a pandemic from Texas to Florida. I started a new job as a professor of philosophy and the director of a new program in philosophy at Palm Beach Atlantic University. We left behind two of our children in Texas--both
- [Month Six as a Henry Fellow: Human Uniqueness, Origin, and Destiny](https://www.paul-gould.com/2020/02/04/month-six-as-a-henry-fellow-human-uniqueness-origin-and-destiny/) - I’m having a fantastic time as a Henry Fellow at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School this academic year. To date, I’ve written four chapters in my popular level book tentatively called Eleven Stones: Discovering the True Story of the World, the majority of a chapter on “Teleological Arguments” for a textbook, a chapter on “Neo-Aristotelian Accounts
- [My Favorite Books of 2019](https://www.paul-gould.com/2020/01/02/my-favorite-books-of-2019/) - Each year around this time I list my top books read over the past year in philosophy, theology, apologetics, fiction, and non-fiction. As much as it pains me, I’ll restrict myself to the top three in each of these categories. As is custom, I will list them with my one sentence description of the book,
- [Month Three as a Henry Fellow: Life, Participation, and the Wingfeather Saga](https://www.paul-gould.com/2019/11/04/month-three-as-a-henry-fellow-life-participation-and-the-wingfeather-saga/) - This month, I have two main study and writing goals. First, I plan to read as much of the literature as I can on the origin of life to get a sense of the current state of play in science. The goal is to write one chapter for my popular level book, Eleven Stones, on
- [Month Two as a Henry Fellow](https://www.paul-gould.com/2019/09/29/month-two-as-a-henry-fellow/) - I’m enjoying my time at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School working on the doctrine of creation. My primary focus this past month has been a paper on neo-Aristotelian accounts of divine creative activity. I hope to defend a particular version at some point, but for now, I’m interested in what neo-Aristotelian models of divine creation, if
- [Month One as a Henry Fellow](https://www.paul-gould.com/2019/08/19/month-one-as-a-henry-fellow/) - I’m just about to begin a year of research as a Henry Fellow at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. I’ll be commuting Monday through Thursday from Texas to Illinois. That will be a lot of fun (not!). What will be a lot of fun (and interesting too) is exploring the philosophical underpinnings of the doctrine of
- [Top Twelve Books Read in 2018](https://www.paul-gould.com/2019/01/01/top-twelve-books-read-2018/) - There is this widespread idea—I’m not sure where it started or how we got here—that dinosaurs roamed among humans in the pre-Internet age. Ok, well not really. Let me try again. There is this widespread idea today that anything before the smartphone age is ancient. Novelty is king and queen today. Being “progressive” or “a
- [Favorite Books of 2017](https://www.paul-gould.com/2018/01/01/favorite-books-2017/) - Stories awaken. Research informs. Drama shapes. Arguments challenge. Heroic escapes. These are some of the reasons why I read books. 2017 was a record year: 58 books read, for a total of 361, since I started keeping a book log on June 1, 2009. For each book read I record the date completed, title, author,
- [The Home I Haven't Found](https://www.paul-gould.com/2017/08/16/home-havent-found/) - [Guest Post by Lucas Shipman:] I recently co-wrote a spoken word poem with Paul Gould. There is a line in this poem that says, “I feel like there’s a home I haven’t found. My heart aches for something deeper, more profound.” https://youtu.be/9OZWM_XGnmY This line was inspired by an argument for the existence of God. It’s
- [My Favorite Books from 2016](https://www.paul-gould.com/2017/01/04/favorite-books-2016/) - Stories awaken. They draw me into another world. They help me see reality through another’s eyes. As C. S. Lewis aptly put it, “in reading great literature I become a thousand men and yet remain myself. Like the night sky in the Greek poem, I see with a myriad eyes, but it is still I
- [ Should We Love God and Nothing Else?](https://www.paul-gould.com/2016/11/09/love-god-nothing-else/) - Some Christians think we should love God and God alone. The idea is this. God is supreme. God is the ultimate object of all human longing. He is the only Being in all of reality that won’t let us down. We should therefore love God and shun all else. This line of thinking is deeply
- [Discovering the Truth: Cold-Case Christianity for Kids](https://www.paul-gould.com/2016/11/02/discovering-truth-cold-case-christianity-kids/) - A modern myth is that learning and fun are incompatible. Learning is boring, drab, and dull. Entertainment is exciting, stimulating, and captivating. Never—or almost never—the two shall meet, or so the common myth goes. Sadly, this incompatibility between learning and fun is often perpetuated within the church. What is a Christian parent to do in
- [The Great Barbarism of our Day](https://www.paul-gould.com/2016/10/27/great-barbarism-day/) - In a world bereft of objective value, nothing is good in itself. People and things are judged valuable only if they are deemed beneficial for something else. The only “real” value is economic. As a result we’re witnessing the systematic degradation of everything. Nothing is sacred. Nothing is good per se. The temptation to exploit
- [Will Heaven Be Boring? Near Death Experiences and our Imagination](https://www.paul-gould.com/2016/10/19/will-heaven-boring-near-death-experiences-imagination/) - Belief in the afterlife is a staple feature of all cultures throughout human history. Just what the afterlife will be like is a question of considerable debate. In the Christian tradition, heaven is said to be the deepest longing of the human heart; hell the consequence of a life of self-love and sin. S. Lewis
- [C. S. Lewis on the Practical Value of Friendship](https://www.paul-gould.com/2016/10/13/c-s-lewis-practical-value-friendship/) - A mark of the digital age is a dearth of genuine friendship. Relationships today are largely mediated through pixels and measured by the length of a Snapchap streak or the number of Facebook “likes” received. The plague of superficiality spreads as we forget how to look others in the eye, carry on a conversation, and
- [The Unforgivable Sin of Philosophy?](https://www.paul-gould.com/2016/10/05/unforgivable-sin-philosophy/) - A standard, albeit potted, way of characterizing the dominant modes of thought for ancient, modern, and postmodern intellectuals is in terms of the relationship between being and knowing. The concept of “being” has to do with metaphysics: what kinds of things exist and how do they relate? The concept of “knowing” has to do with
- [In Defense of the Liberal Arts](https://www.paul-gould.com/2016/09/28/defense-liberal-arts/) - The purpose of the university, in the good old days, was to make fully functioning human beings. Alas today the purpose of the university is to created human doings, automaton who possess marketable skills—but are incapable of participating in a thoughtful conversation. The university, traditionally a place for the cultivation of intellectual and moral virtue,
- [Answering Jihad](https://www.paul-gould.com/2016/09/21/answering-jihad/) - Terrorist attacks by Muslims have almost become a routine of 21st century life. Daily it seems we read of new assaults by Muslims in the Middle East, Africa, and now, in Europe and North America. A very natural question to ask concerns the religion of Islam itself. Is Islam a religion of peace, as many
- [Could Jesus Sin? The Problem of the Incarnate Temptation](https://www.paul-gould.com/2016/09/14/could-jesus-sin-the-problem-of-the-incarnate-temptation/) - The consistent teaching of the New Testament is that Jesus, “the lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29) is himself without sin.[1] He is a perfect sacrifice for the sins of man because he himself, unlike the rest of us, never did wrong. He is without blemish. He is
- [The Illusory Freedom of Pop Culture](https://www.paul-gould.com/2016/09/07/the-illusory-freedom-of-pop-culture/) - Western culture is changing at an astonishing speed today. Twenty-five years ago, when I graduated from college, cell phones were barely a known commodity. Today smart phones are a staple of contemporary life. Al Gore had not yet invented the internet. Today our family panics if the Wi-Fi goes out. Socially the country was largely
- [Why Did God Create Armadillos?](https://www.paul-gould.com/2016/08/31/why-did-god-create-armadillos/) - God is often portrayed as serious and cranky; a curmudgeon holding a thunder bolt in his hand ready to strike anyone having too much fun. God has no sense of humor, we are told. As a result, church is often portrayed as somber and formal, a weighty place where we sober-minded creatures go to worship
- [Three Reasons We Should Care about Logic According to Isaac Watts](https://www.paul-gould.com/2016/08/24/three-reasons-we-should-care-about-logic-according-to-isaac-watts/) - The great English theologian and hymn writer Isaac Watts is best known for classics such as “Joy to the World” or “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross.” Lesser known is that Watts was one of the premier logicians of his day. He wrote a text in logic that became the standard text at Oxford, Cambridge,
- [Three Surprising Facts about Atheists](https://www.paul-gould.com/2016/08/17/three-surprising-facts-about-atheists/) - The Pew Research Center recently released a report entitled 10 Facts About Atheism. Many of the facts cited are unsurprising: while on the rise, atheist represent a small percentage of the American population (3.1%), atheists tend to lean liberal and democratic, tend to be younger and male, and are slightly more educated than the general
- [Get off the Religious Treadmill](https://www.paul-gould.com/2016/07/12/get-off-the-religious-treadmill/) - (Guest post from Lucas Shipman, see video below) What is the "religious treadmill?" It is works based salvation; the lie that we can earn our way into the presence of God. Billions of people are stuck in this false system with no hope of going anywhere. They are spiritually running in place. Here are 3
- [Christianity Is Not "Us Versus Them"](https://www.paul-gould.com/2016/05/18/christianity-is-not-us-versus-them/) - Guest blog from Lucas Shipman, Spoken Word Poet (see video below): Election years can be frustrating for followers of Jesus. This election is set to be one of the most divisive we have seen in recent history. Christians have been widely misrepresented by both parties. Politicians throw around the word "evangelical" to somehow describe every
- [Why Theology Needs Philosophy: A Case Study](https://www.paul-gould.com/2016/04/20/why-theology-needs-philosophy-a-case-study/) - In his book Divine Sovereignty and Human Responsibility: Biblical Perspectives in Tension, D. A. Carson argues that Scripture unmistakably demonstrates both divine sovereignty and human responsibility.[1] For any theology that is to be faithful to Scripture, divine sovereignty and human responsibility must be upheld. Moreover, it must be upheld without denying other key tenants of
- [Does God Know What It Is Like To Be Me?](https://www.paul-gould.com/2016/04/13/does-god-know-what-it-is-like-to-be-me/) - In the information age, knowledge has fallen on hard times. Google, spell-checking software, and public schools that “teach toward the test” have lulled us to sleep. Why learn when we can passively watch another video on Netflix? Why read a book when I can scroll through my Instagram feed? We don’t want knowledge. And we
- [The Evidence for God is Widely Available and Easily Resistible](https://www.paul-gould.com/2016/04/05/the-evidence-for-god-is-widely-available-and-easily-resistible/) - When asked what he would say if, upon his death he found himself before God, the great 20th century atheist Bertrand Russell famously replied, “God, you gave us insufficient evidence.”[1] While this reply has the ring of wisdom and steady confidence to our modern ears, my guess is that such responses will sound hallow on
- [Social Media and the Temptation of Vainglory](https://www.paul-gould.com/2016/03/30/social-media-and-the-temptation-of-vainglory/) - In Imagining the Kingdom, James K. A. Smith argues that our mundane actions shape the way we perceive and live in the world. Chaos theory has shown us that a butterfly flapping its wings in Brazil can bring about a hurricane in Louisiana. In the same way our banal yet daily habits of IPhone usage
- [Human beings: Self-creators, self-shapers, or determined?](https://www.paul-gould.com/2016/03/23/human-beings-self-creators-self-shapers-or-determined/) - The culture war rages over the nature of human persons. Questions concerning when a fetus becomes a person, when or whether a computer can attain something like consciousness, or the nature of human marriage and family daily make headlines. In this post, I want to consider, in broad outline, three views about human nature, argue
- [The Singularity Movement, Screwtape, and the Hope of Immortality](https://www.paul-gould.com/2016/03/09/the-singularity-movement-screwtape-and-the-hope-of-immortality/) - The February 2011 cover of Time Magazine pictures a human head connected to a metal cable. “2045: The Year Man Becomes Immortal*,” reads the caption. The asterisk directs the reader’s eye to this caption: “*If you believe humans and machines will become one. Welcome to the Singularity Movement.” The hope for immortality is nothing new.
- [What Is This Thinking Thing That I Am? Four Questions](https://www.paul-gould.com/2016/03/02/what-is-this-thinking-thing-that-i-am-four-questions/) - In searching for a foundation from which to secure knowledge, the Enlightenment thinker Rene Descartes stumbled onto what he took to be a belief that is undeniable: “I think, therefore I am.” That I exist as the thinking thing I am is as foundational (and obvious) a truth as any. Still, one wonders, what is
- [The Kissing Argument Against Belief in the Soul](https://www.paul-gould.com/2016/02/24/the-kissing-argument-against-belief-in-the-soul/) - Modern man only believes in things he can see or touch. Unshackled from religion, we are free to embrace the deliverances of science as the whole truth about reality. There are none but physical entities and none but physical causes. The world has been emptied of the divine and the immaterial. In this cultural context, it is
- [Politics, Hatred, and Leeches](https://www.paul-gould.com/2016/02/10/politics-hatred-and-leeches/) - You might hear around our house: “Monkey see, Monkey do.” So often children learn by watching. If I burp at the dinner table, our nine-year old, without missing a beat, summons a guttural barrage of belches. As he grins from ear to ear, is hard for the rest of us (my wife excluded) to keep
- [God the Most Joyous Being in the Universe](https://www.paul-gould.com/2016/02/03/god-the-most-joyous-being-in-the-universe/) - We humans are a bit cranky. We upset easily. To share some painful examples from my recent past: I pick the wrong line in the grocery story causing me to become impatient and resentful. An unexpected meeting invades my plan for the day. Anxiety fills my heart. I feel unjustly attacked and return the favor
- [Two Questions about Story](https://www.paul-gould.com/2016/01/27/two-questions-about-story/) - Story draws us in. When life becomes too difficult or we need a break from its monotony, we escape to some other story (hence the strength and all-pervasiveness of the entertainment industry). For me, it is a real treat, after a long day of teaching, relating, studying, and writing, when I pick up a book
- [How To Cultivate a Quiet Soul in a Busy World](https://www.paul-gould.com/2016/01/20/how-to-cultivate-a-quiet-soul-in-a-busy-world/) - Busyness masks our insecurities. We rush. We want the quickest line in the grocery story, instant access to our news and movies, information at our fingertips, and food served hot and fast. We hurry to accomplish things and when we do, we don’t have time to savor the triumph because we’ve got to hurry to
- [Why a Theology of Food Beats a New Year’s Resolution](https://www.paul-gould.com/2016/01/13/why-a-theology-of-food-beats-a-new-years-resolution/) - Barely two weeks into the new year and I blew it. Ugh! I hate dieting. As my wife and family will attest, I have a huge sweet tooth. When the sum total of my intake for the day is a green smoothie, a couple apples, and some crackers, it is hard to resist the temptation
- [My Favorite Books of 2015](https://www.paul-gould.com/2016/01/06/my-favorite-books-of-2015/) - Developing intellectual virtue in an Internet age challenges me. The beep, swish or yelp of an incoming email, Facebook message, or the favoriting of a Tweet constantly pull my eyes, and with it, my heart, into the mediated world of the smart phone. With all these distractions, intellectual habits leading to a life well lived droop.
- [Christ my past, present, and future](https://www.paul-gould.com/2015/11/11/christ-my-past-present-and-future/) - As a Christ follower, I am not defined by my past failures. Nor am I defined by my present projects. My hope is not in my future accomplishments. The good news of the gospel—the greatest possible story of the world—is that I am part of something much bigger than myself. Christianity is true, and so
- [Apologetics as Dance](https://www.paul-gould.com/2015/11/04/apologetics-as-dance/) - In this sound-bite age, engaging in thoughtful dialogue with others about issues that matter most is difficult. We lack patience. We want morsels of knowledge packaged in 240 character epigrams. Rarely do we know what we believe about God, the world, or self. Even more rare is knowing why we believe what we believe. For
- [You are what you see](https://www.paul-gould.com/2015/10/28/you-are-what-you-see/) - Do you struggle to find wholeness under the banner of Christ? Do your thoughts, actions, and emotions so often work at cross-purposes with each other? Does sin hamper your life and pull you down? Are your attempts at self-improvement short-lived and unsuccessful? If you answered yes to any of these questions, perhaps it is time
- [God and Logic Part 2: Do Laws of Logic Have Divine Attributes?](https://www.paul-gould.com/2015/10/21/god-and-logic-part-2-do-laws-of-logic-have-divine-attributes/) - In my critical thinking class, in addition to learning the minutia of validity and invalidity, we are also exploring the relationship between God and logic. Needless to say, this is a topic that most standard textbooks on logic or critical thinking neglect. It is for this reason that I assign Vern Poythress’s book Logic: A
- [God and Logic Part 1: The Logical Euthyphro](https://www.paul-gould.com/2015/10/14/god-and-logic-part-1-the-logical-euthyphro/) - What does God have to do with logic? It seems that the reality of the laws of logic force God into a dilemma. Either God is subject to the laws of logic or he is not. If God is subject to the laws of logic, then God is not absolutely sovereign. If God is not
- [The Vice of Self-Confidence](https://www.paul-gould.com/2015/10/07/the-vice-of-self-confidence/) - Society is terribly insistent on the virtue of self-confidence. We attend seminars to get it. We go on diets to get it. We work out to get it. We go to church to get it. We seek praise to get it. We religiously post to Facebook to get it. Yet, with every poorly “liked” post,
- [EPS Symposium on Faith and Scholarship](https://www.paul-gould.com/2015/09/30/eps-symposium-on-faith-and-scholarship/) - For the last two decades, I've been wrestling with the question of how the Christian faith intersects with the academy. I've recently written a book, The Outrageous idea of the Missional Professor, in which I set forth some of my findings. (see the companion website here). One of my essays from the book deals explicitly
- [Atheism, Arrogance, and Intellectual Vice](https://www.paul-gould.com/2015/09/23/atheism-arrogance-and-intellectual-vice/) - This past June in Vancouver, the atheists Lawrence Krauss and Richard Dawkins were recorded speaking about the despicable (Christian philosopher and theologian) William Lane Craig at the Imagine No Religion 5 Conference. As I listened to this brief (less than 3 minute) rant, I was amazed at the arrogance of the two. It was a
- [When Appeals to Mystery Mask Intellectual Laziness](https://www.paul-gould.com/2015/09/16/when-appeals-to-mystery-mask-intellectual-laziness/) - Appeals to mystery by so-called emergent Christians was rampant when postmodernism was all the rage. The knowability of God was swallowed up by the mystery of God. “We can’t know anything definitive about God, He (or She, or It) is wrapped in a shroud of mystery,” we were told. God is “beyond the veil” of
- [The Divine Game of Clue: God’s Crime Scene by J. Warner Wallace](https://www.paul-gould.com/2015/09/09/the-divine-game-of-clue-gods-crime-scene-by-j-warner-wallace/) - As I kid I loved playing the game Clue. Who murdered Mr. Boddy, with what, and where? My favorite culprit was Colonel Mustard, who loved candlesticks and libraries. I’d be that villain if I could choose. In the new book God’s Crime Scene, J. Warner Wallace takes us on a fascinating journey to another crime
- [American Jesus: Pawn or King?](https://www.paul-gould.com/2015/09/02/american-jesus-pawn-or-king/) - In Stephen Prothero’s book American Jesus, the Boston University Professor of Religion details how Jesus became a national iconoclast and icon. The purpose of Prothero’s book is to discern the “cultural Jesus:” the Jesus understood by Americans both historically and today. It seems that it is Jesus, and not the Apostle Paul, who, in America,
- [Two Purposes for the Miraculous](https://www.paul-gould.com/2015/08/26/two-purposes-for-the-miraculous/) - Modern man is quick to deny the miraculous. “Miracles are impossible”—says the Bultmannian—since Nature is the whole story. “Miracles are improbable”—says the Humean—since laws of nature are exceptionless and miracles are violations of these exceptionless laws. “Miracles are not necessary”—says the scientists—since science is quickly closing all gaps in knowledge, gaps that pre-moderns used to
- [Five things I learned on my literary tour of England](https://www.paul-gould.com/2015/08/19/five-things-i-learned-on-my-literary-tour-of-england/) - This summer I had the opportunity to teach on C. S. Lewis and his apologetics for our seminary while at Oxford University. To teach on one of my favorite authors, in Oxford where he lived and taught most of his adult life, is a dream come true. To say I am a fan of Lewis
- [Was Jesus just a Great Moral Teacher?](https://www.paul-gould.com/2015/05/13/was-jesus-just-a-great-moral-teacher/) - The question of Jesus’ identity has perplexed and fascinated us since he arrived on the scene 2,000 years ago. In our own day we seem to have a Jesus for everyone: Super-hero Jesus, Common Guy Jesus, Homosexual Jesus, Traditional Marriage Jesus, Democrat Jesus, Republican Jesus, Mormon Jesus, Oriental Jesus, and so on. Pick a cause
- [Soul Cravings](https://www.paul-gould.com/2015/05/06/soul-cravings/) - It is a datum of human experience that we crave. We want, long, yearn, desire. Some things are petty—tickets to the Packer game, a box of Raisinets©, a new fountain pen—other things are more central to our well-being—staying healthy, material possessions—and some are essential to our well-being—intimacy, meaning, purpose. Erwin McManus has written a book exploring three of these core human
- [Daniel Dennett, the Future of Religion, and Disenchantment](https://www.paul-gould.com/2015/04/29/daniel-dennett-the-future-of-religion-and-disenchantment/) - Earlier this week, the Tufts university professor of philosophy and new atheist provocateur Daniel Dennett wrote an article for the Wall Street Journal explaining Why the Future of Religion is Bleak. The basic thrust of the article is that religion thrives whenever information and knowledge is repressed and/or personal or corporate calamity leads the ignorant
- [Does Jesus answer our biggest questions?](https://www.paul-gould.com/2015/04/22/does-jesus-answer-our-biggest-questions/) - Aristotle said, “All men desire to know.” He was right. We long to be rightly related to reality. We long to know the truth and to find ourselves in a story that is satisfying. I believe that we can know the truth, and when we find it, we will find answers that satisfy our soul. The answers to
- [The High Cost of Cynicism and Unbelief](https://www.paul-gould.com/2015/04/15/the-high-cost-of-cynicism-and-unbelief/) - In a comical scene that turns tragic, the Dwarfs in C. S. Lewis’s Narnian tale The Last Battle vow to never again allow themselves to believe in Aslan. Why? They had been duped into thinking that Puzzle (the donkey) was Aslan and once King Tirian revealed the truth about Puzzle, the Dwarfs become mystified at how easily
- [The Argument from Reason to God](https://www.paul-gould.com/2015/04/08/the-argument-from-reason-to-god/) - Naturalism is the view that there are no supernatural beings. The natural world is causally closed: there is nothing outside the box, nothing transcendent, nothing that impinges on the world from beyond. Thus, the basic level of analysis is physics: all reality, at rock bottom is captured by tiny bits of matter (quarks? strings?) that
- [God, the reasonable, and the possible](https://www.paul-gould.com/2015/04/01/god-the-reasonable-and-the-possible/) - In my philosophy of religion class we are working through the excellent book Debating Christian Theism, edited by Moreland, Meister, and Sweis. The strength of this book is that it places leading defenders of opposing views on the nature and existence of God in dialogue. The book highlights the current state of play in the God
- [Do not be an Accidental Christian](https://www.paul-gould.com/2015/03/25/do-not-be-an-accidental-christian/) - This past weekend, the second annual Stand Firm Apologetics Conference was held here at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. The keynote speaker for the event was J. (Jim) Warner Wallace, who has carved out a name for himself as a cold-case homicide detective turned apologist for Christ. I was completely impressed with Jim. His three plenary
- [Why the question- Who Created God?- is nonsense](https://www.paul-gould.com/2015/03/18/why-the-question-who-created-god-is-nonsense/) - Lawrence Krauss has written a book about how the universe came into being out of nothing. Well, out of “nothing.” His “nothing” is actually something—the quantum vacuum. But let’s not quibble over words. In my last post—the Imperialistic, Elitist, and Foolish Scientism of Neo-Atheism—I did quibble (well, maybe it was more of a rant) over Krauss’s abuse
- [The Imperialistic, Elitist, and Foolish Scientism of Neo-Atheism](https://www.paul-gould.com/2015/03/09/the-imperialistic-elitist-and-foolish-scientism-of-neo-atheism/) - I’ll confess, I grow weary of neo-atheism. There is this constant mantra of “if we are to be smart and open-minded, then we must be scientistic.” This is plainly false and, well, just silly. It is foolish. It is also (surprise) anti-intellectual! The reason for my rant: I just finished reading Lawrence Krauss’s book A Universe from
- [Homer, the Odyssey and the Gospel, Part 4  - Unbelief and Doubt](https://www.paul-gould.com/2015/02/25/homer-the-odyssey-and-the-gospel-part-4-unbelief-and-doubt/) - In this final post on Homer’s Odyssey and the gospel, we’ll explore the nature of faith and unbelief. (see part one here, part two here, and part three here). As Homer’s tale comes to an end, we find a moment of high comedy. It is a vivid picture of the relationship between doubt, reason, evidence,
- [Homer, the Odyssey and the Gospel, Part 3 - Beggars at the Palace](https://www.paul-gould.com/2015/02/18/homer-the-odyssey-and-the-gospel-part-3-beggars-at-the-palace/) - In this third posts (see part one here and part two here) on Homer and the Gospel, we’ll explore the nature of tragedy and the hope that Jesus brings to a world gone wrong. In Odysseus’s absence, things at home in Ithaca spiraled out of control. Over one hundred suitors vied for Penelope’s hand in
- [Homer, the Odyssey, and the Gospel, Part 2 - Our longing for Home](https://www.paul-gould.com/2015/02/04/homer-the-odyssey-and-the-gospel-part-2-our-longing-for-home/) - In my last post, I explored how Homer’s Odyssey prompts us to live for a cause greater than ourselves. In this post, I’ll explore how the story points us to our true home. After the ten-year war at Troy, Odysseus set out for home. For ten more years, he tried in vain to get home,
- [Homer, the Odyssey, and the Gospel, Part 1- Our Quest for More](https://www.paul-gould.com/2015/01/28/homer-the-odyssey-and-the-gospel-part-1-our-quest-for-more/) - Peanut butter and jelly . . . chips and dip . . . Homer and the gospel. Wait, Homer and the gospel? How do they go together, you ask? Good question! Homer is to the gospel as longings are to their proper object. Homer prompts, prods, and points to the gospel as man’s greatest need
- [Is Christianity or Islam the Greatest Religion?](https://www.paul-gould.com/2015/01/21/is-christianity-or-islam-the-greatest-religion/) - Given the amount of evil perpetrated by followers of Islam worldwide, I was quite surprised to read in Stephen Prothero’s introduction to his book God is not One that he thinks Islam, and not Christianity, is the greatest religion in the world. In this post, I’ll explain his reasoning and then share why I think he is
- [Five Things I’ve learned from C. S. Lewis](https://www.paul-gould.com/2015/01/14/five-things-ive-learned-from-c-s-lewis/) - I’ve recently finished reading George Sayer’s wonderful biography on C. S. Lewis entitled Jack. I’ve always been drawn to Lewis’ writings. His fictional stories awaken my reason and imagination, urging me “further up and further in” to the mysteries and wonder of God and this God-bathed world. His nonfiction helps me see more clearly the beauty
- [How Reading Enlarges Us: Or My Favorite Books of 2014](https://www.paul-gould.com/2015/01/07/how-reading-enlarges-us-or-my-favorite-books-of-2014/) - I admit it. I love reading books. Not those enlightened by pixels or advanced with the swipe of a finger, but old fashion paperbacks. I love the feel of flipping a completed page, underlining favorite passages, and writing notes in the margins. This year was a banner year in terms of books read and diversity
- [Urban Apologetics](https://www.paul-gould.com/2014/11/12/urban-apologetics/) - Typically, books on apologetics are either broadly topically driven (e.g., works on historical apologetics, scientific apologetics, philosophical apologetics, etc.) or narrowly topically driven (e.g., books refuting Mormonism, responding to Islam, answering the new atheists, etc.). What is unique about Christopher Brooks’ new book on apologetics is that it is rooted in place—urban cities—and the specific
- [C. S. Lewis, The Great Divorce, and Solid People](https://www.paul-gould.com/2014/11/05/c-s-lewis-the-great-divorce-and-solid-people/) - This past weekend, my wife and I went to the theatrical performance of C. S. Lewis’s The Great Divorce in Dallas. It was wonderful, and if the play is coming to your city, I highly recommend you see it. As my wife described it, seeing the book acted out on stage helps one to feel what
- [Primer on Divine Goodness (Part 2: Philosophical Reflection)](https://www.paul-gould.com/2014/10/29/primer-on-divine-goodness-part-2-philosophical-reflection/) - In my last post, I considered the teachings of Scripture concerning the character of God. The Bible is clear that God himself is good, the source of all good things, and good to all that He has made. In light of that discussion, let us define divine goodness as following: Divine goodness = (df) God
- [A Primer on Divine Goodness (Part One: Theological Reflection)](https://www.paul-gould.com/2014/10/22/a-primer-on-divine-goodness-part-one-theological-reflection/) - It is a common theistic claim that God is good. But what is the justification for such a claim, and further how is it to be understood? In this post, I'll consider what Scripture has to say about divine goodness. In my next post, we'll put the resultant conception of divine goodness under philosophical scrutiny. In Scripture,
- [A Spiritual History of the World](https://www.paul-gould.com/2014/10/15/a-spiritual-history-of-the-world/) - In Peter Kreeft’s excellent little book Back to Virtue, he attempts to delineate the spiritual history of the (Western) world in 10 steps. I think the picture Kreeft develops is insightful and provides a helpful perspective in which to understand our present times. In this post, I’ll briefly sketch Kreeft’s history and offer a few thoughts
- [God-so far yet so near](https://www.paul-gould.com/2014/10/08/god-so-far-yet-so-near/) - The most fundamental distinction of all reality is that between Creator and creature. He makes, we are made; he is original, we are derivative; he is everlasting, we are temporal; he is infinite, we are finite; he exists a se, we ab alio. There is no parallel to the Creator and creature relationship. No other relationship comes
- [Two Roads to Live On](https://www.paul-gould.com/2014/10/01/two-roads-to-live-on/) - Thoughtful observers are in agreement that our culture is sick. We are morally confused. We are cracked, violated, and vicious. Don’t get me wrong. I don’t think we’re much worse than any previous culture. The difference between earlier cultures and ours is not in terms of our lack of virtue, but the lack of knowledge of virtue.
- [Man’s Four Hungers](https://www.paul-gould.com/2014/09/24/mans-four-hungers/) - In his famous Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled” (Matthew 5:6). Blessed—happy—satisfied—whole—are those who hunger and thirst for his righteousness, for they will be filled. This sounds like good news to me! Don’t we all want to be blessed, happy, satisfied,
- [The Blinding Friday Night Lights](https://www.paul-gould.com/2014/09/17/the-blinding-friday-night-lights/) - We’ve just moved from Middle America to Texas. To say there is a bit of culture shock is an understatement. Things are a bit different down here. Don’t get me wrong. I love Texas. I married a Texan. I’m a Spurs fan. I remember the Alamo. We eat breakfast tacos. I even have a cowboy
- [What is the Origin of Religion?](https://www.paul-gould.com/2014/09/10/what-is-the-origin-of-religion/) - How, or why, did religion originate? More to the point, did religion begin with God or man? It has become commonplace since the Enlightenment to understand the origin and development of religion in naturalistic terms: Religion is man-made. It is a crutch for the weak-minded. It is a feeling of absolute dependence. It is a
- [What does -God Loves You- mean?](https://www.paul-gould.com/2014/09/03/what-does-god-loves-you-mean/) - We long to be loved and to love. Yet we love imperfectly, and often disorderedly. But there is one who loves perfectly--God--and widely. In fact, God loves the whole world, Jesus says in the oft-quoted John 3:16. But what does it mean? How does God love man? Given the great gulf between the Creator and
- [The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind and the God Who Made It](https://www.paul-gould.com/2014/08/27/the-boy-who-harnessed-the-wind-and-the-god-who-made-it/) - I just finished reading William Kamkwamba’s inspiring book The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind. In the autobiography (co-written with Bryan Mealer), Kamkwamba shares his childhood story of growing up in the impoverished country of Malawi, a country where magic rules and modern science is often viewed with suspicion and mystery. As the son of a farmer,
- [The (Spiritual) Danger of Too Much Technology](https://www.paul-gould.com/2014/08/20/the-spiritual-danger-of-too-much-technology/) - In our increasingly technologically driven world, it is easy to settle for the image of something instead of the thing itself. Instead of meeting face-to-face with friends, we interact over Facebook.[1] Instead of going hunting, or fishing, or dancing, or playing baseball or basketball or ping pong, we stand in front of a TV with a
- [Playing God, Power, and the Gospel](https://www.paul-gould.com/2014/05/07/playing-god-power-and-the-gospel/) - In a good book, there will there be one real gem—a new idea, insight, or way of looking at the world—that is both illuminating and profound. In Andy Crouch’s latest, Playing God: Redeeming the Gift of Power, there is a treasure of new insights related to the notions of power, idolatry, and the gospel story
- [Anti-intellectualism: The Trojan Horse Within the Church](https://www.paul-gould.com/2014/04/30/anti-intellectualism-the-trojan-horse-within-the-church/) - We are in trouble. We no longer possess, as a culture, the ability to think well about the things that matter most. When it comes to thinking about the nature or existence of God, the purpose of life, or the morality of war, homosexuality, or abortion, we are guided more by our feelings than reason.
- [Death By Living](https://www.paul-gould.com/2014/04/23/death-by-living/) - Life is a story. You are mortal. There was a time when you were not. There will be a time when you exit the stage of this life. The past is the fruit of providence and thousands of personal narratives that led to you. You did not choose where to set your feet. You did
- [Why I believe in the Resurrection of Jesus](https://www.paul-gould.com/2014/04/16/why-i-believe-in-the-resurrection-of-jesus/) - As an undergraduate student at Miami University, some well-meaning students confronted me with the truth claims of Christianity. They explained the gospel to me. They explained that Jesus was divine and that I was a sinner. They explained to me that I could find forgiveness for sins if I tusted in Jesus. They finally left.
- [The Church Needs Philosophers and Philosophers Need the Church](https://www.paul-gould.com/2014/04/09/the-church-needs-philosophers-and-philosophers-need-the-church/) - Historically, philosophy was understood as the hand-maided of the queen of the sciences--theology. Today, philosophy is often looked at with suspicion or (perhaps worse) an uninterested glance by those within the church. I offer the following essay, hosted by the Gospel Coalition website on why The Church Needs Philosophers and Philosophers Need the Church.
- [Walker Percy, Ontological Lapsometers, and the End of the World](https://www.paul-gould.com/2014/04/02/walker-percy-ontological-lapsometers-and-the-end-of-the-world/) - Modern man is fragmented and hollow at its core. In modern man’s wake there is often destruction and ruin. Walker Percy’s Love in the Ruins is an hilarious romp through the ruins of modern man’s cathedral, set in a place called Paradise, Louisiana as the world seemingly comes to an end. Dr. Thomas More, a backslidden catholic
- [To Kill A Mockingbird and the Gospel Story](https://www.paul-gould.com/2014/03/26/to-kill-a-mockingbird-and-the-gospel-story/) - Harper Lee’s 1960 classic To Kill a Mockingbird is set in the American south during the turbulent and transitional 1930s. Partly, I am drawn to the story because of the aura surrounding Mrs. Lee. The book has been hailed as an American classic, the winner of many prizes including the coveted Pulitzer, yet Mrs. Lee continues to
- [Aquinas, Schaeffer, Nominalism & the Demise of the Western World](https://www.paul-gould.com/2014/03/19/aquinas-schaeffer-nominalism-the-demise-of-the-western-world/) - I just finished reading Francis Schaeffer’s classic book How Should We Then Live? The book has been recently republished by Crossway in celebration of the 50th anniversary of Schaeffer’s founding of L’Abri. There is much to like about this book. Schaeffer’s knowledge of the history of ideas, music, and art is impressive. His ability to discern key trends
- [Does God Care For Me? The Case For God](https://www.paul-gould.com/2014/03/05/does-god-care-for-me-the-case-for-god/) - In my last post, I consider the case against the claim that God cares for you and me. I offered three reasons, put them under scrutiny, and concluded that they are not good reasons to think God doesn’t care. In this post I want to consider what reasons there might be for thinking that God
- [God Does Not Care for Me: The Case Against God](https://www.paul-gould.com/2014/02/26/god-does-not-care-for-me-the-case-against-god/) - Does God care for me? That question is a very personal question—and I think it is a question that simmers on the surface of our lives—and in times of trial, or difficulty, or pain—it intensifies—it becomes a very pressing question—and often, it might seem as if the answer is no. In fact, I think there are a
- [Why Does God Hide?](https://www.paul-gould.com/2014/02/19/why-does-god-hide/) - Philosophers like to talk about the problem of divine hiddenness. Usually the problem is couched as a threat to God’s existence: If God existed he would make himself obvious. God is not obvious. Therefore, God doesn’t exist. I don’t think the argument succeeds. The fact is that God has revealed himself sufficiently for those who
- [Graffiti, Fast Food, and the Defacement of Beauty](https://www.paul-gould.com/2014/02/12/graffiti-fast-food-and-the-defacement-of-beauty/) - The world we inhabit is resplendent with beauty. A morning sunrise dances off the awakening dew. The blue and green of a country landscape speak peace into the soul. The awe-inspiring magnitude of half-dome silences our heavy hearts. Angels dance within the mist of a cascading river. Beauty calls out and demands to be contemplated.
- [Metaphysical Loneliness, Atheism, and the Face of God](https://www.paul-gould.com/2014/02/05/metaphysical-loneliness-atheism-and-the-face-of-god/) - The tragedy and irony of the digital age is that we in the western world are often lonely and isolated. Surrounded by our Facebook posts, tweets, Ipods, Ipads, Nooks, Kindle Fires, smart phones, and now, smart watches, we are ever connected, but rarely connecting. We meticulously manage our social media image, and it is easy
- [Resting in the Power of God](https://www.paul-gould.com/2014/01/29/resting-in-the-power-of-god/) - In my last post, I examined our longing for omnipotence. We long for a God who can make things right, in our lives and in the world. In this post, I want to consider how we can rest in the power of the omnipotent God. In Scripture, knowledge of God is intimate and personal. Divine omniscience, omnipresence, or omnipotence
- [Our Longing for Omnipotence](https://www.paul-gould.com/2014/01/22/our-longing-for-omnipotence/) - In his book, A Great and Terrible Love,[1] Mark Galli says something I find very interesting about omnipotence. He says that if God were not omnipotent, we’d invent omnipotence and pin the attribute on him. And the reason, he says, is that we long for omnipotence. The more I think about it, the more I think he is onto
- [Jude: Building one another up in an upside down world](https://www.paul-gould.com/2014/01/15/jude-building-one-another-up-in-an-upside-down-world/) - It doesn’t take much to convince us that something is not right—the world is not the way it is supposed to be. For Christians, there is a kind of clarity to this judgment: we live in a “fallen world” and look forward to the day when God will fully restore all of creation to its
- [3 reasons why you should read (and my favorite books of 2013)](https://www.paul-gould.com/2014/01/08/3-reasons-why-you-should-read-and-my-favorite-books-of-2013/) - One of the great pleasures in life is reading a good book. I love to read. I always have a book in my hand (or nearby). I’d hate to find myself with some extra time and nothing to read—I’d probably end up (horror) wasting that time flipping through Facebook on my phone—and miss out on
- [What Best Explains the Mind to World Fit?](https://www.paul-gould.com/2013/12/04/what-best-explains-the-mind-to-world-fit/) - A deep fact about the nature of our universe is the remarkable conformity of our human minds to its patterning. According to John Polkinghorne, “we live in a world whose physical fabric is endowed with transparent rational beauty.”[1] From the large-scale structure of our universe described by cosmology to the small-scale processes described by quantum theory,
- [C.S. Lewis, Religion, Rocketry, and Other Worlds](https://www.paul-gould.com/2013/11/22/c-s-lewis-religion-rocketry-and-other-worlds/) - In his essay “Religion and Rocketry”—originally published in 1958 as “Will we Lose God in Outer Space?”—C.S. Lewis raises the question of alien life in a world created by God. What if life was discovered on other planets? What would such a discovering mean for Christianity? Would such a discovery be the basis for a
- [The Return of the Logical Positivist](https://www.paul-gould.com/2013/11/07/the-return-of-the-logical-positivist/) - Logical positivism was a philosophical movement that flourished in the 1920s and 1930s in Europe and the 1940s and 1950s in America. At its core, the movement represented a commitment to empirical science and its technical apparatus (mathematics and logic), a new way of doing philosophy, a radical anti-metaphysical stance, and the rejection of synthetic a
- [On the Integration of Faith and Scholarship](https://www.paul-gould.com/2013/10/30/on-the-integration-of-faith-and-scholarship/) - Christian scholars, we are told, belong to two distinct communities: the community of scholars and the community of faith. An immediate question that arises is how ought a Christian scholar relate these two communities? Possible answers include: separate, overlap, and integrate. The attempt to separate one’s scholarship from one’s faith is unrealistic. Such a posture either presupposes
- [Happiness is Edenistic, not Hedonistic](https://www.paul-gould.com/2013/10/23/happiness-is-edenistic-not-hedonistic/) - The world thinks of happiness hedonistically, God thinks of happiness edenistically. This is one of the central ideas of David Naugle’s highly recommended book Reordered Loves, Reordered Lives: Learning the Deep Meaning of Happiness. In a previous post, I discussed the contemporary view of happiness as pleasure. In light of our fatigue and failure to find happiness via pleasure,
- [Is it ever ok to lie? Bonhoeffer on Truth-telling and Deception](https://www.paul-gould.com/2013/10/16/is-it-every-ok-to-lie-bonhoeffer-on-truth-telling-and-deception/) - Is it ever morally permissible to tell a lie? On one end of the spectrum we find the philosopher Immanuel Kant, who argues that it is never, under any circumstance, permissible to lie. To lie, according to Kant, would be to act in a way that is less than rational (hence, less than human) and
- [The (never-ending) Pursuit of Happiness](https://www.paul-gould.com/2013/10/09/the-never-ending-pursuit-of-happiness/) - Do you want to be happy? Chances are, if you’re like most of us, the answer is a resounding yes. We Americans are obsessed with being happy. We pursue it with a sense of fervency and urgency—“if only I could have this experience, or that job, or this relationship, or that thing then…”—which should tip
- [Would Jesus cleanse the temple of Philosophy?](https://www.paul-gould.com/2013/10/02/would-jesus-cleanse-the-temple-of-philosophy/) - In his introduction to Jesus and Philosophy, Paul Moser asks, “How, then, is Jesus relevant to philosophy as a discipline?”[1] This is a great question. Possible answers include “not at all,” “insignificantly” or “significantly” relevant. Many in the academy would argue that Jesus has little or no relevance to the discipline of philosophy. Recently, the philosophers David
- [The Bad Story that is Atheism](https://www.paul-gould.com/2013/09/25/the-bad-story-that-is-atheism/) - We all love a good story. They awaken our longings for drama and connect us to a deeper reality that is true. Right? Wrong, according to the atheist philosopher Alex Rosenberg. We’ve been duped by stories. They make us feel better. They help us get along. But they do not guide us to the truth
- [Can God Create Abstract objects?](https://www.paul-gould.com/2013/09/18/can-god-create-abstract-objects/) - In my last post I set out a definition of God’s omnipotence.[1] In this post I want to consider the scope of God’s omnipotence by examining the question, “Can God create abstract objects?” First, what exactly are abstract objects? Let’s stipulate that objects denoted by the following terms are abstract: ‘property,’ ‘proposition,’ ‘possible world,’ ‘set,’ ‘number,’
- [Understanding Divine Omnipotence](https://www.paul-gould.com/2013/09/11/understanding-divine-omnipotence/) - A cursory scan of the Bible seems to affirm the following regarding God’s power Nothing is too hard for God With God all things are possible. For example, we learn in Psalm 24:8 that God is “The Lord, strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle.” When he appeared to Abram to reaffirm his covenant,
- [A Primer on World Change-Part 3](https://www.paul-gould.com/2013/09/04/a-primer-on-world-change-part-3/) - In my last couple posts (here and here), I shared about James Davison Hunter’s book on world Change. In this post, I want to share about another important book on world change, Andy Crouch’s Culture Making: Recovering our Creative Calling. While Hunter argues that Christians should be “faithfully present within” culture, Crouch argues that Christians should
- [A Primer on World Change- Part 2](https://www.paul-gould.com/2013/08/28/a-primer-on-world-change-part-2/) - In my last post, I discussed James Davison Hunter’s critique of the “common view” of world-change. In this post I want to share his positive proposal. How can Christians faithfully engage the world? Hunter argues that the old paradigms of cultural engagement will not help Christians in our day and age to live integrated faithful lives. Instead
- [A Primer on World Change- Part 1](https://www.paul-gould.com/2013/08/21/a-primer-on-world-change-part-1/) - Christians like to talk—and aspire—to changing the world. This language stems very naturally from our God-given desire to make a difference, to live a life that matters. In a very real sense, making a difference is to change the world. But, usually, when Christians talk about “changing the world” they mean something like “winning the world for Christ” or
- [Bonhoeffer, the Church, and the Consequence of Ideas](https://www.paul-gould.com/2013/08/14/bonhoeffer-the-church-and-the-consequence-of-ideas/) - What is the church? This question seems, for many, disconnected from any real-world payoff. After all, it is a question for theology; a question for those who think the Bible has something interesting to say. It’s a question for those interested in splitting hairs and marking out the boundaries between orthodox belief and heresy. Such a
- [Wittgenstein’s Poker and the Purpose of Philosophy](https://www.paul-gould.com/2013/08/07/wittgensteins-poker-and-the-purpose-of-philosophy/) - I just finished reading an excellent book, Wittgenstein’s Poker by David Edmonds and John Eidinow. It is a fascinating story about a ten-minute (yes, a ten-minute!!) argument between two of the 20th century’s greatest philosophers: Ludwig Wittengstein and Karl Popper. The book is part journalistic investigation (as the authors try and piece together what really happened and the sequence of
- [How radical is the Christian Doctrine of Creation?  ](https://www.paul-gould.com/2013/05/22/how-radical-is-the-christian-doctrine-of-creation/) - God, according to the Christian doctrine of creation, is the maker of heaven and earth. All that exists distinct from God is created by God. Certainly this includes the physical world—the contingent reality of electrons, mountains, and stars. If there is a distinct non-physical realm— a necessary abstract realm and/or further contingent immaterial beings (such
- [Does God Create His Own Nature?](https://www.paul-gould.com/2013/05/15/does-god-create-his-own-nature/) - Which came first, the chicken or the egg? Well, that question doesn't get any more basic than this: Which came first, God or God's nature? In his excellent book Creation and the Sovereignty of God, Hugh McCann argues against a commonly held intuition that no being is, or can be, responsible for the nature it has.
- [Feed, Fatten, Fornicate](https://www.paul-gould.com/2013/05/08/feed-fatten-fornicate/) - We are a culture that likes to keep our heads down. Focus on “the stream of experience”—the feast of video, food, sex, gaming, money, mindless entertainment . . .whatever . . . that is continuously carted before our noses, lest we take a breath and look up. As Plato put it in the Republic, those who
- [God’s Answer to Man’s Problem of Pain and Suffering](https://www.paul-gould.com/2013/05/01/gods-answer-to-mans-problem-of-pain-and-suffering/) - When staring face to face with evil—utter, pure evil—human nature is quickly laid bare. It is natural to cry out to God for help. Why God this suffering? Why God this much suffering? Yet…often in these moments of suffering great and small, God seems distant…silent…unconcerned. What to do? It seems that there are only two options: rest and trust in God or revolt and reject God; a
- [Atheism and Intellectual Bullying: What Gives?](https://www.paul-gould.com/2013/04/24/atheism-and-intellectual-bullying-what-gives/) - It has been said that there is nothing new about new atheism except for the rhetoric. In this post 9/11 world, we are told that belief in God is dangerous, destructive, and delusional. It is dangerous because people do evil things in the name of God; it is destructive because it forces itself on unsuspecting children under the
- [We Are Shaped by What We Think Great](https://www.paul-gould.com/2013/04/17/we-are-shaped-by-what-we-think-great/) - I had a thesis I wanted to test out. I work with university professors, and I’ve noticed that while they are not all alike, many of them share similar characteristics. And depending on what side of the academic aisle the professor lives and works in (broadly: the sciences or the humanities), they seem to have
- [The Gospel as Tragedy-Comedy-Fairy Story](https://www.paul-gould.com/2013/04/10/the-gospel-as-tragedy-comedy-fairy-story/) - In my last post I talked about how Christianity is the greatest possible story. In this post I want to unpack the essence of the Christian story, or the gospel, understood as a three-act play: TRAGEDY—COMEDY—FAIRY STORY. As a foil, I want to use Frederick Buechner’s excellent (and highly recommended) book: Telling the Truth. In it,
- [Is Christianity the Best Possible Story?](https://www.paul-gould.com/2013/04/03/is-christianity-the-best-possible-story/) - I’m currently reading Alvin Plantinga’s excellent book Where the Conflict Really Lies: Science, Religion, & Naturalism, when in offering a possible reason for sin and suffering, Plantinga suggests that Christianity is not only the greatest story ever told, but the greatest possible story ever told. This is a step beyond Anselm. Anselm argued that God is not only
- [Your God Is Too Small, Or: The Greatness of God, Pt. 2](https://www.paul-gould.com/2013/03/27/your-god-is-too-small-or-the-greatness-of-god-pt-2/) - In my last post I considered how God reveals His greatness through the universe. In this post, I will consider how God reveals His greatness through His Son. We learn in Hebrews 1:3 that “the Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful
- [Your God is Too Small, or: The Greatness of God, Pt. 1 ](https://www.paul-gould.com/2013/03/20/your-god-is-too-small-or-the-greatness-of-god-pt-1/) - In this trivial pursuit world, a world full of empty selves who live their lives seeking one fleeting satisfaction of desire after another, God becomes a sort of divine therapist— anxiously waiting in heaven to give us whatever it is that we think will satisfy. The result of course will be disappointment with such an
- [Understanding Genesis 1](https://www.paul-gould.com/2013/03/13/understanding-genesis-1/) - The proper interpretation of Genesis 1 fuels a lot of conflict these days in the so-called science vs. religion wars. Genesis 1 is controversial because it forces us to ask important questions with huge implications for how we understand God, our world, and ourselves. Questions typically asked include: Is it true? Does it give us
- [Does Science disprove God?](https://www.paul-gould.com/2013/03/06/does-science-disprove-god/) - It has become commonplace to hear from atheists that science has or will soon disprove God’s existence. ‘The godly hypothesis is not necessary,” we are told. “All of reality can be explained by the deliverances of science.” Examples of this thinking are easy to find: Sean Carroll, a cosmologist with the California Institute of Technology,
- [Plato, The End of Narnia, and Eternity](https://www.paul-gould.com/2013/02/27/plato-the-end-of-narnia-and-eternity/) - In The Last Battle, C.S. Lewis brings his Narnian tale to an end. The forces of good and evil come to a head, and Aslan ushers in the end of Narnia and the beginning of eternity. Toward the end of the book, the old Narnia has ended and the faithful have entered through a magical door
- [On the Life of Pi, story telling, and the truth](https://www.paul-gould.com/2013/02/20/on-the-life-of-pi-story-telling-and-the-truth/) - With one voice, philosophers and theologians throughout intellectual history have affirmed the fundamental religiosity of man. In Yann Martel’s book Life of Pie, the young boy, Piscine Molitor Patel, embraces this impulse in spades—becoming (unbeknownst to his parents) a follower of Christ, Krishna, and Allah. The first part of the book paints a portrait of “Pi”
- [The American Idol Audition, Ph.D. Dissertation Defense, and the Human Longing for Quest](https://www.paul-gould.com/2013/02/12/the-american-idol-audition-ph-d-dissertation-defense-and-the-human-longing-for-quest/) - My favorite part of American Idol is the first few weeks. The Idol Machine travels around the country and people come out by the thousands to stand before the judges and sing their heart out. The goal is the get the coveted yellow piece of paper and to be told “Your going to Hollywood.” As
- [Forks in the Road in Choosing a Model of Origins](https://www.paul-gould.com/2013/02/06/forks-in-the-road-in-choosing-a-model-of-origins/) - In my last post, I introduced Gerald Rau’s new book Mapping the Origins Debate: Six Models of the Beginning of Everything. Rau’s book is very helpful in framing the issues surrounding the debate over the origin of the universe, life, species, and humans. I don’t find it as helpful in its assessment of the merits
- [Mapping the Origins Debate: Six Models of the Beginning of Everything](https://www.paul-gould.com/2013/01/30/mapping-the-origins-debate-six-models-of-the-beginning-of-everything/) - I’ve just started reading Gerald Rau’s book Mapping the Origins Debate: Six Models of the Beginning of Everything, and I must say, I am finding it incredibly helpful. There is a lot of heat, and less light these days in the so-called “science vs. religion” wars. Rau’s purpose (as far as I can tell 80
- [Top Five Blogs from 2012](https://www.paul-gould.com/2013/01/23/top-five-blogs-from-2012/) - This week marks the year anniversary of the Brilliant and Beautiful Blog. One year ago I decided to add my voice to the cacophony that is the Internet, and in my first-ever blog I explained why. I gave two reasons: First, I need to be reminded, daily, of my greatest need—which is the gospel—and of
- [Traditional Theology, Apologetics, and the Gospel: Or “Should we be traditional theologians?”](https://www.paul-gould.com/2013/01/16/traditional-theology-apologetics-and-the-gospel-or-should-we-be-traditional-theologians/) - In an interesting article by the philosopher Scott Shalkowski, he asks, “How much stock should we invest in traditional theology?”[1] I think the answer to this question has interesting implications related to apologetics, the gospel, and the nature of theology. What is ‘traditional theology’? According to Shalkowski traditional theology is the “philosophical statements of doctrines and
- [The Antidote to Shallow and Narrow Lives: or My Favorite Books of 2012](https://www.paul-gould.com/2013/01/09/the-antidote-to-shallow-and-narrow-lives-or-my-favorite-books-of-2012/) - C.S. Lewis once wrote, “If only one had time to read a little more: we either get shallow and broad or narrow and deep.”[1] In this age of video, it is easy to become either “an inch deep and a mile wide”—experts of nothing, commentators on everything—or one-dimensional sycophants, people who think only of self,
- [Lessons from the Hobbit](https://www.paul-gould.com/2013/01/02/lessons-from-the-hobbit/) - With J.R.R. Tolkien’s birthday tomorrow (January 3rd), I can’t help but turn to one of my favorite tales, The Hobbit, to share a few of my favorite moments in the loveable adventure of Bilbo Baggins. To “prepare” for the movie, I recently re-read the book to my 6 and 9 year-old sons, and found many
- [C.S. Lewis, the Moral Argument for God, and the Gospel](https://www.paul-gould.com/2012/12/19/c-s-lewis-the-moral-argument-for-god-and-the-gospel/) - In the conclusion of his famous Critique of Practical Reason, Kant famously said, “two things fill the mind with ever new and increasing admiration and reverence… the starry heavens above me and the moral law within me.” Years later, C.S. Lewis picks up this Kantian insight and formulates an argument for God based on the
- [Philosophy and its Contribution to Religion](https://www.paul-gould.com/2012/12/12/philosophys-contribution-to-religion/) - What is the relationship between philosophy and religion? Does logic stand over and above revelation as its final judge and arbiter? Or is it the other way around—revelation is supreme, and reason serves as a minister?Many think that faith conflicts with reason. Or (perhaps worse), they don’t conflict, because they never meet: the deliverances of
- [God and Eternal Truths](https://www.paul-gould.com/2012/12/05/god-and-eternal-truths/) - I’m on the front end of Brian Leftow’s mammoth book God and Necessity. Weighing in at 1.6 pounds (yes, I weighed it on my scale), rife with the machinery of quantified modal logic, sweeping in its scope, Leftow has delivered to us his long anticipated account of theistic modal metaphysics. The book is not for
- [How ought we think about God? (part 2)](https://www.paul-gould.com/2012/11/28/how-ought-we-think-about-god-part-2/) - In my previous post, I mentioned four sure-fire ways to get it wrong; four ways to think about God that are ultimately incomplete as we try to align our concept of God as close as humanly possible to the reality of God. Still each of the approaches mentioned do hint at a more robust approach
- [How ought we think about God? (Part 1)](https://www.paul-gould.com/2012/11/13/how-ought-we-think-about-god-part-1/) - What is the best way to align our concept of God to the reality of God? Is there a methodology that we should use? Or, should we just “wing it” and hope for the best? What are the prospects for us arriving at the truth about God anyhow?I think that we can and do know
- [Does God play dice with the universe? Or: What Theological Determinists and Open Theists have in common](https://www.paul-gould.com/2012/11/07/does-god-play-dice-with-the-universe-or-what-theological-determinists-and-open-theists-have-in-common/) - Does God play dice with the universe? Theological Determinists answer “no”—there is no place for chance in a world created and sustained by God. Open Theists answer “yes”—there is indeterminacy with respect to humans, and maybe even with respect to quantum phenomena.Still, these odd bedfellows share at least two things in common. First, both parties
- [Molinism is a Bed of ROSES](https://www.paul-gould.com/2012/10/31/molinism-is-a-bed-of-roses/) - As a follow up from my last post, I want to highlight an important book defending the theology of Molinism, Salvation and Sovereignty by Kenneth Keathley. Whether you are a Calvinist, Molinist, Arminian, or whatever, I think this book is important for the following reason.I was first introduced to Molinism as a ‘solution’ to the
- [A Primer on Divine Providence](https://www.paul-gould.com/2012/10/24/a-primer-on-divine-providence/) - Traditional theism claims that God is sovereign over all action and events in the world. Traditional theism also maintains that humans are meaningfully free—that our actions mean something, they are genuinely ours, so that we can rightfully be praiseworthy or blameworthy because of them. But, the claim that God is sovereign over all actions and
- [We Are Not Brutes](https://www.paul-gould.com/2012/10/17/we-are-not-brutes/) - Aristotle defined man as “rational animal.” The point of contrast is with irrational animals, or brutes, which, according to the Roman Stoic philosopher Epictetus, “make use of appearances” but do not “understand the use of appearances.”[1] Or to put it another way, God has created man with a particular nature, one that includes rational faculties
- [Can we know anything if Naturalism is true? Or: A plea for creativity with Theistic Arguments](https://www.paul-gould.com/2012/10/10/can-we-know-anything-if-naturalism-is-true-or-a-plea-for-creativity-with-theistic-arguments/) - In my last post, I considered John Calvin’s claim that we cannot know God unless we know ourselves and (conversely), we cannot know ourselves unless we know God. Calvin thinks there is a tight relationship between the knowledge of God and the knowledge of man. Here I want to consider a deeper concern: Can we
- [Knowledge of God & Knowledge of Self](https://www.paul-gould.com/2012/10/03/knowledge-of-god-knowledge-of-self/) - Can we really know ourselves if we don’t know God? Can we really know God if we don’t know ourselves? John Calvin doesn’t think so. Or how about: can we be happy without God? Can we flourish in light of our nature apart from loving God? Again, Calvin doesn’t think so. I think Calvin is
- [When it is OK to Beg the Question](https://www.paul-gould.com/2012/09/26/when-it-is-ok-to-beg-the-question/) - “You are begging the question;” “You are arguing in a circle;” (or for the more self-consciously sophisticated:) “you are guilty of the petitio principii fallacy.” Such assertions, commonplace in philosophical dialogue are meant to undercut an opponent’s argument. After all, if you assume from the outset what you intend to prove, you are engaged in
- [Atheism and the Unscratchable Itch](https://www.paul-gould.com/2012/09/19/atheism-and-the-unscratchable-itch/) - It is a fundamental datum of our experience that we all long for meaning; we long for a narrative in which to make sense of our lives, our passions, and our beliefs. But, if God doesn’t exist, the cold, hard truth is there is no meaning. We have a scratch, but no way to itch
- [Dr. Jekyll, Mr. Hyde, and our Longing for Wholeness](https://www.paul-gould.com/2012/09/12/dr-jekyll-mr-hyde-and-our-longing-for-wholeness/) - The classic book The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde does something to me. It scares me. It is a chilling, vivid picture of what happens when we allow our base appetites to overtake our rational and spirited faculties (as Plato would say). The story also awakens something: it awakens within me a
- [A Theology of Beauty](https://www.paul-gould.com/2012/09/05/a-theology-of-beauty/) - No doubt, there is much beauty in this world. Arguably, one can find beauty in many things—smiles, people, a sunset, the night sky, an act of service. And we are drawn to beauty—it moves us, it woos us, it pulls us in…but it doesn’t always leave us satisfied. We want MORE. And in our desperation,
- [The Problem of the Divine Micromanager, Part 2 (sin, suffering, and freedom)](https://www.paul-gould.com/2012/08/29/the-problem-of-the-divine-micromanager-part-2-sin-suffering-and-freedom/) - I’m still working my way through Hugh McCann’s book Creation and the Sovereignty of God. McCann is interested in developing an account of God as creator that respects his absolute sovereignty and overwhelming love of creation, while preserving the status of rational creatures as truly free and in command of their destinies. This is a
- [The Problem of the Divine Micromanager](https://www.paul-gould.com/2012/08/22/the-problem-of-the-divine-micromanager/) - If the creative activity of God, as Hugh McCann suggests[1], is alone responsible for the existence of the world and its entire history, then God becomes the ultimate micromanager. No detail is too small that it is left to chance or delegated to any subordinate agency or intervening mechanism. God’s absolutely sovereign is preserved in
- [The Case for a Creator: Cosmological Arguments and Explanation](https://www.paul-gould.com/2012/08/15/the-case-for-a-creator-cosmological-arguments-and-explanation/) - I am now reading Hugh McCann’s Creation and the Sovereignty of God.[1] He begins the book by making a case for a creator by advancing an inductive version of the cosmological argument. Cosmological arguments seek an explanation for the existence of the world. According to McCann, an explanation for the existence of the world would
- [The Supremacy of Christ in a Postsecular World](https://www.paul-gould.com/2012/08/08/the-supremacy-of-christ-in-a-postsecular-world/) - Over the last 50 years, with the rise of (what sociologists call) secularism—that is, an ideology promoted by devotees (secularists) who encourage free-thinking people everywhere to work for religion’s demise--it was predicted that belief in God would soon be a thing of the past. Contemporary science has (we were told), in effect, made the godly
- [The “Unforgivable Sin” and understanding the Bible](https://www.paul-gould.com/2012/07/30/the-unforgivable-sin-and-understanding-the-bible/) - Recently, I was asked to preach on Matthew 12:30-32—the passage where Jesus talked about the “unforgivable sin” and “Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.” After my initial shock at being asked to preach on that passage, I realized that I had questions of my own about it. What is the deal with this passage? What is
- [In Praise of Personal Retreats](https://www.paul-gould.com/2012/06/27/in-praise-of-personal-retreats/) - I just returned home from a mini-personal retreat (36 hours) at the St. Francis Springs Retreat Center near Greensboro, North Carolina. I’m not one to typically “get away.” I’m a “do”er, not a “be”er, or so I say to myself. Add to this, the fact that we leave for a month of travel tomorrow—how can
- [Frankenstein and the Inescapability of the Creator-Creature Relation](https://www.paul-gould.com/2012/06/20/frankenstein-and-the-inescapability-of-the-creator-creature-relation/) - In Mary Shelley’s masterpiece Frankenstein, we learn of a young scientist, Victor Frankenstein, consumed with the desire to unlock the mystery of life. After many nights in his laboratory, he manages to bring a horrendous looking creature, put together from dead human parts, to life. Instead of exhilaration, Frankenstein is filled with horror. Listen to
- [Christianity in the 21st century: Christ and Crisis](https://www.paul-gould.com/2012/06/13/christianity-in-the-21st-century-christ-and-crisis/) - In a little book entitled Christ and Crisis written in 1962, Dr. Charles Malik, the former president of the General Assembly of the United Nations, wrote:[1] There are three unpardonable sins today: to be flippant or superficial in the analysis of the world situation; to live and act as though halfhearted measures would avail; and
- [Why Religion Won’t Go Away ](https://www.paul-gould.com/2012/06/06/why-religion-wont-go-away/) - We are witnessing a shift away from the secularization (the diminishing influence of religion) of the 19th and 20th century. The 21st century is shaping up to be postsecular. As Jacobsen and Jacobsen say in their book, The American University in a Postsecular Age: “religion will likely exercise a significant role in human affairs for
- [The Problem of Universals and the Textual Transmission of the New Testament Documents](https://www.paul-gould.com/2012/05/30/the-problem-of-universals-and-the-textual-transmission-of-the-new-testament-documents/) - I’ve just finished reading The Heresy of Orthodoxy. I highly recommend it as an antidote to the skepticism of New Testament critics such as Bart Ehrman. In fact, I am using the book as one of my texts this summer for a class I am teaching on Apologetics. The last section of the book deals
- [The Heresy of Orthodoxy](https://www.paul-gould.com/2012/05/23/the-heresy-of-orthodoxy/) - I’ve been reading Andreas Kostenberger’s and Michael Kruger’s The Heresy of Orthodoxy. This book is a scholarly response to a view that has been recently popularized by Bart Ehrman and Elaine Pagels, a view originally advanced by the German theologian Walter Bauer (1877-1960). The Bauer-Ehrman Thesis (BET) is this: BET: in the early church, heresy
- [There cannot be just one true religion, can there?](https://www.paul-gould.com/2012/05/16/there-cannot-be-just-one-true-religion-can-there/) - Earlier, I did a series of post on defeater beliefs to Christianity and I want to add to that series and consider again a common objection to Christianity: “Christianity cannot be the one true religion!” or (as it is commonly suggested), “all religions lead to God.” The suggestion is that no one religion has a
- [The Gadfly and the Unexamined Life](https://www.paul-gould.com/2012/05/09/the-gadfly-and-the-unexamined-life/) - In an earlier post, I claimed that we are all philosophers—there is not choice in the matter—the only choice is whether we are good or bad philosophers. In this post, I want to consider the cost of being good philosophers (that is, lovers of wisdom and passionate, relentless pursuers of the good, the true, and
- [What comes after Postmodernism? Answer: Paganism](https://www.paul-gould.com/2012/04/25/what-comes-after-postmodernism-answer-paganism/) - Over the past 10-20 years there has been a lot of worry about postmodernism. In its most extreme, postmodernism represents an unlivable and illogical relativism that cannot be sustained. Then there was the “emergent church worry”—Christians such as Brian McLaren and others who seemed to appropriate too much of the postmodern confusion and import it
- [The revolution of the human heart brought on by Jesus](https://www.paul-gould.com/2012/04/18/the-revolution-of-the-human-heart-brought-on-by-jesus/) - I just finished reading A Heart for Freedom, the story of Chai Ling, one of the student leaders of the 1989 Tiananmen Square uprising in Beijing. Her story is a gripping account of the heart’s longing for freedom, purpose, justice, and significance. It is also a picture of the fact that the only true revolution
- [We are all philosophers](https://www.paul-gould.com/2012/04/11/we-are-all-philosophers/) - None of us has a choice in the matter: we are all philosophers. Each of us, whether we admit it or not, have formed beliefs about God, our world, and the self. As rational animals (as Aristotle would put it), we can’t help but think and form convictions about the world around us. We’ve found
- [Why be good? Plato and the Gospel](https://www.paul-gould.com/2012/03/28/why-be-good-plato-and-the-gospel/) - In Plato’s Republic, one of the central questions is Why be good? On the face of it, it seems that being immoral or unjust is more profitable than being good. If so, then no one is willingly good—and perhaps then we have found a pragmatic reason for religion—fear of divine wrath keeps the immoral masses
- [Divine Mathematics: Jesus + Nothing = Everything, Part Two](https://www.paul-gould.com/2012/03/21/divine-mathematics-jesus-nothing-everything-part-two/) - In my previous post, I began to explore the divine equation Jesus+Nothing=Everything by thinking about what our longings reveal about human nature. In this post, I want to consider how embracing this divine equation can define your life in bright and liberating ways.A beautiful thing about Jesus is that he is always exposing and restoring
- [Divine Mathematics: Jesus + Nothing = Everything, Part One  ](https://www.paul-gould.com/2012/03/14/divine-mathematics-jesus-nothing-everything-part-one/) - I’ve been reading Tullian Tchividjian’s book Jesus+Nothing=Everything and have been thinking about this mathematical equation. His central thesis is that when you get Jesus you get everything the heart ultimately desires: peace, happiness, rest, joy, meaning, significance and relationship. Nothing else will ultimately satisfy—we are chasing after idols (false gods), looking to created reality to
- [Religious Pluralism and the God of 31 Flavors](https://www.paul-gould.com/2012/03/07/religious-pluralism-and-the-god-of-31-flavors/) - For my last post in my series on defeater beliefs for Christianity, I want to consider the claim that there is no one true religion. First, a little episode from my past: The little pamphlet read “Come Grill the Christian.” I was the Christian and student group I was with was inviting any students who
- [The Problem of Evil: A failure to ask preliminary questions](https://www.paul-gould.com/2012/02/29/the-problem-of-evil-a-failure-to-ask-preliminary-questions/) - This week, in my series on defeater beliefs for Christianity, I want to consider the problem of evil. There is no one problem of evil, but several, depending on what kind of objection is in view. There is the logical problem of evil: “God’s existence and the reality of evil are impossible.” There is the
- [Miracles are impossible or just plain unnecessary](https://www.paul-gould.com/2012/02/21/miracles-are-impossible-or-just-plain-unnecessary/) - I’m continuing my series on defeater beliefs for Christianity. This week I want to consider the claim that miracles are problematic—that is, they are impossible or (if not impossible) just plain unnecessary. Of course, if miracles can’t (or don’t) happen, then it is fairly easy to see how this is problematic for Christianity. For example,
- [God is Better Than You Think: The Moral Monster Charge (Part Two)](https://www.paul-gould.com/2012/02/15/god-is-better-than-you-think-the-moral-monster-charge-part-two/) - In a previous post, I talked about how the God of the Old Testament is not a moral monster. In fact, God is better than you think—because he pursues you, even when you run. In this post, I want to kick off my series on defeater beliefs for Christianity by again considering the nature of
- [Defeater Beliefs to Christianity](https://www.paul-gould.com/2012/02/07/defeater-beliefs-to-christianity/) - I’ve been thinking a bit about the fact that within every culture there is a set of defeater beliefs (as Tim Keller calls it) that shape the culture and its receptivity to the gospel. A “defeater belief” is any belief A, that if true, rules out/defeats the truth of some other belief B. Each culture
- [On Crumpling Paper and Throwing Books Down](https://www.paul-gould.com/2012/02/01/on-crumpling-paper-and-throwing-books-down/) - In 1850 Harriet Beecher Stowe was a thirty-nine year old, little known writer living in Brunswick, Maine. Late that year, Harriet received a letter from her sister-in-law Mrs. Edward Beecher, who along where her husband, were firm and active abolitionists. Mrs. Edward Beecher, with many Northerners, was incensed at the passing of a fundamentally pro-slavery
- [God Is Better Than You Think: The Moral Monster Charge  ](https://www.paul-gould.com/2012/01/27/god-is-better-than-you-think-the-moral-monster-charge/) - I just finished reading two excellent books on how to understand the nature and actions of God in the Old Testament: (1) Paul Copan’s Is God a Moral Monster? Making Sense of the Old Testament God and David Lamb’s God Behaving Badly: Is the God of the Old Testament Angry, Sexist and Racist? I highly
- [Jonathan Edwards on the "glorious things of the gospel"](https://www.paul-gould.com/2012/01/25/jonathan-edwards-on-the-glorious-things-of-the-gospel/) - I've been reading a little booklet about the great scholar/pastor/university president Jonathan Edwards called "Resolutions of a Saintly Scholar." I am struck with Edward's utter passion to find his hope, joy, and delight in Christ and Christ alone. He writes of how a "delightful conviction" of God's absolute sovereignty broke upon his consciousness as he
- [A Brilliant and Beautiful Christ](https://www.paul-gould.com/2012/01/25/a-brilliant-and-beautiful-christ/) - Welcome to my first ever blog! Why add to the cacophony that has now become the worldwide web? Why add my voice to all the competing voices, websites, newsfeeds, and twitter posts that have become so common in our world today? Two reasons. First, I need to be reminded, daily, of my greatest need—which is the

## Pages

- [Home](https://www.paul-gould.com/) - Welcome to the webpage of Paul Gould! I am glad you stopped by. Download an article, listen to a talk, and catch a glimpse with me of a brilliant and beautiful Christ.
- [Books and Articles](https://www.paul-gould.com/booksandarticles/) - Books by Paul: Under contract. Philosophical Theology: An Introduction (co-authored with Ross Inman). Baker Academic. A Good and True Story: Eleven Clues to Understanding Our Universe and Your Place in It (Brazos, 2022) The Story of the Cosmos: How the Heavens Declare the Glory of God (Harvest House, 2019) Cultural Apologetics: Renewing the Christian Voice,
- [About](https://www.paul-gould.com/about/) - I am a philosopher, a scholar, a teacher, a husband, and father. Most importantly, I am a follower of Christ. I believe that Jesus is man's greatest need and our highest good. As C.S. Lewis, one of my favorite writers, puts it: “God wills our good, and our good is to love Him (with that
- [Two Tasks Institute](https://www.paul-gould.com/two-tasks-institute/) - Along with a renewed interest in religion, an increasingly anti-Christian culture has emerged in the western world. Along with this, the church has grown anti-intellectual and out of touch with the relevancy of Jesus and the gospel to all aspects of contemporary life. As a result the gospel doesn’t get a fair hearing.
- [Events](https://www.paul-gould.com/events/) - Spring 2019 January 11-13, Broadview Baptist Church, Abilene, TX. Stand Firm-Abilene (five talks) February 8, Oklahoma Baptist University, Shawnee, OK. "Rediscovering the Discarded Image," Philosophy Colloquia March 1, University of Texas at Arlington, Baptist Student Ministries, "Building Bridges to the Gospel" March 13-16, Camp Eagle, Spring Break Refuel Conference Fall 2018 October 5-6, Denver
- [Talks](https://www.paul-gould.com/lectures/) - Sermons: A God-Sized Vision (Revelation 3:14-22) King David's Later Life: Tragedy-Comedy-Fairy story (2 Samuel 12-24) The Unforgivable Sin (Matthew 12:30-32) The Supremacy of Christ in a Postsecular Age (Colossians 1:15-20) Building One Another Up in An Upside Down World (Jude 17-25) Talks: Does Jesus answer life's biggest Questions? (University of Toronto, video) Priceless or
- [Brilliant and Beautiful Blog](https://www.paul-gould.com/blog/)
- [Sample Link 2](https://www.paul-gould.com/home/sample-link-2/) - Sample Link 2 content goes here.

## Features

- [Books and Articles](https://www.paul-gould.com/?feature=feature-1) - Click here to find books and articles by Paul
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- [word change](https://www.paul-gould.com/tag/word-change/)
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- [Incarnation](https://www.paul-gould.com/tag/incarnation/)
- [Christian Scholarship](https://www.paul-gould.com/tag/christian-scholarship/)
- [logical positivst](https://www.paul-gould.com/tag/logical-positivst/)
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- [Naturalism](https://www.paul-gould.com/tag/naturalism/)
- [Mind](https://www.paul-gould.com/tag/mind/)
- [divine omnipotence](https://www.paul-gould.com/tag/divine-omnipotence/)
- [rest](https://www.paul-gould.com/tag/rest/)
- [reading](https://www.paul-gould.com/tag/reading/)
- [loneliness](https://www.paul-gould.com/tag/loneliness/)
- [fragmented man](https://www.paul-gould.com/tag/fragmented-man/)
- [Aquinas](https://www.paul-gould.com/tag/aquinas/)
- [Francis Schaeffer](https://www.paul-gould.com/tag/francis-schaeffer/)
- [Does God Care](https://www.paul-gould.com/tag/does-god-care/)
- [longing](https://www.paul-gould.com/tag/longing/)
- [Loving God with Mind](https://www.paul-gould.com/tag/loving-god-with-mind/)
- [death](https://www.paul-gould.com/tag/death/)
- [life](https://www.paul-gould.com/tag/life/)
- [Power](https://www.paul-gould.com/tag/power/)
- [divine goodness](https://www.paul-gould.com/tag/divine-goodness/)
- [freedom](https://www.paul-gould.com/tag/freedom/)
- [loving God](https://www.paul-gould.com/tag/loving-god/)
- [morality](https://www.paul-gould.com/tag/morality/)
- [idolatry](https://www.paul-gould.com/tag/idolatry/)
- [football](https://www.paul-gould.com/tag/football/)
- [counterfeit gods](https://www.paul-gould.com/tag/counterfeit-gods/)
- [Spiritual history](https://www.paul-gould.com/tag/spiritual-history/)
- [transcendence](https://www.paul-gould.com/tag/transcendence/)
- [immanence](https://www.paul-gould.com/tag/immanence/)
- [origin of religion](https://www.paul-gould.com/tag/origin-of-religion/)
- [longing for Greatness](https://www.paul-gould.com/tag/longing-for-greatness/)
- [iconoclast](https://www.paul-gould.com/tag/iconoclast/)
- [technology](https://www.paul-gould.com/tag/technology/)
- [Divine Love](https://www.paul-gould.com/tag/divine-love/)
- [Heaven](https://www.paul-gould.com/tag/heaven/)
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- [apologetics](https://www.paul-gould.com/tag/apologetics/)
- [urban apologetics](https://www.paul-gould.com/tag/urban-apologetics/)
- [favorite books](https://www.paul-gould.com/tag/favorite-books/)
- [Islam](https://www.paul-gould.com/tag/islam/)
- [Homer](https://www.paul-gould.com/tag/homer/)
- [Quest for More](https://www.paul-gould.com/tag/quest-for-more/)
- [Unbelief](https://www.paul-gould.com/tag/unbelief/)
- [Odyssey](https://www.paul-gould.com/tag/odyssey/)
- [longing for Home](https://www.paul-gould.com/tag/longing-for-home/)
- [belief](https://www.paul-gould.com/tag/belief/)
- [Narnia](https://www.paul-gould.com/tag/narnia/)
- [Aslan](https://www.paul-gould.com/tag/aslan/)
- [Scientism](https://www.paul-gould.com/tag/scientism/)
- [Nothing](https://www.paul-gould.com/tag/nothing/)
- [Lawrence Krauss](https://www.paul-gould.com/tag/lawrence-krauss/)
- [Multiverse](https://www.paul-gould.com/tag/multiverse/)
- [anti-intellectualism](https://www.paul-gould.com/tag/anti-intellectualism/)
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- [reasonable](https://www.paul-gould.com/tag/reasonable/)
- [God's existence](https://www.paul-gould.com/tag/gods-existence/)
- [Kalam Cosmological Argument](https://www.paul-gould.com/tag/kalam-cosmological-argument/)
- [reason](https://www.paul-gould.com/tag/reason/)
- [Alvin Plantinga](https://www.paul-gould.com/tag/alvin-plantinga/)
- [Argument from Reason](https://www.paul-gould.com/tag/argument-from-reason/)
- [Perennial Questions](https://www.paul-gould.com/tag/perennial-questions/)
- [Daniel Dennett](https://www.paul-gould.com/tag/daniel-dennett/)
- [disenchantment](https://www.paul-gould.com/tag/disenchantment/)
- [Christian Platonism](https://www.paul-gould.com/tag/christian-platonism/)
- [Golden Cord](https://www.paul-gould.com/tag/golden-cord/)
- [Great Moral Teacher](https://www.paul-gould.com/tag/great-moral-teacher/)
- [N. T. Wright](https://www.paul-gould.com/tag/n-t-wright/)
- [American Jesus](https://www.paul-gould.com/tag/american-jesus/)
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- [miracle](https://www.paul-gould.com/tag/miracle/)
- [Cold Case Christianity](https://www.paul-gould.com/tag/cold-case-christianity/)
- [mystery](https://www.paul-gould.com/tag/mystery/)
- [Postmodernism](https://www.paul-gould.com/tag/postmodernism/)
- [determinism](https://www.paul-gould.com/tag/determinism/)
- [human nature](https://www.paul-gould.com/tag/human-nature/)
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- [Arrogance](https://www.paul-gould.com/tag/arrogance/)
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- [Logic](https://www.paul-gould.com/tag/logic/)
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- [perfect being theology](https://www.paul-gould.com/tag/perfect-being-theology/)
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- [man](https://www.paul-gould.com/tag/man/)
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- [Evidence for God](https://www.paul-gould.com/tag/evidence-for-god/)
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- [Religious Treadmill](https://www.paul-gould.com/tag/religious-treadmill/)
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