Naturalism and Normativity: Cornell Realism - Daniel Bonevac

Houston Christian University hosted a conference on the Moral Argument in March.

This conference is based on a forthcoming Oxford University Press book co-edited by David Bagget and John Hare on the moral argument. It includes 27 chapters covering theistic ethics, secular ethics, moral realism, and alternatives. The book inspired the conference, which was organized by Dave and John at HCU. Around 20 contributors accepted the invitation, resulting in this two-day event.

The conference features three Gifford lecturers, two of whom are present, and three former presidents of the Evangelical Philosophical Society. Speakers have come from various places, including England, New Zealand, California, Florida, Yale, and the United States Naval Academy, representing diverse religious backgrounds.

The central theme of the conference is a discussion about the foundations of ethics, with a focus on the idea that ethical truth is transcendent, authoritative, sacred, and divine. Moral arguments for God's existence are rooted in this concept, emphasizing the objectivity and prescriptivity of morality.

This lecture is from Dr. Daniel Bonevac, professor of philosophy at the University of Texas at Austin. He specializes in metaphysics, philosophy of mathematics, semantics, and philosophical logic. Dr. Bonevac has authored several books, received prestigious awards, and published articles in notable philosophy journals. He will be presenting on "Naturalism and Normativity: Cornell Realism."

On Good and Evil: Discussing the Nature and Morality of God (from the Veritas Forum)

C. Stephen Evans (Baylor) and Gideon Rosen (Princeton) discuss the nature of morality and God in “On Good & Evil: Discussing the Nature of Morality and God.”

Forum hosted by The Veritas Forum at Princeton University (11/18/2021).

Speakers: C. Stephen Evans - Professor of Philosophy and Humanities at Baylor University

Gideon Rosen - Stuart Professor of Philosophy and Chair of the Department of Philosophy at Princeton University

LINK

"Divine Command: Religion and Morality." John Hare, Yale Divinity School

From the University of Chicago’s Youtube page:

Questions about the relationship between God and the good and the right remain as urgent today as they did in ancient times. For example, what is the relationship between claims about the nature or character of God and the moral actions motivated by those claims? What is the relationship between moral codes underwritten by claims about God and the ethics espoused by the (ideally agnostic) civic sphere? Are beliefs about God open to moral critique by others who espouse different beliefs or no beliefs at all? Today answers to these questions must take into account factors such as cultural and religious pluralism, hybrid theologies that incorporate teachings and beliefs from a variety of religious traditions, and religiously motivated violence around the world.

This conference invites philosophers, theologians and religious ethicists to offer accounts of God relevant to the current state of affairs in the West while taking seriously the possibility of a relationship between God and ethics. This conference was supported by grants from the University of Chicago Divinity School, the Martin Marty Center for the Advanced Study of Religion, the University of Chicago Franke Institute for the Humanities, the Norman Wait Harris Fund of the University of Chicago Center for International Studies, and the Aronberg Fund of the University of Chicago Center for Jewish Studies.

Recorded in Swift Hall on April 9-11, 2014.

LINK

Drs. David and Marybeth Baggett on 'Think About It' (an HCU Podcast)

In this video podcast from Think About It, the Baggetts discuss the moral argument, their work together on The Morals of the Story, the Gifford Lectures, the exciting projects ongoing at HCU, and more.

From ‘Think About It’

Dr. David Baggett is a professor of Philosophy in HBU's School of Christian Thought and director of the Center for Moral Apologetics. After teaching college for 18 years elsewhere, he, along with his wife Marybeth, begin teaching at HBU in the fall of 2020. Dr. Baggett is the author or editor of 15 books and is a two-time Christianity Today book award winner, most recently, “The Morals of the Story” (IVP Academic, 2018, written with his wife). He has cowritten three Oxford University Press books on the moral argument with HBU philosophy professor Jerry Walls, and his specializations include philosophical theology, philosophy of religion, religious ethics, philosophy and popular culture, and moral apologetics.

Dr. Marybeth Baggett is a professor of English in the HBU School of Humanities. She has 17 years’ experience teaching composition, literature and literary criticism, and, along with her husband David, is excited to join the faculty of HBU in the fall of 2020. Dr. Baggett is coauthor of “The Morals of the Story” and “At the Bend of the River Grand.” She has written articles on modern and contemporary American literature, utopian literature, and science fiction for both academic and popular publications. Her research interests include literary apologetics, critical theory, and cultural engagement.

J.P. Moreland: Finding Quiet: Learning to Handle Anxiety [Talbot Chapel]

A key part of moral apologetics is the notion of moral transformation. Moral transformation has to do with how we can be genuinely made good people and how we can live successfully according to the moral law. It also has to do with how we can be made to relate to the good and love rightly. In this chapel service from Biola University, Dr. J.P. Moreland explains a Christian approach to dealing with one part of moral transformation: overcoming anxiety and depression.

Good God, Moral Choice, and the Presence of Evil - Panel Discussion

From the Lanier Theological Library:

A conversation about evil must begin with discussion of what is good and ultimately who is good. As Christians, this starts with identifying the character and person of God as the source and measure of goodness. If humanity is created in God’s image as his representatives in the physical world, it should follow that we are made “for good works” (Ephesians 2:10). Does this undermine the belief by some that God causally determines all human thoughts, actions, events, and therefore evil?

Panel members:

David Baggett (Professor of Philosophy, Director, Center for Moral Apologetics, Houston Christian University)

Ingrid Faro (Coordinator of MA in Old Testament–Jerusalem University College Program, Northern Seminary, Lisle, IL)

Catherine L. McDowell (Associate Professor of Old Testament, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, Charlotte, NC)

John H. Walton (Professor of Old Testament, Wheaton College, Wheaton, IL)

Jonathan Walton (PhD Candidate, University of St. Andrews, Scotland)

Mark Lanier (Moderator - J.D. Trial Attorney, Bible Teacher, Author, and Founder of Lanier Law Firm & Lanier Theological Library, Houston, TX)

John Oswalt - The Centrality of Holiness

From the Henry Center:

In many views of salvation, especially Protestant ones, holiness is often marginalized. It is seen as a desideratum, but only as a somewhat incidental state procured by the Cross, to be realized as a reality at death. This view is the result of an inadequate understanding of the relation of the Testaments to each other. It is clear in the Old Testament that the achievement of holiness as a replication of the character of Yahweh in this life is the fundamental issue. The writers of the New Testament assume that this is still the issue, so do not restate it. Rather, they move on to consider the ways in which the Incarnation and the Atonement of Christ address it. This is especially clear in the Gospels and the Epistles. The failure to recognize these truths is one reason for the observed lack of distinctly Christian character in our contemporary society.

Diving Deep into the Moral Argument with Dr. David Baggett

From Free Thinking Ministries:

Dr. David Baggett is often considered the world's foremost expert on the Moral Argument for God's Existence. Dr. Baggett sits down with Tim to discuss the philosophy, history, and theology of the Moral Argument.

Singer and Hare - What is the Source of Morality? - The Veritas Forum

What is the foundation for morality? Two philosophers, atheist Peter Singer and Christian John Hare, discuss where we must look to find a coherent ethical system.

Peter Singer, world-famous Princeton philosopher, ethicist, and atheist, discusses with John Hare, Noah Porter Professor of Philosophical Theology at Yale. Watch the full recording at veritas.org: ‪http://www.veritas.org/Media.aspx#/v/10

Over the past two decades, The Veritas Forum has been hosting vibrant discussions on life's hardest questions and engaging the world's leading colleges and universities with Christian perspectives and the relevance of Jesus. Learn more at http://www.veritas.org, with upcoming events and over 600 pieces of media on topics including science, philosophy, music, business, medicine, and more!

Interview with David Horner: "Apologetics and the task of Evangelization"

Caius Obeada hosted an interview with David Horner earlier this year. Dr. Horner is a terrific moral philosopher and, in this interview, he discusses apologetics and the role in evangelism. This is a topic Horner also explores in this essay: Too Good Not to be True: A Call to Moral Apologetics as a Mode of Civil Discourse.

From Caius Obeada:

“This is an interview with Dr. David Horner, professor of Theology and Philosophy at Biola University in California. We discussed apologetics and the task of evangelization, the role that they play, the tools, and the relation with the body of Christ. Dr. Caius Obeada, director of Reasonable Faith Romanian Chapter and Founder of Vox Dei Institute of Apologetics, discussed many aspects of apologetics in defending the Christian Faith.”

Debate: God & Morality: Craig vs Wielenberg (How to Go Deeper)

A Debate on God and Morality

By Craig, William Lane, Wielenberg, Erik J.

In 2018, William Lane Craig debated Erik Wielenberg. Both Craig and Wielenberg are influential in the current literature on the moral argument. Craig is well known for his defense of the deductive moral argument and the need for God in order to have an objectively meaningful life. Wielenberg is an atheist and a Platonic moral realist, who also specializes in the thought of C. S. Lewis.

You may have seen the debate (if not, you can find it below). But you may not know that Adam Johnson edited a volume on the debate with excellent essays from David Baggett, J.P. Moreland and others. If you liked the debate and want to explore the ideas further, be sure to check out this resource.

Solving Our Shame: Reflections on C. S. Lewis' Till We Have Faces - Lecture by Dr. David Baggett

In this lecture by Dr. David Baggett at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln on March 30, 2022, he discusses C. S. Lewis' novel "Till We Have Faces: A Myth Retold." Dr. Baggett explores the theme of shame in this story through the character of Oural and relates how shame affects our relationship with the world and those around us.

The Advantages of Different Approaches to the Moral Argument

From Capturing Christianity:

In this joint interview, I'm joined by Dr. William Lane Craig and Dr. David Baggett to discuss the merits of different versions of the moral argument for God's existence.

KLAVAN: Why I Left Judaism for Christianity

Andrew Klavan explores the evidential role of morality in his conversion to Christianity.

From the video description: Klavan reveals to Ben why he chose to leave Judaism for Christianity and how living with a belief in God is the only logical way we can live.

God & Moral Motivation (Dr. Anne Jeffrey)

From TAC:

Dr. Anne Jeffrey is a professor of philosophy at Baylor University. In my previous interview, we discussed the explanatory role God plays in moral normativity and moral epistemology. In this interview Dr. Jeffrey and I will discuss four arguments that God plays a significant explanatory role in moral motivation. The first of these four arguments is based on a forthcoming paper by Dr. Jeffrey titled, "Divine Friendship and Moral Motivation."

What Makes Something Morally Good or Bad? Introduction to Metaethics (Part 1)

Editor’s note: Adam Johnson has graciously allowed us to republish his video series, “What Makes Something Morally Good or Bad?” Find the original post here.

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Metaethics is the study of what makes something good or bad. It is not the study of what is good or bad, but why there are such things as moral good and moral bad. What is morality? Where did it come from? There are many theories of what morality is; some think morality is subjective and depends on individual people, cultures, and circumstances. Others believe that morality is objective, that it is independent of human beings. Most theists think that morality comes from God, but many atheists claim that God is not necessary for morality. Non-naturalists, for example, believe that morality can exist objectively without God. Thinkers throughout Western history have defended many positions, both subjective and objective as well as theistic and atheist ones. Listen in as Adam gives an overview of the different metaethical theories.

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Adam Lloyd Johnson serves as a university campus missionary with Ratio Christi. He also teaches classes for Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and spends one month each year living and teaching at Rhineland Theological Seminary in Wölmersen, Germany. Adam received his PhD in Theological Studies with an emphasis in Philosophy of Religion from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in 2020.

The Analytic Christian: A Positive Case for Objective Morality (Dr. Eric Sampson)

From The Analytic Christian:

There are two broad strategies one can use to show the truth of moral realism- defense and offense. When playing defense, one tries to show that criticisms of the view do not succeed, while criticisms of alternative positions do succeed. This could be called, "The Argument from Elimination." When playing offense, one tries to give positive reasons in favor of moral realism. In this interview, Dr. Eric Sampson will play offense by providing four arguments in support of moral realism.

Assessing Evolutionary Debunking Arguments (Crash Course Apologetics Interview with Dr. Tomas Bogardus)

From Crash Course Apologetics:

In this interview, Dr. Tomas Bogardus joins me to discuss his paper "Only All Naturalists Should Worry About Only One Evolutionary Debunking Argument." The pdf of the paper is linked below. In the paper, he presents three versions of evolutionary debunking arguments (EDA's) against moral knowledge and shows why each fails. He then presents a fourth version of an EDA that is successful, but explains why it should only concern naturalists.

https://philpapers.org/archive/BOGOAN...

Why God's Triune Nature is the Foundation of Morality

From Crash Course Apologetics:

In a previous interview I did with Adam Johnson, he critiqued Dr. Eric Weilenberg's metaethical model. In this interview he defends his own model, which is a new and distinctively Christian.

Link to my previous interview with Adam https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fs_t0...

Lewis and Tolkien on True Fairy-Stories

“On Fairy Stories”

J. R. R. Tolkien

Full Essay

“It is not difficult to imagine the peculiar excitement and joy that one would feel, if any specially beautiful fairy-story were found to be “primarily” true, its narrative to be history, without thereby necessarily losing the mythical or allegorical significance that it had possessed. It is not difficult, for one is not called upon to try and conceive anything of a quality unknown. The joy would have exactly the same quality, if not the same degree, as the joy which the “turn” in a fairy-story gives: such joy has the very taste of primary truth. (Otherwise its name would not be joy.) It looks forward (or backward: the direction in this regard is unimportant) to the Great Eucatastrophe. The Christian joy, the Gloria, is of the same kind; but it is preeminently (infinitely, if our capacity were not finite) high and joyous. But this story is supreme; and it is true. Art has been verified. God is the Lord, of angels, and of men—and of elves. Legend and History have met and fused. ”

— J. R. R. Tolkien, "On Fairy Stories"

A clip from EWTN's Tolkien's 'The Lord of the Rings:' A Catholic Worldview portraying a debate between C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien on whether or not myths are lies. This debate was ultimately instrumental in C.S. Lewis's conversion to Christianity.