[8], Copan also believes that belief in God is generally not a psychological crutch, claiming that the argument that Christianity is wish fulfillment itself falls victim to a number of fallacies. in philosophy of religion, as well as his M.Div. Copan states that we have no archaeological evidence of civilian populations at Jericho or Ai. This strikes me as a distinction without a difference: why couldn’t God use TAG just as he uses other natural theological arguments? In his debate with Henry, Hackett said that without some set of “neutral criteria” that are logically prior to consent or commitment to a particular worldview, “there is no way to show that one worldview perspective is more plausible than another” since both parties are “starting from totally different assumptions.” Indeed, the statements of Scripture themselves presuppose the validity of logical laws of non-contradiction and excluded middle; they also appeal to criteria beyond Scripture—-the court of appeals of historical evidence for Jesus’ resurrection (1 Cor. No one, of course, embarks on an investigation with an empty mind. These are all part of the holistic witness to the reality of God and the gospel, all of which the Spirit of God can use to lead unbelievers to embracing Jesus Christ. Rome would have quashed any such flagrant opposition with speedy, lethal force. Paul Copan's Questioning of Presuppositionalism - Duration: 17:42. Is God a Moral Monster? In the last century, Christians debating the relationship between reason and faith have divided into sometimes warring camps of classical, evidential, and presuppositional apologetics. Since there is no presupposition-free zone, one can legitimately “presuppose” the Christian faith to make sense of reality and engage with alternative worldviews. Copan points out, rightly, that some jealousy is good. I would also disagree with presuppositionalism at certain points. During the first century, 85 to 90 percent of Rome’s population consisted of slaves in both lowly and prestigious positions. He is currently a professor at the Palm Beach Atlantic University and holds the endowed Pledger Family Chair of Philosophy and Ethics. "Paul Copan on winning hearts, not arguments" A Christian philosophy professor talks about the real purpose of apologetics, by Warren Cole Smith WORLD News Group Did God Really Command Genocide? degree in biblical studies. Professor Paul Copan shares his concerns about Presuppositionalism as a viable option for a method of apologetics. Paul Copan and Matthew Flannagan Jonathan Petersen & Paul Copan, January 2015 Link This page was last edited on 26 December 2020, at 14:55. There are huge organizations who will disagree with me on that statement, an… Paul Copan offers you clear, concise, and thoughtful answers to these critical remarks in this revised and expanded edition of “True for You, But Not for Me.” He shows you how with “patience, practice, prayer, and God’s grace,” you can gently respond in ways that move into more meaningful conversations with those who object to your faith. Paul Copan (/koʊpæn/, born September 26, 1962) is a Christian theologian, analytic philosopher, apologist, and author. His dissertation topic was "The Moral Dimensions of Michael Martin’s Atheology: A Critical Assessment."[3]. He has written and edited over 25 books in the area of philosophy of religion, apologetics, theology, science & religion, and the historicity of Jesus Christ. [12], Copan argues that the Biblical concept of slavery is misunderstood. Their position as master meant responsibility and service, not oppression and privilege. He gives the example of a woman who, hyperbolically, threatens to shoot her husband if he were ever unfaithful. But we don’t want to stop at method, as if apologetics were just meant for the lab. Truth, in this sense, is Biblical Truth. Knowledge in one area does not exclude knowledge in another. [9], Copan is also a critic of presuppositionalism, arguing that Christians can use common ground to engage non-Christians in debate. Joseph Partain taught at Covenant College from 2002-2008 and is now working as an adjunct for the philosophy department at Belmont University in Nashville, TN. [10], Copan is known for his defense of the ethics of the Old Testament, particularly divine command morality.[11]. And so, from the very beginning of church history, Christians have publicly and privately labored to show the reasonableness of our faith against the objections of skeptics. In When God Goes to Starbucks , he offers readers solid and caring Christian responses to these and many other concerns that are being discussed in Starbucks, shopping malls, youth groups, and schools. It assumes that God exists in order to argue that God exists. (I think all four are misguided in one way or another, but the other three will have to wait for now.) The FAQs: Are Fetal Cells Being Used in COVID-19 Vaccines and Treatments? For example, Frame asks: “Are we not still forced to say, ‘God exists (presupposition), therefore God exists (conclusion), and isn’t that argument circular?’” He answers, “Yes, in a way.”, Elsewhere he says, “If Scripture is the ultimate justification for all human knowledge, how should we justify our belief in Scripture itself? Copan concludes that the New Testament took a more subversive strategy, by opposing oppression, slave trade, and treating humans as cargo — which eventually led to a slavery-free Europe a few centuries later. [4] He was Adjunct Associate Professor of Theology and Philosophy at Bethel Seminary. He states "Consider how you would react if a neighbor tried to seduce your daughter or give your children drugs. 2011. He also argues that the New Testament is not silent on the issue of slavery. He states that early Christians undermined slavery indirectly, rejecting many common Greco-Roman assumptions about it and acknowledging the intrinsic, equal worth of slaves. Paul Copan on common ground Second, Christians share common ground with unbelievers, who are likewise made in God's image, which is not erased by the fall. Furthermore, why the Christian God and not the God of the Qur’an as the ground for rational thought? Philosopher Alvin Plantinga  describes the attitude of Reformed theologians toward theistic arguments as ranging from “indifference, through suspicion and hostility, to outright accusations of blasphemy.”. Though it gives us important insights, it falls short at a number of points as a viable apologetical methodology. He claims that the image of God was not completely destroyed in the fall, meaning that non-Christians can respond to general revelation, arguments from cosmology and history, as well as personal testimony and living a godly life. Paul Copan is a Christian theologian, analytic philosopher, apologist, and author. First, it engages in question-begging—-assuming what one wants to prove. Paul Copan is professor and Pledger Family Chair of philosophy and ethics at Palm Beach Atlantic University in West Palm Beach, Florida. The Gospel Coalition welcomes apologists and pastors who will define, critique, and defend particular methods commonly used among Christians. Please make sure all fields are filled out. He has contributed many articles to professional journals and has written many essays for edited books. As the quote from Dr. Geisler indicates, the charge that presuppositionalists “confuse ontology and epistemology” is arguably just a variation of the old “presuppositionalism argues in a circle” or “presuppositionalism begs the He was Adjunct Associate Professor of Philosophy at Georgia Perimter College. He was born in Cleveland, Ohio and then moved to Connecticut as a teenager. at Trinity International. It assumes that God exists in order to argue that God exists. Copan uses James 3:9 to argue that the New Testament presupposes a fundamental equality because all humans are created in God’s image. Now, a process of inquiry often corrects ideas we held previously. Such reasoning would get you an “F” in any logic class worthy of the name! Arguments for God and the Christian faith were important groundwork in Adler’s pilgrimage, opening the door for embracing Christ at a later stage. The book of Judges demonstrates that military engagement. Hackett, a self-proclaimed “rational empiricist,” argued that we can, in principle, evaluate the truth or falsity of worldview claims by certain neutral criteria. Copan also notes that the wish fulfillment argument against Christianity is a classic example of the genetic fallacy, claiming that because one can explain how the belief arose, that the belief is therefore false. Copan received the Prof. C.B. In any factual inquiry, it is important to distinguish between the ideas we have prior to the inquiry and those we gain in the course of the inquiry. Copan holds the prestigious Pledger Family Chair of Philosophy and Ethics at Palm Beach Atlantic University . [15], Copan is married to Jacqueline Mariette (van Tol) Copan, the daughter of Dutch parents, and they have six children. The latest installment is “Questioning Presuppositionalism” by Dr. Paul Copan, who raises four criticisms of presuppositionalism, one of which is the old canard that presuppositionalists engage in fallacious circular reasoning. Presuppositionalism and Induction: Exhuming Hume When apologists raise the problem of induction in their encounters with non-Christians, they apparently expect non-Christians to be freshly familiar with both David Hume and also his argument undermining the reliability of induction. This stereotypical ancient Near East language of “all” people describes attacks on what turn out to be military forts or garrisons containing combatants — not a general population that includes women and children. The Gospel Coalition is running a series on apologetics, and today’s entry was by Paul Copan, entitled “Questioning Presuppositionalism”. While a philosophy and divinity student at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, I organized and moderated a debate between two of my professors—-philosopher Stuart Hackett and theologian Carl F. H. Henry. 19 talking about this. He notes that comforting father figure, while unique to the biblical faith, is not at the heart of the other world religions. Joshua later refers to nations that “remain among you,” and he warns Israel not to mention, swear by, serve, or bow down to their gods, indicating that he did fulfill the command, and yet did not literally obliterate the Canaanite population. --Tremper Longman III, Robert H. Gundry Professor of Biblical Studies, Westmont College "Copan takes on current New Atheist This was a much higher percent than Israel had in the Old Testament, but this was due to Rome’s policies and laws. This resembles indentured servitude during America’s founding when people worked for approximately 7 years to pay off the debt for their passage to the New World. 256 pp. This would be fine for a defence of a God who It begins with the assumption that God exists, and then concludes that God exists. Copan also compares these psalms to the emotional rants of Jeremiah, wishing he had remained in his mother’s womb until he died. He is the author of many books, including Is God a Moral Monster? [14], Copan defends the Old Testament imprecatory psalms, which are psalms that call down curses and divine judgments against Israel's enemies. [2], From 1980-1984, he attended Columbia International University and earned a B.A. 2:20), yet this does not exclude the Spirit’s using highly probable or plausible public evidences for God’s existence or for the resurrection of Jesus. Copyright © 2021 The Gospel Coalition, INC. All Rights Reserved. Making Sense of the Old Testament God.Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books. Someone has said, “A person who believes in total depravity can’t be all that bad!” Yet in some Reformed circles, the doctrine of total depravity seems to leave no trace of the imago Dei. Copan also argues that it is odd and arbitrary to claim that whatever brings comfort and solace is false. Copan argues that this position is an arbitrary philosophical (rather than scientific) pronouncement. (2017) Craig Vander Hart Review: Paul Copan. Henry, a presuppositionalist, claimed his epistemological starting point is the Bible; we need a sure Word rather than the mere probabilities of theistic arguments. [7], He suggests that scientific naturalists will argue that all claims of knowledge have to be scientifically verifiable; otherwise, they are meaningless. Bjuge Award for a thesis that “evidences creative scholarship in the field of Biblical and Systematic Theology.”, In May 2000, Copan received his Ph.D. in philosophy of religion from Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. These then are my concerns with presuppositionalism. He argues that the books of Joshua and Judges are literarily connected, and therefore need to be read in light of one another. He argues that presuppositionalism begs the question. If indeed we had done no previous thinking, nothing would motivate us to seek further information. Copan argues that if the New Testament authors had been too explicit about overthrowing Rome's slavery system, it would have done the gospel a disservice. Frame argues that we all have presuppositions, and if we assume that reason can be used to assess worldviews, then we are operating by rationalism, which itself begs the question (i.e., is circular). The Scriptures affirm otherwise (Gen. 9:6), and God can and does speak to unbelievers through reason, beauty, moral failure, and the existence of evil. Typically, these presuppositionalists (e.g., Bahnsen) avoid traditional cosmological (causal), teleological (design), and moral arguments, but they enthusiastically endorse the transcendental argument for God (TAG)—-the argument to show that God is the inevitable ground for all rational thought. So when the Bible comments on an issue that is contraryto the view you currently hold, there are only two options–(1) obedience and conformity or (2) rebellion and willful ignorance. Fourth, it is important to distinguish between the confident ground of our knowledge of God and the highly probable public case for the Christian faith. Given the spiritual equality of slave and free, slaves even took on leadership positions in churches. This form of Christian apologetics deals with presuppositions. Ultimately, Copan argues, presuppositionalism confuses private knowledge of God with public proclamation and argument for God. As I see it, presuppositionalism has the following strengths: its emphasis on (a) the noetic influence of sin (sin’s effect on the mind); (b) the non-neutrality of worldviews (they are heart-commitments); and (c) the need for the Spirit’s work for faith to take root in one’s heart. Outrage indicates that we care and take injustice seriously." Don’t Outsource It. [16], Society of Biblical Literature (and American Academy of Religion), Salvo Magazine: Board of Editorial Advisors, Global Scholars: Member, Board of Advisors, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Paul_Copan&oldid=996424715, Pages using infobox philosopher with unknown parameters, Wikipedia articles with BIBSYS identifiers, Wikipedia articles with SUDOC identifiers, Wikipedia articles with WORLDCATID identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, BA (1984), MA (1987), M.Div. At first glance, it appears that Joshua captured all the land, defeated all the kings, and destroyed all the Canaanites. Affiliate disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, we may earn commissions from qualifying purchases on Amazon.com. Paul Copan Paul Copan (Ph.D., Marquette University) is Pledger Family Chair of Philosophy and Ethics Palm Beach Atlantic University, Florida. Someone has said, "A person who believes in total depravity can't be all that bad!" [Note: For a broader critique of Frame’s starting points, see Harold A. Netland, “Apologetics, Worldviews, and the Problem of Neutral Criteria,” Trinity Journal 12/1 (Spring 1991): 39-58.]. The sweeping words like “all,” “young and old,” and “man and woman,” however, are stock expressions for totality — even if women and children were not present. Greg Boyd’s Misunderstandings of the ‘Warrior God’. Did God Really Command Genocide? The only natural default position is agnosticism. What struck me, while reading his take on the subject, was how superficial and inaccurate it was. He has co-edited three books on the historical Jesus and coedited (with Paul K. Moser) a textbook on the philosophy of religion, "The Rationality of Theism" (Routledge). The Most Popular Porn Site Has Biggest Scandal to Date. The Bible calls Christians to always be prepared to give an answer to those who ask for the reason of the hope within us (1 Peter 3:15). Copan uses Genesis 9:6 to make his point. : Making Sense of the Old Testament God, Did God Really Command Genocide? Paul Copan is a Christian theologian, analytic philosopher, apologist, and author. the notion that atheism should be one's default position when evaluating arguments over the existence of God). He says that we should compare Hebrew debt-servanthood (many translations render this “slavery”) more fairly to apprentice-like positions to pay off debts. If a servant was harmed, for example, by having a tooth or eye knocked out, the servant received freedom immediately. Paul Copan's Questioning of Presuppositionalism (YouTube), by James White - response to this blog article "Due to the noetic effects of sin, presuppositionalists usually hold that there is not enough common ground between believers and unbelievers that would allow followers of the prior three methods to accomplish their goals. Introduction Paul Copan's Is God a Moral Monster? (1988), Ph.D. (2000). Copan started his career on the pastoral staff of First Presbyterian Church in Schenectady, NY. Update #2 (09/09/2016): To their credit, on March 12, 2012 The Gospel Coalition posted an article by Paul Copan, which thoughtfully highlights certain problems with presuppositionalism (such as its question-begging nature, its denial of a common ground or public case for the truth between believers and unbelievers, etc. (p 35). [5], He has criticized the presumption of atheism, (i.e. Paul Copan helps us truly understand the world of the Old Testament and how it relates to us today." 1 Theism is the belief that God exists and is involved in the world. Presuppositional apologetics may be understood in the light of a distinction common in epistemology, or theory of knowledge. We also hope to provide resources to not only firm up your grasp of the debates, but also to put apologetics into practice in preaching and evangelism. Cornelius Van Til, called the “fountainhead of presuppositionalism,” argued that one must begin with biblical revelation; otherwise, “logic” and “evidence” will become distorted to accommodate the suppression of truth in unrighteousness. He is currently a professor at the Palm Beach Atlantic University. Passionate Conviction: Modern Discourses on Christian Apologetics - Paul Copan - 洋書の購入は楽天ブックスで。全品送料無料！購入毎に「楽天ポイント」が貯まってお得！みんなのレビュー・感想も満載。 Having warrant for belief (by the Spirit) is not the same as showing my belief is warranted (using evidence and reason). Cornelius Van Til, the father of Presuppositionalism, says, concerning Romans 1:19-20, “Accordingly, it must now be added, as Calvin points out so fully on the basis of Paul’s words, that God is displayed before men in the works of Van Tillian presuppositionalism relies on the notion that you either hold to a world view, interpretative system, or you do not. Others like Gordon Clark, Greg Bahnsen, and John Frame have generally followed Van Til’s methodology—-although in variegated fashion (which makes a brief assessment of presuppositionalism difficult). Paul Copan has been answering questions like these for many years. While we begin our worldview examination from somewhere, universal logical laws like the law of non-contradiction or excluded middle are inescapable for assessing and critiquing worldviews. بول كوبان (و لد في 26 سبتمبر 1962) هو لاهوتي مسيحي، وعالم فلسفة تحليلية، ومدافع، ومؤلف.وهو حالي ا بروفيسور في جامعة بالم بيتش أتلانتيك ويشغل منصب رئيس أسرة بليدجر للموهوبين في الفلسفة والأخلاقيات. He is currently a professor at the Palm Beach Atlantic University. Jeremiah's desire was one of emotional outburst, and he did not sincerely believe what he said. Copan argues that such a position commits the fallacy exemplified in Horton Hears a Who: "If you cannot see, hear, or feel something, it does not exist." A Critical Review of Is God a Moral Monster? For six years he served as the president of the Evangelical Philosophical Society. : An Interview with Drs. Copan states that God did not allow physical abuse of servants. One point to keep in mind. Copan states that Joshua uses ancient conventional warfare rhetoric. Second, Christians share common ground with unbelievers, who are likewise made in God’s image, which is not erased by the fall. Paul Copan – Analytic Philosopher and Christian Apologist Paul Copan, born 1962, is an analytic philosopher, theologian, and apologist. If you’re wondering how these views relate, then this week’s series of five articles is for you. : Coming to Terms with the Justice of God (with Matt Flannagan), and The Gospel in the Marketplace of Ideas: Paul’s Mars Hill Experience for Our Pluralistic World (with Kenneth Litwak). The Gospel Coalition supports the church by providing resources that are trusted and timely, winsome and wise, and centered on the gospel of Jesus Christ. Copan attended Trinity International University, where he received his M.A. Presuppositionalism is common in Reformed circles. Christian philosopher Mortimer Adler exemplifies having a sufficient intellectual knowledge that the Christian faith is true, but he did not yet put his trust in Christ for his salvation.