In 1983, philosopher Peter van Inwagen’s book An Essay on Free Will was published by the prestigious Oxford University Press. In May of the same year, at the age of 40, Dr. van Inwagen, professor of philosophy at Syracuse University, was baptized and received his first Communion.
What makes Professor van Inwagen’s conversion noteworthy is not his age or his position in society. It is of interest because it represents a trend—Christianity is becoming more respectable among philosophers. In the past ten years, a number of well-known philosophers have either converted to Christianity or reclaimed a faith that had once been a vital part of their lives.
Alan Donagan, professor of philosophy at the California Institute of Technology, is a case in point. Raised as a Methodist in Australia, he lost all religious belief as an undergraduate student. But in his fifties, Donagan, who formerly taught in the University of Chicago’s philosophy department, reclaimed his Christian heritage. Although Donagan is quick to point out that one cannot philosophize oneself into religious faith, he does believe that his work in ethics prepared him for theism, and eventually for Christ.
Unlike Donagan or van Inwagen, Marilyn Adams is not an adult convert to Christianity; but she has recently found her commitment to Christ revitalized. Currently chair of the philosophy department at UCLA and president of the Society of Christian Philosophers (SCP), Adams says she no longer hesitates to mention her religious perspective in her classes. “It’s important for students to find professors who identify themselves as Christians. At a time when students’ values are being challenged, it has a steadying effect.”
The Return Of Alston
Of all the philosophers who have been converted or who have rededicated themselves to the kingdom, perhaps Syracuse University professor William P. Alston’s return to the church has had the greatest impact. By the late sixties, Alston had established himself as one of the most prominent philosophers of language in America. But as his reputation grew, his faith diminished until eventually he abandoned the church entirely. By the midseventies, however, he found his way back to the church.
Alston’s renewed faith prompted him to desire more fellowship with philosophers who shared his commitment to Christianity. After a sabbatical at Oxford, he returned to the United States and wrote Calvin College’s Alvin Plantinga (now O’Brien Professor of Philosophy at Notre Dame), a Christian and former student who had become well-known and respected in the philosophical community for his work in metaphysics. Alston invited him to have lunch at the next meeting of the American Philosophical Association (APA) and to discuss the possibility of forming a society or association of Christian philosophers. The rest is history.
Over the signatures of Alston, Plantinga, Marilyn and Robert Adams of UCLA, Arthur Holmes of Wheaton, Ralph McInerny of Notre Dame, and George Mavrodes of the University of Michigan, a letter went out inviting interested people to attend an organizational meeting of the Society of Christian Philosophers at the 1978 Western Division meeting of the APA. The cosigners were not sure what kind of response to expect. It was not clear there would be more than a handful interested in a group dedicated to exploring the philosophical ramifications of commitment to Christ.
The Decline Of Philosophy Of Religion
For some time, theistic philosophers had been living in the shadow of logical positivists who claimed that most statements of Christian belief—“God loves us,” for example, or “God created the heavens and the earth”—were neither true or false; they were simply meaningless. The positivists taught that language could only be meaningful if it was true by virtue of the meaning of the words (for example, the statement “All bachelors are unmarried”), or if its truth or falsehood could be determined by scientific investigation.
As logical positivism became powerfully influential in departments of philosophy at North America’s secular institutions, there came an inflexibility about what topics were appropriate for philosophical inquiry. Theistic philosophers became suspect, and the entire area of philosophy of religion was relegated to a second-class status. According to James E. Tomberlin, professor of philosophy at California State University-Northridge, the traditional issues associated with philosophy of religion—arguments for the existence of God, the relation of faith and reason, the notion of miracles—all were considered meaningless. Tomberlin, who is not a theist, says that thanks to the logical positivists, “philosophy of religion was considered a dead area.” The prejudice against philosophy of religion was sometimes overt, but it also came out in subtle manipulations.
A good example of this passive/aggressive behavior can be drawn from Alston’s career. Upon completion of his degree in the early fifties, Alston was hired to teach philosophy of religion at the University of Michigan; but for the first eight years there, he was not given the opportunity to teach a graduate seminar in his area of expertise. There never seemed to be time in the department schedule for a philosophy of religion seminar. This subtle, and possibly unconscious, prejudice against philosophy of religion had the effect of producing fewer philosophers who were trained in that area of study.
Furthermore, the omission of philosophy of religion from the graduate curriculum not only produced a crop of philosophers unfamiliar with the more sophisticated and advanced work in the field, but discouraged students from pursuing dissertations in that area. Christian graduate students entering philosophy with an interest in philosophy of religion were politely steered to more respectable topics.
With a generation of philosophers growing up who knew little about philosophy of religion, the scholarship in that area naturally suffered—both the amount and the quality of writing declined. With some noteworthy exceptions, philosophers of religion got a reputation for being sloppy thinkers. As one philosopher put it, “Thirty years ago, being a theist was like being a homosexual.” One did not broadcast one’s religious preference, and if discovered, a theist was in danger of being shunned by colleagues. After the positivists’ passive/aggressive purge, two kinds of Christians were left in philosophy—a minority of believers trying to hold their own (and probably not doing philosophy of religion) and those Christians who had made inappropriate accommodations to the positivist party line.
The End Of The Dark Ages
Happily, by the mid-seventies logical positivism had been discredited, but a distrust of religion and religious philosophers still lingered. Thus organizers of the Society of Christian Philosophers were overjoyed and surprised when more than 80 philosophers turned up for the first meeting. At last there was hope that philosophy of religion’s Dark Ages were coming to an end. But more important, there was hope that Christian philosophers were interested in learning how their faith could inform their work.
Since that first meeting in 1978, the surprise and joy have continued as the society has increased in numbers and influence. Boasting more than 800 members, the Society of Christian Philosophers is now the largest special interest group associated with the American Philosophical Association. In the past nine years, over half of the presidents of the Central Division of the APA have been members of the SCP.
One of the most tangible accomplishments of the society has been the establishment of a scholarly journal. Under the editorship of William Alston, Faith and Philosophy has in a very short time established itself as the world’s most prestigious journal in philosophy of religion. Many Christian philosophers who had been directing their writing to more neutral philosophical concerns are now motivated to write on topics specifically directed to the Christian community. Recent articles in Faith and Philosophy have reflected on such topics as “The Virtue of Faith,” “Is it Possible to Know that Jesus Was Raised from the Dead?,” “On Petitionary Prayer,” and “The Availability of Evidence in Support of Religious Belief.” A substantial portion of one issue was devoted to a symposium on Christianity and pacifism.
Within three years of the founding of the society, an Eastern Division meeting was established that was large enough to be running four to five concurrent sessions. Now there are annual regional meetings in three sections of the country.
The society has a diverse membership, for becoming a member is as simple as declaring oneself a Christian with an interest in philosophy. But despite its pluralism, an overall tone of orthodoxy pervades society endeavors. Perhaps this tone of orthodoxy is a result of the SCP’S leadership. Its presidents have come from a variety of denominations, but belief in the traditional Christian doctrines has been a common thread uniting them and giving them a common vision. At a time when the academic theological community is treating the traditional creeds as up for grabs, Peter van Inwagen prefaced his recent paper on the Trinity with his belief in the declarations of Chalcedon as authoritative.
Among Christian scholars generally, there is a danger of making inappropriate accommodations to the most recent intellectual trends. But the Society of Christian Philosophers specifically encourages its members to be independent in their scholarship. In his inaugural address as holder of an endowed chair at Notre Dame, Alvin Plantinga urged his colleagues not to “take their inspiration from what’s going on at Princeton or Berkeley or Harvard.” He warned against topics that are fashionable and suggested that what is needed is “more independence, more autonomy with respect to the projects and concerns of the nontheistic philosophical world.”
The fellowship and encouragement provided by the society’s regional meetings help make possible the independence Plantinga hopes for. There is always strength in numbers.
Until recently, Christians feared philosophy and philosophy despised Christianity. The Society of Christian Philosophers not only acts as a mediator between these two groups, but it also serves as a model for Christians in other academic disciplines.
Philosophers Go To Sunday School
Surveys show that most Americans believe in God, but of those who call themselves believers, a much smaller percentage claims membership in a local congregation. We might expect a similar pattern in the Society of Christian Philosophers—a large percentage of the membership willing to identify intellectually with Christianity but only a few acting out that belief among other Christians in local churches. Whether the society’s leaders are representative of the bulk of the society’s membership or not, there is no doubt that the men and women of this group back up their belief with a complementary commitment to a local body of Christians.
- In addition to her administrative duties, teaching responsibilities, and scholarly writing, Prof. Marilyn Adams, chair of UCLA’S philosophy department and newly elected president of the Society of Christian Philosophers, is also seeking ordination as an Episcopal priest. Her husband, Robert Adams, who has also served as department chair and president of the society, is an ordained Presbyterian minister. Both strongly believe that American university campuses need the gospel. Together they have led a Bible study in their home for a number of years.
- The Adamses’ example prompted William P. Alston to start a similar study for Syracuse University students. Alston and another professor from the philosophy department, Peter van Inwagen, are both actively involved with a local Episcopal congregation. Among other things, Alston has served as lay reader and chalice bearer, while van Inwagen has directed his talents toward the congregation’s adult education ministry.
- Long before there was a revival of interest in religious topics, Alvin Plantinga was talking to groups of students on college campuses about the justification of religious belief. Both he and Nicholas Wolterstorff come from the Christian Reformed Church. Wolterstorff recently had a book on aesthetics published by Oxford University Press, but he also takes time to write for believers. His book Until Peace and Justice Embrace (Eerdmans) is clearly directed to the Christian community.
Among the society’s leadership there is a strong emphasis on the integration of personal commitment to Christ and the practice of philosophy. Marilyn Adams says the society helped her see philosophy “as a vocation, not just a profession.” The society’s regional meetings are a good illustration of this desire to integrate faith and philosophy. In addition to the usual round of scholarly papers, the meetings often include a worship service and an opportunity to receive Communion.
The society is being directed by women and men who have more than just an intellectual belief in an idea; their faith goes beyond abstract discussions in graduate seminars to the lives of their students, professional peers, and brothers and sisters in Christ.
By Kristine Christlieb.
Kristine Christlieb, a Ph.D. student in English education at Syracuse University, is a communications specialist for the Central New York Regional Planning and Development Board.
