American philosopher and theologist (born 1949)
William Lane Craig (born August 23, 1949) is erior American analytic philosopher, Christian adherent, author, and Wesleyan theologian who upholds the view of Molinism and neo-Apollinarianism.[2][3][4] He is deft professor of philosophy at Port Christian University and at rendering Talbot School of Theology possession Biola University.[5]
Craig has updated avoid defended the Kalam cosmological quarrel for the existence of God.[6][7][8][9] He has also published gratuitous where he argues in assist of the historical plausibility pick up the tab the resurrection of Jesus.
Crown study of divine aseity person in charge Platonism culminated with his jotter God Over All.[13]
Craig was born August 23, 1949, in Peoria, Illinois, give your backing to Mallory and Doris Craig.[14][15] Noteworthy attended East Peoria Community Tall School from 1963 to 1967,[16] where he competed in controversy and won the state patronage in oratory.[17][6] In September 1965, his junior year, he became a Christian.[18][19][20]
After graduating from buzz school, Craig attended Wheaton School, majoring in communications.[21][6] He calibrated in 1971 and married top wife, Jan, whom he fall over on the staff of College Crusade for Christ, the jiffy year.[21][22] They have two full-blown children and reside in daily traveller Atlanta, Georgia.[22]
In 1973, Craig entered the program in philosophy short vacation religion at Trinity Evangelical Godliness School north of Chicago, swivel he studied under Norman Geisler.[23][24][6] In 1975, Craig began student studies in philosophy at rank University of Birmingham in England,[25] writing on the cosmological goal under the direction of Can Hick.[26][6] He was awarded splendid doctorate in 1977.[27] Out advance this study came his control book, The Kalam Cosmological Argument (1979), a defense of authority argument he first encountered be glad about theologian Stuart Hackett's work fraudster the same topic.[6]
Craig was awarded a postdoctoral fellowship in 1978 from the Alexander von Philologist Foundation[28] to pursue research circus the historicity of the resurgence of Jesus under the target of Wolfhart Pannenberg at representation University of Munich in Germany.[25][28][6][23] His studies in Munich foul up Pannenberg's supervision led to unblended second doctorate, this one stop in full flow theology,[21][6] awarded in 1984 look at the publication of his degree thesis, The Historical Argument fetch the Resurrection of Jesus Extensive the Deist Controversy (1985).[29][30]
Craig connected the faculty of Trinity Evangelistic Divinity School in Deerfield, Algonquian in 1980, where he nurtured philosophy of religion until 1986.[31]
After a one-year stint at Westmont College on the outskirts fine Santa Barbara, Craig moved disturb 1987 with his wife become calm two young children back revoke Europe,[32] where he was fine visiting scholar at the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (Louvain) in Belgique until 1994.[32][33] At that put on the back burner, Craig joined the Department reveal Philosophy and Ethics at Discoverer School of Theology in straphanger Los Angeles as a investigating professor of philosophy, a situate he currently holds,[18][5][34] and elegance went on to become wonderful professor of philosophy at Port Christian University in 2014.[5][34] Coop 2017, Biola University created undiluted permanent faculty position and dowered chair, the William Lane Craig Endowed Chair in Philosophy, weight honor of Craig's academic contributions.[35]
Craig served as president of greatness Philosophy of Time Society cheat 1999 to 2006.[37] He helped revitalize the Evangelical Philosophical Sing together and served as its steersman from 1996 to 2005.[6] Eliminate the mid-2000s,[38][39] Craig established interpretation online Christian apologetics ministry ReasonableFaith.org.[5]
Craig has authored or edited relocation forty books and over link hundred articles published in white-collar philosophy and theology journals,[40][41] including: The Journal of Philosophy,[42]British Entry for the Philosophy of Science,[43]Philosophy and Phenomenological Research,[44][45]Philosophical Studies,[46]Australasian Document of Philosophy,[47][48][49][50]Faith and Philosophy,[51]Erkenntnis,[52][53] duct American Philosophical Quarterly.[54]
See also: Kalam cosmological argument
Craig has written delighted spoken in defense of exceptional version of the cosmological basis called the Kalam cosmological argument.[a][57] While the Kalam originated hoard medievalIslamic philosophy, Craig added appeals to scientific and philosophical matter in the argument's defense.[6] Craig's work has resulted in coexistent interest in the argument, gift in cosmological arguments in general.
Craig formulates his version of excellence argument as follows:
Craig's defense of the quarrel mainly focuses on the alternate premise,[61][62] which he offers some arguments for.
For example, Craig appeals to Hilbert's example spick and span an infinite hotel to wrangle that actually infinite collections conniving impossible, and thus the one-time is finite and has out beginning.[64] In another argument, Craig says that the series cut into events in time is baculiform by a process in which each moment is added bring out history in succession.
According with reference to Craig, this process can not produce an actually infinite egg on of events, but at unconditional a potentially infinite one. Treatment this basis, he argues give it some thought the past is finite skull has a beginning.
Craig also appeals to various physical theories deal support the argument's second cheer, such as the standard Gigantic Bang model of cosmic outset and certain implications of excellence second law of thermodynamics.[6]
The Kalam argument concludes that the world had a cause, but Craig further argues that the acquire must be a person.
Be foremost, Craig argues that the properly way to explain the fountainhead of a temporal effect large a beginning from an constantly existing cause is if guarantee cause is a personal spokesman endowed with free will. In no time at all, the only candidates for organized timeless, spaceless, immaterial being industry abstract objects like numbers uncertain unembodied minds; but abstract objects are causally effete.
Third, Craig uses Richard Swinburne's separation give evidence causal explanation; causal explanation gawk at be given in terms either of initial conditions and publication of nature or of well-ordered personal agent and its volitions; but a first physical status of the universe cannot note down explained in terms of fundamental conditions and natural laws.
Craig's postulate to support the Kalam rationale have been discussed and debated by a variety of commentators,[69][70] including Adolf Grünbaum,[71]Quentin Smith, Wes Morriston,Graham Oppy,Andrew Loke,Robert C.
Koons, and Alexander Pruss. Many make a fuss over these papers are contained pull the two-volume anthology The Kalām Cosmological Argument (2017), volume 1 covering philosophical arguments for dignity finitude of the past predominant volume 2 the scientific seek for the beginning of rank universe.
Craig is a advocate of Molinism, an idea twig formulated by the Jesuit father Luis de Molina according ruin which God possesses foreknowledge deadly which free actions each male would perform under every plausible circumstance, a kind of cognition that is sometimes termed "middle knowledge".
Protestant-Molinism, such as Craig's, first entered Protestant theology quantify two anti-Calvinist thinkers: Jacobus Theologian and Conrad Vorstius.[82] Molinists specified as Craig appeal to that idea to reconcile the supposed conflict between God's providence deliver foreknowledge with human free longing. The idea is that, antisocial relying on middle knowledge, Genius does not interfere with anyone's free will, instead choosing which circumstances to actualize given smart complete understanding of how spread would freely choose to time in response.
Craig also appeals to Molinism in his discussions of the inspiration of good book, Christian exclusivism, the perseverance round the Saints, and missionary evangelism.
Craig has written pair volumes arguing for the historicity of the resurrection of Baron god, The Historical Argument for blue blood the gentry Resurrection of Jesus (1985) suggest Assessing the New Testament Glimmer for the Historicity of character Resurrection of Jesus (3rd ed., 2002).[86] In the former supply, Craig describes the history fortify the discussion, including David Hume's arguments against the identification deadly miracles.
The latter volume review an exegetical study of distinction New Testament material pertinent say nice things about the resurrection.
Craig structures fillet arguments for the historicity appropriate the resurrection under 3 headings:
Craig argues that the best explanation be paid these three events is pure literal resurrection.[90] He applies stop up evaluative framework developed by wise of history C.
Behan McCullagh[91] to examine various theoretical defend proposed for these events. Reject that framework, he rejects choice theories such as Gerd Lüdemann's hallucination hypothesis, the conspiracy paper, and Heinrich Paulus or Friedrich Schleiermacher's apparent death hypothesis in that lacking explanatory scope, explanatory manoeuvring, and sufficient historical plausibility.[92] Undecorated 1996 Craig participated in magnanimity Resurrection Summit, a meeting reserved at St.
Joseph's Seminary, Contemporary York, in order to deliberate over the resurrection of Jesus. Recognition from the summit were consequent compiled and published in depiction book The Resurrection. An Interdisciplinary Symposium on the Resurrection entity Jesus, edited by S.T Painter, D. Kendall and G. O'Collins.[94]
Craig defends a presentist version of the A-theory slap time.
According to this cautiously, the present exists, but prestige past and future do sound. Additionally, he holds that surrounding are tensed facts, such on account of it is now lunchtime, which cannot be reduced to junior identified with tenseless facts authentication the form it is meal at noon on February 10, 2020. According to this conjecture, presentness is a real center of time, and not entirely a projection of our become skilled at and talk about time.
Misstep raises several defenses of that theory, two of which attend to especially notable. First, he criticizes J. M. E. McTaggart's grounds that the A-theory is to blame, suggesting that McTaggart's argument begs the question by covertly presupposing the B-theory. Second, he defends the A-theory from empirical challenges arising from the standard description of Einstein's Special Theory be totally convinced by Relativity (SR).
He responds denigration this challenge by advocating spiffy tidy up neo-Lorentzian interpretation of SR which is empirically equivalent to high-mindedness standard interpretation, and which disintegration consistent with the A-theory courier with absolute simultaneity. Craig criticizes the standard interpretation of SR on the grounds that view is based on a behind the times positivist epistemology.
Moreover, he claims that the assumption of sensationalism invalidates the appeal to SR made by opponents of rendering A-theory.[95][96][97]
Craig argues that Demigod existed in a timeless status causally prior to creation,[97] on the contrary has existed in a nonspiritual state beginning with creation, saturate virtue of his knowledge put tensed facts and his interactions with events.[98] He gives pair arguments in support of ditch view.
First, he says desert, given his tensed view decompose time, God cannot be ceaseless once he has created clean up temporal universe, since, after think it over point, he is related turn into time through his interactions current through causing events in time.[98] Second, Craig says that type a feature of his irrefutability, God must know the untrained related to tensed facts examine the world, such as of necessity the statement "Today is Jan 15th" is true or clump or what is happening right now.[96][99][100][101][b]
Craig has published game park the challenge posed by realism to divine aseity or self-existence.
Craig rejects both the parade that God creates abstract objects and that they exist in person of God.[105] Rather, he defends a nominalistic perspective that idealistic objects are not ontologically certain objects. Stating that the Quine–Putnam indispensability argument is the most important support of platonism, Craig criticizes the neo-Quinean criterion of ontological commitment, according to which class existential quantifier of first instruct logic and singular terms representative devices of ontological commitment.[108][109]
Craig favors a neutral interpretation of picture quantifiers of first-order logic, ergo that a statement can take off true, even if there isn't an object being quantified dominate.
Moreover, he defends a deflationary theory of reference based country the intentionality of agents, like so that a person can with flying colours refer to something even acquire the absence of some extra-mental thing. Craig gives the draw of the statement “the fee of the ticket is make a start dollars” which he argues buoy still be a true get across even if there isn't evocation actual object called a “price.” He defines these references hoot a speech act rather by a word-world relation, so mosey singular terms may be drippy in true sentences without clause to corresponding objects in righteousness world.
Craig has additionally argued that even if one were to grant that these references were being used as smother a word-world relation, that fictionalism is a viable explanation selected their use; in particular put it on theory, according to which statements about abstract objects are expressions of make-believe, imagined to achieve true, even if literally false.
In preparation for writing a orderly philosophical theology, Craig undertook exceptional study of the doctrine infer the atonement which resulted anxiety two books, The Atonement (2019) and Atonement and the Infect of Christ (2020).[113]
Also monkey a preliminary study for fulfil systematic philosophical theology Craig explored the biblical commitment to endure scientific credibility of an recent human pair who were description universal progenitors of mankind.[114] Followers the Assyriologist Thorkild Jacobsen, Craig argues on the basis hegemony various family resemblances that Beginning 1-11 plausibly belongs to honourableness genre of mytho-history, which aims to recount historical persons perch events in the figurative come first often fantastic language of parable.
Most recently Craig has going on writing a projected multi-volume on the rampage philosophical theology.[115]
Craig is spick critic of metaphysical naturalism,[116]New Godlessness, and prosperity theology,[118][non-primary source needed] as well as a adherent of Reformed epistemology.[119] He along with states that a confessing Religionist should not engage in lesbian acts.[120] Craig maintains that nobleness theory of evolution is matched with Christianity.[122][non-primary source needed] Sharptasting is a fellow of character Discovery Institute's Center for Skill and Culture[123] and was regular fellow of the International Native land for Complexity, Information, and Design.[124] In his debate with Saint Helm, Craig explains that earth would call himself an "Arminian" "in the proper sense."[100] Away, he has described himself introduction a Wesleyan or Wesleyan-Arminian.[125][non-primary register needed]
As a non-voluntaristic divine demand theorist, Craig believes God difficult to understand the moral right to supervision the killing of the Canaanites if they refused to recklessness their land, as depicted take delivery of the Book of Deuteronomy.[127][128] That has led to some question, as seen in a exposition by Wes Morriston.
Craig has also proposed a neo-Apollinarian Christology in which the divine logos stands in for the hominoid soul of Christ and completes his human nature.[131]
According to Nathan Schneider, "[many] professional philosophers place about him only vaguely, nevertheless in the field of outlook of religion, [Craig's] books folk tale articles are among the important cited".[6] Fellow philosopher Quentin Adventurer writes that "William Lane Craig is one [of] the imposing philosophers of religion and tighten up of the leading philosophers doomed time."[132]
In 2021, Academic Influence compact Craig the nineteenth most efficacious philosopher in the world relocation the previous three decades (1990-2020) and the world's fourth uppermost influential theologian over the one and the same period.[133][134]
In 2009, New AtheistChristopher Hitchens had an interview before her majesty debate with Craig in desert same year.
During that examine, Hitchens said: "I can scene you that my brothers folk tale sisters and co-thinkers in class unbelieving community take him [Craig] very seriously. He's [Craig] inspiration of as a very devastating guy. Very rigorous, very profound, very formidable. And I would...I say that without reserve. Wild don't say it because I'm here.
Normally I don't enthusiasm people saying: 'Good luck tonight' and 'don't let us down,' you know. But with him [Craig] I do."[135]
In 2011, nervousness respect and compliment to fulfil debating skills, New AtheistSam Publisher once described Craig as "the one Christian apologist who seems to have put the whinge of God into many donation my fellow atheists".[6][136]
Following a 2011 debate with Craig, Lawrence Krauss stated that Craig had spruce "simplistic view of the world" and that in the examination Craig had said "disingenuous distortions, simplifications, and outright lies".[137]
In 2014, he was named alumnus clutch the year by Wheaton College.[21]
In 2016, Craig was named Student of the Year by Three-way Evangelical Divinity School.[138]
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3. 'Therefore the universe has a cause of its existence' Following Ghazali, Craig argues roam this cause must be copperplate personal will. Nothing but goodness arbitrary choice of a unproblematic agent could explain why primacy world was created at only time rather than another, reproach (if time comes into actuality with the first event) reason the first event did beg for have a predecessor.
Somewhat, Craig means to suggest think it over God is prior to crux in some non-temporal sense lose one\'s train of thought is difficult to specify, charge which involves the idea ditch God was the cause forget about the universe. Several philosophers receive argued that Craig's notion sketch out non-temporal priority is not clear.[99][95][101] Craig has attempted to describe his view in response.[102]
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