How do we know? What should we do? What is real? What is art?
Philosophy, which means "the love of wisdom," asks such questions in its pursuit of knowledge and understanding of all facets of life: existence, knowledge, ethics, art, and more. But what does it mean for Christians to pursue wisdom when Scripture affirms that the crucified and risen Christ is "the wisdom of God" (1 Cor. 1:24)?
IVP Academic's Questions in Christian Philosophy (QCP) series seeks to help readers in their pursuit of wisdom from a Christian perspective by offering introductory textbooks on the various branches of philosophy. Designed for students with little or no background in the discipline, this series draws upon experts in the field and lays a solid foundation for further philosophical reflection in pursuit of divine wisdom.
From the Series Editors:
"Contrary to what most people might think, human beings are inherently philosophical. We draw inferences about everyday life, theorize about major events and developments in the world, and do all of this while blindly utilizing philosophical categories and tools. Doing philosophy is inevitable. Doing philosophy well, however, is more difficult to find. And yet, given the importance of things we are interested in, doing philosophy well is critical. A contemporary introductory series to the major questions in philosophy is incredibly valuable, especially for those seeking to honor God with their mind. This series is designed to meet that need. Our authors write with their students in mind, carefully defining terms and illustrating key concepts in ways that make philosophy tangible and useful for the those who need it most."
—James K. Dew, Jr., president and professor of Christian philosophy, New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary
"C.S. Lewis once remarked, 'Good philosophy must exist, if for no other reason, because bad philosophy must be answered.' About that he is surely right. However, it turns out that there are other reasons for good philosophy. One reason is that good philosophy enables one to entertain questions that are central to one’s worldview—questions related to the nature of truth, the nature of goodness, and the nature of beauty. And that is the aim of this series. In undertaking Questions in Christian Philosophy, the authors are not merely engaging in these philosophical pursuits and then adding Jesus to the mix when they're done. Instead, they are pursuing these questions out of a love and devotion to Christ that not only guides the questions asked, but also motivates the attempt to answer them."
— W. Paul Franks, associate professor of philosophy, Tyndale University, Toronto
"For the longest time, we have needed a sharp, accessible, well-written and competent series of books on a range of philosophical topics of importance for forming a thoughtful Christian worldview. Well, now one is being planned, and InterVarsity Press is just the right publisher to pull this off. Designed as undergraduate or graduate texts, as well as providing resources for thoughtful readers everywhere, this series of excellent books, written by well-trained and biblically faithful authors, could not be coming at a better time. I urge Christian schools to require them as texts and churches to make them must-reading. With gratitude and enthusiasm, I highly recommend this wonderful series."
"The Church has a vital stake in raising up Christians trained in philosophy, the most fundamental domain of thought, who will help to create a place at our universities and other cultural spaces for Christian ideas. It is my hope that IVP Academic's Questions in Christian Philosophy series will make an important contribution to the training of the next generation of Christian scholars, leaders, and laypeople."
"In my early exposure to philosophy, I greatly benefited from reading every book in IVP's Contours of Christian Philosophy series. So I am pleased to recommend this exciting new IVP series—Questions in Christian Philosophy—for the next generation of Christians who are philosophically-minded or just philosophically curious. These volumes bring a fresh, informative, up-to-date discussion of philosophical topics enriched and illuminated by a Christian perspective."
