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Summary: Essential contribution to Christian philosophy
Review: A very difficult book indeed. So much food for thought for the advanced student. Yes, Christianity is intellectually viable and adequate as these authors demonstrate. The book has a nice organization as far as topics go. Its weakness is the rigor of terms and assumption of a through philosophical background on the part of the reader. Key terms are highlighted throughout the book. A glossary with written definitions of these terms would help. Suggested background reading in each chapter for the novice would also be helpful. Nancey Pearceys Total Truth is a more relevant/applicable text of worldviews but this text is the "summa" of worldview material in the Christian religion. If you have a college background in philosophy, get this book. If you are a novice, you may not be able to actually read and grasp this book, still but this and take it as a long-term challenge.
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Summary: Sometimes the cheapest is the best.
Review: Don't be fooled by the unbelievably low price for this hardback textbook. I've studied philosophy intensely for several years and I own some 200+ books on philosophy at all levels. This is the clearest, most comprehensive introductory philosophy book. Even if you're not a Christian, don't be put off by the title. Like any good philosopher, the authors do a fine job of covering everyone's viewpoints.I'm extremely pleased with this book. Grab this book before the publisher doubles the price.
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Summary: Sometimes the cheapest is the best.
Review: Don't be fooled by the unbelievably low price for this hardback textbook. I've studied philosophy intensely for several years and I own some 200+ books on philosophy at all levels. This is the clearest, most comprehensive introductory philosophy book. Even if you're not a Christian, don't be put off by the title. Like any good philosopher, the authors do a fine job of covering everyone's viewpoints. I'm extremely pleased with this book. Grab this book before the publisher doubles the price.
Rating: 
Summary: Recommendations
Review: For several superb works on Christian philosophy, I recommend the following. Search for them on the web (many free materials are available from these authors).
Gordon Clark (Trinity Foundation):
- An Introduction to Christian Philosophy
- A Christian View of Men and Things
- Religion, Reason, and Revelation Vincent Cheung (Reformation Ministries International):
- Systematic Theology
- Ultimate Questions
- Presuppositional Confrontations
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Summary: The Text Book For Thinking Christians
Review: I find this book very helpful as a reference. It gives philosophical arguments for Christianity in a thorough and scholarly way. Moreland and Craig are libertarian free thinkers, but they are fair to other theological perspectives. Chapter 13 is worth the price of the book alone. The various views of man's freedom are discussed. All Christians should understand these key questions. Does God predestine everything in our lives, as Calvinism teaches? Or, does God allow men to have freewill? One view says God determines everything we do. The other view says in some ways man is a self determining creature. This has been a hotly debated topic for many centuries. Moreland and Craig handle it admirably.
Christians should be encouraged that this book exists. The old saying, "Park your brain at the door, come in and praise the Lord!" Is just silly. Christianity is a thinking man's religion. For too long Christians have hid while secular science and philosophy have been dogmatically taught in our schools and media. Christians have the arguments to take on the secular thinkers on every subject. The challenge before us is to take up the truth like a sword and jump into the battle for souls. This book will sharpen your sword and prepare you to debate the challenges to your faith.
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Summary: A Compelling Presentation of Christian Philosophy
Review: I highly recommend this outstanding book. Moreland and Craig are two intellectual leaders in a growing movement of Christian philosophers who have offered to both the general public and the academic world sophisticated and compelling arguments for why it is rational, and sometimes obligatory, to embrace the beliefs that are central to the Christian worldview--e.g., the existence of God, the existence of the soul, the reasonableness of miracles, the coherence of the Incarnation, the possibility of theological knowledge, etc. If you have an interest in philosophy and its relationship to the rationality of Christian belief, do yourself a favor and buy this book...
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Summary: Where is the market?
Review: I wish to offer a brief comment on this text from the perspective of a philosophy instructor in a Christian college.
While I certainly agree with those five-star reviewers about the thoroughness and depth of this volume, I have found that the majority of even the best undergraduate students find it all but incomprehensible. I suppose one nice thing about this is that it makes me feel needed: they couldn't get through the text without a guide. But I know that many students are simply frustrated, with the result that the hedonic calculus ranks their first encounter with philosophy on roughly the same level as a root canal or a prostate biopsy. Keeping up class morale has become a sisyphusian task.
I am not entirely sure that the problem is with the difficulty of the concepts. The writing style of the two authors is (I hate to say) rather pedestrian and plodding. Oh, for the sprightly style of an Alvin Plantinga ("That's about as imperforate as an afghan knit by an elephant") or a Tom Morris in an intro that is not necessarily written "for dummies." I am convinced that it can be done, but this book reads like a text in electrical engineering or the fundamentals of microbiology or a detailed discourse on experimental techniques for the cross-pollenation of mold spores. Come on! Philosophy is more exciting than this text lets on!
This raises the question: Where is the market for this text? For what level is it intended? It is described as an "introduction," but, from several semesters of use, I do not recommend it. Nor would I think that the class time of graduate students is well spent in this text, as grads should be ready to head straight for the Kripkes and Kims and Quines. Perhaps it best serves as a ready reference on one's shelves as a primer and/or refresher for those who have been introduced by kinder, gentler means. And it could prove to be a valuable single-volume resource for pastors, theologians and seminarians. (But for this anecdotal caveat: a bright theology/biblical studies colleague of mine recently confessed his struggles with it before moving on to something else in disgrace.)
A less significant point: Here in my third semester of use, my own copy has physically fallen apart--cracked spine, loose pages. I have not used the book to mash out hamburger patties or to play fetch with my border collie, so I might have expected greater longevity.
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Summary: The Best Introductory Philosophical Overview Yet
Review: It was to be expected that Craig and Moreland's book would be excellent. However, I must say, this work by far suprasses the degree of excellence that I had anticipated. *Philosophical Foundations for a Christian Worldview* explains the use of philosophy for the construction and defense of Christianity. Furthermore, they apply philosophy to a breadth of issues, showing their direct relevance to Christianity. As one gets to the end of the book, the more distinctly theological the book becomes. For many people, this book is not going to be an easy read. They cover so many big issues and there is a gigantic amount of vocabulary. But don't be afraid. The layout of this work is very nice. New ideas, words, theories, and so forth are written in bold type font with clear explanations and definitions. One does not need to be a well read student of philosophy in order to comprehend this book. All that this is suggesting is that if you do read this book, you will have to use your mind to a more significant degree than reading most other - nontechnical or nonacademic philosophical - books. Interestingly, the explanations in the book are often the same that they give to their own students. The content of this work is very good as well. Plus they deal with contemporary issues in philosophy. For instance, they explain Alvin Plantinga's model under the religious epistemology section, offer a few criticisms, but come out saying that any model that is correct is going to be something very close to his. Under the freedom and moral responsibility issue, it offers really good information about what are the conditions that contemporary philosophers list for free agency (i.e. rationality condition, etc.), along with the other relevant information. Also, on issues like this, they realize that Christians disagree amongst themselves. So, while they may be dogmatic about certain issues, they seem to leave elbow room for disagreemnt (e.g. in the chapter on freedom). Thus, my over all assessment of this book is that it is the best work out there that covers such as wide number of issues from a Christian perspective and in the depth that they provide. Remember, this is not going to be as technical and exhaustive on all of the points as any doctoral dissertation is going to be. Seriously, who can do that on so many issues in under a thousand pages? To compensate, since they are aware of this, there is a "for further reading on..." in the back of the book for each of the given sections. Nonetheless, I have not seen a better book that offers lay people and new students of philosophy such exhaustive account of the issues in contemporary analytic philosophy and done in such a readable manner. Put it this way: I am willing to bet that this will be one of the top five books printed this year. Buy this book... and hope they continue with a similar book for graduate students :)
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Summary: a word of unwanted advice...
Review: It's a shame there is but one critical review of this book. Adorning praise such as "definitive work on Christian philosophy" and such would be humorous if in jest, yet sad and scary as sincere. Having a PhD and using big words and technical terms doesn't make an argument valid, an axiom 'necessary,' or definitions 'true.' This isn't meant to trivialize the work of these authors, but simply a recognition that their work can hardly be representative of the vast plurality, that is the--difference--Christian thought offers and has offered to philosophical thought and dialogue; most of which is hardly commensurable. The glory of positivistic and some traditional philosophy is in pretending to vanquish dissent and skepticism in the name of "Reason" while remaining particularly blind to its own contradictions and fallen self-interest. Why do we hide our weakness behind the "true?" Our faith behind "Reason?" Our responsibility behind proof-texts? If we want more bricks in our castles of complacency, if we want to justify ourselves, and sit in smug assurance of our `truth,' read this work and enjoy! We can say the words, affirm the true, and even say "Lord, Lord" and still not know Him. (Matthew 7:21-23)
"One thing I will not do, not for anything in the world. I will not by suppression, or by performing tricks, try to produce the impression that the ordinary Christianity in the land and the Christianity of the New Testament are alike."
Kierkegaard This quote is no less relevant to American Conservative Evangelicalism than to liberal Danish Lutheranism!
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Summary: A Foundational Book Providing a Foundation for Christians
Review: J.P. Moreland and William Lane Craig, both currently teaching at Biola University have collaborated on a philosophical encyclopedia of sorts to introduce philosophy and logic to the Christian public. This book is written for people who may have had no philosophy, a little philosophy or maybe as a quick reference resource for those who have had intermediate or advanced training. Philosophers, whether one likes it or not, have contributed, both for good and bad, to such an extent in this world that knowing basic terms, ideas, arguments, and ideas is essential for Christians so that we can dialogue with others, including other Christians who may have a different perspective on a Varity of issues. The first chapter is brilliant in introducing certain terms and ideas as expressed in the arena of ideas. If there is a weak chapter, it is the next one which is on argumentation and logic. It is actually very good, but in comparison to Geisler's and Brooks' "Come Let Us Reason", it comes up a little short; but I throw this in there, just to point out, that its weakest chapter is actually very good. The book deals very well with Skepticism and metaphysics. Also they tackle some ideas that many Christians assume are axiomatic, however, many skeptics have serious questions and chapters like "Personal Identity and Life After Death," "Scientific Methodology," the chapters on ethics are just outstanding. While they only scratch the surface in these discussions, they do so in a way that provides a full content of information for the reader has a well rounded backdrop for further study or even conversation.
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