Books

Answering Life’s Big Questions

A beginner’s guide to philosophy.

Christianity Today March 1, 2006

Typical introductions to philosophy make few concessions to beginners. They often require novices to cut their philosophical teeth on texts written for professional philosophers, with little if any explanation of context and key terms. DeWeese and Moreland have come to the beginner’s aid. With clear prose and frequent illustrations and examples, this compact introductory text explores central philosophical questions.

PHILOSOPHY MADE SLIGHTLYLESS DIFFICULT:A Beginner’s Guideto Life’s Big Questions Garrett J. DeWeese and J. P. Moreland InterVarsity Press, 170 pp.; $15.00

The authors’ aim is expressly apologetic. As former pastors, both think that philosophical training is essential for ministry, especially on university campuses. Curiously, the book lacks a chapter devoted to reasons for believing in God, and it does not treat standard objections to theistic belief arising from human and animal suffering. Anyone wishing to think more critically and philosophically about the contours of a Christian worldview will find this a valuable resource.

Copyright © 2006 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.

Related Elsewhere:

Philosophy Made Slightly Less Difficult is available from Christianbook.com and other book retailers.

More information, including an excerpt, is available from InterVarsity Press.

More about J.P. Moreland and Garrett DeWeese is available from his page at Biola’s Talbot School of Theology.

Christianity Today covered J.P. Moreland’s philosophy program at Biola:

Masters of Philosophy | How Biola University is making inroads in the larger philosophical world. (June 13, 2003)

Forced by Logic | It took philosophy and a friend to convince this atheist. (June 13, 2003)

For book lovers, our 2005 CT book awards are available online, along with our book awards for 2004, 2003, 2002, 2001, 2000, 1999, 1998, and 1997, as well as our Books of the Twentieth Century. For other coverage or reviews, see our Books archive and the weekly Books & Culture Corner.

Also in this issue

The CT archives are a rich treasure of biblical wisdom and insight from our past. Some things we would say differently today, and some stances we've changed. But overall, we're amazed at how relevant so much of this content is. We trust that you'll find it a helpful resource.

Cover Story

Missions Incredible

Spong, the Measure of All Things

Living with Tares

God by the Numbers

Evening Prayer

The Almost Formerly Important

A Costly Devotion

A Corrupt Salvation

Winning the Oral Majority

Orality at Home

Christianity Unique Among Religions

Fictionalizing Jesus

All in the Family

Messianics for Evangelicals

Religion and Reconstruction

A Wind that Swirls Everywhere

Too Inclusive

More Money, Less Liberty

Bondage Breaking

Domain Game: Can Jews for Jesus Win Its Google Suit?

Editorial

Loose Cult Talk

News

Christianity Today News Briefs

News

Passages

Grace as a License for Sin

Lives of Quiet Turbulence

Loving the Storm-Drenched

Mission 'Plane of the Future'

The Art of Abortion Politics

Editorial

The Lessons of Jabez

Senator Sam Brownback

News

Go Figure

Prophecy and Politics

Honoring Pioneers

Word and Deed, Again and Again

Costly Complaints

Walking the Talk After Tsunami

For God's Sake

A Delicate Hospitality

The Truth About Deceit

View issue

Our Latest

Expert: Ukraine’s Ban on Russian Orthodox Church Is Compatible with Religious Freedom

Despite GOP concerns over government interference, local evangelicals agree that the historic church must fully separate from its Moscow parent.

News

Ohio Haitians Feel Panic, Local Christians Try to Repair Divides

As Donald Trump’s unfounded claims circulate, Springfield pastors and immigrant leaders deal with the real-world consequences.

Review

A Pastor’s Wife Was Murdered. God Had Prepared Him for It.

In the aftermath of a senseless killing, Davey Blackburn encountered “signs and wonders” hinting at its place in a divine plan.

The Church Can Help End the Phone-Based Childhood

Christians fought for laws to protect children during the Industrial Revolution. We can do it again in the smartphone age.

Taste and See If the Show is Good

Christians like to talk up pop culture’s resonance with our faith. But what matters more is our own conformity to Christ.

The Bulletin

Don’t Blame Me

The Bulletin considers the end of Chinese international adoptions, recaps the week’s presidential debate, and talks about friendship across political divides with Taylor Swift as a case study.

Public Theology Project

The Uneasy Conscience of Christian Nationalism

Instead of worldly control of society, Christ calls for renewed hearts.

News

What It Takes to Plant Churches in Europe

Where some see ambition as key to evangelism, others experiment with subtler ways of connecting to people who don’t think they need God.

Apple PodcastsDown ArrowDown ArrowDown Arrowarrow_left_altLeft ArrowLeft ArrowRight ArrowRight ArrowRight Arrowarrow_up_altUp ArrowUp ArrowAvailable at Amazoncaret-downCloseCloseEmailEmailExpandExpandExternalExternalFacebookfacebook-squareGiftGiftGooglegoogleGoogle KeephamburgerInstagraminstagram-squareLinkLinklinkedin-squareListenListenListenChristianity TodayCT Creative Studio Logologo_orgMegaphoneMenuMenupausePinterestPlayPlayPocketPodcastRSSRSSSaveSaveSaveSearchSearchsearchSpotifyStitcherTelegramTable of ContentsTable of Contentstwitter-squareWhatsAppXYouTubeYouTube