Think for Christ

In this lecture Andrew Payne considers the central importance of meta-narrative as a framework for meaning and the dire consequences of the postmodern dissolution of meta-narratives for the western world in general and for Christianity in particular. Using critical texts as his guide, Andrew surveys the downward spiral of the postmodern dissolution from the relativistic postwar consensus, to the therapeutic atomization of the individual, to the politicization and moralization of Christianity.

In this episode Anthony Alberino and Andrew Payne critical review chapters 3 and 4 of Jordan Peterson's We Who Wrestle with God: Perceptions of the Divine. In these chapters, Peterson takes on the biblical accounts of Cain and Abel and Noah and the Great Flood.

In this episode Anthony Alberino and Andrew Payne critically review the first two chapters of Jordan Peterson's book, We Who Wrestle with God. Peterson begins the first chapter of his work with a consideration of the creation account at the opening of the biblical book of Genesis and then moves to an interpretation of the divine likeness within man and woman. Along the way Peterson draws insights from the text related to the nature of the Garden of Eden, the Serpent, and the Fall.

In Part 29 of this Introduction to Apologetics series we conclude our look at the historical case for the resurrection of Jesus by considering some of the most prominent and promising of alternative naturalistic explanations that have been offered over the centuries. Examined here are the Conspiracy/Fraud Theory, the Apparent Death (or Swoon) Theory, the Wrong Tomb Theory, the Hallucination Theory, and Combination Theories.

Anthony Alberino and Andrew Payne launch a new series of episodes dedicated to a critical evaluation of Jordan Peterson's 2024 book, We Who Wrestle with God: Perceptions of the Divine. In this introductory episode we discuss Jordan Peterson and his influence on western culture in general and on western Christianity in particular. We then seek to identify and unpack the ideological framework that control's Peterson's interpretation of biblical texts throughout his work. Finally, we take a look at the introductory chapter of the book which Peterson titles, "Foreshadowing: The Still, Small Voice."

In Part 28 of this Introduction to Apologetics series we continue our review of six well-attested facts that provide evidence for the historical case for the resurrection of Jesus and from which the resurrection can be inferred. Last time we looked at the first three, in this episode we review the final three, which are: 4. The origin of the Christian faith depends on the belief of the earliest disciples that God had raised Jesus from the dead. 5. The church persecutor Paul was suddenly changed. 6. The skeptic James, brother of Jesus, was suddenly changed.

In Part 27 of this Introduction to Apologetics series we continue our review of the historical case for resurrection of Jesus by considering six well attested historical facts that will serve as our evidence for the resurrection. In this episode we look at the first three, which are: 1. Jesus died by crucifixion. 2. The tomb of Jesus was found empty by a group of women followers on the first day of the week following his crucifixion. 3. On separate occasions different individuals and groups had experiences of seeing Jesus alive from the dead.

In Part 26 of this Introduction to Apologetics series we set the stage for making a historical case for resurrection of Jesus by comparing the top-down method with a bottom-up method. That is we can arrive to the truth of the Resurrection by first establishing the historical credibility of the New Testament sources which testify to the Resurrection (top-down) or by starting from some well-attested historical facts and arguing that the Resurrection is the best explanation for those facts.

In this episode of Think for Christ Andrew continues to walk us through Soren Kierkegaard's highly influential work Fear and Trembling. Andrew reviews the structure of the work and explains some of Kierkegaard's big ideas. Among the central themes of the book is the "Knight of Faith" which is Kierkegaard's name for the heroic believer who recognizes his absolute duty to God above all else. Kierkegaard illustrates the radical nature of faith through the story of Abraham's willingness to sacrifice Isaac at God's command.

Pat Flynn joins Anthony Alberino to discuss a new version of Thomas Aquinas's cosmological Argument for God. Following on the work of philosopher Barry Miller, Pat makes the case for the existence of God without appealing to the Principle of Sufficient Reason (PSR) allowing him to bypass two of the most recurrent objections to cosmological reasoning: (a) the possibility of brute facts (i.e., that not everything needs an adequate explanation of its existence) and (b) the accusation of the composition fallacy. Pat argues that any contingent entity, upon metaphysical analysis, is either a contradictory structure and therefore an impossible existent or else points towards an extrinsic cause for the unity of its really distinct metaphysical parts (namely, its essence and its existence). This conclusion enables the inference that only an uncaused cause with no really distinct metaphysical parts can ultimately produce anything with really distinct metaphysical parts.

Amazon link to Pat's book The Best Argument for God: https://www.amazon.com/Best-Argument-God-Patrick-Flynn-ebook/dp/B0CL2P973T/ref=sr_1_1?crid=39U9H0C3ZKFMV&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.4DuJewgSkxzUqIp6I3W5KRUu-dGXgSvnsffyJoixPZ8roBd45LQeT4R0jnc78HimJsKNZyzw8pK0bGBk1T7x7iNhxF4_XcdSz2cOwfAKuo_6S_ZXdjCRV0XhnxghWCGBVTEv0n6vQ0snDvvKq0QK4j5PDm37wy6yg9OFl5m68AVSeSm4zpE1cMXIp8PbkTsQDdBJ9CTyMSu1huSdAV-aw4sYle4BpAzjJ8ng2dvpjgM.UoTCL7dQ3UV7bOl-YQviW3rb59dCVGSXDksaWh0qV0w&dib_tag=se&keywords=the+best+argument+for+god&qid=1733768828&sprefix=the+best+argument+for+god%2Caps%2C120&sr=8-1

Link to Pat's Substack The Journal of Absolute Truth: https://journalofabsolutetruth.substack.com/?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email

Link to Pat's YouTube channel Philosophy for the People: https://www.youtube.com/@PhilosophyforthePeople