Overview

Alvin Plantinga is the contemporary world's most influential Christian philosopher. His work over the past six decades has paved the way for Christian thinkers in the fields of philosophy of religion, epistemology, metaphysics, and science. Despite the widespread rejection of Christian assumptions by the majority of modern thinkers, Plantinga is unembarrassed to use them in his academic work and defends them well. Throughout his career, Plantinga has addressed important philosophical questions that have been debated for millennia. In this accessible overview and analysis of his work, philosophy professor Greg Welty examines his approach to faith and reason, the problem of evil, theistic arguments, the divine attributes, religion and science, and Christian philosophical method. He concludes by studying Plantinga's body of work and its interaction with his Reformed heritage. Welty combines philosophical accuracy with theological evaluation as he encourages readers to do their own thinking on these critical subjects.

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9781629958538

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Reviews

"Alvin Plantinga has obviously contributed a great deal to the Christian defense of theism and supernatural faith. At the same time, apologetic gains are sometimes made at the expense of theological essentials. This book, by a highly competent philosopher, weighs both of these influences in careful analysis. I recommend this survey highly to anyone who wants to defend classical (including Reformed) theism in the current philosophical climate.--Michael Horton, J. Gresham Machen Professor of Systematic Theology and Apologetics, Westminster Seminary California Alvin Plantinga is arguably the greatest philosopher of religion the world has seen during the past one hundred years. A book summarizing his views and assessing them from the Reformed perspective is, therefore, a very apt contribution to the Great Thinkers series at P&R Publishing. In this delightful little volume, Greg Welty has done a masterful job of selecting pertinent positions from Plantinga's formidable corpus, explicating them accurately and accessibly for readers unfamiliar with his work, and evaluating them fairly in light of the Reformed heritage.--Michael Bergmann, Professor of Philosophy, Purdue University Alvin Plantinga is arguably the most brilliant Christian philosopher of the modern era. His work has profound implications for theology, apologetics, and a Christian worldview. Greg Welty has done us a tremendous service by carefully canvassing the life and work of Plantinga, who has never been easy to categorize within the spectrum of Christian thinkers. Plantinga was reared in the Dutch Reformed tradition, and much of that influence comes through in his work. Welty helpfully demonstrates the contributions that Plantinga makes, specifically to Reformed thinking as it touches on his work in the areas of faith and reason, the problem of evil, theistic arguments for God's existence, the attributes of God, and the relationship between Christianity and science, to name a few. Plantinga has set himself on the leading edge of nearly all these topics, and if the thinking Christian is going to grapple with their implications for the faith, then they need to be familiar with Plantinga's arguments. I can't think of a better place to be introduced to those arguments than Greg Welty's excellent and very accessible little volume.--Scott Christensen, Associate Pastor, Kerrville Bible Church, Kerrville, Texas; author, What about Free Will? and What about Evil? Alvin Plantinga is one of the titans of contemporary Christian philosophy, and it would be almost unforgivable to omit him from P&R's Great Thinkers series. His writings over the course of a six-decade career combine an astonishing degree of creativity with rigorous analytical precision, a delightful sense of humor, and a refreshingly uncomplicated Christian piety. Until now, there has existed no reliable introduction to Plantinga's work that I could enthusiastically recommend to students, pastors, and other interested readers. That deficiency is now remedied with the publication of Greg Welty's Alvin Plantinga, a superlative addition to an already excellent series. As a seasoned teacher-scholar with advanced degrees in theology and philosophy and a firm commitment to confessional Reformed doctrine, Dr. Welty was the ideal person to write this book. In a concise and eminently readable style, he clearly explains Plantinga's major contributions and argues that, despite his deviations from the Reformed tradition at points, his most valuable contributions can be comfortably accommodated by that tradition. I would never suggest reading only one book on Plantinga, but if it must be one, make it this one.--James N. Anderson, Carl W. McMurray Professor of Theology and Philosophy, Reformed Theological Seminary, Charlotte Alvin Plantinga is undoubtedly one of the most important philosophers of the last several decades. And he is among the most important Christian philosophers ever. Unfortunately, most Christians outside academia know little about him, and many in Reformed circles who are familiar with him are wary of his ideas. Fortunately, Greg Welty's book makes Plantinga's contribution to philosophy and the defense of Christianity accessible to the wider Christian community and illumines his enduring relevance both to Christian thought generally and to the Reformed faith in particular. I wish I could put a copy in the hands of every pastor and church leader!--Steven B. Cowan, Chair, Department of Humanities, Professor of Philosophy and Religion, Lincoln Memorial University Dr. Welty has masterfully presented the highlights of Alvin Plantinga's thought. Clear, concise, and accessible, this will be the first book I recommend to anyone interested in Plantinga's epistemology, especially as Plantinga's project relates to Reformed theology. I am glad Plantinga was included in the Great Thinkers series, and I am equally glad that Dr. Welty agreed to take on this project.--Scott Oliphint, Professor of Apologetics and Systematic Theology, Westminster Theological Seminary Even a nonphilosopher like me knows how important Alvin Plantinga is. But he's also prolific: how can I get a sense of his contributions and also of appropriate critiques? In this work, Greg Welty offers--in a friendly, approachable, and trustworthy manner--both a sympathetic survey of Plantinga's distinctives and a fair-minded evaluation of them (no mean feat!). I come away thankful for Al Plantinga, grateful to Dr. Welty for such an achievement, and strengthened in my own Christian confidence.--C. John (""Jack"") Collins, Professor of Old Testament, Covenant Theological Seminary Greg Welty has done both the philosophical and the Reformed communities a tremendous service with this book. In short compass, he provides an impeccably clear and reliable guide to Plantinga's thought to which any philosopher might profitably turn, and also a helpful, critical analysis of it from an orthodox Reformed standpoint. Anyone reading this book should come away, not just with a better understanding of the content and merits of Plantinga's work, but also with a deeper understanding of the many philosophical and theological issues that it raises.--Daniel Hill, Senior Lecturer in Philosophy, University of Liverpool, UK I applaud P&R for publishing this volume in the Great Thinkers series, and I applaud Greg Welty for writing it. There is no living Christian philosopher who has been more influential than Alvin Plantinga, and anyone who wants to understand how Christian philosophy in particular has evolved during the last sixty years simply must be acquainted with Plantinga's work. In this little volume, Greg Welty superbly introduces the philosopher and his work. His treatment of Plantinga's contributions in epistemology, philosophical theology, and philosophy of religion more generally are fair, insightful, and highly accessible. Both those who are and those who are not yet acquainted with Plantinga's work will find in Welty an exceptionally capable and clear guide. Even Reformed philosophers (like me) who are steeped in and greatly influenced by Plantinga's work will find this book a delightful and thought-provoking read. Especially valuable are Welty's critical assessments of Plantinga's thought about genuinely Christian philosophy and the relationship of his work to the Reformed tradition. I hope and pray that our Lord will use this fine introduction to inspire more Reformed thinkers to become Christian philosophers.--John Wingard Jr., Professor of Philosophy, Department Chair, Dean of Humanities, Covenant College It is always important to evaluate a book, at least partially, in terms of who it is written for. Welty's book is written for (a) people who have heard of Plantinga's contributions, but do not quite understand them or what makes them significant, (b) people who have heard that Plantinga is a Calvinist philosopher, but do not know what that means or how he qualifies, and (c) people who have heard that Plantinga's contributions are controversial amongst pastors, theologians, and others whom they trust. Has Welty succeeded in writing a book for these three audiences? Yes, there is no doubt that he has hit his targets. But he has actually succeeded in writing a book for an additional audience, namely, academic philosophers. Persons who devote their careers to understanding this stuff will also greatly benefit from Welty's contribution. His succinct summaries of Plantinga's major contributions, his valuable insights into Plantinga's Christian philosophical method, and his analysis of Plantinga's relationship to the Reformed tradition make this book worthwhile for academics as well as any Christian interested in seeing how Athens and Jerusalem relate. I had a hard time putting it down and looked forward to picking it back up.--David E. Alexander, Associate Professor of Philosophy, Academic Dean, Providence Christian College Welty brings theological sophistication as well as philosophical expertise to this project. He clearly and authoritatively explains the central themes and ideas in Alvin Plantinga's formidable philosophical project, and goes on to offer some key points of criticism from a Reformed perspective. This is the perfect resource for anyone who wants an accurate and accessible introduction to Plantinga's work and its significance.--Jerry L. Walls, Professor of Philosophy, Scholar in Residence, Houston Baptist University"

Author Information

Greg Welty (MDiv, Westminster Seminary California; MPhil, DPhil, Oriel College, University of Oxford) is professor of philosophy at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, author of Why Is There Evil in the World?, and coeditor of Calvinism and Middle Knowledge: A Conversation.

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