Alvin Plantinga: Influence on Christianity

Introduction

Morley prescribe ten major approaches to apologetics the first is Fideism which he says reason do not overlap. The second is presuppositionalism reason must be circular, deductive and indirect from Christianity. The third Reformed epistemology this focuses on the awareness of God (sensus divinititus) is based on we are made and response to things. The fourth is Experientialism this also focuses only on experience and only is on experience. The fifth is Pragmatism this also focuses only on what is workable.

The sixth is Veridcalism which focuses on givens that are known intuitively, it also says special givens are known by Christians. The seventh is Combinationalsim this talks about three areas on which Christianity can be examined which are rational, empirical and existential. The eight is Classical Apologetics this focuses it proofs on theism and Christianity, it uses cosmological, theological and moral argument to prove theism whiles with Christianity it uses the same approach of the evidentialists. The ninth is Evidentialism the focus is on using fact that leads to Christianity.

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Even though theistic facts are useful for this they are not all that important. It only uses the universally accepted facts from the bible (Habermas)

Apologetic Model

Alvin Plantinga was born in 1932. His family lineage is the Dutch religious succession of 1834 which went through great persecution. His father was a professor of psychology at Calvin college where he was a student before he moved on to Harvard.

His views were shaped by the encounters he had with the Lord after school he lectured at Wayne State University in Detroit and also Calvin where he taught for 19 years before he formed Notre Dame.

As a Professor he helped in the molding of the next generation of theists and Christian beliefs.

The first book he authored was the God and other minds. In the book he addressed on one of issues which confront Christianity: That it is not to be believed because of lack of enough evidence.

The issue was with the way the evidentialist confront beliefs which must enough backing proves before it is accepted. In epistemology the evidentialist affirms that natural belief must be supported with facts. Rather than supporting his view Plantinga challenges their method of prove for beliefs.

Belby also says that plantinga rejected evidentialist way of belief in God.

The thought of proving everything with evidence does not rationally make sense for God existence. Because if this true then only those who are intellectually inclined can have knowledge about God which Matthew 5:8 does not support.

He brings out his point there one other beliefs which make sense to us even if their evidence is little. He also said we all agree that we are not the only people with minds we also agree that the world has been there for a long time. Though we cannot proof so easily yet we all accept it. Then why can’t we accept to believe in God and Christianity when there is no proof.

After some years has elapsed he wrote our belief in God is rational. His views favored from foundationalism where is said we have the right to hold on to other believes without support from other believes. In other words, not everything must have proof.

He gave an example by saying that, I hurt my foot my conclusion should not be based on how big the stone is. I hurt my foot is but we feel it hurts. This is known without facts gathered or concluded argument about the stone.

Plantinga says that belief in God does not affect intelligence responsibility or epistemic commitment. If there is no merited argument.

Plantinga make an appeal to Calvin’s sensus divinititus. There is a deposit God acknowledge in every man where we interact with creation or the universe. Our experience is what brings that awareness of the creator when we are convicted by our iniquities it draws us to God. Our experience with the universe crates an awareness.

Planinga takes about warrant which we have to join to belief to produce knowledge. Warrant is the bedrock on which we form our reasoning for the things we believe but it not the same as justification.

Planting also goes on to say that sensus divinitatis will make it easier to find the truth relating to any form of theistic argument like the beauty the heaven can be seen as beautiful if God created it.

Planting assert that coherent is not “the intention of logical structure of which beliefs are factually by all the other factors but in essence all belief is in strict sense of fundamental, where the fundamental belief belongs to the structure set of beliefs”

The New York oxford university press said on warrant belief planting said since no have being able to prove the minds of other existence. Then it is out of place for any person to doubt the existence of God. This reason is the same belief will hold on to should be the same when it comes to the existence of God.

What I Have Learnt from Alvin Plantinga

On Warrant Belief

I strongly I agree with what he said with regards to the introduction of the term sensus divinititas which said there is an inherent of God is our cognitive faculty, which unfolds as starts admire the beauty of the universe there is release in our cognitive that lead us to God.