J. P. Moreland

This book is a concise, deep, challenging, and wide-ranging critique of philosophical naturalism. It argues that there are several aspects of reality which naturalism is unable to account for but that theism can: consciousness, free will, rationality, morality, value, and a substantial human soul. The arguments are controversial and many will disagree, but I would urge anyone who has the time and inclination to read and think about this book, if you are wondering whether naturalism is the show more most rational worldview, or more rational than theism. If Moreland is right, and I think he is, theism has more explanatory power regarding many central aspects of human persons. I don't agree with everything in the book, of course, but the case is very well made.

Rather than summarizing the entire book, I will focus on the last chapter which is entitled "Naturalism, Objective Morality, Intrinsic Value and Human Persons." Moreland begins the chapter by noting 3 features of the moral order:

1. objective, intrinsic value and an objective moral law;

2. the reality of human moral action; and

3. intrinsic value and human rights.

His claim is that these features of moral reality fit very well within a biblical theistic worldview. By contrast, some naturalist philosophers believe that naturalism yields defeaters for these aspects of moral reality. Moreland alludes to naturalists John Bishop and Michael Ruse as examples of such philosophers. (As a side note, other naturalists, such as Erik Wielenberg, would disagree. But Moreland's points count against a naturalist view which seeks to accomodate such non-natural properties within its ontology if he's right that these features have better metaphysical fit within a theistic framework.)

Moreland offers an argument that the following features are defeaters for a naturalist worldview. To fully appreciate and evaluate his argument of course requires reading the chapter in the book, but I'll give a quick summary of his points.

1. The existence of objective moral value: If the universe starts with the Big Bang, and over its history we find the arrangement of microphysical entities into increasingly complex physical compounds, how does value arise? How can a naturalist, as a naturalist, embrace non-natural, objective, values?

2. The nature of the moral law: The moral order presents itself imperatively, that is, as something which commands action. The sense of guilt one feels for falling short of the moral law is best explained if a good God is the source or ultimate exemplification of that law. As Moreland puts it, "One cannot sense shame and guilt towards a Platonic form (p. 147)."

3. The instantiation of morally relevant value properties: Even if a naturalist allows for the existence of some Platonic realm of the Forms, the naturalist has no explanation for why these universals were and are instantiated in the physical universe.

4. The intersection of intrinsic value and human persons: How is it that human beings are able to do as morality requires, and that such obedience to the moral law also happens to contribute to human flourishing? Theism has an obvious answer to such questions, but it is not clear, and is far from obvious, how naturalism would account for this.

5. Knowledge of intrinsic value and the moral law: Given that such values are not empirically detectable and cannot stand in physical causal relations with the brain, how is it that we could know such things? Evolutionary explanations fall short because of what is selected for in such processes on naturalistic versions of evolutionary theory.

6. The nature of moral action: Here, I will simply quote Moreland, "...evolutionary naturalism would seem to predict a world of wantons. Since genuine moral agents understand moral duty and conflicts involving moral duty, wantons cannot be depicted as such. What is at issue is whether evolutionary naturalism has the intellectual resources to avoid implying a wanton world. In my view, evolutionary naturalism does not have those resources (p. 153)."

7. An adequate answer to the question, "Why should I be moral?": Both naturalists and theists can respond, "Because it is the moral thing to do." But beyond this, when thinking about the question outside of the moral point of view, the issue becomes why is it rational to adopt the moral point of view rather than an egoistic one? According to Moreland, this is a problem for the naturalist. But the theist can offer a variety of reasons to adopt the moral point of view--the moral law is true; it is an expression of the non-arbitrary character of a good, loving, wise, and just God; and we were designed to function properly when living a moral life.

The rest of the chapter includes a discussion of the value of human beings and rights, and I'll leave it to the interested reader to explore. The book is easily worth the price, and I highly recommend it for those inclined to do the work of reading and considering the arguments it contains. show less

This author is phenomenal! The book is well structured, practical, personal, and unapologetic-ally direct in the stating of the author's position of exactly what an intellectual Christian mind should encompass. With such a scholarly talent, the author presents a view of what the Christian mind used to be, what it has become, and how it can be fixed on a corporate level for the body of Christ as well as for the individual. He gives just enough information to unlock a dry-heaved relishing for show more more that jolts one forward into a new world of possibilities, while standing beneath, above, and behind each sentence as a silent coach with pom-poms aggressively cheering and steering in the way to go. I don't agree with every spec of his writings, but am absolutely floored with a jaw-dropping fervent appreciation, sitting on the edge of my seat reading as he states his case, presents corresponding arguments and without reproach clearly places his stance on the subject. Mooreland challenges the Evangelical to exercise the mind "like a muscle" and doesn't fail to include learning incorporated from all aspects of life.

The book is separated into four parts that divide into ten chapters along with two appendices. Part One: Why the mind matters in Christianity sketches the importance of the mind in Christian thinking, how the mind essential to true worship, and many biblical references are offered to support. A secular view of the mind is corresponded with the now distorted historical view. Part Two: How to develop a Mature Christian Mind, weaves into play the philosophical notions of the structure of the soul, the poisons of the "empty mind", how the mind is fed, and the importance of grammar used in communicating what the mind fathoms. Part Three: What a mature Christian mind looks like, covers such instances of evangelism to apologetics, worshipping and fellowshipping to choosing a vocation and using correct Christian views in your actual vocation in order to be an effective Christian. Part Four: Guaranteeing a future for the Christian mind, in a style like Paul's brings practical application to all that was previously presented.

One impressive tool given in the book is the author's varied listed of suggestive readings that is sub-categorized. It's twenty-five pages long!!! I'm motivated, challenged, and personally convicted to expand my reading as never before. This book is definitely a must read, even if you are not an evangelical. show less

This was a very interesting read. Although I (thankfully) do not suffer from anxiety or depression in any clinical sense, I read the book primarily to familiarize myself with how a scholar and sufferer like Dr. Moreland has learned to manage his own state in this regard. I appreciated the emphasis on a holistic approach - incorporating spiritual, physical and psychological approaches. Dr. Moreland rightfully allows for medications to address physical imbalances. I liked his distinction show more between practices that are anti-biblical vs. extra-biblical. Just because a practice or methodology is extra-biblical does not mean it is sinful and contrary to the teachings of Scripture. show less

This was a book read for the Cave to the Cross Apologetics podcast. It was there that we went through chapter-by-chapter discussing the contents of the book.

In this book, J. P. Moreland, who has been a stalwart Christian philosopher and apologist for years, brings out the warning to strict adhearance to scientism, which - and atheists if you are listening this time - is not science but a byproduct of secular naturalism carried out in science. Moreland discusses two different aspects after show more defining scientism (the belief that only things in the realm of science provide the only genuine knowledge of reality). He discusses the incoherent and untrue nature of the assertion. He also talks about how even science itself must adhere to a philosophy first tenant to be able to be justified. While Moreland is more in the evidentialists or classical apologetic camp there is a lot of overlap he has here with presuppositionalism. He's at home asking for those who hold to methodological naturalism to apply their standard to itself and to be able to justify their use of their standard and of science. Within those main avenues, Moreland has a great chapter of the byproducts of scientism as seen in the academies, the schools, and in culture. Fitting right at home with rants about government school education is the removal of virtue from the classroom and of education and it being regulated to the extracurricular activities. Someone needs to let the football coaches they were supposed to be teaching people good character while hoping they don't get CTE.

Where the book gets a little week is not in the substance but in the style, as in the layout of the book. Moreland's ending of the book talks about areas where scientism doesn't have good explanations for things like origins or consciousness or morality. All good things to bring up but these were left for the back of the book. Also in the back in looking at how Christianity should be integrated with science. This made the form seem more like begging a place at the table rather than demanding a place as being usurped from the position that it gave for those to sit in the seats of the universities Christianity formed, the scientific revolution Christianity inspired, and the classical education that we've been treading on that led to the Western Civilization that those in the ivory towers can piere down upon the faithful and spit.

Moreland still remains an amazing Christian philosopher and this was a good read and a great book to sit down with a mentor and go over on a little-known podcast and have a good discussion. Final Grade - B+ show less