In the mid-20th century, many in academia assumed that serious philosophy had little room for Christian belief. But in the past fifty-plus years, something remarkable has happened—a quiet revolution in the philosophy departments of leading universities. Christian philosophers have not only entered the conversation; they’ve shaped it, challenged prevailing assumptions, and earned a respected place in scholarly dialogue.

In this episode, we’re joined by Dr. Greg Ganssle, author, philosopher, and Department Chair of Talbot School of Theology’s Philosophy Department.

We explore how the revival of Christian philosophy began, the thinkers who helped spark it, and what it means for students of faith navigating the intellectual climate of today’s colleges in all academic departments.

In this podcast we discuss:

Why conversations about what is really real (including God) were off the table in the early 20th Century
What happened in the 1960s to change this climate in our universities
How these changes opened the door for Christian philosophy to re-enter the academic conversation
The importance of intentionally uniting biblical truth and philosophical truth, and of forming community among Christian philosophers
The methodology and strategy of Christian philosophers to renew their discipline for God’s glory
How Christian philosophers earned respect for their perspectives
The state of apologetics (applied philosophy) today and in the future
How students in other majors can apply what we learn from the renaissance of Christian thought in philosophy
What insight from philosophy has been most helpful to him personally in his walk with Christ

Resources mentioned during our conversation:

The Society of Christian Philosophers (Journal: Faith and Philosophy)
The Evangelical Philosophical Society (Journal: Philosophia Christi)
Alvin Plantinga, God and Other Minds: A Study of the Rational Justification of Belief in God
Rivendell Institute at Yale University
Greg Ganssle, A Reasonable God: Engaging the New Face of Atheism
Paul Gould, Cultural Apologetics: Renewing the Christian Voice, Conscience, and Imagination in a Disenchanted World
Greg Ganssle, Our Deepest Desires: How the Christian Story Fulfills Human Aspirations
Clifford Williams, Existential Reasons for Belief in God: A Defense of Desires and Emotions for Faith
Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine
College Faith podcasts on Community
JP Moreland, The Recalcitrant Imago Dei: Human Persons and the Failure of Naturalism
Stan Wallace, Have We Lost Our Minds? Neuroscience, Neurotheology, the Soul, and Human Flourishing
Arthur Holmes, Contours of a World View
Mark Noll, Jesus Christ and the Life of the Mind
Closer To Truth (YouTube channel) – short interviews with Christian philosophers and others
Tom Morris, ed., God And The Philosophers: The Reconciliation of Faith and Reason
Kelly James Clark, ed., Philosophers who Believe: The Spiritual Journeys of 11 Leading Thinkers