2008 August

Entries from August 23rd, 2008

On the Absence of Matt

August 23rd, 2008 Comments Off on On the Absence of Matt

The more observant among you will have noticed that Matt has not written a blog entry for a while. It is not for lack of want but more for being completely inundated of late: His teaching course load this semester is heavier. His non-academic job continues to suck up his time and its hours limit […]

Tags: Announcements

Cultural Confusion and Ethical Relativism – Invitation to a Thinking Matters Event

August 19th, 2008 Comments Off on Cultural Confusion and Ethical Relativism – Invitation to a Thinking Matters Event

Taken from Thinking Matters – Events & Announcements: Cultural Confusion and Ethical Relativism Dr Matthew Flannagan PhD, MSocSci, BSocSci When: Tuesday 2nd September Time: 7 – 9pm Where: Bethlehem Community Church Center – 183 Moffat Rd, Bethlehem, Tauranga Cost: Free Event Format: Live Presentation followed by Q&A and discussions Christian moral obligations are often seen […]

Tags: Events · Faith and Reason · Relativism · Thinking Matters

Caller of the Week – Sexual Preference on Census Form

August 18th, 2008 2 Comments

When I was at work last week one of my colleagues said he thought he had heard me on the radio one Friday afternoon but he wasn’t sure if it was me. I had phoned into Newstalk ZB during the last week of the school holidays but it wasn’t a Friday, so we sort of […]

Tags: Kinsey · Sexual Morality · Talkback

Surgery – Car Accident Update

August 15th, 2008 14 Comments

I got my MRI results on Tuesday. They show damage to two discs, both are compressed. One is more compressed than the other, the other is protruding and pushing on a nerve, hence all the pain. I have two choices. Do nothing and see if it fixes itself (its been almost 5 months). Have surgery […]

Tags: Car Accident · Disc Replacement Surgery

Blogs We Like

August 6th, 2008 Comments Off on Blogs We Like

We have finally sat down and revised our list of blogs we link to. Its something we have been meaning to do forever but haven’t so tonight we made a start. I am sure that we have missed heaps of blogs we intend to link to so if you think we should link to you, […]

Tags: Blog Upgrades

Coming Events

August 6th, 2008 3 Comments

As the early bird rate expires on Friday, I registered Matt’s and my attendance at this years Forum on the Family. Being election year, the line up is mostly politicians all keen to vote catch but of the array of political parties being billed, one is most conspicuously absent. Can you spot which one? Its […]

Tags: David Farrar · Elections · Events · Forum on the Family · Kiwiblog

Matthew Flannagan on Amazon

Did God Really Command Genocide? Coming to Terms with the Justice of God
Authors: Paul Copan, Matthew Flannagan

A common objection to belief in the God of the Bible is that a good, kind, and loving deity would never command the wholesale slaughter of nations. In the tradition of his popular Is God a Moral Monster?, Paul Copan teams up with Matthew Flannagan to tackle some of the most confusing and uncomfortable passages of Scripture. Together they help the Christian and nonbeliever alike understand the biblical, theological, philosophical, and ethical implications of Old Testament warfare passages.

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True Reason: Confronting the Irrationality of the New Atheism Eds: Tom Gilson, Carson Weitnauer

Today's New Atheists proclaim themselves our culture's party of reason. It is a claim they cannot sustain. Reason is the New Atheists' weakness, not their strength and in fact, the Christian faith is a far better place to look for True Reason. Making their case accessible to the first-time inquirer as well as the serious student, this top-flight team of writers presents a sound defense and a strong introduction to the true reason uniquely found in Christianity.

Feat. William Lane Craig, Sean McDowell, John DePoe, Chuck Edwards, Peter Grice, Matthew Flannagan, et al.

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In Defense of the Bible: A Comprehensive Apologetic for the Authority of Scripture
Eds: Steven B Cowan and Terry L Wilder

The book begins by examining foundational philosophical approaches to the Bible as well as the methodological challenges those philosophies create for interpreting the Bible. It then addresses textual and historical challenges and how to deal with them. Finally it looks at ethical, scientific, and theological challenges demonstrating the Bible's moral integrity in relationship to contemporary moral emphases.

Feat. R Douglas Geivett, William A Dembski, Mary Jo Sharp, Darrell L Bock, Paul Copan, Matthew Flannagan, et al.

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Virtues in Action: New Essays in Applied Virtue Ethics
Ed: Michael W Austin

Many philosophers have considered the strengths and weaknesses of a virtue-centered approach to moral theory. Much less attention has been given to how such an approach bears on issues in applied ethics. The essays in this volume apply a virtue-centered perspective to a variety of contemporary moral issues.

Feat. Michael W Austin, Robert K Garcia, Nathan L King, Gregory Bassham, Nancy E Snow, Matthew Flannagan, et al.

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Holy War in the Bible: Christian Morality and an Old Testament Problem
Eds: Heath A Thomas, Jeremy Evans & Paul Copan

The challenge of a seemingly genocidal God who commands ruthless warfare has bewildered Bible readers for generations. A range of expert contributors engage in a multidisciplinary approach that considers this issue from a variety of perspectives: biblical, ethical, philosophical and theological.

Feat. David Lamb, Paul Copan, Murray Rae, Heath Thomas, Stephen B Chapman, Douglas S Earl, Matthew Flannagan, et al.

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Come Let Us Reason: New Essays in Christian Apologetics
Eds: William Lane Craig & Paul Copan

The nineteen essays here raise classical philosophical questions in fresh ways, address contemporary challenges for the church, and will deepen the thinking of the next generation of apologists. Packed with dynamic topical discussions and informed by the latest scholarship.

Feat. J P Moreland, William Lane Craig, Gary R Habermas, Craig Keener, Paul Copan, Matthew Flannagan, et al.

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True Reason: Christian Responses to the Challenge of Atheism Eds: Tom Gilson, Carson Weitnauer

While New Atheists like Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, and others proclaim loudly their rationality, clear thinking, and incontrovertible scientific arguments, others are beginning to wonder how genuinely rational they are. Have they proved anything? Have they argued convincingly? Have they pinpointed any real challenges to the credibility of Christian faith?

Feat. William Lane Craig, Sean McDowell, John DePoe, Chuck Edwards, Peter Grice, Matthew Flannagan, et al.

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Entries from August 23rd, 2008

On the Absence of Matt

August 23rd, 2008 Comments Off on On the Absence of Matt

Cultural Confusion and Ethical Relativism – Invitation to a Thinking Matters Event

August 19th, 2008 Comments Off on Cultural Confusion and Ethical Relativism – Invitation to a Thinking Matters Event