We Are All Philosophers: A Christian Introduction to Seven Fundamental Questions
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We Are All Philosophers
Everyone is a philosopher, and how we live reveals what we most deeply believe.
If you and God were asked the same question, would you both respond in the same way? Are Christians right to believe what we do?
In We Are All Philosophers, John M. Frame takes seven major questions of philosophy and compares the Bible’s answers with common philosophical ones:
- What is everything made of?
- Do I have free will?
- Can I know the world?
- Does God exist?
- How shall I live?
- What are my rights?
- How can I be saved?
We Are All Philosophers carries all the marks of John Frame’s books: he appeals to Scripture frequently and carefully. He writes elegantly and simply, a byproduct of having mastered the complicated philosophical topics he surveys.
Praise for We Are All Philosophers
I tell my students that everyone does philosophy: the only question is whether you do it well or not! Readers of this delightful little volume by the brilliant theologian John Frame will be off to a flying start in doing philosophy well—that is, in thinking seriously and carefully about life’s big questions through the lens of God’s Word. I can enthusiastically recommend We Are All Philosophers as an accessible, digestible, insightful, and biblically grounded introduction to philosophical thought.
–James Anderson, Professor of Theology and Philosophy, Reformed Theological Seminary
Here is an attractive, accessible treatment of the big questions that people have about themselves and the world. The book is recommended both for its interaction with alternative answers given in the history of Western philosophy, and for its nontechnical, clear style of presenting answers, based on biblical revelation.
–Vern Poythress, professor of New Testament and Biblical Interpretation at Westminster Theological Seminary
By answering seven fundamental questions from a thoroughly biblical worldview grounded in Scripture, John Frame wonderfully helps the average Christian engage philosophical thought according to Christ. In a short, popular, and accessible style, Frame helps Christians engage the questions of life with answers that demonstrate that the fear of the Lord is truly the beginning of wisdom and the foundation of all thought. I highly recommend this book for all Christians who want to know and proclaim the truth of the Gospel in our generation.
–Stephen J. Wellum, Professor of Christian Theology, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
Top Highlights
“Libertarianism says that if there is any cause determining my action, my action is not free. So free actions are actions without any cause.” (Page 26)
“Freedom, then, always involves (1) a human activity, and (2) an actual or potential barrier to that activity. In general, freedom is being able to do what you want to do, with no barrier that keeps you from doing it.” (Pages 25–26)
“That is to say, God has made the world so that if we want to understand the world, we must turn to him.” (Page 18)
“one should not attempt to do philosophy without biblical presuppositions” (Page xi)
“ this view, a truly free choice is a choice without any causes whatever” (Page 27)
Contents
- What is everything made of?
- Do I have free will?
- Can I know the world?
- Does God exist?
- How shall I live?
- What are my rights?
- How can I be saved?
Product Details
- Title: We Are All Philosophers: A Christian Introduction to Seven Fundamental Questions
- Author: John M. Frame
- Publisher: Lexham Press
- Publication Date: 2019
- Pages: 224
- Format: Logos Digital, Hardcover
- Trim Size: 5x7
- ISBN: 9781683593102
John M. Frame (b. 1939) is an American philosopher and a Calvinist theologian especially noted for his work in epistemology, presuppositional apologetics, systematic theology, and ethics. He is one of the foremost interpreters and critics of the thought of Cornelius Van Til. Dr. Frame formerly taught at Reformed Theological Seminary, Orlando, and Westminster Theological Seminary.
Sample Pages from We Are All Philosophers
Reviews
1 rating
Tobi England
1/7/2020
I have always found Frame worth my time, and this book is no exception. Here he reviews several central philosophical questions and provides Christian insight on each point. His overview of western thought in the first chapter is outstanding, as is chapter seven where he presents an overview of the Gospel. Perhaps the weakest point of this book is Frame’s attempt to address human free will. Here one finds that Van Tillian presuppositions not only determine his conclusions, but even his definitions and arguments. He begins with a defective definition of libertarian freedom that is impossible to support, then proceeds to correctly show that his definition is irrational and unbiblical. Unfortunately, this constitutes a straw-man argument. He should define libertarian in a charitable way that acknowledges the more nuanced view of Kenneth Keathley or Alvin Plantinga. Also, by suggesting that libertarian freedom denies any cause (which it does not), he explicitly affirms that God directly causes evil. He also implies a full determinism, which he fails to address. In fact, the word “determinism” appears only once in the entire book as a glossary entry. Despite its shortcomings, this book provided a helpful introduction to foundational philosophical questions and is certainly worth reading. Disclaimer: I was provided a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
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