Philosophy
Aquinas and the Nature/Grace Divide
There is a common assumption in Christianity that at the fall, man lost a supernatural gift of grace, but retained his natural faculties intact and unscathed – including the faculty of reason. In this episode, Joe Boot explains that the biblical distinction is not nature and grace, but wrath and grace: those who belong to Christ and those who war against Him.
Aquinas and Aristotle
As we continue this short series on Thomas Aquinas, it’s important to consider his dominant influences; chief among these is the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle. This episode considers Aristotle’s contributions to the field of philosophy, and dwells on his ideas about the nature of man.
The Foundation for Thinking
Where do we locate the starting point for human thinking? Descartes famously identified human nature with thought: “I think, therefore I am.” However, the “I” who thinks must find its foundation in something prior to thought. The Christian perspective locates the root of thinking in the heart, which makes a religious choice about the origin of all things.
How Does the World Hold Together?
This episode introduces the idea that aspects of reality hang together like pearls on a thread, and explains how philosophical assumptions inform and direct our everyday activities.
What did the Reformation do for Philosophy?
Ezra Institute Fellow Danie Strauss sits with Joe Boot in a series of interviews explaining the nature and origins of Reformational philosophy. In this segment Dr. Strauss introduces the impact that the Reformation had on the history of philosophy and the development of academic freedom.
A Christian Philosophy of Work
God is continually active in His created world, sustaining it at every moment. Human beings were made to worship and serve, to tend and keep God’s good creation, and our attitude toward work reflects our theology.
The Cult of the Expert
The tendency of intellectuals to pronounce on areas outside of their expertise is an unwise temptation that carries real-world consequences.
Cultivating Culture by Recovering a Christian Mind
The urgent task before God’s people in our time is the recovery of a Christian mind – most especially for those in ecclesiastical and cultural leadership. What we need is a wholesale recovery, and in some instances a fresh discovery, of what it means to think Christianly and therefore to be Christian.
Christian Anti-Intellectualism
Intellect is God's good gift to us. To scorn or abandon intellect is to express deep ingratitude to God.
The Religion of Fools or the Wise
In Ecclesiastes, the Teacher lays out and contrasts the life of wisdom with that of folly. Both lifestyles are in fact thoroughly religious, and in the end, we will live in relation to God as either covenant-keepers or covenant-breakers.
Enjoying Life and Giving Your Best
The basis of life and culture is the interpretive principle given to us by God in creation. We cannot derive truth from subjective personal experience.
Enjoying Life and Giving Your Best
The basis of life and culture is the interpretive principle given to us by God in creation. We cannot derive truth from subjective personal experience.