Faith and Reason (Paperback)

by Ronald H. Nash (Author) "By profession, I am a philosopher..." (more)
Key Phrases: Grand Rapids, Alvin Plantinga, New York (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
This book explores philosophical questions that have important implications for the truth and rationality of the Christian faith.

From the Author
Ronald H. Nash is professor of philosophy and theology at Reformed Theological Seminary in Orlando, Florida. He is the author or editor of many books, including Faith and Reason and Is Jesus the Only Savior

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Product Details

• Paperback: 296 pages
• Publisher: Zondervan (May 8, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0310294010
• ISBN-13: 978-0310294016
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #169,076 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Philosophy 101 For Christians, August 3, 2000

By	John DePoe (Iowa City, Iowa USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Ronald Nash takes time to write a book that intends to educate Christians (and those seeking to learn about the Christian worldview). He begins with defining terms (like noetic structure) that help the reader come up to speed on philosophical terms they need to know. He quickly dives into defending the Christian worldview, where he weighs the evidence for and against the existence of God, which is followed by an excellent theodicy (which is defending the problem of evil with an all-good and powerful God). He discusses the possibility of miracles, the resurrection and a few other important issues.

If every Christian read this book, we would have more Christians prepared to give a defense of the hope that is within them. Many Christians complain that universities are filled with too many "liberal" or "atheist" instructors, yet they don't do anything to change that. Many Christians fail to educate themselves or their children. Use this book as an introduction to apologetics and philosophy. You will not be disappointed, even if you disagree with Nash's conclusions.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A thorough and well-reasoned Christian apologetic, December 9, 2002

By	Brian Douglas (Brighton, England) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

In this book, Ronald Nash presents his Christian apologetic and worldview. Starting with his definition of a worldview and how a person should go about choosing one, Nash discusses everything from evidentialism to the miraculous, from the various theistic arguments to the problem of evil. The book is well-written and enjoyable to read from beginning to end.

By answering many of the questions philosophy asks, Nash shows that Christianity can not only assert itself as a reasonable worldview, but also surpass the reasonability of other belief systems. For those interested in learning how Christianity answers the great philosophical questions, this book is an excellent starting place.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Introductory, Yet Meaty Book, April 26, 2002

By	J. F Foster - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Ron Nash wrote this wide ranging book back in the '80s, but much of its material is applicable and helpful for the reader today.

I debated whether to give the book 4 stars or 5. I opted for 5, but I think a certain kind of reader might not rank it that high. I found that there were parts of the book, particularly the early parts dealing with noetic structures and worldview formulation, that tend to drag a bit. But, for someone who is new to the field of apologetics and the intellectual side of the Christian faith, these chapters might well be very engaging. Since it appears that Nash's target audience was at a more beginner-type level, I have no problem with his extensive early treatment of noetic structures since it lays a good foundation for the rest of the book. That's why I did not demote my 5 star rating even though I found a fair amount of this specific material to be a bit dragging. Someone else who has been around the block a few times with these issues might not give it a 5 star rating due to the amount of time Nash devotes to this area, but I think Nash's treatment is very good and would be quite helpful for the beginner.

I found the real highlight of the book to be Nash's treatment of miracles. His critique of Hume's landmark work on the subject is outstanding, as is his examination of non-Hume objections to miracles. Also, Nash's examination of the problem of evil is also quite good, but given his Reformed theological background, I was a bit confused by his often repeated emphasis on the preservation of human free will as a central issue in the problem of evil. I happen to think this line of thinking has merit, but I'm unclear as to how it fits into a Reformed worldview. Nonetheless, for Christians who don't have entrenched theological leanings on the free will issue and simply want to be able to respond to the problem of evil, Nash offers a lot of meat to chew on.

In summary, this is a wide ranging book that takes the reader from the infancy of noetic structure and worldview formation, to the more advanced issues that face theism such as cosmology, design, the problem of evil, and the problem of miracles. And while I believe it is a very good and unintimidating resource for the beginner, I also think there's plenty of meat in this book for more advanced readers to make it worth reading.