9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
THE BEST AND MOST ACCESSIBLE INTRO TO PHILOSOPHY FROM A CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVE, May 15, 2009
This review is from: The Love of Wisdom: A Christian Introduction to Philosophy (Hardcover)
There are only a few books available on philosophy from a Christian point of view. Examples include Craig's and Moreland's premier and through 654 pgs work entitled "Philosophical Foundations for a Christian Worldview." Then there is Paul Copan's fairly short 224 pgs, "Loving Wisdom" and now there is a new addition, "The Love of Wisdom" by James S. Spiegel and Steven Cowan which has 466 pgs.
Which is better?
And how good is the Love of Wisdom?
To answer the first question, one must ask which is better a car, a ship or a plane?
It all depends on what you're looking for.
If you want a detailed analysis filled with words and notions such as epiphenomenalism, then stick with Craig and Moreland tome. Philosophical Foundations for a Christian Worldview is the most in-depth. This book has more than 200 pages than that of the Love of Wisdom. As the dimension of the book is about 20% larger in length and width (not to mention weight). So this book is a real textbook and for all the detail it sacrifices some readability.
Now "Loving Wisdom" reads like a paperback book, it feels like a book you would take out to the beach to enjoy! It may sound strange, that a philosophy book may be readable but Copan does an excellent job of making it so. This method means some concessions there is no section on logic, fallacious arguments, etc.
While The Love of Wisdom is an excellent middle compromise of some sorts. I say of some sorts because this book is readable itself, so much so that one could just as easily substitute loving wisdom for the love of wisdom, although the latter is more formal in its structure. Am I overstating this book's case? This philosophy textbook starts its section on metaphysics with these exact words, "At the end of C.S. Lewis' The Last Battle..... while Craig and Moreland starts out with Metaphysics has a public relations problem when some people..... I prefer the former allusion to C.S. Lewis great epic to be more interesting. This is not the only intro that creates interest as others start by saying, "In the movie the Lord of the Rings...." "At the beginning of the film regarding Henry..." The Woody Allen film Crimes and Misdemeanors...." In addition this book's readability its sections have quality writing and its also has helpful recommendation of other books on the topic. This book makes it clear that this book is an intro but for greater detail one can examine some other recommended sources.
Reading over the Kalam Cosmological argument segment was so effortless that I felt envious that I previously spend some much effort in the past trying to understand the points that were being made. This book seems to be the definitive introduction and the book lists of virtues is not its mere readability and quality writing, but it also has review questions after each subheading , for example the section Philosophy of Religion, is there a God? 6.1, 6.2. 6.3 .... All have questions for reflection instead of how other books normally have them clumped at the very end (it has its further reading at the very end.)
This book is also portable, plus it has sections that normal philosophy textbooks lack, sections on political philosophy and Aesthetics (373-451). A section that Craig and Moreland's book does not have although their book seems to have everything else. If you want a light book without any textbook formality grab loving wisdom, for an excellent introduction grab "the love of wisdom", for dizzying detail and excellent philosophical rigor grab "philosophical foundations for a Christian worldview." But if you are serious I would recommend getting all three. In either case, the Love of Wisdom is well worth the price, is readable, has a reading list, reflection questions and a section on political philosophy and Aesthetics that many other philosophy textbooks lack. Also, if not most importantly, the articles are written are top quality! FIVE STARS.
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Philosophy for Everyone from a Christian Perspective, June 7, 2009
This review is from: The Love of Wisdom: A Christian Introduction to Philosophy (Hardcover)
The world of academic philosophy can be confusing considering the numerous debates in the fields of epistemology, metaphysics and ethics. Add to the confusion that on many of these matters even Christians are divided on some seemingly critical points. The Love of Wisdom: A Christian Introduction to Philosophy by Steven B. Cowan and James S. Spiegel addresses the need for a singular text to lay out the landscape of philosophical debates from a Christian perspective. It is perhaps worth repeating clearly that this is not an introduction to religious philosophy (God's existence, pluralism, evil), but a Christian introduction to the entire realm of philosophical enquiry.
The Love of Wisdom is broken up into 3 parts, dealing with epistemology (knowledge), metaphysics (being) and ethics (value). Each part is three chapters, so the book has a total of nine chapters, plus the introduction which looks broadly at philosophy and worldviews. At the beginning of each chapter is an outline and list of glossary terms (the definitions are mentioned in the course of the chapter and a full list is in the back of the book). Given that each chapter averages about fifty pages, the sections of the chapters are likely easier to digest for most readers.
Chapter sections each have an introduction to the topic as well as "Questions for Reflection" at the end. So for example, Chapter Five is "Human Nature: What Am I?" The first section is "5.1 Do We Have Souls?" The fourteen page section summarizes the major views as well as arguments for and against each view. In the end some thought is given to the theological aspects of the debate and what most Christians have believed about it. Throughout the book, verses from the Bible are provided as they are relevant to the discussions.
When I took philosophy classes at Cal State Long Beach for my undergrad, I had some philosophical instruction from the good folks at Biola through their apologetics program. Still, there was a lot I'd yet to learn about philosophy. I really wish The Love of Wisdom had been available during that time. The book provides an excellent overview of each topic, helping readers understand the debates from every perspective and why people hold the views they do.
Cowan and Spiegel are charitable as they consider views they don't hold, while also providing reasons why they believe those views are wrong when the views go against the clear teachings of Scripture. They illustrate the difficult topics with countless examples that are clear and instructive. The one shortcoming of the book is that some of the "Questions for Reflection" should have an answer key- particularly those in the logic section that ask the reader to identify soundness and validity of arguments or fallacies. Perhaps more questions with objective answers and a key in the back of the book would be helpful for readers who aren't reading or discussing the book with a group of people. This is hardly a criticism of the book's content, however, since regardless of one's use of the questions, reading The Love of Wisdom is immensely worthwhile even for those who have a passing interest in philosophy.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
wide and deep, May 4, 2010
This review is from: The Love of Wisdom: A Christian Introduction to Philosophy (Hardcover)
I have had the opportunity to go through this book on a semi-casual basis and also with the rigor of someone trying to master the information for an "A" in my philosophy class. We used The Love of Wisdom as our main text last fall in Seminary. Due to the course being an introduction, I was not expecting the depth of concept I found in this book. Previous studies had given me a serviceable grasp of philosophical basics but not a systematic way to understand how all those concepts work together as a whole. This book brought all the loose ends together for me. The Love of Wisdom covers topics that range from metaphysics to epistemology and aesthetics with a clarity that I have rarely encountered in an introductory text. The material is accessible without giving the reader the impression that he is being "talked down to." It was more material than could be covered in a single semester but the wide selection of topics should fit any professors' need for curriculum in an introductory class. The serious non-academic will also find solid intellectual nourishment in these pages if he/she is willing to put the effort in. This would be the first book I would recommend for those who seek to build a respectable philosophical library.
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