Customer Reviews

The Love of Wisdom: A Christian Introduction to Philosophy

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
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1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

I had the opportunity of reading this book as the textbook for a philosophy class in seminary. It is broad in the topics it covers (epistemology, philosophy of science, metaphysics, human nature, philosophy of religion, ethics, and political philosophy)and also includes the less covered topic in philosophy of aesthetics. It is very readable though, and uses easy to understand illustrations of its points. My favorite section was the chapter of philosophy of religion, which includes very understandable versions of the top arguments for God's existence and responses to the problems of evil and religious pluralism. The section on how much certainty is required for knowledge is also very helpful for apologetics. Overall, the book is a useful tool for any Christian who is serious about loving God with their mind, and is a very good resource on philosophy for both the student and layperson, Christian and non Christian. Highly recommended!

Most likely if you're looking at this book, you're in some sort of academic environment. I needed the book for Philosophy 101. If the book is required, I suppose you just have to buy it. If you're here for pleasure or personal enrichment, you do have some options, but this is a safe choice.

First, the book is very well-written. The authors take great pains to present the material as though the reader knew nothing of philosophy. Only on rare occasions was a technical term or concept used without proper explanation, as though the authors took for granted the reader understood the term.

The book provides a good overview of the main areas of philosophy: the study of knowledge (truth, logic and science), the study of being (ontology), and the study of value (axiology). These three main branches are then further broken down into three chapters each. The book order is specifically designed (with the strategy outlined in the introduction) and flows in a natural, fluid, and logically progressive manner from one topic to the next.

I enjoyed the authors' insights, and their up-to-date illustrations were a fresh change of pace (though some were dated just enough to seem like they tried to hard...read: too many references to The Matrix). Everything is presented through a Christian worldview but the authors are very careful to accurately portray the pros and cons of each viewpoint on the various issues.

The book is a solid read at close to 500 pages. My main gripe is that many of the authors' quotes or claims are not cited. Don't get me wrong many of the chapters have at least 30 citations, however, too many "facts" were assumed to be common knowledge and not needing an original source citation. For an intro/overview on philosophy, I don't think that's a wise move. For people going through the first time, they need to know where are the nuts and bolts come from not just how they fit together. To make up for it, a nice "For Further Reading" section concludes each chapter for those who want to dig deeper. The authors also included "Questions for Reflection" to spur group discussion or personal meditation on each topic.

All in all, the book is a keeper for me. Some textbooks I sell back because I find them boring or unusable after the course; this one I like enough to keep and would recommend for the beginner philosopher.

I had the opportunity to have Professor Cowan as my adviser and philosophy professor in undergrad, so I am a bit biased. But I am also now a grad student at Yale, so he didn't do a half bad job. When I took an intro philosophy class with Dr. Cowan we used this book, at the time in its final manuscript form before printing. The book is extremely readable but also supplies sufficient enough detail to make you very well acquainted with the various topics discussed. It is charitable to opinions its authors do not agree with, which is extremely helpful for students just beginning to sort through the sometimes confusing world of philosophy. That charity is reflective of the spirit of the authors. Speaking primarily of my experience with Dr. Cowan, I know that on many issues he and I sat on opposite sides of the fence, leading to some very lively class discussions. Yet he was also a professor who very strongly encouraged his students to think for themselves, and this book reflects that. You will know where the authors stand and what views they find problematic and for what reasons. You will also know what motivates others to take up those positions and you will get all of that presented to you very fairly and accurately. Overall its a great book for people just beginning to study philosophy who want to do so from a Christian perspective. Enjoy!

The book "The Love of Wisdom: A Christian Introduction to Philosophy" is Christ-centered but lacks important primary sources. The ancient input especially from Christian thinkers (philosophers)would have been very helpful. The students need this important exposure. It is hard to discuss issues which the students have not read first hand prior to instruction. It puts a greater burden on the professor to provide supplementary readings.