Customer Reviews

Loving Wisdom: Christian Philosophy of Religion

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Loving Wisdom is a book that's difficult to summarize, and I gather that was intentional. In groundbeaking fashion, Christian apologist and philosopher Paul Copan has written an extraordinarily wide-ranging book that's exhaustive enough to serve as a textbook on many subjects within apologetics and philosophy of religion, but concise enough to serve as "a kind of launching pad" to further exploration. This is one of the densest books I've ever read -- dense in ideas not words! The author can cover a remarkable amount of ground in a relatively few pages. Coming to it as a layman, I found it readable and accessible -- even when comprehension of difficult concepts proved elusive. Although a serious and scholarly treatment of serious topics, Loving Wisdom is never ponderous, mainly because Copan's writing is suffused with good humor and wit. What also comes through is his charitable and fair treatment of opposing viewpoints.

So why should the average Christian believer be concerned with difficult questions and arguments raised by those who don't share our beliefs? Isn't it enough to fall back on bumper-sticker slogans? i.e. God said it, I believe it, that settles it! Why should Christians "do philosophy"? Copan writes:


"Unfortunately, some Christians speak disparagingly about philosophy, as though it's always done in an anti-Christian manner. They may cite Paul's caution, "Knowledge makes arrogant, but love edifies" (1 Cor. 8:1), or his warning against "philosophy and empty deception" (Col. 2:8). They may claim to promote a Spirit-given knowledge that seems foolish to the "natural" person (1 Cor. 1-2). While such passages remind us that our thinking shouldn't be detached from God's self-revelation and his Spirit's workings, they hardly undermine the importance of defending our faith in the marketplace of ideas and of engaging in the discipline of philosophy as Christians." (p. 6)


He goes on to write that being "reasonably prepared to address important questions non-Christians typically ask" will make our Christian witness vastly more effective. In fact, "good reasons for believing the gospel are part of it's attractiveness." (p. 7) Yes, as fallen creatures our reason is limited, "but we are still endowed by God with the capacity to appreciate good reasons for belief. If Paul reasoned and sought to persuade others in the first century, why think that today God can't use good reasons for belief?" (p. 8)

Loving Wisdom is organized according to the flow of the Biblical narrative: God, Creation, Fall, Redemption and Re-creation (the "triune theodrama"). Difficult concepts and questions that Christian thinkers have been seeking the answer to for centuries are discussed. For example -- God's relation to time, the relationship between divine omniscience and human freedom, the problem of evil and the doctrine of Hell. Even if one doesn't agree with all of Copan's assertions, they will be provoked (as I was) to think more deeply. And hopefully the skeptical reader will be made to see that orthodox Christianity offers the best explanation for so many of the big questions we wrestle with and the phenomena we observe. It's true that doctrines such as the trinitarian nature of God and the Incarnation are "not reducible to logical formulas. But this hardly implies the doctrine is illogical." (p. 155)

A very rewarding book!

Despite his youth, Paul Copan writes with a maturity and breadth of wisdom that one would think had taken a lifetime to accumulate. At a time when the debate about the meaning of life appears to be monopolized by the hard-edged argument between Intelligent Design and neo-Darwinism, Copan comes along with a rational but entirely Christ-centered and civil reminder of what our Creator actually told us.

Copan seizes the intellectual high ground in the contemporary challenge to faith in God at page 26: "There's just no way science (empiricism) can show that all beliefs should be scientifically provable ... Because the standard is a presumed philosophical outlook, not the result of scientific research. Behind the allegedly "scientific" standard are philosophical presuppositions that aren't themselves scientifically verifiable."

Acknowledging all of the usual arguments against God, Copan gently but firmly presents the contrary view with a splendid sense of balance between cognitive humility and the responsibility we received in 1 Peter 3:15 to "always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you."What Copan lacks in the sound-bite populist style of Dawkins, Harris and Hitchens, he more than makes up for in reason and balance. Anyone whose anchor to God is in danger of being set adrift by the fatalism of Dawkins et al would do well to read this book.

Loving Wisdom provides solid and interesting theology, apologetics and philosophy.

The whole book is good, but I found three of the four chapters in Part III to be particularly interesting: The Problem(s) of Evil; The Hiddenness of God; and Hell.

In chapter 12, The Problem(s) of Evil, Copan has a section dealing with "Principalities and Powers". I don't recall seeing much reference to the effects of "principalities and powers" in other apologetic treatments of the problem of evil. It was a helpful perspective.

Chapter 13, dealt with "The Hiddenness of God" providing some probing thoughts on the matter. For example, to those who complain that God does reveal himself clearly enough, Copan suggests that perhaps, "the more evidence one has of God, the more resentful one might become toward him." Copan quotes atheist Thomas Nagel who confesses that "he doesn't want there to be a God." I've read similar expressions from other atheists. For a person who feels this way, to have more revealing evidence from God of His existence probably would not be helpful or desired.

Chapter 15, "Hell", was also interesting. One of the more fascinating ideas that Copan suggests is that in hell resistance to God is likely to increase rather than decrease. Says Copan, "despite hell's miseries, the condemned wouldn't prefer God's presence; resistance continues in hell. The more they would be exposed to God, the more they would come to hate him." In other words, it's not likely that those in hell will be saying, "Hey, I've changed my mind, God, I love you! I'm ready for heaven now! Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound . . . !" He refers to the rich man suffering in Hades (Luke 16) pointing out that he "doesn't necessarily prefer a God-centered existence; he just wants relief."

I've also noticed that having read "Loving Wisdom" I feel much wiser. It's almost as if I've had a Solomonic wisdom injection. You can probably tell just from reading this book review, huh? It's clear that those who know me can sense a difference, they've started calling me, "Mr.-Know-It-All".

That's a good sign, right?

Dan Marler
Oak Lawn, IL

I just finished Dr. Copan's book "Loving Wisdom" and found it to be an absolutely brilliant book. Dr. Copan has quickly become one of my favorite authors. His remarkable breadth of knowledge regarding philosophy and theology and his ability to effectively communicate that knowledge to others makes for tremendous reading. I highly recommend this book to anyone desiring to grow deeper in their knowledge of Christian philosophy. It is outstanding material.

Paul Copan does an excellent job of covering a variety of issues and addressing the important points. Copan keeps the book from getting overly technical but at the same time not too superficial. This is a great introduction to Christian philosophy of religion and I will keep it as a resource.