Quote of the Day

It is one of the great privileges of my job that I get paid to spend time reflecting on the deep mysteries of our faith, in the company of excited students, guided by some of the most insightful and rigorous works of historical and contemporary philosophy.

--Prof. Stephen Lake, talking about his
Philosophical Theology course
on his personal blog

PHIL/THEO 311 Philosophical Theology

This spring in Philosophical Theology we will have a special emphasis on prayer and the nature of God.

Ever wonder how God answers prayer? If our prayers move God to action? Or if everything was simply determined from eternity? And if so, why does prayer matter at all?

Petitionary prayer is an essential and life-giving spiritual discipline for all Christians, but it raises many philosophical questions.

These questions and more are all on the agenda in Philosophical Theology (PHIL/THEO 311) taught by Prof. Stephen Lake this coming spring, Tuesdays and Thursdays at 2 o'clock.

Among other things, we will be reading Terry Tiessen's Providence & Prayer : How Does God Work in the World? He will serve as our guide as we study the relationship between our prayers and God's providential care for us and for the world.



There are other topics, too, which I have described further here.

I am also currently deciding on what additional issue to focus on but am leaning heavily towards the incarnation. The dual-nature of Jesus Christ is a fascinating, yet perplexing metaphysical issue at the heart of Christian faith.

Some, like Kierkegaard, regard it an insoluble paradox--or even contradiction--a mystery to which we by faith assent but about which reason has no hope of understanding.

Others--like Thomas Aquinas, Thomas Morris and me!--all think that philosophy has more to say about it than that.

I do not deny there is a deep element of mystery about the incarnation, but philosophical theology can go a long ways to showing it is logically and metaphysically possible that God would become a human being, live among us for a while, full of grace and truth. Upon that claim is built our faith, not to mention our hope. And we of all would be fools indeed, if it turned out to be false, a mere "delusion," as Richard Dawkins and so many other contemporary atheists believe.



Philosophical theology helps you understand and defend your faith better. I love exploring these questions and teaching this course, so please seriously consider joining us this spring.

Are there any prerequisites?

Answer: If you have completed PHIL 101 and 102, you are eligible to enroll.

If you are planning on seminary or graduate school in theology or philosophy, this course will be indispensable preparation.

Cross-listed in both Philosophy and Theology, it counts towards major, minor or elective credit in either department.

Any other questions? Please see me, Prof. Lake.

Heidegger's Hut (Huette)

Here's Martin Heidegger's hut, his philosophical hideaway, where he'd go to think deep thoughts:
Check out the whole story here.
H/T: AJ.

New Installment of Autobiography

I've posted a second autobiographical reflection, this time reflecting on the intersection of my faith commitments and philosophy. Since we'll be exploring this issue in my sections of PHIL 102, it might be of special interest to those students.

Suggestions Welcome

What would you like to see on Trollosophy? Or happen in the Philosophy Department this year?

In the past, we've have films and special speakers and are contemplating more this year. Any suggestions?

We would love to hear from you, here and in person.

Be sure to vote in the poll, above. And please post your comments here!

Autobiographical Snapshot

Students in Senior Seminar, and perhaps especially in my PHIL 202 History of Philosophy II course, might be intrigued by the first installment of my philosophical autobiography, available here. They are my reflections on 'why I love modern philosophy,' or more precisely, what I love about modern philosophy.

Over the next couple of weeks we hope to post more such autobiographical reflections (or links to them) from other faculty members. If you would like to post one yourself, contact me and I can arrange to post it here, on Trollosophy.

PHIL 401 & 402 Senior Seminar: Philosophical Autobiography

Last year we began offering a senior seminar (PHIL 401 & 402), a year-long experience integrated into the department's normal colloquium. Senior students are invited (now, but by 2009, required) to join the full-time members of the department as we explore a topic together. Each year the topic changes, but it should always be something of a 'capstone experience' to the major, helping students reflect back on their Trinity experience with a comprehensive vision and challenge for the future. The faculty participate, too, as we hope it have the atmosphere of a graduate-level seminar (though probably less formal).

I, Professor Lake, am coordinating the seminar this year and our topic will be Philosophical Autobiography. The vision is to explore the writings of philosophers about their own lives as philosophers. Most of our readings will come from contemporary philosophers in three helpful volumes of personal reflections by leading voices in the field:

There will be a couple of other reserve readings as well.

The literary history of philosophical autobiography is rich. I would argue (though some might dissent) that both Augustine (in his Confessions) and Boethius (in his Consolation of Philosophy) are doing the kind of work that philosophical autobiography does, or ought to do. I think they are more than that, but they are not less than autobiography as well. For them, I think it is important to note, the autobiographical aspect of their writing was not the aim of the text but it was more of a mode in which they confessed a philosophical and theological outlook.

Today, we do not have as rich a literature, perhaps, as these luminaries. And to be sure, the authors we read usually will have less of a philosophical task in mind than either Augustine or Boethius did. We will take our cue, I suspect, more from the contemporary writers than from the historical ones. Students and faculty alike will be asked to reflect on their own lives in philosophy, seeking to understand the work of God in their lives through philosophy.

To begin the conversation, we faculty are going to post some of our own reflections. I've already written one and will post it next, here on Trollosophy.

Welcome Back!

The Philosophy Department welcomes all students back to Trinity. If it is your first semester at Trinity, a special welcome to you! We have a great set of courses on offer this semester and as a department we are eager to interact with each of you, inside and outside of the classroom.

Return to Trollosophy over the next few weeks for new posts on the courses we are offering and other news and opportunities from the philosophy department this fall.

Again, welcome back! Welcome to Trinity! Welcome to Trollosophy!

Nietzsche Lecture

The Trinity philosophy department is honored to be hosting Prof. Bruce Ellis Benson, the chairman of the Wheaton College philosophy department, for a public lecture on Monday, 16 April at 3:30 in CL 203.

His lecture title is: "Pious Nietzsche: From Christianity to Dionysian Pietism." You won't want to miss his fascinating talk. Dr. Benson is a Nietzsche scholar, whose forthcoming book seeks to engage Nietzsche critically and constructively from a Christian philosophical standpoint.

From his web page at Wheaton College:

Dr. Benson's research interests include the following areas. The first is the "theological turn" in phenomenology and work at the intersection of continental philosophy and theology. Not only does he write in this area, but also he is co-founder and co-secretary of the Society for Continental Philosophy and Theology (1997) and a member of the steering committee of the Theology and Continental Philosophy Group of the American Academy of Religion. Graven Ideologies and The Phenomenology of Prayer are examples of work in this area. The second is the topic of hermeneutics and interpretation theory, with Hermeneutics at the Crossroads being an example of that work. A third area is aesthetics in general and philosophy of music in particular. The Improvisation of Musical Dialogue is an example of that interest. Finally, Dr. Benson's work has also turned in an increasingly political direction. The forthcoming Evangelicals and Empire--an analysis of American evangelicalism from the perspective of the empire theory of Michael Hardt and Antonio Negri-is part of that project.

Again, the lecture will be held at 3:30 in CL 203. For more information, please see or contact Prof. Stephen Lake.

NEW in Fall 2007! Symbo Limbo (PHIL 299)

You may have noticed a change in the schedule from PHIL 206 Logic to PHIL 299 Symbolic Logic—or Symbo Limbo, as I and other logic aficionados affectionately call it.

Here are answers to some Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about this change:

Question: Uh, why did you do it?

Answer: Because some students wanted it. And, really, it is about time it be taught again. Symbo limbo is an important type of logic and our current PHIL 206 does not cover much of it. In fact, it ends with a brief dabble in symbo but it’s hardly enough to count as a full-fledged symbo limbo.

Question: What exactly is the difference between the 206 Logic and Symbo Limbo?

Answer: 206 is more of a 'critical thinking' course, covering informal logic, fallacies and traditional Aristotlean logic (e.g., Venn diagrams, square of opposition, categorical propositions and inferences). We conclude with a teensy weensy bit of the more contemporary symbolic logic. Thus, the 299 course will, in effect, pick up where 206 topically left off. Symbo limbo is strictly formal logic with a more mathematical feel. They’re both VERY, VERY FUN!

Question: Is 206 a pre-requisite for Symbo Limbo?

Answer: No.

Question: Is Symbo Limbo harder than 206?

Answer: No. Or at least, not necessarily. If you find formal, analytical reasoning difficult, you may be more challenged by 299 than 206. If you have a ‘mathematical mind,’ you’ll positively LOVE Symbo Limbo. But don’t worry, even someone with NO BACKGROUND in LOGIC can take Symbo Limbo and get a lot out of it. We start out simple and work up from there!

Question: Will 299 count towards the Logic requirement of the philosophy major?

Answer: You bet.

Question: Are there plans to offer Symbo Limbo again?

Answer: Yes. In fact, I expect that we will add it permanently to the course catalog next year (as PHIL 207). It will then be offered every third year—i.e., at least once every 4 years.

Question: Will you offer 206 in 2008-9?

Answer: Yep. It'll be back, don't worry.

Question: Will I be a better person for having taken Symbo Limbo?

Answer: Undoubtedly so. I anticipate you will grow as a person, and not just intellectually in this course. I anticipate beginning class with a brief round of calisthenics—after all, you have to limber up first if you are going to do the limbo—plus a symbo limbo devotional. ; )

Question: What's next? The Logic Lambada?

Answer: Again, if there is a student demand for it, we shall respond. I would caution you against it, though: the lambada is, after all, the forbidden dance.