In this and the next podcast, we turn our conversation to points of application, discussing some of the ways the Realism/Nominalism debate is having a dramatic impact on all we think and do.

In these episodes we discuss:

• If beauty is really in the eye of the beholder
• Can there be justice for all if we are nominalists
• How these ideas shape the work of physicians and therapists
• The nominalistic assumption underlying Critical Theory
• Why people say “That’s true for you but not for me.”
• How we got to the point of believing there are more than two genders
• Nominalism and abortion, infanticide, and euthanasia
• If there is one correct interpretation of a passage of Scripture (or any other document, such as the Constitution)?
• How nominalism cuts the heart out of Christian theology (and is supposed in Islamic theology)
• What it means to discuss “family” without a realist understanding
• Some questions that help people understand the limits of their Nominalist views

Resources mentioned during our conversation:

• The first episode in this series: #45 – What Makes Things What They Are? The Realist/Nominalist Debate, Part 1
• The second episode in the series: #46 – Good Reasons to Believe in Things We Can’t See: The Realism/Nominalism Debate, Part 2
• The third episode in this series: #47: The Beliefs, Distinctions, and Cultural Impact of Nominalism: The Realism/Nominalism Debate, Part 3
• The fourth episode in this series: #48: God, Universals, and the Nature of Reality: The Realism/Nominalism Debate, Part 4 (with special guest Paul Gould, Ph.D) – Thinking Christianly
• J.P. Moreland, Finding Quiet: My Struggle of Overcoming Anxiety and the Practices that Brought Peace
• Thinking Christianly Podcast – #19: Finding Quiet When Experiencing Anxiety and Depression
• Pitirim Sorokin, The Crisis of Our Age (archive edition)

Recommended resources:

• J.P. Moreland and William Lane Craig, Philosophical Foundations for a Christian Worldview

In this episode, we drill down further into how the Realist/Nominalist debate shapes our understanding of God with special guest and expert, Dr. Paul Gould.

In this podcast, we discuss:

• What is “Divine Conceptualism” and how does it relate to Moderate Realism?
• What are some of the intellectual resources we gain when we hold Platonist ideas about abstract objects and traditional theist understandings about God’s nature?
• How does distinguishing the two types of creation help us understand God’s creative activity?
• Where do distinctions about Platonic and Aristotelian thought help us sort through what we can know about reality?
• How does “Divine Exemplarism” help us make sense of difficult passages in Scripture?
• How can we make sense of the concept of “Divine Simplicity” without falling into incoherence?
• What is the concept of “Divine Aseity” and what requirements does it actually place on our ideas about God’s nature?

Resources mentioned during our conversation:

• The first episode in this series: #45 – What Makes Things What They Are? The Realist/Nominalist Debate, Part 1
• The second episode in the series: #46 – Good Reasons to Believe in Things We Can’t See: The Realism/Nominalism Debate, Part 2
• The third episode in this series: #47: The Beliefs, Distinctions, and Cultural Impact of Nominalism: The Realism/Nominalism Debate, Part 3

Recommended resources:

• To find out more about Paul Gould and his work, please visit his website – Paul Gould
• J. P. Moreland and William Lane Craig, Philosophical Foundations for a Christian Worldview, chapter on Properties
• Garrett J. DeWeese and J. P. Moreland, Philosophy Made Slightly Less Difficult: A Beginner’s Guide to Life’s Big Questions, chapter on Properties
• J. P. Moreland, Love Your God with All Your Mind: The Role of Reason in the Life of the Soul

In this episode, we continue exploring realism and nominalism by taking a deeper look into Nominalist beliefs.

In this podcast, we discuss:

• What does a person mean when they say they are a nominalist?
• How is nominalism a contributing factor to current cultural beliefs?
• What are the major distinctions within nominalism?
• How do moderate and extreme nominalists understand properties? What are the challenges inherent in these ideas?
• Why would a person be inclined to hold nominalist views?
• How do we engage in this discussion with fellow Christians?

Resources mentioned during our conversation:

• Stan Wallace, “Three Reasons to Believe in Things You Can’t See,” (four-part series)
• The first episode in this series: #45 – What Makes Things What They Are? The Realist/Nominalist Debate, Part 1
• The second episode in the series: #46 – Good Reasons to Believe in Things We Can’t See: The Realism/Nominalism Debate, Part 2

Recommended resources:

• P. Moreland and William Lane Craig, Philosophical Foundations for a Christian Worldview, chapter on Properties
• Garrett J. DeWeese and J. P. Moreland, Philosophy Made Slightly Less Difficult: A Beginner’s Guide to Life’s Big Questions, chapter on Properties
• JP Moreland, Love Your God with All Your Mind: The Role of Reason in the Life of the Soul

In this episode, we continue exploring the differences between Realism and Nominalism by discussing good reasons to hold a Realist perspective.

In this podcast, we discuss:

• What good reasons do we have to believe in abstract objects that we cannot see?
• How is it that we are intuitively aware of things we cannot see?
• Why do we naturally group things together? Is this “seeing” the universal they all share?
• What are relations? Are they real? Can we see them?
• What were some of the ideas that early modern empiricists got right?
• What kinds of theological problems do we bump into when we reject realism?

Resources mentioned during our conversation:

• Stan Wallace, “Three Reasons to Believe in Things You Can’t See,” (four-part series)
• The first episode in this series: #45 – What Makes Things What They Are? The Realist/Nominalist Debate

Recommended resources:

• J.P. Moreland and William Lane Craig, Philosophical Foundations for a Christian Worldview, chapter on Properties
• Garrett J. DeWeese and J. P. Moreland, Philosophy Made Slightly Less Difficult: A Beginner’s Guide to Life’s Big Questions, chapter on Properties
• Scott Smith, The The Dangers of Nominalism, on The Kirkwood Center Podcast

#45 – What Makes Things What They Are? The Realist/Nominalist Debate

In this episode, we kick off a series discussing the most fundamental issue underlying all other questions: what makes things what they are? How does a proper understanding help us live well and flourish in our world?

In this podcast, we discuss:

• Defining the two options: realism (universals exist) and nominalism (universals don’t exist)
• What is God’s relationship to universals? Is this a threat to His uniqueness?
• How does thinking well about this issue help us grow in the knowledge and love of God?

Resources mentioned during our conversation:

• Stan Wallace, Have We Lost Our Minds?
• Pitirim Sorokin, The Crisis of Our Age (archive edition)
• Paul Gould, Beyond the Control of God? Six Views on The Problem of God and Abstract Objects

Recommended resources:

• J. P. Moreland and William Lane Craig, Philosophical Foundations for a Christian Worldview
• Garrett J. DeWeese and J. P. Moreland, Philosophy Made Slightly Less Difficult: A Beginner’s Guide to Life’s Big Questions
• Scott Smith, Dangers of Nominalism: An Interview

In this episode, we continue our series by discussing the final chapter of Stan’s new book, Have We Lost Our Minds?: Neuroscience, Neurotheology, the Soul, and Human Flourishing.

In this podcast, we discuss:

• How does understanding what people are help us in proclaiming the Good News?
• How can we avoid the two extremes of only caring for the body or only caring for the soul in missional contexts?
• What does it mean to have confidence or trust in a belief? How does faith relate to certainty?
• How does a commitment to holistic dualism help us avoid dehumanizing others?
• How can holistic dualism help us integrate our faith and our professions?

Resources mentioned during our conversation:

• Find out more about Have We Lost Our Minds?
• Get the introduction to the book for free on the Global Scholars website.
• A printable group discussion guide to Stan’s book can be found here.

In this episode, we continue our series by discussing Chapter 9 of Stan’s new book, Have We Lost Our Minds?: Neuroscience, Neurotheology, the Soul, and Human Flourishing.

In this episode, we discuss:

• What problems arise when we reduce spiritual formation to just the physical
• What problems arise when we reduce spiritual formation to just the immaterial
• How we should understand the unity of the body and soul as it relates to spiritual formation
• What it looks like to take a both/and approach to spiritual formation in our lives
• How this topic has impacted our churches
• How Dallas Willard’s model of growth in Christ differs from what neurotheologians offer
• God’s role and our role in spiritual formation

Resources mentioned during our conversation:

• Find out more about Have We Lost Our Minds?
• Get the introduction to the book for free on the Global Scholars website.
• A printable group discussion guide to Stan’s book can be found here.

In this episode, we continue our series by engaging Chapters 7 and 8 of Stan’s new book, Have We Lost Our Minds?: Neuroscience, Neurotheology, the Soul, and Human Flourishing.

In this episode, we discuss:

• What is the difference between valuing science and scientism?
• Was Dallas Willard a neurotheologian?
• Does neurotheology help people grow in Christlikeness?
• For the sake of simplicity, why not just understand persons as material beings?
• How can the body and soul interact if they are such different types of things?
• Wait, does this mean animals also have souls? Is that Biblical?

Resources mentioned during our conversation:

• Find out more about Have We Lost Our Minds?
• Get the introduction to the book for free on the Global Scholars website.
• A printable group discussion guide to Stan’s book can be found here.
• Thinking Christianly Episode #32: Having Better Conversations by Avoiding Logical Fallacies
• Thinking Christianly Episode #40: “The Unity of the Soul and Body”: Chapter 6 of Have We Lost Our Minds?