Tomorrow morning is the last day of the Wheaton Philosophy Conference. The topic has been "Divine and Human Freedom"--always an interest of mine. Interestingly, one of the speakers, John Fischer, mentioned today that there is a blog on free will and moral responsibility: The Garden of Forking Paths.
Much of the conference has been frustrating. Contemporary Christian philosophers today tend to approach the questions without recourse to Scriptural authority. There is very little integration with theology and exegesis. Not to sound overly negative, but many Christians would be shocked to see the utter lack of theological competance among many philosophers.
The highlight was dinner tonight with Mark Talbot (philosophy professor at Wheaton), Paul Helm (philosophy and theology chair at Regent), Bill Davis (philosophy professor at Covenant College), and Paul Helseth (Christian Thought professor at Northwestern College, and co-editor with me on a couple of projects). These guys all approach philosophy and theology from a God-centered perspective that submits to the sovereignty of God and the authority of Scripture. It was a wonderfu time of fellowship and an lively discussion!
BTW, for those who are interested in--or confused about--the issue of free will, moral responsibility, and God's providence, I would highly recommend Mark Talbot's chapter in our book Beyond the Bounds, entitled "True Freedom." You can also buy an inexpensive booklet version of the article here. Prof . Helm reiterated tonight what a superb article it is, and I agree.
