6 - Plantinga's Model of Warranted Christian Belief

Summary

INTRODUCTION

Warranted Christian Belief is undoubtedly Plantinga's magnum opus, not only because of its size – 508 pages with routine interludes of fine print – but also because it constitutes the culmination of a research project in which Plantinga has been actively engaged for nearly forty years. Even those diametrically opposed to his assertions will find much with which to be impressed. For instance, Paul Moser – someone who shares Plantinga's theistic beliefs, but whose epistemological convictions differ markedly – has commented that some of Plantinga's insights on sin and its cognitive consequences “are alone worth the price of admission.” And Richard Gale, who shares neither Plantinga's theism nor his epistemology, praises the “depth, rigor and brilliance” of Warranted Christian Belief (hereafter, WCB).

WCB is unique in a number of respects. While Plantinga is undoubtedly a philosopher through and through, his book is clearly not written primarily for specialists in philosophy. While philosophers will find plenty of sophisticated philosophical arguments with which to satiate their appetite, many may be surprised at the overtly theological nature of much of this volume. Moreover, those who are unfamiliar with his thought may be taken aback by the unabashedly conservative disposition of his theology; he unapologetically accepts the inspiration of Scripture, the divine instigation of faith, the noetic effects of sin, and other theological concepts that many in academia have relegated to a bygone era.