1/
If a pastor says "Christ rose from the dead," and the majority of ancient near east Historians say "the belief in the literal, historical ressurection of Jesus Christ from the dead is not justified," will the Christian Philosophers "stay in their lane?"
If a pastor says "Christ rose from the dead," and the majority of ancient near east Historians say "the belief in the literal, historical ressurection of Jesus Christ from the dead is not justified," will the Christian Philosophers "stay in their lane?"
2/
Because the most thorough defense of the literal, historical, ressurection of Jesus Christ from the dead is "The Ressurection of the Son of God," By NT wright. Wright has a Doctor of Divinity, not history. His Doctoral Thesis was about Theology.
Because the most thorough defense of the literal, historical, ressurection of Jesus Christ from the dead is "The Ressurection of the Son of God," By NT wright. Wright has a Doctor of Divinity, not history. His Doctoral Thesis was about Theology.
3/
In fact, I'd bet the majority of near east historians don't think we can justify a belief in the ressurection of Jesus from the dead based on historical sources.
If we are all going to "stay in our lane" the ressurection of Jesus as a historical event is unjustifiable...
In fact, I'd bet the majority of near east historians don't think we can justify a belief in the ressurection of Jesus from the dead based on historical sources.
If we are all going to "stay in our lane" the ressurection of Jesus as a historical event is unjustifiable...
4/
If the majority of ancient near east historians who are actually trained as historians are not going to say the ressurection of Jesus is justified on historical grounds.
In that case will Christian philosophers "stay in their lane?"
I get the impression what they mean is...
If the majority of ancient near east historians who are actually trained as historians are not going to say the ressurection of Jesus is justified on historical grounds.
In that case will Christian philosophers "stay in their lane?"
I get the impression what they mean is...
5/
"You silly little pastor be quiet and don't challenge my expertise."
Meanwhile, these same people will say Jesus rose from the dead even if most trained historians who study the history of the ancient near east at the time of Jesus don't believe he rose from the dead...
"You silly little pastor be quiet and don't challenge my expertise."
Meanwhile, these same people will say Jesus rose from the dead even if most trained historians who study the history of the ancient near east at the time of Jesus don't believe he rose from the dead...
6/
Perhaps Christians can find a small number of Historians who think Jesus rose from the dead, but on what grounds do I, an untrained person, reject to majority opinion in favor of some a minority of experts who accept the ressurection for historical reasons?
Because....
Perhaps Christians can find a small number of Historians who think Jesus rose from the dead, but on what grounds do I, an untrained person, reject to majority opinion in favor of some a minority of experts who accept the ressurection for historical reasons?
Because....
7/
If untrained people lack the special skills to properly adjudicate which experts have it right, then for the same reason I got vaxxed instead of taking ivermectin: the majority of doctors said that's the right move...
If untrained people lack the special skills to properly adjudicate which experts have it right, then for the same reason I got vaxxed instead of taking ivermectin: the majority of doctors said that's the right move...
8/
people ought to accept the majority position of and Ancient near east historians: Jesus did not rise from the dead.
If Christian Academics want to challenge athist/agnostic philosophers they can, after all, they're experts. But non-experts lack the skills to...
people ought to accept the majority position of and Ancient near east historians: Jesus did not rise from the dead.
If Christian Academics want to challenge athist/agnostic philosophers they can, after all, they're experts. But non-experts lack the skills to...
9/
Adjudicate between their views and the views of the majority. If the game is trust the experts, people should not accept Christianity until the majority of experts agree Jesus rose from the dead. Just like I won't take ivermectin until the majorIty of doctors say that I should
Adjudicate between their views and the views of the majority. If the game is trust the experts, people should not accept Christianity until the majority of experts agree Jesus rose from the dead. Just like I won't take ivermectin until the majorIty of doctors say that I should
10/
The point here is, of course, thay these academics need to be careful about what they want.
If deference to experts in matters of belief becomes a standard then owing to the secular nature of the academy, a great many Christian doctrines are going to be gone very quickly.
The point here is, of course, thay these academics need to be careful about what they want.
If deference to experts in matters of belief becomes a standard then owing to the secular nature of the academy, a great many Christian doctrines are going to be gone very quickly.
11/
The point is, of course, that the goal is not defence to experts in matters of conscience and belief. The goal is that we all use reason as the check on expert opinion, particularly in matters that cannot be immediately settled empirically and with a high degree of certainty.
The point is, of course, that the goal is not defence to experts in matters of conscience and belief. The goal is that we all use reason as the check on expert opinion, particularly in matters that cannot be immediately settled empirically and with a high degree of certainty.
12/
We treat various experts differently.
The philosopher should help clarify and illuminate. The plummer should fix the pipes while I'm gone.
I defer to plummers in matters I do not understand, but I don't do this with philosophers or art critics because they are (I hope)...
We treat various experts differently.
The philosopher should help clarify and illuminate. The plummer should fix the pipes while I'm gone.
I defer to plummers in matters I do not understand, but I don't do this with philosophers or art critics because they are (I hope)...
13/
Not engaged in the same sort of enterprise as plummers.
The plummers job is to exercise
knowledge for me. I am not trying to learn from him, I just want the sink fixed.
This is, let us hope, not the capacity in which the artist and philosopher are going to serve society...
Not engaged in the same sort of enterprise as plummers.
The plummers job is to exercise
knowledge for me. I am not trying to learn from him, I just want the sink fixed.
This is, let us hope, not the capacity in which the artist and philosopher are going to serve society...
14/
I don't defer to the artist, I want the artist to create beauty and touch my soul. I do not want defer to him when he points at some drab modern art and says "this is beautiful, trust me, it really is. I'm an expert."
The same goes for the philosopher....
I don't defer to the artist, I want the artist to create beauty and touch my soul. I do not want defer to him when he points at some drab modern art and says "this is beautiful, trust me, it really is. I'm an expert."
The same goes for the philosopher....
15/
I want the philosopher to help me to think, and to be so clear and illuminating that his reasoning is persuasive.
For him to say "I'm an expert you should defer to my judgement even though it's so complex and subtle that you can't understand it" is for him to fail....
I want the philosopher to help me to think, and to be so clear and illuminating that his reasoning is persuasive.
For him to say "I'm an expert you should defer to my judgement even though it's so complex and subtle that you can't understand it" is for him to fail....
16/
We must recognize the difference between trades and STEM on the one hand, and the humanities on the other, so that we can figure out how various experts can help us.
Failure to do this is going to lead to disaster.
We must recognize the difference between trades and STEM on the one hand, and the humanities on the other, so that we can figure out how various experts can help us.
Failure to do this is going to lead to disaster.
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