A Faithful Guide to Philosophy: A Christian Introduction to the Love of Wisdom

A Faithful Guide to Philosophy is the only British Christian introduction to philosophy, a book that will be used as a course textbook and by church study groups and individual readers alike. It covers a broad range of subjects of central importance to the Christian worldview, and will be prized by many. This 2019 Wipf & Stock edition, with cover art by Makoto Fujimura, comes with a new foreword by American philosopher Angus J. Menuge and a new Author’s Preface.

 

 

 

 

Praise for A Faithful Guide to Philosophy

“Peter S. Williams has provided a practical, readable guide to leading philosophical questions, showing how the Christian faith brings illuminating answers to them. This volume is accessible and incisive, and it furnishes the reader with a wide array of resources in order to delve more deeply into these matters. Highly recommended!”
 – Dr Paul Copan, Pledger Family Chair of Philosophy and Ethics, Palm Beach Atlantic University, and author of A Little Book for New Philosophers

“Peter Williams has provided an invaluable text for Christians who wish to engage with philosophy. This isn’t the usual abstract overview, but rather provides the reader with a human experience where their commitment to Christ is nurtured and their needs as a learner are embraced whilst also achieving academic rigour. Every Christian student of philosophy ought to have this book both on their desk and at their bedside.” – Dr Trevor Cooling, Professor of Christian Education at Canterbury Christ Church University and co-editor of the Journal of Education and Christian Belief.

“A Faithful Guide to Philosophy is faithful, not only in the sense of being reliable, but also in the sense of being infused with a Christian world and life view. It is encouraging to see that this text is centered in natural theology and the philosophy of mind, for these are two areas of vital importance to the Christian faith, for which we must contend vigorously in our increasingly secular society. Williams’ focus is well chosen and his arguments interesting and persuasive.” – Dr William Lane Craig, Research Professor of Philosophy at the Talbot School of Theology

“Peter S. Williams is a sure-footed guide to philosophy in general, and philosophy of religion in particular. He picks his way through knotty arguments with exemplary clarity lightened by a dry sense of humour. Although he is open about his own Christian commitment, he is equally rigorous in his assessment of arguments for theism as he is with arguments against. The addition of detailed bibliographies including YouTube videos and Web resources make this book a sure-fire winner for students and for Christian ministers and laypeople alike.” – Dr Daniel J. Hill, Lecturer, Department of Philosophy, Liverpool University

“Peter S. Williams has a real gift of clarity and communication. He makes the complex accessible and interesting, without distorting the issues.” – Stefan Gustavsson, Director of Credo Academy, Stockholm

“This is an excellent book for introduction to the study of philosophy from the perspective of the Christian faith… The writer models the “love of wisdom” he recommends by his open, engaging and balanced approach, and shows abilities as both a thinker and communicator. His discussion with the New Atheists throughout the book makes it engaging and up to date. Both teachers and students will also appreciate the resource list after each chapter, pointing to a lot of high quality video, audio and written material… The book clearly shows the importance of philosophy for Christians, and the relevance of the Christian faith to philosophy.” – Bjørn Hinderaker, Assistant Professor at Gimlekollen School of Journalism and Communication in Norway

“This book is a highly accessible, stimulating introduction to logic, the nature of argument and philosophy written from a Christian perspective by an author who understands his subject and knows how to communicate it at the right level. This book, which is a delight to read and is full of useful references to books, articles, websites and other media, has the potential to de-mystify philosophy for a generation of young people and provide an excellent resource to enable them to articulate their faith in God with renewed confidence in a way that demonstrates its reasonableness against all New Atheist claims to the contrary.” – Professor John C. Lennox, Fellow in Mathematics and Philosophy of Science at Green Templeton College, Oxford

A Faithful Guide to Philosophy is an extremely well-researched book that is tightly argued, excellent in topic selection, deep in coverage yet readable in style. Williams had done a masterful job of producing a book that is now a must read for Christians who want to explore the intellectual underpinnings of their faith. I highly recommend this delightful volume.” – Dr J.P. Moreland, Distinguished Professor of Philosophy at Biola University in La Mirada, California and author of Love Your God With All Your Mind

‘This book . . . is simply brilliant and as far as I know, a complete original – the first UK textbook to offer an introduction to philosophy from a Christian perspective . . . It is a real tour de force, combining conciseness with crystal clarity and yet avoiding superficiality . . . I particularly love the way in which Williams show his gift of explaining really slippery concepts in an easily understood phrase or illustration . . . Many popular contemporary philosophers such as A C Grayling do tend to be very unsettling to Christian believers and give the impression that their agnostic or atheist stance is intrinsic to the subject. Williams blows that myth right out of the water and I found my own faith really built up and affirmed by reading this book. “All truth is God’s truth” and Williams ably demonstrates that philosophy is no exception.’ – Trevor Stammers, Programme Director in bioethics and medical law at St Mary’s University, Twickenham