Letters to Doubting Thomas

Letters to Doubting Thomas
Author: C. Stephen Layman
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Total Pages: 289
Release: 2006-10-16
Genre: Philosophy
ISBN: 0198042108

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When people encounter an argument for or against God's existence, it often raises more questions than it answers. In Letters to Doubting Thomas, C. Stephen Layman offers a fresh, insightful approach to the issue of God's existence--a way to organize what can seem like a blizzard of claims and concepts--bringing clarity to a debate often mired in confusion. Layman explores the evidence for the existence of God in a series of fictionalized letters between two characters--Zachary, a philosopher, and Thomas, an old college friend who appeals to Zach for help in sorting out his thoughts about God. As their correspondence grows, Zachary leads Thomas through an informal and highly readable comparison of Naturalism (the belief that there is no God and that ultimate reality is physical reality), and Theism (the idea that there is an almighty, perfectly good God). In engaging letters that break down complex philosophical arguments into easily digestible bits, the two friends delve into such weighty topics as the reliability of religious experience, various arguments for God's existence (such as the cosmological, design, and moral arguments), the question of free will, and the problem of evil. A piece at a time, they build an argument that shows that Theism, on balance, provides a better explanation of the world and human life than does Naturalism. Here then is a highly accessible account of the major arguments for and against the existence of God, capturing some of the best new insights of modern philosophy in a marvelously clear and engaging format.

Letters to Doubting Thomas

Letters to Doubting Thomas
Author: C. Stephen Layman
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Total Pages: 289
Release: 2007
Genre: Philosophy
ISBN: 019530814X

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"Arguments for or against God's existence can be intense, complex, and disconcerting; in fact, they often raise more questions than they answer. In [this book], C. Stephen Layman offers an innovative approach to the debate--a way to organize a seeming multitude of related claims and ideas--bringing clarity to a discussion that is often mired in confusion."--Publisher description, from p. [4] of cover.

Doubting Thomas?

Doubting Thomas?
Author: Mark A. Beliles
Publisher: Morgan James Publishing
Total Pages: 521
Release: 2014-10-21
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1630471518

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A religious historian argues that historical revisionism has distorted the religious views of Thomas Jefferson, making him appear far more skeptical than he was. Thomas Jefferson and the founding fathers intended a strict separation of church and state, right? He would have been very upset to find out about a child praying in a public school or a government building used for religious purposes, correct? Actually, the history on this has been very distorted. The standard accepted story on the faith of Thomas Jefferson (or the lack thereof) is not accurate. While he did harbor some doubts about orthodox Christianity by the end of his life, he was actually quite active in supporting the church in America. Meanwhile, in his name today, because of a misunderstanding about “the separation of church and state” (a phrase that comes from an obscure letter he wrote), religious expression is being curtailed all over the place in modern America. And he would absolutely object to that, as seen in his own actions and writings. While Jefferson may seem to be the patron saint of the ACLU, his words and actions showed that he would totally disagree with the idea of driving God out of the public square. Doubting Thomas documents that. In short, it’s time to set the record straight.

Doubting Thomas: A Novel

Doubting Thomas: A Novel
Author: Matthew Clark Davison
Publisher: Bywater Books
Total Pages: 343
Release: 2021-06-08
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1612942008

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Thomas McGurrin is a fourth-grade teacher and openly gay man at a private primary school serving Portland, Oregon's wealthy progressive elite when he is falsely accused of inappropriately touching a male student. The accusation comes just as Thomas is thrust back into the center of his unusual family by his younger brother's battle with cancer. Although cleared of the accusation, Thomas is forced to resign from a job he loves during a potentially life-changing family drama. Davison's novel explores the discrepancy between the progressive ideals and persistent negative stereotypes among the privileged regarding social status, race, and sexual orientation and the impact of that discrepancy on friendships and family relations.

Letters to Doubting Thomas

Letters to Doubting Thomas
Author: Charles Stephen Layman
Publisher:
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2023
Genre: God
ISBN: 9780197730744

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An exchange of letters between two characters on the existence of God, this work provides a cumulative case for Theism (the belief that God exists). Chapter by chapter, theism is compared with Naturalism, concluding that Theism (on balance) provides an explanation of the world and human life than does Naturalism.

Doubting Thomas

Doubting Thomas
Author: Glenn W. Most
Publisher: Harvard University Press
Total Pages: 300
Release: 2007-09-30
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 9780674019140

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About the disciple known as Doubting Thomas, everyone knows at least this much: he stuck his finger into the risen Jesus’ wounds. Or did he? A fresh look at the Gospel of John reveals how little we may really understand about this most perplexing of biblical figures, and how much we might learn from the strange twists and turns Thomas’s story has taken over time. From the New Testament, Glenn W. Most traces Thomas’s permutations through the centuries: as Gnostic saint, missionary to India, paragon of Christian orthodoxy, hero of skepticism, and negative example of doubt, blasphemy, stupidity, and violence. Rife with paradoxes and tensions, these creative transformations at the hands of storytellers, theologians, and artists tell us a great deal about the complex relations between texts and their interpretations—and about faith, love, personal identity, the body, and twins, among other matters. Doubting Thomas begins with a close reading of chapter 20 of the Gospel of John, set against the conclusions of the other Gospels, and ends with a detailed analysis of the painting of this subject by Caravaggio, setting it within the pictorial traditions of late antiquity, the Middle Ages, and the Renaissance. Along the way, Most considers narrative reactions to John’s account by storytellers of various religious persuasions, and Christian theologians’ interpretations of John 20 from the second century ad until the Counter-Reformation. His work shows how Thomas’s story, in its many guises, touches upon central questions of religion, philosophy, hermeneutics, and, not least, life.

The Book of Thomas the Doubter

The Book of Thomas the Doubter
Author: George Tyrrell
Publisher: Booklocker.com
Total Pages: 206
Release: 2015-02-01
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 9781634900973

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THE BOOK OF THOMAS THE DOUBTER: Uncovering the Secret Teachings is a biblical, historical novel based on the Gospel of Thomas and Acts of Thomas uncovered among the ancient Nag Hammadi texts. The book depicts Thomas carrying out Jesus' secret teachings as a disciple and as an apostle in India. In India, there are sites and landmarks commemorating Thomas. Also in India are the Thomas Christians (the Syrian Nasrani), affirming their founder as the disciple Thomas.

Letters to Doubting Thomas

Letters to Doubting Thomas
Author: C. Stephen Layman
Publisher: OUP USA
Total Pages: 240
Release: 2008-06-05
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 9780195308150

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Arguments for or against God's existence can be intense, complex, and disconcerting; in fact, they often raise more questions than they answer. In Letters to Doubting Thomas: A Case for the Existence of God, C. Stephen Layman offers an innovative approach to the debate—a way to organize a seeming multitude of related claims and ideas—bringing clarity to a discussion that is often mired in confusion. Letters to Doubting Thomas explores the evidence for the existence of God through an exchange of fictionalized letters between two characters—Zachary, a philosopher (and believer), and Thomas, a layperson (and doubter) who appeals to Zachary for help in sorting out his own thoughts about God. Point by point, Zachary leads Thomas through a highly readable comparison of Naturalism (the belief that there is no God and that ultimate reality is physical reality) and Theism (the idea that there is an almighty, perfectly good God). Incorporating recent developments in philosophy, each exchange of letters addresses one complex philosophical issue, breaking it down into manageable units. Topics covered include free will, religious experience, the cosmological argument, the fine-tuning design argument, the problem of evil, divine foreknowledge and human freedom, the ontological argument, the divine command theory of ethics, and a moral argument for God's existence. As the dialogue proceeds, Zachary develops a cogent, cumulative case for Theism over Naturalism, while Thomas raises critical questions all along the way. Featuring a unique format and lucid writing style, Letters to Doubting Thomas is ideal for courses in the philosophy of religion and accessible to students with little or no background in philosophy. It is also engaging reading for professors, theologians, and anyone interested in the question of the existence of God.

A Case for the Existence of God

A Case for the Existence of God
Author: Dean L. Overman
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
Total Pages: 272
Release: 2009
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 9780742563124

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Examines questions in regards to the world's origin, how it functions, and why; and features logical arguments that are supported by physics and theology; and also discusses the relationship between science and religion.

Letters to a Young Doubter

Letters to a Young Doubter
Author: William Sloane Coffin
Publisher: Westminster John Knox Press
Total Pages: 212
Release: 2005
Genre: Christian youth
ISBN: 9780664234768

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