Warranted Christian Belief

"This book is about the intellectual or rational acceptability of Christian belief." So writes Alvin Plantinga in the first line of the preface to his book, Warranted Christian Belief. The book is the third volume of a series by Plantinga discussing the warrant (i.e. the plausibility and believability) of Christianity. It is meant to be independent of the other volumes, though, so starting here is a good choice. Plantinga engages the topic of Christian epistemology here, and does so with his usual style and intelligence. He starts at the very base of the issue and builds layers from there, which allows readers to gain understanding of the topic before moving on to more complex arguments. In the preface, Plantinga notes that the book is long, and suggests a helpful abridgment for those looking only for "the central part of the story line" - they need only read chapters six through nine. Plantinga is one of modernity's greatest philosophers, and Warranted Christian Belief is a prime example of his religious inclination and masterful arguments for the importance and viability of faith.

Abby Zwart
CCEL Staff Writer