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{{Primary sources|date=July 2011}}
{{Infobox Philosopher<!-- Philosopher category -->
{{Infobox philosopher<!-- Philosopher category -->
|region = [[Western Philosophy]]
|region = [[Western Philosophy]]
|era = [[21st-century philosophy]]
|era = [[21st-century philosophy]]
|color = #B0C4DE
|color = #B0C4DE
|name = William Lane Craig
|name = William Lane Craig
|image_name = Williamlanecraig.jpg
|image = Williamlanecraig.jpg
|image_size = 150px
|image_size = 150px
|birth_date = {{Bda|1949|8|23}}
|birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1949|8|23}}
|birth_place = [[Peoria, Illinois]]
|birth_place = [[Peoria, Illinois]]
|death_date =
|death_date =
|school_tradition = [[Analytic Philosophy]]
|school_tradition = [[Analytic Philosophy]]
|main_interests = [[Philosophy of religion]], [[Natural theology]], [[Philosophy of time]]
|main_interests = [[Philosophy of religion]], [[Natural theology]], [[Philosophy of time]], [[Christian Apologetics]]
|notable_ideas = [[Kalam cosmological argument]]
|notable_ideas = [[Kalam cosmological argument]]
|influences = [[Alvin Plantinga]], [[Francis Schaeffer]], [[Edward John Carnell]], [[Stuart Hackett]], [[John Hick]], [[Wolfhart Pannenberg]]
|influences = [[Alvin Plantinga]], [[Francis Schaeffer]], [[Edward John Carnell]], [[Stuart Hackett]], [[John Hick]], [[Wolfhart Pannenberg]]
|influenced = [[J. P. Moreland]], [[Francis Beckwith]]
|influenced = [[J. P. Moreland]], [[Francis Beckwith]]
|website =[http://www.reasonablefaith.org reasonablefaith.org]
}}
}}
__NOTOC__
'''William Lane Craig''' (born August 23, 1949) is an [[American philosophy|American]] [[analytic philosophy|analytic philosopher]] and [[Evangelicalism|Evangelical]] [[Christian apologetics|Christian apologist]] in the [[evidential apologetics|evidentialist]] tradition. He is best known as a prolific debater, usually defending the [[existence of God]]. He is also known for his defence of the [[Kalām cosmological argument]], a variant form of the [[Cosmological argument]] for the existence of God.<ref>Reichenbach, Bruce, "Cosmological Argument", The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Winter 2010 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.), URL = <http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/cosmological-argument/#4>.</ref>


==Academic background==
'''William Lane Craig''' (born August 23, 1949) is an [[Evangelical]] [[apologist]], [[theologian]], and [[philosopher]] known for his contributions to the philosophy of time, [[philosophy of religion]], and [[historical Jesus]] studies. He is one of the most visible contemporary proponents of [[natural theology]], often participating in debates on the existence of God. In 1979, Craig authored ''The [[Kalam Argument|Kalam Cosmological Argument]]'', which is today the most published-on contemporary argument for theism in philosophy.<ref name="Smith">{{cite book | last = Smith | first = Quentin | authorlink = Quentin Smith | others = ed. by Michael Martin | title = The Cambridge Companion to Atheism | year = 2007 | publisher = Cambridge University Press | location = Cambridge | page = 183 | chapter = Kalam Cosmological Arguments for Atheism | quote =The Kalam cosmological argument . . . was revived and has been a topic of widespread discussion since 1979, when Craig published ''The Kalam Cosmological Argument''. . . [A] count of the articles in the philosophy journals shows that more articles have been published about Craig’s defense of the Kalam argument than have been published about any other philosopher’s contemporary formulation of an argument for God’s existence. Surprisingly, this even holds for Plantinga’s argument for the rational acceptability of the ontological argument and Plantinga’s argument that theism is a rationally acceptable basic belief. The fact that theists and atheists alike ‘cannot leave Craig’s Kalam argument alone’ suggests that it may be an argument of unusual philosophical interest or else has an attractive core of plausibility that keeps philosophers turning back to it and examining it once again.}} </ref>
Craig received a [[Bachelor of Arts]] degree in [[communications]] from [[Wheaton College, Illinois]], in 1971 and two [[master's degree]]s from [[Trinity Evangelical Divinity School]] in [[Deerfield, Illinois]], in 1975, in [[philosophy of religion]] and [[history of Christianity|ecclesiastical history]]. He earned a [[Ph.D.]] in philosophy under [[John Hick]] at the [[University of Birmingham]], England in 1977 and a [[Th.D.]] under [[Wolfhart Pannenberg]] at the [[University of Munich]] in 1984.<ref name=cv>[http://media1.biola.edu/talbot/faculty/cvs/william_craig.pdf Curriculum Vitae], [[Talbot School of Theology]]</ref> From 1980 to 1986 he was an assistant professor of philosophy at [[Trinity Evangelical Divinity School]]. He briefly held the position of associate professor of [[religious studies]] at [[Westmont College]] in [[Santa Barbara, California]], from 1986 to 1987. From 1987 to 1994 Craig pursued further research at the [[Katholieke Universiteit Leuven|University of Leuven]], [[Belgium]]. Since 1996 he has held the position of [[research professor]] of philosophy at [[Talbot School of Theology]] in [[La Mirada, California]].<ref name=cv/>


==Views==
While Craig holds that [[theism]] can be demonstrated, he also embraces the [[reformed epistemology|Plantingian view]] that argument is unnecessary for justified belief in God.<ref>{{cite book | last = Craig | first = William Lane | title = Reasonable Faith: Christian Truth and Apologetics | edition = 3rd | year = 2008 | publisher = Crossway Books | page = 43 | quote = I think that Dodwell and Plantinga are correct . . . a person does not need supplementary arguments or evidence in order to know and to know with confidence that he is in fact experiencing the Spirit of God; that such experience does not function in this case as a premise in any argument from religious experience to God, but rather is the immediate experiencing of God . . .}}</ref> A leading philosopher of [[philosophy of time|space and time]]<ref>{{cite web | last = Smith | first = Quentin | authorlink = Quentin Smith | title = Testimonials from Theists and Atheists | url = http://www.reasonablefaith.org/documents/Reasonable_Faith_Press_Kit.pdf | accessdate = 2009-04-04 | pages = 5 | quote = William Lane Craig is . . . one of the leading philosophers of time . . .}} </ref> and [[metaphysics]],<ref>{{cite web | last = Leiter | first = Brian | authorlink = Brian Leiter | title = Who's "Hot" in Metaphysics? | url = http://leiterreports.typepad.com/blog/2004/05/whos_hot_in_met.html | accessdate = 2009-09-06 | quote = [Craig is among the] most referenced figures . . . whose work in metaphysics is most-discussed these days.}}</ref> Craig advocates a tensed or [[A-series and B-series|A-Theory of time]] and a [[Lorentz ether theory|Neo-Lorentzian interpretation]] of the [[Theory of Relativity]].<ref name="Closer">{{cite news | url=http://www.closertotruth.com/participant/William-Lane-Craig/24 | title=William Lane Craig | publisher=Closer to Truth: Cosmos, Consciousness, God website |year=2009 | first=Robert Lawrence | last=Kuhn | authorlink = Robert Lawrence Kuhn |accessdate = 2009-04-19}}</ref> An enthusiastic proponent of [[Molinism]], Craig’s theological research has focused on divine [[omniscience]], as well as divine [[eternity]] and [[aseity]].<ref name="Closer" />
In 1979, he authored ''[[The Kalam Cosmological Argument (book)|The Kalam Cosmological Argument]]'', a defense of the [[Kalam cosmological argument|argument of the same name]].<ref>http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/9781444308334.ch3/summary</ref><ref>Reichenbach, Bruce, "Cosmological Argument", The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Winter 2010 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.), URL = <http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/cosmological-argument/#4>.</ref> His work in [[theism|theistic]] and [[Christianity|Christian]] apologetics also includes defense of [[intelligent design]].<ref>{{cite book | last = Forrest | first = Barbara | title = Creationism's Trojan Horse | publisher = Oxford University Press, USA | location = City | year = 2007 | isbn = 0195319737 |page=191}}</ref><ref>{{cite book | last = Young | first = Matt | title = Why Intelligent Design Fails | publisher = Rutgers University Press | location = New Brunswick | year = 2006 | isbn = 0813538726 |page=13}}</ref><ref>{{cite book | last = Giberson | first = Karl | title = Species of Origins | publisher = Rowman & Littlefield | location = Lanham | year = 2002 | isbn = 0742507653 |page=202}}</ref><ref>{{cite book | last1 = Woodward | first = Thomas | last2 = Dembski | first2 = William| title = Darwin Strikes Back | publisher = Baker Books | location = Grand Rapids | year = 2006 | isbn = 0801065631 |page=201}}</ref> Craig is a fellow of the [[Discovery Institute]]'s [[Center for Science and Culture]], which is the hub of the intelligent design movement,<ref name="CraigDiscoveryBio">{{cite news | url=http://www.discovery.org/scripts/viewDB/index.php?command=view&id=85&isFellow=true | title=William Lane. Craig, Fellow - CSC |publisher=[[Center for Science and Culture]] ([[Discovery Institute]])| year=2009 | first= | last= | accessdate = 2009-04-24}}</ref>{{better source|date=September 2011}} and a fellow of the [[International Society for Complexity, Information and Design]] (ISCID).<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.iscid.org/fellows.php | title=ISCID Fellows | publisher=[[International Society for Complexity, Information and Design]] |year=2009 | first= | last= | accessdate = 2007-02-19}}</ref>{{better source|date=September 2011}} His and [[J. P. Moreland]]'s book ''Philosophical Foundations for a Christian Worldview'', was described by [[Catholic church|Catholic]] cardinal [[Avery Dulles]] as being part of a "resurgence of philosophical theology in Evangelical circles".<ref>{{cite book | last = Dulles | first = Avery | authorlink= Avery Dulles|title = A history of apologetics | publisher = Ignatius Press | location = San Francisco, CA | year = 2005 | isbn = 0898709334 |page=}}</ref>

As a New Testament scholar, Craig’s work has centered on the accounts of [[Resurrection of Jesus|Jesus’ resurrection]]. He has propounded an historical apologetic which argues [[Abductive reasoning|inferentially]] from the particulars of [[early Christianity]] to what Craig calls “the resurrection hypothesis.”<ref name="Closer" /> An ardent defender of the Christian faith, and a seasoned debater, Craig has been called “the finest Christian apologist of the last half century.”<ref>{{cite web | last = Moreland | first = James Porter | authorlink = James Porter Moreland | title = Testimonials from Theists and Atheists | url = http://www.reasonablefaith.org/documents/Reasonable_Faith_Press_Kit.pdf | accessdate = 2009-04-04 | pages = 7}} </ref> He is currently a Research Professor of Philosophy at [[Talbot School of Theology]], [[Biola University]].<ref name="Reasonable Faith">{{cite news | url=http://www.reasonablefaith.org/site/PageServer?pagename=about_william_lane_craig | title=About William Lane Craig | publisher=Reasonable Faith |year=2009 | first=William Lane | last=Craig | accessdate = 2009-04-19}}</ref>

== Early life and education ==

Craig was born in [[Peoria, Illinois]], grew up in [[Keokuk, Iowa]] and was raised in a non-religious family which included a father who was a railroad executive and [[World War II]] veteran, his mother, a homemaker, an older sister and younger brother.

Craig became a Christian at the age of sixteen, and his vocation and academic studies have reflected his commitment to Christian beliefs within the [[Evangelicalism|evangelical]] tradition. In theological commitments he holds to a [[Molinism|Middle Knowledge/Molinist]] view of the role of human will in conversion. He has had friendly connections with [[parachurch]] ministries such as [[Campus Crusade for Christ]] and [[InterVarsity Christian Fellowship]].

In his undergraduate studies, Craig was influenced by the writings of [[Francis Schaeffer]], [[Edward John Carnell]], and [[Stuart Hackett]], the latter of whom Craig studied under.{{Fact|date=April 2009}}

Craig's tertiary education commenced at [[Wheaton College, Illinois]] where he graduated in 1971 with a B.A. degree in communications.<ref name="Reasonable Faith" /> He then proceeded to graduate studies at [[Trinity Evangelical Divinity School]], [[Deerfield, Illinois]], where he graduated with two M.A. degrees in 1974 and 1975, one in the philosophy of religion and the other in church history.<ref name="Reasonable Faith" />

In 1977 Craig earned a doctorate in philosophy under [[John Hick]] at the [[University of Birmingham]], England, and in 1984 a doctorate in theology under [[Wolfhart Pannenberg]] at the [[University of Munich]].<ref name="Reasonable Faith" /> During his doctoral studies, he was a Fellow of the [[Alexander von Humboldt]] Stiftung.

==Work and publications==
From 1980–86 he was an Assistant Professor of Philosophy at [[Trinity Evangelical Divinity School]]. He also briefly held the position of associate professor of Religious Studies at [[Westmont College]], [[Santa Barbara, California]] in 1986. Between 1987-1994 Craig pursued further research at the [[Katholieke Universiteit Leuven|University of Leuven]], [[Belgium]]. Since 1994 he has been a Research Professor of Philosophy at Talbot School of Theology, [[La Mirada, California]].

As a philosopher, Craig has defended Christian [[theism]], both at the popular level and in academic publications. He is often credited with reviving the [[Kalam cosmological argument]] for the [[existence of God]], which argues for a [[first cause]] from the finitude of past events and the origin of the cosmos. His work on the compatibility of divine foreknowledge and human freedom has made him one of the most important contemporary defenders of Molinism, with its doctrine of middle knowledge. In the philosophy of time, he has vigorously defended the tensed or A-Theory of time and a [[Lorentz ether theory|Neo-Lorentzian interpretation]] of the [[Theory of Relativity]], involving a privileged [[frame of reference]] and relations of absolute simultaneity.

He is also a fellow of the [[Discovery Institute]]'s [[Center for Science and Culture]] which is the hub of the [[intelligent design movement]].<ref name="CraigDiscoveryBio">{{cite news | url=http://www.discovery.org/scripts/viewDB/index.php?command=view&id=85&isFellow=true | title=William Lane. Craig, Fellow - CSC |publisher=[[Center for Science and Culture]] ([[Discovery Institute]]) | date=2009 | first= | last= | accessdate = 2009-04-24}}</ref> Craig is also a fellow of the [[International Society for Complexity, Information and Design]] (ISCID).<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.iscid.org/fellows.php | title=ISCID Fellows | publisher=[[International Society for Complexity, Information and Design]] |year=2009 | first= | last= | accessdate = 2007-02-19}}</ref> Craig has written on the philosophical and cosmological aspects of the fine tuning of the universe by an intelligent creator.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.arn.org/docs/odesign/od172/cosmos172.htm | title=Cosmos and Creator |publisher=[[Origins & Design]] | date=March 1, 1996 | first= | last= | accessdate = 2009-04-24}}</ref>

As a [[New Testament]] scholar, Craig has published widely on the historicity of the resurrection accounts of Jesus. Like [[N.T. Wright]] and [[Gary Habermas]], Craig has argued that the bodily [[resurrection of Jesus]] best explains what can be gleaned from the historical Jesus’ self-understanding, his death and burial, the posthumous apparitions of Jesus, and the origin of the early Christian movement. His work in philosophy has influenced other Christian philosophers, notably [[Francis Beckwith]] and [[J. P. Moreland]].{{Fact|date=April 2009}}

Craig has edited, authored, or co-authored over thirty books and over a hundred articles in professional journals.[http://www.reasonablefaith.org] In the July 2008 issue of ''[[Christianity Today]]'', Craig wrote a cover article, titled "[http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2008/july/13.22.html God is Not Dead Yet]." In the article, Craig celebrates what he believes is the success of natural theology to deliver arguments for the existence of God. "[New atheism] is blissfully ignorant of the revolution that has taken place in Anglo-American philosophy," claims Craig. "It reflects the scientism of a bygone generation rather than the contemporary intellectual scene."

William Lane Craig authored ''Hard Questions, Real Answers'' in 2003, ''Time and Eternity: Exploring God's Relationship to Time'' in 2001, ''Reasonable Faith: Christian Truth and Apologetics'' in 1994, and co-authored with J.P. Moreland ''Philosophical Foundations for a Christian Worldview'' in 2003. His works depict Christian apologetics in epistemology, ontology, cosmology, theology, morality, logic, and historicity.

Craig has been critical of [[Liberal Christianity#Liberal Theology|liberal theology]], [[metaphysical naturalism]], [[logical positivism]], [[moral relativism]], and the ideas put forth by the [[Jesus Seminar]]. He has defended the [[middle knowledge]] view of [[divine providence]] and is also notable for his work in the [[philosophy of time]]. He is a founding member and has served as president of the Philosophy of Time Society.

==Public speaking==

He is a frequent public speaker and debater on university campuses<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.reasonablefaith.org/site/PageServer?pagename=debates_main | title=Debates |publisher=Reasonable Faith | date=Apr 5, 2009 | first=William Lane | last=Craig | accessdate = 2009-04-24}}</ref> and he occasionally appears in the national news media. He has engaged many prominent academic [[atheism|atheists]] and [[Liberal Christianity#Liberal Theology|liberal theologians]] in public dialogue. Some of these debates have been subsequently published as books, which include ''Will the Real Jesus Please Stand Up?'' Debate with [[John Dominic Crossan]], ''Jesus' Resurrection: Fact or Figment?'' Debate with Gerd Lüdemann ''Does God exist?'' Debate with [[Antony Flew]], and ''God?'' Debate with Walter Sinnott-Armstrong.

In March 2006, Craig and New Testament scholar [[Bart D. Ehrman]] engaged in a debate entitled "Is There Historical Evidence for the Resurrection of Jesus?" on the campus of the [[College of the Holy Cross]], with Craig arguing in the affirmative and Ehrman in the negative.[http://www.holycross.edu/departments/crec/website/resurrdebate.htm] Three years later, Craig debated [[Christopher Hitchens]] on April 4, 2009 at Biola University on the topic "Does God Exist?"<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.whittierdailynews.com/news/ci_12079851 | title=Craig, Hitchens ask 'Does God Exist?' |publisher=[[Whittier Daily News]] | date=Apr 5, 2009 | first= | last= | accessdate = 2009-04-24}}</ref>


==Bibliography==
==Bibliography==
[[File:The-Kalam-Cosmological-Argument.jpg|thumb|250px|right|Cover for Craig's 1979 book [[The Kalām Cosmological Argument]].]]

* ''[[The Kalām Cosmological Argument]]''. London: MacMillan. 1979. ISBN 157910438X / ISBN 978-1579104382
=== Scholarly Books ===
* ''The ''Kalam'' Cosmological Argument''. London: MacMillan. 1979.
* ''The Cosmological Argument from Plato to Leibniz''. London: MacMillan. 1980. ISBN 1579107877 / ISBN 978-1579107871
* ''The Son Rises: Historical evidence for the resurrection of Jesus''. Chicago: Moody Press. 1981. ISBN 9781579104641 / ISBN 978-1579104641
* ''The Cosmological Argument from Plato to Leibniz''. London: MacMillan. 1980.
* ''The Historical Argument for the Resurrection of Jesus during the Deist Controversy''. Toronto: Edwin Mellen. 1985.
* ''The Problem of Divine Foreknowledge and Future Contingents from Aristotle to Suarez''. Leiden: E.J. Brill. 1988.
* ''Assessing the New Testament Evidence for the Historicity of the Resurrection of Jesus''. Toronto: Edwin Mellen Press. 1989.
* ''Divine Foreknowledge and Human Freedom: The Coherence of Theism I: Omniscience''. Leiden: E.J. Brill. 1990.
* (ed. with Mark S. McLeod) ''The Logic of Rational Theism: Exploratory Essays''. New York: Edwin Mellen Press. 1990.
* (co-authored with Quentin Smith) ''Theism, Atheism, and Big Bang Cosmology''. Oxford: Clarendon Press. 1993.
* ''The Tensed Theory of Time: A Critical Examination''. Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic Publishers. 2000.
* ''The Tenseless Theory of Time: A Critical Examination''. Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic Publishers. 2000.
* (ed. with J.P. Moreland) ''Naturalism: A Critical Analysis''. London: Routledge. 2000.
* ''God, Time and Eternity''. Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic Publishers. 2001.
* ''Time and The Metaphysics of Relativity''. Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic Publishers. 2001.
* (ed.) ''Philosophy of Religion: A Reader and Guide''. New Brunswick: Rutgers University Press. 2002.
* (ed. with Quentin Smith) ''Einstein, Relativity, and Absolute Simultaneity''. London: Routledge. 2007.
* (ed. with J.P. Moreland) ''The Blackwell Companion to Natural Theology''. Oxford: Blackwell. 2009.

=== Popular Books===
* ''The Son Rises: Historical evidence for the resurrection of Jesus''. Chicago: Moody Press. 1981.
* ''Apologetics: An Introduction''. Chicago: Moody Press. 1984. ISBN 0802404057
* ''Apologetics: An Introduction''. Chicago: Moody Press. 1984. ISBN 0802404057
* ''The Historical Argument for the Resurrection of Jesus during the Deist Controversy''. Toronto: Edwin Mellen. 1985. ISBN 0-88946-811-7
* ''The Only Wise God: The Compatibility of Divine Foreknowledge and Human Freedom''. Grand Rapids: Baker Bookhouse. 1987.
* ''The Only Wise God: The Compatibility of Divine Foreknowledge and Human Freedom''. Grand Rapids: Baker Bookhouse. 1987. ISBN 1579103162 / ISBN 978-1579103163
* ''Knowing the Truth About the Resurrection''. Ann Arbor: Servant. 1988.
* ''The Problem of Divine Foreknowledge and Future Contingents from Aristotle to Suarez''. Leiden: E.J. Brill. 1988. ISBN 9004085165 / ISBN 978-9004085169
* ''No Easy Answers''. Chicago: Moody Press. 1990.
* ''Knowing the Truth About the Resurrection''. Ann Arbor: Servant. 1988. ISBN 089283384X / ISBN 978-0892833849
* ''Reasonable Faith''. Wheaton: Crossway. 1994. rev. 3rd ed. 2008.
* ''Assessing the New Testament Evidence for the Historicity of the Resurrection of Jesus''. Toronto: Edwin Mellen Press. 1989. ISBN 0889466165/ ISBN 978-0889466166
* ''God, Are You There?''. Atlanta: RZIM. 1999.
* ''Divine Foreknowledge and Human Freedom: The Coherence of Theism I: Omniscience''. Leiden: E.J. Brill. 1990. ISBN 9004092501 / ISBN 978-9004092501
* ''Time and Eternity: Exploring God's Relationship to Time''. Wheaton: Crossway. 2001.
* ''No Easy Answers''. Chicago: Moody Press. 1990. ISBN 0802422837 / ISBN 978-0802422835
* ''What Does God Know?'' Atlanta: RZIM. 2002.
* ''Theism, Atheism, and Big Bang Cosmology'' (with Quentin Smith). Oxford: Clarendon Press. 1993. ISBN 978-0198263838
* ''Hard Questions, Real Answers''. Wheaton: Crossway Books. 2003.
* ''The Tensed Theory of Time: A Critical Examination''. Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic Publishers. ISBN 0792366344 / ISBN 978-0792366348
* (co-authored with J.P. Moreland) ''Philosophical Foundations for a Christian Worldview''. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press. 2003.
* ''Will the Real Jesus Please Stand Up? A Debate Between William Lane Craig and [[John Dominic Crossan]]''. Grand Rapids: Baker Bookhouse. 1998.
* (ed. with Francis Beckwith and J. P. Moreland) ''To Everyone an Answer: A Case for the Christian Worldview: Essays in Honor of Norman Geisler''. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press. 2004.
* ''God, Are You There?''. Atlanta: RZIM. 1999. ISBN 1930107005 / ISBN 978-1930107007
* (co-authored with Paul Copan) ''Creation out of Nothing: Its Biblical, Philosophical, and Scientific Exploration''. Grand Rapids: Baker Bookhouse. 2004. ISBN 0801027330
* ''The Tenseless Theory of Time: A Critical Examination''. Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic Publishers. 2000. ISBN 9780792366355 / ISBN 978-0792366355
* (ed. with Paul Gould) ''The Two Tasks of the Christian Scholar: Redeeming the Soul, Redeeming the Mind''. Wheaton: Crossway. 2007.
* ''God, Time and Eternity''. Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic Publishers. 2001. ISBN 9781581342413 / ISBN 978-1581342413
* (ed. with Paul Copan) ''Passionate Conviction: Contemporary Discourses on Christian Apologetics''. Nashville: Broadman & Holman. 2007.
* ''Time and The Metaphysics of Relativity''. Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic Publishers. 2001. ISBN 0 7923 6668 9
* (ed. with Chad Meister) ''God Is Great, God Is Good''. Downers Grove: InterVarsity. 2009.
* ''Time and Eternity: Exploring God's Relationship to Time''. Wheaton: Crossway. 2001. ISBN 9781581342413 / ISBN 978-1581342413
* (ed. with Paul Copan) ''Contending with Christianity's Critics: Answering New Atheists & Other Objectors''. Nashville: Broadman & Holman. 2009.
* ''What Does God Know?'' Atlanta: RZIM. 2002. ISBN 9781930107052
* ''On Guard: Defending Your Faith with Reason and Precision''. Colorado Springs: David C. Cook. 2010.
* ''Hard Questions, Real Answers''. Wheaton: Crossway Books. 2003. ISBN 9781581344875 / ISBN 978-1581344875

* ''God?: A Debate Between a Christian and an Atheist''(with Walter Sinnot-Armstrong). New York: Oxford University Press. 2003.
=== Debate Books ===
* ''Philosophical Foundations for a Christian Worldview'' (with J.P. Moreland). Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press. 2003.
* ''Will the Real Jesus Please Stand Up? A Debate Between William Lane Craig and [[John Dominic Crossan]]'' (ed. Paul Copan). Grand Rapids: Baker Bookhouse. 1998.
* ''Creation out of Nothing: Its Biblical, Philosophical, and Scientific Exploration'' (with Paul Copan). Grand Rapids: Baker Bookhouse. 2004. ISBN 0801027330
* ''Jesus' Resurrection: Fact or Figment? A Debate Between William Lane Craig and Gerd Ludemann'' (eds. Paul Copan and Ronald K. Tacelli). Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press. 2000.
* ''Reasonable Faith''. Wheaton: Crossway. 1994. rev. 3rd ed. 2008. ISBN 0891077642 / ISBN 978-0891077640
* ''Five Views on Apologetics'' (ed. Steven B. Cowan). Grand Rapids: Zondervan. 2000.
* ''On Guard: Defending Your Faith with Reason and Precision''. Colorado Springs: David C. Cook. 2010. ISBN 1434764885 / ISBN 978-1434764881
* ''Divine Foreknowledge: Four Views'' (eds. James K. Beilby and Paul R. Eddy). Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press. 2001.
* ''God and Time: Four Views'' (ed. Gregory Ganssle). Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press. 2001.
* ''Who Was Jesus? A Jewish-Christian Dialogue''. (eds. Paul Copan and Craig Evans). Louisville: Westminster-John Knox Press. 2001.
* ''Does God Exist? The Craig-Flew Debate'' (ed. Stan W. Wallace). Aldershot: Ashgate. 2003.
* (co-authored with Walter Sinnot-Armstrong)''God?: A Debate Between a Christian and an Atheist''. New York: Oxford University Press. 2003.
* ''Is Goodness Without God Good Enough?'' (eds. Robert Garcia and Nathan King). Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield. 2008.
* ''What Does God Control? Four Views on Divine Providence'' (ed. Dennis W. Jowers). Grand Rapids: Zondervan. forthcoming.


==See also==
==See also==
* [[American philosophy]]
* [[List of American philosophers]]
* [[List of American philosophers]]


==References==
==References==
{{reflist}}
{{Reflist}}


==External links==
==External links==
{{Commons category}}
{{commonscat}}
*[http://www.reasonablefaith.org Reasonable Faith], William Lane Craig's website featuring articles, transcripts of debates, audio-visual resources, an online newsletter and discussion forum.
* [http://www.reasonablefaith.org Reasonable Faith] William Lane Craig's personal website
* [http://www.talbot.edu/faculty/profile/william_craig/ Faculty webpage]
**[http://www.reasonablefaithtools.com/ Web companion to Craig's Reasonable Faith]
*[http://rfforum.websitetoolbox.com/post?id=2703927 Comprehensive Debate list], 40+ Free streaming audio/video debates
* [http://rfforum.websitetoolbox.com/post?id=2703927 Comprehensive Debate list]
*[http://www.theopedia.com/William_Lane_Craig William Lane Craig] (Theopedia; with audio resources)
* [http://www.closertotruth.com/participant/William-Lane-Craig/24 Interviews] from the program [[Closer to Truth]]
* {{worldcat id|lccn-n77-11430}}
*[http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2008/july/13.22.html "God Is Not Dead Yet"] Craig's cover story for [[Christianity Today]] in which he describes the renewed interest in the arguments for the existence of God among contemporary philosophers.


{{philosophy of religion}}
{{philosophy of religion}}


{{Persondata <!-- Metadata: see [[Wikipedia:Persondata]]. -->
| NAME = Craig, William Lane
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES =
| SHORT DESCRIPTION =
| DATE OF BIRTH = 1949-08-23
| PLACE OF BIRTH = [[Peoria, Illinois]]
| DATE OF DEATH =
| PLACE OF DEATH =
}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Craig, William Lane}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Craig, William Lane}}
[[Category:1949 births]]
[[Category:1949 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Alumni of the University of Birmingham]]
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Revision as of 18:05, 16 September 2011

William Lane Craig
Born (1949-08-23) August 23, 1949 (age 74)
Peoria, Illinois
Era21st-century philosophy
RegionWestern Philosophy
SchoolAnalytic Philosophy
Main interests
Philosophy of religion, Natural theology, Philosophy of time, Christian Apologetics
Notable ideas
Kalam cosmological argument
Websitereasonablefaith.org

William Lane Craig (born August 23, 1949) is an American analytic philosopher and Evangelical Christian apologist in the evidentialist tradition. He is best known as a prolific debater, usually defending the existence of God. He is also known for his defence of the Kalām cosmological argument, a variant form of the Cosmological argument for the existence of God.[1]

Academic background

Craig received a Bachelor of Arts degree in communications from Wheaton College, Illinois, in 1971 and two master's degrees from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, Illinois, in 1975, in philosophy of religion and ecclesiastical history. He earned a Ph.D. in philosophy under John Hick at the University of Birmingham, England in 1977 and a Th.D. under Wolfhart Pannenberg at the University of Munich in 1984.[2] From 1980 to 1986 he was an assistant professor of philosophy at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He briefly held the position of associate professor of religious studies at Westmont College in Santa Barbara, California, from 1986 to 1987. From 1987 to 1994 Craig pursued further research at the University of Leuven, Belgium. Since 1996 he has held the position of research professor of philosophy at Talbot School of Theology in La Mirada, California.[2]

Views

In 1979, he authored The Kalam Cosmological Argument, a defense of the argument of the same name.[3][4] His work in theistic and Christian apologetics also includes defense of intelligent design.[5][6][7][8] Craig is a fellow of the Discovery Institute's Center for Science and Culture, which is the hub of the intelligent design movement,[9][better source needed] and a fellow of the International Society for Complexity, Information and Design (ISCID).[10][better source needed] His and J. P. Moreland's book Philosophical Foundations for a Christian Worldview, was described by Catholic cardinal Avery Dulles as being part of a "resurgence of philosophical theology in Evangelical circles".[11]

Bibliography

File:The-Kalam-Cosmological-Argument.jpg
Cover for Craig's 1979 book The Kalām Cosmological Argument.
  • The Kalām Cosmological Argument. London: MacMillan. 1979. ISBN 157910438X / ISBN 978-1579104382
  • The Cosmological Argument from Plato to Leibniz. London: MacMillan. 1980. ISBN 1579107877 / ISBN 978-1579107871
  • The Son Rises: Historical evidence for the resurrection of Jesus. Chicago: Moody Press. 1981. ISBN 9781579104641 / ISBN 978-1579104641
  • Apologetics: An Introduction. Chicago: Moody Press. 1984. ISBN 0802404057
  • The Historical Argument for the Resurrection of Jesus during the Deist Controversy. Toronto: Edwin Mellen. 1985. ISBN 0-88946-811-7
  • The Only Wise God: The Compatibility of Divine Foreknowledge and Human Freedom. Grand Rapids: Baker Bookhouse. 1987. ISBN 1579103162 / ISBN 978-1579103163
  • The Problem of Divine Foreknowledge and Future Contingents from Aristotle to Suarez. Leiden: E.J. Brill. 1988. ISBN 9004085165 / ISBN 978-9004085169
  • Knowing the Truth About the Resurrection. Ann Arbor: Servant. 1988. ISBN 089283384X / ISBN 978-0892833849
  • Assessing the New Testament Evidence for the Historicity of the Resurrection of Jesus. Toronto: Edwin Mellen Press. 1989. ISBN 0889466165/ ISBN 978-0889466166
  • Divine Foreknowledge and Human Freedom: The Coherence of Theism I: Omniscience. Leiden: E.J. Brill. 1990. ISBN 9004092501 / ISBN 978-9004092501
  • No Easy Answers. Chicago: Moody Press. 1990. ISBN 0802422837 / ISBN 978-0802422835
  • Theism, Atheism, and Big Bang Cosmology (with Quentin Smith). Oxford: Clarendon Press. 1993. ISBN 978-0198263838
  • The Tensed Theory of Time: A Critical Examination. Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic Publishers. ISBN 0792366344 / ISBN 978-0792366348
  • Will the Real Jesus Please Stand Up? A Debate Between William Lane Craig and John Dominic Crossan. Grand Rapids: Baker Bookhouse. 1998.
  • God, Are You There?. Atlanta: RZIM. 1999. ISBN 1930107005 / ISBN 978-1930107007
  • The Tenseless Theory of Time: A Critical Examination. Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic Publishers. 2000. ISBN 9780792366355 / ISBN 978-0792366355
  • God, Time and Eternity. Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic Publishers. 2001. ISBN 9781581342413 / ISBN 978-1581342413
  • Time and The Metaphysics of Relativity. Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic Publishers. 2001. ISBN 0 7923 6668 9
  • Time and Eternity: Exploring God's Relationship to Time. Wheaton: Crossway. 2001. ISBN 9781581342413 / ISBN 978-1581342413
  • What Does God Know? Atlanta: RZIM. 2002. ISBN 9781930107052
  • Hard Questions, Real Answers. Wheaton: Crossway Books. 2003. ISBN 9781581344875 / ISBN 978-1581344875
  • God?: A Debate Between a Christian and an Atheist(with Walter Sinnot-Armstrong). New York: Oxford University Press. 2003.
  • Philosophical Foundations for a Christian Worldview (with J.P. Moreland). Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press. 2003.
  • Creation out of Nothing: Its Biblical, Philosophical, and Scientific Exploration (with Paul Copan). Grand Rapids: Baker Bookhouse. 2004. ISBN 0801027330
  • Reasonable Faith. Wheaton: Crossway. 1994. rev. 3rd ed. 2008. ISBN 0891077642 / ISBN 978-0891077640
  • On Guard: Defending Your Faith with Reason and Precision. Colorado Springs: David C. Cook. 2010. ISBN 1434764885 / ISBN 978-1434764881

See also

References

  1. ^ Reichenbach, Bruce, "Cosmological Argument", The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Winter 2010 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.), URL = <http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/cosmological-argument/#4>.
  2. ^ a b Curriculum Vitae, Talbot School of Theology
  3. ^ http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/9781444308334.ch3/summary
  4. ^ Reichenbach, Bruce, "Cosmological Argument", The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Winter 2010 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.), URL = <http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/cosmological-argument/#4>.
  5. ^ Forrest, Barbara (2007). Creationism's Trojan Horse. City: Oxford University Press, USA. p. 191. ISBN 0195319737.
  6. ^ Young, Matt (2006). Why Intelligent Design Fails. New Brunswick: Rutgers University Press. p. 13. ISBN 0813538726.
  7. ^ Giberson, Karl (2002). Species of Origins. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield. p. 202. ISBN 0742507653.
  8. ^ Woodward, Thomas; Dembski, William (2006). Darwin Strikes Back. Grand Rapids: Baker Books. p. 201. ISBN 0801065631.
  9. ^ "William Lane. Craig, Fellow - CSC". Center for Science and Culture (Discovery Institute). 2009. Retrieved 2009-04-24.
  10. ^ "ISCID Fellows". International Society for Complexity, Information and Design. 2009. Retrieved 2007-02-19.
  11. ^ Dulles, Avery (2005). A history of apologetics. San Francisco, CA: Ignatius Press. ISBN 0898709334.

External links

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