Prelude to Philosophy: An Introduction for Christians

by Mark W. Foreman

"The unexamined life is not worth living," according to Socrates, but pursuing the examined life strikes many as daunting, unappealing and even unnecessary. Is philosophy important? Why do I need philosophy if I have the Bible? Aren't philosophers simply engaged in meaningless disputes that are irrelevant to everyday life? Mark Foreman addresses these and other questions in this "prelude" to the subject. Unlike a full introduction to philosophy, this book is a preliminary discussion that dispels misunderstandings and explains the rationale for engaging in philosophical reasoning. In the first half of the book, Foreman defines the task of philosophy, compares it to other disciplines and demonstrates its practical value to Christians interested in developing a more thoughtful faith. The second half introduces the reader to logic and argumentation, the essential tools of a philosopher. Concise and straightforward, Prelude to Philosophy is a guide for those looking to embark on the "examined life."

Genres: Philosophy, Nonfiction, Theology, Christianity, Textbooks, Read For School, School

208 pages, Paperback

First published November 15, 2013

About the author

Dr. Foreman came to Liberty University as a graduate student in 1989 and joined the faculty in 1990. From 1990 – 1994, he designed and maintained the Phil 201 course for Liberty’s distance learning program. He continues as the subject matter expert for the current online Phil 201 course. In 1994 Dr. Foreman moved into the residential philosophy department where he has been ever since.

Dr. Foreman currently has one book in print, Christianity and Bioethics: Confronting Clinical Issues (Wipf and Stock, 2011) and has two books forthcoming from InterVaristy Press on philosophy and epistemology, respectively. He also has a number of chapters and articles in other publications dealing with issues in apologetics and bioethics.

Dr. Foreman has been married 33 years and has three adult children. He enjoys being actively involved in directing and performing in plays and musicals for the local community theaters. He also enjoys watching baseball and tennis and playing the vibraphone.

Reviews

[J.J. Richardson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This manages to make difficult philosophical concepts easier to grasp. But that doesn't mean it's easy, just a little easier for anyone new to philosophy.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

The textbook for a philosophy 101 class I'm taking. Pretty good. Not what I would consider pleasure reading, but it was readable and accessible.

[David Haines · Rating 5 out of 5]

I rarely give a five star rating, but I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It is a great introduction to philosophy and critical thinking, written with Christians as the intended audience. It is easy to read (took me a couple of days), and easy to understand. I'll post my full review tomorrow, but, every Christian should have this book in their library, regardless of whether they will ever study philosophy or not, and especially if they want to better understand the Bible, and Christian theology.

[Bailey Marissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

(4.7)

An introduction to philosophy, covering why Christians should care about philosophy, how to correctly structure an argument, and how to spot a badly structured argument.

Used with Weeks 1 & 2 of LUO's Philosophy and Contemporary Ideas.

Recommended 14+

[Andyerson · Rating 3 out of 5]

this is a great start to one’s beginning in philosophy. this does a great job defining key words and creating a structured path to follow. a boring but necessary read.

[Maxime N. Georgel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Une excellente introduction à la philosophie.

Le livre commence par définir ce qu’est la philosophie, comme tout bon livre sur le sujet.
Puis il explique en quoi la philosophie importe. Il argumente ensuite sur la nécessité de la philosophie pour le chrétien et répond aux objections à l’entreprise philosophique tirées de certains textes bibliques. Ensuite il liste les « divisions » de la philosophie.

La fin est particulièrement intéressante, il s’agit d’une introduction à la logique, aux erreurs formelles et informelles et d’une présentation d’une méthode pour analyser les arguments.

Le livre se conclut par les 7 vertus que le philosophe chrétien doit cultiver.

[preston russell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Foreman presents the study of philosophy in a whole new light. He argues that developing a philosophical mindset is a form of intellectualism that all people should learn about and utilize. This mindset "is one of the most important ways we understand God and his world" (p. 197). Those who are not Christians are not exempt from this promise. Philosophy broadens the mind and enriches our lives in its pursuit of knowledge. The more we know and understand about the world, the more we want to know, and the more fulfilled we become. In the 21st century, we too often fall prey to the laziness that engulfs the average American; our ideas, morals, and beliefs are simple and uneducated. Before we make conclusions and assumptions about how the world works, what we should believe, or how we are to live, we must first research, philosophize, and thoroughly trace our beliefs back to a specific event/occurrence or set of events/occurrences that will, at the very least, provide us with the most plausible and evidential conclusions. Then, we must continue to study (check and balance) our beliefs to either a) solidify our beliefs with further evidence or b) discover strong evidence that suggests our current set of beliefs are wrong (wherein we start back at the beginning of what we know and begin to reestablish our philosophical beliefs). In either case, we gain new knowledge which helps us to better understand, communicate, and learn about the world around us. I love this book!

[Jay Vellacott · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think because people in general don't enjoy Philosophy, the ratings for this book skew on the lower end. As someone that really enjoys Philosophy this book was really insightful! It is a very helpful introduction to the importance of Philosophy, and the chapters on logic and fallacies are particularly helpful and concise. I'm also not a Philosophy major by the way.

[Joshua Riding · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mark Foreman presents more than just a primer on philosophy that would be helpful to any uninitiated person curious about philosophy; his book also becomes an apology (in the classical definition) for the Christian life needing to be steeped in philosophy, regardless of how intellectual one’s lifestyle is as a Christian.

I read this as part of my collegiate studies, and his arguments and propositions about philosophy challenged what I knew about it in a way that prompted reflection, and taught a healthy amount about philosophy that—if you were sufficiently convinced of the need of a more “philosophical mindset”—you would know enough to start engaging the world around you to build that mindset.

Overall, I greatly enjoyed the book. Mark Foreman gives the reader a lot to start their philosophical journey and helpful points to look back and reflect on and refer to when going about one’s daily life, which was one of his ultimate purposes in the book. I’d recommend it to most anyone interested in philosophy, obviously to Christians especially, although there’s something in it for those not of the same religious convictions.

[Logan Maloney · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was actually perfect for where I am at currently in my understanding of philosophy and how to study it! It helps give really good reasons for why Christians need to step into the study of Scripture if we are to really wrestle with God’s word and our faith. The author also did a good job teaching the basics without it being boring or over the head. Would absolutely recommend for any Christian interested in Philosophy!

[Grace R · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book for my philosophy class. Obviously because I was forced to read it, it was not my favorite, but the information was easy and clear to understand. They did not use a bunch of complicated words and backwards thinking.

[Nathan Bozeman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am rating this 5-Stars because it is an excellent example of what it claims to be - an introduction to philosophy for Christians. I'd recommend this to anyone who is a beginner in philosophy and wants to learn from a Christian perspective.

[Jenn West · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great for an introduction into the categories and guidelines of philosophy. Read this for an intro to Phil class and greatly enjoyed. Easy read of difficult concepts.

[☠︎︎༒︎✞︎ ѕℓιм ☠︎︎༒︎✞︎ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Had to read this book for my philosophy class.

[Rowena Ivanhoe · Rating 4 out of 5]

A basic, easy to read introduction to the disciplines of philosophy and logic.

[Cameron Tietz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even though it was a required reading, it was very captivating and very applicable in every day situations.

[Kenzie Hanks · Rating 1 out of 5]

oh college

[Miranda Parrish · Rating 2 out of 5]

School read. Boring.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read it for school.

[Sarah]

INTERESTING stuff

ngl i understand how logic works better now than i did after a whole SEMESTER of it

i will never get over my logic professor literally saying "all logic textbooks are stupid" as if that wasn't. a logical fallacy ...

anyway this book was good u should read it expand ur brain

[Daniel · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a good book for those who are Christians but have no background or interest or see any value in philosophy.

[Brandon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highly recommended.
Read more than once.

[Karen Jensen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very well put together book.

[Jackson Winn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Basic philosophy

I thought the book was very insightful. It helped me to think more in a philosophical manner. For Christians looking to start learning about philosophy I recommend this book.