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person1960s-present

Alvin Plantinga

Summary

American philosopher (born 1932) who revitalized analytic philosophy of religion; developed Reformed epistemology arguing theistic belief is 'properly basic'; rehabilitated theism as intellectually serious in professional philosophy after logical positivism's dismissal.

Core Contribution

Reformed epistemology: theistic belief can be rational without propositional evidence; free will defense resolving logical problem of evil; Evolutionary Argument Against Naturalism (EAAN) showing self-defeat of naturalism.

Key Spikes & Highlights

  • Reformed epistemology
  • properly basic belief
  • free will defense
  • EAAN
  • analytic theology
  • God and Other Minds

Notable Works & Achievements

God and Other Minds

The Nature of Necessity

God, Freedom, and Evil

Warranted Christian Belief

Where the Conflict Really Lies

Historical Influences

John Calvin Thomas Reid Roderick Chisholm Aristotle

Intellectual Lineage

Reformed theology Calvinist epistemologyanalytic philosophy Thomas Reid

Contemporaries & Peers

William Alston Nicholas Wolterstorff Peter van Inwagen

Minds Influenced

analytic theology Christian philosophersNicholas Wolterstorff William Alston

Intellectual Posterity

analytic philosophy of religion analytic theology movementChristian philosophy

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