The Influence of Alvin Plantinga

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Alvin Plantinga's contributions to the field of philosophy are difficult to overstate.  As Daniel Silliman explains in a recent article featured at Christianity Today:

"Plantinga has been called 'American's leading orthodox Protestant philosopher of God,' 'arguably the greatest philosopher of the last century,' and simply 'God's philosopher.'  He is one of the the most cited contemporary philosophers in the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy and is widely credited with a renaissance of Christian philosophy and the revitalization of the philosophy of religion."1

Among his many contributions, Plantinga is known for breathing new life into the Ontological Argument for God's existence, his Evolutionary Argument against Naturalism and pioneering the idea that belief in God is properly basic (see above).  When one considers the significant influence Plantinga has had in the fields of philosophy and theology, it is surprising that he is not more widely referenced in modern works of apologetics.  I can only speculate why this is so, but I do wonder if layman (such as myself) sometimes have a hard time following the analytical nature of Plantinga's argumentation.  This is why I was thrilled to stumble upon the Center for Philosophy of Religion's helpful resource Plantinga Videos.  As explained on the site:

"Below are short, animated videos on philosopher Alvin Plantinga's most important contributions to the philosophy of religion. These ideas transformed how those within philosophy and the surrounding culture understood theism – the belief in a divine reality or god. In 2017 Plantinga was awarded the the Templeton Prize which each year honors a living person who has made an exceptional contribution to affirming life’s spiritual dimension, whether through insight, discovery, or practical works."2

These videos are thoughtfully animated and easy to follow.  For those unfamiliar with Plantinga's work, or who have had a hard time following his reasoning, these videos are are indispensable.  

You can find more videos and information about the life and legacy of Alvin Plantinga here.

Courage and Godspeed,

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