An Interview With Christian Philosopher Paul Gould
Dear Readers,
We will resume our normal Useful Things format next week. In the meantime, enjoy this interview with Worldview Bulletin editor Paul Gould from our May issue.
Christopher Reese
Managing Editor
An Interview with Christian Philosopher Paul Gould
It may seem presumptuous to interview one of our own editors, but Paul Gould has recently published two important books and we wanted to take an opportunity to talk to him about his work, cultural apologetics, and the state of apologetics in general.
Worldview Bulletin: Can you briefly share how you came to faith in Christ, and how the Lord has been using you for the past several years?
Paul Gould: As a freshman in college, two students knocked on my dorm room door and shared the gospel with me. I remember thinking, after they left, that if what they had said of Jesus was true, that I had missed the boat. I grew up going to church, but I had never really heard the gospel clearly presented. I had no idea that we needed to make a personal decision to accept Jesus into our hearts for the forgiveness of sins. So, I did what anyone would do—I went to an apologetics class with my friend to examine the evidence! (OK, I know now that that is not normal, but it seemed to make sense to me at the time).
After going to this class my freshman year, I realized that Christianity was in fact true. I was a bit shocked to find out how much evidence there was for the truth of God’s existence, the deity of Christ, and the resurrection. That summer, I bent my knee and will to what my mind had already come to believe as true. It has been a wild ride since then! Back then I never would have guessed that I’d end up getting a PhD in philosophy or that I’d become a professor and ministry leader. Over the last few years, I’ve seen the Lord use me as a teacher and speaker and evangelist. In particular—which I’ll discuss in a minute—I’ve seen the Lord use me to help encourage others to embrace all aspects of what it means to be human (our mind, emotion, conscience, imagination) in order to show the beauty and brilliance of Jesus and the gospel.
WB: I want to ask a few questions about your new book, Cultural Apologetics, but you've also written, with James Dew, a new introduction to philosophy. Can you tell us a little bit about that project and why you all wrote it?
PG: Some books have deep and meaningful origin stories, while others just seem to fall in one’s lap out of nowhere. The philosophy book I wrote with Jamie is of the latter variety. Jamie was already working with Baker Academic, discussing with them their need for a new philosophy book. I was graciously invited into the project by Jamie, and the rest, as they say, is history.
We wrote this book because we are passionate about philosophy. As Plato somewhat scandalously describes, the philosopher is wisdom’s lover. And the Apostle Paul reminds us that in Christ we find all truths of wisdom and knowledge (Col. 2:3). So, we think there is a tight connection between Christianity and philosophy—and we wanted to write an accessible introduction to philosophy to help others on the journey of faith. In the book, we provide a slightly opinionated introduction to the main branches of philosophy as traditionally conceived—epistemology, metaphysics, ethics—and a detailed introduction to many of the topics of interest to Christians (such as the evidence for God’s existence, the question of the afterlife, the problems of evil and divine hiding, and so on) in a sub-branch of philosophy called philosophy of religion.
WB: What is cultural apologetics and why do you believe it's needed today?
PG: In the book, I define cultural apologetics as the work of renewing the Christian voice, conscience, and imagination so that Christianity will be viewed as true and satisfying. I try to carve out a new “lane” for cultural apologetics that takes into account what it means to be humans that both make culture and are shaped by culture. I also specify what I call “global” and “local” concerns for the cultural apologist. Globally, the cultural apologist is concerned with showing Christianity reasonable and desirable in the culture-shaping institutes of the world (the university for truth, the arts for beauty, and the city and government for goodness). Locally, the cultural apologist is concerned with how the gospel is perceived and received at the level of individual lives. I believe that a more robust approach is needed today because the objections to Christianity are broader than just the rational. There are objections to the goodness and beauty of Christianity too. I think it is important that we understand culture better as Christians so that we can better address the actual objections that people have to faith.
WB: You talk in the book about the need to establish the Christian voice, conscience, and imagination within our culture. Given the pluralistic context of our country, and the radical individualism that shapes much of American thought, how much success do you think Christians can have competing with these other currents in our culture?
PG: If Christians continue to take a “business as usual” approach to culture and their faith today, then I think the prospect of renewing the Christian voice, conscience, and imagination is quite dim. In the book, I argue that we live in a disenchanted world and that this disenchantment affects all of us, including those of us in the church. If we don’t see and delight in God or the world he has made, then there is little chance that those outside the faith will do so based on our initiative. I am hopeful, however, and I try to spell out why in the book. Given God’s desire for humans to be in relationship with him and because of his ongoing activity in the world and our lives, I’m hopeful that if we join together with the Holy Spirit and each other, we can see a renewal. Most importantly, this will require Christians to firmly locate their own lives in the gospel story.
WB: You provide lots of good insight into how our culture has become disenchanted. Do you think Christians sometimes struggle with a kind of disenchantment as well?
PG: Yes, as I mentioned in the prior question, disenchantment affects everyone. I use the word disenchantment to describe the dominant way of perceiving in the world today. The idea is that we no longer see the world in its proper light; we no longer see the world (or delight in the world) the same way Jesus does. As a result, one of the chief characteristics of our disenchanted age is the felt absence of God. This felt absence of God, unfortunately, characterizes much of our experience as church-goers too.
WB: Who would you point to (people or organizations) who are doing cultural apologetics well these days, or in recent memory?
PG: I think that there are some important voices that are helping us to recapture what has historically been called a sacramental view of the world. Theologians such as Hans Boersma and Kevin Vanhoozer, philosophers such as Charles Taylor and James K. A. Smith, and artists such as Andrew Peterson and Makoto Fujimura are all, in their own ways, leading the charge to reenchant our lives and the world around us.
I’m encouraged by the renewed interest among Christians to bring beauty back into the church and into our lives. I’m also encouraged by the renewed interest in apologetics to embrace a more robust vision of contending for the faith that incorporates the imagination, reason, morality, and more (notable folks that are writing or speaking in this area that I would encourage you to follow include Holly Ordway, Dave and Marybeth Baggett, Randy Newman, Bruce Ashford, Brett Kunkle, Greg Ganssle, and Michael Ward).
WB: In the realm of apologetics today, what do you believe evangelicals are doing well, and where do we need to change or improve?
PG: I think that we are doing well in making the case for the truth of Christianity. I’d like to see this continue. I’m encouraged to see lay-apologists translating some of the work of academics into YouTube videos, podcasts, and evangelistic presentations at universities, bars, and coffee shops around the country.
I’d also like to see apologists expand their case-making to include a defense of the goodness and beauty of Jesus and the gospel. I’d like to see Christians telling the best stories, writing and singing the best songs, and painting the most inspiring works, and creating new things that embody and cultivate the good, the true, and the beautiful.
I’d also like to see a lot less “in-fighting” among Christians on the Internet over secondary issues and a lot more humility in defending and holding one’s position. I’d like to see the church reject anti-intellectualism, fragmentation, and a disenchanted imagination and begin the work of proclaiming through our words, our lives, and the things we make the brilliance and beauty of Jesus and the gospel story.
Download an excerpt of Cultural Apologetics below, and learn more about Paul at his website.
Check out this free excerpt from Paul Gould’s new book Cultural Apologetics: Renewing the Christian Voice, Conscience, and Imagination in a Disenchanted World.
Cultural Apologetics sets forth a fresh model for cultural engagement, rooted in the biblical account of Paul's speech on Mars Hill, which details practical steps for reestablishing the Christian voice, conscience, and imagination.
With creative insights, Cultural Apologetics prepares readers to share a vision of the Christian faith that is both plausible and desirable, offering clarity for those who have become disoriented in the haze of modern Western culture.
