Note to our dear readers:

As you can likely tell, I have been on an editorial sabbatical for quite a while. I appreciate your patience while I recoup my stamina and wit for another barrage of forthcoming articles and issues.

In the meantime, I am pleased to inform you that Quodlibet Journal has received the Encyclopaedia Britannica Internet Guide Award. This means that Quodlibet Journal articles are now incorporated into the Encyclopaedia Britannica online content as supplemental material. Users searching the Encyclopaedia Britannica for Quod-relevant terms will be given links to our articles are additional resources. This will definitely increase the role and presence of Quodlibet Journal and speaks volumes as to the quality and reliability of our scholarly articles. My thanks go out to every reader and contributor for helping Quodlibet achieve this award.

Sincerely,
Scott David Foutz, Principal Editor
Current Issue: Volume 7 Number 2: April - June 2005
Beyond Plantinga and Improper Function: Inexcusability for Unbelief
"In the following Plantinga's position will be described and then considered in light of the above questions. The assertion here is that Plantinga's position does not make sense of sin, or the need for redemption through the death of Christ. This is because on Plantinga’s view the unbeliever has an excuse for their unbelief, it is not clear that God exists, and human rationality is defective/not properly functioning. For the purposes of this paper it can be granted that Plantinga has established that theists are within their epistemic rights." ~ by Owen Anderson
The Metaphysical Road to God
"This paper examines the metaphysical nature of silence. Since the silence is the dwelling place of the Lord, it must be other than the absence of sound. If the risen dead see God’s face, they must be in that place of silence. The metaphysical structure of being places the dead in the nothing surrounding being’s unconcealment and in the intelligence of the nothing before creation. This suggests that death as such takes place as a reversal in the metaphysical ground of being’s unconcealment." ~ by Kenneth Bryson
Eternal Selves and the Problem of Evil
"My point is merely that a theist who can make the case for a Platonic, Augustinian, Cartesian, or otherwise transcendent account of the “true self” has, thereby, a potentially potent response to the traditional problem of evil. If persons are properly identified with something like disembodied (or resurrected) eternal selves that transcend the material world, then the apparently gratuitous suffering of the better part of humanity may be neatly reconciled with the existence of the theistic God. If our suffering is merely apparent, or afflicts only a minuscule portion of our total existence, then theism (on this score, at least) may be salvageable." ~ by William Ferraiolo
Praxis and the Content of Theology in Gustavo Gutiérrez’s Theological Methodology: A Comparative Critique.
"Latin American theology has prioritised the place of praxis in its theological method, which is the distinguishing feature of liberation theology. Gustavo Gutiérrez is, because of both his integral role in liberation theology’s early history and because of the lucidity of his exposition, one of the key spokespersons of the movement. After delineating the place of praxis in Gutiérrez’s theological method the author will examine whether the specific method is as innovative as Gutiérrez himself claims. Secondly, the author will examine another key critique of liberation theology’s methodology, namely that of John Milbank and the associated Radical Orthodox movement." ~ by Richard Gillingham
A Spirituality of Obedience: Equal in God's Eyes Only?
"Obedience has always been a central feature of most religions. It is usually understood as being compliant to an external authority or set of norms. In this brief article obedience is presented as a compliant characteristic with the structure of human consciousness. The question of women’s ordination will be briefly explored revealing both the norms of obedience as well as the unintelligence of conformity without exercising the acts of intelligence." ~ by Robert Henman
Metaphorical Theology: An Evangelical Appropriation
"Traditionally, evangelicalism has looked upon feminist and ecological theologians with a great deal of suspicion, but this paper will examine and appropriate elements from McFague’s theology in an attempt to incorporate them into an evangelical theological perspective that takes into account the environmental and nuclear challenges facing the world today. With this purpose in mind, critique will be accompanied by evaluation with the intent to draw out methodology and insights that could be used within an evangelical theological context. " ~ by Ryan Klassen
Supernaturalism and Historical Study: An Account of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the Dead
"Historical studies need not defer to current scientific theory, for the question of the supernatural will never be fully answered by science. Therefore, the supernatural falls within the realm of probability as an explanation for the Resurrection. An argument is provided which proves that a supernatural explanation is the most probable explanation for the Resurrection based on the evidence provided in the canonical and extra-canonical books, and living tradition of the Church. " ~ by Franz Klein
Religious Film Fears 3: Being Sacrilegious, Criticising or Devaluing the Faith
"Using textually-based, humanist film criticism as the analytical lens, the critical film and religion literature was reviewed and the additional fears of being sacrilegious, criticising or devaluing the faith was copiously explicated and documented herein. It was concluded that popular films are a worthwhile and exciting pedagogic tool, but they require constant monitoring, vigilance and control by faith communities for integrity, protection and quality assurance reasons. Biblically-based counter-proposals and other anti-film defences were proffered to address this tangible concern. Further research into the exciting interdisciplinary field of religion-and-film was recommended." ~ by Anton Kozlovic
Kierkegaard on ‘Upbuilding’, Grace and “the God Whom Gives Every Good and Perfect Gift”
"What I shall argue, in this paper, is that even in the simple, straightforward, and yet extremely important essay: “Strengthening the Inner Being” in Eighteen Upbuilding Discourses, the tension between the individual, freedom and God’s grace is never resolved. " ~ by Brian Lightbody
The Futility of Philosophic Inquiry
"This questioning of the value of philosophy has probably been engendered by the constant controversy with all the differing theories and viewpoints employed in philosophy. People who find philosophy nugatory might say the following: Why should we even consider this viewpoint or that viewpoint? It is not as if we are going to arrive at some conclusive answers. Everything is subjective. " ~ by Michael Mock
Gender Sensitivity In Igbo Culture: A Philosophical Re-Appraisal
"Our concern here is on gender sensitivity in the Igbo culture. We tried to examine the levels of gender sensitivity in the traditional Igbo society and in the contemporary Igbo society. Our startling discovery is that we had a higher level of sensitivity in the traditional setting than we now have in this contemporary period. The reason is that the irrational approach to the gender question is fast obliterating the differentiation that should exist between the male and the female." ~ by Goddy Ozumba
The Homoousios Doctrine and Non-Reductive Models of Consciousness: An Orthodox Christian Look at the Mind/Body Problem
"This article will attempt to evaluate [the metaphysics of consciousness] in light of the homoousios doctrine of the orthodox Christian faith. In particular it will explore whether a model other than substance dualism may be consistent with the truth about the nature of God revealed in the Incarnation of Jesus Christ, and thus a reasonable model to explore in consciousness studies." ~ by Steven Perkins
Lacan, Kierkegaard, and Repetition
"This paper explores the role of Kierkegaard in Lacan’s semiotic mediation of Freudian repetition. I argue that while Lacan explicitly draws upon Kierkegaard’s distinction between recollection and repetition, he misreads repetition. This has the effect of closing down what could be a potentially beneficial dialogue between theology and psychoanalysis." ~ by Marcus Pound
Philosophical Objections to the Knowability of Truth: Answering Postmodernism
"Contrary to postmodernist argument that objective truth is unknowable, the paper argues persuasively that we can and do have objective knowledge of truth. It is the contention of this paper that though human knowledge is partial/imperfect, it is not a sufficient condition to assume that we cannot have objective knowledge." ~ by Andrew Uduigwomen
Defending von Balthasar's Apology of Holiness
"Balthasar argues that it is impossible to have any knowledge of God or verify the truth of revelation apart from actually living within a Christian faith-stance. The individual outside of this faith-stance (the non-believer) is unable to come to the Christian faith of his or her own accord. In order to perceive revelation, “eyes are needed that are able to perceive the spiritual form.”" ~ by Mark Van Steenwyk
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