Scott Smith
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Scott Smith

Professor of Christian Apologetics

DepartmentTalbot School of Theology
Biola AffiliationsFaculty

Documents

CV Document (PDF)

Degrees

  • Ph.D., University of Southern California
  • M.A., University of Southern California
  • M.A., Talbot School of Theology
  • B.A., California State University, Hayward

Biography

As one of his central concerns, Scott challenges the common mindset in academia and the west that we cannot know things as they really are; instead, we only work with our interpretations. This pervasive view affects not only ethics and religion, but most every discipline. Yet, Scott has written extensively against this "constructivist" view, arguing instead that we can have knowledge in ethics, religion, and other areas, including the sciences. But this is due to the reality of what many deny to exist, namely, universals and essences. So, he has written against naturalism, nominalism, postmodernism, and critical race theory, which undermine what we know to be true. Additionally, he has written on human dignity, the moral argument for God's existence, progressive Christians and the emergent church, and the need to live in the fullness of Jesus. He also serves as secretary-treasurer for the Evangelical Philosophical Society.

Affiliations

  • American Philosophical Association (APA)
  • Society of Christian Philosophers (SCP)
  • Evangelical Philosophical Society (EPS) - Secretary-Treasurer since November 2000
  • Evangelical Theological Society (ETS)

Awards

  • Acton 2018 Mini-Grant on Free Market Economics, Summer 2018
  • Biola University's Research & Development Grants – I have been awarded this grant in spring 2006, summer 2006, summer 2007, and summer 2014.
  • Award for Excellence in Scholarship for 2007-08 year, Biola University

Publications

Books

  • Naturalism and Our Knowledge of Reality: Testing Religious Truth-claims (Routledge/Ashgate, 2012)
  • In Search of Moral Knowledge: Overcoming the Fact-Value Dichotomy (InterVarsity Press, 2014)
  • Authentically Emergent: Toward a Truly Progressive Christianity (Cascade, 2018)

      Articles

      • “Finitude, Fallenness, and Immediacy: Husserlian Replies to Westphal and Smith.” Philosophia Christi, 13:1, 2011 (summer).
      • “Craig’s Nominalism and the High Cost of Preserving Divine Aseity.” European Journal for Philosophy of Religion 9:1 (Spring 2017): 87-108.
      • “Toward a More Biblical (and Pneumatological) Model for Integration, Teaching, and Scholarship.” Christian Scholars Review (XLVII:1), 2017.
      • “Could We Know Reality, Given Physicalism? Nancey Murphy’s Views as Test Case,” Perspectives on Science and Christian Faith 64:3 (Sept., 2012).
      • "Tropes and Some Ontological Prerequisites for Knowledge." Metaphysica, published online August 15, 2019.
      • "Social Justice, Economics, and the Implications of Nominalism." The Independent Review 24:1 (2019).
      • “Craig’s Anti-Platonism, Lowe’s Universals, and Christ’s Penal Substitutionary Atonement.” TheoLogica: An International Journal for Philosophy of Religion and Philosophical Theology 5(2), 2021. DOI: https://doi.org/10.14428/thl.v5i2.55993


      Chapters

      • “Nonfoundationalism, Postfoundationalism, and the Truth of Scripture.” In The Enduring Authority of the Christian Scriptures, ed. D.A. Carson (Eerdmans, 2016).
      • “Physicalism and Sanctification.” In Christian Physicalism, eds. Joshua Farris and Keith Loftin (Lexington Books, 2018).
      • “Rethinking the Fact-Value Split: A Place for Religion in the Public Square?" In Multiculturalism and the Convergence of Faith and Practical Wisdom in Modern Society, ed. Ana-Maria Pascal (IGI Global, 2016).
      • “The Scientific Naturalist Juggernaut – and What to Do about It.” In A New Kind of Apologist, ed. Sean McDowell (Harvest House, 2016).
      • "Taking Philosophical Naturalism Seriously: Naturalism, Intentionality, and Knowledge." In The Naturalness of Belief: New Essays on Theism's Rationality, eds. Paul Copan and Charles Taliaferro (Lexington Books, 2018).
      • "The Nominalist Foundations of Constructivist Dignity." In Human Dignity, 2 vols., ed. Angus Menuge (Anthem Press, 2021).


      Areas of Expertise for Media Interviews

      • Apologetics
      • Emerging Church
      • Ethics
      • Morality
      • Moral Knowledge
      • Moral Relativism
      • Naturalism
      • Naturalism and Knowledge
      • Our Knowledge Of Reality In Relation To Postmodernism
      • Philosophy
      • Philosophy of Religion
      • Postmodernism
      • Relativism
      • Religious Discourse
      • Religious Knowledge
      • Religious Pluralism
      • Religious Truths
      • Universal Truths
      • Virtue
      • Worldview(s)
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