Logic and the Way of Jesus

Description

In Logic and the Way of Jesus, philosophy professor Travis Dickinson recaptures the need for a Christian view of reality, highlighting the use of reason and evidence to develop and defend Christian beliefs. He demonstrates how Jesus employed logic in his teachings, surveys the basic concepts of logic, and marries those concepts with practical application. While Dickinson contends that Christians have failed to engage the culture deeply because they have failed to emphasize and value a Christian intellect, he offers encouragement that embracing the life of the Christian mind can impact the world for the cause and kingdom of Christ.
  The major claim of Dickinson’s work is that if we embrace the life of the Christian mind, we can impact this world for the cause and kingdom of Christ. “Those of us who teach logic and critical thinking in Christian universities, colleges, and seminaries have long dreamt of a book like this. Travis Dickinson’s Logic and the Way of Jesus is the new gold standard in the field. There is no close second. Not only does it teach the fundamentals of logic in remarkably clear and practical terms; it demonstrates how a basic grasp of critical thinking skills is essential to loving God with our minds, forming a consistent Christian worldview, and following Jesus—our Lord and the preeminent logician. This book is required reading for all who would ‘contend for the faith’ in our spiritually confused, post-Christian generation!”
—Richard Brian Davis, professor of philosophy, Tyndale University  
 “Logic and the Way of Jesus is an incisive, thoughtful, and carefully designed look at what it means to think Christianly about all aspects of life. In this outstanding book, Travis Dickinson brilliantly and insightfully connects intellectual curiosity, an understanding of logic, critical thinking, the place of faith and reason, and the importance of developing a Christian worldview. In doing so, he winsomely and persuasively invites Christ followers to think and live in a renewed and holistic way in order to change lives, strengthen churches, enhance Christian entities, advance the gospel, and bring glory to the one, true, and living God. Heartily recommended!”
—David S. Dockery, president, International Alliance for Christian Education, and distinguished professor of theology, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary  
“Brilliant! This is the book I’ve been waiting for: a clarion call to reject anti-intellectualism and love God with all our minds. Dickinson’s Logic and the Way of Jesus is one part inspiring and one part practical: a perfect blend, showing the brilliance of Jesus, the Master Logician, and the call of his followers to think critically and Christianly in a world gone mad.”
—Paul M. Gould, associate professor of philosophy of religion, Palm Beach Atlantic University  
 “Logic and the Way of Jesus is an accessible guide that helps equip followers of the Way to cultivate a more responsible, intellectually virtuous character, one that is modeled by Christ himself and rooted and nourished in the life-giving reality of the triune God. Dickinson reminds us that the intellectual pursuit of God is to be understood primarily in the context of the first and greatest commandment: to love the Lord our God with every aspect of our being. This is no ordinary introduction to logic textbook! Dickinson is a seasoned, pastoral guide to the logical and moral dimensions of a well-ordered, Christ-shaped mind.”
—Ross D. Inman, associate professor of philosophy, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary  
“The call to Christlikeness is a call to love God with a well-ordered and virtuous mind. Logic and the Way of Jesus brilliantly equips readers to answer this call. Appealing throughout to the example of Jesus, Travis Dickinson shows us—with patience born of true expertise—the way to recover the intellect as central to Christian discipleship. Dickinson’s engaging readability and skillful explanations guarantee that Logic and the Way of Jesus will serve equally well in classical schools or college classrooms, small groups, and personal studies.”
—R. Keith Loftin, headmaster, Kingdom Preparatory Academy  
 “There’s has been a need for this book for a long time. Logic and the Way of Jesus explains why critical thinking is important for Christians and offers a practical roadmap for how to think like Jesus. This is now my top recommendation for a book of its kind.”
—Sean McDowell, associate professor of Christian apologetics, Talbot School of Theology, Biola University  
“The incarnation of the Son of God saliently revealed the ground of logic and love, of rationality and hospitality. It is no less true to say, ‘God is logic’ than it is to say, ‘God is love.’ Of course, God is more than those characteristics, but certainly not less. It also explains why the university and hospital movements arose predominantly in the Christian west. In Logic and the Way of Jesus, Dickinson helps us to see the good of training our minds and how to do so. Moreover, he helps us to see why, as Christians, loving God with our heads in addition to hands and hearts is essential to Christian discipleship in pursuing the good life. This is a good resource for individuals, small groups, and classrooms.”  
—Corey Miller, president and CEO, Ratio Christi  
“Travis Dickinson is a Christian scholar with a pastor’s heart of equipping believers for ministry and maturity. Logic in the Way of Jesus brings all of this together in a readable way. The real importance of the book lies in the way Dickinson depicts, explains, and illustrates crucial concepts as aspects of Christian discipleship: worldview, rationality, inductive and deductive logic, truth and much, much more. This book is crucial reading for pastors, students and everyday Christians. I highly recommend it.” 
—JP Moreland, distinguished professor of philosophy, Talbot School of Theology, Biola University   
“Some tell us we should think well and that is important. Others teach us how to think well and that is also important. This is a book that gives the why and how: a white swan event. Whether teaching basic logic in a Christian context or hoping to learn how to be a better reasoner, this is an outstanding resource.”
—John Mark Reynolds, president and professor of philosophy, The Saint Constantine School   Travis Dickinson (PhD, University of Iowa) is professor of philosophy at Dallas Baptist University.  Crowley, TX Foreword by Paul Copan
1 The Intellectual Pursuit of God
2 Jesus the Logician
3 Critical Thinking and Worldview
4 The Argument from Reason
5 Logic: The Basics of Critical Thinking
6 Deductive Standards of Logic
7 Truth Tables
8 Categorical Logic
9 Nondeductive Standards of Logic
10 Science and Inference to the Best Explanation
11 Evidence
12 Fallacies
13 Intellectual Virtues and the Art of Persuasion
14 Conclusion: Thinking Christianly
Appendix: Practice Problems 

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