Is Faith In God Reasonable?

Corey Miller
Adjunct Professor
Indiana University – Kokomo

[Jan. 14, 2013]

We’re pumped about an upcoming ministry opportunity and thought you might want to join us.

I’m blessed not only to teach adjunct courses in philosophy and comparative religions at Indiana University-Kokomo, but also direct the ministry for Faculty Commons at Purdue University. Each year, we spear head and host what is the single largest annual outreach event in the Purdue/Greater Lafayette area: The Symposium. During the weekend, at least a dozen Christian professors will deliver over 35 talk related to our topic: Is Faith in God Reasonable?.

At the center of this event, we will feature a debate between William Lane Craig and Alex Rosenberg. Craig is among the most articulate and eloquent defenders of the faith, possessing two doctorates (philosophy & theology), and Rosenberg is the department head of philosophy at Duke University and an avowed atheist. This debate will also be the subject of a book proposal I’m working on with Routledge. The book will include atheists and Christians in disciplines such as philosophy, science, and rhetoric in scholarly debate around issues of faith in God.

Several other campus ministries and churches are participating and we have the technology this year to have the debate piped into your location from coast to coast and even beyond. We are working out the details now, but we will be making the live telecast of this event available online.

Consider one of the following ways you might want to join us in this effort:

(1) Contact your local Faculty Commons/Cru missional team leader or a campus ministry director of another ministry and arrange to have a combined night where faculty, grads, and students watch the debate together and then discuss it with other Christ-followers.

(2) Gather a group of non-believing colleagues (or include undergrad/grad non-believers) to watch the debate together.

(3) Grab a group of professors and grad students–even just a handful– and have a popcorn/pizza night at your home and watch the debate. As you discuss it together, you’ll strengthen relational ties while equipping and /or encouraging a rigorous discussion of the issues.

(4) Partner with your home church around this central debate. It will envision them both with the potential of campus ministry and with the critical importance of reaching professors.

(5) Ideally, feel free to use our model. Observe the conference this year and consider launching a similar Symposium at your location next year. We’re hoping our model can be an analog to Veritas Forums but with local ownership.

If you choose to join us this year, we’d love to hear from you. Also, if you have other ideas about engaging your community in such discussions, let us know.