On Being a Christian in the Academy

Having identified crucial flaws in both classical foundationalism and cognitive relativism, Andrew Sloane expounds Wolterstorff's theory of rationality and his understanding of the devising and weighing of theories. The role of control beliefs in scholarship and the place of Christian beliefs in the practice of Christian scholarship are explored. The author then critically appraises Wolterstorff's view in dialogue with its rivals. He presents a defensible person-specific but nonrelativist criterion of theory choice and outlines an organic epistemological metaphor. The book concludes by exploring the implications of these findings for theological scholarship, in particular Old Testament exegesis. The author suggests that Wolterstorff's notion of scholarly practice explains the practice of scholarship and is to be commended to Christian scholars as a cogent and challenging method of devising and appraising theories. Andrew Sloane astutely displays the prophetic challenge of Nicholas Wolterstorff's Christian scholarship; but, in the process, offers 'gold' of his own. Thus two disciples enhance both thought and life. --William Anderson, formerly Senior Lecturer in Psychology and Education at Sydney University, Australia This is an important and thoughtful work on an important and thoughtful Christian philosopher. This book is highly recommended for everyone who desires to think Christianly with integrity. --James Kelly Clark Professor of Philosophy, Calvin College Andrew Sloane, with considerable flair, provides the reader with a careful, astute and eminently fair reading of Nicholas Wolterstorff's important contributions to a Christian's epistemology as they bear on being a Christian in the Academy. --Graham A. Cole, Professor of Biblical and Systematic Theology, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School Andrew Sloane studied medicine and practiced briefly as a doctor before entering the Baptist ministry. He studied theology at Morling College (Sydney) and in 1994 he was awarded his ThD by the Australian College of Theology for the thesis on which this book is based. From 1996 to 2002 he was in the faculty of Ridley College, Melbourne. In 2002 he took up the position of Lecturer in Old Testament and Christian Thought at Morling College, Sydney.