TY - BOOK AU - Sire,James W. AU - Peraino,Carl TI - Deepest differences: a Christian-atheist dialogue SN - 9780830833580 AV - BR128.P426.D447 2009 PY - 2009/// CY - Downers Grove, Illinois PB - IVP Books KW - Christianity and atheism N1 - 1 (pages 193-196) and index; PART EIGHT: RATS AND HUMANS - MINDS AND BRAINS --; Rat to rat, kindness takes hold --; Chimps too are kind --; Show me kindness --; Minds emerge from brains --; Dualism is not dead --; Subtle distinctions; PART FIVE: OUR AGE - SACRED OR SECULAR? --; Remembering secularism --; Secularism is not dead --; In defense of Novak; PART FOUR: INTELLIGENT OR UNINTELLIGENT DESIGN --; Scientists and intelligent design --; Intelligent design --; Unintelligent design --; Passionately antireligious --; Jim's Sabbath : a dizzy dream; PART NINE: THE SOURCE OF OUR DEEPEST DIFFERENCES --; A change of focus --; A way forward --; Carl and Jim in ancient Greece --; A final colloquy : on faith and reason; PART ONE: SLIPPING INTO DIALOGUE --; Mozart, Bach and Vonnegut: signals of transcendence --; Signals disallowed --; Vonnegut : humanist or nihilist --; Almost human, and sometimes smarter --; Animal morality; PART SEVEN: THE GOD QUESTION ONCE AGAIN --; Getting God off the hook --; A colloquy on the God hypothesis --; The scandal of the particular --; A believer's crutch; PART SIX: DOCTOROW - THE POWER OF DOUBT --; A highly evolved and beautifully stated religious point of view --; An unbridgeable gulf? --; Doctorow reconsidered --; Doctorow : pro and con --; Battling the antitechnological spirits --; Computers don't forgive --; Case closed!; PART THE LAST: WINDING DOWN --; Enough is enough --; Sure is!; PART THREE: THE THEOLOGICAL DIMENSION - GOD IN THE DOCK --; Good and evil and the character of God --; God Almighty --; God, His human creation and heavenly bliss --; God and human free will --; Speculation : what if? It seems to me --; Carl's Sabbath : a personal reflection; PART TWO: FROM MORALITY TO WORLDVIEW - THE ARGUMENT MORPHS --; Morality, the divine and everything else --; An objective foundation for morality --; Scientists and religious commitment --; A colloquy on morality; 1; 2 N2 - If you're looking for clear-cut answers to difcult questions about God-or for your guy to score a quick knock-out of a toughened sparring partner-then this book is not for you. But if you're open to an authentic, no-holds barred, respectful dialogue about one of life's most important issues, then take up and read. There are no straw men here. Sparked by a chance meeting between two book-club acquaintances and their discussion of Kurt Vonnegut's obituary, this dialogue between long-time Christian Jim Sire and forthright atheist Carl Peraino developed through extended email exchanges exploring minds and brains, science and morality, faith and reason, God and violence, doubt and rhetoric. You'll find much to ponder, weigh and explore in this lively, down-to-earth book. A study guide is included for any who wish to delve deeper into any of the issues raised. James W. Sire (Ph.D., University of missouri), formerly a senior editor at interVarsity Press, is an active speaker and writer. He has taught english, philosophy, theology and short courses at many universities and seminaries. His interVarsity Press books include The Universe Next Door: A Basic Worldview Catalog, Why Should Anyone Believe Anything at All?, Habits of the Mind: Intellectual Life as a Christian Calling, Naming the Elephant: Worldview as a Concept and Why Good Arguments Often Fail. ~ Amazon ER -