Philosophy Forum on Apologetics to Feature Gould Sept. 18

OBU will launch the fall Philosophy Forum series Monday, Sept. 18, with the topic, “Apologetics and the Re-Enchantment of the World.” Dr. Paul Gould, associate professor of philosophy and Christian apologetics and chair of Philosophy and Cultural Studies Division at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, will present a lecture on the topic.

The lecture will take place at 4 p.m. in the Tulsa Royalties Auditorium in the Bailey Business Center on OBU’s campus. After Gould’s lecture, there will be time provided for a question and answer session. The forum will conclude by 5:15 p.m.

Gould’s research and writing focuses primarily in the areas of metaphysics, philosophy of religion, philosophical theology and the relationship between faith and scholarship. In addition to numerous articles and essays, he is the editor or co-editor of “Beyond the Control of God? Six Views on the Problem of God and Abstract Objects,” “Is Faith in God Reasonable? Debates in Philosophy, Science and Rhetoric,” “Loving God with Your Mind: Essays in Honor of J. P. Moreland,” and “The Two Tasks of the Christian Scholar: Redeeming the Soul, Redeeming the Mind.” He is currently working on the metaphysics of creation as well as a book on ideas and the gospel.

Prior to joining the faculty at Southwestern, Gould was on staff with Campus Crusade for Christ for 16 years. He is a frequent speaker at universities around the country on issues related to philosophy and apologetics. He has a Master in Philosophy of Religion and Ethics from Talbot School of Theology and a PhD in Philosophy from Purdue University.

"One of the goals of our philosophy program is to bring philosophical issues of broad importance to the OBU campus community, particularly through presentations and forums led by visiting scholars,” said Dr. Tawa Anderson, assistant professor of philosophy and director of OBU’s honor program. “Dr. Paul Gould is an outstanding thinker and teacher at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, and our students and faculty will be richly blessed by his exhortations to apply our minds and imaginations to the task of defending Christianity in a dis-enchanted world."

OBU’s Philosophy Forums are intended to spark interest in and engagement with philosophical topics and issues that have broader rational and practical implications. The fall series will include three more forums. The next forum will take place Friday, Sept. 29, and will host a panel of various scholars to discuss the topic, “Challenges and Opportunities: Fundamentalism, Secularism, and Evangelical Christianity in America.”