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Is [It] True?
Philosophy scholars have been asking themselves that very question about both the great mysteries and the great certainties of the universe for many millennia. On Monday and Tuesday, Feb. 18 and 19, two such scholars, Robin Collins and Stephen Davis, will present keynote addresses at Peppedine's annual Veritas Forum, exploring the very complex ideas about Truth. Both lectures will take place in Elkins Auditorium, Malibu, and will be followed by a Q&A time.
Robin Collins, professor of philosophy and chair of the Department of Philosophy at Messiah College, will speak at 5 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 18, in a lecture titled, "Is [It] True? Fine-Tuning the Universe."
Collins, the foremost defender of the teleological argument for the existence of God, will be discussing how the specific physical constants and conditions in the universe are finely-tuned for intelligent life give us reason to believe in a Creator, drawing from backgrounds in both physics and philosophy.
Collins trained in physics and in philosophy and is the foremost defender of what is known as the teleological argument for the existence of God, arguing that the fine-tuning of the physical laws and constants of nature are perfectly aligned within extremely tight tolerances to permit (or enable) the emergence of life, and therefore evidence consistent with the existence of an intelligent cause for the universe. In addition, Collins has written on theological matters such as atonement and the problem of evil.
Stephen Davis, professor of philosophy at Claremont McKenna College, will follow at
5 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 19, with a lecture titled, "Is [It] True? Road(s) to Heaven."
Davis will discuss religious pluralism—the idea that "all roads lead to heaven." He will attempt to show some of the integral truth claims of Christianity to be plausibly true.
Davis' areas of expertise include Christianity, current Christian thought, ancient philosophy, metaphysics, philosophy and literature, and philosophy of religion. He is the author and/or editor of fifteen books, including Encountering Evil, Christian Philosophical Theology, and Disputed Issues. In 2011, he joined five other American philosophers of religion for a week long series of academic conferences with Iranian scholars at the University of Tehran, the University of Qum, and the University of Esfahan.
For more information about this event, to RSVP, or to submit a question online for Collins or Davis, visit the Pepperdine Veritas Forum website.
The Veritas Forum
More than 17 years ago, Kelly Monroe, a student at Harvard Divinity School, observed that many of her fellow students felt isolated in their search for meaning and truth. Monroe began to encourage Harvard students, alumni, and professors to write down how their life stories led them to discover "veritas" or truth in the person of Jesus Christ. These stories led to Monroe's book, Finding God at Harvard: Spiritual Journeys of Thinking Christians, and a forum that was held for students and faculty from various disciplines and cultures to share their own questions, suffering, journeys, and discoveries with the Harvard community.
Today the Veritas Forum nonprofit organization works with students to host forums at their respective college campuses to explore "truth," often from a Christian perspective. The forums give college students a space to ask and explore complex questions, such as: Where does morality come from? Isn't science rapidly approaching a complete explanation of nature? Do you ever have doubts about your worldview? Where can I find meaning and fulfillment?
A number of universities across the nation and internationally have responded to the desire to explore true life by creating their own "Veritas Forums," including Oxford University, the Free University of Amsterdam, the University of Paris, York University in Toronto, Canada, and campuses across the United States.
