Bruce Langtry - ISCAST
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Bruce Langtry

Dr Bruce Langtry

    Qualifications

    B.A., Ph.D. (University of Sydney)

    Profile

    I retired 9 or 10 years ago, having taught in the Philosophy Department at the University of Melbourne since 1976, but still participate in philosophical research and discussion there. Most of my academic publications for the past 20-25 years have been on issues to do with the truth and rationality of theism; these have included my book God, the Best, and Theism (OUP 2008). Alongside my philosophical work, I have had long involvement in leadership roles in churches and other Christian organizations in Sydney, Hobart and Melbourne. I have been a member of St Jude’s Anglican Church Carlton since 1976.

    Science/faith interests

    My main professional interests in the science-faith interface concern the fine-tuning argument for theism, and the scientific evidence against the view (held widely by Christian non-creationists, as well as creationists, that God’s providence is comprehensive and therefore has involved divine design of all biological organisms.

    Professional associations

    Australasian Association of Philosophy

    Topics I can present on

    Most topics to do with metaphysical and epistemological issues directly relevant to Christianity, provided that you bear in mind that I lack an expert knowledge of the professional literature in theology and Biblical studies.

    Post-retirement Publications

    • God, the Best, and Evil, Oxford: Clarendon Press 2008
    • ‘Richard Swinburne,’ in Graham Oppy and Nick Trakakis, eds., The History of Western Philosophy of Religion, Volume 5, Acumen Publishing, 2009, pp. 285-301
    • ‘The Prospects for the Free Will Defence,’ Faith and Philosophy 27 (2010), 142-152
    • ‘Reply to Oppy on God, the Best, and Evil,’ Sophia 50 (2011), 211-219
    • ‘Swinburne on the Simplicity of Theism,’ European Journal for Philosophy of Religion 3:2 (2011), 409-426
    • ‘Rightmaking and Wrongmaking Properties, Evil, and Theism,’ in Jonathan L. Kvanvig, ed., Oxford Studies in Philosophy of Religion, Volume 6, Oxford University Press 2015, pp.177-202.
    • ‘Unrestricted Actualization and Divine Providence,’ in Lara Buchak & Dean W. Zimmerman, eds., Oxford Studies in Philosophy of Religion, Volume 9, Oxford University Press 2019, pp.195-212
    • ‘Prediction and Providence,’ in Lara Buchak & Dean W. Zimmerman, eds., Oxford Studies in Philosophy of Religion, Volume 9, Oxford University Press 2019, pp.225-235.
    • ‘God, Horrors, and our Deepest Good,’ Faith and Philosophy 37 (2020), 77-95
    • ‘Evaluating a New Logical Problem of Evil,’ Faith and Philosophy 38 (2021), 229-244.