The Philosophy Department, in conjunction with the Philosophy Club and Phi Sigma Tau, are proud to invite Dr. Kevin Sharpe, Associate Professor of Philosophy and Director of Religious Studies at St. Cloud State University, MN, who will be delivering a talk on the following topic:
“Can a materialist believe in the
incarnation?”
When: Tuesday, February 28, 2017 at 4 pm
Where: Schar Ronk Lecture Hall
In his own words: "As a Christian I believe that the
divine Son of God became incarnate and in so doing became human, but I also
believe that human persons are wholly material substances – specifically, I believe
that human persons are animals. But it seems like it’s impossible for
both of these claims to be true. The problem is straightforward: if human
persons are wholly material substances, then in becoming human the Son of God
became a material substance and this seems impossible. After all, isn’t
it impossible for a wholly immaterial being to become a wholly material
substance? In this talk, I’ll critically review some of the main reasons
for thinking that the divine Son could not become a material substance and I’ll
argue that my preferred account of human persons provides an independently
plausible way of addressing these objections. In addressing these
objections, I hope to take an important step toward showing that materialists
with commitments like mine can also believe in the incarnation."
All are welcome! Join us for a lively discussion!
