Upcoming Speaker!

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!