In this episode I’m joined by Dr. William Vallicella, aka “The Maverick Philosopher” to discuss the recent controversy in the American evangelical world about whether Christians and Muslims “worship the same god.” We discuss the ambiguity of this “same god” question, and how certain common theological convictions may produce a strong “No!” answer, depending on how one hears the question.
But like other Christian philosophers who have weighed in on the controversy, we focus on this question: when Christians talk of “God” and when Muslims talk of “Allah,” do those two words refer to one and the same god? One general approach to a theory of reference seems to support a negative answer, and another arguably supports a positive answer. As there is no uncontroversial theory of reference, Dr. Vallicella is inclined to a skeptical stance on this question of co-reference.
In next week’s part 2, we discuss the meaning of “worship” in this question, and I argue for a positive answer to the reference question.
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Links for this episode:
- Dr. Vallicella’s Maverick Philosopher blog
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- Do Christians and Muslims Worship the Same God?
- Christians and Muslims: Exactly One God, so the Same God
- Do Christians and Jews Worship the Same God?
- Peter Geach on Worshipping the Right God
- Worship, Reference, and Existence: An Aporetic Triad
- previous trinities podcast episodes with Dr. Vallicella
- posts on the same god controversy by Dr. Francis J. Beckwith
- trinities posts on the same god controversy
- Tuggy, “Theories of Religious Diversity” (on theories of religious pluralism, and rival exclusivist and inclusivist views)
- posts on the same god controversy by Dr. Ed Feser
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- Dr. James Anderson, “The Same God? A Plea for Precision” and “On Contradicting the Bible“.
- Spinoza on God/Nature
- Aquinas on God
- Ludwig Andreas Feuerbach
- theories of reference
- Dr. Kelly James Clark, “Muslims and Christians: On Worshipping the Same God“
- Dr. Michael Rea, “On Worshipping the Same God“
- Dr. Rich Davis, “Will Worshipping Just Any God Do? Reply to Beckwith and Rea“
- Dr. Lydia McGrew, “A brief note on “do Muslims and Christians worship the same God“
- This week’s thinking music is “3 pound universe” by Jeris.
