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| Paul Copan | |
|---|---|
| Name | Paul Copan |
| Birth date | 1962 |
| Birth place | Poland |
| Occupation | Philosopher, Theologian, Apologist, Author |
| Alma mater | Trinity Evangelical Divinity School; Marquette University; University of Toronto |
| Notable works | "Is God a Moral Monster?"; "True for You, But Not for Me?"; "Face to Face with the God-Men" |
Paul Copan is a Canadian-American philosopher, theologian, apologist, and author known for work in analytic philosophy of religion, ethics, and biblical studies. He has taught at evangelical seminaries and universities, published widely on theodicy, divine command theory, and Old Testament ethics, and engaged public debates with scholars from diverse traditions. Copan’s career intersects with figures and institutions across Protestant, Catholic, Orthodox, and secular academic contexts.
Copan was born in Poland and emigrated to North America, where he pursued studies that connected him to Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, Marquette University, and the University of Toronto. His doctoral work involved interaction with scholars linked to Princeton Theological Seminary, Yale University, and Harvard Divinity School traditions. During his formative years he encountered mentors and interlocutors associated with Wayne Grudem, Norman Geisler, and networks tied to Evangelical Theological Society and American Academy of Religion events. Early exposure to debates involving C. S. Lewis, Alvin Plantinga, and William Lane Craig shaped his approach to Christian apologetics and bibliological studies.
Copan has held faculty positions at institutions such as Palm Beach Atlantic University, Northwestern College (Iowa), and affiliated seminaries connected to Northwestern College and Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He served in roles within organizations like Reasons to Believe, The Colson Center, and the Evangelical Philosophical Society, and participated in conferences hosted by Society of Christian Philosophers and International Society for Science and Religion. His affiliations extend to editorial or advisory relationships with journals and presses associated with Baker Academic, Zondervan, InterVarsity Press, and academic forums frequented by scholars from Oxford University, Cambridge University, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and University of Notre Dame.
Copan is author or editor of numerous books and articles, including "Is God a Moral Monster?", "True for You, But Not for Me?", "Face to Face with the God-Men", and edited volumes in series connected to InterVarsity Press and Baker Academic. His scholarship engages texts and authors such as Walter Brueggemann, John Goldingay, Gerald A. Larue, Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens, and Daniel Dennett. He has contributed chapters alongside writers affiliated with Oxford University Press, Cambridge University Press, and Routledge, responding to critiques from figures like Sam Harris, Michael Martin, and Gordon Wenham. Copan’s peer-reviewed articles appear in journals associated with Faith and Philosophy, Journal of Biblical Literature, and edited collections debated at Society of Biblical Literature meetings. He has coauthored works with academics linked to Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, Talbot School of Theology, and Fuller Theological Seminary.
Copan defends positions within analytic philosophy of religion such as a form of divine command theory and arguments related to theodicy that interact with the work of Alvin Plantinga, John Hick, and Eleonore Stump. He interprets Old Testament ethics through lenses informed by scholars like Gordon Wenham, Tremper Longman III, and Christopher J. H. Wright, while engaging critics from Jewish biblical scholarship at institutions like Hebrew University of Jerusalem. His theological posture aligns with strands present at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and resonates with themes in writings by J. I. Packer, D. A. Carson, and Timothy Keller. Copan addresses moral theology debates involving figures such as Immanuel Kant, Jeremy Bentham, and John Stuart Mill insofar as their ethical theories intersect with scriptural morality debates.
Copan has participated in public debates and panels with atheists and skeptics including Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens, Sam Harris, and Michael Shermer-affiliated events, and has engaged theologians from Roman Catholic Church and Eastern Orthodox Church perspectives. He has been featured at venues connected to National Public Radio, Christianity Today, and conferences sponsored by The Colson Center for Christian Worldview and Ravi Zacharias International Ministries-associated forums. Copan appears in debates recorded by organizations linked to Biola University, Ravi Zacharias, and think tanks such as The Heritage Foundation and Pew Research Center panels where biblical ethics and apologetics intersect with broader public discourse.
Copan’s recognitions include awards and fellowships from institutions and organizations in the evangelical academy, citations in bibliographies curated by Oxford University Press and nominations within societies like the Evangelical Philosophical Society and Christianity Today lists. His books have been finalists or recipients of prizes conferred by presses such as Baker Academic and InterVarsity Press, and he has received invitations to lecture at centers including Wheaton College, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, and Regent College.
Category:Philosophers of religion Category:Christian apologists Category:Living people