Robin Collins
Encyclopedia
Robin Collins is an American philosopher. He currently serves as Professor of Philosophy at Messiah College
in Grantham, Pennsylvania
. His main interests include issues in science and religion and theories of atonement.
and was a triple major in Applied Mathematics, Physics, and Philosophy. He graduated summa cum laude, holding a 3.93 GPA throughout his undergraduate years. After his graduation, Collins worked as a physics programmer and software engineer for many years. Prior to his Ph.D. in philosophy at Notre Dame, he began a Ph.D. program in physics at the University of Texas at Austin
, but did not complete it. Collins received a Ph.D. in philosophy from the University of Notre Dame
in 1993. Alvin Plantinga
directed his dissertation, which was titled "Epistemological Issues in the Scientific Realism/Antirealism Debate: An Analysis and a Proposal"; his defense of it passed with the highest possible honors.
He served as a post-doctoral fellow at Northwestern University
's Program in History and Philosophy of Science before joining Messiah College.
's Center for Science and Culture
for his work on the argument from design from physics and cosmology. He is no longer affiliated with the Discovery Institute, however, due to conflicting visions.
) for the existence of God, according to which the fact that the laws and constants of physics are fine-tuned for life points to the existence of an intelligent cause behind the universe. Regarding evolution, he holds a position which he calls theistically guided evolution, a position which accepts the claim that all life on earth came about by a process of evolution (descent with modification) from the first cell, but holds that God guided this process at various points. He is skeptical of the claim that all the complex biological structures we find in living things can be fully explained by blind, unguided chance plus natural selection, and thus thinks that the issue of whether Darwinian evolution can adequately account for the structure of life should be vigorously explored. Collins, however, thinks that intelligent design is best thought of as a metascientific hypothesis rather than a scientific hypothesis.
has been to analyse the various theories of the atonement. While he has criticized the moral examplar
theory, which is often held by more liberal Christians, his has written more about the satisfaction theory
and the penal theory
, the two views widely held by most Evangelical conservative Christians. He argues that they fail as theories, introducing more problems than they solve, saying that they "do not help us make sense of the Atonement, but rather make it more puzzling than it was before."
Collins argues for an "incarnational" theory of the atonement, which sees the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus as necessary to make unity with God possible.
Collins says that by sharing in human life situations God's self ceases to be alien from our selves, making it possible for our selves to be united with God's self, which in turn saves us from sin. Other theologians through the ages have held similar views, and he argues that this theory is superior to others on philosophical, ethical, theological, and scriptural grounds
, tentatively titled, The Well-Tempered Universe: God, Cosmic Fine-tuning, and the Laws of Nature. He has also written many articles and book chapters on such topics as the fine-tuning of the cosmos as evidence for design, quantum mechanics, Asian philosophies and religions, the doctrine of Christian Atonement, evolution and original sin, and general issues in science and religion.
Collins has also has done several interviews. Among others, he was interviewed by Robert Kuhn for the PBS series "Closer to the Truth" and also by Lee Strobel
, a journalist and Christian apologist
, in The Case for a Creator. The series of PBS interviews can be found at http://www.closertotruth.com/participant/Robin-Collins/23. Strobel's book, published in 2004, presents a number of interviews with ID proponents, who attempt to refute naturalistic accounts of the origin of universe and the development of life.
Messiah College
Messiah College is a private Christian college of the liberal arts and applied arts and sciences located in Grantham, Pennsylvania, near the capital city of Harrisburg...
in Grantham, Pennsylvania
Grantham, Pennsylvania
Grantham is an unincorporated community in Upper Allen Township, Cumberland County in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, best known today for the Christian liberal arts college, Messiah College, whose students make up most of its population....
. His main interests include issues in science and religion and theories of atonement.
Education
Collins originally attended Washington State UniversityWashington State University
Washington State University is a public research university based in Pullman, Washington, in the Palouse region of the Pacific Northwest. Founded in 1890, WSU is the state's original and largest land-grant university...
and was a triple major in Applied Mathematics, Physics, and Philosophy. He graduated summa cum laude, holding a 3.93 GPA throughout his undergraduate years. After his graduation, Collins worked as a physics programmer and software engineer for many years. Prior to his Ph.D. in philosophy at Notre Dame, he began a Ph.D. program in physics at the University of Texas at Austin
University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin is a state research university located in Austin, Texas, USA, and is the flagship institution of the The University of Texas System. Founded in 1883, its campus is located approximately from the Texas State Capitol in Austin...
, but did not complete it. Collins received a Ph.D. in philosophy from the University of Notre Dame
University of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...
in 1993. Alvin Plantinga
Alvin Plantinga
Alvin Carl Plantinga is an American analytic philosopher and the emeritus John A. O'Brien Professor of Philosophy at the University of Notre Dame. He is known for his work in philosophy of religion, epistemology, metaphysics, and Christian apologetics...
directed his dissertation, which was titled "Epistemological Issues in the Scientific Realism/Antirealism Debate: An Analysis and a Proposal"; his defense of it passed with the highest possible honors.
He served as a post-doctoral fellow at Northwestern University
Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, USA. Northwestern has eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools offering 124 undergraduate degrees and 145 graduate and professional degrees....
's Program in History and Philosophy of Science before joining Messiah College.
Teaching career
Collins has received fellowships for his work from the Pew Foundation, the University of Notre Dame, and the Templeton Foundation. He has also received past support from the Discovery InstituteDiscovery Institute
The Discovery Institute is a non-profit public policy think tank based in Seattle, Washington, best known for its advocacy of intelligent design...
's Center for Science and Culture
Center for Science and Culture
The Center for Science and Culture , formerly known as the Center for the Renewal of Science and Culture , is part of the Discovery Institute, a conservative Christian think tank in the United States...
for his work on the argument from design from physics and cosmology. He is no longer affiliated with the Discovery Institute, however, due to conflicting visions.
Intelligent Design
Collins is a prominent advocate in philosophy of the fine-tuning argument (see teleological argumentTeleological argument
A teleological or design argument is an a posteriori argument for the existence of God based on apparent design and purpose in the universe. The argument is based on an interpretation of teleology wherein purpose and intelligent design appear to exist in nature beyond the scope of any such human...
) for the existence of God, according to which the fact that the laws and constants of physics are fine-tuned for life points to the existence of an intelligent cause behind the universe. Regarding evolution, he holds a position which he calls theistically guided evolution, a position which accepts the claim that all life on earth came about by a process of evolution (descent with modification) from the first cell, but holds that God guided this process at various points. He is skeptical of the claim that all the complex biological structures we find in living things can be fully explained by blind, unguided chance plus natural selection, and thus thinks that the issue of whether Darwinian evolution can adequately account for the structure of life should be vigorously explored. Collins, however, thinks that intelligent design is best thought of as a metascientific hypothesis rather than a scientific hypothesis.
Atonement
Collins's main contribution to theologyTheology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
has been to analyse the various theories of the atonement. While he has criticized the moral examplar
Atonement (moral influence view)
The moral influence view of the atonement teaches that the purpose and work of Jesus Christ was to bring positive moral change to humanity. This moral change came through the teachings and example of Jesus, the Christian movement he founded, and the inspiring effect of his martyrdom and resurrection...
theory, which is often held by more liberal Christians, his has written more about the satisfaction theory
Atonement (satisfaction view)
The satisfaction view of the atonement is a doctrine in Christian theology related to the meaning and effect of the death of Jesus Christ and has been traditionally taught in Catholic, Lutheran, and Reformed circles...
and the penal theory
Atonement (governmental view)
The governmental view of the atonement is a doctrine in Christian theology concerning the meaning and effect of the death of Jesus Christ and has been traditionally taught in Arminian circles that draw primarily from the works of Hugo Grotius...
, the two views widely held by most Evangelical conservative Christians. He argues that they fail as theories, introducing more problems than they solve, saying that they "do not help us make sense of the Atonement, but rather make it more puzzling than it was before."
Collins argues for an "incarnational" theory of the atonement, which sees the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus as necessary to make unity with God possible.
Just as an apple tree branch, for example, cannot be successfully grafted into a form of life that is totally alien to it, such as a horse, God's self cannot be united with our selves in the way scripture suggests if God's self is too alien from our selves. But, apart from the Incarnation, God's self would be very alien to ours. After all, God is infinite, we are finite; God knows everything, our knowledge is limited; God is eternal, we are not; God is everywhere, we are confined to a body; God is not dependent, we are vulnerable and dependent; and the list goes on. Thus, in order to establish as much common ground between God's self and ours as a basis for the deep sort of intertwining unity the biblical images point to, God must not only take on human nature, but God must share what I call our life-situation, for our life-situation as human beings is inseparable from what we are.
Collins says that by sharing in human life situations God's self ceases to be alien from our selves, making it possible for our selves to be united with God's self, which in turn saves us from sin. Other theologians through the ages have held similar views, and he argues that this theory is superior to others on philosophical, ethical, theological, and scriptural grounds
Books and articles
Collins is writing a book on the anthropic principleAnthropic principle
In astrophysics and cosmology, the anthropic principle is the philosophical argument that observations of the physical Universe must be compatible with the conscious life that observes it. Some proponents of the argument reason that it explains why the Universe has the age and the fundamental...
, tentatively titled, The Well-Tempered Universe: God, Cosmic Fine-tuning, and the Laws of Nature. He has also written many articles and book chapters on such topics as the fine-tuning of the cosmos as evidence for design, quantum mechanics, Asian philosophies and religions, the doctrine of Christian Atonement, evolution and original sin, and general issues in science and religion.
Collins has also has done several interviews. Among others, he was interviewed by Robert Kuhn for the PBS series "Closer to the Truth" and also by Lee Strobel
Lee Strobel
Lee Patrick Strobel is a writer, creationist, former journalist and former megachurch pastor. He is the author of several books, including four which received ECPA Christian Book Awards and a series which addresses challenges to a Biblically inerrant view of Christianity...
, a journalist and Christian apologist
Christian apologetics
Christian apologetics is a field of Christian theology that aims to present a rational basis for the Christian faith, defend the faith against objections, and expose the perceived flaws of other world views...
, in The Case for a Creator. The series of PBS interviews can be found at http://www.closertotruth.com/participant/Robin-Collins/23. Strobel's book, published in 2004, presents a number of interviews with ID proponents, who attempt to refute naturalistic accounts of the origin of universe and the development of life.
External links
- Dr. Collins's homepage
- The Case for Cosmic Design by Robin Collins. (Here Collins debates Paul Draper and Quentin Smith regarding whether the structure of the cosmos supports divine creation; it is part of the first online book debating theism and atheism/naturalism, at the leading atheist website infidels.org)
- Interviews with Collins for PBS program "Closer to the Truth"