Peterson, Michael L. 1950-

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PETERSON, Michael L. 1950-

PERSONAL: Born January 7, 1950; married Rebecca Shannon (a Christian education director); children: Aaron, Adam. Education: Asbury College, B.A. (cum laude), 1972; University of Kentucky, M.A. (summa cum laude), 1974; State University of New York at Buffalo, Ph.D. (with distinction), 1976. Hobbies and other interests: Basketball, chess.

ADDRESSES: Home—113 Lowry Ln., Wilmore, KY 40390. Office—Department of Philosophy, Asbury College, Wilmore, KY 40390.

CAREER: Roberts Wesleyan College, Rochester, NY, professor of philosophy, 1974-78; Asbury College, Wilmore, KY, professor of philosophy, 1978—. Faith and Philosophy, managing editor.

MEMBER: American Philosophical Association, Society of Christian Philosophers, Wesleyan Theological Society.

AWARDS, HONORS: Fellow of Institute of Advanced Christian Studies, 1979-80, and Pew Evangelical Scholarship Initiative.

WRITINGS:

Evil and the Christian God, Baker Book House (Grand Rapids, MI), 1982.

(Editor) A Spectrum of Thought: Essays in Honor of Dennis F. Kinlaw, Francis Asbury (Grand Rapids, MI), 1982.

Philosophy of Education: Issues and Options, Inter-Varsity Press (Downers Grove, IL), 1986.

(With William Hasker, B. Reichenbach, and D. Basinger) Reason and Religious Belief: An Introduction to the Philosophy of Religion, Oxford University Press, 1990.

(Editor) The Problem of Evil: Selected Readings, University of Notre Dame Press (Notre Dame, IN), 1992, second edition, 1998.

(With William Hasker, B. Reichenbach, and D. Basinger) Philosophy of Religion: Selected Readings, Oxford University Press, 1995, second edition, 2001.

God and Evil: An Introduction to the Issues, Westview Press (Boulder, CO), 1998.

Contributor to philosophy journals.

WORK IN PROGRESS: Christian Theism and the Problem of Evil; The Case of Job: A Theological and Philosophical Study; Against a Silent Sky, a documentary film based on the book The Problem of Evil, to be broadcast by Public Broadcasting Service in 2003.

SIDELIGHTS: Michael L. Peterson told CA: "Born in a mining town in southwestern Indiana, I always enjoyed thinking hard about things. During my high school years, I began to read the classics. During my college years, I declared a philosophy major and married my high school sweetheart, two events that have shaped my life. Throughout my career, the enjoyment of teaching and research has been surpassed only by the benefits and wonders of married family life.

"Although my doctoral dissertation was in the philosophy of science, quite a lot of my professional writing has been in the philosophy of religion. My career is characterized by a couple of basic themes: the mutual compatibility and fruitful relation between intellectual pursuit and Christian faith, and the necessity (and nobility) of rational dialogue among people of all points of view."

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