Michael Peterson
Professor
Dr. Michael L. Peterson is currently Professor of Philosophy and Chair of the department at Asbury College, where he has taught for thirty years. He received the Ph.D. from the State University of New York in 1976 and has taught at the University of Kentucky, Roberts Wesleyan College, Princeton University, Greenville College, and Georgetown College. Dr. Peterson does research, writing, and speaking in the areas of philosophy of science, philosophy of education, and philosophy of religion.
Dr. Peterson has written: Evil and the Christian God (Baker Books); Philosophy of Education: Issues and Options (InterVarsity Press); God and Evil: An Introduction to the Issues(HarperCollins/Westview); and With All Your Mind: A Christian Philosophy of Education(University of Notre Dame Press). He is senior author of Reason and Religious Belief (Oxford University Press, going into its 4th edition), His newest book commitment is Christian Theism and the Problem of Evil (forthcoming, Blackwell of Oxford). His next writing project is on philosophical theories of human nature.
Dr. Peterson has edited or been senior editor in three books: The Problem of Evil: Selected Readings (Notre Dame, going into its 2nd edition), Philosophy of Religion: Selected Readings(Oxford, now in 3rd edition), and Contemporary Debates in Philosophy of Religion (Blackwell of Oxford).
Dr. Peterson is General Editor of the scholarly text book series "Exploring Philosophy of Religion" under the Blackwell of Oxford imprint. Six books, all by major philosophers, are scheduled. Four books are now in print: Problems of Religious Diversity (by Paul Griffiths, University of Chicago);The Divine Attributes (by Joshua Hoffman and Gary Rosenkrantz of the University of North Carolina at Greensboro); and Philosophical Theology and Christian Doctrine (by Brian Hebblethwaite, Cambridge University); Religious Epistemology (by Thomas Senor, University of Arkansas). Future books in the series will include a volume on Religious Ethics and a volume entitled Christian Theism and the Problem of Evil (Peterson).
During his career, Dr. Peterson has received both research grants and programmatic grants from various major foundations: Pew Charitable Trust, Templeton Foundation, Institute for Advanced Christian Scholarship, and Lilly Endowment.
Twenty-five years ago, Dr. Peterson founded the scholarly journal Faith and Philosophy, based at Asbury College, which is widely recognized as the leading scholarly journal in philosophy of religion worldwide, and he continues to serve as its Managing Editor.
Dr. Peterson currently Director of the Lilly Center at Asbury College for integrating faith and vocational choice within a liberal arts context, funding by a $2.5 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. He was recently asked by the John Templeton Foundation to submit a major grant proposal to make Asbury College the worldwide hub for discussion of issues in science and religion throughout the Methodist world as a means to reach the larger Christian and intellectual communities as well as general culture.
