The preeminent Reformed philosopher William P. Alston passed away yesterday. His contributions to epistemology (especially Reformed Epistemology), philosophy of language, and Christian philosophy in general are extremely valuable; they will surely prove edifying for years to come. What is more, Alston, by the grace of God, pioneered a revival in Christian philosophy and was one of the founders of The Society of Christian Philosophers and the journal Faith and Philosophy. Though this is truly a sad event for those of us who remain, we, as Christians, do not “grieve as others do who have no hope” (I Thessalonians 4:13).
My thoughts and prayers go out to his friends and family. He will be missed.
ADDENDUM (from Certain Doubts):
- From an email from The Society of Christian Philosophers: “Bill Alston, 87, died earlier today, September 13, 2009, at his home in Jamesville, NY. He had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer just the week before last.”
- A biography of Alston can be found here: http://www.ac.wwu.edu/~howardd/alston/alstonforthoemmes.pdf
- A bibliography of Alston’s works can be found here: http://www.ac.wwu.edu/~howardd/alston/bibliographies/writingsbyalston/writingsbyalston.htm
September 19, 2009 at 8:15 pm
William, you’ll be missed. Thanks for doing the work God had for you to do while you were on this Earth. We’ll catch you later when all things are made new.