Introduction

Welcome to The Magis Online Encyclopedia of Reason and Faith (MOERF), a free research tool written and developed by Robert J. Spitzer, S.J., Ph.D. of the Magis Center of Reason and Faith. We respectfully ask that if you download, print, or use any of this information, you acknowledge the copyright and its author (see above).

This tool was written and designed for in-depth study and research. It is written in a form to present the best of current research, probative studies, detailed analysis, and leads to other significant books, journals, and research materials. It is carefully footnoted.

If you directly reference the material from this encyclopedia, the proper footnote form is:

Spitzer, Robert. 2011. “the name of the article cited” in The Magis Online Encyclopedia of Reason and Faith. http://magiswiki.org/ .

MOERF has two parts:

1. Why Believe in God?

2. Why Believe in Jesus?

Both can be accessed directly from the home page of MOERF.

The first part (Why Believe in God?) is concerned with several themes – evidence for a transcendent, intelligent Creator from physics, logic, philosophy of mathematics, near-death experiences, and human transcendentality; the questionable rationality of atheism, the need for revelation, and a response to the question of why God allows suffering. The second part (Why believe in Jesus?) is concerned with the Historicity of Jesus and other evidence.

Please note that all twelve units of this part of the encyclopedia are systematically organized so that they can be read one after the other like a book. Graduate students and professionals may want to do this with a view of obtaining a comprehensive knowledge of the interrelationship among the topics.

We hope you find this tool to be a source of information, analysis, and inspiration.

Other Related Resources

There are two complementary resources for the material in this part of the encyclopedia:

1. Fr. Spitzer’s book, New Proofs for the Existence of God: Contributions of Contemporary Physics and Philosophy (Eerdmans 2010) – hereafter NPEG. The book may be purchased at a discounted price (about $19.00) from Amazon. The book contains a much more detailed account of the physical evidence for an intelligent Creator, the three logical proofs for the existence of God, the transcendentals, and the analysis of the rationality of atheism. It does not contain the discussion of near-death experiences, the need for revelation, and the rational response to suffering.

2. A thirty-part lecture series (35 minutes per part) presented by Fr. Spitzer (using a Camtasia blackboard) entitled “Physics and Metaphysics in Dialogue” – hereafter PID. The lecture series can be purchased through this secure website for $40.00 at Physics in Dialogue. All the parts of the encyclopedia are in the lecture series. Many students have found that the lecture series is quite helpful for making these materials accessible, giving the big picture, and fitting together its various parts. This lecture series may also be taken for credit (from Benedictine College – North Central Commission on Accreditation) by registering at the Physics in Dialogue site. There is an on-line Q&A and discussion forum. There are on-line examinations and on-line Q&A discussion forum (with Ph.D. moderators), study questions, and other resources that accompany the course. If students wish to transfer credit to their own institutions, they may obtain the course syllabus (GS 298 Physics and Metaphysics in Dialogue) and petition their Registrar. It is a general studies (GS) listing, and the Registrar can give elective credit toward graduation or general studies to the course. If students wish to transfer the course into a specific department, such as philosophy or theology, they will have to obtain permission from the department as well as the Registrar.