Debate Recap & Analysis w/ Fr. Gregory Pine

Summary

Fr. Gregory Pine joins us to review some aspects of his debate with Ben Watkins on the Pints with Aquinas YouTube channel. We discuss Ben’s main objections in his opening statement. Also, I provide several resources for those who want to pursue further replies to Ben’s objections.

Guest Bio

Fr. Gregory Pine, O.P. is a doctoral student at the University of Fribourg. He served previously as Assistant Director for Campus Outreach at the Thomistic Institute and an adjunct professor at Bellarmine University. Born and raised near Philadelphia, PA, he attended the Franciscan University of Steubenville, studying mathematics and humanities. Upon graduating, he entered the Order of Preachers in 2010. He was ordained a priest in 2016 and holds an STL from the Dominican House of Studies. Fr. Gregory is also a frequent contributor to the podcast Godsplaining and the video course Aquinas 101.

Interview Topics

• How did you get involved in this debate?
• What did you do in terms of preparation?
• What were Ben’s main arguments and did any surprise you?
• How might Thomists respond to the objections he raised?
• What did you think about his objections to the First Way?
• Where can people go to find more of your work?

Full Video of the Debate between Fr. Gregory Pine O.P. and Ben Watkins

Bibliography of Replies to the Opening Statement by Ben Watkins

The Problem of Animal Pain & Suffering

• Thomism and the Problem of Animal Suffering by B. Kyle Keltz
• The Reality of God and the Problem of Evil by Brian Davies O.P. (his last name is pronounced “DAY-VIS”, not DAY-VEES”)
• The Problem of Animal Pain: A Theodicy for All Creatures Great and Small by Trent Dougherty
• All God’s Animals: A Catholic Theological Framework for Animal Ethics by Fr. Christopher Steck S.J.

The Problem of Divine Freedom & Modal Collapse

• Collapsing the Modal Collapse Argument by Christopher Tomaszewski (journal article, 2018)
• Divine Simplicity Does Not Entail Modal Collapse by Steven Nemes (published in a 2020 volume of philosophical essays)
• De Artifice Divino: A Thomistic Analysis of God’s Creative Act by Dwight Stanislaw (master’s thesis)
• A Reply to Mullins’ Reply to Feser by John DeRosa (blog post)

The Problem of Changing Knowledge & Divine Immutability

• Omniscience, Immutability, and the Divine Mode of Knowing by Thomas D. Sullivan (journal article, 1991)
• Eternal Knowledge of the Temporal in Aquinas by Brian J. Shanley O.P. (journal article, 1997)
• Eternal God: Divine Atemporality in Thomas Aquinas by John H. Boyer (journal article, 2014)
• Steven Nemes & Ryan Mullins Discuss God on Capturing Christianity
• The One Creator God in Thomas Aquinas and Contemporary Theology by Fr. Michael Dodds O.P. (NEW book, 2020)
• Defending the Doctrine of Divine Simplicity with Christopher Tomaszewski (This is a podcast episode of the Pat Flynn show. In the last 45 minutes, they focus on the question and issues of divine knowledge)

Additional Resources Relevant to Ben Watkins’ First Rebuttal

• Pat Flynn’s episodes with Dr. Gaven Kerr and Karlo Broussard on the Five Ways and Deriving a Unique First Cause that is Pure Actuality: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4
• Pat Flynn hosts Gaven Kerr for a discussion of Essence, Existence, and Existential Intertia (podcast episode)
• Existential Inertia and the Aristotelian Proof by Joseph C. Schmid
• Youtube Discussion between Gaven Kerr and Joe Schmid on Suan Sonna’s YouTube channel Intellectual Conservatism

More Resources

Marian Consecration with Aquinas: A Nine Day Path for Growing Closer to the Mother of God by Fr. Gregory Pine and Matt Fradd

Godsplaining: Contemporary Preachers Contemporary Age (podcast)

Aquinas 101

The Thomistic Institute

Related Episodes

Ep. #66 – Simplicity & Modal Collapse w/ Christopher Tomaszewski

Ep. #68 – Divine Immutability w/ Fr. Dodds

Ep. #85 – Unlocking Divine Action w/ Fr. Dodds

Ep. #92 – Simplicity Does Not Entail Modal Collapse w/ Steven Nemes

BONUS|Aquinas and the Metaphysics of Creation w/ Dr. Kerr