Acknowledgements

As this might be the end of my time at the University of Bangor (which began in 1989 as an undergraduate Electrical Engineer), my appreciation for the University, mentors and friends will be generous and lengthy here (but only going back to 2006)!

I specifically acknowledge Dr Katrin Williams (now at Lampeter) for walking the third mile to get me through the first year of the BD studying fulltime despite all the challenges of working alongside studying.  Thanks also to Dr Studholme who supervised my BD thesis, it is good to see some of the same themes in this thesis.  A special thanks to Dr David Sullivan who was a masterful philosophical mentor during my Master’s level coursework; it was a shock when he asked me as an ‘equal’ about what I thought about Plantinga’s Where The Conflict Really Lies.  I could not think much at all, having only managed ten pages; he showed you could read, understand and be ready to discuss a philosophy book in a week.  I have yet to master that technique.  However, we do both share that same commitment to the importance of philosophy.

Thanks also to Emeritus Professor Eryl Davies who once gave me 35% for an essay which taught me the extremely valuable lesson about making sure your reading is a superset of your lecturer’s recommended reading if you want to pass and also for supervising my Master’s thesis because just about everyone else had fled the department in those bad old days of reorganisation (as Wittgenstein advised, about what we cannot speak we must be silent).  On a positive note, it is also satisfying to see some of the themes in that thesis get picked up in this work.

Of course, great thanks must go to the supervisors of this work, first Dr Toby Betenson who made himself available for many hours and taught me the ABCs of ‘real philosophy’ rather than that playing in the theological paddling pool, and who also reviewed some conference papers and some essays.  Hopefully he will see this work and be happy with it and see some of his influence on it.  Second, Dr Farhaan Wali, the Islamic scholar of the department (a certain ironical smile might pass both our lips) who helped me get across the line and took care of a lot of the practical details.  Thanks too to Dr Felix Ó Murchadha of Ollscoil na Gaillimhe for agreeing in principle to supervise at that fine institution what seems like yesterday but was 6 years ago; I got married (again) instead and everything changed.  As Providence would have it, he was much more involved than expected as I had the privilege of him as the external examiner and the pleasure of all those revisions that occurred in its wake which indeed made it a better work.  Thanks in this regard should also go to Prof. Scott Oliphint and Dr James Anderton, eminent Van Tillians who agreed in principle to examine externally, I look forward to receiving your comments and input in the future.  As all of us are interested in authentic Christian philosophy, this input is invaluable.

A special thanks also to the present head of whatever remains of the once reborn Philosophy department, Prof. Lucy Huskinson, whose reading lists gave a new meaning to the word “extensive”, but she would never ask of you what she has not already done, and it taught me the great lesson that you need to know what you are talking about before you open your mouth.  That means reading and listening a lot. I will always consider her a friend despite those hours of pain – ‘weeping endures for a night, but joy comes in the morning’ (Ps. 30:5).  Also please do not say “do you hate it yet?” when your student is writing up their PhD dissertation, “how much do you love it?” would be better.

Now for some personal thanks – thanks to Dom & Jen for lending me their sofa on many an occasion on the way to Bangor Uni; Rev. Pauline Edwards of Bangor Pentecostal Church for the spare room, many hours of conversation, helping me pick up the pieces and for encouragement in the darkest of places – to whom I owe an unpayable debt; thanks also to Paul & Linda Fenwick of Byker City Fellowship International for casting out all the demons and being a sane voice during COVID.  Special thanks also to my current employers KCM Europe (though I count it a great privilege to work there), who allowed me to squash my 5 days into 4 days so I could devote some time to study.

Very special thanks also to my wife Sayuri for being who she is, amazing cooking, endless hours of patience and support as I worked fulltime and studied at the same time and then wanted to watch violent action films all on my own (but now we watch Japanese drama together, どうもありがとうございます).  Now it will be my turn to wait as you complete your studies!

Finally, my greatest debt will always be to my Lord and Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ not only for saving me from my sin but also from myself and the deceitfulness of my own heart.  Hopefully, this thesis is part of the answer to the question He asked me which provoked me to return to study in 2006.  I know this is the very beginning, not the end.  You have the unique epistemological quality that the more one knows you, the more one realises that they do not know you; and how much more you need to know that which one does not know: “If anyone supposes that he knows anything, he has not yet known as he ought to know; but if anyone loves God, he is known by Him”. (1 Co 8:2).