I will quote the first line of the program tribute: "Alvin Plantinga is an American scholar whose rigorous writings over a half century have made theism--the belief in a divine reality or god--a serious option within academic philosophy." His Warrant Trilogy published by Oxford University Press in 1993 and 2000 stated that "religious beliefs are proper starting points for human reasoning and do not have to be defended or justified based on other beliefs." His five minute acceptance speech distinguished between two types of beliefs--one that accepted that George Washington was our first president because we had read about it or been told about it--and the second one (in his quirky style) was a belief that you had an annoying itch in your left leg. I think he was saying that belief in God is like that second type of belief. You know it and no one has to tell you that and it is not irrational. That's seems pretty deceptively simple, he stated, and I am not sure I understand how that can be the basis of many books and words and lectures--and a Templeton prize--but there it is.
We were surprised to be invited to the Templeton Prize Ceremony but we accepted this invitation. As Al said, he was not sure he deserved this honor but he was not going to turn it down!
Our connections with Al are through several channels. Jim studied logic and modern philosophy with him at Calvin College in the 1960s. Years later, when Jim was appointed to the Department of Philosophy and Religion at North Carolina State University, his colleagues in philosophy were impressed to hear that he had studied with Al Plantinga and may have given him more respect because of it!
In 1991, when Jim was appointed to Notre Dame's Theology faculty, he became a colleague of Al's. . But more importantly, we worshipped together at the South Bend Christian Reformed Church and became friends.
The memory of Al that comes to mind for me more than any other is worshipping with him during the often sparsely attended evening services we used to have at our church. There were opportunities for prayer requests and Al often asked for prayers for his family or his many acquaintances. Somehow that always struck me that this world renowned scholar was humble enough to ask for prayers for people he cared about.
The event itself this past Sunday at the Field Museum in Chicago was an adventure. We took the South Shore train into Chicago and stayed at the Palmer House Hilton Hotel--where we were upgraded from our "hip and historic" room to a business class room on the 20th floor--spacious and with a lovely view. We met our friends Julie and Nathan Hatch in the lobby and had pizza and drinks with them--catching up on families and the years gone by since they too were at Notre Dame and our church. A shuttle bus took us to the Field Museum where we listened to six speeches, three chorale numbers by the Calvin College Alumni Choir, two videos, and one piano solo by Al's brother Leon. A reception followed in the large museum hall--home of T Rex.
Al apparently had been taken to the hospital at 1 am with what he thought was heartburn. The hotel staff was concerned because it could easily be heart issues instead. In typical Al fashion, he may have neglected to bring his usual meds along for the weekend. In any case, he was released at noon and was able to participate in fine fashion in the evening. This information was not publicized but we chatted with family members while waiting for the shuttle.
A great aspect of the evening was reuniting with many graduate students who had been members of our church during Al and Kathy's years there--some coming from Grand Rapids, but also from Florida, California, and the Netherlands. Al has had an amazing legacy of influencing generations of philosophers and he stated that he hoped this prize would encourage them towards "greater creativity, integrity, and boldness."
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