Chris L. Firestone

Education

2005

PhD, Philosophy, University of Edinburgh.
Dissertation: Kant's Rational Foundations for Religious Faith. Committee included Nicholas Adams, David Fergusson, and Kevin Vanhoozer. Dissertation record.

1993

MA, Christian Thought (Philosophy of Religion and Systematic Theology), Trinity Evangelical Divinity School.
Thesis: Martin Luther and the Problem of God's Hiddenness.

1989

BA, Philosophy and BS, Mathematics, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.
Graduated with High Distinction.

Academic appointments

2024–

Champion Christian College, Hot Springs, Arkansas
Vice President of Academic Excellence and Strategic Partnerships
Professor of Philosophy and Christian Worldview; Director of the Great Writings Honors Program

2024–

Trinity International University
Professor of Philosophy, Emeritus

Current

Profer, Inc.
Chief Education Officer

2023–

Turning Point USA
Curriculum designer and inaugural lead professor, Turning Point Education Prep Year

2012–2024

Trinity College, Trinity International University, Deerfield, Illinois
Professor of Philosophy
Chair, Department of Philosophy (from 2012)
Director, Humanities Division

1999–2012

Trinity College, Trinity International University
Assistant Professor, then Associate Professor of Philosophy

Books

• Firestone, Chris L. Immanuel Kant: A Companion to His Philosophy and Its Theological Reception. Eugene, OR: Cascade Books, forthcoming. About the book
• Firestone, Chris L., and Alex H. Pierce. Why Does Friendship Matter?. Questions for Restless Minds (ed. D. A. Carson). Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2021. About the book
• Firestone, Chris L., Nathan A. Jacobs, and James H. Joiner, eds. Kant and the Question of Theology. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2017. About the book
• Firestone, Chris L., and Nathan A. Jacobs, eds. The Persistence of the Sacred in Modern Thought. Notre Dame, IN: University of Notre Dame Press, 2012. About the book
• Firestone, Chris L. Kant and Theology at the Boundaries of Reason. Transcending Boundaries in Philosophy and Theology. Farnham: Ashgate, 2009. Paperback reissue, Routledge, 2016. About the book
• Firestone, Chris L., and Nathan Jacobs. In Defense of Kant's Religion. Indiana Series in the Philosophy of Religion. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2008. About the book
• Firestone, Chris L., and Stephen R. Palmquist, eds. Kant and the New Philosophy of Religion. Indiana Series in the Philosophy of Religion. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2006. About the book

Articles and chapters

• Firestone, Chris L. “The Impossible Possibility of Palmquist's Kant and Mysticism.” Kantian Review 26(1): 99-104 (March 2021; published online 21 Dec 2020). DOI
• Firestone, Chris L. “Kant's Existential Dualism.” Evangelical Philosophical Society, Web Project on the Philosophy of Theological Anthropology, 2021. Link
• Firestone, Chris L. “Certainty in Science and Theology: An Introduction.” Sapientia / Areopagite series, Carl F. H. Henry Center for Theological Understanding (online), February 2019. Link
• Firestone, Chris L. “Can the New Wave Baptize Kant's Deism? Maybe.” Philosophia Christi 19(1): 123-134, 2017. Link
• Firestone, Chris L. “Rational Religious Faith in a Bodily Resurrection.” In Kant and the Question of Theology, eds. Firestone, Jacobs, Joiner (Cambridge UP), Part III ch. 12, 2017. DOI
• Firestone, Chris L., Nathan A. Jacobs, and James H. Joiner. “Introduction (to Kant and the Question of Theology).” In Kant and the Question of Theology (Cambridge UP), 2017. DOI
• Firestone, Chris L. “Kant and Contemporary Science.” In Zondervan Dictionary of Christianity and Science, eds. Paul Copan, Tremper Longman III, et al. (Zondervan), 2017.
• Firestone, Chris L., and Alex H. Pierce. “Friendship Matters: Honoring God in All Our Relationships.” Christ on Campus Initiative (online essay; Henry Center, TIU), 2017. Link
• Firestone, Chris L. “A Response to Critics of In Defense of Kant's Religion.” Faith and Philosophy 29(2): 193-209, Article 7, 2012. DOI
• Firestone, Chris L. “The Illegitimate Son: Kant and Theological Non-Realism.” In The Persistence of the Sacred in Modern Thought, eds. Firestone & Jacobs (University of Notre Dame Press), 2012.
• Firestone, Chris L., and Nathan A. Jacobs. “Introduction (to The Persistence of the Sacred in Modern Thought).” In The Persistence of the Sacred in Modern Thought (University of Notre Dame Press), 2012.
• Firestone, Chris L. “Tillich's Indebtedness to Kant: Two Recently Translated Review Essays on Rudolf Otto's Idea of the Holy.” Bulletin of the North American Paul Tillich Society 35(2), 2009.
• Firestone, Chris L. “What Can Christian Theologians Learn from Kant?” Philosophia Christi 9(1): 7-19, 2007. Link
• Firestone, Chris L., and Nathan Jacobs. “Kant on the Christian Religion.” Philosophia Christi 9(1): 63-72, 2007. Link
• Firestone, Chris L. “On Integrating Christian Faith with Human Reason.” Perichoresis 7(1), January 2007 (Emanuel University of Oradea, Romania).
• Firestone, Chris L. “Rational Religious Faith and Kant's Transcendental Boundaries.” In Transcending Boundaries in Philosophy and Theology, eds. Kevin Vanhoozer and Martin Warner (Ashgate), 2007.
• Firestone, Chris L. “Making Sense Out of Tradition: Theology and Conflict in Kant's Philosophy of Religion.” In Kant and the New Philosophy of Religion, eds. Firestone & Palmquist (Indiana UP), pp. 141-156, 2006. Link
• Firestone, Chris L., and Stephen R. Palmquist. “Editors' Introduction (to Kant and the New Philosophy of Religion).” In Kant and the New Philosophy of Religion (Indiana UP), 2006. Link
• Firestone, Chris L. “Kant's Two Perspectives on the Theological Task.” International Journal of Systematic Theology 2(1): 63-78, March 2000. DOI
• Firestone, Chris L. “Kant and Religion: Conflict or Compromise?” Religious Studies 35(2): 151-171, June 1999. DOI

Symposia

• Subject of a symposium on In Defense of Kant's Religion, with a response by the authors. Faith and Philosophy: Journal of the Society of Christian Philosophers, Vol. 29, No. 2 (2012), Articles 2-8. Link
• Guest editor of a special symposium edition on Kant and the New Philosophy of Religion. Philosophia Christi, Vol. 9, No. 1 (2007). Evangelical Philosophical Society. Link

Reference entries, translations, and reviews

• Firestone, Chris L. “Review of Christopher J. Insole, Kant and the Divine: From Contemplation to the Moral Law (Oxford UP, 2020).” Journal of the History of Philosophy 61(1): 164-166 (January 2023). Link
• Firestone, Chris L. “Immanuel Kant.” Encyclopedia of the Bible and Its Reception (De Gruyter, Berlin/Boston), online 2015; print vol. 'K' 2017. 3 pp. DOI
• Firestone, Chris L. “Review of Lawrence R. Pasternack, Kant on Religion within the Boundaries of Mere Reason (Routledge, 2014).” Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews, September 21, 2015. Link
• Firestone, Chris L., and Nathan A. Jacobs. “Translations: Paul Tillich, 'The Category of the Holy in Rudolf Otto' and 'Thinkers of Today: Rudolf Otto — Philosopher of Religion'.” In Kant and Theology at the Boundaries of Reason (Ashgate, 2009).
• Firestone, Chris L. “Kant on Swedenborg: Dreams of a Spirit-Seer and Other Writings (review essay).” Journal of Scientific Exploration, December 2003.
• Firestone, Chris L. “Rudolf Otto.” In The Dictionary of Historical Theology (Eerdmans), 2000.
• Firestone, Chris L. “Review of Garrett J. DeWeese, Doing Philosophy as a Christian.” Trinity Journal 33(2): 324-325.

Invited lectures

• 2024. “A Great Books Education for K–12.” Herzog Foundation Great Books Summit, Trinity International University (keynote).
• 2024. “Neo-Calvinism and the New Wave in Kant.” Kuyper Conference, Calvin University.
• 2023. “Kant's Moral Vision as Affirmative Religion.” Center for Philosophy of Religion, University of Notre Dame (keynote).
• 2023. “Thinking Like a Philosopher.” Educator's Summit, Trinity International University (keynote).
• 2023. “How to Think, Not What to Think.” Turning Point Academy Summit.
• 2022. “Kant, Confucius, and the New Wave.” American Philosophical Association, Eastern Division, Baltimore.
• 2015. “Kant's Philosophy and Bodily Resurrection.” Tyndale House, Cambridge (plenary).
• 2009. “Why Morality Inevitably Leads to Religion: Kant's Challenge to Confucius.” Kant in Asia Conference, Hong Kong.
• 2009. “Kant on Cognition and Faith.” International Kant Conference, University of Kiev.

Awards and grants

• Regent's Prize for Excellence in Teaching and Research, Trinity College (2007 and 2018)
• Choice Outstanding Academic Title for The Persistence of the Sacred in Modern Thought (2013)
• In Defense of Kant's Religion nominated for the APA Book of the Year and the AAR Textual Studies Prize (2008–09)
• Principal writer of the $600,000 Lilly Endowment grant for the 360 Summer Leadership Institute (2015)
• Communitas Summer Research Fellow, Calvin College (2006, 2007, 2008)

Professional memberships

• American Academy of Religion
• American Philosophical Association
• Society of Christian Philosophers
• Evangelical Philosophical Society (Executive Committee, 2015–2019)
• Evangelical Theological Society
• North American Kant Society
• North American Paul Tillich Society

Editorial and review service

• Blind reviewer for Modern Theology, Religious Studies, Philosophia Christi, Faith and Philosophy, and the Journal of the History of Philosophy.
• Manuscript reader for Routledge and Cambridge University Press.

Public programs

• The Trinity Debates (2002–2020). Co-founder, co-organizer, and co-moderator of the public debate series with the Carl F. H. Henry Center, Trinity International University.
• 360 Summer Leadership Institute (2015–c. 2023). Founder and lead instructor of the two-week residential program for high-school students created by a $600,000 Lilly Endowment grant; principal writer of the grant.
• Turning Point Education Prep Year (2023–). Designed the curriculum and proposal for the nine-month post-high-school program.

Films

• Killing Poe (2016). Co-writer and producer (with Nathan Andrew Jacobs). Link
• Last Wish (2010). Short film starring Lana Wood.
• So, This is Philosophy? (1995). Co-writer and producer; shot in Hong Kong.

Ministry credential

License of Christian Ministry, Evangelical Free Church of America.

A fuller CV, including committee service and course lists, is on Academia.edu. Last updated September 2026.