C. Stephen Layman

C. Stephen Layman is an American philosopher and Professor Emeritus of Philosophy at Seattle Pacific University. His academic work focuses on philosophy of religion, ethics, and logic. He later pursued graduate studies in philosophy at the University of California, Los Angeles, where he earned his Ph.D. in 1983.

During his graduate studies, Layman received several fellowships, including the Chancellor's Intern Fellowship, and as a Visiting assistant professor at Reed College (1984–1985). He subsequently held a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Notre Dame (1985–1986), affiliated with the Center for the Philosophy of Religion.

Seattle Pacific University Layman joined Seattle Pacific University in 1986 as an assistant professor of philosophy. He was promoted to associate professor in 1991 and to full Professor in 1996, a position he held until 2016. At Seattle Pacific University, Layman taught a wide range of courses, including:

The Shape of the Good (University of Notre Dame Press, 1991; paperback 1994) The Power of Logic (Mayfield Publishing, 1999; 2nd ed. McGraw-Hill, 2002; 3rd ed. McGraw-Hill, 2005) Letters to Doubting Thomas: A Case for the Existence of God (Oxford University Press, 2007) Philosophical Approaches to Atonement, Incarnation, and the Trinity (Palgrave Macmillan, 2016) God: Eight Enduring Questions (University of Notre Dame Press, 2022)

“The Truth in ‘The Will to Believe’” (History of Philosophy Quarterly, 1987) “Faith Has Its Reasons,” in Thomas V. Morris, ed., God and the Philosophers (Oxford University Press, 1994). “Moral Evil: The Comparative Response” (International Journal for the Philosophy of Religion, 2003) “Natural Evil: The Comparative Response” (International Journal for the Philosophy of Religion, 2003) “A Moral Argument for the Existence of God” in Is Goodness Without God Good Enough? (2009) “The Problem of Pain in the Philosophy of Religion” in The Routledge Handbook of Philosophy of Pain (2017)

Awards and recognition

Layman has received several academic honors and awards, including: Chancellor's Intern Fellowship, UCLA (1977–1978) Chancellor's Dissertation Fellowship, UCLA (1982) Charlotte W. Newcombe Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship (1982–1983) Postdoctoral Fellowship, Center for the Philosophy of Religion, University of Notre Dame (1985–1986) President's Citation for Excellence, Seattle Pacific University (1998) Winifred E. Weter Award for Meritorious Scholarship, Seattle Pacific University (2014) Faculty Servant Award, Seattle Pacific University (2016)