contents of the current issue
Volume 4 / Number 1 / Spring 2012
Eleonore STUMP
ATONEMENT AND THE CRY OF DERELICTION FROM THE CROSS
Abstract. Any interpretation of the doctrine of the atonement has to take account of relevant biblical texts. Among these texts, one that has been the most difficult to interpret is that describing the cry of dereliction from the cross. According to the Gospels of Mathew and Mark, on the cross Jesus cries, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” In this paper, I give a philosophical analysis of the options for understanding the cry of dereliction, interpreted within the constraints of orthodox Christian theology; and I show the suggestiveness of this analysis for interpretations of the doctrine of the atonement.
Irit SAMET
ON PAIN AND THE PRIVATION THEORY OF EVIL
Abstract. The paper argues that pain is not a good counter-example to the privation theory of evil. Objectors to the privation thesis see pain as too real to be accounted for in privative terms. However, the properties for which pain is intuitively thought of as real, i.e. its localised nature, intensity, and quality (prickly, throbbing, etc.) are features of the senso-somatic aspect of pain. This is a problem for the objectors because, as findings of modern science clearly demonstrate, the senso-somatic aspect of pain is neurologically and clinically separate from the emotional-psychological aspect of suffering. The intuition that what seems so real in pain is also the source of pain’s negative value thus falls apart. As far as the affective aspect of pain, i.e. ‘painfulness’ is concerned, it cannot refute the privation thesis either. For even if this is indeed the source of pain’s badness, the affective aspect is best accounted for in privative terms of loss and negation. The same holds for the effect of pain on the aching person.
Christopher HUGHES
OPENNESS, PRIVILEGE, AND OMNISCIENCE
Abstract. According to egalitarians, there is no privileged now-possible history. Egalitarianism seems to provide an attractive way to reconcile openness and omniscience, but, I argue, it does not.
Daniel MURPHY
MOLINISM, CREATURE-TYPES, AND THE NATURE OF COUNTERFACTUAL IMPLICATION
Abstract. Granting that there could be true subjunctive conditionals of libertarian freedom (SCLs), I argue (roughly) that there could be such conditionals only in connection with individual “possible creatures” (in contrast to types). This implies that Molinism depends on the view that, prior to creation, God grasps possible creatures in their individuality. In making my case, I explore the notions of counterfactual implication (that relationship between antecedent and consequent of an SCL which consists in its truth) and counterfactual relevance (that feature of an antecedent in virtue of which it counterfactually implies something or other).
Stephen R. L. CLARK
FOLLY TO THE GREEKS: GOOD REASONS TO GIVE UP REASON
Abstract. Good reasons to “give up reason” are (i) naturalistic reasons that downplay the likely effectiveness of human mentation - these lead to contradiction if naturalism itself is reckoned “really true”; (ii) there are pragmatic reasons to license and enjoy imaginative stories that conflict with principles elevated as “rational”; (iii) mystical reasons, which take account of the revolutionary aspects of certain “religious” disciplines, and throw doubt on what we “naturally” take for granted.
T. Ryan BYERLY
FAITH AS AN EPISTEMIC DISPOSITION
Abstract. This paper presents and defends a model of religious faith as an epistemic disposition. According to the model, religious faith is a disposition to take certain doxastic attitudes toward propositions of religious significance upon entertaining certain mental states. Three distinct advantages of the model are advanced. First, the model allows for religious faith to explain the presence and epistemic appropriateness of religious belief. Second, the model accommodates a variety of historically significant perspectives concerning the relationships between faith and evidence, faith and volition, and faith and doubt. And, finally, the model offers an appealing account of what unifies religious faith with other kinds of faith.
Paul REDDING
SOME METAPHYSICAL IMPLICATIONS OF HEGEL’S THEOLOGY
Abstract. This paper examines Hegel’s claim that philosophy “has no other object than God” as a claim about the essentiality of the idea of God to philosophy. On this idealist interpretation, even atheistic philosophies would presuppose rationally evaluable ideas of God, despite denials of the existence of anything corresponding to those ideas. This interpretation is then applied to Hegel’s version of idealism in relation to those of two predecessors, Leibniz and Kant. Hegel criticizes the idea of the Christian God present within his predecessors in terms of his own heterodox reading of the Trinity in order to resolve a paradox affecting them—the “paradox of perspectivism”.
Sebastian REHNMAN
A REFORMED NATURAL THEOLOGY?
Abstract. This paper aims to counter the recent opinion that there is a peculiar epistemology in the reformed Church which made it negative to natural theology. First it is shown that there was an early and unanimous adoption of natural theology as the culmination of physics and the beginning of metaphysics by sixteenth and seventeenth century philosophers of good standing in the reformed Church. Second it is argued that natural theology cannot be based on revelation, should not assume a peculiar analysis of knowledge and must not pass over demonstration.
Jeremy KOONS
CAN GOD’S GOODNESS SAVE THE DIVINE COMMAND THEORY FROM EUTHYPHRO?
Abstract. Recent defenders of the divine command theory like Adams and Alston have confronted the Euthyphro dilemma by arguing that although God’s commands make right actions right, God is morally perfect and hence would never issue unjust or immoral commandments. On their view, God’s nature is the standard of moral goodness, and God’s commands are the source of all obligation. I argue that this view of divine goodness fails because it strips God’s nature of any features that would make His goodness intelligible. An adequate solution to the Euthyphro dilemma may require that God be constrained by a standard of goodness that is external to Himself—itself a problematic proposal for many theists.
Timothy PAWL
TRADITIONAL CHRISTIAN THEISM AND TRUTHMAKER MAXIMALISM
Abstract. I argue that Traditional Christian Theism is inconsistent with Truthmaker Maximalism, the thesis that all truths have truthmakers. Though this original formulation requires extensive revision, the gist of the argument is as follows. Suppose for reductio Traditional Christian Theism and the sort of Truthmaker Theory that embraces Truthmaker Maximalism are both true. By Traditional Christian Theism, there is a world in which God, and only God, exists. There are no animals in such a world. Thus, it is true in such a world that there are no zebras. That there are no zebras must have a truthmaker, given Truthmaker Maximalism. God is the only existing object in such a world, and so God must be the truthmaker for this truth, given that it has a truthmaker. But truthmakers necessitate the truths they make true. So, for any world, at any time at which God exists, God makes that there are no zebras true. According to Traditional Christian Theism, God exists in our world. In our world, then, it is true: there are no zebras. But there are zebras. Contradiction! Thus, the conjunction of Traditional Christian Theism with Truthmaker Necessitation and Truthmaker Maximalism is inconsistent.
Gregory J. ROBSON
RECONSIDERING THE NECESSARY BEINGS OF AQUINAS’S THIRD WAY
Abstract. Surprisingly few articles have focused on Aquinas’s particular conception of necessary beings in the Third Way, and many scholars have espoused inaccurate or incomplete views of that conception. My aim in this paper is both to offer a corrective to some of those views and, more importantly, to provide compelling answers to the following two questions about the necessary beings of the Third Way. First, how exactly does Aquinas conceive of these necessary beings? Second, what does Aquinas seek to accomplish (and what does he accomplish) in the third stage of the Third Way? In answering these questions, I challenge prominent contemporary understandings of the necessary beings of the Third Way.
Volume 3 / Number 2 / Autumn 2011
Peter BYRNE
REIDIANISM IN CONTEMPORARY ENGLISH-SPEAKING RELIGIOUS EPISTEMOLOGY
Abstract. This paper explores the main contours of recent work in English-speaking philosophy of religion on the justification of religious belief. It sets out the main characteristics of the religious epistemologies of such writers as Alston, Plantinga, and Swinburne. It poses and seeks to answer the question of how far any or all of these epistemologies are indebted or similar to the epistemology of the Scottish Enlightenment thinker Thomas Reid. It concludes that while there are some links to Reid in recent writing, contemporary approaches depart from Reid’s views on the specific topic of the justification of religious belief.
Linda ZAGZEBSKI
FIRST PERSON AND THIRD PERSON REASONS AND RELIGIOUS EPISTEMOLOGY
Abstract. In this paper I argue that there are two kinds of epistemic reasons. One kind is irreducibly first personal – what I call deliberative reasons. The other kind is third personal – what I call theoretical reasons. I argue that attending to this distinction illuminates a host of problems in epistemology in general and in religious epistemology in particular. These problems include (a) the way religious experience operates as a reason for religious belief, (b) how we ought to understand religious testimony, (c) how religious authority can be justified, (d) the problem of religious disagreement, and (e) the reasonableness of religious conversion.
Paul CLAVIER
HANS JONAS’ FEEBLE THEODICY: HOW ON EARTH COULD GOD RETIRE?
Abstract. In this paper, we criticize Hans Jonas’ analogy between God’s power and the operation of physical forces. We wonder why, if omnipotence had proved to be “a self-contradictory concept”, does Jonas still need to invoke the occurrence of horrendous evils to support the view that “God is not all powerful”. We suggest that “God’s retreating into himself in order to give room to the world, renouncing his being and divesting himself of his deity” are beautiful but inconsistent metaphors of creation. Our central claim is that God’s alleged retirement, even if it were conceivable, would not the least diminish his responsibility in the occurrence of evil.
N. VERBIN
WITTGENSTEIN AND MAIMONIDES ON GOD AND THE LIMITS OF LANGUAGE
Abstract. The purpose of this paper is to bring together two thinkers that are concerned with the limits of what can be said, Wittgenstein and Maimonides, and to explore the sense of the good life and of the mystical to which their therapeutic linguistic work gives rise. I argue that despite the similarities, two different senses of the "mystical" are brought to light and two different "forms of life" are explicated and recommended.
Daniel von WACHTER
DO THE RESULTS OF DIVINE ACTIONS HAVE PRECEDING CAUSES?
Abstract. If God brings about an event in the universe, does it have a preceding cause? For example, if the universe began with the Big Bang and if God brought it about, did the Big Bang then have a preceding cause? The standard answer is: yes, it was caused by a divine willing. I propose an alternative view: God’s actions, unlike human actions, are not initiated by willings, undertakings, or volitions, but God brings about the intended event directly. Presenting a solution to the dilemma of free will I explain what ‘bringing about directly’ means and show that the question of what an action begins with is distinct from the question whether it is a basic action.
Paul O'GRADY
AQUINAS AND NATURALISM
Abstract. Aquinas’s actual response to a naturalistic challenge at ST I.2.3 is one which most naturalists would find unimpressive. However, I shall argue that there is a stronger response latent in his philosophical system. I take Quine as an example of a methodological naturalist, examine the roots of his position and look at two critical responses to his views (those of BonJour and Boghossian). If one adjusts some of the problematical aspects of their responses and establishes a hybrid position on the epistemology and metaphysics of an anti-naturalistic stance, it turns out to be the position Aquinas himself takes on meaning and knowledge.
Denis MOREAU
CLARIFYING THE CONCEPT OF SALVATION
Abstract. In this paper, I develop a philosophical clarification of the statement “faith in the resurrection of Christ saves men from sin”, using some of the main arguments and hypotheses of my recent book, “The Ways of Salvation” (Les Voies du salut, Paris, 2010). I begin with some remarks on the theme of salvation in contemporary language and philosophy. I then sketch a conceptual analysis of the concept of salvation, first in its general sense, then in its specifically Christian one. Finally, I offer a hypothesis on the modus operandi of salvation, or at least of one aspect of salvation as understood by Christianity.
Bruce LANGTRY
SWINBURNE ON THE SIMPLICITY OF THEISM
Abstract. This paper argues that (1) Richard Swinburne’s general account of the simplicity of empirical hypotheses fails because it involves a deeply problematic notion of postulating a property, while there is a wide range of hypotheses where the assessment of simplicity rests entirely on the number and kinds of postulated properties (2) Swinburne’s main argument in “The Christian God” for the simplicity of theism, the one based on considerations about pure limitless intentional power, is significantly weaker than he seems to believe. The paper does not draw a conclusion about whether theism is simple.
Roger POUIVET
AGAINST THEOLOGICAL FICTIONALISM
Abstract. According to theological fictionalism, God has the same status as a fictional character in a novel or a movie. Such a claim has been defended by Robin Le Poidevin on the basis of Kendall Walton’s theory of make-believe. But it is not only a philosophical esoteric account of religious beliefs, it is now an exoteric view, sometimes accepted by “believers” themselves, and so could even be considered a postmodern heresy. But theological fictionalism does not work: faith is real assent and not make-believe; belief is different from acceptance; belief and faith are dispositional, but make-believe seems to presuppose an account of beliefs as occurrent states; we cannot anymore imagine at will than we can believe at will.
Volume 3 / Number 1 / Spring 2011
Roger POUIVET
ON THE POLISH ROOTS OF THE ANALYTIC PHILOSOPHY OF RELIGION
Abstract. Philosophers of religion of the Cracow Circle (1934-1944) are the principal precursors of what is now called the analytic philosophy of religion. The widespread claim that the analytic philosophy of religion was from the beginning an Anglo-American affair is an ill-informed one. It is demonstrable that the enterprise, although not the label “analytic philosophy of religion,” appeared in Poland in the 1930’s. Józef Bocheñski’s post-war work is a development of the Cracow Circle’s pre-war work in the analytic philosophy of religion, or at least of important elements of that earlier work. Bocheñski’s approach in his Logic of Religion is quite original and might still be profitably studied and discussed by philosophers of religion of the analytic persuasion.
William J. WAINWRIGHT
THE SPIRITUAL SENSES IN WESTERN SPIRITUALITY AND THE ANALYTIC PHILOSOPHY OF RELIGION
Abstract. The doctrine of the spiritual senses has played a significant role in the history of Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox spirituality. What has been largely unremarked is that the doctrine also played a significant role in classical Protestant thought, and that analogous concepts can be found in Indian theism. In spite of the doctrine’s significance, however, the only analytic philosopher to consider it has been Nelson Pike. I will argue that his treatment is inadequate, show how the development of the doctrine in Puritan thought and spirituality fills a serious lacuna in Pike’s treatment, and conclude with some suggestions as to where the discussion should go next.
Jerome GELLMAN
I CALLED TO GOD FROM A NARROW PLACE . . . A WIDE FUTURE FOR PHILOSOPHY OF RELIGION
Abstract. I urge philosophers of religion to investigate far more vigorously than they have until now the acceptability of varied components of the world religions and their epistemological underpinnings. By evaluating “acceptability” I mean evaluation of: truth, morality, spiritual efficacy and human flourishing, in fact any value religious devotees might think significant to their religious lives. Secondly, I urge that philosophers of religion give more attention to what scholars have called the “esoteric” level of world religions, including components of strong ineffability, weak ineffability, and an alleged perennial philosophy. All this should involve a cooperative effort between analytic, comparative, and feminist philosophy of religion.
Kelly James CLARK & Dani RABINOWITZ
KNOWLEDGE AND THE OBJECTION TO RELIGIOUS BELIEF FROM COGNITIVE SCIENCE
Abstract. A large chorus of voices has grown around the claim that theistic belief is epistemically suspect since, as some cognitive scientists have hypothesized, such beliefs are a byproduct of cognitive mechanisms which evolved for rather different adaptive purposes. This paper begins with an overview of the pertinent cognitive science followed by a short discussion of some relevant epistemic concepts. Working from within a largely Williamsonian framework, we then present two different ways in which this research can be formulated into an argument against theistic belief. We argue that neither version works.
R. William HASKER
MATERIALISM AND THE RESURRECTION: ARE THE PROSPECTS IMPROVING?
Abstract. In 1999 Dean Zimmerman proposed a “falling elevator model” for a bodily resurrection consistent with materialism. Recently he has defended the model against objections, and a slightly different version has been defended by Timothy O’Connor and Jonathan Jacobs. This article considers both sets of responses, and finds them at best partially successful; a new objection, not previously discussed, is also introduced. It is concluded that the prospects for the falling-elevator model, in either version, are not bright.
Peter FORREST
IN DEFENCE OF ANTHROPOMORPHIC THEISM
Abstract. I reply to seven objections to anthropomorphic theism: (1) That anthropomorphic theism is idolatrous. In reply I rely on the concept/conception distinction. (2) That faith requires certainty. In reply I argue that full belief may be based on probable inference. (3) That the truly infinite is incomprehensible. In reply I distinguish two senses of knowing what you mean. (4) ‘You Kant say that!’ In reply I distinguish shallow from deep Kantianism. (5) ‘Shall Old Aquinas be forgot?’ In reply I discuss the simplicity of God. (6) What those garrulous mystics say about the ineffable. In reply I argue that mystics should be anthropomorphites. (7) Anti-theodicy. In reply I distinguish the community of all agents from the community of finite frail agents.
Timothy CHAPPELL
THEISM IN HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE
Abstract. I will discuss some familiar problems in the philosophy of religion which arise for theistic belief. I will argue that it may be most worthwhile to focus on a particular sort of theistic belief, capital-T Theism, central to which is a particular conception both of God and of the believer’s relation to God. At the heart of Theism in this sense is the continuing experience of God, both individual and collective. Compared with the evidence for Theistic belief that is provided by this experiential contact with God, most of the usually-considered arguments for and against God’s existence are secondary.
T. J. MAWSON
THEODICAL INDIVIDUALISM
Abstract. In this journal Steve Maitzen has recently advanced an argument for Atheism premised on Theodical Individualism, the thesis that God would not permit people to suffer evils that were underserved, involuntary, and gratuitous for them. In this paper I advance reasons to think this premise mistaken.
Gregor DAMSCHEN
QUESTIONING GÖDEL’S ONTOLOGICAL PROOF: IS TRUTH POSITIVE?
Abstract. In his “Ontological proof”, Kurt Gödel introduces the notion of a second-order value property, the positive property P. The second axiom of the proof states that for any property φ: If φ is positive, its negation is not positive, and vice versa. I put forward that this concept of positiveness leads into a paradox when we apply it to the following self-reflexive sentences: (A) The truth value of A is not positive; (B) The truth value of B is positive. Given axiom 2, sentences A and B paradoxically cannot be both true or both false, and it is also impossible that one of the sentences is true whereas the other is false.
Thord SVENSSON
SOFT CONTEXTUALISM IN THE CONTEXT OF RELIGIOUS LANGUAGE
Abstract. When trying to do justice to the discourse of a certain religion it is often implicitly assumed that one’s analysis should accord with and respect the opinions held by the people preaching and practicing that religion. One reason for this assumption may be the acceptance of a more general thesis, that adherents of a given religious tradition cannot fail to know the proper content and function of the language and concepts constitutive of it. In this article, the viability of this thesis is explored through an investigation of the extent to which people belonging to a certain religion may be in error about what they mean. I assume that people, if mistaken, are wrong according to a standard which is mind-dependent enough for them to be committed and accountable to it but, at the same time, mind-independent enough for them to be mistaken about it. I try to account for this delicate balance by identifying the standard with a social norm, a mind-independent object of worship or people’s intuitive judgement.
contents of the previous issues
Volume 2 / Number 2 / Autum 2010
Paul K. MOSER
AGAPEIC THEISM: PERSONIFYING EVIDENCE AND MORAL STRUGGLE
Abstract. The epistemology of monotheism offered by philosophers has given inadequate attention to the kind of foundational evidence to be expected of a personal God whose moral character is agapeic, or perfectly loving, toward all other agents. This article counters this deficiency with the basis of a theistic epistemology that accommodates the distinctive moral character of a God worthy of worship. It captures the widely neglected agonic, or struggle-oriented, character of a God who seeks, by way of personal witness and intentional action, to realize and manifest agape among humans who suffer from selfishness. In doing so, the article identifies the overlooked role of personifying evidence of God in human moral character formation. In agreement with some prominent New Testament themes, the new perspective offered ties the epistemology of monotheism to robust agapeic morality in a way that makes such epistemology ethically challenging for inquirers about God’s existence. Accordingly, such theistic epistemology will no longer be a candidate for ethically neutral, spectator reflection.
Timothy J. MAWSON
SOURCES OF DISSATISFACTION WITH ANSWERS TO THE QUESTION OF THE MEANING OF LIFE
Abstract. In this paper, I seek to diagnose the sources of our dissatisfaction with answers to the question of the meaning of life. I contend that some of these have to do with the question (its polyvalence and persistent vagueness) and some have to do with life and meaningfulness themselves. By showing how dissatisfaction arises and the extent to which it is in-eliminable even by God, I hope to show that we should be satisfied with our dissatisfaction.
Daniel and Frances HOWARD-SNYDER
THE PUZZLE OF PETITIONARY PRAYER
Abstract. The fact that our asking God to do something can make a difference to what he does underwrites the point of petitionary prayer. Here, however, a puzzle arises: Either doing what we ask is the best God can do or it is not. If it is, then our asking won’t make any difference to whether he does it. If it is not, then our asking won’t make any difference to whether he does it. So, our asking won’t make any difference to whether God does it. Our asking is therefore pointless. In this paper, we try to solve this puzzle without denying either that God must do the best he can or that petitioning God can make a difference to what he does.
Timothy O’CONNOR and Jonathan D. JACOBS
EMERGENT INDIVIDUALS AND THE RESURRECTION
Abstract. We present an original emergent individuals view of human persons, on which persons are substantial biological unities that exemplify metaphysically emergent mental states. We argue that this view allows for a coherent model of identity-preserving resurrection from the dead consistent with orthodox Christian doctrine, one that improves upon alternatives accounts recently proposed by a number of authors. Our model is a variant of the "falling elevator" model advanced by Dean Zimmerman that, unlike Zimmerman's, does not require a closest continuer account of personal identity. We end by raising some remaining theological concerns.
Stig Borsen HANSEN
UNRESTRICTED QUANTIFI CATION AND NATURAL THEOLOGY: IS “THE WORLD” ON THE INDEX?
Abstract. The first section of this paper introduces talk about absolutely everything – the world as a totality – as an integral element in the project of natural theology, as it has been presented by Fergus Kerr and Denys Turner respectively. The following section presents talk about the world as a totality of facts as a theme in philosophical logic and outlines a problem it has given rise to there. After confronting the solution originally suggested by Bertrand Russell and defended by David Armstrong, the paper points to key elements of the solution presented by Wittgenstein in Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus. I show how Wittgenstein’s answer to the question of unrestricted quantification draws on his notion of showing and the inexpressible. Against this background, the concluding section draws attention to an important difference in ambition between Kerr’s and Turner’s description of the prospects for natural theology.
Francis X. CLOONEY
RECONNECTING THE PHILOSOPHY OF RELIGION AND ENGAGED RELIGIOUS REASONING
Abstract. It is no surprise that the philosophy of religion, the many disciplines counted within the study of religion and theology, and religion-specific studies, all have their own methods and interests, and often proceed necessarily as conversations among small groups of experts. But the intellectual cogency and credibility of such studies also entails a problematization of the boundaries that divide them. While disciplinary distinctions are necessary and valuable, a freer flow of ideas and questions across boundaries is to the benefit of all concerned. In particular, the philosophy of religion proceeds more fruitfully if, among its several dimensions, it is also intentionally comparative and interreligious, vulnerable to the questions raised by insiders to traditions, and open to the implications of ideas for religious practice.
Bernd IRLENBORN
RELIGIOUS DIVERSITY: A PHILOSOPHICAL DEFENSE OF RELIGIOUS INCLUSIVISM
Abstract. Faced by the challenge of religious plurality, most philosophers of religion view pluralism and exclusivism as the most accepted and fully developed positions. The third alternative, the model of inclusivism, held especially within the catholic tradition, has not received adequate attention in the debates in philosophy of religion, perhaps as it is based solely on theological grounds. In this essay I offer a philosophical defense of the position of religious inclusivism and give reasons why this position represents the most appropriate position in the face of conflicting religious truth claims.
Janusz SALAMON
LIGHT OUT OF PLENITUDE: TOWARDS EPISTEMOLOGY OF MYSTICAL INCLUSIVISM
Abstract. The question to what extent the putative mystical experiences reported in the variety of religious traditions contribute to the conflict of religious truth claims, appears to be one of the hardest problems of the epistemology of religion, identified in the course of the ongoing debate about the philosophical consequences of religious diversity. A number of leading participants in his debate, including the late W.P. Alston, took a strongly exclusivist stance on it, while being aware that in the light of the long coexistence of seemingly irreconcilable great mystical traditions, mystical exclusivism lacks philosophical justification. In this paper I argue that from the point of view of a theist, inclusivism with respect to the issue whether adherents of different religious traditions can have veridical experience of God (or Ultimate Reality) now, is more plausible than the Alstonian exclusivism. I suggest that mystical inclusivism of the kind I imply in this paper may contribute to the development of cross-cultural philosophy of religion, as well as to the theoretical framework for interreligious dialogue, because (1) it allows for the possibility of veridical experience of God in a variety of religious traditions, but (2) it avoids the radical revisionist postulates of Hickian pluralism and (3) it leaves open the question whether the creed of any specific tradition is a better approximation to the truth about God than the creeds of other traditions.
Vladimir K. SHOKHIN
PHILOSOPHICAL THEOLOGY AND INDIAN VERSIONS OF THEODICY
Abstract. Comparative philosophical studies can seek to fit some Eastern patterns of thought unto the general philosophical framework, or, contrary, to improve understanding of Western ones through the sight “from abroad”. I try to hit both marks by means of establishing, firstly, the very parallels between Indian versions of theodicy and those of Hellenic and Christian ones, then by defining to which of five types of Western theodicy do those of Advaita-Vedanta and Nyaya belong and, thirdly, by considering what does it mean that some varieties of Western theodicy, like the explanation of evil from free will and Divine dispensation aiming at improvement of man, have Indian counterparts while others lack them. Some considerations concerning the remainders of primordial monotheisms (“an argument from theodicy”) under the thick layers of other religious world-outlooks are also offered to the reader in the end of the article.
Brian ZAMULINSKI
GOD, EVIL, AND EVOLUTION
Abstract. Most evil is compatible with the existence of God if He has an aim that He can achieve only by using an unguided process of evolution and if He cannot be condemned for trying to achieve His aim. It is argued that there is an aim that could reasonably be attributed to God and that God cannot achieve it without using evolution. There are independent grounds for thinking an evolutionary response is necessary if God is to be defended at all. Issues that require further investigation are pointed out and desirable features of the evolutionary response indicated.
Volume 2 / Number 1 / Spring 2010:
Richard SWINBURNE
GOD AS THE SIMPLEST EXPLANATION OF THE UNIVERSE
Abstract. Inanimate explanation is to be analysed in terms of substances having properties and liabilities to exercise their properties under certain conditions; while personal explanation is to be analysed in terms of persons, their beliefs, powers, and purposes. A crucial criterion for an explanation being probably true is that it is (among explanations leading us to expect the data) the simplest one. Simplicity is a matter of few substances, few kinds of substances, few properties (including powers and liabilities), few kinds of properties, and mathematically simple relations between properties. Explanation of the existence of the universe by the agency of God provides the simplest kind of personal explanation there can be, and one simpler than any inanimate explanation. I defend this view more thoroughly than previously in light of recent challenges.
John HICK
GOD AND CHRISTIANITY ACCORDING TO SWINBURNE
Abstract. In this paper I discuss critically Richard Swinburne's concept of God, which I find to be incoherent, and his understanding of Christianity, which I find to be based on a pre-critical use of the New Testament.
Timothy CHAPPELL
EUTHYPHRO’S “DILEMMA”, SOCRATES’ DAIMONION, AND PLATO’S GOD
Abstract. In this paper I start with the familiar accusation that divine command ethics faces a "Euthyphro dilemma". By looking at what Plato's Euthyphro actually says, I argue that no such argument against divine-command ethics was Plato's intention, and that, in any case, no such argument is cogent. I then explore the place of divine commands and inspiration in Plato's thought more generally, arguing that Plato sees an important epistemic and practical role for both.
Linda ZAGZEBSKI
THE RULE OF ST. BENEDICT AND MODERN LIBERAL AUTHORITY
Abstract. In this paper I examine the sixth century Rule of St. Benedict, and argue that the authority structure of Benedictine communities as described in that document satisfies well-known principles of authority defended by Joseph Raz. This should lead us to doubt the common assumption that pre-modern models of authority violate the modern ideal of the autonomy of the self. I suggest that what distinguishes modern liberal authority from Benedictine authority is not the principles that justify it, but rather the first order beliefs for the sake of which authority is sought by the individual, and the degree of trust between the authority and the subject.
Louis CARUANA
IS RELIGION UNDERMINED BY EVOLUTIONARY ARGUMENTS?
Abstract. I examine three major anti-religious arguments that are often proposed in various forms by cognitive and evolutionary scientists, and indicate possible responses to them. A fundamental problem with the entire debate arises because the term “religion” is too vague. So I reformulate the debate in terms of a less vague central concept: faith. Referring mainly to Aquinas on faith, I proceed by evaluating how the previously mentioned cognitive and evolutionary arguments fare when dealing with faith. The results show that some aspects of the concept of faith are in principle beyond the range of evolutionary explanation and some other aspects are not. Nevertheless, an evolutionary account merges smoothly with faith’s theological dimensions.
Graham OPPY
EPISTEMOLOGICAL FOUNDATIONS FOR KOONS’ COSMOLOGICAL ARGUMENT?
Abstract. Some people—including the present author—have proposed and defended alternative restricted causal principles that block Robert Koons' 'new' cosmological argument without undermining the intuition that causation is very close to ubiquitous. In 'Epistemological Foundations for the Cosmological Argument', Koons argues that any restricted causal principles that are insufficient for the purposes of his cosmological argument cause epistemological collapse into general scepticism. In this paper I argue, against Koons, that there is no reason to suppose that my favourite restricted causal principle precipitates epistemological collapse into general scepticism. If we impose the same kinds of restrictions on causal epistemological principles and on principles of general causation, then we cannot be vulnerable to the kind of argument that Koons develops.
Evan SANDSMARK & Jason L. MEGILL
COSMOLOGICAL ARGUMENT: A PRAGMATIC DEFENSE
Abstract. We formulate a sort of “generic” Cosmological argument, i.e., a Cosmological argument that shares premises (e.g., “contingent, concretely existing entities have a cause”) with numerous versions of the argument. We then defend each of the premises by offering pragmatic arguments for them. We show that an endorsement of each premise will lead to an increase in expected utility; so in the absence of strong evidence that the premises are false, it is rational to endorse them. Therefore, it is rational to endorse the Cosmological argument, and so rational to endorse theism. We then consider possible objections.
Michael TOOLEY
TIME, TRUTH, ACTUALITY, AND CAUSATION: ON THE IMPOSSIBILITY OF DIVINE FOREKNOWLEDGE
Abstract. In this essay, my goal is, first, to describe the most important contemporary philosophical approaches to the nature of time, and then, secondly, to discuss the ways in which those different accounts bear upon the question of the possibility of divine foreknowledge. I shall argue that different accounts of the nature of time give rise to different objections to the idea of divine foreknowledge, but that, in addition, there is a general argument for the impossibility of divine foreknowledge that is independent of one’s account of the nature of time.
Michael ROTA
THE ETERNITY SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM OF HUMAN FREEDOM AND DIVINE FOREKNOWLEDGE
Abstract. In this paper I defend the eternity solution to the problem of human freedom and divine foreknowledge. After motivating the problem, I sketch the basic contours of the eternity solution. I then consider several objections which contend that the eternity solution falsely implies that we have various powers (e.g. to change God’s beliefs, or to affect the past) which, according to the objector, we do not in fact have.
Volume 1 / Number 2 / Autumn 2009:
Peter van INWAGEN
INDETERMINACY AND VAGUENESS: LOGIC AND METAPHYSICS
Abstract. All indeterminacy is a product of vagueness, and vagueness takes up only where logic has left off-and, therefore, indeterminacy takes up only where logic has left off. Vagueness arises when we draw boundaries and arises because it is humanly impossible to draw any boundary such that every possible object falls either definitely inside or definitely outside that boundary. But in logic there is no drawing of boundaries. Such sensible theory of indeterminacy, appealing as it is, cannot accommodate a workable metaphysic of the material world. Any attempt to spell out in detail a metaphysic of the material world that incorporates the sensible theory of indeterminacy will demonstrably have consequences less appealing, or more appalling, than a rejection of the sensible theory of indeterminacy.
Mikael STENMARK
RELIGIOUS PLURALISM AND THE SOME-ARE-EQUALLY-RIGHT VIEW
Abstract. In this essay I identify and develop an alternative to pluralism which is overlooked in contemporary debate in philosophy of religion and in theology. According to this view, some but not all of the great world religions are equally correct, that is to say, they are just as successful when it comes to tracking the truth and providing a path to salvation. This alternative is not haunted by the same difficulty as pluralism, namely the problem of emptiness. It is therefore more rational at least for many Muslims, but probably also for many Christians and Jews, to embrace it rather than to embrace pluralism. Whether it is also to be preferred over exclusivism and inclusivism is a topic which I will not address in this essay.
Michael SUDDUTH
REVISITING THE 'REFORMED OBJECTION' TO NATURAL THEOLOGY
Abstract. In the present paper I address two significant and prevalent errors concerning opposition to natural theology within the Reformed theological tradition. First, contrary to Alvin Plantinga, I argue that the idea of properly basic theistic belief has not motivated or otherwise grounded opposition to natural theology within the Reformed tradition. There is, in fact, a Reformed endorsement of natural theology grounded in the notion that theistic belief can be properly basic. Secondly, I argue that late nineteenth- and twentieth-century Reformed criticisms of natural theology do not constitute an objection to natural theology as such but rather an objection to natural theology construed in a particular way. I explore the nature of this objection and its compatibility with an alternative understanding of natural theology.
Fiona ELLIS
MURDOCH AND LEVINAS ON GOD AND GOOD
Abstract. Murdoch and Levinas both believe that our humanity requires us to suppress our natural egoism and to be morally responsive to others. Murdoch insists that while such a morality presupposes a 'transcendent background', God should be kept out of the picture altogether. By contrast, Levinas argues that, in responding morally to others, we make contact with God (though not the God of traditional Christianity) and that in doing so we become more God-like. I attempt to clarify their agreements and differences, and I offer some criticisms of their conception of humanity, God, and the relationship between them.
Chris DALY
MORAL ERROR THEORY AND THE PROBLEM OF EVIL
Abstract. Moral error theory claims that no moral sentence is (non-vacuously) true. Atheism claims that the existence of evil in the world is incompatible with, or makes improbable, the existence of God. Is moral error theory compatible with atheism? This paper defends the thesis that it is compatible against criticisms by Nicholas Sturgeon.
Stephen MAITZEN
ORDINARY MORALITY IMPLIES ATHEISM
Abstract. I present a "moral argument" for the non-existence of God. Theism, I argue, can't accommodate an ordinary and fundamental moral obligation acknowledged by many people, including many theists. My argument turns on a principle that a number of philosophers already accept as a constraint on God's treatment of human beings. I defend the principle against objections from those inclined to reject it.
Jerome GELLMAN
JEAN PAUL SARTRE: THE MYSTICAL ATHEIST
Abstract: Within Jean Paul Sartre's atheistic program, he objected to Christian mysticism as a delusory desire for substantive being. I suggest that a Christian mystic might reply to Sartre's attack by claiming that Sartre indeed grasps something right about the human condition but falls short of fully understanding what he grasps. Then I argue that the true basis of Sartre's atheism is neither philosophical nor existentialist, but rather mystical. Sartre had an early mystical atheistic intuition that later developed into atheistic mystical experience. Sartre experienced the non-existence of God.
Volume 1 / Number 1 / Spring 2009:
Jonathan L. KVANVIG
RELIGIOUS PLURALISM AND THE BURIDAN'S ASS PARADOX
Abstract. The paradox of Buridan's Ass involves an animal facing two equally adequate and attractive alternatives, such as would happen were a hungry ass to confront two bales of hay that are equal in all respects relevant to the ass's hunger. Of course, the ass will eat from one rather than the other, because the alternative is to starve. But why does this eating happen? What reason is operative, and what explanation can be given as to why the ass eats from, say, the left bale rather than the right bale? Why doesn't the ass remain caught between the options, forever indecisive and starving to death? Religious pluralists face a similar dilemma, a dilemma that I will argue is more difficult to address than the paradox just described.
Paul REASONER & Charles TALIAFERRO
THE DOUBLE-MOVEMENT MODEL OF FORGIVENESS IN BUDDHIST AND CHRISTIAN RITUALS
Abstract. We offer a model of moral reform and regeneration that involves a wrong-doer making two movements: on the one hand, he identifies with himself as the one who did the act, while he also intentionally moves away from that self (or set of desires and intentions) and moves toward a transformed identity. We see this model at work in the formal practice of contrition and reform in Christian and Buddhist rites. This paper is part of a broader project we are undertaking on the philosophy of forgiveness.
William E. MANN
THE GUILTY MIND
Abstract. The doctrine of mens rea can be expressed in this way: MRP: If A is culpable for performing ö, then A performs ö intentionally in circumstances in which it is impermissible to perform ö. The Sermon on the Mount suggests the following principle: SMP: If A intends to perform ö in circumstances in which it would be impermissible for A to perform ö, then A's intending to perform ö makes A as culpable as A would be were A to perform ö. MRP and SMP are principles representative of intentionalism, a family of views that emphasizes the importance of intention to judgments about culpability. This essay examines an intentionalist's defense of MRP with respect to lying, strict criminal liability, and the distinction between intention and foreseeability, along with a defense of SMP with respect to failed attempts, and self-defense.
William HASKER
BEAUTY AND METAPHYSICS
Abstract. It is shown through examples ranging from Parmenides and Plato to Whitehead and Wittgenstein that beauty is central among the values that have made metaphysical theories appealing and credible. A common attitude would be that the aesthetic properties of metaphysical theories may be important for effective presentation but are irrelevant to the cognitive value of the theories. This however is question-begging, since it assumes without argument that ultimate reality is indifferent to value-considerations such as beauty. If on the contrary we allow that the aesthetic properties of theories may be cognitively relevant, which such properties should be considered? This question is explored in the final section of the paper.
Paul HELM
ETERNITY AND VISION IN BOETHIUS
Abstract. Boethius and Augustine of Hippo and are two of the fountainheads from which the long tradition of regarding God's existence as timelessly eternal has flowed, a tradition which has influenced not only Christianity, but Judaism and Islam too. But though the two have divine eternality in common, I shall argue that in other respects, in certain crucial respects, they differ significantly over how they articulate that notion.
Balazs MEZEI
TWO MODELS OF RADICAL REVELATION IN AUSTRIAN PHILOSOPHY
Abstract. In this paper I highlight two opposing models of the notion of divine revelation: the propositional and the radical. The propositional understanding of revelation was central to theology and philosophy until the 19th century. Since then, a number of other models of revelation have emerged. I define as radical the understanding of revelation which emphasizes two features of revelation: 1) God's existence is *per se* revelatory; 2) God's revelation is per se self-revelation. I propose too an assessment of the notion of propositional revelation as presented by Richard Swinburne. And I offer detailed analyses of two representatives of the early understanding of divine revelation as self-revelation: the views of Bernard Bolzano and Anton Günther. Bolzano, the renowned mathematician, was also a philosopher of religion; and Günther, one of the most ingenious writers in Austrian philosophy, was not only a theologian but also a philosopher comparable to the important figures of 19th century German thought.
Thomas SCHÄRTL
THE CHALLENGE OF THEODICY AND THE DIVINE ACCESS TO THE UNIVERSE
Abstract. Any new attempt to cope with the problem of theodicy is forced to reinterpret and remodify the classic set of divine attributes. Classical monotheism, at least in the Christian or Islamic tradition, emphasizes the concept of God as a personal, almighty being who is in a completely free relation to the world. However, even within Christianity we find other tendencies which might help us to rewrite the idea that God has some sort of libertarian and unrestricted access to the world. The following article raises the question whether God, as an absolute being, can influence the course of the world directly. The answer to this question has an enormous impact on the problem of theodicy: If God's non-intervention is based on God's essence (rather than any form of initial self-restriction), then God cannot be held directly responsible for not performing direct acts of intervention.
