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.