› › Defeating The Evil God Challenge

Defeating the Evil-God Challenge

Author : Jack Symes

Publisher :

Page : 0 pages

File Size : 15,12 MB

Release : 2024

Category : Good and evil

ISBN : 9781350419322

Get eBook

Book Description

"Defending the view that arguments from philosophical theology constitute a serious threat to the symmetry thesis, Jack Symes sets out a new solution to the evil-god challenge. Symes argues it is more reasonable to attribute goodness to the concept of god than it is to attribute evil, and therefore, we have reason to favour belief in a good god over an evil god. A theologically and philosophically nuanced engagement with the evil-god problem, it is the first book-length treatment to showcase the ways it can not only be solved, but that the solution is simple, modest, and compelling"--



Defeating the Evil-God Challenge

Author : Jack Symes

Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing

Page : 225 pages

File Size : 48,64 MB

Release : 2024-05-16

Category : Philosophy

ISBN : 135041929X

Get eBook

Book Description

The evil-god challenge is one of the most popular topics in contemporary philosophy of religion. In this landmark text, Jack Symes offers the most detailed examination of the challenge to date. Exploring the nature of god through the leading schools of philosophical theology, Symes argues that it is significantly more reasonable to attribute goodness to god than evil. Drawing from a breadth of ground-breaking material – in metaphysics, ethics, aesthetics and epistemology – Symes claims to defeat the evil-god challenge on behalf of traditional theism. Is it any more reasonable to believe in a good god than an evil god? Not according to proponents of the evil-god challenge. After all, the world contains a significant amount of good and evil for which either god could be held responsible. However, if belief in both gods is equally as reasonable, then religious believers are unjustified in favouring one hypothesis over the other. Therefore, in order to defend their faith, theists must respond to the evil-god challenge: the question of what justifies belief in good god over evil god.



Defeating the Evil-God Challenge

Author : Jack Symes

Publisher : Bloomsbury Academic

Page : 0 pages

File Size : 27,54 MB

Release : 2024-06-13

Category :

ISBN : 1350419281

Get eBook

Book Description

Why is belief in a maximally good god significantly more reasonable than belief in a maximally evil god? Defending the view that arguments from philosophical theology constitute a serious threat to the symmetry thesis, Jack Symes responds to and sets out a new solution to the evil-god challenge.Symes argues it is more reasonable to attribute goodness to the concept of god than it is to attribute evil, and therefore, we have reason to favour belief in a good god over an evil god. To this end, he examines the concepts of good god and evil god through three lenses of philosophical theology: perfect-being theology, creation theology, and revelation theology. Drawing from a breadth of material including metaphysics, ethics, aesthetics, and epistemology, Symes develops a range of asymmetries that serve to undermine the symmetry thesis in favour of a good god. A theologically and philosophically nuanced engagement with the evil-god problem, it is the first book-length treatment to showcase the ways it can not only be solved, but that the solution is simple, modest, and compelling.



Horrendous Evils and the Goodness of God

Author : Marilyn McCord Adams

Publisher : Cornell University Press

Page : 237 pages

File Size : 19,72 MB

Release : 2018-09-05

Category : Philosophy

ISBN : 1501735926

Get eBook

Book Description

When confronted by horrendous evil, even the most pious believer may question not only life's worth but also God's power and goodness. A distinguished philosopher and a practicing minister, Marilyn McCord Adams has written a highly original work on a fundamental dilemma of Christian thought—how to reconcile faith in God with the evils that afflict human beings. Adams argues that much of the discussion in analytic philosophy of religion over the last forty years has offered too narrow an understanding of the problem. The ground rules accepted for the discussion have usually led philosophers to avert their gaze from the worst—horrendous—evils and their devastating impact on human lives. They have agreed to debate the issue on the basis of religion-neutral values, and have focused on morals, an approach that—Adams claims—is inadequate for formulating and solving the problem of horrendous evils. She emphasizes instead the fruitfulness of other evaluative categories such as purity and defilement, honor and shame, and aesthetics. If redirected, philosophical reflection on evil can, Adams's book demonstrates, provide a valuable approach not only to theories of God and evil but also to pastoral care.



Aquinas's Way to God

Author : Gaven Kerr OP

Publisher : Oxford University Press

Page : 233 pages

File Size : 44,84 MB

Release : 2015-02-25

Category : Religion

ISBN : 0190266384

Get eBook

Book Description

Gaven Kerr provides the first book-length study of St. Thomas Aquinas's much neglected proof for the existence of God in De Ente et Essentia Chapter 4. He offers a contemporary presentation, interpretation, and defense of this proof, beginning with an account of the metaphysical principles used by Aquinas and then describing how they are employed within the proof to establish the existence of God. Along the way, Kerr engages contemporary authors who have addressed Aquinas's or similar reasoning. The proof developed in the De Ente is, on Kerr's reading, independent of many of the other proofs in Aquinas's corpus and resistant to the traditional classificatory schemes of proofs of God. By applying a historical and hermeneutical awareness of the philosophical issues presented by Aquinas's thought and evaluating such philosophical issues with analytical precision, Kerr is able to move through the proof and evaluate what Aquinas is saying, and whether what he is saying is true. By means of an analysis of one of Aquinas's earliest proofs, Kerr highlights a foundational argument that is present throughout the much more commonly studied Thomistic writings, and brings it to bear within the context of analytical philosophy, showing its relevance to the contemporary reader.



Longing and Letting Go

Author : Holly Hillgardner

Publisher : Oxford University Press

Page : 193 pages

File Size : 32,23 MB

Release : 2017

Category : Religion

ISBN : 0190455535

Get eBook

Book Description

Can we love God and others without our desires eclipsing the very beauty, integrity and diversity toward which we are drawn; that is, can we love without trying to possess? Spanning centuries, continents, and religious traditions, Longing and Letting Go looks to Christian writer Hadewijch and Hindu songstress Mirabai to explore their inextricable practices of longing and letting go, and more particularly, the interreligious possibilities of passionate non-attachment for an interconnected, pluralistic world.



Reasonable Faith

Author : William Lane Craig

Publisher : Crossway

Page : 418 pages

File Size : 31,13 MB

Release : 2008

Category : Religion

ISBN : 1433501155

Get eBook

Book Description

This updated edition by one of the world's leading apologists presents a systematic, positive case for Christianity that reflects the latest work in the contemporary hard sciences and humanities. Brilliant and accessible.



Gaming and the Divine

Author : Frank G. Bosman

Publisher : Routledge

Page : 229 pages

File Size : 22,72 MB

Release : 2019-03-04

Category : Religion

ISBN : 0429018681

Get eBook

Book Description

This book formulates a new theological approach to the study of religion in gaming. Video games have become one of the most important cultural artifacts of modern society, both as mediators of cultural, social, and religious values and in terms of commercial success. This has led to a significant increase in the critical analysis of this relatively new medium, but theology as an academic discipline is noticeably behind the other humanities on this subject. The book first covers the fundamentals of cultural theology and video games. It then moves on to set out a Christian systematic theology of gaming, focusing on creational theology, Christology, anthropology, evil, moral theology, and thanatology. Each chapter introduces case studies from video games connected to the specific theme. In contrast to many studies which focus on online multiplayer games, the examples considered are largely single player games with distinct narratives and ‘end of game’ moments. The book concludes by synthesizing these themes into a new theology of video games. This study addresses a significant aspect of contemporary society that has yet to be discussed in any depth by theologians. It is, therefore, a fantastic resource for any scholar engaging with the religious aspects of digital and popular culture.



God

Author : C. Stephen Layman

Publisher : University of Notre Dame Pess

Page : 381 pages

File Size : 23,72 MB

Release : 2022-03-01

Category : Religion

ISBN : 0268202044

Get eBook

Book Description

This book explores a wide range of philosophical issues in their connection with theism, including views of free will, ethical theories, theories of mind, naturalism, and karma-plus-reincarnation. In this clear and logical guide, C. Stephen Layman takes up eight important philosophical questions about God: Does God exist? Why does God permit evil? Why think God is good? Why is God hidden? What is God’s relationship to ethics? Is divine foreknowledge compatible with human free will? Do humans have souls? Does reincarnation provide the best explanation of suffering? Based on more than thirty years of experience in teaching undergraduates and in leading philosophical discussions related to God, Layman has arranged the text to deal with each of these eight questions in one or two chapters apiece. Many philosophical works take up questions about God, but the chapters of this book plunge the reader very quickly into the arguments relevant to each question. Layman presents the arguments cogently and simply, yet without oversimplifying the issues. The book emphasizes strengths and weaknesses of both theism and its metaphysical rivals. Readers will gain a clearer understanding of theism and naturalism, and of their sometimes surprising implications. The book can be used as a text in philosophy of religion and introductory philosophy courses. Professional philosophers will find significant, novel arguments in many of the chapters.



Philosophy of Religion: A Very Short Introduction

Author : Tim Bayne

Publisher : Oxford University Press

Page : 161 pages

File Size : 45,98 MB

Release : 2018-02-13

Category : Religion

ISBN : 0191071161

Get eBook

Book Description

What is the philosophy of religion? How can we distinguish it from theology on the one hand and the psychology/sociology of religious belief on the other? What does it mean to describe God as 'eternal'? And should religious people want there to be good arguments for the existence of God, or is religious belief only authentic in the absence of these good arguments? In this Very Short Introduction Tim Bayne introduces the field of philosophy of religion, and engages with some of the most burning questions that philosophers discuss. Considering how 'religion' should be defined, and whether we even need to be able to define it in order to engage in the philosophy of religion, he goes on to discuss whether the existence of God matters. Exploring the problem of evil, Bayne also debates the connection between faith and reason, and the related question of what role reason should play in religious contexts. Shedding light on the relationship between science and religion, Bayne finishes by considering the topics of reincarnation and the afterlife. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.