The Philosophy of Religion (First Books in Philosophy Book 1)

Philosophy Of Religion Is An Engaging Introduction To The Main Tenets Of This Fascinating Subject, Written Clearly And With Detailed Enough Explanation To Be Accessible To Those New To The Field, Whilst Providing Original And Challenging Ideas To More Experienced Students. The Ideal Introduction To This Fascinating Subject, Providing A Clear And' Engaging Entry Point To The Field, The Book Lucidly Introduces The Main Issues In Philosophy Of Religion And Develops A Rigorous Yet Accessible Approach To Evaluating Positions On These Issues. No Previous Exposure To Philosophy Is Assumed, And More Technical Topics Are Introduced And Explained Before They Are Employed. Original Ideas And New Approaches To Concepts Within The Book Ensure That It Is Also Relevant To Those Already Familiar With The Subject. -- Provided By Publisher. Introduction To The Philosophy Of Religion -- The Cosmological Argument For God's Existence -- The Ontological Argument -- The Argument From Design -- The Problem Of Evil -- Omnipotence -- Omniscience, Foreknowledge, And Free Will -- Divine Freedom And Moral Perfection -- Miracles -- The Evidentialist Objection: Clifford And James -- The Evidentialist Objection And Foundationalism. Edward R. Wierenga. Title Page 5 Copyright Page 6 Contents 9 Preface 10 Chapter 1 Introduction to the Philosophy of Religion 11 What is Philosophy of Religion? 11 Arguments and Proving God’s Existence 13 Notes 18 Suggested Reading 19 Chapter 2 The Cosmological Argument for God’s Existence 20 Insights from the Past 20 Arguments for God’s Existence 21 A Cosmological Argument: Aquinas’ Third Way 21 Possibility and Necessity: A Look at ‘Modal’ Concepts 25 Back to the Third Way 27 A Question Remains 28 A More Substantial Objection 28 Some Compelling Objections 29 Notes 30 Suggested Reading 31 Chapter 3 The Ontological Argument 32 Anselm’s Statement of the Argument 32 Preliminaries 33 A Statement of the Argument 34 Gaunilo’s Objection 35 Anselm’s Reply 36 The Objection Revised 37 How to Talk about God without Presupposing that He Exists 39 How to Be Greater than a Nonexistent Object 40 An Improved Version of the Argument 41 A New Problem Rears Its Head 42 Notes 44 Suggested Reading 45 Chapter 4 The Argument from Design 46 Watches and Watchmakers 46 An Argument from Design 48 Some Initial Objections to the Argument 49 No arguments from a part to the whole 49 No analogical arguments about unique objects 50 The analogy is too weak 51 A Compelling Objection 54 A New Design Argument: Fine-Tuning 56 Notes 58 Suggested Reading 59 Chapter 5 The Problem of Evil 60 Atheistic Arguments 60 The Problem of Evil 61 The Logical Problem of Evil 63 Examining Mackie’s Charge 66 The Free Will Defense 69 A Modal Interlude: Possible Worlds 71 Back to the Free Will Defense 72 Some Loose Ends: Earthquakes, Tsunamis, and Animal Suffering 76 The Evidential Problem of Evil and Skeptical Theism 78 An Objection and a Reply to Skeptical Theism 81 Notes 84 Suggested Reading 87 Chapter 6 Omnipotence 89 Divine Attributes 89 Attributing Omnipotence 89 Defining Omnipotence and an Objection 90 Doing the Impossible 93 Constructing a Definition 94 Back to the Stone 97 Notes 99 Suggested Reading 102 Chapter 7 Omniscience, Foreknowledge, and Free Will 103 Attributing Omniscience 103 Defining Omniscience 104 Foreknowledge and Free Will 104 One Response to the Argument 105 A Better Response to the Argument 106 A Harder Objection 108 Replies to the Argument 110 Notes 114 Suggested Reading 116 Chapter 8 Divine Freedom and Moral Perfection 117 The Compossibility of the Divine Attributes? 117 Is There a Best Possible World? 118 Perfect Goodness and Divine Freedom 120 Some Initial Objections to the Argument 121 A Somewhat More Complicated (But Compelling) Objection to the Argument 123 Notes 126 Suggested Reading 128 Chapter 9 Miracles 129 A Question of Definition 130 An Immediate Objection 132 A Brief Refinement 134 Hume’s Objection 135 A lottery 137 How likely are miracles? 138 Conclusion 139 Notes 139 Suggested Reading 140 Chapter 10 The Evidentialist Objection: Clifford and James 141 Clifford and “The Ethics of Belief” 141 James and “The Will to Believe” 144 An Assessment 148 Notes 151 Suggested Reading 152 Chapter 11 The Evidentialist Objection and Foundationalism 153 Evidentialism and Foundationalism 153 The Evidentialist Objection Restated 155 Self-Referential Incoherence and Reformed Epistemology 157 Warrant and Proper Function 159 Warrant and Defeat 161 Warrant, What’s It Good For? 163 An Evidentialist Alternative 164 Notes 166 Suggested Reading 168 References 169 Index 176 Philosophy of Religion is an engaging introduction to the main tenets of this fascinating subject, written clearly and with detailed enough explanation to be accessible to those new to the field, whilst providing original and challenging ideas to more experienced students.

• The ideal introduction to this fascinating subject, providing a clear and engaging entry point to the field
• The book lucidly introduces the main issues in philosophy of religion and develops a rigorous yet accessible approach to evaluating positions on these issues
• No previous exposure to philosophy is assumed, and more technical topics are introduced and explained before they are employed
• Original ideas and new approaches to concepts within the book ensure that it is also relevant to those already familiar with the subject

Preface viii 1 Introduction to the Philosophy of Religion 1 2 The Cosmological Argument for God's Existence 10 3 The Ontological Argument 22 4 The Argument from Design 36 5 The Problem of Evil 50 6 Omnipotence 79 7 Omniscience, Foreknowledge, and Free Will 93 8 Divine Freedom and Moral Perfection 107 9 Miracles 119 10 The Evidentialist Objection: Clifford and James 131 11 The Evidentialist Objection and Foundationalism 143 References 159 Index 166