Does the problem of evil provide an insurmountable objection to belief in God? Speaking of God, what if the nature of the divine being that exists is supremely evil rather than good? If it were, would we know? I discuss these and other issues with the esteemed public philosopher Stephen Law. ?
philosophy of religion
Top-Flight Philosophy of Religion For Free!
Christmas comes early this year! You can now download for FREE the latest mini-monograph in the Cambridge Elements series, world-renowned philosopher of religion John Schellenberg’s Monotheism and the Rise of Science. The book is available until December 7th! Download it here.
The Ways of the Progressive Philosopher: A Conversation with J.L. Schellenberg
Canadian philosopher John L. Schellenberg is Professor of Philosophy at Mount Saint Vincent University. He is widely lauded as one of the leading atheist philosophers working in the philosophy of religion. In the early 1990s, Schellenberg developed the widely discussed problem of hiddenness which has elicited extensive discussion among philosophers. He is the author of […]
The Problem of Atheist Anti-Intellectualism
A couple of days ago, I got in a Twitter back-and-forth with Nate Phelps. Mr. Phelps is the son of Fred Phelps, the infamous fundamentalist pastor of Westboro Baptist Church, a tiny cultic congregation that has earned infamy for hating on every one that is not part of the group. Nate Phelps left Westboro years […]
Alvin Plantinga’s Surprisingly Deflationary Take on his own Ontological Argument
Living legend Alvin Plantinga was recently a guest on Unbelievable with Justin Brierley. The show was classic Plantinga — clear analysis, dry wit, admirable humility — and surveyed some of the highlights of his impressive career including warrant, proper basicality and Christian belief, the evolutionary argument against naturalism, and the ontological argument. The last choice […]
Faith That’s Not Blind: A Review
J. Steve Miller, Faith that’s Not Blind: A Brief Introduction to Contemporary Arguments for the Existence of God (Acworth, GA: Wisdom Creek Academic Press, 2016). In Faith that’s Not Blind, J. Steve Miller gives exactly what the subtitle promises: a brief introduction to contemporary arguments for God’s existence. At twenty chapters, seventeen arguments, and 125 pages (endnotes included), the […]
An Atheist and a Christian Walk into a Bar … and two guys wrote a book about it
Here’s a puzzle: what would make a better Christmas gift than one copy of Randal Rauser and Justin Schieber’s new book An Atheist and a Christian Walk into a Bar? Easy, ten copies! It’s now merely a couple weeks until the official shipping date of December 6th. (And note, by the way, that December 6th is the Feast of […]
On Rota’s Wager: Pascal and epistemic virtue
Dale Tuggy always has great podcasts and his latest is no exception. (I said always, didn’t I?!) This week he has an interview with philosopher Michael Rota on the latter’s new book Taking Pascal’s Wager: Faith, Evidence and the Abundant Life. I suggest you listen to the whole forty minute interview … and of course read the book too. […]
On those who call for an end to philosophy of religion
As my regular readers will know, I have a book co-authored with Justin Schieber forthcoming in which we debate the existence of God. Debates on the existence of God belong to the field of philosophy known as the philosophy of religion. Thus, Justin and I are engaged in an extended debate within the philosophy of […]
On Divine Hiddenness: J.L. Schellenberg Responds to My Review
A few days ago I posted my review of philosopher John L. Schellenberg’s fine book The Hiddenness Argument: Philosophy’s New Challenge to Belief in God. Professor Schellenberg emailed me a response this morning and he has agreed to have it posted here. So without further ado, here is Professor Schellenberg: * * * I’ve now taken a […]
The Hiddenness Argument Revealed: A Review
J.L. Schellenberg, The Hiddenness Argument: Philosophy’s New Challenge to Belief in God (Oxford University Press, 2015). The writer of Ecclesiastes famously opined, “There is nothing new under the sun.” It’s a sentiment that might seem at times to characterize the field of philosophy of religion. To be sure, there are new advances, but new arguments for or […]
63. Michael Rea on Philosophy of Religion and Analytic Theology
Fifty years ago the philosopher keen to study philosophy of religion was not that far off the chemist keen to study alchemy. In other words, it might provide a novel pastime, just so long as you didn’t grant the discourse any significance for the real world. Things have certainly changed. Today philosophy of religion is […]
8. The 59-Second Apologist: Perfect Being Theology
Anselm famously described God as that being than which none greater can be conceived. That definition, both simple and profound, is the inspiration for the contemporary project of perfect being theology which is among the most vigorous areas of research in contemporary philosophy of religion. After you’ve listened to the 59 Second podcast at the […]
50. The Evidential Problem of Evil (Part 1)
William Rowe tells the story of a fawn (think Bambi) severely burnt in a forest fire and left to die slowly over several days amidst the burning embers of the ravaged forest floor. It’s just one fawn, right? Who cares? But if God really is all-good and all-powerful then presumably he would not allow gratuitous […]
