Contemporary Debates in Philosophy of Religion

by Peterson, Michael L.; Vanarragon, Raymond J.

• ISBN13: 9780631200437
• ISBN10: 0631200436
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2003-12-12
• Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell

Summary

Contemporary Debates in the Philosophy of Religion features newly commissioned debates on some of the most controversial issues in the field. Is evil evidence against belief in God? Does science discredit religion? Is God's existence the best explanation of the universe? Is morality based on God's commands? Is eternal damnation compatible with the Christian concept of God? Features debates focusing on each of twelve of the most controversial issues in the field. Includes essays, replies, and rejoinders especially commissioned for this volume. Contributors include William Alston, Lynne Rudder Baker, Peter Byrne, Richard Gale, William Hasker, Janine Marie Idziak, Michael Martin, Del Ratzsch, William Rowe, John Worrall, Keith Yandell, Dean Zimmerman, and many others.

Author Biography

Michael L. Peterson is Professor of Philosophy at Asbury College. His publications include The Problem of Evil: Selected Readings (1992), and Reason and Religious Belief (co-authored, 2002). He is also series editor of Blackwell’s Exploring the Philosophy of Religion.

Raymond J. VanArragon is Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Asbury College. He specializes in epistemology and philosophy of religion.

Table of Contents

Notes on Contributors	viii
Preface	xi
PART I ATTACKS ON RELIGIOUS BELIEF	1	(94)
Is Evil Evidence against Belief in God?	3	(27)
Evil Is Evidence against Theistic Belief	3	(10)
William L. Rowe
Make Atheism More Reasonable than Theism	13	(12)
Daniel Howard-Snyder
Michael Bergmann
Reply to Howard-Snyder and Michael Bergmann	25	(2)
Reply to Rowe	27	(3)
Does Divine Hiddenness Justify Atheism?	30	(29)
Divine Hiddenness Justifies Atheism	30	(12)
J. L. Schellenberg
Divine Hiddenness Does Not Justify Atheism	42	(12)
Paul K. Moser
Reply to Moser	54	(2)
Reply to Schellenberg	56	(3)
Does Science Discredit Religion?	59	(36)
Science Discredits Religion	59	(13)
John Worrall
The Demise of Religion: Greatly Exaggerated Reports from the Science/Religion ``Wars''	72	(15)
Del Ratzsch
Reply to Ratzsch	87	(3)
Reply to Worrall	90	(5)
PART II ARGUMENTS FOR RELIGIOUS BELIEF	95	(94)
Is God's Existence the Best Explanation of the Universe?	97	(38)
Explanation and the Cosmological Argument	97	(17)
Bruce R. Reichenbach
Why Traditional Cosmological Arguments Don't Work, and a Sketch of a New One that Does	114	(16)
Richard M. Gale
Reply to Gale	130	(2)
Reply to Reichenbach	132	(3)
Does Religious Experience Justify Religious Belief?	135	(29)
Religious Experience Justifies Religious Belief	135	(10)
William P. Alston
Do Mystics See God?	145	(13)
Evan Fales
Reply to Fales	158	(3)
Reply to Alston	161	(3)
Is It Rational for Christians to Believe in the Resurrection?	164	(25)
It Is Rational to Believe in the Resurrection	164	(10)
Stephen T. Davis
It Is Not Rational to Believe in the Resurrection	174	(10)
Michael Martin
Reply to Martin	184	(2)
Reply to Davis	186	(3)
PART III ISSUES WITHIN RELIGION	189	(155)
Can Only One Religion Be True?	191	(27)
How to Sink in Cognitive Quicksand: Nuancing Religious Pluralism	191	(10)
Keith E. Yandell
It Is Not Reasonable to Believe that Only One Religion Is True	201	(10)
Peter Byrne
Reply to Byrne	211	(4)
Reply to Yandell	215	(3)
Does God Take Risks in Governing the World?	218	(24)
God Takes Risks	218	(10)
William Hasker
God Does Not Take Risks	228	(10)
Paul Helm
Reply to Helm	238	(2)
Reply to Hasker	240	(2)
Does God Respond to Petitionary Prayer?	242	(26)
God Responds to Prayer	242	(13)
Michael J. Murray
God Does Not Necessarily Respond to Prayer	255	(9)
David Basinger
Reply to Basinger	264	(2)
Reply to Murray	266	(2)
Is Eternal Damnation Compatible with the Christian Concept of God?	268	(22)
Eternal Hell and the Christian Concept of God	268	(10)
Jerry Walls
No Hell	278	(9)
Thomas Talbott
Reply to Talbott	287	(1)
Reply to Walls	288	(2)
Is Morality Based on God's Commands?	290	(25)
Divine Commands Are the Foundation of Morality	290	(9)
Janine Marie Idziak
Ethics Is Based on Natural Law	299	(11)
Craig A. Boyd
Raymond J. VanArragon
Reply to Boyd and VanArragon	310	(3)
Reply to Idziak	313	(2)
Should a Christian Be a Mind--Body Dualist?	315	(29)
Christians Should Affirm Mind--Body Dualism	315	(12)
Dean W. Zimmerman
Christians Should Reject Mind--Body Dualism	327	(11)
Lynne Rudder Baker
Reply to Baker	338	(3)
Reply to Zimmerman	341	(3)
Index	344