The Oxford Handbook of Philosophical Theology

by Flint, Thomas P.; Rea, Michael

• ISBN13: 9780199596539
• ISBN10: 0199596530
• Edition: Reprint
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2011-04-30
• Publisher: Oxford University Press

Summary

Philosophical theology is aimed primarily at theoretical understanding of the nature and attributes of God and of God's relationship to the world and its inhabitants. During the twentieth century, much of the philosophical community (both in the Anglo-American analytic tradition and inContinental circles) had grave doubts about our ability to attain any such understanding. In recent years the analytic tradition in particular has moved beyond the biases that placed obstacles in the way of the pursuing questions located on the interface of philosophy and religion. The result hasbeen a rebirth of serious, widely-discussed work in philosophical theology. The Oxford Handbook of Philosophical Theology attempts both to familiarize readers with the directions in which this scholarship has gone and to pursue the discussion into hitherto under-examined areas. Written by some of the leading scholars in the field, the essays in the Handbook are grouped infive sections. In the first ("Theological Prolegomena), articles focus on the authority of scripture and tradition, on the nature and mechanisms of divine revelation, on the relation between religion and science, and on theology and mystery. The next section ("Divine Attributes) focuses onphilosophical problems connected with the central divine attributes: aseity, omnipotence, omniscience, and the like. In Section Three ("God and Creation), essays explore theories of divine action and divine providence, questions about petitionary prayer, problems about divine authority and God'srelationship to morality and moral standards, and various formulations of and responses to the problem of evil. The fourth section ("Topics in Christian Philosophy) examines philosophical problems that arise in connection with such central Christian doctrines as the trinity, the incarnation, theatonement, original sin, resurrection, and the Eucharist. Finally, Section Five ("Non-Christian Philosophical Theology) introduces readers to work that is being done in Jewish, Islamic, and Chinese philosophical theology.

Table of Contents

List of Contributors
I. Theological Prolegomena
1. Authority of Scripture, Tradition, and the Church, Richard Swinburne
2. Revelation and Inspiration, Stephen T. Davis
3. Science and Religion, Del Ratzsch
4. Theology and Mystery, William J. Wainwright
II. Divine Attributes
5. Simplicity and Aseity, Jeffrey Brower
6. Omniscience, Edward Wierenga
7. Divine Eternity, William Lane Craig
8. Omnipotence, Brian Leftow
9. Omnipresence, Hud Hudson
10. Moral Perfection, Laura L. Garcia
III. God and Creation
11. Divine Action and Evolution, Robin Collins
12. Divine Providence, Thomas Flint
13. Petitionary Prayer, Scott A. Davison
14. Morality and Divine Authority, Mark C. Murphy
15. The Problem of Evil, Paul Draper
16. Theodicy, Michael J. Murray
17. Skeptical Theism and the Problem of Evil, Michael Bergmann
IV. Topics in Christian Philosophical Theology
18. The Trinity, Michael Rea
19. Original Sin and Atonement, Oliver D. Crisp
20. The Incarnation, Richard Cross
21. The Resurrection of the Body, Trenton Merricks
22. Heaven and Hell, Jerry Walls
23. The Eucharist: Real Presence and Real Absence, Alexander R. Pruss
V. Non-Christian Philosophical Theology
24. Jewish Philosophical Theology, Daniel Frank
25. Islamic Philosophical Theology, Oliver Leamann
26. Chinese [Confucian] Philosophical Theology, John H. Berthrong