Thinking About God

by Ganssle, Gregory E.

• ISBN13: 9780830827848
• ISBN10: 0830827846
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2004-11-01
• Publisher: Ivp Academic

Summary

Can we really think about God? Can we prove God’s existence? What about faith? Are there good reasons to believe in the Christian God? What about evil? Can we really know with our finite minds anything for sure about a transcendent God? Can we avoid thinking about God?The real problem, says philosopher Gregory E. Ganssle, is not whether we can think about God, but whether we will think well or poorly about God. Admittedly there is a lot of bad thinking going around. But Ganssle, who teaches students, wants to help us think better, especially about God. He thinks philosophy can actually help. In the first part of this book Ganssle lays the groundwork for clear and careful thinking, providing us an introductory guide to doing philosophy. In the second part Ganssle then takes us through the process of thinking well about God in particular. He asks us to consider whether there are good reasons to believe that God exists. He thinks there are! In a third part Ganssle addresses the thorny issue of the existence both of God and of evil. He thinks there’s a valid way through this problem. In the final part Ganssle helps us thread our way through questions like: What is God like? What can God do? What can God know? How does God communicate? He thinks that there are some clear answers to these questions, at least if you’re talking about the God of Christianity. If you're looking for your first book for thinking clearly and carefully about God, then you'll appreciate the good thinking found in this book.

Author Biography

Gregory E. Ganssle is philosophy faculty at the Rivendell Institute and part-time lecturer in the philosophy department at Yale University.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	9	(4)
PART ONE: INTRODUCTION
1 Why Bother Thinking About God?	13	(4)
2 What Is Philosophy?	17	(8)
3 You Cannot Prove God's Existence	25	(3)
4 What About Faith?	28	(5)
5 Can We Be Neutral?	33	(6)
6 Where Do We Begin?	39	(4)
PART TWO: REASONS TO BELIEVE IN GOD
7 Starting at the Beginning: Why Is There Anything at All?	43	(9)
8 Starting at the Beginning: Must the Universe Have a Cause?	52	(7)
9 Starting at the Beginning: Must the First Cause Be God?	59	(7)
10 Looking at the Details: Design and Designers	66	(7)
11 Looking at the Details: Darwin and Design	73	(4)
12 Looking at the Details: Fine-Tuning and Design	77	(4)
13 Looking at the Details: Many Worlds and Small Chances	81	(5)
14 Looking in the Mirror: Moral Reality	86	(11)
15 Looking in the Mirror: Moral Facts Point to God	97	(7)
16 Reasons to Believe: The Cumulative Case	104	(5)
PART THREE: GOD AND EVIL
17 The Square Circle Objection	109	(6)
18 God and Evil Reconciled	115	(7)
19 Reasons God Could Have to Allow Evil	122	(8)
20 Freedom and Determinism: A Chapter You Might Want to Skip	130	(8)
21 The Unicorn Objection	138	(5)
22 Is There an Elephant in the Room?	143	(10)
PART FOUR: WHAT Is GOD LIKE?
23 Beginning to Think About What God Is Like	153	(3)
24 What Can God Do?	156	(10)
25 What Can God Know?	166	(9)
26 Can God Know the Future?	175	(3)
27 Does God Communicate?	178	(4)
Suggestions for Further Reading	182	(3)
Index	185