William L. Rowe on Philosophy of Religion: Selected Writings

by Rowe,William L.

• ISBN13: 9780754655589
• ISBN10: 075465558X
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2007-11-28
• Publisher: Routledge

Summary

William Rowe is one of the leading thinkers in contemporary philosophy of religion. Although he is best known for his contributions to the problem of evil, he has produced innovative and influential work across a wide array of subjects at the interface between philosophy and religion. He has, for example, written extensively on the existentialist theologian, Paul Tillich, on the challenging problem of divine freedom, and on the traditional arguments in support of the existence of God. His work in these areas is distinguished by its clarity, rigour, originality, and sensitivity towards the claims of his theistic opponents. Indeed, Rowe's work has played a pivotal role in the remarkable revival of analytic philosophy of religion since the 1970s. The present collection brings together for the first time Rowe's most significant contributions to the philosophy of religion. This diverse but representative selection of Rowe's writings will provide students, professional scholars as well as general readers with stimulating and accessible discussions on such topics as the philosophical theology of Paul Tillich, the problem of evil, divine freedom, arguments for the existence of God, religious experience, life after death, and religious pluralism.

Table of Contents

Introduction

The Philosophical Theology of Paul Tillich

Tillich's concept of God

Religious symbols

The Problem of Evil

The problem of evil and some varieties of atheism

The empirical argument from evil

Evil and theodicy

Paradox and promise: Hick's solution to the problem of evil

Ruminations about evil

William Alston on the problem of evil

The evidential argument from evil: a second look

In defense of 'The Free Will Defense'

Grounds for belief aside, does evil make atheism more reasonable than theism?

Friendly atheism, skeptical theism, and the problem of evil

Replies to Critics on the Evidential Problem of Evil

Evil and the theistic hypothesis: a response to Wykstra

Response to Linda Zagzebski

Reply to Plantinga

Skeptical theism: a response to Bergmann

Reply to Howard-Snyder and Bergmann

Divine Freedom

The problem of divine perfection and freedom

Evil and God's freedom in creation

Can God be free?

The Cosmological Argument: Two criticisms of the cosmological argument

The cosmological argument

Cosmological arguments

The Ontological Argument

The ontological argument

Modal versions of the ontological argument

Other Writings in the Philosophy of Religion

Augustine on foreknowledge and free will

Religious experience and the principle of credulity

The rationality of religious belief

Religion within the bounds of naturalism: Dewey and Wieman

Religious pluralism. William L. Rowe: a bibliography

Index

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