God, Freedom, and Evil - Plantinga, Alvin Review & Synopsis

Synopsis In his discussion of natural theology (arguments to prove the existence of God) and natural atheology (arguments for the falsehood of theistic belief) Plantinga focuses on two of the traditional arguments: the ontological argument as an example of natural theology, and the problem of evil as the most important representative of natural atheology. Accessible to serious general readers. Review Alvin Plantinga is John A. O'Brien Professor Emeritus ofPhilosophy at the University of Notre Dame. His other booksinclude Where the Conflict Really Lies: Science,Religion, and Naturalism and Warranted ChristianBelief.Harry Gensler -- John Carroll University "A witty and logical introduction to the groundbreaking work of Alvin Plantinga, who has done more than anyone else to restore in analytic circles the respectability of belief in God." Kevin Timpe -- University of San Diego "A classic work in the philosophy of religion, Plantinga's God, Freedom, and Evil is the single most influential text on the problem of evil in the past fifty years." Stephen T. Davis -- Claremont McKenna College "Alvin Plantinga is one of the top Christian philosophers in the world today. He is well known in Christian and secular philosophical circles for his logical skills, his rigorous arguments, and his energetic defense of full-blooded Christianity. This book covers some of the same ground as his more technical The Nature of Necessity, but unlike most of Plantinga's works, it is aimed at the general reader. . . Students can understand this book; they must only be willing to think as hard as they read." God, Freedom, and Evil In his discussion of natural theology (arguments to prove the existence of God) and natural atheology (arguments for the falsehood of theistic belief) Plantinga focuses on two of the traditional arguments: the ontological argument as an example of natural theology, and the problem of evil as the most important representative of natural atheology. Accessible to serious general readers. In his discussion of natural theology (arguments to prove the existence of God) and natural atheology (arguments for the falsehood of theistic belief) Plantinga focuses on two of the traditional arguments: the ontological argument as an ..." Human Freedom and the Logic of Evil Worsley argues that it is rational to believe in a realist, loving God in the face of evil. Beginning with a critique of Alvin Plantinga, he shows that human freedom is highly complex, and so depends upon complex structures in nature. These are both necessary for freedom but also sufficient for natural evil. He offers close analysis of the evolution of the human brain. The book develops a parallel argument that human evil stems from the evolution of personality. These are both necessary for freedom but also sufficient for natural evil. He offers close analysis of the evolution of the human brain. The book develops a parallel argument that human evil stems from the evolution of personality." The Nature of Necessity This is a reissue of a book which is an exploration and defence of the notion of modality 'de re', the idea that objects have both essential and accidental properties. It is one of the first full-length studies of the modalities to emerge from the debate to which Saul Kripke, David Lewis, Ruth Marcus and others have contributed. The argument is developed by means of the notion of possible worlds, and ranges over key problems including the nature of essence, trans-world identity, negative existential propositions, and the existence of unactual objects in other possible worlds. In the final chapters Professor Plantinga applies his logical theories to the clarification of two problems in the philosophy of religion - the Problem of Evil and the Ontological Argument. This is a reissue of a book which is an exploration and defence of the notion of modality 'de re', the idea that objects have both essential and accidental properties." Where the Conflict Really Lies Argues that the conflict between theism and science does not exist and that the debate is actually between theism and naturalism, a philosophy rooted in the belief that there is no such being as God. Examines both sides of this major dilemma, arguing that the conflict between science and theistic religion is actually superficial, and that at a deeper level they are in concord with each other." Warranted Christian Belief Describes the notion of warrant as that which distinguishes knowledge from true belief. This volume examines warrant's role in theistic belief, tackling the questions of whether it is rational, reasonable, justifiable, and warranted to accept Christian belief and whether there is something epistemically unacceptable in doing so. This volume examines warrant's role in theistic belief, tackling the questions of whether it is rational, reasonable, justifiable, and warranted to accept Christian belief and whether there is something epistemically unacceptable in doing ..." God, Freedom and Immortality Published in 1999, this text offers a comprehensive treatment of the Philosophy of Religion. Its overall conclusions are that, though there is no reason to suppose there is a God, doing something that is not quite believing in god, who, as some mystics think - neither exists nor does not exist, may be valuable for some people. Oxford University Press, 1982, chapter 9. Pike, Nelson, 'Hume on Evil ', The Philosophical Review, 1963. Plantinga , Alvin , God , Freedom and Evil , George Allen and Unwin, 1965. Plantinga , Alvin , ' God , Evil and the Metaphysics of Freedom ' ..." Knowledge of God Is belief in God epistemically justified? That's the question at the heart of this volume in the Great Debates in Philosophy series, with Alvin Plantinga and Michael Tooley each addressing this fundamental question with distinctive arguments from opposing perspectives. The first half of the book contains each philosopher's explanation of his particular view; the second half allows them to directly respond to each other's arguments, in a lively and engaging conversation Offers the reader a one of a kind, interactive discussion Forms part of the acclaimed Great Debates in Philosophy series Alvin Plantinga , Michael Tooley ... “Worlds without Evil ,” InternationalJournalfor Philosophy of Religion 15: 161–70. Malcolm, Norman (1960). ... God , Freedom, and Evil (New York: Harper & Row). Plantinga , Alvin (1974b)." Alvin Plantinga Few thinkers have had as much impact on contemporary philosophy as has Alvin Plantinga. The work of this quintessential analytic philosopher has in many respects set the tone for the debate in the fields of modal metaphysics and epistemology and he is arguably the most important philosopher of religion of our time. In this volume, a distinguished team of today's leading philosophers address the central aspects of Plantinga's philosophy - his views on natural theology; his responses to the problem of evil; his contributions to the field of modal metaphysics; the controversial evolutionary argument against naturalism; his model of epistemic warrant and his view of epistemic defeat; and his recent work on mind-body dualism. Also included is an appendix containing Plantinga's often referred to, but previously unpublished, lecture notes entitled 'Two Dozen (or so) Theistic Arguments', with a substantial preface to the appendix written by Plantinga specifically for this volume. GOD , FREEDOM, AND EVIL (1974) AND THE NATURE OF NECESSITY (1974) In God , Freedom, and Evil 12 – and in the relevant parts of The Nature of Necessity13 – the central topic of inquiry is, once again, the rationality of belief that the God ..." The Non-existence of God Arguments for the existence of God have taken many different forms over the centuries: in The Non-Existence of God, Everitt considers all the arguments and examines the role that reason and knowledge play in the debate over God's existence. ( 1968 ) The Ontological Argument , London : Macmillan Plantinga , Alvin ( 1974 ) The Nature of Necessity , Oxford : Clarendon Press Plantinga , Alvin ( 1977 ) God , Freedom and Evil , Grand Rapids : Wm . B. Eerdmans Publishing ..." Does God Exist? Does God exist? In one incisive volume, philosopher W. David Beck offers a narrative of pre-Christian, Jewish, Buddhist, Christian, and Islamic arguments for God's existence. In this history of answers to an essential question, readers will encounter both classical and contemporary arguments, including cosmological, teleological, moral, and ontological arguments. In his 1965 The Ontological Argument and his 1970 God and Other Minds Plantinga argued that all forms of the argument fail ... 53 Alvin Plantinga , God , Freedom, and Evil (New York: Harper & Row, 1974); Plantinga , The Nature of Necessity ..." God, Purpose, and Reality What must reality be like if the God of Abrahamic theism exists? How could the worldview of Abrahamic theism be understood if not in terms of the existence of a supremely powerful, knowledgeable, and good personal being? John Bishop and Ken Perszyk argue that it is reasonable to reject what many analytic philosophers take to be the standard conception of God as the 'personal omniGod'. They argue that a version of a 'logical' Argument from Evil is still very much in play, contrary to the widely held view that this line of argument is bankrupt. This book provides a new presentation and defence of the alternative that Bishop and Perszyk have called euteleology. Its core claims are that reality is inherently purposive, and that the Universe exists ultimately because its overall end (telos), which is the supreme good, is made concretely real within it. There is no supreme agent ('standing by' while horrors take place); God is 'no-thing' in euteleology's basic ontology. Rather, talk of God-as-a-personal-being is a cognitive construction, treating ultimate reality by analogy with our ordinary ways of experiencing and talking about the world. But euteleological theism is also emphatically realist. Analogizing God-talk enables humans to align themselves with reality and is aptly deployed in prayer and worship-practices whose broad function is a human contribution to, and enjoyment of, the fulfilment of reality's inherent ultimate purpose. The Infinity of God : New Perspectives in Theology and Philosophy (pp. 317–40). ... 'Open Theism and the Soteriological Problem of Evil ', in Benjamin H. Arbour (ed.) ... Plantinga , Alvin (1974a) God , Freedom, and Evil ." God, Suffering, and the Value of Free Will "This book focuses on arguments from suffering against the existence of God and on a variety of issues concerning agency and value that they bring out. The central aim is to show the extent and power of arguments from evil. The book provides a close investigation of an under-defended claim at the heart of the major free-will-based responses to such arguments, namely that free will is sufficiently valuable to serve as the good, or prominently among the goods, that provides a God-justifying reason for permitting evil in our world. Offering a fresh examination of traditional theodicies, it also develops an alternative line the author calls a divine intimacy theodicy. It makes an extended case for rejection of the position of skeptical theism. The book expands upon an argument from evil concerning a traditional doctrine of hell, which reveals a number of interesting issues concerning fault, agency, and blameworthiness. In response to recent work contending that the problem of evil is defanged since God's baseline attitude toward human beings is indifference, the book defends the essential perfect moral goodness of God. Finally it takes up the question of whether or not it makes sense to live a religious life as an agnostic or as an atheist"-- In Alvin Plantinga , edited by James E. Tomberlin and Peter van Inwagen, 3–97. Dordrecht: D. Reidel. Plantinga , Alvin . 1974. God , Freedom, and Evil . Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans. Plantinga , Alvin . 1967. God and Other Minds." Sinners in the Presence of a Loving God Why would a perfectly good and loving God consign anyone to eternal suffering in hell? In Sinners in the Presence of a Loving God, R. Zachary Manis examines in detail the various facets of the problem of hell, considers the reasons why the usual responses to the problem are unsatisfying, and suggests how an adequate solution to the problem can be constructed. Historically, there are four standard explanations of the nature and purpose of hell: traditionalism, annihilationism, the choice model, and universalism. In Manis's assessment, all are deficient in some crucial respect. The alternative view that he develops and defends, the divine presence model, stands within the tradition that understands hell to be a state of eternal conscious suffering, but, Manis contends, avoids the worst problems of its competitors. The key idea is that the suffering of hell is not the result of a divine act that aims to inflict it, but rather is the way in which a sinful creature necessarily experiences the unmitigated presence of a holy God. Heaven and hell are not two "places" to which the saved and damned are consigned, respectively, but rather are two radically different ways in which different persons will experience the same reality of God's omnipresence once the barrier of divine hiddenness is finally removed. For an introduction to the philosophical and theological case against open theism, see the responses to Gregory Boyd, “The Open Theism View,” in Divine Foreknowledge : Four Views , ed. James K. Beilby and Paul R. Eddy (Downers Grove, ..." The Philosophy of Religion of Alexander Campbell Well known for the important role he played in the American Restoration Movement, Alexander Campbell was one of the most respected and influential religious figures of 19th-century America. Although Campbell’s legacy as a religious leader and theologian has been widely acknowledged and documented, his contributions as a philosopher of religion have been largely neglected. The Philosophy of Religion of Alexander Campbell reintroduces readers to Campbell as a philosopher of religion and explores the philosophical basis for the views underlying his religious movement. It begins with a highly readable discussion of Campbell’s role in antebellum American religion and proceeds to an exploration of his philosophical influences. J. Caleb Clanton then reconstructs, explains, and evaluates Campbell’s philosophy of religion. He critically examines Campbell’s unique, revealed-idea argument for the existence of God—that is, if God did not exist, we could not form the distinct idea of God. Clanton goes on to explore Campbell’s defense of miracles, including the resurrection of Christ, and his responses to the problem of evil and the problem of divine hiddenness. The final and most speculative chapter collects and synthesizes from scattered writings Campbell’s view on morality and religion— namely that there is no morality without God—which has proven difficult to defend on philosophical grounds. With this book, the author makes a unique and important contribution to the literature of the Stone-Campbell movement. Clanton presents Campbell’s views strictly in philosophical terms and evaluates them from a philosophical perspective without regard to religious apologetics. In doing so, he illuminates previously unexplored dimensions of Campbell and his work, both historically and theologically, and clearly validates Campbell’s inclusion in contemporary discussions of the philosophy of religion. J. Caleb Clanton is Associate Professor of Philosophy and University Research Professor at Lipscomb University in Nashville. 19. For more on the distinction between a theodicy and a defense against the problem of evil , see Alvin Plantinga , God , Freedom, and Evil (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1977), 26—29. 20. I. L. Mackie, “ Evil and Omnipotence,” Mind 64, no." The God Biographers The God Biographers presents a sweeping narrative of the Western image of God since antiquity, following the theme of how the 'old' biography of God has been challenged by a 'new' biography in the twenty-first century. The new biography has made its case in free will theism, process thought, evolutionary doctrines, relational theology, and 'open theism'_a story of people, ideas, and events that is brought up to the present in this engaging narrative. 35. Alvin Plantinga , “Analytic Philosophy and Christianity,” Chrii'tianigi Today, October 25, 1963, 17, 20. 36. L. Mackie, “ Evil and Omnipotence,” Mind 64 (April 1965): 209. 37. Alvin Plantinga , God , Freedom, and Evil (Grand Rapids, ..." The Maturing of Monotheism Tracing a dialectical path, The Maturing of Monotheism emphasises the plausibility of Jewish, Christian, Muslim, and kindred forms of monotheism and responds to anti-theistic challenges of our day. These include materialism, determinism, the denial of objective value, the pervasiveness of evil, and predictions of human individual and collective extinction. The book reviews traditional metaphysical ways of arguing for monotheism but employs a cumulative, more experiential approach. While agnosticism affects humanity's most basic beliefs, Garth Hallett demonstrates that there remains ample room for rational, theistic faith. Of keen interest to students and researchers alike, The Maturing of Monotheism offers new insights and approaches in this steadily advancing field. Plantinga , Alvin . God and Other Minds: A Study of the Rational Justification of Belief in God . Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 1967. Plantinga , Alvin . God , Freedom, and Evil . Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1977. Plantinga , Alvin ." Petitionary Prayer This volume explores the philosophical issues involved in the idea of petitionary prayer, where this is conceived as an activity designed to influence the action of the all-knowing, all-powerful, perfectly good God of traditional theism. Theists have always recognized various logical and moral limits to divine action in the world, but do these limits leave any space among God's reasons for petitionary prayer to make a difference? Petitionary Prayer: A Philosophical Investigation develops a new account of the conditions required for a petitionary prayer to be answered by employing the notion of contrastive explanation. With careful attention to recent developments in metaphysics, epistemology, and value theory, Scott A. Davison surveys the contemporary literature on this question. He considers questions about human freedom and responsibility in relation to different views of divine providence, along with the puzzles inherent in Christian teachings concerning petitionary prayer. Davison develops new challenges to the coherence of the idea of answered petitionary prayer based upon the nature of divine freedom, the limits of human knowledge, and the nature of those good things that require a recipient's permission before they can be given. He proposes new defences, building upon careful analysis of the shortcomings of previous proposals and clarifying the issues for future debate. Plantinga , Alvin (1974a), The Nature of Necessity (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1974). Plantinga , Alvin (1974b), God , Freedom, and Evil (Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1974). Plantinga , Alvin , “On Ockham's ..." The Epistemological Skyhook Throughout philosophical history, there has been a recurring argument to the effect that determinism, naturalism, or both are self-referentially incoherent. By accepting determinism or naturalism, one allegedly acquires a reason to reject determinism or naturalism. The Epistemological Skyhook brings together, for the first time, the principal expressions of this argument, focusing primarily on the last 150 years. This book addresses the versions of this argument as presented by Arthur Lovejoy, A.E. Taylor, Kurt Gödel, C.S. Lewis, Norman Malcolm, Karl Popper, J.R. Lucas, William Hasker, Thomas Nagel, Alvin Plantinga, and others, along with the objections presented by their many detractors. It concludes by presenting a new version of the argument that synthesizes the best aspects of the others while also rendering the argument immune to some of the most significant objections made to it. Plantinga , Alvin . 1974. The Nature of Necessity. Oxford: Clarendon. Plantinga , Alvin . 1977. God , Freedom, and Evil . Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans. Plantinga , Alvin . 1991. “An Evolutionary Argument against Naturalism." Philosophical Foundations for a Christian Worldview This comprehensive and award-winning orientation to Christian philosophical foundations is now updated and expanded in a second edition, including enhanced arguments, updated bibliographies, and new chapters on atonement and the mind-body problem. This textbook from Moreland and Craig, two leaders in the field, is the keystone in any library of Christian philosophy. The Evidential Argument from Evil . Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1996. Martin, Michael. Atheism. Philadelphia:Temple University Press, 1990. Plantinga , Alvin . God , Freedom and Evil . New York: Harper & Row, 1974. ———." The Philosophy of Religion Philosophy of Religion is an engaging introduction to the main tenets of this fascinating subject, written clearly and with detailed enough explanation to be accessible to those new to the field, whilst providing original and challenging ideas to more experienced students. The ideal introduction to this fascinating subject, providing a clear and engaging entry point to the field The book lucidly introduces the main issues in philosophy of religion and develops a rigorous yet accessible approach to evaluating positions on these issues No previous exposure to philosophy is assumed, and more technical topics are introduced and explained before they are employed Original ideas and new approaches to concepts within the book ensure that it is also relevant to those already familiar with the subject Alvin Plantinga , The Nature of Necessity (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1974). Alvin Plantinga , God , Freedom, and Evil (New York: Harper and Row, 1974; reprinted Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1977). Alvin Plantinga , “Is Belief in God ..." Freedom, God, and Worlds Michael J. Almeida presents a bold new defence of the existence of God. He argues that entrenched principles in philosophical theology which have served as basic assumptions in apriori, atheological arguments are in fact philosophical dogmas. Almeida argues that not only are such principles false: they are necessarily false. The argument aims to establish that it is metaphysically impossible that the Anselmian God exists and that there exists a single instance of evil . Alvin Plantinga famously urged that there is no cogent formulation of the logical problem ..." Readings in Philosophy of Religion Comprised of readings from ancient to modern times, this volume offers a comprehensive introduction to the central questions of the philosophy of religion. Provides a history of the philosophy of religion, from antiquity up to the twentieth century Each section is preceded by extensive commentary written by the editors, followed by readings that are arranged chronologically Designed to be accessible to both undergraduate and graduate students 4 The Ontological Argument Alvin Plantinga Alvin Plantinga (b. ... In the following selection from God , Freedom, and Evil (1974) Plantinga discusses several important versions of the ontological argument (including Anselm's) as well as ..." Systematic Theology In this concise, one-volume systematic theology, celebrated scholar Anthony Thiselton comprehensively covers the spectrum of Christian doctrine with an eye to practical application for Christian discipleship. Written with students and busy ministers in mind, this book is readable and accessible, comprising fifteen chapters of relatively equal length, with each chapter containing five evenly balanced subsections for teaching and learning convenience. Rather than setting out an abstract system, Thiselton explores theology as a living, organic whole. The book thus includes biblical foundations, historical thought, contemporary writers, and practical implications. Expertly incorporating biblical exegesis, philosophy, conceptual grammar, and hermeneutics, this work is the most succinct multidisciplinary systematic theology available. Miroslav Volfentitled his book that relates to grace Free of Charge : Giving and Forgiving in a Culture Stripped of Grace .63 Nevertheless, Augustine's aim was to show that God is all, that is, that everything comes from God, ..." Divine Motivation Theory Publisher Description Ithaca , N.Y .: Cornell University Press . Austen , Jane . 1961. Pride and Prejudice . New York : Signet Classics . Austen , Jane . 1989. Northanger Abbey . New York : Signet Classics . Badhwar , Neera . 1996. " The Limited Unity of the ..." Philosophy of Meaning, Knowledge and Value in the Twentieth Century Volume 10 of the Routledge History of Philosophy presents a historical survey of the central topics in twentieth century Anglo-American philosophy. It chronicles what has been termed the 'linguistic turn' in analytic philosophy and traces the influence the study of language has had on the main problems of philosophy. Each chapter contains an extensive bibliography of the major writings in the field. All the essays present their large and complex topics in a clear and well organised way. At the end, the reader finds a helpful Chronology of the major political, scientific and philosophical events in the Twentieth Century and an extensive Glossary of technical terms. 14.32 Pike, Nelson ' God and Evil : A Reconsideration', Ethics, 48 (1958):116–124. 14.33 Plantinga , Alvin God and Other Minds, Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 1967. 14.34 Plantinga , Alvin God , Freedom, and Evil , New York: Harper ..." Maximal God Yujin Nagasawa presents a new, stronger version of perfect being theism, the conception of God as the greatest possible being. Although perfect being theism is the most common form of monotheism in the Judeo-Christian-Islamic tradition its truth has been disputed by philosophers and theologians for centuries. Nagasawa proposes a new, game-changing defence of perfect being theism by developing what he calls the 'maximal concept of God'. Perfect being theists typically maintain that God is an omniscient, omnipotent, and omnibenevolent being; according to Nagasawa, God should be understood rather as a being that has the maximal consistent set of knowledge, power, and benevolence. Nagasawa argues that once we accept the maximal concept we can establish perfect being theism on two grounds. First, we can refute nearly all existing arguments against perfect being theism simultaneously. Second, we can construct a novel, strengthened version of the modal ontological argument for perfect being theism. Nagasawa concludes that the maximal concept grants us a unified defence of perfect being theism that is highly effective and economical. Oppy, Graham (1995), Ontological Argument and Belief in God , Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ... Plantinga , Alvin (1974a), God , Freedom and Evil , London: George Allen and Unwin. Plantinga , Alvin (1974b), The Nature of Necessity, ..."