Bøger i Elements in the Problems of God serien

"If God exists and is perfectly good, God tries to guide people. A twofold question then arises: How does God (try to) guide people, and to what end? Problems of divine guidance for humans, according to this Element, are real and serious, but they are manageable once we clarify the kind of God at issue. According to the Element''s main thesis, if God has a perfect moral character accompanied by certain redemptive purposes for humans, the puzzling nature of divine guidance for them need not preclude the reality of such guidance. It is, this Element contends, a live option for God to guide or lead humans toward goodness, even if the leading is not fully explainable by humans. The voluntary moral attraction of cooperative humans by divine goodness, we shall see, is central to divine guidance, and it can illuminate the kind of evidence to be expected from God"--

This Element discusses the relationship between Christianity and evolutionary theory, with special emphasis on Darwinian evolutionary theory (Darwinism). The Creationists argue that the two are incompatible and it is religion that is the truth and Darwinism the falsity. The New Atheists argue that the two are incompatible and it is religion that is the falsity and Darwinism the truth. Through a careful examination of both Darwinian theory and Christianity, it is shown that both extremes are mistaken. It is accepted that there are difficult issues to be solved, for example the problem of evil - which some think is exacerbated by Darwinism - and the necessarily appearance of Homo sapiens - which is problematic if evolutionary theory does not guarantee progress and the evolution of humans as the apotheosis. It is argued that there are ways forward, and Christianity and evolutionary thinking can be shown compatible.

Suffering is ubiquitous. Quests to make sense of it in relation to the existence of God ¿ and to find meaning in our lives in the face of it ¿ are significant aspects of the human experience. Evil and Theodicy motivates the project of theodicy by examining arguments rooted in evil against God's existence and by critically assessing the response of skeptical theism. Ekstrom explores eight different lines of theodicy. She argues that, even if the prospects for theodicy are dim with respect to defending the rationality of theistic belief in light of suffering, nonetheless, work in theodicies is practically useful.

'Orthodoxy' and 'heresy' are essential categories by which the 'Catholic' theological tradition evaluates the (im)propriety of various beliefs and practices relative to its non-negotiable commitments. This Element sketches moments in the development of Christian 'orthodoxy' and 'heresy' in time, as much in the Old and New Testament as in the history of the Church. It also touches upon the vexed theological-methodological question of the relation between Scripture and ecclesial Tradition before concluding with a critique of the 'Catholic' tradition's preoccupation with 'orthodoxy' and 'heresy' in favor of a Christian theology 'without anathemas' that is concerned only for truth.

How is God related to the state? Could the existence of robust political authority somehow be evidence for God? In this Element, the author explores these questions, pro and con, looking at various major positions. At the start of the volume, they defend a political argument for God's existence. Having motivated a theistic account of political authority, they then discuss the role God plays or could play in classical liberalism, Marxism, and postliberalism. While they sympathetically survey each political theory in turn, at the end of each section, they raise various objections to the view being discussed. Finally, at the end of the Element, the author articulates desiderata for theists who are looking for political frameworks.

Much has been written on the relationship between the nature of temporal reality and the God of Classical Theism. Despite the popularity of this general area, what the physics and metaphysics of spacetime might mean for specific theological doctrines has received less attention. Recently, however, interest in this rich and dynamic interplay of ideas has seen rapid growth. This Element provides both an introduction to the physics and metaphysics of spacetime and a jumping-off point for understanding how these can - and in fact should - inform both Christian theology and the philosophy of religion more generally. The author will argue that the nature of spacetime raises particular and pressing problems for Christianity, specifically the interrelated doctrines of salvation and eschatology, and explore whether adequate solutions to these problems are available.

Questions are raised about Christian philosophy and God. Is Christian philosophy truly philosophical? Is it Biblical? Is it capable of addressing God, a profoundly transcendent being? Does appealing to a God's eye point of view make sense? Can Christian philosophy respect religious diversity? While the integrity of Christian philosophy is defended, questions are raised about its relationship to the overall practice of philosophy. Christian philosophers value drawing others to Christian faith. Are Christian apologetics compatible with philosophy? This Element concludes with reflection on when it may be philosophically acceptable to appeal to mystery.