The God Beyond Belief

CONTENTS

FOREWORD

PREFACE

NOTE ON GENDER-INCLUSIVE LANGUAGE

1. INTRODUCTION

1 AIMS AND LIMITATIONS

2 METHODOLOGY

3 WHAT IS A GOOD ARGUMENT?

4 OVERVIEW

NOTES

2. BACKGROUND TO THE PROBLEM OF EVIL

1 ORTHODOX THEISM

2 THE PROBLEM OF EVIL

Philosophical Background

Historical Background

NOTES

3. ROWES EVIDENTIAL ARGUMENTS FROM EVIL

1 THE EARLY ROWE (1978 - 86)

The 1979 Argument

The Theological Premise

The Factual Premise

Wykstra on Rowes Case in Support of the

Factual Premise

2 THE MIDDLE ROWE (1988 - 95)

The Factual Premise Revisited

The Inference from P to Q

The Structure of the Argument

3 THE LATE ROWE (1996 - PRESENT)

Rowes New Evidential Argument

Atheism or Agnosticism?

Rowes Resurrection of the " Middle"

Argument from Evil

NOTES

4. WHAT NO EYE HAS SEEN: THE EPISTEMIC FOUNDATIONS OF WYKSTRAS CORNEA CRITIQUE

1 THE ORIGINAL CORNEA

2 THE PROBLEM WITH C1

3 CORNEA AND THE PRINCIPLE OF CREDULITY

4 COUNTEREXAMPLES TO C2–C4

5 C4 AND NOSEEUM INFERENCES

NOTES

5. CORNEA APPLIED TO ROWES EVIDENTIAL ARGUMENT

1 APPLYING C42 TO ROWE’S ARGUMENTS

2 ROWES RESPONSE TO CORNEA

3 CORNEA AND THE BURDEN OF REASONABILITY

4 ROWE ON STEP 2 OF WYKSTRAS CORNEA CRITIQUE

5 WYKSTRAS ARGUMENT - ROWES VERSION

The RST - EST Distinction

The Inference from (5) to (6) Re-examined

The Prospects for EST

Rowes Restriction to RST

6 WYKSTRAS ARGUMENT - THE ANALOGICAL VERSION

Analogical Reasoning

Rowes Critique of Wykstras Parent Analogy

Wykstras Revised Parent Analogy

Rowes Critique of the New Parent Analogy

NOTES

6. FURTHER OBJECTIONS TO ROWES NOSEEUM ASSUMPTION

1 HOWARD-SNYDER’S ARGUMENT FROM COMPLEX GOODS

2 DURSTONS ARGUMENT FROM THE COMPLEXITY OF HISTORY

3 THE PROGRESS ARGUMENT

4 ALSTONS ANALOGIES

NOTES

7. IN SUPPORT OF THE INFERENCE FROM INSCRUTABLE TO POINTLESS EVIL

1 THE ARGUMENT FROM MORAL SCEPTICISM

2 ROWES CASE IN SUPPORT OF RNA

Case 1

Case 2

3 CONCLUDING REMARKS

NOTES

8. THE PROBLEM OF DIVINE HIDDENNESS

1 WHAT IS THE PROBLEM?

2 ANALOGIES IN SUPPORT OF RNA4

3 THE CASE AGAINST RNA4

The Sceptical Theist Response

The Appeal to Human Freedom

4 IN CONCLUSION

NOTES

9. META-THEODICY: ADEQUACY CONDITIONS FOR THEODICY

1 THE EVILS TO BE EXPLAINED

2 THE GOODS TO BE INVOKED

T3 HE NATURE OF THEODICAL EXPLANATION

4 SUMMARY

NOTES

10. THEODICY PROPER, OR CASTING LIGHT ON THE WAYS OF GOD: HORRENDOUS MORAL EVIL

1 SKETCH OF A THEODICY

2 PROBLEM I: CURTAILING THE EXERCISE OF FREE WILL

3 PROBLEM II: NECESSARY EVILS?

Tiernos " Adequacy Argument" Against Free Will Theodicies

The Inadequacy of Tiernos " Adequacy Argument"

4 CONCLUSION

NOTES

11. THEODICIES FOR NATURAL EVIL

1 SOUL-MAKING AND NATURAL EVIL

2 SWINBURNES FREE WILL THEODICY

3 REICHENBACH’S NATURAL LAW THEODICY

4 CONCLUSION

NOTES

12. THE COMPATIBILITY OF GRATUITOUS EVIL WITH THEISM

1 VAN INWAGEN’S GOD OF CHANCE

2 VAN INWAGEN’S NO MINIMUM THESIS

3 TAKING THE STING OUT OF THE NO MINIMUM THESIS

4 PETERSON’S REJECTION OF METICULOUS PROVIDENCE

Peterson on the Defensive

Peterson on the Offensive

4 CONCLUSION

NOTES

13. CONCLUSION: IS ROWES EVIDENTIAL ARGUMENT SUCCESSFUL?

1 THE " G.E. MOORE SHIFT"

2 RECONCEIVING GOD

Rejecting Gods Perfect Goodness

Rejecting Divine Omnipotence

The Worship - Worthiness of God

3 CONCLUDING REMARKS

NOTES

BIBLIOGRAPHY

INDEX