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The Problem of Animal Pain (Elements in the Problems of God)
by null Victoria CampbellIn this Element atheists cite animal pain as compelling evidence against the existence of the loving God portrayed in the Judeo-Christian Bible. William Rowe, Paul Draper, Richard Dawkins and others claim widespread unnecessary suffering exists in nature and challenge theism with the Evidential Problem of Natural Evil. This Element engages the scientific literature in order to evaluate the validity of those claims and offers a theodicy of God's providential care for animals through natural pain mitigating processes.
The Problem of Animal Pain
by Trent DoughertyAnimal suffering constitutes perhaps the greatest challenge to rational belief in the existence of God. Considerations that render human suffering theologically intelligible seem inapplicable to animal suffering. In this book, Dougherty defends radical possibilities for animal afterlife that allow a soul-making theodicy to apply to their case.
The Problem of Atheism (McGill-Queen's Studies in the History of Ideas #84)
by Augusto Del NoceIn 1964, Augusto Del Noce assembled in a book some of his best works on Marxism, atheism, and the history of modern philosophy. The result was Il problema dell’ateismo, which he always regarded as foundational to his way of thinking. The book remains his best-known work and is still in print in Italy almost sixty years later.The Problem of Atheism offers the first English translation of this landmark book, one of the earliest works to recognize the new secularizing trends in Western culture following World War II. Del Noce situates atheism historically, reconstructing its philosophical trajectory through European modernity. Documenting the author’s entire intellectual experience, these essays explore the birth of modern philosophy, reckon with the great European crisis of 1917 to 1945 and the Cold War that followed, and mine the opposition between Marxism and the rise of the affluent society. The result is rich with premonitions of the cultural landscape that would take shape throughout the 1960s and the decades that followed.Proving its English translation to be long overdue, The Problem of Atheism remains relevant to contemporary debates about secularization, political theology, and modernity.
The Problem of Christianity
by Josiah RoyceJosian Royce's late masterpiece, The Problem of Christianity, is based on a series of lectures he delivered at Manchester College, Oxford, in 1913. It presents his philosophical interpretation of Christianity's fundamental ideas―community, sin, atonement, and saving grace; shows their relevance to the current confluence of world religions; and grounds his position upon a personal transformation into genuine loyalty toward the community of the entire human family. <p><p>The Problem opens up a mine of surprising treasures while its prophetic voice speaks to contemporary issues and current movements in ecumenics and inter-religious dialogue. Frank M. Oppenheim's new introduction highlights its relevance to some of the pressing problems of the new century.
The Problem of Disenchantment: Scientific Naturalism and Esoteric Discourse, 1900-1939 (SUNY series in Western Esoteric Traditions #147)
by Egil AspremMax Weber famously characterized the ongoing process of intellectualization and rationalization that separates the natural world from the divine (by excluding magic and value from the realm of science, and reason and fact from the realm of religion) as the "disenchantment of the world." Egil Asprem argues for a conceptual shift in how we view this key narrative of modernity. Instead of a sociohistorical process of disenchantment that produces increasingly rational minds, Asprem maintains that the continued presence of "magic" and "enchantment" in people's everyday experience of the world created an intellectual problem for those few who were socialized to believe that nature should contain no such incalculable mysteries. Drawing on a wide range of early twentieth-century primary sources from theoretical physics, occultism, embryology, radioactivity, psychical research, and other fields, Asprem casts the intellectual life of high modernity as a synchronic struggle across conspicuously different fields that shared surprisingly similar intellectual problems about value, meaning, and the limits of knowledge.
The Problem of Evil: The Challenge to Essential Christian Beliefs
by Jeremy EvansThis book offers a comprehensive examination of the problem of evil from both technical and ministerial perspectives. Author and acclaimed philosophy professor Jeremy A. Evans treats the history of the problem with fairness, looking at it through contemporary philosophical literature and offering responses to the most substantive arguments from evil. His purpose is to provide holistic responses to the problem of evil that are philosophically and theologically maintainable. Among the chapters are “Introduction to the Problem of Evil,” “The Logical Problem of Evil,” “The Evidential Problem of Evil,” “The Problem of Hell,” “The Problem of Divine Hiddenness,” “The Defeat of Evil,” “Moral Evil: Comparing Theism and Naturalism,” and “Evil and the Worship Worthiness of God.”
The Problem of Evil (Elements in the Philosophy of Religion)
by Michael TooleyChapter 1 addresses some preliminary issues that it is important to think about in formulating arguments from evil. Chapter 2 is then concerned with the question of how an incompatibility argument from evil is best formulated, and with possible responses to such arguments. Chapter 3 then focuses on skeptical theism, and on the work that skeptical theists need to do if they are to defend their claim of having defeated incompatibility versions of the argument from evil. Finally, Chapter 4 discusses evidential arguments from evil, and four different kinds of evidential argument are set out and critically examined.
Problem Of Evil: Vol 1 (Studies In Ethics And The Philosophy Of Religion)
by M. B. AhernFirst published in 2003. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.
The Problem of God: Answering a Skeptic’s Challenges to Christianity
by Larry Osborne Mark ClarkThe Problem of God is written by a skeptic who became a Christian and then a pastor, all while exploring answers to the most difficult questions raised against Christianity. Growing up in an atheistic home, Mark Clark struggled through his parents' divorce, acquiring Tourette syndrome and OCD in his teen years. After his father's death, he began a skeptical search for truth through science, philosophy, and history, eventually finding answers in Christianity.In a disarming, winsome, and persuasive way, The Problem of God responds to the top ten God questions of our present age, including:Does God even exist?What do we do with Christianity's violent history?Is Jesus just another myth?Can the Bible be trusted?Why should we believe in Hell anymore today?The book concludes with Christianity's most audacious assertion: how should we respond to Jesus' claim that he is God and the only way to salvation.
The Problem of God Study Guide: Answering a Skeptic’s Challenges to Christianity
by Mark ClarkThe Problem of God is written by a skeptic who became a Christian and then a pastor, all while exploring answers to the most difficult questions raised against Christianity. Mark grew up in an atheistic home, and after his father's death, began a skeptical search for truth through exploring science, philosophy, and history, asking the big questions of life, and eventually finding answers in Christianity. In a disarming, winsome, and persuasive way, The Problem of God responds to the top ten questions people raise against God, and Christianity, including, among others:The Problem of ScienceThe Problem of God's ExistenceThe Problem of the BibleThe Problem of Evil and SufferingThe Problem of HellThe Problem of SexThe Problem of HypocrisyEach chapter answers the specific challenge using a mix of theology, philosophy, and science on the one hand, while also using stories, illustrations, and anecdotes. It's apologetics for the rest of us, focused on both convincing the skeptic, and informing the Christian.
The Problem of Hell: A Philosophical Anthology
by Joel BuentingHow can a perfectly good God justifiably damn anyone to hell? This is one version of the problem of hell. The problem of hell has become one of the most widely discussed topics in contemporary philosophy of religion. This anthology brings together contributions by contemporary philosophers whose work shapes the current debate.
The Problem of Invented Religions
by Steven J. Sutcliffe and Carole M. CusackInvented religions have been described as modern religions which advertise their invented status and reject traditional strategies of authorisation. But what does it mean for a religious formation to be ‘made up’, and how might this status affect perceptions of its legitimacy or authenticity in wider society? Based in original fieldwork and archival sources, and in the secondary literature on invented and constructed formations, this volume explores the allure of, as well as the limits of, the invention of religion. Through a series of case studies, the contributors discuss strategies of mobilization and legitimation for new traditions at their point of emergence, as well as taking issue with simplistic interpretations of the phenomenon which neglect wider cultural and political dimensions. This book was originally published as a special issue of Culture and Religion.
The Problem of Jesus: Answering a Skeptic’s Challenges to the Scandal of Jesus
by Mark ClarkFrom demons in his house to miracles. From why we all lie to the end of the world. From how to beat temptation to what Heaven, Hell, and the purpose of our lives really are. Author and pastor Mark Clark says that the scandal of Jesus is that he talked about all of these things and what they have to do with us and yet we ignore him. It is time for that to end.The Problem of Jesus is an exploration of the person and work of Jesus of Nazareth: his parables, his miracles, his controversial call to discipleship, politics, and challenge to love God above everything else in the world, his seemingly insane claim to be God, and what his death and resurrection actually mean if they did in fact happen - and what it all has to do with our lives. Award-winning author Mark Clark engages with ideas from all realms of study - from Malcolm Gladwell and Jordan Peterson to historians, scientists, and philosophers like N.T. Wright, John Polkinghorne, and C.S. Lewis; from Dallas Willard and Nancy Pearcey to Star Wars and James Bond and Pretty Woman - all to present a fresh and compelling portrait of Jesus, the man, the message, and the mission, who forever altered the course of human history. Every person must make their own decision about Jesus and maybe you have, one way or the other, but we have to make sure we have a clear picture of him first. Do you?X
The Problem of Jesus Study Guide: Answering a Skeptic’s Challenges to the Scandal of Jesus
by Mark ClarkJesus has never been more popular. Some love him, applauding him as a good teacher, a political revolutionary, or a prophetic voice speaking out against the rich and powerful. Others find him bigoted, old-fashioned, and narrow minded, even as they are forced to admit that his words and teachings are utterly unique. His presence infuses our political discussions and our dinner table debates, making him impossible to ignore. Yet sadly, in many churches today, the Jesus we meet is nothing more than a kindly man with children on his lap and a smile on his face. He is presented as a good person, a positive influence--a mixture of Mr. Rogers and Tony Robbins. The Jesus of American Christianity is meek, gentle, safe, and fun, always ready to be your best friend.When we dig more deeply into the Bible, we discover a very different picture. Wherever Jesus went in his life, from the day he was born until the day he died, scandal and controversy followed him. Be warned. If you investigate Jesus beyond the superficial glance most give him today you will be challenged and confronted. Jesus creates in each person who encounters him a crisis of faith, forcing us to a point of decision.When used together with The Problem of Jesus, A Video Study, this study guide helps you look beyond the superficial understandings of Jesus to examine his hard-hitting claims and teachings, including:The reliable evidence that Jesus was a real, historical figureThe oft-unexamined cost of following JesusHis claim to be God, the Creator of all, worthy of worshipHis teachings and stories, which have always offended religious peopleHis miracles and actions, what they meant in the ancient world--and todayThe claims of Jesus to be the only, exclusive path to GodThe Problem of Jesus Study Guide confronts you with the real Jesus of history, asking you to wrestle with the teachings, claims, and actions of the man who has forever altered the course of human history. Every person must make their own decision about Jesus, choosing how they will live in light of the answers they discover about this amazing man.
The Problem of Job and the Problem of Evil (Elements in Religion and Violence)
by Espen DahlThis account of evil takes the Book of Job as its guide. The Book of Job considers physical pain, social bereavement, the origin of evil, theodicy, justice, divine violence, and reward. Such problems are explored by consulting ancient and modern accounts from the fields of theology and philosophy, broadly conceived. Some of the literature on evil - especially the philosophical literature - is inclined toward the abstract treatment of such problems. Bringing along the suffering Job will serve as a reminder of the concrete, lived experience in which the problem of evil has its roots.
The Problem of Pain (C. S. Lewis Signature Classic Ser.)
by C. S. LewisIn The Problem of Pain, C.S. Lewis, one of the most renowned Christian authors and thinkers, examines a universally applicable question within the human condition: "If God is good and all-powerful, why does he allow his creatures to suffer pain?" With his signature wealth of compassion and insight, C.S. Lewis offers answers to these crucial questions and shares his hope and wisdom to help heal a world hungering for a true understanding of human nature.
The Problem of Religious Experience: Case Studies in Phenomenology, with Reflections and Commentaries (Contributions to Phenomenology #103)
by Olga Louchakova-SchwartzFor a long time, the philosophically difficult topic of religious experience has been on the sidelines of phenomenological research (with a notable exception of Anthony Steinbock, who focused on mysticism). The book The Problem of Religious Experience: Case Studies in Phenomenology, with Reflections and Commentaries brings together preeminent as well as emerging voices in the field, with fresh views on the topic. Originating from dialogues of the Society for the Phenomenology of Religious Experience, these two volumes cover a spectrum of phenomenological approaches, with a thematization of the field in the form of case studies. Contributions from theology, comparative religion, psychology and the philosophy of religion come together in the commentaries and meta-narrative written by Olga Louchakova-Schwartz (the editor). Volume I, The Primeval Showing of Religious Experience, examines religious experience with regard to its lived “interiority”, in light of the problem of the ego cogito, including the recent research on the embodiment of subjectivity and phenomenological materiality. Volume I also sheds light on religious experience in regard for the problems of its constitution, passive synthesis, the world, and otherness. Volume II, Doxastic Perspectives in the Phenomenology of Religious Experience, addresses the phenomenology of revelation, shows how different approaches treat the question of essence in religious experience (i.e., what is it that makes religious experience religious?), and demonstrates how religious experience contributes to the psychological horizon of meaning. The book identifies the “growing edges” in the phenomenological research of religious experience and is useful for psychologists, philosophers, and theologians alike. "The two volumes offer an excellent interdisciplinary introduction to the phenomenon of religious experience. The case studies presented in them are arranged under the central topics of self, alterity, revelation, and psychological aspects of religious experience and provide outstanding examples of applied phenomenology." Hans Rainer Sepp, Charles University, Prague, and Central European Institute of Philosophy "In the context of the "return of religion," this book offers both a timely and necessary contribution to confront the peculiarities of religious experience. Providing readers with applied phenomenological descriptions in an interdisciplinary spirit, these debates will prove stimulating for a resurgent field of research that is starting to refine its conceptual devices and methodological presuppositions." University of Vienna.
The Problem of Slavery in Western Culture
by David Brion DavisThe contradiction of slavery grew more profound when it became closely linked with American colonization, which had as its basic foundation the desire and opportunity to create amore perfect society. Davis provides a comparative analysis of slave systems in the Old World, a discussion of the early attitudes towards American slavery, and a detailed exploration of the early protests against Negro bondage, as well as the religious, literary, and philosophical developments that contributed to both sides in the controversies of the late eighteenth century.
The Problem of the Christian Master: Augustine in the Afterlife of Slavery
by Matthew EliaA bold rereading of Augustinian thought for a world still haunted by slavery Over the last two decades, scholars have made a striking return to the resources of the Augustinian tradition to theorize citizenship, virtue, and the place of religion in public life. However, these scholars have not sufficiently attended to Augustine&’s embrace of the position of the Christian slaveholder. To confront a racialized world, the modern Augustinian tradition of political thought must reckon with its own entanglements with the afterlife of the white Christian master. Drawing Augustine&’s politics and the resources of modern Black thought into extended dialogue, Matthew Elia develops a critical analysis of the enduring problem of the Christian master, even as he presses toward an alternative interpretation of key concepts of ethical life—agency, virtue, temporality—against and beyond the framework of mastery. Amid democratic crises and racial injustice on multiple fronts, the book breathes fresh life into conversations on religion and the public square by showing how ancient and contemporary sources at once clash and converge in surprising ways. It imaginatively carves a path forward for the enduring humanities inquiry into the nature of our common life and the perennial problem of social and political domination.
The Problem of the Old Testament: Hermeneutical, Schematic, and Theological Approaches
by Duane A. GarrettFor Christians, the Old Testament often presents a conundrum. We revere it as God's Word, but we don't always comprehend it. It has great truths beautifully expressed, but it also has lengthy lists of names that we cannot pronounce, detailed rules for religious rites that we never observe, and grim stories that we never tell our children. Theologians and laypeople throughout church history have struggled to define it, interpret it, and reconcile it with the New Testament. In The Problem of the Old Testament, Duane A. Garrett takes on this conundrum and lays a foundation for constructive study of the Old Testament. He surveys three primary methods Christians have used to handle the Old Testament, from the church fathers to today: hermeneutical, schematic, and conceptual. Garrett also explores major interpretive topics such as the nature of the law, the function of election and covenants, and how prophecy works, boldly offering a way forward that is faithful to the text and to the Christian faith. "I argue," Garrett writes, "that the Old Testament is fulfilled in Jesus Christ and that it is authoritative and edifying for Christians." This thorough, accessible work is essential reading for all students of Scripture seeking to discover the Old Testament's riches beyond the challenges.
The Problem With Evangelical Theology: Testing the Exegetical Foundations of Calvinism, Dispensationalism, Wesleyanism, and Pentecostalism
by Ben WitheringtonThere is no doubting the legacy of Protestant Reformers and their successors. Luther, Calvin, and Wesley not only spawned specific denominational traditions, but their writings have been instrumental in forging a broadly embraced evangelical theology as well. Ben Witherington wrestles with some of the big ideas of these major traditional theological systems (sin, God’s sovereignty, prophecy, grace, and the Holy Spirit), asking tough questions about their biblical foundations. Advocating a return to Protestantism’s sola scriptura roots, Witherington argues that evangelicalism sometimes wrongly assumes a biblical warrant for some of its more popular beliefs. <p><p> Witherington pushes the reader to engage the larger story and plot of the Bible in order to understand the crucial theological elements of Protestant belief. The Problem with Evangelical Theology casts today’s evangelical belief and practice―be it Calvinistic, Wesleyan, Dispensational, or Pentecostal―in the light of its scriptural origins. Witherington offers a comprehensive description of evangelical theology while concurrently providing an insistent corrective to its departures from both tradition and text.
The Problem with God: Why Atheists, True Believers, and Even Agnostics Must All Be Wrong
by Peter SteinbergerWhether people praise, worship, criticize, or reject God, they all presuppose at least a rough notion of what it means to talk about God. Turning the certainty of this assumption on its head, a respected educator and humanist shows that when we talk about God, we are in fact talking about nothing at all—there is literally no such idea—and so all of the arguments we hear from atheists, true believers, and agnostics are and will always be empty and self-defeating.Peter J. Steinberger's commonsense account is by no means disheartening or upsetting, leaving readers without anything meaningful to hold on to. To the contrary, he demonstrates how impossible it is for the common world of ordinary experience to be all there is. With patience, clarity, and good humor, Steinberger helps readers think critically and constructively about various presuppositions and modes of being in the world. By coming to grips with our own deep-seated beliefs, we can understand how traditional ways asserting, denying, or even just wondering about God's existence prevent us from seeing the truth—which, it turns out, is far more interesting and encouraging than anyone would have thought.
The Problem With Grace
by Vincent W. LloydThis book develops a post-secular, post-sectarian political theology, taking that burgeoning field in a new direction. With his bold suggestion that political philosophy must begin with political theology, Vincent Lloyd investigates a series of religious concepts such as love, faith, liturgy, and revelation and explores their political relevance by extracting them from their Christian theological context while refusing to reduce them to secular terms. He assembles an unusual canon of thinkers "too Jewish to be Christian and too Christian to be Jewish"—Simone Weil, James Baldwin, Franz Kafka, and Gillian Rose—to aid him in his explorations. Unique in its serious attention to both theological writing about politics and the work of academic philosophers and theorists, The Problem with Grace deepens our understanding of political theological vocabulary as a way back to the everyday world. Politics is not about redemption, but about grappling with the ever-present difficulties, tragedies, and comedies of ordinary life.
The Problem with Paul
by Brian J. DoddWas Paul a chauvinist? Was he a prude? Was he anti-Semitic? Why did Paul condone slavery? How might he have fared on the Oprah Winfrey Show? People outside the church have often found Paul hard to stomach. His views on women, sex and marriage, his failure to attack the institution of slavery, and his verbal attacks on his opponents have all come under fire. Regrettably, Paul hasn't always fared that much better among believers. Like the apostle Peter, many wonder what to make of Paul and his confusing, controversial--and sometimes apparently contradictory--teachings. To put it simply, Paul just isn't politically correct. Brian Dodd offers a fresh look at the perpetually enigmatic and misunderstood Paul. Combining pastoral insight and scholarly rigor, he helps us bridge the gap between Paul's ancient world and our postmodern setting. Here is much-needed perspective for making sense of Paul--the man and his message.
The Problem with Rules: Essays on the Meaning and Value of Liberal Education (The Malcolm Lester Phi Beta Kappa Lectures on Liberal Arts and Public Life)
by John ChurchillThere is a constant drumbeat of commentary claiming that STEM subjects—science, technology, engineering, and math—are far more valuable in today’s economy than traditional liberal arts courses such as philosophy or history. Many even claim that the liberal arts are "under siege" by neoliberal politicians and cost-conscious university administrators. In a forceful response, The Problem with Rules establishes the essential value of the liberal arts as the pedagogical pathway to critical thinking and moral character and argues for more not less emphasis in higher education. John Churchill asserts that the liberal arts are more than decorative frills. Drawing from the philosophy of Wittgenstein to craft a cogent, inspired argument, Churchill insists on the liberal arts’ indispensable role, providing in this book a clarion call to politicians, university administrators, and all Americans to recognize and actively support and nurture the liberal arts.