Divine Hiddenness and Human Reason by J L Schellenberg

Divine Hiddenness and Human Reason by J L Schellenberg

This book is a splendid, illuminating study of Divine hiddenness and its implications for the question of whether the God of traditional theism actually exists.— William L. Rowe, Department of Philosophy, Purdue University The first full-length treatment of its topic, Divine Hiddenness and Human Reason will be of interest to anyone who has sought to reach a conclusion as to God's existence, and especially to theologians and philosophers of religion. In this clearly written and tightly argued book, J. L. Schellenberg addresses a fundamental yet neglected religious problem. If there is a God, he asks, why is his existence not more obvious? Traditionally, theists have claimed that God is hidden in order to account for the fact that the evidence of his existence is as weak as it is. Schellenberg maintains that, given the understanding of God's moral character to which theists are committed, this claim runs into serious difficulty. There are grounds, the author writes, for thinking that the perfectly loving God of theism would not be hidden, that such a God would put the fact of his existence beyond reasonable nonbelief. Since reasonable nonbelief occurs, Schellenberg argues, it follows that there is here an argument of considerable force for atheism. In developing his claim, Schellenberg carefully examines the relevant views of such theists as Pascal, Butler, Kierkegaard, Hick, and others. He clarifies their suggestions concerning Divine hiddenness and shows how they fall short of providing a rebuttal for the argument he presents. That argument, he concludes, poses a serious challenge to theism, to which contemporary theists must respond. Also Available in Paperback with a New Preface

"A tightly argued, superbly crafted and religiously sensitive book. . . Nobody interested in philosophical issues pertaining to our relation to God can afford to miss it."—Mind
"This book deserves to be seen as the definitive study to date of its subject. That subject is the implications of the lack of clear cut evidence and argument for the existence of God."—Religious Studies
"J. L. Schellenberg has developed the argument from hiddenness against the existence of God in a more thorough way than has ever been done before. I consider this book one of the six or seven most important books on the philosophy of religion published in the last fifteen years."—Richard Swinburne, University of Oxford
"This book is a splendid, illuminating study of Divine hiddenness and its implications for the question of whether the God of traditional theism actually exists."—William L. Rowe, Department of Philosophy, Purdue University
"Divine Hiddenness and Human Reason is a carefully argued, deeply insightful, and richly rewarding book. J. L. Schellenberg singlehandedly turned the problem of divine hiddenness into a major issue in contemporary philosophy of religion."—Paul Draper, Purdue University

J. L. Schellenberg is Professor of Philosophy at Mount Saint Vincent University.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9780801473463
ISBN 10	0801473462
Title	Divine Hiddenness and Human Reason
Author	J L Schellenberg
Series	Cornell Studies In The Philosophy Of Religion
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Paperback
Publisher	Cornell University Press
Year published	2006-10-12
Number of pages	277
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.
Note	Unavailable