Four Views on the Axiology of Theism: What Difference Does God Make

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For centuries, philosophers have addressed the ontological question of whether God exists. Most recently, philosophers have begun to explore the axiological question of what value impact, if any, Gods existence has (or would have) on our world. This book brings together four prestigious philosophers, Michael Almeida, Travis Dumsday, Perry Hendricks and Graham Oppy, to present different views on the axiological question about God. Each contributor expresses a position on axiology, which is then met with responses from the remaining contributors. This structure makes for genuine discussion and developed exploration of the key issues at stake, and shows that the axiological question is more complicated than it first appears. Chapters explore a range of relevant issues, including the relationship between Judeo-Christian theism and non-naturalist alternatives such as pantheism, polytheism, and animism/panpsychism. Further chapters consider the attitudes and emotions of atheists within the theism conversation, and develop and evaluate the best arguments for doxastic pro-theism and doxastic anti-theism. Of interest to those working on philosophy of religion, theism and ethics, this book presents lively accounts of an important topic in an exciting and collaborative way, offered by renowned experts in this area.

Reviews

This book is required reading for philosophers of religion, and readers more generally interested in philosophy may be intrigued by the explorations within this clearly argued volume. * CHOICE *
This is a fantastic book on the important question of whether Gods existence would make the world a better or worse place to be. The back-and-forth dialogue among the contributors provides a helpful venue for their new insights to be thoroughly discussed. * W. Paul Franks, Associate Professor of Philosophy, Tyndale University, Canada *
What axiological value, if any, does the existence of God have This volume presents lively philosophical dialogues that directly tackle this neglected question and Lougheed brings together a group of outstanding scholars who represent diverse perspectives. This important book will launch a new phase of the scholarly debate on the existence of God. * Yujin Nagasawa, H. G. Wood Professor of the Philosophy of Religion, University of Birmingham, UK *
The four papers in this volume are by outstanding scholars, and they address an important but underexplored topic: the axiology of theism. Each paper breaks new ground. Readers will find the commentaries by each author on the others work, together with replies, particularly valuable. * Klaas J. Kraay, Professor of Philosophy, Ryerson University, Canada *

Author Bio

Kirk Lougheed is Assistant Professor of Philosophy and Director of the Center for Faith and Human Flourishing at LCC International University, Lithuania, and a Research Associate at the University of Pretoria, South Africa. He has published over 30 peer-reviewed articles or book chapters appearing in such places as Philosophia, Ratio, Res Philosophica, and Synthese. He is author of The Epistemic Benefits of Disagreement (Springer, 2020), The Axiological Status of Theism and Other Worldviews (Palgrave 2020), and Ubuntu and Western Monotheism (Routledge, 2022).