The Virtue of Faith and Other Essays in Philosophical Theology

by Robert Merrihew Adams

Overview

Robert Merrihew Adams has been a leader in renewing philosophical respect for the idea that moral obligation may be founded on the commands of God. This collection of Adams' essays, two of which are previously unpublished, draws from his extensive writings on philosophical theology that discuss metaphysical, epistemological, and ethical issues surrounding the concept of God—whether God exists or not, what God is or would be like, and how we ought to relate ourselves to such a being. Adams studies the relation between religion and ethics, delving into an analysis of moral arguments for theistic belief. In several essays, he applies contemporary studies in the metaphysics of individuality, possibility and necessity, and counterfactual conditionals to issues surrounding the existence of God and problems of evil.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780195041460
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Publication date:	04/30/1987
Pages:	288
Product dimensions:	5.56(w) x 8.25(h) x 0.87(d)

About the Author

Yale University

Table of Contents

	Introduction	3
Part 1	Faith
1	The Virtue of Faith	9
2	Kierkegaard's Arguments Against Objective Reasoning in Religion	25
3	The Leap of Faith	42
Part 2	The Problem of Evil
4	Must God Create the Best?	51
5	Existence, Self-interest, and the Problem of Evil	65
6	Middle Knowledge and the Problem of Evil	77
Part 3	God and Ethics
7	A Modified Divine Command Theory of Ethical Wrongness	97
8	Autonomy and Theological Ethics	123
9	Divine Command Metaethics Modified Again	128
10	Moral Arguments for Theistic Belief	144
11	Saints	164
12	Pure Love	174
Part 4	The Metaphysics of Theism
13	Has It Been Proved That All Real Existence Is Contingent?	195
14	Divine Necessity	209
15	The Logical Structure of Anselm's Arguments	221
16	Flavors, Colors, and God	243
	Index	263

Editorial Reviews

"Adams is a master of the art of treating complex philosophical issues with economy and clarity. His writing displays a nice combination of plain diction and subtle thought....An important collection....No one interested in philosophical theology shoulc remain ignorant of the contents of this book."—Faith and Philosophy

"Should be accessible to a wide audience interested in questions about religion. Adams is a master of the art of treating complex philosophical issues with economy and clarity. His writing displays a nice combination of plain diction and subtle thought....An important collection....No one interested in philosophical theology should remain ignorant of the contents of this book."—Faith and Philosophy

"Represents a substantial contribution."—Ethics

From the Publisher