God And The Ethics Of Belief

Philosophy of religion in the Anglo-American tradition experienced a 'rebirth' following the 1955 publication of New Essays in Philosophical Theology (eds. Antony Flew and Alisdair MacIntyre). Fifty years later, this volume of essays offers a sampling of the best work in what is now a very active field, written by some of its most prominent members. A substantial introduction sketches the developments of the last half-century, while also describing the 'ethics of belief' debate in epistemology and showing how it connects to explicitly religious concerns and to the topics of the individual contributions. These topics include: the relationship between God and the natural laws; the metaphysics of bodily resurrection; the role of appeal to 'mystery' in the religious life; the justification of both theistic belief generally and more specific doctrinal beliefs; and the social-political aspects of religious faith and practice.

Shalom and the Ethics of Belief explores Nicholas Wolterstorff's theory of situated rationality from a theological point of view and develops a doxastic, or belief-based, ethic based upon the theology of Wolterstorff's neo-Calvinist, Kuyperian background, which emerges in terms of his biblical ethic and eschatology of shalom. Two epistemological aspects are discussed in Nathan D. Shannon's account of Wolterstorff's philosophical writings: the picture of the belief-forming self present in the work of Thomas Reid, and the connection between belief and obligation. Situated rationality, the sum of Wolterstorff's decades-long work on epistemology and rationality, is argued to be a shalom doxastic ethic-a Christian, common grace ethic of belief pluralism. Wolterstorff incorporates the ethics of belief within the full scope of a person's socio-moral accountability, an accountability that ultimately flows from the teleology of the world as intended by its creator and from the inherent value of humans as bearers of the divine image. Shannon's treatment of belief as grounded in the eschatological, ethical vision of shalom provides a comprehensive and novel account of how Wolterstoroff's Christianity informed and influenced his philosophical writings.

How do various concepts of God impact the moral life? Is God ultimately required for goodness? In this edited collection, an international panel of contemporary philosophers and theologians offer new avenues of exploration from a theist perspective for these important questions. The book features several approaches to address these questions. Common themes include philosophical and theological conceptions of God with reference to human morality, particular Trinitarian accounts of God and the resultant ethical implications, and how communities are shaped, promoted, and transformed by accounts of God. Bringing together philosophical and theological insights on the relationship between God and our moral lives, this book will be of keen interest to scholars of the philosophy of religion, particularly those looking at ethics, social justice and morality.

Eugene Thomas Long Originally published in the International Journal for Philosophy of Religion, Volume 63, Nos 1–3. DOI: 10. 1007/s11153-007-9155-4 © Springer Science+Business Media B. V. 2007 This volume is presented as a tribute to the life and work of D. Z. Phillips. Six of the articles were originally presented at the annual conference on the philosophy of religion organized by Phillips and held at Claremont Graduate University, February 9–10, 2007. Unfortunately, Phillipsdidnotlivetoparticipateintheconferenceitself. HediedunexpectedlyJuly25,2006 in the library of his beloved University of Wales, Swansea. Previously published volumes of essays,basedonconferencesorganizedbyPhillipsinClaremont,includedachapterentitled, “Voices in Discussion,” in which Phillips provided his own reactions to the discussions wr- ten almost immediately after the conference. Sadly, this volume appears without the addition of his voice. Born in Morriston, near Swansea, Phillips was a Welsh speaker, a strong supporter of Welsh speaking schools and the author of many works in philosophy and literature in Welsh and English. Known widely as the leading representative of the movement in the philo- phy of religion called Wittgensteinianism, Phillips spent much of his effort challenging the tendency of philosophers to elevate one kind of discourse to the point where it becomes the norm by which other forms of discourse are to be judged.

In these two volumes, Kenneth Cauthen thoroughly examines what he terms "the ethics of belief." Simply stated, Cauthen posits that ethics are a matter of the convictions that individuals and communities have about what is right and wrong, good and evil. He contrasts this with a more traditional view that morality is based upon principles that are universally valid and objectively true. Using a biological and historical approach, in Volume 1 Cauthen systematically develops a theory of Christian ethics based on what love (agape) and justice mean in contemporary society. He examines the interface between our complex civilization and some of the radical demands of the New Testament. Cauthen's ultimate goal is for readers to ask themselves, "How would Christ have us live in the 21st century?" In Volume 2, Cauthen spells out the implications of this ethical theory for a wide variety of contemporary topics. He takes forthright and controversial positions on a number of social and personal issues, including abortion, illegal drugs, prostitution, assisted suicide, capital punishment, church and state relations, religion and politics, democracy, poverty, health care, wealth and income distribution, affirmative action, and homosexuality. The Ethics Of Belief is a thought-provoking work that delves deeply into some of our world's most timely yet timeless issues. A nationally recognized authority on theology and ethics, Kenneth Cauthen is the John Price Crozer Griffith Emeritus Professor of Theology at Colgate-Rochester Divinity School/Crozer Theological Seminary. He is the author of several seminal works that have become standard texts, such as The Impact of American Religious Liberalism, which was selected for a special White House library on American history and culture. His CSS publications include the groundbreaking volumes The Many Faces Of Evil and The Ethics Of Assisted Death. Cauthen received his education from Mercer University (B.A.), Yale Divinity School (B.Div.), Emory University (M.A.), and Vanderbilt University (Ph.D.).

Is morality dependent upon belief in God? Is there more than one way for Christians to understand the nature of morality? Is there any agreement between Christians and atheists or agnostics on this heated issue? In God and Morality: Four Views four distinguished voices in moral philosophy ariticulate and defend their place in the current debate between naturalism and theism. Christian philosophers, Keith Yandell and Mark Linville and two self-identified atheist/agnostics, Evan Fales and Michael Ruse clearly and honestly represent their differing views on the nature of morality. Important differences as well as areas of overlap emerge as each contributor states their case, receives criticism from the others and responds. Of particular value for use as an academic text, these four essays and responses, covering the naturalist moral non-realist, naturalist moral realist, moral essentialist and moral particularist views, will foster critical thinking and contribute to the development of a well-informed position on this very important issue.

In this book, Paul K. Moser proposes a new approach to inquiry about God, including a new discipline of the ethics for inquiry about God. It is an ethics for human attitudes and relationships as well as actions in inquiry, and it includes human responsibility for seeking evidence that involves a moral priority for humans. Such ethics includes an ongoing test, a trial, for human receptivity to goodness, including morally good relationships, as a priority in human inquiry and life. Moser also defends an approach to the evidence for God that makes sense of the elusiveness and occasional absence of God in human experience. His book will be of interest to those interested in inquiry about God, with special relevance to scholars and advanced students in religious studies, philosophy, theology, and biblical studies.