9780847687633
God and Inscrutable Evil: In Defense of Theism and Atheism share button
David O'Connor
Genre Christianity
Format Other Format
Dimensions 6.24 (w) x 9.28 (h) x 0.88 (d)
Pages 288
Publisher Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication Date December 1997
ISBN 9780847687633
Book ISBN 10 0847687635
About Book

In this important new book, David O'Connor discusses both logical and empirical forms of the problem of inscrutable evil, perennially the most difficult philosophical problem confronting theism. Arguing that both a version of theism ("friendly theism") and a version of atheism ("friendly atheism") are justified on the evidence in the debate over God and evil, O'Connor concludes that a warranted outcome is a philosophical dètente between those two positions. On the way to that conclusion he develops two arguments from evil, a reformed version of the logical argument and an indirect version of the empirical argument, and deploys both against a central formulation of theism that he describes as orthodox theism. God and Inscrutable Evil makes a valuable contribution to contemporary debates in the philosophy of religion.

Reviews

Theological Studies

[A] careful . . . analysis of the challenge that the existence of evil presents to 'orthodox theism' . . . a remarkable amount of material in compressed format, something that will well serve readers.
— T. Michael McNulty, S.J., Marquette University, Milwaukee

Perspectives On Science and Christian Faith

This book will appeal to anyone who has ever asked why there seems to be so much unnecessary evil and suffering in the world.

The Journal of Religion

. . . excellent work . . . chock-full of original, creative analyses and arguments.
— Del Kiernan-Lewis, Morehouse College

Mind

This book is an substantial contribution to contemporary discussion of the evidential force of the fact of evil and the rationality of beleiving in God.

Philosophical Review

O'Connor should be praised for forcefully bringing to our attention the centrality of the standard assumption in the debate over God and evil.