God-Talk Reconstructed An Introduction to Philosophy of God

includes index and biblioraphy

Chapter One Meaning and Reference of the Word `God` A. Meanings of Meaning 1. Meaning and reference 2. Indirect and direct reference 3. Significance of direct reference 16 B. Faith and Reason as two Modes of God-talk 18 1. Critique of reason as capable of reaching God 20 2. Between rigorous proofs and complete non-rationality 24 3. `Both -And`: modal language and model language 27 Chapter Two . Rationality for God`s Existence A. The Ontological Argument of Anselm 34 1. Anselm`s argument in brief ` 35 2. Argument in Proslogion II 36 3. Gannilo`s Liber pro insipiente 37, 4. Argument in Proslogion III 39 5. St. Thomas` critique of the ontological argument 41 6. Descartes` defence in the Meditations 42 7. Kant`s objections to the ontological argument 44 8. Hartshorne`s resolution 48 B. The Cosmological Arguments of Thomas Aquinas 52 1. Argument from the existence of motion 54 2. The phenomenon of motion/change 55 3 . Whatever is moved is moved by another 57 4. Impossibility of infinite series 59 {0 5. The `First Mover` exists aobOl` 60 6. And this everyone understands to be `God` 61 C. A Modern Version of the Cosmological Argument 63 1. Samuel Clark`s argument in brief 64 2. Explanation of Clarke`s argument 65 3. The first premise 67 4. The second premise 68 5. The principle of sufficient reason 71 D. The Teleological Argument of William Paley 73 "` 1. Paley`s argument in brief 74 2. Paley`s explanation of the argument 75 3. Some objections to Paley`s argument 4. Application of the argument 77 E. ` Chapter Three Challenges to the Existence of God A. Limiting the Subject: Theodicy 84 1. Positing the`problem of evil` B. Classical/Traditional Theodicy 89 1. Evil as privation of good 2. Free will defence theory 3. The principle of plenitude 4. The aesthetic view C. Process/Postmodern Theodicy 106 1. Logical considerations 108 a) St. Thomas Aquinas 108 b) Rene Descartes 109 c) Richard Swinburne 109 d) Logical conclusions 110 2. Metaphysical considerations 111 a) `To be is to be powerful` 112 b) Absolute power is self-destructive 114. c) `None greater can be conceived` 116 d) Metaphysics of freedom 118 3. Persuasive power of God 120 a) Critique of process conception 122 b) Redefining omnipotence of God 124 c) God as `empowering love` 127