An Essay on Divine Authority

includes index and biblioraphy

WHAT DIVINE AUTHORITY IS Reasons and Practical Authority 8 Theses about Divine Authority 16 THE COMPLIANCE THESIS The Authority Thesis and the Compliance Thesis 20 The Argument for the Compliance Thesis 21 Implications of Speech-Acts and Sincerity 22 Commands and Decisive Reasons for Action 24 God`s Necessary Sincerity 29 DIVINE AUTHORITY AND DIVINE PERFECTION Divine Authority and Perfect-Being Theology 46 Omniscience 47 Moral Goodness 47 Omnipotence 48 Practical Authority as a Divine Perfection 58 DIVINE COMMAND METAETHICS AND THE AUTHORITY THESIS Moral Philosophy as a Route to the Authority Thesis Divine Command Metaethics (DCM) 71 Causal and Supervenience DCM Arguments for the Authority Thesis: Invalid 73 The Analysis DCM Argument for the Authority Thesis: Valid but Unsound 77 The Reduction DCM Argument for the Authority Thesis: Valid but Unsound 82 MORAL ARGUMENTS FOR THE AUTHORITY THESIS Moral Principles and Divine Authority 93 Justice 94 Property 94 Gratitude 104 Coordination 120 Obedience to God as an Independent Moral Principle 126 THE AUTHORITY THESIS AND ORTHODOX CHRISTIANITY The Stronger and Strong Authority Theses 131 The Practical Stance toward God Endorsed by Christianity 134 God`s Kingship over Israel 137 Is an Authority Thesis an Affirmation of Scripture (or Tradition)? 140 The Presumption against Belief in Authority Relationships 147 A SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM OF DIVINE AUTHORITY A More Modest Account of Divine Authority 151 Divine Authority, Loosely Speaking, Is Universal 152 Divine Authority, Strictly Speaking, Is Not Universal Divine Authority Arises through Submission 153 Submission to Divine Authority Is Reasonable 168 Christian Ethics and Divine Authority 175 Divine Authority Is Actual 187 WORKS CITED 189