Faith and Rationality
Reason and Belief in God
Published on 30. June 1984
Book
Paperback/Softback
328 pages
978-0-268-00965-6 (ISBN)
Description
Arguments about the "evidences of Christianity" have consumed the talents of believers and agnostics. These arguments have tried to give-or to deny-Christian belief a "foundation." Belief is rational, the argument goes, only if it is logically derived from axiomatic truths or is otherwise supported by "enough evidence."
Arguments for belief generally fail to sway the unconvinced. But is this because the evidence is flimsy and the arguments weak-or because they attempt to give the right answer to the wrong question? What, after all, would satisfy Russell's all for evidence?
Faith and Rationality investigates the rich implications of what the authors call "Calvinistic" or "Reformed epistemology." This is the view of knowledge-enunciated by Calvin, further developed by Barth-that sees belief in God as its own foundation; in the authors' terms, is it properly "basic" in itself.
Arguments for belief generally fail to sway the unconvinced. But is this because the evidence is flimsy and the arguments weak-or because they attempt to give the right answer to the wrong question? What, after all, would satisfy Russell's all for evidence?
Faith and Rationality investigates the rich implications of what the authors call "Calvinistic" or "Reformed epistemology." This is the view of knowledge-enunciated by Calvin, further developed by Barth-that sees belief in God as its own foundation; in the authors' terms, is it properly "basic" in itself.
Reviews / Votes
"Faith and Rationality is an impressive and original contribution to the epistemology of religious belief and to general epistemology. [T]hese essays revolve around several common themes: first and perhaps foremost, there is the rejection of classical foundationalism ... a second and closely related theme concerns the evidentialist challenge to religious belief ... and thirdly, we find a position Plantinga and Wolterstorff dub Calvinist epistemology or Reformed epistemology." -Nous"This volume, which represents the best philosophical theology being done today, is a fascinating step in a largely unrecognized dialogue between Reformed and Roman Catholic philosophers." -New Oxford Review
". . . an important new approach to the philosophy of religion. . . . The contributors are sophisticated and able." -The Journal of Philosophy
"The essays are exceptionally well written, clear, and stimulating. They explicate what it means to be rational in general and to hold a rational belief in particular. For those interested in the vexing but crucial issues of how reason relates to faith, this is a probative and illuminating study." -Theological Studies
"This is an important book by members of what can be loosely called the school of contemporary Calvinist philosophers of religion. It is worthy of study by everyone concerned with the epistemology of religion." -The Journal of Religion
"This compilation of perceptive and in-depth essays . . . examines the epistemological topic of the rationality of Christian belief. These particular essays take a problematic approach in their criticism of contemporary analytic objections of theistic belief, and in the process make a contribution to general epistemology." -Faith & Reason
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Notre Dame IN
United States
Target group
College/higher education
Professional and scholarly
Dimensions
Height: 229 mm
Width: 152 mm
Thickness: 20 mm
Weight
537 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-268-00965-6 (9780268009656)
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Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
E-Book
10/2020
1st Edition
University of Notre Dame Press
€52.99
Available for download
Persons
Alvin Plantinga is Professor Emeritus of Philosophy and former director of the Center for Philosophy of Religion at the University of Notre Dame. He is the author of several books, including Where the Conflict Really Lies: Science, Religion, and Naturalism.
Nicholas Wolterstorff is Noah Porter Emeritus Professor of Philosophical Theology in the Divinity School at Yale University. He is the author of several books, including Justice: Rights and Wrongs and Justice in Love.
Nicholas Wolterstorff is Noah Porter Emeritus Professor of Philosophical Theology in the Divinity School at Yale University. He is the author of several books, including Justice: Rights and Wrongs and Justice in Love.