The Greater-good Defence

The Greater-good Defence PDF

Author: Melville Y. Stewart

Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan

Published: 1993-01-01

Total Pages: 202

ISBN-13: 9780312080952

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Several defences, viewed in this study as specifications or 'offspring' of the 'parent' greater-good defence, have been formulated in response to the charge that Christianity is untenable because God's existence is incompatible with evil's existence. In this first book-length study of the parent defence, Stewart begins with careful definitions of the omni-attributes central to the dispute: omnipotence, omniscience, omnibenevolence. The parent defence is traced to tenets of theism and variant accounts of the defence considered. Plantinga's modal free-will defence and Hick's and Yandell's soul-growth specifications are carefully analyzed and several difficulties resolved. An original formulation of a redemption specification and an original account of the origin of moral evil are offered. Stewart argues that the defences are rightly viewed as a family of defences falling under the greater-good heading, and that they comprise a complementary apologetic complex that refutes the claim of inconsistency.

Maximal God

Maximal God PDF

Author: Yujin Nagasawa

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Published: 2017

Total Pages: 242

ISBN-13: 0198758685

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Yujin Nagasawa presents a new, stronger version of perfect being theism, the conception of God as the greatest possible being. Although perfect being theism is the most common form of monotheism in the Judeo-Christian-Islamic tradition its truth has been disputed by philosophers and theologians for centuries. Nagasawa proposes a new, game-changing defence of perfect being theism by developing what he calls the 'maximal concept of God'. Perfect being theists typically maintain that God is an omniscient, omnipotent, and omnibenevolent being; according to Nagasawa, God should be understood rather as a being that has the maximal consistent set of knowledge, power, and benevolence. Nagasawa argues that once we accept the maximal concept we can establish perfect being theism on two grounds. First, we can refute nearly all existing arguments against perfect being theism simultaneously. Second, we can construct a novel, strengthened version of the modal ontological argument for perfect being theism. Nagasawa concludes that the maximal concept grants us a unified defence of perfect being theism that is highly effective and economical.

Wandering in Darkness

Wandering in Darkness PDF

Author: Eleonore Stump

Publisher: OUP Oxford

Published: 2012-09-13

Total Pages: 688

ISBN-13: 0191056316

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Only the most naïve or tendentious among us would deny the extent and intensity of suffering in the world. Can one hold, consistently with the common view of suffering in the world, that there is an omniscient, omnipotent, perfectly good God? This book argues that one can. Wandering in Darkness first presents the moral psychology and value theory within which one typical traditional theodicy, namely, that of Thomas Aquinas, is embedded. It explicates Aquinas's account of the good for human beings, including the nature of love and union among persons. Eleonore Stump also makes use of developments in neurobiology and developmental psychology to illuminate the nature of such union. Stump then turns to an examination of narratives. In a methodological section focused on epistemological issues, the book uses recent research involving autism spectrum disorder to argue that some philosophical problems are best considered in the context of narratives. Using the methodology argued for, the book gives detailed, innovative exegeses of the stories of Job, Samson, Abraham and Isaac, and Mary of Bethany. In the context of these stories and against the backdrop of Aquinas's other views, Stump presents Aquinas's own theodicy, and shows that Aquinas's theodicy gives a powerful explanation for God's allowing suffering. She concludes by arguing that this explanation constitutes a consistent and cogent defense for the problem of suffering.

The Redeemed Good Defense

The Redeemed Good Defense PDF

Author: Anthony MacPherson

Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers

Published: 2021-07-06

Total Pages: 240

ISBN-13: 1666709824

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“Why God?” Everyday this question is uttered in sorrow, bewilderment, or anger. This cry is the problem of suffering. It is also known as the problem of evil. It asks why a good, all-powerful God allows evil and pain. Theodicy is the name of the theological responses that seek to defend God against charges of unfairness. Traditional theodicies have been accused of intensifying the problem by claiming that God is justified in allowing evil because he uses it to bring about a greater good. This greater-good approach has been criticized in more recent times. It seems to uncomfortably align God and evil too closely together. Does God need evil in order to bring good? This study explores an alternative stream of theodicy found in the idea of cosmic warfare. In this theodicy God fights evil in its moral, physical, spiritual, and supernatural forms. This book explores the world of theodicy and its cosmic warfare forms. It navigates the theological and ethical minefields involved. Building on the idea that God is in the midst of a great cosmic controversy, it seeks to further the conversation and articulates a new alternative “redeemed good defense.”

The Greater Good

The Greater Good PDF

Author: Tim Ayliffe

Publisher:

Published: 2020-02

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9781925640939

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SET TO BE ADAPTED FOR THE SCREEN. Like Michael Connelly''s Bosch, John Bailey will risk everything to get to the truth - and expose a deadly enemy. There''s nothing more dangerous than a man who can fall no further ... ''Ayliffe delivers a taut, nail-biting page-turner, stamping his mark on the modern day Australian thriller.'' Better Reading He had never killed anyone who hadn''t deserved it. The means always justified the end. He didn''t need forgiveness. He needed justification. The greater good. Battered war correspondent John Bailey is a man living on the edge. He''s haunted by nightmares of being kidnapped and tortured in Iraq and he''s drinking too much to drown the memories. As he battles to get his life back together, a story breaks that will force him back into the spotlight - and into the crosshairs of a deadly international player. When a beautiful prostitute is found murdered in her luxury apartment, Bailey is ordered to cover the story by The Journal''s editor and his old friend, Gerald Summers, because he can''t trust anyone else. One of the victim''s clients, a key advisor to the Defence Minister, is chief suspect in her murder and he''s on the run. When he contacts Bailey, claiming to have information that will bring down the government, the stakes become deadly. To complicate matters, the investigating police detective is the woman Bailey walked out on a decade ago. When a ruthless CIA fixer turns up, followed by a murderous Chinese agent hot on his trail, Bailey realises he has stumbled onto the story of a lifetime - one that he may not live to tell. The brilliant first book in Tim Ayliffe''s bestselling John Bailey series. Bailey''s adventures in The Greater Good, State of Fear and The Enemy Within will be adapted for the screen by CJZ Productions, Australia''s largest independently owned production company. Praise for The Greater Good ''A brilliantly written character starring in cracking crime thriller'' Herald Sun ''A fun and exhilarating political crime thriller that is guaranteed to electrify and entertain in good measure.''​ The Unseen Library ''Readers will not fail to enjoy the ride from start to finish.'' Good Reading ''A crime thriller with the lot: murder, deceit, corruption and a hint of romance ... Ayliffe takes you deep inside the worlds of politics and the media, with a heavy dose of international intrigue thrown in.'' Michael Rowland Ayliffe delivers a taut, nail-biting page-turner, stamping his mark on the modern day Australian thriller.'' Better Reading ''If Rake were a journalist, with a talent that equals his capacity to survive being beaten up, Bailey would be him.'' Julia Baird ''An absolute cracker of a thriller.'' Chris Uhlmann Praise for State of Fear ''Another brilliantly crafted thriller from Ayliffe that fits perfectly in today''s worrying world ... Verdict: Get this guy on TV'' Herald Sun Praise for Enemy Within ''A breathlessly written book, ripped from today''s headlines, this is a cracking read that blurs the line between fact and fiction. More please.'' Michael Robotham ''A cracking yarn told at breakneck speed. I couldn''t put it down.'' Chris Hammer ''Sharp, gritty, sophisticated. Ayliffe''s criminal world is terrifyingly real.'' Candice Fox

The Problem of Evil

The Problem of Evil PDF

Author: Peter van Inwagen

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Published: 2008-04-17

Total Pages: 199

ISBN-13: 0199543976

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The vast amount of suffering in the world is often held as a particularly powerful reason to deny that God exists. Highly accessible and carefully argued, Peter van Inwagen's book maintains that such reasoning does not hold, and that suffering should not undermine belief in God.

In Defense of the Bible

In Defense of the Bible PDF

Author: Steven B. Cowan

Publisher: B&H Publishing Group

Published: 2013

Total Pages: 508

ISBN-13: 1433676788

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Noted scholars (William A. Dembski, Darrell L. Bock, etc.) address and respond to all major contemporary challenges (philosophical, historical, ethical, scientific, etc.) to the divine inspiration and authority of the Bible.

Defining Sport

Defining Sport PDF

Author: Shawn E. Klein

Publisher: Lexington Books

Published: 2016-12-14

Total Pages: 279

ISBN-13: 1498511589

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Defining Sport: Conceptions and Borderlines is not about the variations of usage of the term “sport.” It is about the concept, the range of activities in the world that we unite into one idea—sport. It is through the project of defining sport that we can come to understand these activities better, how they are similar or different, and how they relate to other human endeavors. This definitional inquiry, and the deeper appreciation and apprehension of sport that follows, is the core of this volume. Part I examines several of the standard and influential approaches to defining sport. Part II uses these approaches to examine various challenging borderline cases. These chapters examine the interplay of the borderline cases with the definition and provide a more thorough and clearer understanding of both the definition and the given cases. This work is not meant to be the definitive or exhaustive account of sport. It is meant to inspire further thought and debate on just what sport is; how it relates to other activities and human endeavors; and what we can learn about ourselves through the study of sport. This book will be of interest to scholars in philosophy of sport, history, communications, sociology, psychology, sports management, cultural studies, and physical education.

Pain, Pleasure, and the Greater Good

Pain, Pleasure, and the Greater Good PDF

Author: Cathy Gere

Publisher: University of Chicago Press

Published: 2017-10-19

Total Pages: 301

ISBN-13: 022650185X

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"Contents "--"Introduction: Diving into the Wreck" -- "1. Trial of the Archangels" -- "2. Epicurus at the Scaffold" -- "3. Nasty, British, and Short" -- "4. The Monkey in the Panopticon" -- "5. In Which We Wonder Who Is Crazy" -- "6. Epicurus Unchained" -- "Afterword: The Restoration of the Monarchy" -- "Notes" -- "Bibliography