Overview
Theism and Atheism: Opposing Arguments in Philosophy is a peer-reviewed, academic volume that has two separate editors in chief, with their respective editorial boards. The atheism side is led by Graham Oppy (Australian philosopher, Monash University). The theism side is led by Joseph W. Koterski, S.J. (American philosopher, Fordham University) and includes Christian, Jewish, and Muslim philosophers.
The two editorial boards worked together to identify twenty key topics in philosophical debates regarding arguments for and against the existence of God (e.g., Religious Experience, Miracles, Our Universe, Human Beings, Science and Religion, etc.). The single volume is split into forty total topics. The format is such that an author taking the side of theism, for example, composes a chapter on a topic, followed by an atheism author covering the same topic.
The title presents complex philosophical counter perspectives in a lucid manner. It grapples with issues that have occupied philosophers for more than two millennia. These include the sufficiency/insufficiency of an empirical explanation for the existence of the universe; the capacity/incapacity of the empirical sciences to draw conclusions about a possible infinite being; the validity/invalidity of philosophical arguments regarding the existence of an infinite being; various notions of infinity; the "problem of evil," and so on.
Features & Benefits
- Introduces complex philosophical concepts from atheistic and theistic perspectives.
- Uses a dual editorial board: one board devoted to the atheistic perspective and the other to the theistic perspective.
- Each side (atheist and theist) debates the same set of 20 topics.
- Peer-reviewed signed chapters are written by eminent scholars. Includes key concepts, brief overviews, bibliographies of works cited and suggestions for further reading, and an index.
- Uses extensive academic research.
