This book provides a
detailed, updated exposition and defense of five of the historically most
important (but in recent years largely neglected) philosophical proofs of God’s
existence: the Aristotelian, the Neo-Platonic, the Augustinian, the Thomistic,
and the Rationalist.
It also offers a thorough
treatment of each of the key divine attributes—unity, simplicity, eternity,
omnipotence, omniscience, perfect goodness, and so forth—showing that they must
be possessed by the God whose existence is demonstrated by the proofs.
Finally, it answers at length all of the objections that have been leveled
against these proofs.
This work provides as
ambitious and complete a defense of traditional natural theology as is
currently in print. Its aim is to vindicate the view of the greatest
philosophers of the past— thinkers like Aristotle, Plotinus, Augustine,
Aquinas, Leibniz, and many others— that the existence of God can be established
with certainty by way of purely rational arguments. It thereby serves as
a refutation both of atheism and of the fideism that gives aid and comfort to
atheism. - from the back cover.
“Fideism is an
epistemological theory which maintains that faith is independent of reason, or
that reason and faith are hostile to each other, and faith is superior at
arriving at particular truths. The word fideism comes from fides, the Latin
word for faith, and literally means "faith-ism".
“Catholic doctrine rejects fideism.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church, representing Catholicism's great regard
for Thomism, the teachings of St. Thomas Aquinas, affirms that it is a Catholic
doctrine that God's existence can indeed be demonstrated by reason.” –
Wikipedia.
Wanted to get this for a long time. It promises to be a work that will involve a long and close reading. Feser has an engaging way of explaining philosophical arguments, though, and is a long way from the emotional "God said it, I believe it, and that settles it" mindset of Evangelical churches.
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