Arts and Humanities Commons^™

Modern Day Teleology, Brianna Cunningham

Quaerens Deum: The Liberty Undergraduate Journal for Philosophy of Religion

This paper seeks to explain a modern day universe theory derived from Teleology, namely: Intelligent Design, under which Irreducible Complexity and Fine-Tuning fall. By virtue of being derivatives of Teleology, both of these maintain the idea that things are evolving toward a certain end for a certain purpose. Through detailed definitions and examples, it is clear that these theories support each other; the astounding specificity needed for life on earth virtually requires an Intelligent Designer. The paper then explores counter explanations for this seeming impossibility, such as the Anthropic Principle Objection, Unique Universe, and the Multiverse. Each of these theories, …

Is God The Necessary Being?, Bryce E. Hardy

Quaerens Deum: The Liberty Undergraduate Journal for Philosophy of Religion

This paper briefly presents and engages with four competing hypotheses as to the most plausible explanation for the beginning of the universe. After clarifying some terminology, I will first establish both scientific and philosophical reasons for accepting the notion of an absolute beginning over a past eternal universe. Next, I will interact with Lawrence Krauss’ two versions of “nothing” and speculation of a multiverse as possible suggestions for what that first cause might be. In response, I will demonstrate the logical inadequacy of this approach, and by extension all other non-metaphysical theories. Ultimately, I will determine that, due to the …

Behind The Veil: Mysticism And The Reply To Hiddenness In The Work Of Travis Dumsday, Catherine Mccrary

Quaerens Deum: The Liberty Undergraduate Journal for Philosophy of Religion

Ever since J. L. Schellenberg formulated his infamous atheistic argument from hiddenness in his 1993 book Divine Hiddenness and Human Reason, the problem of divine hiddenness--the question of why a good God would hide Himself, even from those actively seeking Him--has troubled theists. Schellenberg's argument from hiddenness has proven notoriously difficult for theists to answer, and perhaps this is why it is now second only to the problem of evil in popularity with atheists. While many theists have tried to find an adequate answer to the problem of hiddenness, and many have made good attempts, no response has been …

A Modern Look At Social Trinitarianism, Christopher T. Porter

Quaerens Deum: The Liberty Undergraduate Journal for Philosophy of Religion

This paper attempts to show through the modern literature that Social Trinitarianism (ST) is a more plausible explanation of the Trinity than Latin Trinitarianism (LT). It will look at ST's solution to Trinitarian procession and LT's likeness to modalism. It will focus on essays written in response to Keith Ward’s Christ and the Cosmos and shall offer a new way to speak of the Trinity through the combining of the methodology proposed by H. E. Barber and Richard Swinburne’s view of necessity and procession.

Can God Know What Time It Is? A Working Paper, Caleb Brown

Quaerens Deum: The Liberty Undergraduate Journal for Philosophy of Religion

Many thinkers hold the following five propositions are inconsistent:

1. The dynamic theory of time (McTaggart’s “A-theory”) is correct
2. God is atemporal
3. God knows tensed facts
4. Free human actions are possible
5. God interacts responsively with humans

This working paper uses the discussion in Four Views: God and Time as a starting-point and moves towards explaining how these propositions are consistent.

Al-Ghazali On Causation, Omnipotence, And Human Freedom, Christopher P. Garber

Quaerens Deum: The Liberty Undergraduate Journal for Philosophy of Religion

In his work entitled "On Power," famous Muslim philosopher al-Ghazali lays out his particular brand of occasionalism. Al-Ghazali views god as the ultimate cause for everything that is logically possible, including the acts of man. In this paper, al-Ghazali's occasionalism is fully fleshed out to reveal what appear to be his true views on both God and man's power (or lack thereof) and the implications of such views.

Untamed God Or Reckless Risk-Taker? A Reply To Hasker's Natural Order Theodicy, Nathan S. Justice

Quaerens Deum: The Liberty Undergraduate Journal for Philosophy of Religion

This paper argues that Molinism best rebuts the problem of natural evil when compared to the attempts of Open Theists, particularly William Hasker. The author begins by summarizing Hasker's own Natural Order Theodicy, and subsequently critiques it. He finds no issues with the proposed theodicy, but takes issue with Hasker's attempt to establish the coherence of Open Theism from this theodicy. He then explains the weaknesses of Open Theism's response to natural evil, and simultaneously argues for the strength of Molinism's response. He concludes that Open Theism leaves God as a reckless risk-taker, and therefore Molinism provides a better response …

Difficulties Of Simplicity, Cody M. Bradley

Quaerens Deum: The Liberty Undergraduate Journal for Philosophy of Religion

This paper attempts to show that the doctrine of divine simplicity suffers from difficulties which undermine its plausibility. The main difficulties explored are Plantinga’s problem of double identification, Pruss’ multiple attributes problem, and Schmitt’s co-specificity problem. In more recent years, defenders of the doctrine have offered a way out of these problems by interpreting it in light of a truthmaker account of predication. This paper analyzes this recent defense, among others, and attempts to show that this new interpretation of divine simplicity still has problems which undermine the plausibility of the doctrine.

A Review Of John Rists' "Augustine On Free Will And Predestination", Caleb H. A. Brown

Quaerens Deum: The Liberty Undergraduate Journal for Philosophy of Religion

In this paper I seek to summarize and critique John Rist’s article “Augustine on Free Will and Predestination.” Rist treats Augustine with honesty. When someone is as prominent, loved, and recognized as Augustine, when someone has as much authority as he does, the temptation to manipulate his writings into saying things which agree with one’s own position is strong. Rist resists this temptation, even concluding that Augustine holds a position on free will and predestination which Rist finds highly objectionable. But in his objections to Augustine’s position, Rist does not do justice to the whole system of Augustine’s thought. In …