Building Belief: Constructing Faith from the Ground Up

This monograph presents a systematic defense of Christian theism through a cumulative case approach, arguing that belief in God and specifically Christian faith can be rationally constructed from foundational arguments. Meister develops his case by building successive layers of argumentation, beginning with natural theology and progressing through revealed theology to a defense of core Christian doctrines.

The work opens by establishing the rationality of theistic belief through classical arguments from natural theology, including cosmological, teleological, and moral arguments for God's existence. Meister examines each argument not as a decisive proof but as a contributing element in a broader cumulative case. He engages contemporary objections from naturalistic philosophers while drawing on recent developments in philosophy of religion, particularly in design arguments informed by fine-tuning considerations and information theory.

Moving beyond generic theism, Meister addresses the problem of religious diversity by arguing for criteria to evaluate competing religious claims. He contends that Christianity possesses unique explanatory power regarding human nature, moral experience, and historical evidence. The resurrection of Jesus receives particular attention as a historically investigable claim that, if substantiated, provides warrant for specifically Christian belief.

The author engages seriously with defeaters to religious belief, including the problem of evil and divine hiddenness. Rather than dismissing these challenges, Meister incorporates responses to them as integral components of his constructive project. He argues that Christianity provides resources for addressing these difficulties that strengthen rather than undermine the overall case for faith.

Methodologically, Meister employs an accessible yet philosophically rigorous approach, drawing on analytic philosophy of religion while remaining attentive to the existential dimensions of religious belief. His cumulative case method reflects influences from Richard Swinburne and William Lane Craig, though he develops his own distinctive synthesis.

The monograph contributes to contemporary philosophy of religion by demonstrating how rational belief formation can proceed from minimal theistic commitments to robust Christian faith. Unlike presuppositionalist approaches, Meister's evidentialist methodology engages skeptical interlocutors on shared rational ground. His work serves both as an introduction to Christian philosophical theology and as a substantive contribution to debates about religious epistemology, particularly regarding how beliefs about God can be rationally acquired, developed, and defended in pluralistic contexts.