Describing Gods

This monograph undertakes a systematic philosophical analysis of how gods are conceptualized and described across different religious and philosophical traditions. Oppy employs the tools of analytic philosophy to examine the various attributes, properties, and characteristics typically ascribed to divine beings, aiming to clarify the conceptual landscape surrounding theological discourse.

The work addresses a fundamental challenge in philosophy of religion: the lack of consensus on what exactly constitutes a god. Rather than advocating for or against any particular conception of divinity, Oppy maps the logical space of possible divine attributes and examines how different combinations of these attributes generate distinct concepts of god. He analyzes traditional omni-attributes (omnipotence, omniscience, omnibenevolence), relational properties (creator, sustainer, judge), and metaphysical characteristics (necessity, simplicity, eternality) to demonstrate the complexity and diversity of god-concepts.

A significant contribution of the text lies in its examination of conceptual tensions and incompatibilities between various divine attributes. Oppy explores how certain combinations of properties may be logically inconsistent or generate philosophical puzzles, such as the classic problems surrounding divine foreknowledge and human freedom, or the coherence of maximal greatness. This analysis helps illuminate why different religious traditions and philosophical schools arrive at divergent conceptions of the divine.

The monograph engages critically with both classical theistic philosophy and contemporary analytic philosophy of religion. Oppy examines arguments from figures ranging from Anselm and Aquinas to contemporary philosophers like Plantinga and Swinburne, showing how their different starting assumptions about divine attributes lead to distinct theological frameworks. He also addresses non-Western conceptions of divinity, demonstrating that the conceptual issues extend beyond the Abrahamic traditions.

By maintaining a strictly descriptive and analytical approach, the work provides a valuable resource for understanding the logical geography of god-concepts without presupposing any particular stance on divine existence. This methodological neutrality allows Oppy to identify both the strengths and weaknesses of various conceptual schemes for describing gods. The monograph thus serves as an important reference point for philosophers, theologians, and scholars of religion seeking clarity about the conceptual foundations of theological discourse, while demonstrating that careful philosophical analysis can illuminate religious concepts without necessarily endorsing or rejecting them.