Evidence and Faith: Philosophy and Religion since the Seventeenth Century

Charles Taliaferro's Evidence and Faith examines the complex relationship between philosophical reasoning and religious belief from the seventeenth century to the present, offering a comprehensive account of how modern philosophy has engaged with questions about God, faith, and religious knowledge. The work traces the evolution of debates concerning the rationality of religious belief through major philosophical movements, demonstrating how changing conceptions of evidence, reason, and experience have shaped discussions about God's existence and nature.

Taliaferro begins with the early modern period, analyzing how figures like Descartes, Locke, and Hume established frameworks that would define subsequent philosophical approaches to religion. He shows how the Enlightenment's emphasis on empirical evidence and rational demonstration created new challenges for traditional theistic arguments while also generating novel defenses of religious belief. The author carefully examines the emergence of natural theology alongside critiques from skeptical philosophy, revealing how both traditions shaped contemporary debates about God.

The work's central contribution lies in its balanced treatment of the evidentialist challenge to religious faith and various philosophical responses to it. Taliaferro explores how philosophers have navigated between fideism and rationalism, examining attempts to ground religious belief in experience, moral awareness, and practical reason. He engages with classical arguments for God's existence while also considering Reformed epistemology, religious experience arguments, and pragmatist approaches to faith. The analysis extends to twentieth-century developments, including logical positivism's challenge to religious language and subsequent rehabilitations of theological discourse.

Taliaferro's methodology combines historical exposition with philosophical analysis, situating arguments within their intellectual contexts while evaluating their contemporary relevance. He addresses how scientific developments, particularly in cosmology and evolutionary theory, have influenced philosophical discussions about God. The work also examines the problem of evil, religious diversity, and feminist critiques of traditional philosophical theology.

The monograph serves as both a historical survey and a philosophical meditation on the perennial question of faith's relationship to reason. Taliaferro demonstrates that while the terms of debate have evolved significantly since the seventeenth century, fundamental questions about evidence, rationality, and religious commitment remain philosophically vital. His work illuminates how modern philosophy's engagement with religion has produced increasingly sophisticated understandings of both faith and reason, challenging simplistic oppositions between them while acknowledging genuine tensions that persist in contemporary thought.