Faith, Reason and The Existence o God

This monograph presents a sophisticated philosophical defense of rational theism through a distinctive synthesis of medieval scholastic theology and contemporary analytic philosophy. Turner argues that faith and reason, far from being opposed, form a complementary unity in establishing the rationality of belief in God. The work directly challenges the post-Enlightenment assumption that religious faith represents an irrational leap beyond the boundaries of philosophical argumentation.

Turner's central thesis maintains that the existence of God can be demonstrated through reason, though such demonstration requires a proper understanding of what rationality entails in theological contexts. Drawing heavily on Thomas Aquinas while engaging contemporary analytic philosophers, Turner develops a nuanced account of how cosmological reasoning functions within a broader cumulative case for theism. His approach differs from crude natural theology by acknowledging the limits of demonstrative proof while insisting that rational argumentation remains indispensable to mature faith.

The work critiques both fideistic approaches that abandon rational justification and scientistic positions that restrict reason to empirical methodology. Turner argues that modern atheism often misunderstands the classical theistic proofs by imposing anachronistic epistemological standards. He demonstrates how medieval thinkers like Aquinas operated with a richer conception of rationality that accommodated both philosophical argumentation and mystical experience without contradiction.

Methodologically, Turner employs careful conceptual analysis characteristic of analytic philosophy while maintaining sensitivity to historical context often absent in purely analytic treatments. His exposition of cosmological arguments avoids common misrepresentations, showing how such arguments function not as quasi-scientific hypotheses but as metaphysical demonstrations of necessary existence. The cumulative case Turner builds incorporates multiple converging lines of evidence, including the intelligibility of the universe, moral experience, and religious phenomenology.

The monograph's significance lies in its bridging of medieval and contemporary philosophy, offering a model for how traditional theistic arguments might be rehabilitated within current philosophical discourse. Turner challenges both religious believers who dismiss philosophical reasoning and secular philosophers who assume theistic proofs have been definitively refuted. By recovering neglected insights from scholastic tradition through analytic methods, the work contributes to ongoing debates about whether rational justification for theistic belief remains viable in contemporary intellectual culture.