God? A Debate between a Christian and an Atheist

This volume presents a structured philosophical debate between William Lane Craig, defending Christian theism, and Walter Sinnott-Armstrong, arguing for atheism. The work exemplifies the contemporary analytic approach to natural theology, employing rigorous logical argumentation while maintaining accessibility for educated general readers. The debate format allows each position to emerge through direct confrontation, with opening statements, rebuttals, and closing arguments that mirror formal academic disputations.

Craig advances a cumulative case for theism through four primary arguments. His cosmological argument draws on the kalam tradition, arguing that the universe's beginning requires a transcendent cause. He develops a moral argument contending that objective moral values and duties necessitate divine grounding, challenging naturalistic metaethics. Against the problem of evil, Craig employs a free will defense and argues for the compatibility of suffering with divine goodness. His argument from religious experience posits that widespread theistic experiences provide prima facie justification for belief in God, shifting the burden of proof to skeptics.

Sinnott-Armstrong counters each argument systematically, deploying tools from contemporary analytic philosophy. He challenges the cosmological argument's causal premises and its leap from first cause to personal deity. Against the moral argument, he defends secular foundations for ethics, arguing that moral objectivity does not require theistic grounding. He presses the problem of evil by focusing on gratuitous suffering and divine hiddenness, questioning whether theodicies adequately address the scope and distribution of evil. Regarding religious experience, he raises concerns about conflicting experiences across traditions and naturalistic explanations for religious phenomena.

The work contributes significantly to contemporary philosophy of religion by showcasing how traditional arguments function within current analytic methodology. Both authors engage seriously with recent philosophical literature while avoiding technical jargon that would exclude non-specialists. The debate format illuminates how theistic and atheistic positions develop through dialectical exchange rather than isolated treatises. This approach reveals points of genuine disagreement about metaphysical foundations, epistemic standards, and the interpretation of evidence. The volume demonstrates that the God question remains philosophically vital, with sophisticated defenders on multiple sides employing shared rational methods while reaching divergent conclusions. The work serves as both an introduction to central arguments and a model for how philosophical theology can proceed through respectful yet rigorous exchange.