Monotheism and the Meaning of Life

This monograph examines the relationship between monotheistic belief and questions of life's meaning, arguing that theism provides unique resources for addressing existential concerns that secular frameworks cannot match. Mawson develops a philosophical case for how belief in God grounds objective meaning in human existence, while engaging critically with naturalistic alternatives that attempt to locate meaning without reference to the divine.

The work proceeds through careful conceptual analysis, distinguishing between subjective feelings of meaningfulness and objective meaning itself. Mawson contends that while atheistic worldviews can account for subjective experiences of purpose, they ultimately fail to ground genuine objective meaning. He argues that without God, human projects and values float free from any ultimate foundation, reducing to mere preferences or evolutionary byproducts. The author systematically addresses counterarguments from secular existentialists and naturalistic philosophers who claim that meaning emerges from human agency, relationships, or moral values independent of divine grounding.

Central to Mawson's argument is the claim that monotheism uniquely satisfies three necessary conditions for meaningful life: cosmic significance, objective value, and ultimate purpose. He maintains that only a personal, omniscient, and benevolent God can guarantee that human lives matter in an ultimate sense, that moral values have genuine objectivity, and that existence moves toward a meaningful telos. The work engages extensively with contemporary analytic philosophy of religion, drawing on perfect being theology to show how classical divine attributes necessarily connect to questions of human meaning.

The monograph situates itself within current debates between religious and secular approaches to meaning, responding particularly to naturalistic philosophers who argue for meaning without God. Mawson acknowledges that atheists can live subjectively meaningful lives but insists this falls short of addressing deeper metaphysical questions about objective meaning. His methodology combines rigorous philosophical argumentation with sensitivity to lived existential concerns, bridging academic philosophy of religion with practical questions of human flourishing.

The work contributes to philosophical theology by providing a sustained defense of theistic approaches to life's meaning against prominent secular alternatives. While granting that non-theistic lives can contain value and purpose in limited senses, Mawson maintains that only monotheism adequately addresses the human need for ultimate, objective meaning. This position challenges both religious believers to think more deeply about meaning's foundations and skeptics to confront the existential implications of naturalism.