Skeptical Theism

This essay collection examines skeptical theism as a significant response to evidential arguments from evil against God's existence. Stephen Wykstra, who coined the term "skeptical theism" in his influential 1984 paper, presents a comprehensive exploration of this philosophical position that has become central to contemporary philosophy of religion.

The work addresses the fundamental challenge posed by evidential arguments from evil, particularly those advanced by William Rowe and Paul Draper. These arguments claim that the existence of apparently gratuitous evils—sufferings that seem to serve no greater good—provides strong evidence against the existence of an omnipotent, omniscient, and morally perfect God. Wykstra's skeptical theism counters this reasoning by questioning our epistemic position regarding divine purposes.

The collection develops what Wykstra calls the "CORNEA principle" (Condition of Reasonable Epistemic Access), which states that we should not claim something appears to be the case unless we have reasonable grounds for believing we would likely detect it if it were present. Applied to the problem of evil, this principle suggests that given the vast cognitive distance between human and divine perspectives, we should not expect to discern God's reasons for permitting particular evils. The absence of discernible divine purposes therefore provides no evidence against God's existence.

Wykstra engages with various critics who argue that skeptical theism leads to problematic consequences, including moral skepticism and the inability to make ordinary moral judgments. The essays address whether skeptical theism undermines our ability to trust our moral faculties or make predictions about divine action. The collection also examines the relationship between skeptical theism and other theological commitments, particularly regarding divine hiddenness and religious experience.

The work situates skeptical theism within broader epistemological debates about the limits of human knowledge and the nature of evidence. Wykstra draws on analogies from parent-child relationships and scientific reasoning to illustrate why cognitive limitations need not lead to global skepticism. The collection demonstrates how skeptical theism has evolved from a focused response to the problem of evil into a comprehensive epistemological framework for understanding divine-human relations.

This collection represents a mature statement of skeptical theism by its primary architect, showing how this approach has developed through decades of philosophical exchange while maintaining its core insight about human epistemic limitations regarding divine purposes.