The Blackwell Companion to Natural Theology

This substantial volume, edited by William Lane Craig with J.P. Moreland, assembles contemporary defenses of traditional arguments for God's existence, marking a significant contribution to the revival of natural theology within analytic philosophy. The collection brings together leading philosophers to present rigorous, technical treatments of classical theistic arguments, updated with the tools of contemporary logic, mathematics, and science.

The work opens with Craig and Moreland's programmatic introduction defending the project of natural theology against both theological critics (following Barth and Plantinga) and philosophical skeptics. Contributors then systematically develop major argument families. Alexander Pruss and Richard Gale offer a sophisticated modal cosmological argument, while Robert Maydole presents an ontological argument using modal logic. Robin Collins advances a detailed fine-tuning argument drawing on contemporary physics and Bayesian probability theory, calculating the epistemic force of cosmic fine-tuning for life. The design argument receives updated treatment through William Dembski's application of information theory and specified complexity. Mark Linville develops a moral argument connecting objective moral values to divine commands, while Craig contributes his signature defense of the kalām cosmological argument, engaging with contemporary cosmology and philosophy of time.

Each chapter exemplifies the analytic method: precise definitions, formal logical structures, careful engagement with objections, and integration of relevant empirical findings. The contributors consistently engage atheistic philosophers like Mackie, Sobel, Oppy, and Draper, addressing their specific criticisms with technical precision. The volume's strength lies in its comprehensive scope and philosophical rigor, presenting natural theology as a research program capable of sophisticated development rather than merely rehearsing traditional formulations.

The significance of this collection extends beyond individual arguments to demonstrate natural theology's vitality within contemporary philosophy of religion. By showing how classical arguments can be reformulated to address modern objections and incorporate scientific findings, the volume challenges the post-Enlightenment consensus that such arguments are philosophically defunct. While critics may question whether technical sophistication genuinely strengthens these arguments' persuasive force, the work succeeds in establishing natural theology as a serious philosophical enterprise deserving engagement rather than dismissal. The companion thus serves both as a reference work for scholars and as a manifesto for theistic philosophy's intellectual legitimacy in the analytic tradition.