The Metaphysics of God: Essays in Honor of Eleonore Stump

This edited collection explores central questions in philosophical theology through the lens of analytic metaphysics, honoring Eleonore Stump's influential contributions to the field. The volume assembles leading philosophers of religion to examine divine attributes, the relationship between God and creation, and methodological approaches to understanding divine reality. The essays collectively demonstrate how contemporary metaphysical analysis can illuminate traditional theological problems while respecting the mystery inherent in discourse about the divine.

The work's primary contribution lies in its sophisticated treatment of divine simplicity, eternality, and providence through rigorous philosophical argumentation. Several contributors engage directly with Stump's distinctive positions, particularly her defense of divine simplicity alongside personal divine attributes and her influential work on God's relationship to time. The volume advances debates about whether God exists timelessly or temporally, how divine knowledge relates to human freedom, and whether classical theistic attributes form a coherent conceptual framework.

Methodologically, the collection exemplifies the analytic tradition's commitment to clarity and logical precision while remaining sensitive to theological concerns. Contributors employ modal logic, contemporary metaphysics of properties and relations, and philosophy of mind to address perennial questions about divine nature. The essays frequently engage with medieval philosophy, especially Aquinas, reflecting Stump's own scholarly trajectory and demonstrating continuity between scholastic and contemporary philosophical theology.

The volume positions itself within ongoing debates between classical theists, who maintain traditional divine attributes like simplicity and immutability, and revisionist theologians who argue these attributes conflict with biblical portrayals of a personal, responsive God. Several essays defend sophisticated versions of classical theism against charges of incoherence, while others explore modified approaches that preserve divine transcendence without sacrificing divine responsiveness to creation.

This collection matters for contemporary philosophy of religion because it showcases how technical metaphysical analysis can deepen rather than diminish theological understanding. The contributors demonstrate that rigorous philosophical examination of divine attributes need not lead to reductionism or skepticism but can instead clarify conceptual options and reveal unexpected theoretical possibilities. For scholars working on divine attributes, the God-world relationship, or methodological questions in philosophical theology, this volume provides essential engagement with current debates while honoring the profound influence of Stump's pioneering work in bringing analytic precision to bear on theological questions.