Two Dozen (or so) Arguments for God

This edited volume brings together leading analytic philosophers to present and defend a comprehensive array of theistic arguments, representing one of the most substantial recent contributions to natural theology within the Christian analytic tradition. Walls assembles contributions that span the classical argument families while also introducing several innovative approaches to demonstrating God's existence.

The collection opens with cosmological arguments, including contemporary formulations of the contingency argument and the kalam cosmological argument. Contributors employ modal logic and recent developments in cosmology to strengthen these traditional approaches, addressing standard objections about infinite regresses and necessary existence. The ontological arguments section features both defenses of Anselmian formulations and newer modal versions, with particular attention to questions of conceivability and possibility.

Design arguments receive extensive treatment, moving beyond simple analogies to incorporate fine-tuning arguments from physics and cosmology. Several contributors engage with multiverse objections and anthropic principle debates, demonstrating how recent scientific discoveries can be marshaled in support of theistic conclusions. The moral arguments section explores both metaethical foundations and normative implications, with contributors arguing that objective moral values and duties require divine grounding.

Arguments from religious experience occupy a significant portion of the volume, with sophisticated treatments of both individual mystical experiences and cumulative case approaches. Contributors address epistemic questions about the evidential value of religious experience while engaging with naturalistic explanations from psychology and neuroscience.

What distinguishes this collection is its methodological rigor and comprehensive scope. Each argument receives both sympathetic development and critical scrutiny, with contributors acknowledging weaknesses while demonstrating the cumulative force of multiple converging arguments. The volume engages seriously with atheistic philosophers like Mackie, Sobel, and Oppy, showing how contemporary theistic philosophy has evolved in response to their critiques.

The work's significance lies not merely in defending individual arguments but in presenting natural theology as a vibrant research program within analytic philosophy. By gathering diverse approaches under one cover, Walls demonstrates that theistic philosophy continues to generate new insights and sophisticated arguments. The volume serves both as a state-of-the-art survey for scholars and as evidence that rational argumentation for God's existence remains intellectually viable in contemporary philosophy.