Theism and Atheism: Opposing Arguments in Philosophy

This unique reference tackles the philosophy of theism and atheism. Each of the 20 topics (e.g., miracles, faith, the problem of suffering) is treated first from the theistic and then the atheistic viewpoint; separate editorial boards were responsible for each perspective. Oppy (philosophy, Monash Univ.) headed up the atheism side, while Koterski (philosophy, Fordham Univ.) led the theism side. Both groups examine a wide variety of examples and make philosophy understandable to interested readers. Both theists and atheists offer expansive overviews of the topics from their viewpoint and include bibliographies for further reference. As stand-alone essays, the opposing sides offer arguments that sometimes go unaddressed by the opposing team—not necessarily a drawback, given the nature of the text. For instance, the essay on revelation from the atheistic side explore the Christian viewpoint while the theistic contributor also discussed Islam, Judaism, and Hinduism. Some essays were written by individual scholars; others were penned by a group—this rich variety provides balance and a breadth of perspective on the issues.