No other work has made a more powerful case for the probability of the existence of god. Thursday, 21 november 2019 at blackwells bookshop, oxford, england. I began my academic life at the university of oxford, with undergraduate 19547 and graduate 19579 degrees in philosophy and then a diploma in theology 195960. Richard swinburne, the existence of god, and principle p. The existence of god by richard swinburne 20040603 richard swinburne on. Jun 30, 2009 swinburne relies on principle p in the existence of god to argue that god is simple and thus likely to exist. To swinburnes credit, he largely avoids christian doctrine and argues at a more fundamental level for the existence of god. What did the author intend by naming his book the existence of god. The existence of god richard swinburne university of oxford.
Why god allows evil richard swinburne richard swinburne is the nolloth professor of philosophy of the christian religion at the univeristy of oxford. The orderliness of the universe and the existence of human beings already provides some reason for believing that there is a god as argued in richard swinburnes earlier book is there a god. Richard swinburne short intellectual autobiography. Swinburne s basic idea is that, since no one has succeeded in producing an argument for or against the existence of god whose inferences are clearly valid and whose premisses are generally accepted as true by those whom the argument is intended to convince, it is reasonable to turn to weaker, inductive arguments to see whether there is. The picture of the universe that science gives us iscompleted by god. It is a virtue of clear writing that you can see what is wrong with a book as well as what is right. Richard swinburne presents a substantially rewritten and updated edition of his most celebrated book. Richard swinburne books list of books by author richard. Swinburne now claims that it is probable that the main christian doctrines about the nature of god and his actions in the world are true. Most, if not all, of the arguments are not new and they have all been refuted in substance.
West, of the first millennium had their paragraph or two summarising an argument to god from the existence or. The existence of god by richard swinburne 20040603. This book is based on the authors wilde lectures delivered in the university of oxford in 19767. This new, updated edition of richard swinburnes popular introductory book is there a god. In this paper, i argue that swinburne does not support p. Swinburne is a christian apologist someone who sets out to defend the christian religions ideas. Professor swinburne uses the methods of scientific reasoning to argue that the best answers to these questions are given by the existence of god. The existence of god kindle edition by richard swinburne. Books by richard swinburne author of is there a god. With this book swinburne has made an excellent and important contribution to the philosophy of religion. In his the existence of god, swinburne aims at showing that the existence of god is more probable than not. There is a god antony flew ebook harpercollins publishers. Over the last 50 years swinburne has been a very influential proponent of natural theology, that is, philosophical arguments for the existence of god.
See all books authored by richard swinburne, including is there a god. He was nolloth professor of the philosophy of the christian religion at the university of oxford from 1985 to 2002 and is currently emeritus nolloth professor of the philosophy of the christian religion. It forms part of a trilogy which began with the coherence of theism clarendon press, 1977, reissued in paperback, 1986 and was completed by faith and reason clarendon press, 1981, reissued inpaperback, 1983, but it does not in any way presuppose knowledge of the earlier work. Given the central role p plays in swinburnes overall argument in the existence of god, i conclude that swinburne should. His philosophical contributions are primarily in philosophy of religion and philosophy of science. An analysis of richard swinburnes the existence of god. Or, as noted philosopher of science and religion richard swinburne puts forth, can the very same criteria which scientists use to reach theories about everything from dna to the big bang be used to argue for the existence of god. Swinburne presents a powerful and approachable case for the existence of god. Richard swinburne, the existence of god philpapers. Sep 05, 2009 the existence of god 2nd edition by richard swinburne is an impressive and significant philosophical work on the existence of god. The existence of god by richard swinburne librarything. Review by richard dawkins, for the sunday times1 of richard. Jan 29, 2011 second, swinburnes view of god differs in that he believes gods existence is contingent, not necessary he does believe that god is necessary in the sense that his existence does not ceasethe necessitycontingence is the difference between modern and aristotelian contingencythanks to tim mcgrew and chris reese for pointing this out.
Richard swinburne has 34 books on goodreads with 4002 ratings. There is a god antony flew paperback harpercollins publishers. Revised edition 2010 paperback, 144 pages i have not used this edition. Swinburnes premise is to weigh the evidence for and against theism and determine which way the balance falls. The existence of god by richard swinburne, 1991 online. Richard swinburne, one of the most distinguished philosophers of religion of our. Richard swinburnes most popular book is is there a god. Mar 30, 2017 professor richard swinburne university of oxford speaks at the philosophy society lecture series, 10th march 2016. Jun 03, 2004 richard swinburne makes a cumulative argument in the existence of god, claiming that given considerations like the existence and finetuning of the universe, objective morality, consciousness, religious experiences and miracles, god is the best explanation for what we observe in the world. In particular, his arguments from mathematical simplicity and scientists preferences both fail. Review by richard dawkins, for the sunday times1 of. He also writes about religious experience and science. His existence is therefore going to need a modicum of.
Swinburnes argument from religious experience 1994 richard gale the following article was originally published in reason and the christian religion, ed. Swinburne, in the space of 125 pages, manages to sum up many of his books in easy to comprehend, interesting, and thoughtful bits of. These arguments seem to me to have a common pattern. Swinburne gives a rigorous and penetrating analysis of the most important arguments for theism. The debate between science and religion over the existence of a higher power often leads to little more than a shouting match. Project muse the existence of god by richard swinburne. It is most improbable that all this evidence would exist if there was no god. Swinburne, the justification of theism truth journal, leadership university website, 2002, and the brief biography of richard swinburne prepared for the origin of the laws of nature and the existence of god panel discussion sponsored by the john templeton foundation, respectively.
Richard swinburne is formerly nolloth professor of the philosophy of the christian religion, university of oxford. He has written many technical works of religious philosophy over the last 50 years but also some popular philosophy aimed at the general reader. The existence of god richard swinburne why believe that there is a god at all. Following a great christian tradition going back to the early apologists themselves, richard swinburne, in was jesus god. More recently richard swinburne, nolloth professor of the philosophy of the. Oxford university press, paperback edition 1997 144 pages. This is an argument taking into consideration the premises of all traditional arguments for the existence of god.
We become so emotionally invested in our personal opinions of whether or not god exists that when presented with dissenting points of view, all civility is thrown out the window and the opportunity for civil discourse is lost. The orderliness of the universe and the existence of human beings already provides some reason for believing that there is a god as argued in richard swinburne s earlier book is there a god. The existence of god 2nd edition by richard swinburne is an impressive and significant philosophical work on the existence of god. Features new sections on how the existence of god explains the universe, drawing on ideas from physics about multiple universes. Richard swinburne is a fellow of the british academy. This new, updated edition of richard swinburne s popular introductory book is there a god.
Over the last 50 years swinburne has been an influential proponent of philosophical arguments for the existence of god. Richard swinburne, nolloth professor of the philosophy of the christian religion at oxford, has been arguing for the existence of god since the appearance of his book the coherence of theism in 1977. This essay discusses and criticizes richard swinburnes inductive argument for the existence of god. During my period as an undergraduate i developed my abiding interest in all the central problems of philosophy, and especially in the issue of whether there is adequate. Richard swinburne makes a cumulative argument in the existence of god, claiming that given considerations like the existence and finetuning of the universe, objective morality, consciousness, religious experiences and miracles, god is the best explanation for what we observe in the world. You can also see where he is going to, and there is something almost. Gods existence philosophers have looked for ways to explain gods existence for centuries. Richard swinburnes inductive argument for the existence of. Swinburne is an emeritus professor of philosophy at the university of oxford.
Taken together therefore all this evidence makes it probable that there is a god. The argumentation in this book is complicated and i would not recommend it as the first book to read if you are looking to understand some of the intellectual arguments for god. The existence of god by richard swinburne richard swinburne presents a substantially rewritten and updated edition of his most celebrated book. Evidence for god richard swinburne emeritus professor of philosophy at the university of oxford christian evidence society. Professor richard swinburne university of oxford speaks at the philosophy society lecture series, 10th march 2016. Oxford university press, 2008, takes up the noble and praiseworthy enterprise of providing rational arguments for accepting not only the truth that jesus is truly god but also other central doctrines of the christian faith. Up until this chapter swinburne has demonstrated that there is. Swinburne then applies bayesian reasoning to the usual arguments for the existence of god. Aug 20, 2004 richard swinburne presents a substantially rewritten and updated edition of his most celebrated book. Richard carrier is an author, public speaker, professional historian, published philosopher, and prominent defender of the.
The existence of god by richard swinburne goodreads. The existence of god richard swinburne oxford university. It is a powerful one, which connects strongly with how people think and reason. Richard swinburnes inductive argument for the existence. Richard swinburne argues compellingly that if there is a god, then the main doctrines which the christian church teaches about god are very probably true. He has done important work in metaphysics, epistemology and the philosophy of religion. In there is a god, one of the worlds preeminent atheists discloses how his commitment to follow the argument wherever it leads led him to a belief in god. One such argment that the believer must justify in order to maintain the possibility of gods existence is the problem of evil. This edition is a shorter version of the existence of god, 1979. He now believes that such evidence exists, and there is a god chronicles his journey from staunch atheism to believer. The picture of the universe that science gives us is completed by god. It is with this approach that this essay will be concerned. Mar 21, 2018 what is your favorite argument for gods existence.
This book assesses the worth of arguments for and against the existence of god. In particular, he shows that there is strong philosophical support for the belief that jesus, while remaining god, acquired a human nature and lived on earth for thirty years as a human being. Synopsis of how the existence of god explains miracles. As for arguments against the existence of god, many of the arguments of the logical. Revised edition of the best short philosophical book about god. He is an emeritus professor of philosophy at the university of oxford. Swinburne relies on principle p in the existence of god to argue that god is simple and thus likely to exist. Oxford think festival richard swinburne are we bodies or souls.
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