Faith, Reason and the Existence of God

This book argues that the God of Christian faith can be proved to exist.

Denys Turner (Author)

9780521841610, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 16 September 2004

292 pages
22.9 x 15.2 x 2.1 cm, 0.6 kg

'… there is much to learn from Turner's work. It should be particularly appealing to those interested in Radical Orthodoxy, natural theology and the thought of Thomas Aquinas.' Scottish Journal of Theology

The proposition that the existence of God is demonstrable by rational argument is doubted by nearly all philosophical opinion today and is thought by most Christian theologians to be incompatible with Christian faith. This book argues that, on the contrary, there are reasons of faith why in principle the existence of God should be thought rationally demonstrable and that it is worthwhile revisiting the theology of Thomas Aquinas to see why this is so. The book further suggests that philosophical objections to proofs of God's existence rely upon an attenuated and impoverished conception of reason which theologians of all monotheistic traditions might wish to reject. Denys Turner proposes that on a broader and deeper conception of it, human rationality is open to the 'sacramental shape' of creation as such and in its exercise of rational proof of God it in some way participates in that sacramentality of all things.

Part I. The 'Shape' of Reason: 1. Clarifications and issues
2. Negative theology and natural theology
3. The darkness of God and the light of Christ
4. Intellect
5. Reason and rhetoric
6. The 'shape' of reason
Part II. Univocity, Difference, and 'Onto-theology': 7. Univocity and inference: Duns Scotus
8. God, grammar, and difference
9. Existence and God
Part III. Inference, and the Existence of God: 10. Analogy and inference
11. Why anything?
12. Refusing the question
13. The God of reason and the God of Christ.

Subject Areas: History of ideas [JFCX], Christian theology [HRCM], Nature & existence of God [HRAB1], Philosophy of religion [HRAB]