The last few decades have witnessed a stunning resurgence of philosophical interest in God and theology. Although much of this renaissance is focused on the rationality of theistic belief apart from evidence, there is a gathering movement in philosophical circles to re-establish natural theology's legitimacy in explaining God's existence.

List of figures vi

Notes on contributors vii

Introduction ix
William Lane Craig and J. P. Moreland

1 The project of natural theology 1
Charles Taliaferro

2 The Leibnizian cosmological argument 24
Alexander R. Pruss

3 The kalam cosmological argument 101
William Lane Craig and James D. Sinclair

4 The teleological argument: an exploration of the fine-tuning of the universe 202
Robin Collins

5 The argument from consciousness 282
J. P. Moreland

6 The argument from reason 344
Victor Reppert

7 The moral argument 391
Mark D. Linville

8 The argument from evil 449
Stewart Goetz

9 The argument from religious experience 498
Kai-Man Kwan

10 The ontological argument 553
Robert E. Maydole

11 The argument from miracles: a cumulative case for the resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth 593
Timothy McGrew and Lydia McGrew

Index 663

The last few decades have witnessed a stunning resurgence of philosophical interest in God and theology. Although much of this renaissance is focused on the rationality of theistic belief apart from evidence, there is a gathering movement in philosophical circles to re-establish natural theology's legitimate role in justifying belief in God's existence.

The Blackwell Companion to Natural Theology gathers together original contributions from a variety of leading philosophers to provide a timely and thought-provoking exploration of the nature and existence of God as manifested in the existence, order, and character of the natural world. Each of the in-depth essays explores at length a particular theistic argument – from Contingency and Consciousness to Reason and Religious Experience – with the distinguished authors providing analysis and evaluation of each argument, offering original insights and new perspectives on perennial questions.

The result is an engaging and deeply profound examination of the question of God’s existence based on human reason and evidence from the natural world.

"The Companion contains papers on a rich diversity of topics that are representative of the new natural theology that emerged in the 1970s with books by Alvin Plantinga, William Craig and others. The rapidly evolving lines of thought are increasingly influential in the field of philosophy and the essays in this collection are "cutting edge" works, such as the very recent formulation of a new version of the ontological argument for God's existence by Robert Maydole. The high quality of the essays make this book required reading for philosophers of religion and its diverse topics will interest thinkers in many fields."
–Quentin Smith, Western Michigan University

"This collection is a major contribution to the intellectual discussion of classical theism. Its philosophically sophisticated essays provide essential background reading for all those engaged in serious debate about the rationality of belief in God today."
–John F. Haught, Georgetown University

"I used to think natural theology was a dead area and not worthy of mourning. The scholarship represented by this volume has convinced me I was wrong. The Blackwell Companion to Natural Theology aptly demonstrates why natural theology has become an exciting scholarly area again. These essays combine cutting-edge philosophy with recent scientific advancements to provide a thorough, timely resource balancing confidence and humility, rigour and readability."
–Justin L. Barrett, University of Oxford

List of Figures Notes on Contributors Introduction: William Lane Craig and J. P. Moreland (Talbot School of Theology) 1. The Project of Natural Theology: Charles Taliaferro (St. Olaf College) 2. The Leibnizian Cosmological Argument: Alexander R. Pruss (Baylor University) 3. The Kalam Cosmological Argument: William Lane Craig (Talbot School of Theology) and James D. Sinclair 4. The Teleological Argument: An Exploration of the Fine-Tuning of the Universe: Robin Collins (Messiah College) 5. The Argument from Consciousness: J. P. Moreland (Talbot School of Theology) 6. The Argument from Reason: Victor Reppert (Glendale Community Collegeand Grand Canyon University 7. The Moral Argument: Mark D. Linville 8. The Argument from Evil: Stewart Goetz (Ursinus College 9. The Argument from Religious Experience: Kai-Man Kwan (Hong Kong Baptist University) 10. The Ontological Argument: Robert E. Maydole (Davidson College) 11. The Argument from Miracles: A Cumulative Case for the Resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth: Timothy McGrew (Western Michigan University and LydiaMcGrew Index