91¸£Àû

Philosophers of religion have long examined arguments about whether God exists. Recently, however, they have begun to consider a different question: what difference would (or does) God’s existence make? Pro-theism is the view that we are better off if God exists; anti-theism is the view that we are worse off if God exists. These rival views have been defended in various ways. For example, pro-theists have argued that God would anchor morality, bring about ultimate justice, and ensure that no evil or suffering is ultimately pointless. Meanwhile, anti-theists have argued that God’s existence would compromise our freedom and privacy, and make our lives less dignified and meaningful. This topic has come to be called the axiology of theism because it concerns the value (or disvalue) that God’s existence would bring to the world and our lives.

This project will broaden and deepen this discussion by stimulating new research in three specific areas:

(1) There are underexplored connections between the axiology of theism and spiritual yearning. Pro-theism can be understood as an expression of spiritual yearning, but in what ways? Could anti-theism also express a form of yearning (e.g. for meaning or dignity) that could rightly be called ‘spiritual’? If so, why – and if not, why not?

(2) So far, there has been little discussion of how virtues and vices relate to the axiology of theism. But there is much fruitful work to be done here. For example: under what conditions can pro-theism and anti-theism (or the spiritual yearning they express) be morally or intellectually virtuous – or vicious – and why?

(3) There have been notable early efforts to diversify work in this area by expanding the scope of axiological analysis to views other than traditional monotheism, including pantheism, panentheism, polytheism, Buddhism, and traditional African religions. But there is more to be done, particularly to connect these (and other) worldviews to accounts of spiritual yearning, and to explore how such yearning might manifest virtue or vice.

• , Augustana University
• Klaas J. Kraay, 91¸£Àû

• (Baylor University)
• (Loyola Marymount University)
• (University of Oklahoma)
• (Morehead State University, Emeritus)
• (Valencia College)
• (St. Louis University)
• (Oxford University)
• (University of Pretoria)
• (91¸£Àû)
• (Baylor University)

tba