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Product Description
Is There a God? offers a powerful response to modern doubts about the existence of God. It may seem today that the answers to all fundamental questions lie in the province of science, and that the scientific advances of the twentieth century leave little room for God. Cosmologists have rolled back their theories to the moment of the Big Bang, the discovery of DNA reveals the key to life, the theory of evolution explains the development of life... and with each new discovery or development, it seems that we are closer to a complete understanding of how things are. For many people, this gives strength to the belief that God is not needed to explain the universe; that religious belief is not based on reason; and that the existence of God is, intellectually, a lost cause. Richard Swinburne, one of the most distinguished philosophers of religion of our day, argues that on the contrary, science provides good grounds for belief in God. Why is there a universe at all ? Why is there any life on Earth? How is it that discoverable scientific laws operate in the universe? 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 picture of the universe that science gives us is completed by God. This new, updated edition of Richard Swinburne's popular introductory book Is There a God? features two substantial changes. He presents a new, stronger argument why theism does and materialism does not provide a very simple ultimate explanation of the world. And he examines the idea of the possible existence of many other universes, and its relevance to his arguments from the fine-tuning of our universe to the existence of God.
About the Author
Richard Swinburne has been the Nolloth Professor of the Philosophy of Christian Religion at the University of Oxford since 1985; before that for twelve years he was Professor of Philosophy at the University of Keele. He is the author of many eminent books on the philosophy of religion in general and of the philosophy of Christianity in particular.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
9 of 10 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
In "Is There a God?" Swinburne seeks to provide a less sophisticated version of the case for theism which appears in his classic "The Existence of God" (1979). While accomplishing his task with great brevity, I concur with the previous reviewer that this book may not be accessible to the lay audience. Swinburne's arguments are characteristically erudite and will require considerable attention on the part of readers.
Although this book may not acheive its intended success in the mass market, I consider it an excellent introduction to Swinburne's work. From that standpoint, "Is There a God?" may be used as a primer to his more substantial scholarly writings.
In this present title, Swinburne's first ("God"), third ("The Simplicity of God") and sixth ("Why God Allows Evil") chapters are particularly noteworthy. His two-page epilogue summarizes with great clarity one's responsibilities should theism be true.
--David A. Frenz
9 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Swiburne writes clearly and his arguments for God's existence are interesting and suggestive. In the end, though, they come down to the notion that God is the "simplest" explanation for things we observe in the natural world. It was never clear how postulating the existence of something unlike anything else in experience could be a "simple" explanation of the world. Maybe it's "simpler" just to take the existence of the world as an unexplained fact, a mystery. The discussion of why God allows pain and suffering is the weakest part of the book and is almost a parody of traditional theodicy. At one point in his discussion of animal suffering, Swinburne argues that forest fires aren't necessarily bad for animals because they give them an opportunity to escape danger, which he regards as a "significant intentional act." Since "significant intentional acts" are goods things, it follows that forest fires could be good for animals. This sounds like a joke but Swinburne was serious. The reader wondering why God allows suffering would be better advised to read the book of Job.
Format:Paperback
Although I found his philosophical arguments unconvincing, Swinburne writes eloquently a good exposition of the freewill defence. His logic deserves an attempt to understand it. He thankfully does not attempt to impose his views on others, but only to explain his philosophical position, unlike other writers (both theist and atheist) on this topic; this can only be a good thing. As he says himself, this is merely an introduction to his thinking, so I would recommend reading his other books for better justification for his conlucions.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
A rant with little substance
I was hoping that this book would live up to the high words printed on it's cover. The author takes great delight in redefining existing English words, I suspect to make sure that... Read more
Published on 7 Mar 2010 by Andrew Meredith
A nice piece of religious philosophy
My approach to this book is a little different to most, and hopefully I'm not going to get instantly voted unhelpful like most of the reviews of this book. Read more
Published on 14 Feb 2008 by AmazonUser
clearly mistaken
Is There a God? is Professor Richard Swinburne's attempt to show that belief in the existence of God is the most rational conclusion from the facts of the world and further that... Read more
Published on 20 Jan 2005 by "borleb"
A masterpiece! . . . of a priori reasoning
It's amusing, if not amazing, to witness the narrow view Christian theologians can still present in defense of indefensible stands. Read more
Published on 2 July 2004 by Stephen A. Haines
to difficult or to easy?
The book of Swinburne is intended for a general public. He has tried to give a not so hard explanation and defense for the existence of God. Read more
Published on 21 Jun 1999
A disappointing book.
I am afraid I must agree with the above reviewers. Swinburne reaches the end of his own book with 'some dissatisfaction. Read more
Published on 12 April 1999
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