Despite its name, “naturalism” as a world-view turns out to be rather unnatural in its strict and more consistent form of materialism and determinism. This is why a number of naturalists opt for a broadened version that includes objective moral values, intrinsic human dignity, consciousness, beauty, personal agency, and the like. But in doing so, broad naturalism begins to look more like theism. As many strict naturalists recognize, broad naturalism must borrow from the metaphysical resources of a theistic world-view, in which such features are very natural, common sensical, and quite “at home” in a theistic framework.
The Naturalness of Belief begins with a naturalistic philosopher’s own perspective of naturalism and naturalness. The remaining chapters take a multifaceted approach in showing theism’s naturalness and greater explanatory power. They examine not only rational reasons for theism’s ability to account for consciousness, intentionality, beauty, human dignity, free will, rationality, and knowledge; they also look at common sensical, existential, psychological, and cultural reasons―in addition to the insights of the cognitive science of religion.
Charles Taliaferro is Professor Emeritus and Emeritus Overby Distinguished Professor at St. Olaf College.
James S. Spiegel is Professor of Philosophy and Religion at Taylor University in Indiana, USA. He has published scholarly articles in such journals as Faith and Philosophy, Sophia, Theory and Research in Education, and Philosophia Christi. His books include The Love of Wisdom (2010), Faith, Film, and Philosophy (2007), Hypocrisy: Moral Fraud and Other Vices (1999), and the award-winning How to be Good in a World Gone Bad (2004).
Graham Oppy is Professor of Philosophy at Monash University, Australia.
Jeremiah J. Johnston is the president of Christian Thinkers Society, USA.
Paul Copan is the Pledger Family Chair of Philosophy and Ethics at Palm Beach Atlantic University, USA. The author or editor of thirty books, including Creation Out of Nothing: A Biblical, Philosophical, and Scientific Exploration (with William Lane Craig, 2004), The Rationality of Theism (with with Paul K. Moser, 2003), The Routledge Companion to Philosophy of Religion (with Chad V. Meister; 2007; 2nd ed. 2012) and Philosophy of Religion: Classic and Contemporary Issues (with Chad V. Meister; 2007). He has contributed essays and written reviews for journals such as The Review of Metaphysics, Faith and Philosophy, Philosophia Christi, and Trinity Journal.
