Journal: Masters Seminary Journal
Volume: TMSJ 02:1 (Spring 1991)
Article: Philosophy and Belief in God: The Resurgence of Theism in Philosophical Circles
Author: Francis J. Beckwith

MSJ 2:1 (Spring 91) p. 61

Philosophy and Belief in God:
The Resurgence of Theism in Philosophical Circles

Francis J. Beckwith 1

Lecturer of Philosophy
University of Nevada, Las Vegas

A new interest in the God of the orthodox Hebrew-Christian tradition has arisen recently among contemporary philosophers. This new interest in theism can be traced to the demise of logical positivism, a lack of intellectual rigor in theological liberalism, and the increased sophistication of theistic arguments. Two arguments illustrate the many contemporary proofs for theism that have attracted wide interest. One argues that belief in God is rational apart from any special evidence. The other, called the kalam cosmological argument, maintains that everything which begins has a cause, the universe had a beginning, and therefore, the universe has a cause. This argument is supported by the reasonableness of a series of choices, beginning with whether or not the universe had a beginning. These arguments are satisfying proof of the existence of God for those who are philosophically inclined.

* * * * *

About twenty-five years ago President James McCord of Princeton Seminary declared with exuberance that Protestant theology’s Death-of-God movement was ushering in a “whole new era in theology.”2 Nevertheless, Time magazine’s ominous front cover, which asked the question, “Is God Dead?,” was not really as prophetic as

MSJ 2:1 (Spring 91) p. 62

President McCord had thought, but rather, was more analogous to the boy who cried wolf or the emperor’s non-existent clothes. Only five years later, Time on its front cover heralded the sudden revival of evangelical faith among Roman Catholic and Protestant young people with a psychedelic portrait of Jesus of Nazareth, labeled “The Jesus Revolution.”3 In 1980 Time ran a story about the sudden reexamination of God within contemporary philosophical circles.4 Although still a distinct minority in secular universities, since 1980 this movement has increased in numbers and already shows an increased sophistication of argument. The reason for and the nature of this resurgence of belief in God in philosophical circles is the subject under current consideration.

Defining the Terms

Anyone acquainted with philosophy knows the extreme importance of how a thinker defines his terms. For the sake of clarity, “God,” “belief,” and “philosophy” will be defined. God is the God of the Hebrew-Christian tradition, the God most ...