The Hiddenness Argument and the Ground of Its Soundness Cover Image

The Hiddenness Argument and the Ground of Its Soundness
The Hiddenness Argument and the Ground of Its Soundness

Author(s): Marek Pepliński
Subject(s): Philosophy, Special Branches of Philosophy, Philosophy of Religion
Published by: Towarzystwo Naukowe KUL & Katolicki Uniwersytet Lubelski Jana Pawła II
Keywords: Hiddenness of God; J. L. Schellenberg; openness of God; perfect love of God; theistic personalism

Summary/Abstract: The paper refers to the argument from hiddenness as presented in John Schellenberg’s book The Hiddenness Argument and the philosophical views expressed there, making this argument understandable. It is argued that conditionals (1) and (2) are not adequately grounded. Schellenberg has not shown that we have the knowledge necessary to accept the premises as true. His justifications referring to relations between people raise doubts. The paper includes an argument that Schellenberg should substantiate its key claim that God has the resources to accommodate the possible consequences of openness to a relationship with finite persons, making them compatible with the flourishing of all concerned and of any relationship that may come to exist between them. At the end of the text, I propose to treat the argument as a rejection of an anthropomorphic God.

  • Issue Year: 69/2021
  • Issue No: 3
  • Page Range: 259-290
  • Page Count: 32
  • Language: English