Where Is God? Contemporary Views on Arguments for God’s Existence

A special issue of Religions (ISSN 2077-1444). This special issue belongs to the section "Religions and Humanities/Philosophies".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 April 2024) | Viewed by 3261

Special Issue Editors


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Epistemology, Faculty of Philosophy, John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin, 20-950 Lublin, Poland
Interests: metaphysics (ontology); natural (or/and philosophical) theology; philosophy of religion
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
The Catholic Academy in Warsaw, 01-815 Warszawa, Poland
Interests: analytical philosophy of religion; mind-body problem; faith and reason debate; epistemology

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Philosophy, The Pontifical University of John Paul II in Krakow, 31-002 Kraków, Poland
Interests: metaphysics; natural theology; philosophy of man; epistemology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The existence of God or the Absolute is a debate almost as old as philosophy. As early as the Antiquity and the Middle Ages, three main theistic arguments were developed: the ontological argument, the cosmological argument and the teleological argument. These were later criticized by David Hume and Immanuel Kant. In contemporary circles, thanks to philosophers such as Alvin Plantinga and Richard Swinburne, the formulations of these or other theistic arguments have been all but perfected. The associated debate has revealed their strengths and weaknesses, but has not resolved the theism–atheism dispute. What is the current state of this dispute? How can the old, well-known arguments be improved? What new perspectives are worth introducing? How credible are positions that go beyond the classic theism–atheism dichotomy, such as panentheism or ultimism? Where is God on the contemporary map of thought? We invite you to submit articles on these and related topics.

Dr. Jacek Wojtysiak
Dr. Marek Dobrzeniecki
Dr. Miłosz Hołda
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Religions is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • the existence of God
  • theistic arguments
  • atheistic arguments
  • natural theology
  • theism
  • atheism
  • ultimism

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (1 paper)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

10 pages, 235 KiB  
Article
Philosophical Interpretation of “God Is Dead”: Retreat, Disruption, and Judgment
by Kuo Li
Religions 2024, 15(9), 1124; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15091124 - 18 Sep 2024
Viewed by 2022
Abstract
Nietzsche’s declaration of “God is dead” signifies not only the collapse of classical metaphysical systems in philosophy but also shifts in the psychological structure of individuals and society after the secularization of Christianity. A philosophical reading is crucial to understanding its whole process [...] Read more.
Nietzsche’s declaration of “God is dead” signifies not only the collapse of classical metaphysical systems in philosophy but also shifts in the psychological structure of individuals and society after the secularization of Christianity. A philosophical reading is crucial to understanding its whole process and real-world ramifications. We first delineate the fundamental meanings and historical context of the term “God” or “Absolute” and expound upon the mechanisms of spiritual functioning under it, highlighting the significance of God, or the Absolute, as the highest object of spiritual operation. Next, we analyze the death of God, i.e., the retreat of the Absolute, in the realms of reason and faith, exploring its causes and repercussions, particularly the disruption of the operation of the spirit. Then, building upon this analysis, we conclude that the metaphysical life supported by Kant and Hegel faces failure in the present age, because the Absolute has ceased to be the foundation. The roots of spiritual operation are no longer secure; the return to the Absolute points to emptiness, and exit without return creates disruptive division between subject and substance, essence and phenomenon, reason and reality. Meanwhile, the departure of God and the development of capitalism are intertwined, calling for a resurgence in the form of secularization, heralding a renewed human judgment of God. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Where Is God? Contemporary Views on Arguments for God’s Existence)
Back to TopTop