Publisher's Synopsis
When the medieval theologian Thomas Aquinas addressed the best arguments against God in his masterwork, the Summa Theologica, he listed only two. The first was the problem of evil: How can God -- who is perfectly good -- exist alongside that which is against Him? His second: Is God really needed to explain the world?
In this landmark work, Patrick Flynn presents the best arguments for God while also addressing the strongest objections. This book is destined to become the apologetic gold standard for defending classical theism against atheistic naturalism. Flynn clearly identifies what is at stake and then provides you with cogent, accessible, yet potent defenses to counter those arguments that atheists routinely make to justify their claim that there is no God.
Flynn masterfully defines commonly misconstrued terms -- from worldview and intelligibility to scientism, ontology, and metaphysical intuition -- and illustrates them with real-world examples. He explains the Principle of Sufficient Reason and how it is used to support the reality of God. You also will acquire the foundation you need to understand the best philosophical arguments for God's existence.
Drawing from insights from philosophers Aristotle and Aquinas to Leibniz and Lonergan, you will find extensive philosophical reasons to accept and explain:
- Two step-by-step cosmological arguments
- How phenomena -- like consciousness and moral intuition -- confirm God's existence
- The fine-tuning of creation (and why God -- and not the multiverse -- is the best explanation of that)
- Why the assertion that everything can be explained by science is unreasonable
- Whether God can be falsified ... and if that even matters!
- Whether belief in a necessary being is embracing a "god of the gaps"
With sidebar definitions and detailed explanations, Flynn guides you in learning authentic reasons for your belief in God. He evaluates whether it's simpler to believe in God or not, and he provides numerous arguments from philosophy, science, and plain common sense. Additionally, you will discover how even the traditionally held attributes of God point to His existence.
This seminal book turns the tables on and pokes holes in the theory of naturalism. Flynn's in-depth analysis will give you the tools you need to share your belief in such a way that those who deny God's existence will have to defend their view. Also featured is an appendix with a dozen additional objections and bulletproof replies for the existence of God.
