John L. Schellenberg’s argument from divine hiddenness

A critical review of its two fundamental assumptions

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.53439/stdfyt53.27.2024.49-62

Keywords:

divine hiddenness, Schellenberg, assumptions, Thomas Aquinas, divine love

Abstract

On the occasion of the thirtieth anniversary of the publication of Divine Hiddenness and Human Reason (1993) by Canadian philosopher John L. Schellenberg (1959-), this article aims to examine the argument of divine hiddenness, some objections to its premises made by renowned contemporary philosophers, the latest reformulation of the argument by Schellenberg and finally, the elaboration of a critical review of its fundamental assumptions, inspired by the thought of Thomas Aquinas. These assumptions indicate, on the one hand, that God –being perfectly loving– must manifest himself to anyone and at any time and, on the other, that there are agnostics and atheists without resistance who are not to blame for disbelief in Him.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Aristóteles. (2007). De Coelo et Metaphysicam en Aristotelis Opera omnia, Graece et Latine (Vol. 2). Georg Olms Verlag.

Church, I.M. (2017). Is God hidden, or does God simply not exist? In M. Harris & D. Pritchard (Eds.), Philosophy, Science and Religion for Everyone (pp. 62-70). Routledge.

Cullison, A. (2010). Two solutions to the problem of divine hiddenness. American Philosophical Quarterly, 47(2), 119-134. https://www.jstor.org/stable/40606890

Cuneo, T. (2013). Another look of divine hiddenness. Religious Studies, 49(2), 151-164. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0034412513000048

Howard-Snyder, D. (1996). The Argument from Divine Hiddenness. Canadian Journal of Philosophy, 26(3), 433-453. https://doi.org/10.1080/00455091.1996.10717461

Howard-Snyder, D. & Moser, P. (2002). In Divine Hiddenness: New Essays. Cambridge UP.

McBrayer, J. & Swenson, P. (2012). Scepticism about the argument from divine hiddenness. Religious Studies, 48(2), 129-150. https://doi.org/10.1017/S003441251100014X

Murray, M. (1993). Coercion and the hiddenness of God. American Philosophical Quarterly, 30(1), 27-38. https://www.jstor.org/stable/20014440

Platinga, A. (2000). Warranted Christian Belief. Oxford UP.

Prevosti Monclús, A. (2019). El Dios de Aristóteles. Espíritu, 68(157), 77-97. https://revistaespiritu.istomas.org/el-dios-de-aristoteles/

Schellenberg, J. L. (1993/2004). Divine Hiddenness Justifies Atheism. In M. L. Peterson (Ed.), Contemporary Debates in Philosophy of Religion (pp. 165-175). Blackwell.

Schellenberg, J. L. (2005a). The hiddenness argument revisited (I). Religious Studies, 41(2), 201-215. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0034412505007614

Schellenberg, J. L. (2005b). The hiddenness argument revisited (II). Religious Studies, 41(3), 287-303. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0034412505007791

Schellenberg, J. L. (2006). Divine Hiddenness and Human Reason. Cornell UP.

Schellenberg, J. L. (2007). The Wisdom to Doubt. Cornell UP.

Schellenberg, J. L. (2021). The hiddenness argument. Roczniki Filozoficzne, 69(3), 62-66. https://doi.org/10.18290/rf21693-4

Tomás de Aquino. (1946). Summa contra Gentiles (Leonina, ed.). Marietti.

Tomás de Aquino. (1949). Quaestiones disputatae de Veritate. En Quaestiones disputatae (R. Spiazzi, ed., Tomo 22, Vol. 2). Marietti.

Tomás de Aquino. (1962). Summa Theologiae. BAC.

Tomás de Aquino. (1965). Quaestiones disputatae de potentia Dei. En Quaestiones disputatae (P. M. Pession, ed., Tomo 2, pp. 1-276). Marietti.

Published

19-06-2024

How to Cite

Larraguibel Díez, L. E. (2024). John L. Schellenberg’s argument from divine hiddenness: A critical review of its two fundamental assumptions. Studium. Filosofía Y Teología, 27(53), 49–62. https://doi.org/10.53439/stdfyt53.27.2024.49-62