Papers by Elizabeth D Burns
Religions
In this article, I offer a response to James P. Sterba’s moral argument for the non-existence of ... more In this article, I offer a response to James P. Sterba’s moral argument for the non-existence of God. Sterba applies to God the so-called Pauline Principle that it is not permissible to do evil in order that good may come. He suggests that this is the underlying element in discussions of the Doctrine of Double Effect, a doctrine that has been largely overlooked by philosophers of religion. Although, as hypothetical trolley cases demonstrate, human beings sometimes cannot avoid doing or permitting evil in order to prevent a greater evil, Sterba argues that the same cannot be said of an omnipotent God and that, since our world contains horrendous evils, the existence of a God who is both omnipotent and good is therefore logically impossible. I argue that, if God is thought to be a conscious being with unlimited power to prevent horrendous evils, Sterba’s argument might be valid. I also argue, however, that divine power need not be construed in this way. Drawing on some ideas derived f...
Philosophia Reformata, 2014
In this paper I argue that, although Alvin Plantinga’s Felix Culpa theodicy appears on only two p... more In this paper I argue that, although Alvin Plantinga’s Felix Culpa theodicy appears on only two pages (i.e. 58-59) of his recent book Where the Conflict Really Lies: Science, Religion and Naturalism (2011), it is of pivotal importance for the book as a whole. Plantinga argues that there is superficial conflict but deep concord between science and monotheism, and that there is superficial concord but deep conflict between science and naturalism. I contend that the weakness of the Felix Culpa theodicy lends support to the view that there is more than superficial conflict between science and monotheism, and offer an alternative response to the challenge of evil which suggests that there might be, after all, concord between science and (religious) naturalism.
Religions, 2015
Art plays a significant role in Iris Murdoch's moral philosophy, a major part of which may be int... more Art plays a significant role in Iris Murdoch's moral philosophy, a major part of which may be interpreted as a proposal for the revision of religious belief. In this paper, I identify within Murdoch's philosophical writings five distinct but related ways in which great art can assist moral/religious belief and practice: art can reveal to us "the world as we were never able so clearly to see it before"; this revelatory capacity provides us with evidence for the existence of the Good, a metaphor for a transcendent reality of which God was also a symbol; art is a "hall of reflection" in which "everything under the sun can be examined and considered"; art provides us with an analogue for the way in which we should try to perceive our world; and art enables us to transcend our selfish concerns. I consider three possible objections: that Murdoch's theory is not applicable to all forms of art; that the meaning of works of art is often ambiguous; and that there is disagreement about what constitutes a great work of art. I argue that none of these objections are decisive, and that all forms of art have at least the potential to furnish us with important tools for developing the insight required to live a moral/religious life.
hopes that religious readers who open his book The God Delusion 1 'will be atheists when they put... more hopes that religious readers who open his book The God Delusion 1 'will be atheists when they put it down' (5). The book appears to have made a significant impact; at the time of writing it is positioned at numbers three and eight respectively in the bestseller lists of amazon.com and the New York Times. 2 The book has already been reviewed and discussed in many places. The purpose of this further contribution to the debate is partly to offer a systematic summary of the arguments of this substantial book, partly to assess those arguments with the help of some of his most incisive critics, and partly to suggest that, while at least some of Dawkins' arguments are weak, there may be some aspects of his critique of religious belief which believers need to take seriously. Dawkins rejects the view that 'there exists a superhuman , supernatural intelligence who deliberately designed and created the universe and everything in it, including us' (31). He thinks that religion is a delusion, at least in the sense that it is 'a persistent false belief held in the face of contradictory evidence' (5). He is agnostic about God 'only to the extent that [he] is agnostic about fairies' (51). To illustrate his point, Dawkins cites Bertrand Russell's parable of the celestial teapot. Russell suggested that, although no one can disprove the claim that there is a teapot orbiting the sun, this is no reason to believe it. Similarly, although we cannot disprove God's existence, his existence is so improbable that we can reasonably assume that he does not exist. In response to the suggestion that science and religion are 'nonoverlapping magisteria'i.e. that they are concerned with different realms, science with what the universe is made of and why it works this way, religion with questions of ultimate meaning and moral value (55)-Dawkins claims that questions about the existence or otherwise of a creative super-intelligence are, in fact, scientific questions about which theologians have nothing worthwhile to say (56-59). 1. The failure of philosophical arguments for God's existence (chapter 3) Dawkins considers a range of arguments, including Aquinas' Five Ways, the ontological argument, arguments from beauty, personal 'experience', scripture, and admired religious scientists, Pascal's Wager, and Bayesian arguments. In most cases, Dawkins cites standard objections which will come as no surprise to the thinking, reading theist.
International Journal for Philosophy of Religion, 2014
To claim that the divine is a person or personal is, according to Richard Swinburne, 'the most el... more To claim that the divine is a person or personal is, according to Richard Swinburne, 'the most elementary claim of theism' (1993, 101). I argue that, whether the classical theist's concept of the divine as a person or personal is construed as an analogy or a metaphor, or a combination of the two, analysis necessitates qualification of that concept such that any differences between the classical theist's concept of the divine as a person or personal and revisionary interpretations of that concept are merely superficial. Thus, either the classical theist has more in common with revisionary theism than he/she might care to admit, or classical theism is a multi-faceted position which encompasses interpretations which some might regard as revisionist. This article also explores and employs the use of a gender-neutral pronoun in talk about God.
Religious Studies, 2012
Dombrowski and Murdoch offer versions of the ontological argument which aim to avoid two types of... more Dombrowski and Murdoch offer versions of the ontological argument which aim to avoid two types of objection – those concerned with the nature of the divine, and those concerned with the move from an abstract concept to a mind-independent reality. For both, the nature of the concept of God/Good entails its instantiation, and both supply a supporting argument from experience. It is only Murdoch who successfully negotiates the transition from an abstract concept to the instantiation of that concept, however, and this is achieved by means of an ontological argument from moral experience which, in a reversal of the Kantian doctrine, depends ultimately on a form of the cosmological argument.
International Journal for Philosophy of Religion, 2018
This article offers an argument for a form of panentheism in which the divine is conceived as bot... more This article offers an argument for a form of panentheism in which the divine is conceived as both 'God the World' and 'God the Good'. 'God the World' captures the notion that the totality of everything which exists is 'in' God, while acknowledging that, given evil and suffering, not everything is 'of' God. 'God the Good' encompasses the idea that God is also the universal concept of Goodness, akin to Plato's Form of the Good as developed by Iris Murdoch, which is inextricably conjoined with God the World because it is the nature of the world which determines the nature of perfect Goodness. This form of 'conjoined' panentheism yields a concept of divine personhood which includes both divine agency and human/divine engagement. God the Good is an agent of change by providing human persons with a standard of Goodness against which to measure the goodness of their own actions, while God the World provides the physical embodiment through which God acts. Human engagement with the divine may take a number of forms and may lead to moral action, the means by which the divine acts upon the world and changes it for the better.
Open Theology
Analytic theodicy commonly suggests an overarching reason why a benevolent, omniscient and omnipo... more Analytic theodicy commonly suggests an overarching reason why a benevolent, omniscient and omnipotent deity permits the quantity and intensity of suffering in our world. This is often couched in terms of freedom of belief or action, or some other variation of the claim that suffering is “worth the price.” I argue that not even the hope of post-mortem consolation could adequately compensate any individual for the inevitable loss of everything which makes, or might have made, life in this world worth living. By contrast, transformational theodicy argues that suffering is an unfortunate by-product of our evolving world. All living things are connected to other living things by means of networks, symbolised for John Hick by Indra’s Net. Divinity is both the force which brought about the beginning of the universe and sustains its continued existence and an objectively existing standard of goodness which is manifested in varying degrees throughout our world, metaphorically conceived in te...
In Donald M. Borchert (ed.) Philosophy: Religion. Macmillan Interdisciplinary Handbooks: Philosop... more In Donald M. Borchert (ed.) Philosophy: Religion. Macmillan Interdisciplinary Handbooks: Philosophy series. (Farmington Hills, MI: Macmillan Reference USA/Gale, a Cengage Company), 347-360; reprinted in 2017: Carol Hay (ed.) Philosophy: Feminism. Macmillan Interdisciplinary Handbooks: Philosophy series. (Farmington Hills, MI: Macmillan Reference USA/Gale, a Cengage Company), 363-375.
International Journal for Philosophy of Religion, 2019
This article offers an argument for a form of panentheism in which the divine is conceived as bot... more This article offers an argument for a form of panentheism in which the divine is conceived as both ‘God the World’ and ‘God the Good’. ‘God the World’ captures the notion that the totality of everything which exists is ‘in’ God, while acknowledging that, given evil and suffering, not everything is ‘of’ God. ‘God the Good’ encompasses the idea that God is also the universal concept of Goodness, akin to Plato’s Form of the Good as developed by Iris Murdoch, which is inextricably conjoined with God the World because it is the nature of the world which determines the nature of perfect Goodness.
This form of ‘conjoined’ panentheism yields a concept of divine personhood which includes both divine agency and human/divine engagement. God the Good is an agent of change by providing human persons with a standard of Goodness against which to measure the goodness of their own actions, while God the World provides the physical embodiment through which God acts. Human engagement with the divine may take a number of forms and may lead to moral action, the means by which the divine acts upon the world and changes it for the better.
![Research paper thumbnail of ‘Images of Reality: Iris Murdoch’s Five Ways from Art to Religion’. Religions, 6 (3) (2015), pp. 875-890. [Published online 30 July 2015.]](https://attachments.academia-assets.com/40842649/thumbnails/1.jpg)
Art plays a significant role in Iris Murdoch’s moral philosophy, a major part of which may be int... more Art plays a significant role in Iris Murdoch’s moral philosophy, a major part of which may be interpreted as a proposal for the revision of religious belief. In this paper, I identify within Murdoch’s philosophical writings five distinct but related ways in which great art can assist moral/religious belief and practice: art can reveal to us “the world as we were never able so clearly to see it before”; this revelatory capacity provides us with evidence for the existence of the Good, a metaphor for a transcendent reality of which God was also a symbol; art is a “hall of reflection” in which “everything under the sun can be examined and considered”; art provides us with an analogue for the way in which we should try to perceive our world; and art enables us to transcend our selfish concerns. I consider three possible objections: that Murdoch’s theory is not applicable to all forms of art; that the meaning of works of art is often ambiguous; and that there is disagreement about what constitutes a great work of art. I argue that none of these objections are decisive, and that all forms of art have at least the potential to furnish us with important tools for developing the insight required to live a moral/religious life.
To claim that the divine is a person or personal is, according to Richard Swinburne, ‘the most el... more To claim that the divine is a person or personal is, according to Richard Swinburne, ‘the most elementary claim of theism’ (1993, 101). I argue that, whether the classical theist’s concept of the divine as a person or personal is construed as an analogy or a metaphor, or a combination of the two, analysis necessitates qualification of that concept such that any differences between the classical theist’s concept of the divine as a person or personal and revisionary interpretations of that concept are merely superficial. Thus, either the classical theist has more in common with revisionary theism than he/she might care to admit, or classical theism is a multi-faceted position which encompasses interpretations which some might regard as revisionist.
This article also explores and employs the use of a gender-neutral pronoun in talk about God.
In this paper I argue that, although Alvin Plantinga’s Felix Culpa theodicy appears on only two p... more In this paper I argue that, although Alvin Plantinga’s Felix Culpa theodicy appears on only two pages of his recent book Where the Conflict Really Lies: Science, Religion and Naturalism (2011) (i.e. 58-59), it is of pivotal importance for the book as a whole. Plantinga argues that there is superficial conflict but deep concord between science and monotheism, and that there is superficial concord but deep conflict between science and naturalism. I contend that the weakness of the Felix Culpa theodicy lends support to the view that there is more than superficial conflict between science and monotheism, and offer an alternative response to the challenge of evil which suggests that there might be, after all, concord between science and (religious) naturalism.
Dombrowski and Murdoch offer versions of the ontological argument which aim to avoid two types of... more Dombrowski and Murdoch offer versions of the ontological argument which aim to avoid two types of objection - those concerned with the nature of the divine, and those concerned with the move from an abstract concept to a mind-independent reality. For both, the nature of the concept of God/Good entails its instantiation, and both supply a supporting argument from experience. It is only Murdoch who successfully negotiates the transition from an abstract concept to the instantiation of that concept, however, and this is achieved by means of an ontological argument from moral experience which, in a reversal of the Kantian doctrine, depends ultimately on a form of the cosmological argument.
Feminist philosophers of religion such as Grace Jantzen and Pamela Sue Anderson have endeavoured,... more Feminist philosophers of religion such as Grace Jantzen and Pamela Sue Anderson have endeavoured, firstly, to identify masculine bias in the concepts of God found in the scriptures of the world’s religions and in the philosophical writings in which religious beliefs are assessed and proposed and, secondly, to transform the philosophy of religion, and thereby the lives of women, by recommending new or expanded epistemologies and using these to revision a concept of the divine which will inspire both women and men to work for the flourishing of the whole of humankind.
It is argued, firstly, that the philosophies of Jantzen and Anderson are by no means as different from each other as they might, at first, appear. Secondly, it is suggested that their epistemologies are not distinctively feminist, and that the classical divine attributes of the Abrahamic faiths do not necessarily privilege the masculine. Perhaps the only way in which a philosophy of religion might be distinctively feminist is by emphasising the inclusion of women. This might mean being more open to concepts of the divine which are not, even in a metaphorical sense, masculine, and enhancing awareness of the ways in which abstract arguments about the divine could be relevant to the practical aspects of human life which have traditionally been the preserve of women. Insofar as these are increasingly also the responsibility of men, however, a feminist philosophy of religion might now be more appropriately characterised as an inclusivist philosophy of religion.
Books by Elizabeth D Burns
Cambridge Elements, 2019
This book in the Cambridge Elements series presents key features from the writings on religion of... more This book in the Cambridge Elements series presents key features from the writings on religion of twelve philosophers working in or influenced by the continental tradition (Hegel, Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Heidegger, Rosenzweig, Tillich, Derrida, Caputo, Levinas, Hadot, Jantzen, and Anderson). It argues for a hybrid methodology which enables transformational religious responses to the problems associated with human existence (the existential problems of meaning, suffering, and death) to be supported both by reasoned argument and by revelation, narrative philosophy, and experiential verification.
What is this thing called Philosophy of Religion? grapples with the core topics studied on philos... more What is this thing called Philosophy of Religion? grapples with the core topics studied on philosophy of religion undergraduate courses including:
The meaning of religious language, including 20th century developments
The nature of the Divine, including divine power, wisdom and action
Arguments for the existence of the Divine
Challenges to belief in the Divine, including the problems of evil, divine hiddenness and religious diversity
Believing without arguments
Arguments for life after death, including reincarnation.
It explores the topics from the perspectives of the five main world religions, introducing students to the work of scholars from a variety of religious traditions and interpretations of belief.
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Papers by Elizabeth D Burns
This form of ‘conjoined’ panentheism yields a concept of divine personhood which includes both divine agency and human/divine engagement. God the Good is an agent of change by providing human persons with a standard of Goodness against which to measure the goodness of their own actions, while God the World provides the physical embodiment through which God acts. Human engagement with the divine may take a number of forms and may lead to moral action, the means by which the divine acts upon the world and changes it for the better.
This article also explores and employs the use of a gender-neutral pronoun in talk about God.
It is argued, firstly, that the philosophies of Jantzen and Anderson are by no means as different from each other as they might, at first, appear. Secondly, it is suggested that their epistemologies are not distinctively feminist, and that the classical divine attributes of the Abrahamic faiths do not necessarily privilege the masculine. Perhaps the only way in which a philosophy of religion might be distinctively feminist is by emphasising the inclusion of women. This might mean being more open to concepts of the divine which are not, even in a metaphorical sense, masculine, and enhancing awareness of the ways in which abstract arguments about the divine could be relevant to the practical aspects of human life which have traditionally been the preserve of women. Insofar as these are increasingly also the responsibility of men, however, a feminist philosophy of religion might now be more appropriately characterised as an inclusivist philosophy of religion.
Books by Elizabeth D Burns
The meaning of religious language, including 20th century developments
The nature of the Divine, including divine power, wisdom and action
Arguments for the existence of the Divine
Challenges to belief in the Divine, including the problems of evil, divine hiddenness and religious diversity
Believing without arguments
Arguments for life after death, including reincarnation.
It explores the topics from the perspectives of the five main world religions, introducing students to the work of scholars from a variety of religious traditions and interpretations of belief.
This form of ‘conjoined’ panentheism yields a concept of divine personhood which includes both divine agency and human/divine engagement. God the Good is an agent of change by providing human persons with a standard of Goodness against which to measure the goodness of their own actions, while God the World provides the physical embodiment through which God acts. Human engagement with the divine may take a number of forms and may lead to moral action, the means by which the divine acts upon the world and changes it for the better.
This article also explores and employs the use of a gender-neutral pronoun in talk about God.
It is argued, firstly, that the philosophies of Jantzen and Anderson are by no means as different from each other as they might, at first, appear. Secondly, it is suggested that their epistemologies are not distinctively feminist, and that the classical divine attributes of the Abrahamic faiths do not necessarily privilege the masculine. Perhaps the only way in which a philosophy of religion might be distinctively feminist is by emphasising the inclusion of women. This might mean being more open to concepts of the divine which are not, even in a metaphorical sense, masculine, and enhancing awareness of the ways in which abstract arguments about the divine could be relevant to the practical aspects of human life which have traditionally been the preserve of women. Insofar as these are increasingly also the responsibility of men, however, a feminist philosophy of religion might now be more appropriately characterised as an inclusivist philosophy of religion.
The meaning of religious language, including 20th century developments
The nature of the Divine, including divine power, wisdom and action
Arguments for the existence of the Divine
Challenges to belief in the Divine, including the problems of evil, divine hiddenness and religious diversity
Believing without arguments
Arguments for life after death, including reincarnation.
It explores the topics from the perspectives of the five main world religions, introducing students to the work of scholars from a variety of religious traditions and interpretations of belief.