Faith, Reason, and the Existence of God

by Denys Turner

Denys Turner argues that there are reasons of faith why the existence of God should be thought rationally demonstrable and that it is worthwhile revisiting the theology of Thomas Aquinas to see why. The proposition that the existence of God is demonstrable by rational argument is doubted by nearly all philosophical opinion today and is thought by most Christian theologians to be incompatible with Christian faith. Turner's robust challenge to the prevailing orthodoxies will be of interest to believers as well as non-believers.

Genres: Philosophy, Theology, Christianity

292 pages, Paperback

First published September 16, 2004

About the author

Denys Turner is the Horace Tracy Pitkin Professor of Historical Theology at Yale University, a position which he has held since 2005. He previously was the Norris-Hulse Professor of Divinity at Cambridge University. He received his B.A. and M.A. from University College, Dublin, and his D.Phil from the University of Oxford.

Turner's work covers several areas within the history of Christianity, with a special focus on mysticism and medieval thought. He has also published two works on Marx and the relationship between Marxism and Christianity.

Reviews

[Tynan Brooks]

I don't think Turner makes a strong enough case for the full Vatican 1 rationalism re: proof of God, but he draws out interesting themes in Thomas regarding the limits of reason and the resulting relation to apophaticism.