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Blackwell Companions to Religion
The Blackwell Companion to Natural Theology
With the help of in-depth essays from some of the world's leading philosophers, The Blackwell Companion to Natural Theology explores the nature and existence of God through human reason and evidence from the natural world.
704 pages, Hardcover
First published January 30, 1991
69 people are currently reading
1536 people want to read
About the author
William Lane Craig
136 books844 followersWilliam Lane Craig is Research Professor of Philosophy at Talbot School of Theology in La Mirada, California. He and his wife Jan have two grown children.
At the age of sixteen as a junior in high school, he first heard the message of the Christian gospel and yielded his life to Christ. Dr. Craig pursued his undergraduate studies at Wheaton College (B.A. 1971) and graduate studies at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (M.A. 1974; M.A. 1975), the University of Birmingham (England) (Ph.D. 1977), and the University of Munich (Germany) (D.Theol. 1984). From 1980-86 he taught Philosophy of Religion at Trinity, during which time he and Jan started their family. In 1987 they moved to Brussels, Belgium, where Dr. Craig pursued research at the University of Louvain until assuming his position at Talbot in 1994.
He has authored or edited over thirty books, including The Kalam Cosmological Argument; Assessing the New Testament Evidence for the Historicity of the Resurrection of Jesus; Divine Foreknowledge and Human Freedom; Theism, Atheism and Big Bang Cosmology; and God, Time and Eternity, as well as over a hundred articles in professional journals of philosophy and theology, including The Journal of Philosophy, New Testament Studies, Journal for the Study of the New Testament, American Philosophical Quarterly, Philosophical Studies, Philosophy, and British Journal for Philosophy of Science.
At the age of sixteen as a junior in high school, he first heard the message of the Christian gospel and yielded his life to Christ. Dr. Craig pursued his undergraduate studies at Wheaton College (B.A. 1971) and graduate studies at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (M.A. 1974; M.A. 1975), the University of Birmingham (England) (Ph.D. 1977), and the University of Munich (Germany) (D.Theol. 1984). From 1980-86 he taught Philosophy of Religion at Trinity, during which time he and Jan started their family. In 1987 they moved to Brussels, Belgium, where Dr. Craig pursued research at the University of Louvain until assuming his position at Talbot in 1994.
He has authored or edited over thirty books, including The Kalam Cosmological Argument; Assessing the New Testament Evidence for the Historicity of the Resurrection of Jesus; Divine Foreknowledge and Human Freedom; Theism, Atheism and Big Bang Cosmology; and God, Time and Eternity, as well as over a hundred articles in professional journals of philosophy and theology, including The Journal of Philosophy, New Testament Studies, Journal for the Study of the New Testament, American Philosophical Quarterly, Philosophical Studies, Philosophy, and British Journal for Philosophy of Science.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
July 13, 2012
The Blackwell Companion to Natural Theology edited by William Lane Craig and J. P. Moreland is a master piece for them who are advance in Christian apologetics. This book features:
The Leibnizian cosmological argument(Alexander R. Pruss),
The kalam cosmological argument (William Lane Craig and James D. Sinclair),
The teleological argument: an exploration of the fine-tuning of the universe (Robin Collins),
The argument from consciousness (J. P. Moreland),
The argument from reason (Victor Reppert),
The moral argument (Mark D. Linville),
The argument from evil (Stewart Goetz),
The argument from religious experience (Kai-Man Kwan),
The ontological argument (Robert E. Maydole) and
The argument from miracles: a cumulative case for the resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth (Timothy McGrew and Lydia McGrew)
It is a tour de force of Christians leading thinkers. I would highly recommend it to both atheist and theist. Though it is not written in a popular lay person level, it is still powerful for those who wish to take Christian's claims seriously.
The Leibnizian cosmological argument(Alexander R. Pruss),
The kalam cosmological argument (William Lane Craig and James D. Sinclair),
The teleological argument: an exploration of the fine-tuning of the universe (Robin Collins),
The argument from consciousness (J. P. Moreland),
The argument from reason (Victor Reppert),
The moral argument (Mark D. Linville),
The argument from evil (Stewart Goetz),
The argument from religious experience (Kai-Man Kwan),
The ontological argument (Robert E. Maydole) and
The argument from miracles: a cumulative case for the resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth (Timothy McGrew and Lydia McGrew)
It is a tour de force of Christians leading thinkers. I would highly recommend it to both atheist and theist. Though it is not written in a popular lay person level, it is still powerful for those who wish to take Christian's claims seriously.
August 5, 2012
Probably the best collection of the most forceful arguments for the existence of God. A background in analytic philosophy and predicate calculus (more specifically, modal logic) is necessary for understanding some of the entries in this book. Highly recommended for anybody looking for one of the strongest cases for the existence of God in print. If you want to sample the best contemporary philosophy of religion has to offer, here is a good place to start.
June 26, 2020
After reading the book, I wonder who the target audience is. It is not a typical reader, or even an academic whose field is not Philosophy. Most of the chapters were not intended to be understood by non-Philosophers, based on the abundance of pseudo-mathematical Philosophy shorthand. I regret both purchasing and wasting my time reading this book. Too few of the chapters proved interesting or useful. Thus, I am happy to give it away if anyone would like to claim it. As a Physicist I could not help but think of the quote attributed (likely falsely) to Albert Einstein: “If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough.”
Chapter 1 The project of natural theology (Charles Taliaferro): This is a book whose subject interests me. However, after reading the introduction I became worried, as I quickly discovered that this is a Philosophy book, designed for academic Philosophers (which I am not). Nevertheless, I had enjoyed reading Alvin Plantinga (even if I did not understand everything he wrote), and so, given to the topic of the book I thought I would give it a try. (2/5)
Chapter 2 The Leibnizian cosmological argument (Alexander R. Pruss): The Leibnizian Cosmological Argument. I only managed to make is about halfway through this chapter but was already lost. As far as I could understand, the author had not really started any cosmological argument, and when he started to use the cryptic, pseudo-mathematical philosophy equations to make his argument, I was completely lost. So, as I was now wasting my time, I moved on to the third chapter. (1/5)
Chapter 3 The kalam cosmological argument (William Lane Craig and James D. Sinclair): . I have certainly enjoyed William Lane Craig, so had high hopes for this chapter. While the chapter was interesting, they authors took 80 pages to argue that the universe had a beginning; first using philosophy and then using modern Cosmology (the latter delving into string theory and quantum gravity). There were too many acronyms used, which appears to be a characteristic of the book. And while interesting, I cannot help wondering who the book is written for, given that this last chapter requires a graduate level education in both Philosophy and Cosmology. (2/5)
4 The teleological argument: an exploration of the fine-tuning of the universe (Robin Collins): Much of this chapter was good, and I greatly appreciated the clear definition of many of the acronyms early in the chapter. But (for me) too much of it was based on philosophical probability, and I really dislike probability. Here is an example of a sentence: “To bring this probabilistic tension out, we first note that NSUe & k = NSU & k = NSU & k’ & Lpc, since k’ = k - {Lpc} and hence k = Lpc & k’, where no particular subtraction procedure is specified for –{Lpc}.” (1/5)
5 The argument from consciousness (J. P. Moreland): The essence of the chapter was certainly useful. But unfortunately for me, Moreland writes extensively using his technical philosophical language. This meant that I could get the gist of what he was saying but could not fully understand many of his sentences. (2/5)
6 The argument from reason (Victor Reppert): This chapter was written in English, rather than Philosopher-speak, and was understandable and interesting. It was unfortunately poorly edited, with many dyslexic type errors (from-form, physical-phsyical), as well as this sentence that I am honestly shocked made it through any editor: “If God was to resurrect someone from the dead who lived in the twenty-first century, it would more likely be Mother Teresa than Adolf Hitler” (since neither lived in the twenty-first century, I think both are disqualified. Are people’s historical knowledge really that bad?). (2.5/5)
7 The moral argument (Mark D. Linville): In this chapter the author spends most of his time critiquing naturalistic theories of consciousness and demonstrating why they don’t work. His work is made easier by the abundance of other naturalist who do not believe there are any realistic naturalistic explanations available. Thankfully, the text was clear and readable. (2.5/5)
8 The argument from evil (Stewart Goetz): This was by far the most enjoyable and understandable chapter thus far. The author did not follow the line of argument that I was expecting, but it was still highly interesting. (3.5/5)
9 The argument from religious experience (Kai-Man Kwan): The introduction was very accessible, which was a nice change from previous chapters. The chapter mostly continued in the same vein. Th only difficulty (for me), was the steady increase in the number of acronyms, many that I was not able to remember. This distracted from an otherwise accessible chapter. (3.5/5)
10 The ontological argument (Robert E. Maydole): This was mostly incomprehensible to me. It may well have been a very good chapter, but I was lost on two fronts. First, I have always found the ontological argument confusing. And second, the arguments in the chapter were entirely made using the pseudo-mathematical language of logic, which I do not understand. (1/5)
11 The argument from miracles: a cumulative case for the resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth (Timothy McGrew and Lydia McGrew): This was the best of the chapters, although later sections were not as accessible as the main argument. (3.5/5)
Chapter 1 The project of natural theology (Charles Taliaferro): This is a book whose subject interests me. However, after reading the introduction I became worried, as I quickly discovered that this is a Philosophy book, designed for academic Philosophers (which I am not). Nevertheless, I had enjoyed reading Alvin Plantinga (even if I did not understand everything he wrote), and so, given to the topic of the book I thought I would give it a try. (2/5)
Chapter 2 The Leibnizian cosmological argument (Alexander R. Pruss): The Leibnizian Cosmological Argument. I only managed to make is about halfway through this chapter but was already lost. As far as I could understand, the author had not really started any cosmological argument, and when he started to use the cryptic, pseudo-mathematical philosophy equations to make his argument, I was completely lost. So, as I was now wasting my time, I moved on to the third chapter. (1/5)
Chapter 3 The kalam cosmological argument (William Lane Craig and James D. Sinclair): . I have certainly enjoyed William Lane Craig, so had high hopes for this chapter. While the chapter was interesting, they authors took 80 pages to argue that the universe had a beginning; first using philosophy and then using modern Cosmology (the latter delving into string theory and quantum gravity). There were too many acronyms used, which appears to be a characteristic of the book. And while interesting, I cannot help wondering who the book is written for, given that this last chapter requires a graduate level education in both Philosophy and Cosmology. (2/5)
4 The teleological argument: an exploration of the fine-tuning of the universe (Robin Collins): Much of this chapter was good, and I greatly appreciated the clear definition of many of the acronyms early in the chapter. But (for me) too much of it was based on philosophical probability, and I really dislike probability. Here is an example of a sentence: “To bring this probabilistic tension out, we first note that NSUe & k = NSU & k = NSU & k’ & Lpc, since k’ = k - {Lpc} and hence k = Lpc & k’, where no particular subtraction procedure is specified for –{Lpc}.” (1/5)
5 The argument from consciousness (J. P. Moreland): The essence of the chapter was certainly useful. But unfortunately for me, Moreland writes extensively using his technical philosophical language. This meant that I could get the gist of what he was saying but could not fully understand many of his sentences. (2/5)
6 The argument from reason (Victor Reppert): This chapter was written in English, rather than Philosopher-speak, and was understandable and interesting. It was unfortunately poorly edited, with many dyslexic type errors (from-form, physical-phsyical), as well as this sentence that I am honestly shocked made it through any editor: “If God was to resurrect someone from the dead who lived in the twenty-first century, it would more likely be Mother Teresa than Adolf Hitler” (since neither lived in the twenty-first century, I think both are disqualified. Are people’s historical knowledge really that bad?). (2.5/5)
7 The moral argument (Mark D. Linville): In this chapter the author spends most of his time critiquing naturalistic theories of consciousness and demonstrating why they don’t work. His work is made easier by the abundance of other naturalist who do not believe there are any realistic naturalistic explanations available. Thankfully, the text was clear and readable. (2.5/5)
8 The argument from evil (Stewart Goetz): This was by far the most enjoyable and understandable chapter thus far. The author did not follow the line of argument that I was expecting, but it was still highly interesting. (3.5/5)
9 The argument from religious experience (Kai-Man Kwan): The introduction was very accessible, which was a nice change from previous chapters. The chapter mostly continued in the same vein. Th only difficulty (for me), was the steady increase in the number of acronyms, many that I was not able to remember. This distracted from an otherwise accessible chapter. (3.5/5)
10 The ontological argument (Robert E. Maydole): This was mostly incomprehensible to me. It may well have been a very good chapter, but I was lost on two fronts. First, I have always found the ontological argument confusing. And second, the arguments in the chapter were entirely made using the pseudo-mathematical language of logic, which I do not understand. (1/5)
11 The argument from miracles: a cumulative case for the resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth (Timothy McGrew and Lydia McGrew): This was the best of the chapters, although later sections were not as accessible as the main argument. (3.5/5)
November 4, 2018
I would recommend this book to anyone with a deep interest in philosophy. If you can understand "Reasonable Faith" by William Lane Craig then you will fair well with this book. That said, some of the articles require a higher level comprehension of logic but the book.
The articles in this book are detailed, drawn out and dissected really well. The only articles I'm a little put off by is the article concerning miracles with regard to Jesus’ resurrection and the one on the Ontological Argument which are less accessible unfortunately. But this resource is so good and scholarly that any issues I have with the book amount to a fault of my own. Brilliant!
The articles in this book are detailed, drawn out and dissected really well. The only articles I'm a little put off by is the article concerning miracles with regard to Jesus’ resurrection and the one on the Ontological Argument which are less accessible unfortunately. But this resource is so good and scholarly that any issues I have with the book amount to a fault of my own. Brilliant!
December 30, 2024
A respectable compilation of scholarly arguments defending theism. To be studied and used to reference rather than "read".
June 4, 2025
The fact that this book was edited by William "Low Bar Bill" Craig (the excuse-ologist who infamously revived the Kalam Cosmological Argument and insists that if the Universe had a cause, then that proves that the cause must be 'HIS' God and no one else's, because he says so,) should tell you everything that you need to know about this utter waste of an audiobook. Because here's the thing about philosophical and theological arguments for God's existence...
Even if they're 100% valid and not merely a string of self-serving and utterly unfounded assumptions which are long enough to wrap around the planet three times and still leave room for a knot, (which they are,) at the end of the day, they're still nothing but arguments. And the one thing that all good scientists learn the hard way is that the Universe doesn't have to obey our preconceptions or make any kind of logical or philosophical sense.
So while Low Bar Bill and the rest of those increasingly insignificant intellectual circle jerkers are arguing that their God must exist and be the answer to everything because 'Atheism' doesn't make logical sense, Big Bang Cosmologists, Comparative Anthropologists and countless other scientists are out there actually working to find the real answers for themselves.
Even if they're 100% valid and not merely a string of self-serving and utterly unfounded assumptions which are long enough to wrap around the planet three times and still leave room for a knot, (which they are,) at the end of the day, they're still nothing but arguments. And the one thing that all good scientists learn the hard way is that the Universe doesn't have to obey our preconceptions or make any kind of logical or philosophical sense.
So while Low Bar Bill and the rest of those increasingly insignificant intellectual circle jerkers are arguing that their God must exist and be the answer to everything because 'Atheism' doesn't make logical sense, Big Bang Cosmologists, Comparative Anthropologists and countless other scientists are out there actually working to find the real answers for themselves.
February 12, 2025
Honestly, way better than I expected. Pruss, in his chapter, sold me on the contingency argument being a pretty good argument. The McGrew's chapter arguing for the resurrection was pretty good. Even the one's I didn't expect to be good--the one on the moral argument--wasn't too bad. The part on moral knowledge was, I think, right, though the rest was absurd.
July 10, 2022
A difficult read for non-academics. The chapters are written by experts in their subdisciplines. The arguments represent cutting-edge philosophical arguments. All those who are going into graduate-level work in philosophy, theology, or apologetics will probably find this tome a valuable addition to their libraries.
September 24, 2018
Leitura difícil, porém extremamente recompensadora. Devido a enorme quantidade de material e de conhecimento presentes na obra, a leitura é devagar, pra ir digerindo e assimilando bem o conteúdo, que é explicado de maneira magistral. Recomendadíssimo.
December 19, 2020
Basically this is a detailed explanation on apologetics defense theorem. Its not a complete arguments on apologetics fields, but the arguments here was focused on the strong one and the most used on defense.
May 7, 2023
It's a book that requires focus and a notebook to parse through.
March 5, 2022
This is without a doubt one of the more superb resources on apologetics currently sitting on my shelf. It spans quite a few topics, and in each case the treatment is thoughtful. While I did not explicitly care for each entry, I was glad for several of them, and in a few cases it helped me to take long strides in my understanding of the topic. In particular, I still refer back to the sections on fine-tuning, the cosmological argument, the ontological argument, consciousness, and religious experience, among others. If you can manage it, it will be very useful.
February 14, 2014
Great, thorough, complex, and compelling. This is not an easy read, but well worth the time. The arguments and issues are written in a scholarly fashion and may be found to be challenging for some. However, if one desires to understand some of the more compelling apologetic arguments for the existence of God, then this is a must read. Highly recommended.
September 1, 2010
Haven't read all the chapters in this Behemoth yet, but based on the chapters I have read, as well as the rest of the chapters I surveyed, this is definately a must have book if you want to read the most up-to-date arguments for God's existence, the resurrection, and against naturalism.
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July 3, 2013This is not an introductory book. I have so far read:
The Kalam Cosmological Argument.
The Argument from Reason.
The Moral Argument.
It is definitely going to take me some time to finish this beast of a book!
The Kalam Cosmological Argument.
The Argument from Reason.
The Moral Argument.
It is definitely going to take me some time to finish this beast of a book!
September 10, 2016
An advanced work by several prominent philosophers of religion on the existence of God in light of data from modern science, philosophical reflection, and history.
February 22, 2024
Probably graduate level technical reading, but, if you're willing to wade through it, it contains some of the best modern arguments dealing with natural theology.
June 16, 2014
Comprehensive and awesome. Super helpful.
April 15, 2017
This book is probably the most rigorous defense of theism I am aware of. Each chapter focuses on one of the more respectable arguments for the existence of God and is written by one of the world's leading experts on that argument.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews