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Given recent work in quantum physics suggesting that our world is just one world in a series of many, Leland Royce Harper calls for a shift in our concept of the monotheistic God of Judeo-Christian tradition. In Multiverse Deism: Shifting Perspectives of God and the World, Harper argues that those who wish to maintain that the Judeo-Christian God exists ought to revise how they define this God and what they expect of Him so as to maintain consistency between modern theism and the growing body of scientific knowledge. While this revision entails several concessions by the theist, the overall result is a stronger and more coherent account of who God really is. By removing the expectation that God will act in the natural world, Harper argues that we are left with a concept of God that maintains all of the traditional divine attributes, is consistent with current scientific advances, remains compatible with contemporary and historical arguments for the existence of God, and better refutes contemporary and historical arguments for atheism than the traditional, active God.
List of contents
Contents
Acknowledgments
Chapter 1Introduction
Chapter 2The Case for the Multiverse
Chapter 3The Theist and the Multiverse
Chapter 4Attributes of a Deistic God
Chapter 5Why Being a Deist May Not Be So Bad
Chapter 6Possible Alternative Version of Deism
Chapter 7Potential Difficulties and Further Lines of Inquiry for the Multiverse Deist
Chapter 8Practical Considerations and Concluding Thoughts
References
About the Author
About the author
Leland Harper is Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Siena Heights University. His research focuses on philosophy of religion, particularly issues in the epistemic status of religious experience, and on philosophy of race, particularly issues in racism, racial solidarity and justice. He is the author of "Multiverse Deism: Shifting Perspectives of God and the World" (Lexington, 2020) and co-author of the forthcoming book with Dr. Jennifer Kling in which they address the intersections of race, language, and justice. He is also author of articles that have appeared in "Res Philosophica", "Forum Philosophicum", and "The International Journal of Philosophy and Theology". He is the organizer of the Great Lakes Philosophy Conference, an annual international ethics conference held in Adrian, Michigan.
Summary
Given recent scientific findings suggesting that our world is part of a multiverse, Leland Harper argues that we ought to abandon the idea of an active God in Judeo-Christian theism. This shift results in a more coherent, cohesive and, ultimately, better account of God than is currently offered by the Judeo-Christian monotheistic tradition.
