Revisiting Aquinas' proofs for the existence of God / / edited by Robert Arp.

• Superior document: Value Inquiry Book Series, Volume 289
• TeilnehmendeR: Arp, Robert,
• Place / Publishing House: Leiden, Netherlands ;, Boston, Massachusetts : : Brill,, 2016.; ©2016
• Year of Publication: 2016
• Language: English
• Series: Value inquiry book series ; Volume 289.
• Physical Description: 1 online resource (283 p.)
• Notes: Description based upon print version of record.

Edited and introduced by Robert Arp, Revisiting Aquinas’ Proofs for the Existence of God is a collection of new papers written by scholars focusing on the famous Five Proofs or Ways ( Quinque Viae ) for the existence of God put forward by St. Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) near the beginning of his unfinished tome, Summa Theologica . It is not an exaggeration to say that not only is Aquinas’ Summa a landmark text in the history of Western philosophy and Christianity, but also that the Five Proofs discussed therein—namely, the arguments that conclude to the Unmoved Mover, Uncaused Cause, Necessary Being, Superlative Being, and Intelligent Director—are as compelling today as they were in the 13th Century. Written in a debate format with different scholars arguing for and against each Proof, the papers in the book consist of arguments utilizing various combinations of contemporary science and philosophical ideas to bolster the positions. The result is a revisiting of Aquinas’ Proofs that is relevant, stimulating, enlightening, and refreshing.

Table of Contents

Preliminary Material / Robert Arp -- Introduction / Robert Arp -- A Motion to Reconsider: A Defense of Aquinas' Prime Mover Argument / Heather Thornton Mcrae and James Mcrae -- The Prime Mover Removed: A Contemporary Critique of Aquinas' Prime Mover Argument / Richard Geenen and Roger Hunt -- A Response to Geenen and Hunt / Heather Thornton Mcrae and James Mcrae -- A Response to McRae and McRae / Richard Geenen and Roger Hunt -- The Relevance of Aquinas' Uncaused Cause Argument / Gaven Kerr -- The Irrelevance of Aquinas' Uncaused Cause Argument / Herbert Roseman -- A Response to Roseman / Gaven Kerr -- A Response to Kerr / Herbert Roseman -- From Contingency to Necessary Being / Adam Barkman -- Problems with Aquinas' Third Way / Edward Moad -- A Response to Moad / Adam Barkman -- A Response to Barkman / Edward Moad -- A Fourth Way to Prove God's Existence / David Beck -- Not So Superlative: The Fourth Way as Comparatively Problematic / Benjamin W. Mccraw -- A Response to McCraw / Edward N. Martin -- A Response to Beck / Benjamin W. Mccraw -- Aquinas' Fifth Way and the Possibility of Science / Michael Hayes -- Science and Nature without God / Kevin S. Decker -- A Response to Decker / Michael Hayes -- A Response to Hayes / Kevin S. Decker -- Works Cited / Robert Arp -- About the Contributors / Robert Arp -- Index / Robert Arp.