God and the Burden of Proof: Plantinga, Swinburne, and the Analytic Defense of Theism (Frontiers of Philosophy) [Hardcover]

Keith M. Parsons (Author)

Book Description

Series: Frontiers of Philosophy | Publication Date: January 1990

This book offers a critical examination of Alvin Plantinga's and Richard Swinburne's contemporary attempt to defend traditional theism within the context of analytic philosophy.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"This is a well written, instructive introduction to some of the most widely discussed contemporary defences of theism." International Studies in Philosophy "Recommended, particularly for the uninitiated." -- Reference & Research Book News

Product Details

• Hardcover: 156 pages
• Publisher: Prometheus Books; No Statement of Printing edition (January 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0879755512
• ISBN-13: 978-0879755515
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,656,516 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Keith M. Parsons is on the faculty of The University of Houston--Clear Lake, where he is Associate Professor of Philosophy and the recent winner of the President's Distinguished Research Award. His previous publications include the books God and the Burden of Proof (Prometheus Books, 1989), Drawing Out Leviathan (Indiana University Press, 2001), and The Great Dinosaur Controversy (ABC Clio Press, 2003). He holds a doctorate from the Department of History and Philosophy of Science of The University of Pittsburgh and a doctorate in philosophy from Queen's University (Canada). Dr. Parsons was the founding editor of the philosophical journal Philo. He has often served as a lecturer, debater, and workshop leader in a number of venues.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent introduction to the subject matter, September 1, 1998

By 

DEAN STRETTON (Australia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: God and the Burden of Proof: Plantinga, Swinburne, and the Analytic Defense of Theism (Frontiers of Philosophy) (Hardcover)

The topics covered in Parsons's book are: (1) Alvin Plantinga's attempt to show that theistic belief can be rational even without positive arguments in its favour, (2) Richard Swinburne's cosmological argument, and (3) the problem of evil.

The aim of the book is, presumably, to introduce uninitiated readers to some of the issues currently at the forefront of philosophical theology. It meets this aim brilliantly. The clarity and simplicity of Parsons's writing allow the reader to fully understand the arguments being considered. At the same time, he is careful not to oversimplify, with the result that his critiques are no less incisive for their nontechnicality. I am not aware of any book that offers a better introduction to the issues Parsons considers. Indeed, it is difficult to think of any way the book could be significantly improved -- save, perhaps, a halving of its somewhat ridiculous cost price.

One word of warning: all of the material Parsons presents can be found elsewhere -- for example, in Michael Martin's _Atheism: A Philosophical Justification_. Thus, if you have already read (and understood) Martin's book, there would be little point buying _God: and the Burden of Proof_. On the other hand, if you are as yet unfamiliar with the arguments of Plantinga and Swinburne (two of today's leading theologians), there is no better place to start than Parsons's book. Highly recommended.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars God and the Burden of Proof, June 17, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: God and the Burden of Proof: Plantinga, Swinburne, and the Analytic Defense of Theism (Frontiers of Philosophy) (Hardcover)

In debating the existence of God, a fundamental question is who -- if anyone -- should bear the burden of proof. In _God and the Burden of Proof_, Keith Parsons explains why theists (but not atheists) bear the burden of proof. Along the way, he manages to provided a nontechnical response to two of the most influential theistic philosophers of our time, Alvin Plantinga and Richard Swinburne. Highly recommended, despite the book's excessive cost. -- Jeffery Jay Lowde

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Lucid; very good introduction to some of Plantinga's/Swinburne's arguments, April 5, 2006

By 

Patrick T. - See all my reviews

This review is from: God and the Burden of Proof: Plantinga, Swinburne, and the Analytic Defense of Theism (Frontiers of Philosophy) (Hardcover)

Extremely clear writing style. Parsons assumes only an intro level of philosophical knowledge. He is rarely condescending and this is particularly refreshing in the era of in-your-face atheism. Still, every now and then Parsons can't help but sneer. For example, in his conclusion Parsons writes,

"What rightly offends secular humanists is the...persecuting zeal that all too often accompany theistic belief...[like] the crusade against abortion..." (p145).

He then states that this sometimes leads atheists to shout: "Crush the infamous thing!" (the "thing" is institutional theism). However, I think Parsons assumes too much here. The biggest assumption is that one needs to be religious (or use religious arguments) to oppose abortion. I want to note that there are atheists strongly opposed to abortion. Patrick Lee has penned a brilliant, secular defense of the pro-life position called "Abortion and Unborn Human Life." Lee is not an atheist, but he makes a secular, pro-life argument. Thus, it is a mistake to automatically link pro-life arguments to religious arguments.

This contention on my part, however, is minor; save for this one example, Parsons handles the theist/atheist debate very gracefully. Overall, the book is excellent. If you're interested in the God debate, you need to read this. Very much recommended.