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VU Research Portal What Can be Known about God is Plain Taber, T.M. 2018 document version Publisher's PDF, also known as Version of record Link to publication in VU Research Portal citation for published version (APA) Taber, T. M. (2018). What Can be Known about God is Plain: A Reformed-Epistemological Response to the Problem of Divine Hiddenness. General rights Copyright and moral rights for the publications made accessible in the public portal are retained by the authors and/or other copyright owners and it is a condition of accessing publications that users recognise and abide by the legal requirements associated with these rights. • Users may download and print one copy of any publication from the public portal for the purpose of private study or research. • You may not further distribute the material or use it for any profit-making activity or commercial gain • You may freely distribute the URL identifying the publication in the public portal ? Take down policy If you believe that this document breaches copyright please contact us providing details, and we will remove access to the work immediately and investigate your claim. E-mail address: [email protected] Download date: 02. Oct. 2021 VRIJE UNIVERSITEIT What Can be Known about God is Plain A Reformed-Epistemological Response to the Problem of Divine Hiddenness ACADEMISCH PROEFSCHRIFT ter verkrijging van de graad Doctor of Philosophy aan de Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, op gezag van de rector magnificus prof.dr. V. Subramaniam, in het openbaar te verdedigen ten overstaan van de promotiecommissie van de Faculteit der Godgeleerdheid op dinsdag 22 mei 2018 om 15.45 uur in de aula van de universiteit, De Boelelaan 1105 door Tyler Madden Taber geboren te Okmulgee, Oklahoma, USA i promotor: prof.dr. G. van den Brink copromotor: dr. H.D. Peels ii Table of Contents Acknowledgements ........................................................................................................................v Chapter One: The Problem of Divine Hiddenness: Prolegomena.............................................1 1.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................1 1.2 What the Problem of Divine Hiddenness is Not ....................................................................2 1.3 What the Problem of Divine Hiddenness Is.........................................................................10 1.4 Historical Overview .............................................................................................................21 1.5 Conclusion ...........................................................................................................................37 Chapter Two: The Problem of Divine Hiddenness in Contemporary Perspective ................38 2.1 Introduction ..........................................................................................................................38 2.2 Literature Review Part I: Schellenberg’s 1993 Argument: Exposition, Theistic Objections, and the Relevance of my Thesis ....................................................................................39 2.3 Literature Review Part II: The Problems of Evil and Divine Hiddenness: Similarity, Dissimilarity, and the Relevance of My Thesis .............................................................56 2.4 Conclusion: Part I and Part II’s Literature Review Combined ............................................67 Chapter Three: The Problem of Divine Hiddenness and the Aquinas/Calvin Model ...........70 3.1 Introduction ..........................................................................................................................70 3.2 Plantinga’s Aquinas/Calvin Model Explained .....................................................................72 3.3 The Aquinas/Calvin Model Applied to the Hiddenness Problem ........................................80 3.4 Objections Considered .........................................................................................................91 3.5 Conclusion .........................................................................................................................107 Chapter Four: The Problem of Divine Hiddenness and the Effects of Sin...........................109 4.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................109 4.2 The Extended Aquinas/Calvin Model’s Initial Statement: Contextual Remarks ..............110 4.3 The Noetic Effects of Sin Explained .................................................................................112 4.4 The Affective Effects of Sin Explained .............................................................................116 4.5 The Noetic and Affective Effects of Sin Applied to the Problem of Divine Hiddenness ..118 4.6 Objections Considered .......................................................................................................131 4.7 Conclusion .........................................................................................................................146 Chapter Five: The Problem of Divine Hiddenness and the Extended Aquinas/Calvin Model ......................................................................................................................................................147 5.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................147 5.2 The Extended Aquinas/Calvin Model Explained ..............................................................148 5.3 The Extended Aquinas/Calvin Model Applied to the Problem of Divine Hiddenness ......155 5.4 Objections Considered .......................................................................................................173 5.5 Conclusion .........................................................................................................................190 Chapter Six: A Reformed Epistemological Defense: Products, Problems, and Prospects .191 6.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................191 6.2 This Study’s Advantages and Contributions .....................................................................191 6.3 Potential Concerns or Worries for This Study ...................................................................192 6.4 Future Work on the Problem of Divine Hiddenness ..........................................................196 iii 6.5 Future Work on Other Issues in Philosophy of Religion in Light of the Reformed Epistemological Defense .............................................................................................198 Summary .....................................................................................................................................205 Bibliography ...............................................................................................................................209 Curriculum Vitae .......................................................................................................................231 iv Acknowledgements This work is about the hiddenness of God, which means ultimately that it is about God, and it takes its cue from the Augustinian tradition of faith seeking understanding whereby one has an “active love of God while seeking a deeper knowledge of God.”1 While this dissertation aims to advance scholarly discussion concerning the problem of divine hiddenness, still it can be said, with St. Anselm, that “I am not trying to scale your heights, Lord; my understanding is in no way equal to that. But I do long to understand your truth in some way, your truth which my heart believes and loves.”2 Behind every good man, the saying goes, is a better woman. My wife, Abigail, provided enormous support throughout this project; she prayed for me, encouraged me, and read countless drafts of the dissertation. She deserves an honorary doctorate. This work would not be without her. Douglas K. Blount, a former professor during my master’s degree, once offered what has now proven to be some of the most important academic advice that I have received. When explaining to him that I would like to pursue doctoral studies, Blount cautioned that, although the institution at which one seeks to study is important, perhaps more important are the supervisors under whom one chooses to study. Such advice proved true with Gijsbert van den Brink and Rik Peels. From day one Gijsbert has been more than kind to me, patiently reading multiple drafts of every chapter, generously answering innumerable emails, even inviting me into his home during my travels to the Netherlands. Rik Peels, my second supervisor, has long-sufferingly provided invaluable feedback on this dissertation, always prompting me to do the best work that I could. It is not an understatement to say that were it not for Rik’s keen supervision, this project, more than a few times, would have fallen to utter ruin. Thank you, Gijsbert and Rik, for giving me an opportunity, and for allowing me to sit under your tutelage. A student is not above his teachers; but the student who is fully trained will be like his teachers (cf. Lk 6:40). Many thanks to Dr. Paul Wolfe for allowing me to teach systematic theology at the Cambridge School of Dallas while I wrote this dissertation; to Drs. Jay Howell and Tyler McNabb for reading the manuscript, offering helpful
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