UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME

Spring 2011 Newsletter Notes from the Director Table of Contents Notes from the Director ...... 1 ear Colleagues also opened the 2010-2011 academic Michael Rea and Friends of the year with the announcement of an- History: Made and Making ...... 2 Center, other large-scale project, entitled “Ana- Mark Noll We are now in lytic Theology: The Convergence of Recent Events in the Center ...... 4-6 our second year Philosophy and Theology.” This proj- Leibniz Conference of the “Problem” ect, also funded with generous support of Evil in Modern and Contemporary from the John Templeton Foundation, Bayle Workshop D is part of a multi-national endeavor to The Annual Alvin Plantinga Fellow Lecture Thought” project, which has funded three of our residential research fel- promote greater dialogue and cross- The Problem of Evil Project: Year One ...... 6-7 lows this year and supported a major fertilization between the fi elds of Samuel Newlands academic conference in September in philosophy and theology. We will be Interview with Plantinga Fellow, honor of the 300th anniversary of the running conferences, supporting re- Paul Draper ...... 7 publication of Leibniz’s Theodicy. We search fellows, funding interdisciplin- ary courses and discussion 2010-2011 Center Fellow Profi l e s...... 8-9 groups, and much more Pierre Bayle on the Problem of Evil ...... 10 both here at Notre Dame Michael Hickson and also abroad in Ger- Living in the Cracks ...... 11 many, Austria, and Israel. William Abraham (For details, see www.ana- Jewish Philosophical Theology ...... 12 lytictheology.org) We are Aaron Segal also continuing to spon- sor several programs for Book Review: Wandering in Darkness, by Eleonore Stump ...... 13-15 undergraduates, including the Food for Thought series Announcement of 2011-2012 and the second installment Center Fellows ...... 15 of “The God Debate,, fea- Upcoming Events in the Center ...... 16 turing Sam Harris and Wil- The God Debate liam Lane Craig. Be sure to Food for Thought Workshop check out our re-designed web page to see if any of what we are doing might benefi t you.

Center Director, Michael Rea

1 Plantinga Conference History: Made and Making By Mark A. Noll, Francis A. McAnaney Professor of History, University of Notre Dame

he Alvin Plantinga alive and well due in substantial part transparency of Christian concern. retirement conference to the efforts of Plantinga, Plantinga’s For a historian witnessing such an at Notre Dame on like-minded colleagues, the students event, it was inevitable that thoughts May 20-22, 2010, was they had trained, and the broad impact would go to how such maturity in a feast for the philo- they had exerted. Wolterstorff, in other Christian philosophy had come about sophically minded. As words, expatiated explicitly on what and what that maturity represented. a non-philosopher privileged to sit was being demonstrated implicitly as T Those thoughts, in turn, led on to in on many of the sessions, I saw no the conference unfolded. broader considerations of what schol- reason to doubt the judgment of C. Christian philosophy, as illustrated at ars in other intellectual domains might Stephen Evans from Baylor’s philoso- the May gathering, does not mean a gain from observing what has hap- phy department that “many papers triumphalist or party-line parade of pened in philosophy. displayed dazzling virtuosity and boisterous assertions; it means instead technical ingenuity.” (Books & Culture Three related questions arose naturally careful, analytical, refi ned, and pen- website) Yet in addition, although the from observing what was on display etrating philosophical inquiry where papers, with one exception, featured at the conference. How, intellectually Christian questions, Christian frame- the philosophers’ usual fastidiousness considered, did Christian philosophy works, Christian dogma, and Christian about precision of statement and logi- revive? How, considered in terms of attitudes are simply taken for granted cal ordering of propositions, they were social networks, did Christian phi- as part of the enterprise. Moreover, obviously dealing with large questions losophy spread so as to infl uence the although I’m quite sure I did not catch affecting humankind in general discipline as a whole? And how, instead of just in-group consid- considered as a comment on the erations of interest only to the Plantinga celebration, does con- guild. Making an effort to fol- temporary Christian philosophy low the arguments resulted not refl ect its Christian character? just in clarifi ed argumentation, but also in challenges to think The outline of an answer to the carefully about real-world ethics, fi rst question was set out clearly human mental capacities, human in Plantinga’s 1983 “Advice to moral responsibility, Christian Christian Philosophers,” his doctrine, and God. inaugural lecture as the John A. O’Brien Professor of Philosophy The one paper that broke the at Notre Dame. In that lecture, mold was Nicholas Wolter- Plantinga stated explicitly as storff’s autobiographical tour hortatory advice what he, Wolter- d’horizon, “Then, Now, and Al.” storff, and a small circle of others It offered Wolterstorff’s refl ec- had already been doing for at tions on the sixty years since as least two decades. It was neces- Mark Noll, courtesy of William Koechling a sophomore at Calvin College sary, he said, for Christian phi- he had fi rst met Plantinga, on losophers to pay careful heed to the dramatic alterations in professional the nuances of what was happening in the preoccupations and procedures of philosophy that have taken place dur- many of the sessions, some of the best the discipline, but even more necessary ing the intervening six decades, and of them seemed to involve unbelievers not to allow those preoccupations and on the contribution of Al Plantinga to challenging various points defended procedures to dictate what Christian those dramatic alterations. The critical by Plantinga and other believers, or be- philosophers tried to do. It was also point of Wolterstorff’s insightful and lieving philosophers taking on various necessary to think with greater integ- often moving address was that in 1950 points in Plantinga’s version of Chris- rity—or, in a philosopher’s character- the notion of Christian philosophy was tian philosophy. The sessions, in other istic coinage, integrality—about how almost unimaginable, while in 2010 words, exhibited a remarkable intellec- broader life concerns should properly Christian philosophy was very much tual openness as well as a remarkable encompass narrower disciplinary

2 concerns. And it was necessary to do together philosophical and theological universities, and with another fourth philosophical work with courage of concerns. By doing so courageously from evangelical Christian colleges. On Christian convictions and self-confi - and with integrity, they have not only the program were two philosophers dence in Christian confession. redirected professional philosophy, from the Netherlands and one from Is- but also given a much needed shot in rael. Attending were philosophers from As an outsider to the discipline, it the arm to professional theologians England, Iran (!), and China (!!). And seems that the Plantinga injunctions and great benefi t to the interested lay the meeting was convened at the Uni- come close to summarizing what has public at large. Signifi cantly, however, versity of Notre Dame where Plantinga actually transpired. Christian phi- has taught for more than 25 years. losophers have engaged fully in The meeting witnessed, in other disciplinary practices and have in words, Abraham Kuyper and that process excelled in painstak- Thomas Aquinas in harness with ingly careful analysis of language the spiritual grandchildren of the and also in deeply self-conscious philosophically inert D. L. Moody refl ection on how human perspec- and aided by disparate representa- tives shape the use of language. tion from the old Christian West They have, in other words, con- and the new Christian Non-West. tributed to both the scrupulosity Sixty years ago, most evangelicals of analytical philosophy and the colleges did not have philosophy heightened self-consciousness departments; philosophy depart- attending the modern “linguistic ments at secular universities might turn.” Yet, crucially, Christian have tolerated philosophers who philosophers have gone beyond were Christians but not Chris- the standard academic fi xations on tian philosophy; and the bridges language, its inner relationships, between Dutch and American and its hegemonic uses to insist Alvin Plantinga Christian traditions were few and that philosophers must never far between. Fifty years ago Ro- abandon concern for what lan- man Catholics and confessional or guage refers to. One of the most telling they have done so mostly in service to evangelical Protestants had very little moments in Wolterstorff’s paper was generic “mere Christianity,” to a broad use for one another for any purpose, when he pointed out how important conception of traditional Christian- including philosophy; China was it was that Plantinga’s 1967 book was ity, rather than to any denominational considered “lost” to Christianity; and entitled God and Other Minds and not variety of Christian faith. professional philosophy still pursued its Language about God. positivist way. The broad Christian basis of contempo- Christian philosophy has also revived rary Christian philosophy helps answer In the changes that have taken place because of the skill with which philo- the second question about how the since and that were manifest at the re- sophical insights have been used to networking developed that supports cent conference, the efforts of philoso- explore theological issues. One of the intellectual and theological vital- phers like Plantinga and Wolterstorff the hardest thing to imagine from the ity so richly displayed at the Plantinga have made a real difference. Yet that perspective of 1950 is that within a celebration. The conference itself show- difference has played out against a generation fi rst-order philosophical cased in microcosm the end products of large canvass that includes the Second forums (articles, papers, conferences, an extraordinary history. Wolterstorff Vatican Council (and the Catholic university press books) would have and Plantinga are two of the four APA about-face on relations with other become the venue for high-level philo- presidents instructed by William Harry Christians), the intellectual awakening sophical engagement with topics like Jellema during his tenure at Calvin of American evangelical and post- the Trinity, the Incarnation of Christ, College (1920-1936, 1948-1963; the other fundamentalist Christianity (in which the atonement, and other central Chris- two were O. K. Bouwsma and William the Calvin crowd and Dutch-American tian dogmas. Moreover, the fl ood tide Frankena). They were featured on a publishers like Eerdmans played of such work continues unabated, with program with several scholars from major roles), the exhaustion of secu- a solid representation of such issues Catholic institutions, with roughly one larism in mainstream academia (that at the Plantinga conference. Chris- half of the presenters, commentators, was sped along by comrades in arms tian philosophers have brought back and chairs from secular colleges and cont’d on pg 4

3 Recent Events

eera of extraordinary change. faithful to the vocation of teaching as well as to the vocation of scholar- TTo answer the question about the ship. The fruits of their teaching--not CChristian character of contempo- as ego-enhancement but as self-giving rrary Christian philosophy it was empowerment passed on with insights, oonly necessary to stay awake dur- techniques, problems, and standards of ingi the conference. Maybe I simply integrity—were everywhere on display missedm in-house barbs, put-downs, in Notre Dame’s McKenna Hall. Chris- aand grandstanding, but the strong tian philosophy has been “Christian” iimpression with which I came away for what it has done intellectually, but wwas that the conference was carried also for how its leaders have modeled offo with a graciousness exceedingly Christian virtues and how they have rarer in academic circles. Arguments expended energies on behalf of their wwere contested but not ad hominen; students. iintellectual blows were struck but not Nicholas Wolterstorff, Noah Porter low blows; one upsmanship seemed The Christian philosophical revival Emeritus Professor at Yale University almost entirely sidelined by an effort that Al Plantinga did so much to to get at the truth of whatever was promote and that so many others have like William Alston and conference under discussion. contributed so much to sustain offers attendees like Richard Swinburne), much to other academics who hope the Fulbright and other academic fel- In addition, the number and vitality of to see the intellectual renewal and lowships (which accelerated Dutch/ younger philosophers was unusually networking strength that now charac- European exchange with the United impressive. As Stephen Evans noted, terizes Christian philosophy. At least States), the dramatic cultural opening “it was amazing to see the number of as expressed at the recent Notre Dame in post-Mao China (where the truth superb younger philosophers at the gathering, the balance of acumen and claims of Christian philosophers have conference.” The quantity of younger charity, “the greatest of these,” was the proven amazingly interesting), and philosophers and the quality of their most impressive thing to watch as the much more. The revival of Christian work testifi ed eloquently to another philosophers got down to work. philosophy, in other words, has taken reality: the older generation of Chris- its place as both cause and effect in an tian philosophers has been consistently The Year in Review

his last year has been In mid-September, with an exciting one in every help from the John Temple- way for the Center. We ton Foundation, the Center have hosted scholars hosted a cutting-edge con- from around the globe ference on Gottfried Leib- and have signifi cantly niz’s Theodicy. The book is Texpanded our footprint in the problem an early eighteenth-century of evil debate. The Center has likewise classic in philosophy of reli- partnered with universities across the gion and the problem of evil. United States in developing workshops The conference, entitled and seminars in philosophy of religion. Leibniz’s Theodicy: Content At the same time we have renewed and Context, highlighted a our commitment to the Notre Dame variety of topics in contem- campus community and especially to porary Leibniz scholarship. its undergraduates by expanding our Among its program par- local lecture offerings. ticipants were such leading Center Director Mike Rea with Leibniz keynote speaker lights as Robert Merrihew Robert Merrihew Adams 4 Adams (North Carolina), Marilyn of the recent revival in Bayle scholar- shop were treated to a hearty meal McCord Adams (North Carolina), ship. The Bayle workshop is just one and heard well-known philosopher of Jonathan Israel (Institute for Advanced of the many activities that the Center religion Michael Murray (Templeton hhas sponsored as Foundation) deliver a lecture on the ppart of its ongoing relation of God to the natural order. 44-year research ini- In addition to its special fall events, the ttiative, “The Problem Center’s weekly reading group contin- oof Evil in Modern ues to fl ourish every Friday morning CContemporary at 10:00 AM. Scholars from around TThought” (www. the world have presented papers at eevilandtheodicy. this group. The universal sentiment ccom). has been that the group is a unique IIn October visiting forum and that it is particularly suited CCenter fellow Paul for generating insights into working DDraper (Purdue papers in philosophy of religion. The UUniversity) delivered lineup of presenters in the spring se- tthe Ninth Annual mester includes several of our own re- Alvin Plantinga Fel- search fellows, as well as John Martin Philosophers Michael Murray and Robert Audi in debate at the Leibniz Conference low Lecture to a full Fischer (University of California-Riv- house in the Eck erside) and Robert Merrihew Adams Study), and Daniel Garber (Princeton). Center on the Notre (University of North Carolina). Without exception, every one of the Dame campus. Professor Draper’s lec- conference sessions was well-attended ture focused on natural evils and their Jeremy Neill – both by scholars from around the implications for our debates about world and by members of the Notre the existence of God. Supplementing Dame community (lots of undergradu- his delivery with some well-chosen ates too!). The success of the confer- Powerpoint slides, Professor Draper ence was so great that the organizers spoke to an overfl owing auditorium are already planning for a similarly- that included scholars from area col- styled conference, ‘Leibniz’s Theodicy: leges and of course a Legacy and Relevance,” which will large contingent from take place in Lisbon, Portugal in 2012. the Notre Dame faculty Stay tuned for further details. and undergraduate communities. A vigor- Immediately prior to the Leibniz ous question and an- conference the Center hosted an excit- swer session followed ing workshop on Pierre Bayle and the the lecture. problem of evil. Guests were treated to a full-course meal as they listened to As part of its long- accomplished lecturers deliver papers standing commitment on Bayle, skepticism, and theodicy. to undergraduate edu- Among the featured lecturers were cation, the Center this visiting center fellows Michael Hick- fall hosted another one son (Santa Clara University) and Todd of its popular Food for Ryan (Trinity College). During their Thought workshops. Undergraduates who The Friday reading group discusses a claim in Andrew year at the Center, Hickson and Ryan Chignell’s paper are working on topics at the forefront attended the work-

5 The Problem of Evil Project The Problem of Evil in Modern and Contemporary Thought: Year One By Samuel Newlands ast year, the Center to publish some of the proceedings. Wolterstorff, and Plantinga have found received a $1.7 million The whole conference, in Reid a philosophical dollar grant from the including audience dis- ally,a little attention has John Templeton Foun- cussion, is now available beenb given to Reid’s dation to fund “The in HD streaming on the workw on the problem of Problem of Evil in Mod- Center’s YouTube channel evil,e a neglect Ryan will Lern and Contemporary Thought.” This (see the Center website). helph correct with his four-year research initiative explores We also welcomed our book-lengthb project. various historical and contemporary fi rst set of Templeton InI connection with the accounts of how and why evil exists in residential fellows this workw of these fellows, a world that has been created and sus- year: Michael Hickson thet Center is host- tained by a loving and powerful God. (Santa Clara), Ryan Nich- ingi two workshops More concretely, the project provides ols (Cal-State, Fullerton), thist year. The fi rst, on funding for residential fellowships, and Todd Ryan (Trin- Bayle’sB contribution empirical studies, conferences, semi- ity College). All three are The Holocaust Memorial, Miami Beach, FL, Kenneth to the problem of evil, nars, workshops, publications, trans- specialists in early modern Treister, FAIA, Sculptor occurred on the eve of lations, contests, and public events. philosophy, and they have the Theodicy confer- The goal is to stimulate new work on added a rich historical ence and brought both the problem of evil that is relevant to dimension to the Center’s weekly established and up-and-coming Bayle both the scholarly community and to a discussion group. Hickson and Ryan experts together with our fellows to larger public audience. are both working on the problem of discuss their projects. The Bayle ex- evil in the work of Pierre Bayle, whose perts also had the rare opportunity to We are now in the middle of our fi rst contributions to the topic have been defend Bayle against the many Leib- full year of activities – and what a unfortunately overshadowed by oth- nizians who attended the pre-confer- year it has been! Most of the project’s ers in the 17th century. Nichols’ work ence banquet. (Leibniz originally wrote activities this year have centered on this year centers on Thomas Reid, a the Theodicy as a response to Bayle, the historical component, as this year leading philosopher from the Scottish and it is full of objections to Bayle, who marks the 300th anniversary of the Enlightenment. Although prominent died shortly before it was published.) publication of Leibniz’s Theodicy, one Christian philosophers such as Alston, of the grandest attempts to The second workshop, held on March, reconcile the goodness and justice of God with the evils of our world. In September, the Center hosted a large conference on the Theodicy, inviting top-notch early modern scholars to discuss the content and context of Leibniz’s mature work on the problem of evil. It was an international affair: 10 different countries were represented on the program alone. The conference was very well attended and work is already underway 2010 Summer Seminar on the Problem of Evil

6 Interview with Paul Draper

Paul Draper is the the argument from evil against theism, I (5) What’s the one philosophical text or current Plantinga Fel- hope to write a second book on a new sort argument with which you wish non- low at the Center for of cumulative case for theism. philosophers were familiar? Philosophy of Religion. I wish non-philosophers were familiar with A graduate of the Uni- (2) What problems/puzzles in philosophy of the philosophical literature on human ob- versity of California- religion do you fi nd most pressing? ligations to other animals. If more people Irvine, he specializes in As my answer to (1) suggests, I’m very in- realized how badly we currently treat philosophy of religion. terested in the argument from evil against animals and how powerful some of the theism and in cumulative cases for theism. arguments are in favor of treating them bet- (1) Why did you decide to specialize in phi- I’m also very interested in the fi ne-tuning ter, then progress on this important moral losophy of religion? design argument for theism. issue could be made more quickly. I had a lot of doubts about my religious beliefs, and I felt that pursuing philosophy (3) How have your religious experiences (or (6) As a philosopher, you will have taken of religion was the best way to resolve lack thereof) affected your work? yourself to succeed if ----? them. Ultimately, studying philosophy of They have helped me to remain in the ag- I get a skeptical theism fellowship so that I religion didn’t remove my doubts, but it nostic camp instead of the atheist one. can come back to the Center next year. made me more confi dent that those doubts are justifi ed. I look at philosophical argu- (7) What philosophical idea or argument do ments about religion, not as a means of (4) As an agnostic, do you wish more people you wish you came up with? justifying religious or anti-religious beliefs, involved in debates about philosophy of but instead as a way of testing them. This religion were in your camp? Pascal’s Wager. But only because then method of inquiry requires me to construct No, I just wish that camp membership my name would be “Paul Pascal,” which and evaluate arguments both for and depended more on evidence and less on ac- sounds so much cooler than “Paul Draper.” against religious beliefs. For example, after cidents of birth and infl exible orthodoxies. I complete the book I am writing now on

11-12, 2011 was on the Scottish Enlight- Dialogues of Maximus and Themistius of evil in early modern philosophy, enment and the problem of evil. One (under contract with Brill Academic conducted by Sleigh and Greenberg exciting aspect of this workshop is that Publishers). This work has not been on the idyllic Skidmore University many of the participants are approach- translated into English before and pro- campus in upstate New York. The ap- ing this topic for the fi rst time, giving it vides Bayle’s fi nal word on the prob- plicant pool for the 10 slots was very a true “workshop” feel. lem of evil: it was completed on the competitive and those selected were evening of his death in 1706. We have extremely capable Ph.D. students from Another major source of activity this also created Leibniz Texts)(http:// top early modern programs in the US, year has been translations. In order to leibniztexts.com), a website that will such as Harvard, Yale, and Rice. We promote broader interest in Leibniz’s publish new translations of 17 papers hope that the impact on these students Theodicy, we’ve funded a much-needed by Leibniz on the problem of evil and at this early stage in their career will be new translation by Robert Sleigh and related topics. The translations, by long-lasting. Sean Greenberg. The new translation, Robert Sleigh, will only be available under contract with Oxford University We are currently making plans for the online. There are also plans to fund a Press, will be available in both scholar- next set of workshops, conferences, translation of Paul Rateau’s new book ly and student editions and will make and public events. If next year is as full on Leibniz’s theodicy, one of the few the text more accessible to a wider and rich as this year has been, we’ll book-length studies on the topic. audience. One of our fellows this consider the project a rousing success year, Michael Hickson, is completing This past summer, we ran a seminar to date. a translation of Bayle’s fi nal work, the for graduate students on the problem

7 Center Fellows 2010 – 2011 Center Fellows Paul Draper, Alvin Plantinga Fellow

Professor of Philosophy, Purdue University Paul Draper is visiting this year from Purdue University, where he is a Professor of Philosophy. He is currently writing a book on the question of whether the suffering in the world makes it unlikely that a loving God exists. Paul grew up in Southern California and lived for 20 years in Miami, Florida, which is why he is both a Laker and a Heat fan (life is good!). He has been married to his wife Linda for 32 years. They have one child, Caitlin, who is 20 years old. Paul’s hobbies include playing table tennis and poker, reading novels, and New Testament history. His favorite novel is ‘Peace like a River.’

William Abraham, Frederick J. Crosson Fellow

Albert Cook Outler Professor of Wesley Studies and Altshuler Distinguished Teach- ing Professor, Southern Methodist University William J. Abraham is visiting the Center this year from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas, where he is the Outler Professor of Wesley Studies and Altshuler Distinguished Teaching Professor. His current work focuses on divine action; it started as a monograph and has exploded into a multi-volume project. Originally from Northern Ireland, Professor Abraham identifi es himself as living in the cracks: Ireland/Britain, Europe/USA, theology/philosophy, academy/ church, theory/practice. He fi nds the United States a fascinating theological experiment politi- cally, and is proud to say that he has signed on as a fi ghting Irishman!

Andrew Chignell, Research Fellow

Associate Professor, Sage School of Philosophy, Cornell University Andrew Chignell is visiting this year from the Sage School of Philosophy at Cornell University, where he is an Associate Professor. Andrew is a noted Kant scholar and this year he is writing on Kant and the question of hope. He was born in Dundee, Scotland, but then he lost his Scot- tish accent when his family moved to Wheaton, Illinois. Andrew attended Wheaton College and received a doctorate from the Yale University philosophy department in 2004. Most of Andrew’s family now lives in Hawaii, which means that he gets to escape the cold during winter break. His non-philosophical interests include music, theater, traveling, and motorcycles.

Patrick Todd, Visiting Graduate Fellow Patrick Todd is visiting the Center from the University of California, Riverside, where he is cur- rently working toward his Ph.D. in philosophy. His main philosophical interests are in metaphys- ics, free will and moral responsibility, and philosophy of religion. Having recently taken up box- ing, he hopes that whatever philosophical talent he may have in these areas does not deteriorate once he begins participating in Notre Dame’s annual charity boxing tournament, Bengal Bouts.

Todd Ryan, Early Modern Research Fellow

Associate Professor of Philosophy, Trinity College Todd Ryan is an Associate Professor of Philosophy at Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut. He is visiting the Center this year as part of its Early Modern research project. His research these days is focused on 17th Century French philosophy and its reception. In particular he is interested in the philosophical and theological thought of Pierre Bayle. He grew up in Illinois and because of this is excited to return to the Midwest this year. In his spare time he enjoys classical music, travel and languages.

8 Michael Hickson, Early Modern Research Fellow

Assistant Professor of Philosophy, Santa Clara University Michael Hickson is currently preparing an English translation of the last work of the 17th-century French philosopher, Pierre Bayle. These Dialogues of Maximus and Themistius (1707) articulate an enigmatic view of the relationship between faith and reason which has been interpreted variously as representing or entailing Orthodox Calvinism, atheism, skepticism, fi deism, radical tolerance, or some combination of these. Next year Michael, his wife Andréanne, and their new baby, Isaac Émile, will move to northern California where Michael will begin teaching philosophy at Santa Clara University.

Ryan Nichols, Early Modern Research Fellow

Assistant Professor of Philosophy, California State University, Fullerton Ryan Nichols is visiting the Center this year from California State University, Fullerton. There he researches eighteenth-century Scottish thought, Philosophy of Religion, Experimental Philoso- phy and, recently, Early Confucianism. While at the Center this year, Ryan is examining changes to the concept of ‘natural evil’ in the eighteenth-century in the wake of the Lisbon earthquake of 1755. He hopes to understand the relationship between interpretations of natural disasters like the earthquake as divine punishments and interpretations of them as cases of natural evil. Nichols is originally from Pawnee, Illinois. He plays ultimate Frisbee and enjoys reading science fi ction.

Wu Tianyue, Templeton Research Fellow Tianyue Wu is visiting the Center from Peking University in Beijing, China, where he teaches an- cient and medieval philosophy. He is now working on Aquinas’ conception of passion, with the hope of better understanding our sentiments of desire and anger. His wife Hui Hui is a medieval historian and also focuses on Aquinas. Besides their common interest in the Angelic Doctor, they spend most of their time with their two little angels, their children Jeremy and Rebecca.

Wang Shi, Templeton Visiting Graduate Student Wang Shi, who is going by ‘James,’ is a visiting graduate student from from East China Normal University in Shanghai, China, where he is studying for a doctoral degree. Most of his main re- search areas are in analytic philosophy – largely in metaphysics and epistemology. He likes read- ing, music and jogging in his spare time. He is married and his wife is also a philosophy student. Among his favorite books are classic Chinese works, including especially history and poetry.

Huang Wei, Templeton Visiting Graduate Student Huang Wei, who is going by ‘Brian,’ is a visiting graduate student from Fudan University in Shanghai. He is currently working in metaphysics, in particular modal metaphysics and actual- ism. He was born and raised in Shanghai, China, and after he returns to China next year he hopes to apply for a PhD. in philosophy in the United States. Eventually he wants to be a professor in philosophy. Among his hobbies are listening to Mozart and John Denver after work. His wife is also a philosopher and they enjoy discussing together current affairs and various philosophical topics.

9 Feature Article Tolerating God? Bayle on the Problem of Evil

or as long as there has tion lies in Bayle’s publications prior universe appears to be run in a way been the idea of an to the Dictionary, especially the seven different from how we think it should infi nitely powerful, wise, works dealing with religious tolera- be run: I would not permit sin and suf- and good God, there has tion. Bayle’s Philosophical Commen- fering, so why does God permit them? been the problem of evil: tary (1686) was one of most infl uential But if an all-perfect Creator exists, His why would such a God pleas for toleration in its day and new “culture” would differ so radically permitF suffering and wickedness to editions continue to be printed. Since from our own that we should expect enter the world? toleration was on Bayle’s mind at the His conduct to confound us. Since it time of the Dictionary, it makes sense may be impossible to put on the mind The issue has often led people to draw a to read his position on the problem evil of a human culture not our own, a line in the sand: you are either a the- in terms of it. fortiori it may be impossible to under- ist who thinks that some explanation stand the ways of God. can be given for why God permits evil (a “theodicy”), SSo we can reframe the prob- or you are an atheist who llem of evil: is it possible that thinks that no explanation tthe evil in the world should can be given and that God’s bbe tolerated because some existence is therefore unlike- “divine culture” exists from ly. Pierre Bayle (1648–1706), tthe perspective of which it is always enigmatic, had a foot jjustifi ed? on either side of that line. His position was that an all- TheT answer for Bayle was perfect God exists, but that “yes.” However, he insisted every theodicy is bound to oon the impossibility of trans- fail. llating that culture into human tterms. Bayle might have Bayle’s Historical and Criti- ssaid that the best reason can cal Dictionary (1697) was A Philosopher Lecturing with a Mechanical Planetary, Joseph do is not to explain God, but “the philosophical block- Wright, 1766, Derby Museum and Art Gallery, Derby merely to tolerate Him. It’s buster” of the eighteenth not a very pious position, but century. Its most widely- it does give atheists a hard read articles levelled objections against Tolerance, for Bayle, involves re- time. The atheist says, “from my per- the most popular rational justifi cations fraining from judging others’ moral spective there is no justifi cation for evil, for the evil in the world. Bayle’s stated characters on the exclusive basis of therefore there is likely no justifi cation goal, however, was to thereby humble one’s own limited moral categories. It for evil period, and hence no all-perfect reason and show the necessity of faith. involves accepting that our ways of God exists.” Bayle’s argument demon- In response to Bayle, G.W. Leibniz doing things and the ways of others strates the intolerance underlying this wrote the only book he would ever can differ without either being bad. reasoning: the atheist makes his own publish, the Theodicy (1710), for he, The more somebody’s culture differs moral concepts the rule over the entire like many in his and our day, believed from ours, the more we should be open universe. that the logic of Bayle’s position was to the possibility that their behaviour Bayle has been read for three centuries intentionally subversive of religion. which seems wrong to us has a hidden What else could Bayle’s goal have been as a “tolerant atheist.” But if I’m right, justifi cation. There are, however, limits such a thing was impossible for Bayle. in demonstrating the failure of theod- to what anybody should tolerate. icy, if not to justify atheism? The problem of evil arises when the Michael Hickson A fi rst clue to answering this ques- 10 Feature Article: Living in the Cracks I live in the cracks: between Ireland out the contours of the debate: in the a doctrine of analogy to understand and England, between Europe and analytic tradition, in the Process tradi- divine action. It is far from clear that America, between philosophy and tion, in forms of the Thomist tradition, action is a closed concept; the quest for theology, and between the church and and in recent literature on science and the necessary and suffi cient conditions the academy. I took up philosophy be- religion. of the idea of action has turned out to cause I had a vague sense that it would be something of a dead-end. My own help me sort out my theological con- view is that the concept of action is an victions; it quickly became the site of open concept, as revealed by the host primary interest over against psy- of contrasts that it evokes in ordinary chology because the issues addressed usage. If this holds, then this calls for were so much more fundamental. a fresh look at what to do with the The focus of my current work is on idea of divine action. Even if one had divine agency and divine action. The a closed concept of action suitably topic initially surfaced within theol- honed to apply to divine action, this ogy within the nineteen sixties when tells us nothing about how to unpack the Old Testament scholar G. E. the myriad specifi c acts, actions, and Wright argued that theology should activity of God that one fi nds in the be construed as drawing inferences Christian tradition. William Alston from the mighty acts of God in his- came close to seeing this when he con- tory. As a theologian Wright waxed fessed that his work on divine action eloquent about the crucial place of turned out to be surprisingly sparse divine action; as a historian divine when applied to particular cases. action melted into thin air. The theo- Similar results show up in the work of logians, led by Langdon Gilkey, had Process theologians and in the exten- a fi eld day showing up the equivoca- sive volumes on scientifi c perspectives tion involved. Gilkey’s solution was on divine action. simple: develop a doctrine of gen- Crombie early on noted that in dealing eral providence (of how God works with divine action, doing theology was everywhere) and we can then fi gure simply unavoidable. One job of the out how God acts in a special way in theologian is to articulate who God is history. This move already assumes and what God has done. The relevant some notion of divine action; so the work requires serious attention to the issue quickly migrated to conceptual The Crucifi xion, El Greco, 1596-1600, history of theology and to the precise work on the concept of action. Museo del Prado, Madrid problems that theologians have pur- However, the work on divine action sued. To take an obvious example: the in the analytic tradition arose in a The debate about divine agency and Augustinian-Pelagian debate is both different context, that of the debate divine action can be posed in terms about material issues in soteriology about meaning and verifi cation. In of two simple questions. Take any and about how best to understand cau- this world the central problem was the claim about divine action, say, God sation in claims about divine action. I coherence of discourse about divine ac- created the world ex nihilo. Then we think we can solve this one. Hence we tion. On the theological side, many in ask how we are to understand the are already into a new form of theol- North America turned to Process Phi- subject of these sentences (God) and ogy: analytic theology. Maybe living in losophy as a way forward; aside from the predicates (action discourse). Most the cracks has its benefi ts after all. one exception, until recently this never attention has been given to the latter. took off in England in part because of Much of this work involves the search William Abraham the dominance of the analytic tradition. for a closed conception of human ac- My initial work has involved sorting tion. Once secured, then one looks to

11 Jewish Philosophical Theology Jewish Philosophical Theology hile Notre developing systematic accounts of the philosophical theology and at the same Dame’s metaphysics, epistemology, or ethical time true to the Hebrew Bible. Each of Center for and political philosophy that emerge the three annual conferences that are to Philosophy of from these texts. This project seeks to be held under the auspices of the Jew- Religion hosts rectify this imbalance. However, the ish Philosophical Theology project will its Analytic project is decidedly not one whose hopefully build on the success of the TheologyW project over the course of aims are to chart a “history of ideas” pilot, but will focus on a narrower topic the next three years, a “sister proj- from the Hebrew Bible through the and engage a broader range of texts and ect” devoted to Jewish Philosophical Talmud. Rather, as Hazony writes, periods than the pilot. The fi rst annual Theology will be hosted by the Shalem “The aim of this project is ultimately conference – to be held June 26-30, 2011 Center in Jerusalem. Both of these to attain philosophical insight into – is entitled “Philosophical Investiga- projects are generously funded by the traditional texts where such work is tion of the Hebrew Scriptures, Talmud, John Templeton Foundation (as is the and Midrash” and will focus on third “sister project,” hosted by the metaphysicsm and God’s nature. The University of Innsbruck in Austria). titlest of the 2012 and 2013 conferences area (respectively) “Human Knowing: The aim of the Jewish Philosophical Prophecy,P Narrative, and Law” and Theology project, broadly speaking, “Human“ Action: Justice, Righteous- is to develop a distinctively Jewish ness,n Love, and Awe.” contribution to the burgeoning fi eld of philosophical theology and to ex- AlthoughA the Jewish project will, by plore the ways in which insights from itsi nature, touch on subjects that are contemporary philosophical theology ofo particular signifi cance to Jews, the can help illuminate traditional Jewish hopeh is that that the fruits of the Jew- topics and texts. It will feature annual ishi project will benefi t philosophical conferences, summer workshops, and theologianst of other faiths, and vice residential fellowships, all of which versa.v Michael Murray, vice-Pres- will bring together philosophers and identi for philosophy and theology theologians who are currently work- ofo the John Templeton Foundation, ing on this exciting new venture, and hopesh the Analytic Theology proj- will hopefully spur further interest ecte as a whole furthers “personal among younger scholars. connectionsc and collaborative work betweenb Jewish Analytic Theolo- But the project has a more nar- Depiction of Temple candelabrum in the gians and their Christian and, hope- row aim as well. According to Yoram ancient synagogue fully, Muslim counterparts, with the Hazony, provost of the Shalem Center goal of fi nding ways to use the tools of and director of the project, “Jewish philosophy and science to make new capable of shedding light on, and be- tradition is text based, and the guiding spiritual discoveries that transcend ing illuminated by, questions of current questions for the Jewish component sectarian boundaries.” will be whether it is possible to profi t- importance.” ably investigate the Hebrew Bible, Tal- For more information on the project, A successful pilot conference, called mud and Midrash as works of genuine visit http://www.bibleandphilosophy. “The Bible and Philosophy: Rethink- philosophical interest.” Hazony notes orghttp://www.shalem.org.il/Events/ ing the Fundamentals,” was held at that scholars of the Hebrew Bible, Philosophical-Investigation-of-the-He- the Shalem Center in October 2009. It Talmud, and Midrash – texts that form brew-Scriptures-Talmud-and-Midrash. brought together roughly sixty par- the core of Jewish tradition - have html. ticipants, and its aim was to begin usually focused on issues pertaining developing a Jewish philosophy that is to compositional history, philology, at once “in tune with” contemporary Aaron Segal and literary character, and seldom on 12 Book Review: Wandering in Darkness, by Eleonore Stump leonore Stump has being fails to get a desire of her heart this world, but still suffer heartbreak written what may be or has and then loses a desire of her on account of failure to achieve a par- her magnum opus, heart.” …“What is bad about suffering, ticular task, such as winning a Nobel Wandering in Dark- then, is that it undermines or destroys prize or political offi ce. It is Stump’s ness, a text that is the what the sufferer centrally cares about, contention that God must provide a culmination of much her own fl ourishing or the desires of her benefi t that defeats the suffering that Eof her recent work. heart, or both. In my view, suffering so results from the deprivation of these understood is what is in need of expla- desires Her project is a defense to the problem nation in the problem of evil.”(7, 11) of evil. As in traditional defenses, she This requirement will undoubtedly argues for a possible morally suffi cient The ‘Desires of the Heart’ are a unique strike some people as unreasonable. reason (MSR) for why God God is not required to give might allow suffering. The uus anything we set out massive work is divided hhearts on, just as a parent into four parts. First, Stump iis not required to give his introduces her topic and cchild anything the child unique methodology, which hhappens to want. After all, is to incorporate narratives a person could set his heart and recent scientifi c research oon something destructive in a philosophically signifi - oor evil. We should recall cant manner. In part two, tthat the desires of the heart she presents several salient aare not just any desires we features of Aquinas’s world- hhappen to have, but our core view, providing a descrip- ddesires—the desires most tion of the possible world iimportant to us. Further- of her defense. In the third Eleonore Stump lecturing at the Plantinga Retirement more, Stump maintains that Conference part, she offers an exegesis of it is characteristic of human be- four biblical narratives where- ings that they “set their hearts in suffering and a benefi t for it are feature of Stump’s formulation of the on things in addition to and different pictured. Finally, part four is devoted problem of evil. Although she offers from their own fl ourishing,” and thus to expanding Aquinas’s theodicy to no precise defi nition, she suggests there is ‘something inhuman’ about the include a benefi t for the unfulfi lled that we have an intuitive grasp of the suggestion that these desires should be desires of the heart. This review will notion—they are the desires at or near simply forgotten once one fl ourishes. focus on this last feature of Stump’s the center of a person’s desire struc- It is “essential to a person’s fl ourishing project. ture. The object of a desire of the heart, that he have desires of the heart.”(431) whether it is a person or project, has Stump maintains that an adequate Stump articulates the paradoxical value for a person derivative from the response to the problem of evil nature of the demand she places on person’s care for or commitment to must account not only for the objec- an MSR: Suffering involves losing it. A parent cares about his child not tive suffering of human beings—the something we care about—whether only in virtue of the child’s objective undermining of fl ourishing—but also fl ourishing or the desires of our hearts: value as a human being, but in virtue for their subjective suffering. Stump “To defeat suffering so understood, a of the fact that he has set his heart on writes: benefi t must be also something that we his child. care about….but what could one care “Suffering can arise when a human A person can objectively fl ourish in cont’d on pg 14

13 Book Review Cont’d

about more than one’s fl ourishing or a gift from the beloved. In this way, Of course, while a person ought to take the desires of one’s heart?”(419) The the re-gifting defeats the suffering that God as the deepest desire of her heart, paradox lies in the expectation that the comes from the initial losg of the object not everyone will. It is the cases of those benefi t will consist in the same thing of desire. who resist fl ourishing that present most the loss of which was the cause of the clearly the nature of the benefi t Stump This explanation depends on a nor- suffering. defends. Thus, it is important to see how mative constraint on the subjective Stump’s account defeats the suffering The defense is a nuanced mix of desires of the heart. Although “any- of a person who resists accepting the stories and philosophy, both of which thing can be the deepest desire of a desires of her heart and her fl ourishing. Stump considers essential to a full understanding. NearN the end of her de- Thus, I should note that any fense,f Stump reformulates attempt to represent her thet central question of defense without recourse to herh work: “Does God’s the stories will inevitably be allowinga the evil a hu- incomplete. The defense has mman being suffers enable two main divisions: First, on hher to fl ourish, or enable Aquinas’s theodicy, union hher to have the desires of with God in the afterlife hher heart…?”(455) Here defeats any deprivation SStump makes clear that of objective fl ourishing in wwhat defeats suffering is this life. Flourishing in the nnot fl ourishing or receiv- afterlife is objectively more iing the object of the desires valuable than fl ourishing on oof one’s heart, but rather a earth, and so the latter can ccapacity for each. Stump be traded as a means to the cclaims: former. ““Since what is at issue Second, Stump adds to Aqui- iis the role of suffering in nas’s theodicy in order to cconferring a kind of power account for the desires of the oor capacity on the suf- heart: “What defeats the loss fferer, it would not disprove of the desires of the heart for tthe Thomistic defense if a person is his gaining of the tthere were cases in which desires of his heart in another ssuffering did not result mode.”(449) For the person iin the fl ourishing or the who is willing, God takes ffulfi llment of the heart’s his heart’s desires, reconfi g- desires of the sufferer. To Eleonore Stump’s new book ‘Wandering in Darkness,’ published ures them, and gives them by Oxford University Press have a power is one thing; back in an altered form, still to exercise it successfully is recognizable as the original another.”(457) person’s heart …only persons ought desire, except desired even more for to be the deepest desire of a person’s Suffering is defeated by the enabling the fact that it is interwoven into his heart.”(439) Specifi cally, God ought of a person to accept her fl ourishing or deepest desire, God. The same object to be the deepest desire of a person’s heart’s desire. For a person’s suffer- becomes more valued when it becomes heart. ing to be defeated, a person need not

14 actually fl ourish or have the desires of What Stump does make clear is that efi t of this capacity enough to endure her heart fulfi lled. It is enough that the even God cannot force someone to the suffering he underwent? Stump’s suffering enable her to fl ourish, if she fl ourish. For a person to fl ourish, his account does not make clear that every should so choose, and that it enable will must be in a state that does not sufferer would be willing to undergo her to have the desires of her heart, resist fl ourishing. suffering in exchange for this capacity. should she accept them. But it seems Stump’s defense requires such willingness. The distinction between fl our- ishing and being enabled to Whether or not everyone is fl ourish is signifi cant, though persuaded by her defense, it could easily be overlooked Stump’s project contributes, given how little Stump as does much of her other emphasizes it throughout work, to making Aquinas the work. The illustrations relevant to contemporary of defeated suffering Stump philosophical topics. The presents are almost exclu- book is the product of a life- sively of people who fl ourish time of rigurous and careful as a result of their suffering or study that is characteristic of who gain their heart’s desires. Stump’s work. This review It is not as clear how this skips over many of the in- Job and his Daughters, William Blake, 1823-26, Tate Gallery benefi t will look in the life London credibly rich themes in this of the sufferer who eternally formidably sized work, all of rejects fl ourishing. It would be help- Although there is not space here to which deserve attention in their own ful to have an illustration of a sufferer discuss the nuances involved in this right. who rejects fl ourishing and yet whose explanation, one question remains own suffering is defeated through the unanswered: Would the sufferer who Charity Anderson capacity for fl ourishing, even while it rejects fl ourishing care about the ben- is rejected. Announcing the Center for Philosophy of Religion 2011-2012 Visiting Fellows

Robert C. Roberts, Baylor Univer- Templeton Early Modern Templeton Early Modern sity: Alvin Plantinga Fellow Research Fellow: Dissertation Fellows Anastasia Scrutton, University of Marcy Lascano, California State Uni- Colin Chamberlain, Harvard Univer- Durham: Frederick Crosson Fellow versity, Long Beach sity Elizabeth Goodnick, University of Eric Stencil, University of Wisconsin, Washington: Research Fellow Templeton Skeptical Madison Tyron Goldschmidt, University of Theism Research Fellows: North Carolina: Visiting Graduate Templeton Pain-Mind David Anderson, Purdue University Student Fellow Dissertation Fellow Trent Dougherty, Baylor University Beth Seacord, University of Colo- Paul Draper, Purdue University rado, Boulder

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• Weekly Philosophy Club for • Logos 2012: “Minds, Bodies, undergraduates at the Univer- and the Divine” sity of Notre Dame • Logos 2013: “Theorizing • April 2011, ‘The God Debate,’ About God-Realism in Theol- with Sam Harris and William ogy” Lane Craig http://philreligion.nd.edu/analytictheology/logos.html • October 2012 Conference, ‘Leibniz’s Theodicy: Reception • Conference in 2011-2012 on and Relevance,’ in Lisbon, Skeptical Theism Portugal • Conference in 2011-2012 on Pain and the Nature of Mind