The Miracle of Theism: Arguments for and Against the Existence of God

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Summary: AtheistWorld.Com Book Review
Review: I love how some of the reviewers can say that this book is the ultimate word and has the final say, etc. I can provide a plethora of books to give rebuttles to these arguments and I'm sure people can give books to me to give rebuttals to those rebuttals. From a scientific standpoint, and philosophic standpoint the reasons for God's existence are winning and have been winning and will always win. But that's not the point. The point here is to caution those who read this sort of material to be very careful with their choice of words and opinions. You can never know who you will come across and to simply give a point of view based on one book alone is a mistake of universal proportions. Those who write books like this don't get their information from one source and I don't recommend that any theist or atheist try to do so. I cannot ignore the fine arguments here, nor can I say that they solve the mystery or disprove or prove anything. Read many books. Read until you can't read anymore. I don't recommend Bertrand Russel's "Why I Am Not a Christian" though; the arguments are terrible. Explore all sides of an argument, develop your own ideas, read everyone you can, listen to debates, and then make a rational judgement. Taking one view too soon with no better response than, "just because" will get you nowhere. I know precisely why I am a Christian, and it did not come from reading one book.

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Summary: A brief summary of arguments with overstated conclusion
Review: Mackie attempts to refute the traditional arguments of theism and presents two possible arguments in favor of atheism. Surprisingly, he does not discuss the hiddenness of God. The book is organized and well-written. He translates clearly the otherwise obscure language of medieval philosophers.

Mackie claims to utilize a cumulative case approach, but in practice it does not turn out that way. First, he argues by purportedly knocking most theistic arguments down to a negligible probability contribution each on its own terms. Second, he also does not seem aware (p. 251) that mutually exclusive though parallel theistic arguments on the whole raise the probability of God's existence, since there are more possibilities which include a god. Third, Mackie ignores the cumulative case when he claims that a particular Christian argument "cuts both ways" (p. 182). This has force if the argument is taken on its own, but not if other arguments confirm the truth of Christianity. Against some theistic arguments Mackie claims that the naturalistic rival hypothesis is as good an explanation (although details are lacking), thus merely leaving one with the sense that theism and atheism are in a stalement.

It seems as though Mackie has a strong sense that the prior probability of theism is low (esp. relative to naturalism) and therefore the burden of proof ought to lie on the theist. This apparent prejudice affects the argument in two ways. First, he sometimes overstates his case in my opinion, such as (1) the claim that God cannot act directly in the world, (2) Mackie's allegedly "fatal" objection to "any" argument from religious experience (p. 181; cf. W. Alston, PERCEIVING GOD [Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1991]), and I could probably find other examples. Second, he seems to have a double standard of argument favoring atheism. For example, on p. 255 he allows that atheists do not need to know an answer to the atheist's problem of morality; it is enough to know that there are possible answers. On the other hand, he demands a definite answer from the theist to the problem of evil, even though acknowledges that there are possible answers (p. 154).

Due to the summary nature of the work, Mackie cannot deal adequately with each issue. For example, the cosmological argument is discussed much more fully in W. L. Craig and Q. Smith, ATHEISM, THEISM AND BIG BANG COSMOLOGY (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1993). In light of more complete discussions of the arguments and a prior presupposition allowing some reasonable probability that theism might be true, some of Mackie's bolder claims appear like overstatement. He does make a few strong points and his book emphasizes that one pillar of atheism's defense against theistic arguments rests on the following oft-repeated claims: (1) it is incoherent or otherwise illegitimate to say God is self-explanatory and (2) naturalism is a more economical hypothesis than theism. These are questions that theists must take seriously. I am grateful that Mackie calls theists to account.

Overall, I would recommend the book with the above caveats.

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Summary: An excellent book.
Review: Mackie is thorough and fair in his analysis and subsequent destruction of the case for 'rational theism'. This book is a must read for theists and atheists alike, and of course a standard text for any university student. In dealing with the problem of evil Mackie is convincing, but perhaps not forcful enough in his conclusion, but overall this is an excellent book.

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Summary: An informative book sadly hampered by poor writing
Review: This book is a worthwhile investment for anyone interested in topics on the Philosophy of Religion. Topics covered include : (1) The nature of claims of miracles and whether these justify the existence of God ; (2) Descartes' and Berkeley's ideas of God ; (3) Discussion on whether the notion of the existence of God can be rationally defended along with discussions of whether "belief beyond reason" is intellectually worthwhile ; (4) Discussions and criticism of the various arguments commonly brought up in favour of the existence of God - ontological arguments, arguments for design, moral arguments for the existence of God etc.

Mackie masterfully demonstrates this subject area to be one of breadth and variety. He relates the knowledge of great thinkers such as Hume and Kant to his discussions and shows the Philosophy of Religion to be related to themes in meta-physics and epistemology, among others. He not only critically and fairly discusses arguments from both spectrum of the argument, he also reveals the flawed nature of many's perceptions relating to Thiesm. An example of this is his claim that when many claim of the existence of religious miracles, they speak of these literally. In fact, literal claims of miracles can often be demonstrated to be extremely unlikely, yet not beyond the laws of nature (as necessary for a true religious "miracle")

However, the tremandous content of this book is badly worn down by Mackie's tedious and long-winded style of writing - 6 or 7-line sentences are far too common. These long sentences often obscure his arguments and frequently result in the need for repeated readings in order to ascertain their meaning. A confused presentation of arguments, where he regularly jumps back-and-forth between them, stretches one's level of tolerance. In short, Mackie's lack of writer's craft drastically limits the audience of this otherwise fine piece of work.

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Summary: Modern Analytic Arguments for and against God
Review: This book, together with Swinburne's "Coherence of Theism," is among the most valuable books on the philosophy of religion from an Anglo-American analytical-philosophical perspective. While Swinburne goes back to Anselm and Aquinas, this book considers mostly post-1500 theodicy, still covering the ontological argument from Descartes' and a posteriori arguments from Hume. The full spectrum of the arguments for and against God are here, including Kant, Newman, Kierkegaard, James, Phillips, Leslie, Kung, et alia.

First, a brief exposition of a philosopher's argument is surveyed, followed by an analysis of where the philosopher's strengths and weaknesses lie. There is even a section on the most notorious of all arguments against the existence of God: the existence of evil. In the final analysis, Mackie believes theism is itself a mircle, hence the title. Overall, this book makes a significant contribution to beginning philosophy students who want a rigorous examination of the crucial questions of God's existence and non-existence. The writing is clear, generally concise, exceptionally well-constructed, and only occasionally labyrinthine.

Rating:
Summary: Modern Analytic Arguments for and against God
Review: This book,... is among the most valuable books on the philosophy of religion from an Anglo-American philosophical perspective. While other author] goes back to Anselm and Aquinas, this book previews mostly post-1500 theodicy, while still getting the ontological argument from Anselm an a posteriori cosmological arguments largely ascribed to Aquinas. The full spectrum of the arguments for and against God are here: first, in a brief exposition of a philosopher from the past, then in an analysis of where the philosopher's strengths and weaknesses lie. There is even a section on the most notorious of all arguments against the existence of God: the existence of evil. Overall, this book makes a significant contribution to beginning philosophy students who want a rigorous examination of the crucial questions of God's existence and non-existence. The writing is clear, concise, coherent, and exceptionally well-constructed. Mackie is must reading for all serious philosophers of religion.

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Summary: the best!
Review: this volume will serve, for a long time to come, as the supreme case against the existence of God. written with special attention to swinburne's masterful THE EXISTENCE OF GOD, the book is a must have for any reader in the philosophy of religion.
that said, i don't think that mackie's case is quite so strong as many maintain. his argument from evil is, to many, not strong enough to serve as a foundation for affirming the non-existence of God, and for me, not even reason enough to 'flinch' if you are a theist. his rebuttals to various forms of the teleological argument seem to miss the point entirely (see mark wynn's GOD AND GOODNESS). et cetera.
but i would be lying if i didn't admit that this book has force. as a theist, i constantly felt intrigued, but never 'threatened'. i highly recommend this book alongside swinburne's THE EXISTENCE OF GOD. God bless and shalom :-)

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Summary: God's finish
Review: This work of an intellectual genius is arguably the most important systematic critique of monotheistic religion ever written. As a philosopher of religion Mackie is tantamount to Hume. He deals the ultimate deathblow to the idea of God. Nothing will alter the fact that the case for God is definitively lost. Now, let's turn our attention to something more relevant.

Rating:
Summary: AtheistWorld.Com Book Review
Review: While other author] goes back to Anselm and Aquinas, this book previews mostly post-1500 theodicy, while still getting the ontological argument from Anselm an a posteriori cosmological arguments largely ascribed to Aquinas. The full spectrum of the arguments for and against God are here: first, in a brief exposition of a philosopher from the past, then in an analysis of where the philosopher's strengths and weaknesses lie. There is even a section on the most notorious of all arguments against the existence of God: the existence of evil. Overall, this book makes a significant contribution to beginning philosophy students who want a rigorous examination of the crucial questions of God's existence and non-existence. The writing is clear, concise, coherent, and exceptionally well-constructed. Mackie is must reading for all serious philosophers of religion.