Description
A comprehensive analysis of Richard Swinburne’s intellectual journey and philosophical work, A Rational Faith explores the legacy of one of the most influential and rigorous philosophical defenders of theism. Across Swinburne’s written career, he has displayed a deep commitment to demonstrating the intellectual credibility of the Christian faith, facing modern scientific and philosophical challenges and the materialistic worldview of modern intellectualism. Analysing his life and work through in-depth, accessible explanations of key issues and their context, Joshua Sijuwade brings together collected criticism of Swinburne’s work and explores possible counter-arguments, alongside a foreword by Richard Swinburne himself.
Suitable for any reader interested in Swinburne’s ‘philosophy-first’ approach, or those intrigued by a philosophical defence of the Christian faith, A Rational Faith reveals Swinburne’s life and work as a witness to his belief that belief in the central tenets of the Christian faith is rational.
About the Author
Joshua R. Sijuwade is a visiting lecturer at the London School of Theology. His research interests focus on metaphysics, philosophy of religion, and analytical theology, and he continues to publish on these topics.
Contents
Introduction: Life, Works and Philosophical Foundations
Part 1: Bare Theism
1. The Coherence of Theism
2. The Existence of God
3. The Problem of Evil
4. The Reality of the Soul
Part 2: Ramified Theism
5. The Metaphysics of Christian Theism
6. The Plausibility of the Atonement
7. The Probability of the Resurrection
8. The Authenticity of Revelation
9. The Rationality of Faith
Bibliography
Endorsements and Reviews
The best that we can hope for from a case for “a rational faith” is that it will establish the probability that God exists and that the central doctrines of Christianity are probably true. But this would be by no means an insignificant claim. It means that the humanists’ assertion on the side of a bus that God probably does not exist has to establish such improbability with no less intellectual rigour than Swinburne himself, as revealed in this comprehensive and challenging introduction, has demonstrated.The Rt Revd Dr John Saxbee, former Bishop of Lincoln, in Church Times, p. 31, 2026.
