Philosophers of religion have viewed religious beliefs from different perspectives. Some people focus on God's attributes while others consider human nature. There are many different approaches to religious beliefs. Continue reading to learn more about Thomistic theoryodicies, Classic Theists, and Nonrealists.
Humanity as a natural phenomenon
Biological insights influenced the study on human nature during the nineteenth century. These insights challenged traditional theological theories regarding human nature. They challenged the notion that humans were created by God directly and have no other origins. This created a debate on the nature of humanity's nature. While some traditions of theology reject the idea that evolution exists, others believe that human nature can easily be explained by biological principles.
Non-realists
Non-realist philosophers and theologians of religion don't believe religious beliefs are based in objective reality. Instead, they believe that religion is a human construct based on psychological experiences. They view religion as a guide to behavior and do not believe that humans are omnipotent.
Classical Theists
Classical theism is a philosophy that posits a transcendent being who exists in the universe and is active in it. This God is often described as the ideal paradigm of moral perfection.
Thomistic theories
Two dominant trends dominate the debate on theodicy. The first is the revival philosophical theodicy in analytic philosophy of religion. This movement is marked in a shift from logical evil to evidence. The second is that critics of theodicy call the desire and necessity to practice theodicy a religious and ideological endeavor.
Eleonore Stump
Eleonore Stump is a contemporary scholar and philosopher of religion. She holds the Robert J. Henle chair of philosophy at the University of St. Louis. In her writings, she focuses on matters relating to religion or morality. She is a Catholic philosopher who defends the views of Thomas Aquinas.
Don Cupitt
A new project is underway to create an online resource centre dedicated to Don Cupitt, philosopher of religion. Developed by academics from the universities of Chester and Chichester, the resource centre will include archival materials, blog posts, videos and lecturers. Influential books and controversial theologian Don Cupitt were his first publications. His work was recently featured in the BBC TV Series Sea of Faith.