Multiverse Deism: Shifting Perspectives of God and the World

by Leland Harper

Overview

Given recent work in quantum physics suggesting that our world is just one world in a series of many, Leland Royce Harper calls for a shift in our concept of the monotheistic God of Judeo-Christian tradition. In Multiverse Deism: Shifting Perspectives of God and the World, Harper argues that those who wish to maintain that the Judeo-Christian God exists ought to revise how they define this God and what they expect of Him so as to maintain consistency between modern theism and the growing body of scientific knowledge. While this revision entails several concessions by the theist, the overall result is a stronger and more coherent account of who God really is. By removing the expectation that God will act in the natural world, Harper argues that we are left with a concept of God that maintains all of the traditional divine attributes, is consistent with current scientific advances, remains compatible with contemporary and historical arguments for the existence of God, and better refutes contemporary and historical arguments for atheism than the traditional, active God.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781793614759
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	05/28/2020
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	150
Product dimensions:	6.31(w) x 9.08(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

Leland Royce Harper is assistant professor of philosophy at Siena Heights University.

Table of Contents

Contents

Acknowledgments

Chapter 1Introduction

Chapter 2The Case for the Multiverse

Chapter 3The Theist and the Multiverse

Chapter 4Attributes of a Deistic God

Chapter 5Why Being a Deist May Not Be So Bad

Chapter 6Possible Alternative Version of Deism

Chapter 7Potential Difficulties and Further Lines of Inquiry for the Multiverse Deist

Chapter 8Practical Considerations and Concluding Thoughts

References

About the Author

Editorial Reviews

"Harper explores and clarifies the various logical and conceptual connections that hold between deism and free will, the divine attributes, natural theology, the problem of evil, the problem of divine hiddenness, and divine action. This is an engaging and clearly written book, one that belongs on the bookshelf of anyone who is interested in the interface between contemporary cosmology, the philosophy of religion, and philosophical theology. I highly recommend it."

Colin Ruloff

"Wouldn't divine goodness create immensely many universes?  Harper provides an impressively wide-ranging discussion of this question and of how it might influence our concept of God."

John Leslie

"In Multiverse Deism, Leland Royce Harper makes a significant contribution to the growing body of work on alternatives to classical theism. He develops and explores the implications of a deistic metaphysics of the divine, making a strong case for taking such an alternative seriously. Anyone working on the metaphysics of the divine—especially those interested in alternatives to classical theism—should read this book."  

Andrei Buckareff

This book fits very well into the discussion of science and theology/religion and opens up interesting debates.

European Society for the Study of Science and Theology

In this trailblazing book, Leland Harper contributes to the growing body of literature on alternative concepts of God by engaging with cutting-edge research on the multiverse. Harper offers a thought-provoking survey of the various models of the multiverse that have been proposed and considers the most persuasive scientific and philosophical arguments in their favor. He also develops what is perhaps the definitive contemporary account of the deistic conception of God. Given the broad scope of this work, it will likely be of interest to a wide range of readers; most especially professional scholars and students working in the fields of philosophy of cosmology, philosophy of religion, and religious studies…. Harper’s book makes a welcome and substantial contribution to the growing body of literature surrounding alternative concepts of God. Hopefully, it will inspire further research into the theistic implications of the multiverse and more treatments of deism in the future.

International Journal for Philosophy of Religion

"Deism is a fascinating, though neglected, alternative to traditional theism. In Multiverse Deism: Shifting Perspectives of God and the World, Leland Harper revives this view in a novel way by considering the metaphysical implications of cutting-edge research on the multiverse. I highly recommend this book to students and scholars in science, religion, and philosophy."

Yujin Nagasawa