Defeating the Evil-God Challenge

Symes has delivered on his bold claim to have defeated the evil-god challenge. * Heythrop Journal * This is the most thorough treatment of the widely-discussed evil-god challenge to date. Symes clearly identifies the strongest version of the challenge and then patiently constructs a robust response, showing how the three main approaches to theology strongly favour attributing goodness rather than evil to god. Required reading for anyone interested in the topic. * T. Ryan Byerly, Senior Lecturer in Philosophy, University of Sheffield, UK * In recent years, the evil-god challenge has become a highly debated topic in the philosophy of religion. Defeating the Evil-God Challenge by Jack Symes stands as a pioneering, comprehensive exploration of this contentious subject, providing both depth and intrigue. It not only marks a pivotal milestone in the field but also serves as a must-read for theists, atheists, and anyone navigating the expansive intellectual landscape in between. * Yujin Nagasawa, Kingfisher College Chair of the Philosophy of Religion and Ethics and Professor of Philosophy, University of Oklahoma, USA * Suppose that there is a God, is it more (or at least as) likely that He's bad as it is that He's good? Arguments that the answer to this question is 'Yes' constitute the evil-god challenge as it has been pressed over the last decade. In this, the first book-length engagement with the challenge, Symes makes a sustained, careful, and multi-pronged case that the answer is in fact 'No', a case which will be of cogency and interest to theists, agnostics and atheists alike. * Tim Mawson, Edgar Jones Fellow and Tutor in Philosophy, Faculty of Theology and Religion, University of Oxford, UK * Symes’ book – the first book on the evil-god challenge to date – provides a clear and concise overview of key arguments and thinkers. It’s a great place to start. * Stephen Law, Director of the Certificate in Higher Education and Director of Studies in Philosophy, Department of Continuing Education, University of Oxford, UK * Engagingly written and accessible, Defeating the Evil-God Challenge provides a novel and compelling response to an important argument against the existence of the God of classical monotheism. This book is a must-read for any scholar interested in the fundamental questions of God’s existence and nature. * Asha Lancaster-Thomas, Teacher of Philosophy, Atlanta Classical Academy, USA *