The Death of Classical Theism and the Subsequent Rise of Atheism

Shane Himes

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English

Wipf & Stock Publishers
18 March 2025

Philosophy: metaphysics & ontology; Christianity; Christian theology

Modernity has seen the rise of atheism and a rejection of classical theism. In this book, Shane Himes argues that the two realities are largely dependent on one another. Many modern Christian apologists are not fond of classical doctrines such as divine simplicity and impassibility, and thus they happily reject these ideas. The ramifications of doing so, however, have not been fully appreciated, especially as they relate to Christian arguments for God's existence. Himes gives an overview of the arguments for God's existence by examining the work of both scholars who reject classical theism and those who embrace it. An analysis of these arguments demonstrates that modern models of God make his existence a mere possibility as opposed to a logical necessity. As such, the arguments given by these scholars leave them susceptible to atheist critiques, given that they do not answer the question of why anything exists. Without classical theism, God becomes one possible answer as to why our particular universe exists the way that it does; but apparently this has not been convincing to many, as atheism has seen an unprecedented rise in the last two centuries. Paradoxically, if Christianity is to become dominant once again in academia and Western societies more generally, a recovery of classical depictions of God as the ground of all being is paramount.

By: Shane Himes
Imprint: Wipf & Stock Publishers
Dimensions: Height: 229mm, Width: 152mm, Spine: 13mm
Weight: 449g
ISBN: 9798385238323
Pages: 208
Publication Date: 18 March 2025
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

Shane Himes is a theologian and cultural commentator with a PhD from Amridge University. He is the founder of the Aletheia Initiative Inc. and serves as senior minister for the North Central Church of Christ in Bloomington, Indiana.

Reviews for The Death of Classical Theism and the Subsequent Rise of Atheism

""This book merits careful study by anyone who wishes to understand the present sorry state of Christian apologetics and the ascendancy of modern atheism. The author argues persuasively that abandonment of classical theism in favor of theistic personalism lies at the root of the impotence of contemporary apologetics. Only a return to the doctrine of divine simplicity and the principle of sufficient reason--principles at the heart of classical theism--can ground our conviction that God, who is being itself and the ground of all being, truly exists and cannot fail to exist."" --Ron Highfield, professor of religion, Seaver College, Pepperdine University ""A book of admirable clarity and cumulative power. Himes has produced not only a primer in classical metaphysics, but a salutary warning against the heedless abandonment of that metaphysics."" --David Bentley Hart, author of All Things Are Full of Gods: The Mysteries of Mind and Life