A philosopher of religion examines contemporary conceptions of God through close readings of three modern Jewish thinkers. For centuries, the traditional God of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam has been under pressure to conform to the scientific worldview, giving rise to a âliberalâ conception of God compatible with a naturalism. For many, this liberal ânewâ God is the only credible God. But is it a useful God? Does belief in so malleable a deity come from, or lead to, different political, moral, psychological, or aesthetic phenomena from atheism? A Plausible God evaluates the new God by analyzing the theology of three recent Jewish thinkers âMordechai Kaplan, Michael Lerner, and Arthur Greenâand compares faith in the new God to disbelief in any gods. Mitchell Silver reveals w
hat is at stake in the choice between naturalistic liberal theology and a nontheistic naturalism without gods. Silver poses the question: âIf it is to be either the new God or no God, what doesâwhat shouldâdetermine the choice?â Although Jewish thinkers are used as the primary exemplars of new God theology, Silver explores developments in contemporary Christian thought, Eastern religious traditions, and âNew Ageâ religion. A Plausible God constitutes a significant contribution to current discussions of the relationship between science and religion, as well as to discussions regarding the idea of God itself in modern life.
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