God and Goodness

Hugh Rice explains why belief in God need not be seen as a strange or irrational kind of belief, but can be a natural extension of our ordinary ways of thinking. He suggests that we should think of God in an abstract way, and he offers a satisfying account of the relationship between God and goodness. Anyone interested in the nature of God and the basis of religious belief will enjoy this book. Hugh Rice explains why belief in God need not be seen as a strange or irrational kind of belief, but can be a natural extension of our ordinary ways of thinking. First he argues that it is rational to believe that the universe exists just because it is good that it should exist. Then he argues that we should conceive of God in an abstract way; in particular, we should understand God's willing something as consisting in its being good that that thing should be so. Together these arguments give reason to believe that the universe was created by God. This abstract conception of God does justice both to the nature of goodness and to the idea that God is sovereign. In the course of arguing for it, Rice gives clear and non-technical discussions of such fascinating topics as the objectivity of value, the problem of evil, and the evidence for miracles. Anyone interested in the nature of God and the basis of religious belief will enjoy this book.