Overview

Many philosophers believe that God has been put to rest. Naturalism is the default position, and the naturalist can explain what needs to be explained without recourse to God. This book agrees that we should be naturalists, but it rejects the more prevalent scientific naturalism in favour of an 'expansive' naturalism inspired by David Wiggins and John McDowell. It is argued that expansive naturalism can accommodate the idea of God, and that the expansive naturalist has unwittingly paved the way towards a form of naturalism which poses a genuine challenge to the atheist. It follows that the traditional naturalism versus theism debate must be reconfigured: naturalism and theism are no longer logically incompatible; rather, they can both be true. Fiona Ellis draws on a wide range of thinkers from theology and philosophy, and spans the gulf between analytic and continental philosophy. She tackles various philosophical problems including the limits of nature and the status of value; some theological problems surrounding the natural/supernatural relation, the Incarnation, and the concept of myth; and offers a model--inspired by the secular expansive naturalist's conception of philosophy--to comprehend the relation between philosophy and theology.

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9780198779254

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ambitious and thought-provoking . . . God, Value, and Nature thus achieves a remarkable goal: it offers reconciliation between theists and naturalists, yet without forcing either side to give up any of their dearest beliefs . . . Ellis' book is not only a fine example of first-rate philosophy, but also of a first-rate philosophical attitude. * Silvia Jonas, Philosophy * This volume should be useful in larger collections . . . Recommended. Graduate students and researchers/faculty. * C. S. Seymour, CHOICE * Ellis's book is one that can be profitably read by anyone who works in meta-ethics, philosophy of religion, theology, and the debates surrounding naturalism. Indeed, one of the most impressive things about the book is the author's range of interests and ability to illuminatingly integrate important ideas drawn from recent English-speaking philosophy, Continental philosophy, and Christian theology. All this makes for a richly rewarding text that should help to shape future discussions on naturalism and its relation to theism and ethics. * David McPherson, Religious Studies * Fiona Ellis offers a brilliant assessment of both the nature and justification of naturalism as well as providing us with a nuanced new look at the naturalism-theism debate . . . I wholeheartedly recommend this book to any of the many philosophers at work on naturalism today and especially to those who are exercised by the debate between naturalism and theism. * Charles Taliaferro, Journal of Religion * In this rich, rigorous and invigorating book, Fiona Ellis subtly decommissions the concepts of 'nature' and 'naturalism' as weapons in the arsenal of her atheistic opponents. * Michael Inwood, The Philosophical Quarterly * ...it is generally held that naturalism and religious belief are not compatible. Nature is what the natural sciences say that it is and with this declaration comes a conclusion that nature is thereby disenchanted. It is to the great credit of this remarkable book that this mutual incompatibility is challenged by Fiona Ellis and a powerful argument advanced for a religious indeed, theistic naturalism. Fiona Ellis provides a book that is extremely rare. For starters, her text bridges the gap between 'analytic' philosophy and 'continental' philosophy by considering metaethical theories in both camps. Her text similarly bridges the gap between 'philosophy' and 'theology' by putting these disciplines in conversation. Third, Ellis does all of this in remarkably clear and accessible prose. The clarity of Ellis' writing is beneficial given that she wades into the conceptually murky and hostile terrain of contemporary metaethics and argues that one can reasonably endorse a form of naturalism in which God plays a substantial metaethical role. * Nathan L. Cartagena, The Heythrop Journal * [A] wonderful book. * Alison Assiter, Times Higher Education * Elli's book is admirable for its rigour and its bid to blend the thought of Levinas with some recent ideas from analytic philosophy. * Andrew Irwin, Times Literary Supplement *

[A] wonderful book. Alison Assiter, Times Higher Education Fiona Ellis provides a book that is extremely rare. For starters, her text bridges the gap between 'analytic' philosophy and 'continental' philosophy by considering metaethical theories in both camps. Her text similarly bridges the gap between 'philosophy' and 'theology' by putting these disciplines in conversation. Third, Ellis does all of this in remarkably clear and accessible prose. The clarity of Ellis' writing is beneficial given that she wades into the conceptually murky and hostile terrain of contemporary metaethics and argues that one can reasonably endorse a form of naturalism in which God plays a substantial metaethical role. Nathan L. Cartagena, The Heythrop Journal In this rich, rigorous and invigorating book, Fiona Ellis subtly decommissions the concepts of 'nature' and 'naturalism' as weapons in the arsenal of her atheistic opponents. Michael Inwood, The Philosophical Quarterly Fiona Ellis offers a brilliant assessment of both the nature and justification of naturalism as well as providing us with a nuanced new look at the naturalism-theism debate ... I wholeheartedly recommend this book to any of the many philosophers at work on naturalism today and especially to those who are exercised by the debate between naturalism and theism. Charles Taliaferro, Journal of Religion Ellis's book is one that can be profitably read by anyone who works in meta-ethics, philosophy of religion, theology, and the debates surrounding naturalism. Indeed, one of the most impressive things about the book is the author's range of interests and ability to illuminatingly integrate important ideas drawn from recent English-speaking philosophy, Continental philosophy, and Christian theology. All this makes for a richly rewarding text that should help to shape future discussions on naturalism and its relation to theism and ethics. David McPherson, Religious Studies This volume should be useful in larger collections ... Recommended. Graduate students and researchers/faculty. C. S. Seymour, CHOICE ambitious and thought-provoking ... God, Value, and Nature thus achieves a remarkable goal: it offers reconciliation between theists and naturalists, yet without forcing either side to give up any of their dearest beliefs ... Ellis' book is not only a fine example of first-rate philosophy, but also of a first-rate philosophical attitude. Silvia Jonas, Philosophy

Author Information

Fiona Ellis is Professor of Philosophy at the University of Roehampton and Director of the Centre for Philosophy of Religion at Heythrop College, University of London. She has published on a wide variety of subjects including the philosophy of love and desire, nature and naturalism, and the relation between philosophy and theology. She is the author of God, Value, and Nature (Oxford University Press, 2014).

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