Overview

Yujin Nagasawa presents a new, stronger version of perfect being theism, the conception of God as the greatest possible being. Although perfect being theism is the most common form of monotheism in the Judeo-Christian-Islamic tradition its truth has been disputed by philosophers and theologians for centuries. Nagasawa proposes a new, game-changing defence of perfect being theism by developing what he calls the 'maximal concept of God'. Perfect being theists typically maintain that God is an omniscient, omnipotent, and omnibenevolent being; according to Nagasawa, God should be understood rather as a being that has the maximal consistent set of knowledge, power, and benevolence. Nagasawa argues that once we accept the maximal concept we can establish perfect being theism on two grounds. First, we can refute nearly all existing arguments against perfect being theism simultaneously. Second, we can construct a novel, strengthened version of the modal ontological argument for perfect being theism. Nagasawa concludes that the maximal concept grants us a unified defence of perfect being theism that is highly effective and economical.

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9780198758686

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Reviews

Nagasawa's work is an impressively erudite and provocative study. The arguments are concise and clear, even when technical...As a work in the philosophy of religion, it makes an important contribution to a debate extending back almost a millennium. * David Barbee, Reading Religion * It is a rare thing to find a book that is accessible in spite of being on a topic that has become a home of increasingly technical detail. We find such a rare gem here. ... It provides a nice compendium of endorsements of perfect being theology, is thoroughly versed in the literature, and gives probative responses to every position the author rejects. The book is thus admirable along many dimensions. It would be a useful read for anyone in philosophy or theology, and required reading for anyone working in philosophical theology. * Jonathan L. Kvanvig, Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews * Maximal God is a must read for specialists and students in philosophical theology alike. The book is remarkably accessible and will be centered in conversations in perfect being theism to come. * Austin McCoy, Restoration Quarterly *

Nagasawa's work is an impressively erudite and provocative study. The arguments are concise and clear, even when technical...As a work in the philosophy of religion, it makes an important contribution to a debate extending back almost a millennium. * David Barbee, Reading Religion * It is a rare thing to find a book that is accessible in spite of being on a topic that has become a home of increasingly technical detail. We find such a rare gem here. ... It provides a nice compendium of endorsements of perfect being theology, is thoroughly versed in the literature, and gives probative responses to every position the author rejects. The book is thus admirable along many dimensions. It would be a useful read for anyone in philosophy or theology, and required reading for anyone working in philosophical theology. * Jonathan L. Kvanvig, Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews *

Nagasawa's work is an impressively erudite and provocative study. The arguments are concise and clear, even when technical...As a work in the philosophy of religion, it makes an important contribution to a debate extending back almost a millennium. * David Barbee, Reading Religion *

Author Information

Yujin Nagasawa is Professor of Philosophy and Co-Director of the John Hick Centre for Philosophy of Religion at the University of Birmingham. He is the author of God and Phenomenal Consciousness (CUP, 2008), The Existence of God (Routledge, 2011) and Miracles: A Very Short Introduction (OUP, forthcoming). He won the Philosophical Quarterly Essay Prize in 2007, the Templeton Award for Theological Promise in 2008, and the Excellence in Philosophy of Religion Prize in 2011.

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