The Day Has Come: 'The Best Argument for God' Is on the Shelves!
Today marks the official release of my book The Best Argument for God. This project is my attempt to present a robust, yet accessible exploration of what I consider to be the most compelling (cumulative) philosophical case for the existence of God.
The book begins by considering the following argument:
If two theories explain just as much, believe the simpler
Theism and naturalism explain just as much; naturalism is simpler
So, believe naturalism…
And then immediately introduces its antithesis:
Naturalism can only explain some (but not all) of what theism can… but only when strapped with greater complexity. So, believe theism.
The remainder of the book unfolds to substantiate this thesis, carefully working through various large-scale features of reality, from contingency to order and stability, morality and rationality, arguing, in each case, that theism offers the better – sometimes only possible – explanation, while maintaining greater ontological and theoretical simplicity.
FAQs About the Book:
To answer two common questions that have come in about the book.
How advanced is this book?/Is this stuff I already know?
I would categorize the difficulty of The Best Argument for God as intermediate, but perhaps the following description will be more helpful. If what you read is mostly popular level philosophy or apologetics, almost certainly you will encounter new and hopefully intriguing material in this book. On the other hand, if you are already deeply immersed in the philosophy of religion literature, you will find fewer surprises, though I believe there will still be some. (For what it’s worth, I have been told by individuals entrenched in the relevant literature that this book offers a convenient overview of the current debate while pushing the conversation forward in certain significant areas).
Circling back to the difficulty question, I would put this book on par with much of Mortimer Adler’s work, including his book “How to Think About God.” Adler always challenged his readers, but he also provided the necessary tools and support for their success, assuming they were willing to grapple with ideas. Adler has long served as my philosophical inspiration – and individual who excelled at distilling, yet not diluting, great philosophical ideas, rendering otherwise complex material accessible, even if not necessarily easy. He was the figure I had most prominently in mind when writing this book, and I aspire to have produced a work that falls somewhere within the same realm of difficulty.
Lastly, Here’s a Special Incentive
A substantial portion of material was excised from the original manuscript of The Best Argument for God, much of which has been transformed into distinct articles. For those interested, I am making this “bonus material,” totaling approximately 33,000 words, available to anyone who orders The Best Argument for God this week and lets me know via the contact form over at PhilosophyForThePeople.com
Thank you all and God bless,
- Pat
PS - Acknowledgements
I want to express gratitude to several individuals who have played pivotal roles in bringing this book to fruition. Foremost among them is my wife, Christine, who devoted countless hours to reviewing and simplifying sections that had become excessively convoluted. Her efforts ensured that the content remains accessible to a broad audience. I’d also like to extend my appreciation to my editor, Michael Warren Davis, for similar reasons. Additionally, I am immensely grateful to the scholars and philosophy enthusiasts, whether theist, agnostic, or atheist, who provided invaluable feedback on various aspects of the material. Special thanks are due to Josh Rasmussen, Jim Madden, Michael Torre, Gaven Kerr, Lydia McGrew, Suan Sonna, Danny O’Malley, and Jonathan Reed for their invaluable comments. Any remaining imperfections, however numerous they may be, rest solely on my shoulders.