Religious Studies: An International Journal for the Philosophy of Religion
November 3, 2021
Stephen Kearns
2 citations
The article presents an argument for God's existence grounded in the idea that the mere possibility of God necessitates God's actual existence as a foundation. After outlining this argument, the author compares it to other arguments for God, particularly one from Descartes's Third Meditation. Various objections are addressed, and the article concludes by offering a non-theistic version of the argument, showing its broader philosophical relevance.
Religious Studies: An International Journal for the Philosophy of Religion
July 23, 2025
A. Vaidya, S. Siddharth
A cosmopsychist-panentheistic metaphysics inspired by the 11th-century Indian philosopher Rāmānuja offers a solution to the hard problem of consciousness that is preferable to other comparable views, and can ground a panentheistic conception of God compatible with human free will. The authors argue that Rāmānuja's Viśiṣṭādvaita (qualified non-dualism) Vedānta provides a more satisfactory account than the Advaita Vedānta of Śaṅkara, which has been the focus of most cross-cultural studies linking panpsychism and Indian philosophy.
Religious Studies: An International Journal for the Philosophy of Religion
September 5, 2025
Miri Albahari
Panpsychism holds that the structures of the world are realized by the experiences of subjects, but typically assumes those structures are observer-independent and often spatial. This assumption, described as the 'worm in the apple', underlies two major problems for panpsychism: the subject (de)combination problem and a newly identified 'inner-outer gap problem'. The author argues that abandoning this assumption sidesteps both problems, but doing so commits panpsychism to anti-realism.
Religious Studies: An International Journal for the Philosophy of Religion
August 1, 2025
Sam Coleman
If panpsychism is true, consciousness pervades the cosmos and there exist many more conscious subjects than other worldviews contemplate. The article argues that panpsychism's explanation of human consciousness entails that various conscious subjects exist within human organisms. Since consciousness likely confers moral status, questions arise about the wellbeing of these inner subjects. Their lives may not be morally suitable for sophisticated centers of consciousness, potentially generating more suffering than other worldviews. This would compound the problem of evil, forcing a choice between panpsychism and theism.
Religious Studies: An International Journal for the Philosophy of Religion
April 25, 2025
Tim Mulgan
This article reimagines Anselm's concept of God as 'that than which a greater cannot be thought' (THAT), exploring various interpretations including a creator God, a polytheist pantheon, or a single undifferentiated Absolute. It defends a principle of cosmic humility, arguing that to counter our tendency to overestimate our own importance, we should favor non-anthropomorphic interpretations of THAT. Humility supports plenitude about worlds and creatures, suggesting God creates many worlds containing all valuable creatures, and we should not expect to inhabit a cosmically special world. The article argues that cosmic humility supports panpsychism over dualism and materialism, concluding that we are probably insignificant creatures in a panpsychist world.
Religious Studies: An International Journal for the Philosophy of Religion
March 20, 2024
Harvey Cawdron
The article explores how cosmopsychism—the view that the universe itself is conscious—can address questions about the cosmic scope of sin and redemption within the new creation view of eschatology. After outlining the new creation view and key debates about cosmopsychism in philosophy of mind, the author proposes a cosmopsychist account that offers answers to these theological queries.
Religious Studies: An International Journal for the Philosophy of Religion
March 15, 2023
Christa L. McKirland, E. Fuimaono
This article offers a critical appreciation of Joanna Leidenhag's book Minding Creation, which argues for a panpsychist view of creation within Christian theology. The authors commend Leidenhag's work before exploring how panpsychism relates to Christa L. McKirland's theological anthropology. Eugene Fuimaono then suggests that Leidenhag's framework could be enriched by engaging with indigenous perspectives, proposing areas for expansion.
Religious Studies: An International Journal for the Philosophy of Religion
February 27, 2023
Timothy Miller, T. Oord
Panpsychism, the idea that consciousness is a fundamental feature of all matter, may address both environmental and theological challenges. Joanna Leidenhag argues that this worldview can strengthen commitment to protecting Earth's ecosystems and explain how consciousness and matter coexist and interact. This article reviews her arguments and proposes directions for further exploration of these ideas.
Religious Studies: An International Journal for the Philosophy of Religion
February 10, 2023
F. Ellis
A discussion of the metaphysics of spiritual experience requires clarity about the nature of metaphysics, taking as a starting point the 'transcendent metaphysics' described and supposedly eliminated by A. J. Ayer. Most analytic philosophers agree with Ayer and Kant that transcendent metaphysics is deeply problematic and associate it with platonism, theism, and religious thinking. Assuming spiritual experience takes us into forbidden religious territory, a metaphysics of spiritual experience involves similarly problematic transcendent metaphysics. Ayer's conception of transcendent reality is itself deeply problematic and helps motivate atheistic spirituality by ruling out an empirically grounded religious alternative. The author challenges this framework, sets out an alternative with Arthur Schopenhauer, and spells out implications for a metaphysics of spiritual experience.