Date of Award
2013
Degree Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Department
Philosophy
Abstract
Fideism is the theory that certain propositions can be held by faith without regard to evidence. Its epistemological underpinnings are often contrasted with evidentialism - the view that one is justified in holding a belief if and only if that belief is based on sufficient undefeated evidence. Recently, John Bishop and C. Stephen Evans have each forwarded new theories of fideism that oppose evidentialism. This dissertation examines these two theories, raising problems that threaten to undermine the epistemological claims of the fideist. A version of evidentialism is then advanced that addresses the problems identified by Evans and Bishop. Particularly important to this defense is a notion of evidence that includes private evidence. Through a broadly abductive argument, this dissertation concludes that evidentialism remains a better candidate for rationally holding religious beliefs, while fideism--even in these newly proposed forms--cannot adequately answer the challenges of the skeptic.
Recommended Citation
Butcher, Matthew P., "Fideism, Evidentialism, and the Epistemology of Religious Belief" (2013). Dissertations. 508.
https://ecommons.luc.edu/luc_diss/508
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.
Copyright Statement
Copyright © 2013 Matthew P. Butcher
