Skeptical Theism: A Panoramic Overview (Part I)

Skeptical theism, broadly construed, is an attempt to leverage our limited cognitive powers, in some specified sense, against “evidential” and “explanatory” arguments from evil. Since there are different versions of these kinds of arguments, there are correspondingly different versions of skeptical theism. My goal, over these two papers (Part I and Part II), is to provide a panoramic overview of some central issues in this vast and growing literature. Part I focuses on understanding the different kinds of skeptical theism and their proper targets. Part II focuses on the central challenges facing this family of views. My goal is to be representative without being exhaustive: I will highlight the main flash points in the literature without pretending to take note of everything that has been said about each issue.