University of Qom Journal of Philosophical Theological Research 1735-9791 27 1 2025 03 21 A Critical Evaluation of Schellenberg’s Divine Hiddenness Argument Based on Avicenna’s Ontological and Epistemological Foundations A Critical Evaluation of Schellenberg’s Divine Hiddenness Argument Based on Avicenna’s Ontological and Epistemological Foundations 167 186 3184 10.22091/jptr.2024.10870.3076 FA Yaser Hashemi Ph.D. of Islamic Studies teaching, University of Islamic Sciences, Qom, Iran 0000-0001-6783-9810 Ahmad Valiee Ph.D. of Islamic Studies teaching, Islamic Studies, University of Tehran, Farabi Campus, Qom, Iran. 0000-0002-7358-8269 Mohammad Javad Asghari Assistant Professor, Department of Philosophy and Theology, Baqir al-Olum University, Qom, Iran Journal Article 2024 06 13 Atheists have long advanced arguments against the existence of God, challenging the claims of theists. Among these, John L. Schellenberg has proposed an argument known as “divine hiddenness,” which has garnered significant attention from philosophers of religion. Therefore, the subject of this paper is to critique and examine this argument based on the ontological foundations of Avicenna, one of the greatest theist philosophers and prominent figures in Islamic philosophy. The methodology of this article is descriptive-analytical, based on an ontological examination of the rational possibility of connection and the occurrence of connection with the transcendent through religious and mystical experiences. Through a careful examination, it will be demonstrated that Avicenna’s ontological foundations not only support the possibility of relational experiences with the divine but also, when considered within the framework of logical argumentation and the epistemological certainty of mutawātirāt (mass-transmitted hadith), establish the reliability and certainty of such transcendent relations. Consequently, the argument from divine hiddenness—and by extension, atheism—is effectively refuted. Atheists have long advanced arguments against the existence of God, challenging the claims of theists. Among these, John L. Schellenberg has proposed an argument known as “divine hiddenness,” which has garnered significant attention from philosophers of religion. Therefore, the subject of this paper is to critique and examine this argument based on the ontological foundations of Avicenna, one of the greatest theist philosophers and prominent figures in Islamic philosophy. The methodology of this article is descriptive-analytical, based on an ontological examination of the rational possibility of connection and the occurrence of connection with the transcendent through religious and mystical experiences. Through a careful examination, it will be demonstrated that Avicenna’s ontological foundations not only support the possibility of relational experiences with the divine but also, when considered within the framework of logical argumentation and the epistemological certainty of mutawātirāt (mass-transmitted hadith), establish the reliability and certainty of such transcendent relations. Consequently, the argument from divine hiddenness—and by extension, atheism—is effectively refuted.

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