A critical evaluation of Schellenberg’s divine hiddenness argument based on Avicenna’s ontological and epistemological foundations

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 PhD of Islamic studies teaching Branch Theoretical foundations of Islam, University of Islamic Sciences, Qom, Iran. (corresponding author)

2 PhD of Islamic studies teaching Branch Theoretical foundations of Islam, University of Tehran college of farabi, Qom, Iran.

3 Assistant Professor, Department of Philosophy and Theology, Baqir al-Olum University, Qom, Iran.

10.22091/jptr.2024.10870.3076

Abstract

Atheists have constantly propounded arguments against the existence of God and have challenged theists’ claims. In this midst, John L. Schellenberg has posed an argument entitled “divine hiddenness” which is prominently attended by 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 documentary-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. It will be illustrated through the conducted inspection that not only do Avicenna’s ontological foundations endorse the possibility of relation through these experiences but also, based on the contexture of logical argumentations and the certainty of mutawātirs (things reported by significant number of narrators), the occurrence of relation with the transcendent is certain and reliable and hence, divine hiddenness and in turn atheism are refuted.

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Journal of Philosophical Theological Research

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 10 December 2024

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