ABSTRACT

First Published in 2004. God and Goodness takes the experience of value as a starting point for natural theology. Mark Wynn argues that theism offers our best understanding of the goodness of the world, especially its beauty and openness to the development of richer and more complex material forms.
We also see that the world's goodness calls for a moral response: commitment to the goodness of the world represents a natural extension of the trust to which we aspire in our dealings with human beings.
Wynn argues that the goodness of the world provides a glimpse into what we should mean by 'God'. Here, he seeks to recover the mediaeval sense that the goodness of the world offers an image of the goodness of God, not simply in relation to the world, but in itself.  This book will be an invaluable read for those interested in natural theology and philosophy of religion.

chapter |7 pages

Introduction

part |60 pages

The goodness of the world as its reason for existence

chapter |26 pages

Providence and beauty

part |47 pages

Disvalues and the goodness of the world

chapter |30 pages

Providence and evil

part |22 pages

Moral commitment to the goodness of the world

part |59 pages

The goodness of the world and the concept of God

chapter |5 pages

Conclusion