Bryan Frances' Book on the Problem of Evil

We noted previously that Bryan Frances has been working on a thorough and even-handed introduction to the problem of evil. The book (Gratuitous Suffering and the Problem of Evil, Routledge Press) is due to come out next month. Here's the link.

ANNOUNCEMENT: Workshop on Religious Epistemology, Contextualism, and Pragmatic Encroachment

Workshop on Religious Epistemology, Contextualism,
and Pragmatic Encroachment

Oxford University, 13 & 14 March 2013

Speakers:

Charity Anderson (Oxford) & John Hawthorne (Oxford)
'Knowledge, Practical Adequacy, and Stakes'

Jeremy Fantl (Calgary) & Matthew McGrath (Missouri)
'TBA'

Matthew Benton (Oxford)
'Pragmatic Encroachment and Theistic Knowledge'

Michael Pace (Chapman)
'Pragmatic Encroachment and the Nature of Faith'

Tim Pickavance (Biola) & Daniel Eaton (Texas)
'Wagering on Pragmatic Encroachment'

Stephen R. Ogden (Yale)
'A Contextualist Look at Skeptical Theism'

Sandy Goldberg (Northwestern) will be a commenter.

Registration is free, but space is limited so we kindly request that those who register commit to attending all of the sessions. Please note that the format of the workshop is pre-read. Thus, it is anticipated that attendees read the papers prior to the session.

Please email Giorgia Carta (giorgia.carta@philosophy.ox.ac.uk) with your name and affiliation to register.
This event will be photographed, and photos will appear on the New Insights Website. All participants should bring the Photography Consent Form to registration.

The event is a part of the outstanding project, New Insights and Directions for Religious Epistemology, headed by John Hawthorne at Oxford University.

Contrarian Philosophy of Religion Assertion Friday

Orthodox Christian theism requires accepting that something can come into existence without a material cause.

New Survey/Overview Article on the Problem of Religious Diversity

Dastmalchian, Amir. "The Epistemology of Religious Diversity in Contemporary Philosophy of Religion", Philosophy Compass 8:3 (Feb 2013), 298-308.

Abstract: Religious diversity is a key topic in contemporary philosophy of religion. One way religious diversity has been of interest to philosophers is in the epistemological questions it gives rise to. In other words, religious diversity has been seen to pose a challenge for religious belief. In this study four approaches to dealing with this challenge are discussed. These approaches correspond to four well-known philosophers of religion, namely, Richard Swinburne, Alvin Plantinga, William Alston, and John Hick. The study is concluded by suggesting four factors which shape one’s response to the challenge religious diversity poses to religious belief.

And if it should find its way into my inbox, I wouldn't mind in the least.

UPDATE: thanks!