Papers by Joshua Sijuwade
Revista Portuguesa de Filosofia, 2024
This article presents a novel argument for the existence of God based on the metaphysical concept... more This article presents a novel argument for the existence of God based on the metaphysical concept of grounding. Using the methodology of Inference to the Best Explanation, as conceptualised by Peter Lipton, it evaluates six foundationalist theories: Trope-Theoretic Theism, Monistic Substantivalism, Pure Stuff Theory, Mereological Bundle Theory, Extended Simples Theory, and Priority-Based Structural Realism-for their ability to explain the existence of grounding relations in reality. Through rigorous internal and external assessments focusing on coherence, simplicity, unification, and evidential virtues, the paper argues that Trope-Theoretic Theism, which conceives of God as a maximal power trope, provides the most satisfactory explanation for grounding relations. This conclusion offers a new abductive argument for Theism and demonstrates the potential for productive dialogue between metaphysics and religion.
Metaphysica, 2024
This article aims to provide a reassessment of the relationship between God and abstract objects.... more This article aims to provide a reassessment of the relationship between God and abstract objects. This reassessment will provide a new conceptualisation of this important relationship and will be formulated, first, within the theoretical framework of 'Theistic Aspectivalism', which is grounded on the notion of an aspect, proposed by Donald L.M. Baxter, which provides a means to ward off the 'Bootstrapping Problem'. Second, within the theoretical framework of 'Theistic Essentialism', which is based on the notion of essence and essential dependence, as proposed by Kit Fine, Jonathan Lowe, and Katherin Koslicki, which provides a metaphysical basis for the relationship between God and abstract objects to be further elucidated and for the position of 'Platonic Theism' to be free from the primary issues that are often raised against it.
Metaphysica, 2024
This article aims to provide a philosophical elucidation of the concept of divine atemporality (i... more This article aims to provide a philosophical elucidation of the concept of divine atemporality (i.e. divine timelessness and immutability), found within the theological trajectory of Classical Theism, and a philosophical model-termed Aspectival Pluralism-that demonstrates its compatibility with the further notion of Divine Preservation. To achieve this end, an original interpretation of the concept is formulated within the Aspectival Account and the thesis of Theistic Ontological Pluralism, as extended by the temporal ontology of Priority Presentism, introduced by Sam Baron, and the Exdurantist view of persistence, introduced by Theodore Sider, which will ultimately enable the notion to be elucidated in a clear and consistent manner and help to answer an important conceptual question concerning it.
The Journal of Religion, 2024
This article aims to provide an explication of a new conceptualisation of God's defeat of horrors... more This article aims to provide an explication of a new conceptualisation of God's defeat of horrors (i.e., horror-defeat), and a successful solution to the Problem of Horrors—which we can term the ‘Reconciliation Account’. This specific conceptualisation will be formulated in light of the work of Marilyn McCord Adams, with an original extension of her work being made by utilising the work of Richard Swinburne and Robin Collins (amongst others), which, in combination, will provide us with a more robust solution to the issue raised by horrors.
Perichoresis, 2024
This article focuses on examining a particular method of Biblical Interpretation. This specific m... more This article focuses on examining a particular method of Biblical Interpretation. This specific method is that of the Patristic Method of Biblical Interpretation, proposed by Richard Swinburne. The Patristic Method faces a specific issue, 'the Authority' Issue, which will thus be dealt with within this article by utilising the notion of epistemic authority, as conceptualised by Linda Zagzebski, and restating it within a Catholic interpretative framework. Doing this will thus enable the Patristic Method to be presented as a robust and cogent contemporary method of Biblical Interpretation that offers a unified and accurate understanding of God's revelation in the Bible.
Philosophy and Theology, 2024
This article aims to provide an a posteriori argument for the veracity of the Christian conceptio... more This article aims to provide an a posteriori argument for the veracity of the Christian conception of the Abrahamic religion that centres on God's action of sending a divine and atoning prophet-the 'Messianic Prophet'-into the world, who we can identify as the person of Jesus of Nazareth. This specific argument will be presented through Richard Swinburne's (modified) explanatory framework, which focuses on assessing the prior and posterior evidence in support of this identification. This, however, will be done in light of the work of Historical Jesus and NT scholars John P. Meier, N.T. Wright, Richard Bauckham and Larry Hurtado-which, in combination, will provide a means to ward off two important objections against Swinburne's methodology, and ultimately allow one to establish the veracity of the 'Christian Position', on firm historical grounds.
TheoLogica: An International Journal for Philosophy of Religion and Philosophical Theology, 2024
The central focus of this article is to provide a new "Love Argument" for the necessary truth of ... more The central focus of this article is to provide a new "Love Argument" for the necessary truth of the Latin "model" of the doctrine of the Trinity-termed "Latin Trinitarianism"-from an a priori standpoint. This new argument, called the Agápēic Argument, will be formulated in light of the metaphysical notions of a "trope," introduced by D. C. Williams, and "multiple location," posited by Antony Eagle, and the ethical concept of agápē, proposed by Alexander Pruss. Doing this will provide a specific argument that provides strong grounds for affirming the necessary truth of the Trinity, without, however, being subject to the primary objections that have been often raised against the existing versions of the argument.
International Journal for Philosophy of Religion, 2023
This article aims to provide an elucidation of the doctrine of the Incarnation. A new 'reduplicat... more This article aims to provide an elucidation of the doctrine of the Incarnation. A new 'reduplication strategy' and 'compositional model' is formulated through the utilisation of certain concepts and theses from contemporary metaphysics, which will enable the doctrine of the Incarnation to be explicated in a clear and consistent manner, and the oft-raised objections against it being fully dealt with.
Philosophies, 2023
In this article, I seek to assess the extent to which a ‘trope-theoretic’ version of Theism is a ... more In this article, I seek to assess the extent to which a ‘trope-theoretic’ version of Theism is a better theory than that of a theory of Atheism, as posited by Graham Oppy. This end will be achieved by utilising the systemisation of the theoretical virtues proposed by Michael Keas (as further modified by an application of the work of Jonathan Schaffer), the notion of a trope, introduced by D.C. Williams, and an aspect, proposed by Donald L.M. Baxter, which will establish the basis of the trope-theoretic account of Theism that will be at the centre of our analysis. This assessment will ultimately show that Theism, rather than that of Atheism (Naturalism), can successfully achieve the trade-off between minimising theoretical commitments and maximising explanatory power. And thus, given this, the best theory of Theism—namely, that of ‘trope-theoretic Theism’—is to be privileged over that of the best theory of Atheism—namely, that of ‘Oppyian Naturalism’—and is able to provide grounds for a decisive reassessment of the cogency of Agnosticism.
Theophron: Journal of Christian Studies, 2023
This article aims to provide a theory of atonement, termed the "Agápēic Theory," which is formula... more This article aims to provide a theory of atonement, termed the "Agápēic Theory," which is formulated within a philosophical framework that has the aim of humans flourishing to the maximum level through partaking in an everlasting relationship of love with God. The Agápēic Theory will be formulated by using a certain conception of love, introduced by Alexander Pruss, into the field of applied ethics, and also various elements from other existing theories of the Atonement found within the fields of analytic theology, in the work of Richard Swinburne, Eleonore Stump and Robin Collins, and systematic/biblical theology, in the work of Karl Barth and N.T Wright, which will both help to ground the Agápēic Theory on firm philosophical and theological grounds and ultimately provide a robust theory of the Atonement.
Faith and Philosophy, 2023
This article aims to provide an explication of the Christian doctrine of eternal generation. A mo... more This article aims to provide an explication of the Christian doctrine of eternal generation. A model of the doctrine is formulated within the ground-theoretic framework of Jonathan Schaffer and E. Jonathan Lowe, which enables it to be explicated clearly and consistently, and two often raised objections against the doctrine can be successfully answered.
Religions, 2023
This article aims to provide an a priori argument—termed the Flourishment Argument, for the verac... more This article aims to provide an a priori argument—termed the Flourishment Argument, for the veracity of the Christian conception of the Abrahamic religion that centres on God’s action of sending a divine and atoning prophet into the world. This specific informal argument will be presented through the formulation of a set of a priori reasons for why God would seek to interact with the world—developed in light of the work of Richard Swinburne, John Finnis, Linda Zagzebski and Alexander Pruss—which, in combination, will provide individuals with grounds for believing in the veracity of these important Christian teachings.
International Journal for Philosophy of Religion, 2023
In this article, I seek to provide a philosophical elucidation of the thesis of open theism. This... more In this article, I seek to provide a philosophical elucidation of the thesis of open theism. This task will be performed by utilising the conception of open theism, Generic Open Theism, provided by Alan Rhoda (and precisified in part by William Hasker). This conception will then be further elucidated through the employment of the notion of libertarianism, as proposed by Robert Kane, which will enable the thesis of Generic Open Theism to be shown to not be subject to two important challenges: the Prophecy Challenge and the Divine Bodgery Challenge-which are challenges that focus on showing the incompatibility of perfect being theism, scripture and providence with the central tenets of Open Theism. Thus, in the end, one will be able to affirm the veracity of Open Theism within a scripturally grounded, perfect being theistic framework.
Heythrop Journal, 2023
This article aims to provide a new philosophical explication of the doctrine of the Incarnation. ... more This article aims to provide a new philosophical explication of the doctrine of the Incarnation. A compositional model of the doctrine is formulated within the Dispositional Personhood account of Lynne Rudder Baker and the Composition as Identity framework of Donald L.M. Baxter. Formulating the doctrine of the Incarnation within this account and framework will enable it to be explicated in a clear and consistent manner, and the oft-raised objections against this type of model can be answered.
Philosophy and Theology, 2023
This article aims to provide a new ontological argument for the existence of God. A specific 'mod... more This article aims to provide a new ontological argument for the existence of God. A specific 'modal' version of the ontological argument-termed the Modal Realist Ontological Argument-is formulated within the modal realist metaphysical framework of David K. Lewis, Kris McDaniel and Philip Bricker. Formulating this argument within this specific framework will enable the plausibility of its central premise (i.e., the 'Possibility Premise') to be established, and allow one to affirm the soundness of the argument-whilst warding off two oft-raised objections against this type of natural theological argument.
Studies in Christian Ethics, 2023
This article aims to provide a response to the problem of suffering through an explication of a n... more This article aims to provide a response to the problem of suffering through an explication of a new theodicy termed the Exemplarist Theodicy. This specific theodicy will be formulated in light of the moral theory provided by Linda Zagzebski, termed the Exemplarist Moral Theory, the notion of transformative experience, as explicated by L.A. Paul, Havi Carel and Ian James Kidd, and the virtue-theoretic approach to suffering proposed by Michael Brady, which, in combination with some further precisifying philosophical concepts-namely, compensation, total empathy, and infinitely valuable connections-will provide us with a possible, morally sufficient reason for why God allows individuals to experience suffering.
Religions, 2022
This article aims to introduce a new solution to the Logical Problem of the Trinity. This solutio... more This article aims to introduce a new solution to the Logical Problem of the Trinity. This solution is provided by utilising a number of theses within the field of contemporary metaphysics in order to establish a conceptual basis for a novel account and model of the doctrine of the Trinity termed Monarchical Aspectivalism, which will provide the means for proposing an alternative reading of the Athanasian Creed that is free from any consistency problems.
European Journal for Philosophy of Religion
This article aims to provide a defense of the coherence of the doctrine of middle knowledge again... more This article aims to provide a defense of the coherence of the doctrine of middle knowledge against the Grounding Objection. A solution to the Grounding Objection is provided by utilising the metaphysical thesis of Modal Realism proposed by David K. Lewis (as further developed by Kris McDaniel and Philip Bricker). Utilising this metaphysical thesis will enable the Counterfactuals of Creaturely Freedom, that are part of God's middle knowledge, to have pre-volitional truthmakers, and thus, ultimately, we will have a means to finally deal with this problematic issue that has often been raised against this doctrine.
TheoLogica, 2022
This article aims to provide an explication of the doctrine of the Incarnation. A 'Transformation... more This article aims to provide an explication of the doctrine of the Incarnation. A 'Transformational Model' of the doctrine is formulated within the metaphysical and ontological framework of Jonathan Lowe (i.e. his Non-Cartesian Substance Dualism and Four-Category Ontology). Formulating this model within this specific framework will enable the doctrine of the Incarnation to be explicated in a clear and consistent manner, and the oft-raised objections against it can be answered.
Perichoresis
This article aims to provide a philosophical case for the veracity of the doctrine of the papacy.... more This article aims to provide a philosophical case for the veracity of the doctrine of the papacy. This specific case will be presented as an a priori argument that will be formulated in light of the work of Richard Swinburne and Linda Zagzebski-which, in combination, will provide us with grounds for believing in the veracity of the papacy from a philosophical perspective, and thus help to further bolster up the historical arguments that are usually brought in support of this doctrine.
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Papers by Joshua Sijuwade