An Essay on Divine Authority

by Mark C. Murphy

Overview

In the first book wholly concerned with divine authority, Mark C. Murphy explores the extent of God's rule over created rational beings. The author challenges the view—widely supported by theists and nontheists alike—that if God exists, then humans must be bound by an obligation of obedience to this being. He demonstrates that this view, the "authority thesis," cannot be sustained by any of the arguments routinely advanced on its behalf, including those drawn from perfect being theology, metaethical theory, normative principles, and even Scripture and tradition. After exposing the inadequacies of the various arguments for the authority thesis, he develops his own solution to the problem of whether, and to what extent, God is authoritative. For Murphy, divine authority is a contingent matter: while created rational beings have decisive reason to subject themselves to the divine rule, they are under divine authority only insofar as they have chosen to allow God's decisions to take the place of their own in their practical reasoning. The author formulates and defends his arguments for this view, and notes its implications for understanding the distinctiveness of Christian ethics.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781501732010
Publisher:	Cornell University Press
Publication date:	07/05/2018
Series:	Cornell Studies in the Philosophy of Religion
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	216
File size:	18 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Mark C. Murphy is Professor of Philosophy at Georgetown University. He is the author of Natural Law and Practical Rationality, Natural Law in Jurisprudence and Politics, and Philosophy of Law, and editor of Alasdair MacIntyre.

Table of Contents

	Preface	ix
	Introduction: The Problem of Divine Authority	1
1	What Divine Authority is
1.1	Reasons and Practical Authority	8
1.2	Theses about Divine Authority	16
2	The Compliance Thesis
2.1	The Authority Thesis and the Compliance Thesis	20
2.2	The Argument for the Compliance Thesis	21
2.3	Implications of Speech-Acts and Sincerity	22
2.4	Commands and Decisive Reasons for Action	24
2.5	God's Necessary Sincerity	29
3	Divine Authority and Divine Perfection
3.1	Divine Authority and Perfect-Being Theology	46
3.2	Omniscience	47
3.3	Moral Goodness	47
3.4	Omnipotence	48
3.5	Practical Authority as a Divine Perfection	58
4	Divine Command Metaethics and the Authority Thesis
4.1	Moral Philosophy as a Route to the Authority Thesis	70
4.2	Divine Command Metaethics (DCM)	71
4.3	Causal and Supervenience DCM Arguments for the Authority Thesis: Invalid	73
4.4	The Analysis DCM Argument for the Authority Thesis: Valid but Unsound	77
4.5	The Reduction DCM Argument for the Authority Thesis: Valid but Unsound	82
5	Moral Arguments for the Authority Thesis
5.1	Moral Principles and Divine Authority	93
5.2	Justice	94
5.3	Property	94
5.4	Gratitude	104
5.5	Coordination	120
5.6	Obedience to God as an Independent Moral Principle	126
6	The Authority Thesis and Orthodox Christianity
6.1	The Stronger and Strong Authority Theses	131
6.2	The Practical Stance toward God Endorsed by Christianity	134
6.3	God's Kingship over Israel	137
6.4	Is an Authority Thesis an Affirmation of Scripture (or Tradition)?	140
6.5	The Presumption against Belief in Authority Relationships	147
7	A Solution to the Problem of Divine Authority
7.1	A More Modest Account of Divine Authority	151
7.2	Divine Authority, Loosely Speaking, Is Universal	152
7.3	Divine Authority, Strictly Speaking, Is Not Universal	153
7.4	Divine Authority Arises through Submission	153
7.5	Submission to Divine Authority Is Reasonable	168
7.6	Christian Ethics and Divine Authority	175
7.7	Divine Authority Is Actual	187
	Works Cited	189
	Index	195

What People are Saying About This

Philip L. Quinn

An Essay on Divine Authority breaks new ground. It contains a great deal of fresh and original work. Mark Murphy makes a very strong case and his arguments are direct and powerful.

Robert Merrihew Adams

This pioneering work explores the idea of divine authority in greater depth than any other recent study known to me. Though I disagree with some of Murphy's arguments and conclusions, they expand the horizon of my thinking about the subject. The book is a really important contribution to the philosophy of religious ethics.

Nicholas Wolterstorff

Mark C. Murphy's An Essay on Divine Authority is the best thing that's been written on the topic for a long time. It is religiously serious, thoroughly informed by the relevant historical and contemporary literature, philosophically rigorous, and full of intellectual imagination of a very high order. I have no doubt whatsoever that all informed discussions of the topic in the future will take Murphy's book into account. It breaks new ground.

Editorial Reviews

Murphy's book on the nature and extent of God's rule over human beings is a welcome addition to an impressive series.... While those without familiarity with philosophical argumentation will find this book to be very difficult reading, readers willing to follow Murphy's arguments carefully will find the experience valuable and thought-provoking.

James Beilby

The topic of divine authority has not been addressed much at all in recent years, and no work of which I am aware comes even close to the depth and creativity that this excellent book exhibits.... Murphy's book, then, is one of those rare achievements—a breaking of genuinely new ground that lives up to its promise. It is a superb text that is likely to serve, and that ought to serve, as the seminal work on which discussion of divine authority will centre for years to come.

Religious Studies - Thomas P. Flint

In this book, Mark C. Murphy explores the question of God's rule over created beings. He challenges the view—widely held by theists and non-theist alike'that, if God exists, human beings must be bound by obligations of obedience to Him.' He argues that this view—what he calls the 'authority thesis'—is not sustained by any of the arguments usually made in its behalf.... The whole book is argued with admirable courage, rigor, and thoroughness.

The Thomist - Phillip E. Devine

I recommend his excellent book very highly to all philosophers of religion. And even moral and political philosophers who are not interested in religion are, I think, likely to find parts of it worth studying.

Philosophical Quarterly - Philip L. Quinn

"This pioneering work explores the idea of divine authority in greater depth than any other recent study known to me. Though I disagree with some of Murphy's arguments and conclusions, they expand the horizon of my thinking about the subject. The book is a really important contribution to the philosophy of religious ethics."

Robert Merrihew Adams

"Mark C. Murphy's An Essay on Divine Authority is the best thing that's been written on the topic for a long time. It is religiously serious, thoroughly informed by the relevant historical and contemporary literature, philosophically rigorous, and full of intellectual imagination of a very high order. I have no doubt whatsoever that all informed discussions of the topic in the future will take Murphy's book into account. It breaks new ground."

Nicholas Wolterstorff

"In this book, Mark C. Murphy explores the question of God's rule over created beings. He challenges the view—widely held by theists and non-theist alike'that, if God exists, human beings must be bound by obligations of obedience to Him.' He argues that this view—what he calls the 'authority thesis'—is not sustained by any of the arguments usually made in its behalf. . . . The whole book is argued with admirable courage, rigor, and thoroughness."—Phillip E. Devine, The Thomist, April 2003

"The topic of divine authority has not been addressed much at all in recent years, and no work of which I am aware comes even close to the depth and creativity that this excellent book exhibits. . . . Murphy's book, then, is one of those rare achievements—a breaking of genuinely new ground that lives up to its promise. It is a superb text that is likely to serve, and that ought to serve, as the seminal work on which discussion of divine authority will centre for years to come."—Thomas P. Flint, Religious Studies

"Murphy's book on the nature and extent of God's rule over human beings is a welcome addition to an impressive series. . . . While those without familiarity with philosophical argumentation will find this book to be very difficult reading, readers willing to follow Murphy's arguments carefully will find the experience valuable and thought-provoking."—James Beilby, Religious Studies Review, July 2003.

" I recommend his excellent book very highly to all philosophers of religion. And even moral and political philosophers who are not interested in religion are, I think, likely to find parts of it worth studying."—Philip L. Quinn, Philosophical Quarterly, January 2004

"Mark C. Murphy's An Essay on Divine Authority is the best thing that's been written on the topic for a long time. It is religiously serious, thoroughly informed by the relevant historical and contemporary literature, philosophically rigorous, and full of intellectual imagination of a very high order. I have no doubt whatsoever that all informed discussions of the topic in the future will take Murphy's book into account. It breaks new ground."—Nicholas Wolterstorff, Noah Porter Professor of Philosophical Theology,Yale University

"An Essay on Divine Authority breaks new ground. It contains a great deal of fresh and original work. Mark Murphy makes a very strong case and his arguments are direct and powerful."—Philip L. Quinn, University of Notre Dame

"This pioneering work explores the idea of divine authority in greater depth than any other recent study known to me. Though I disagree with some of Murphy's arguments and conclusions , they expand the horizon of my thinking about the subject. The book is a really important contribution to the philosophy of religious ethics."—Robert Merrihew Adams, Yale University

From the Publisher