Graduate Research
News of Graduate Student Publications
For the sake of simplicity
Ho-yeung Lee
in Philosophical Quarterly
Abstract:
This article explores a neglected aspect of the doctrine of divine simplicity (DDS). Traditionally, DDS holds that God’s attributes, such as omnipotence and omniscience, are identical to each other and to God’s existence. While most existing literature explores the implication of DDS on other divine attributes, this article offers a systematic reflection on the property of being simple under the framework of divine simplicity. Addressing the ontological nature of simplicity itself raises novel and significant questions about the nature of God and the coherence of DDS. Through an examination of the property of being simple with respect to various ontological frameworks, particularly two versions of bundle theory, this article reveals that the attribute of being simple possesses a distinct ontological status, differing fundamentally from other divine attributes.
Available open-access.
Ho-yeung is studying for a DPhil in the Faculty of Philosophy.
Dostoevsky within the problem of evil: influences and reception
Joshua Jo Wah Yen
in International Journal for Philosophy of Religion.
Abstract:
Fyodor Dostoevsky has played an influential role in shaping both theistic and atheistic approaches to the problem of evil. This study situates Dostoevsky within the history of theodical discussions by examining the sources that shaped Dostoevsky’s engagement with the problem of evil as well as the reception of his work in later debates. This paper identifies three aspects of Ivan’s formulation of the problem, a rejection of consequentialist justification of suffering, a radical reinterpretation of truth, and his use of the evidential form, and shows how these arguments emerge from diverse sources including Orthodox apophaticism, Alexander Pushkin, and Immanuel Kant. This paper also illustrates how these have been influential for both anti-theodical and evidential traditions in the problem of evil. I also examine three of Dostoevsky’s responses to the problem of evil, the miracle of Job’s faith, an appeal to freedom, and an artistic vision of confronting suffering. I show how these are predominantly grounded in his Christian beliefs and can foster productive engagements in theodical literature. This paper aims to further the appreciation of Dostoevsky’s contributions to the problem of evil as well as promote a more holistic treatment of the problem of evil.
Available open-access.
Joshua Yen is studying for an MPhil in Philosophical Theology at Oriel College
God as victim of human sin: a sin-based response to J. L. Schellenberg’s hiddenness argument
Soham Gupta
in Journal of Theological Studies.
Abstract:
In this paper, I develop an extended sin-based response to J. L. Schellenberg’s hiddenness argument against the existence of God which claims that the existence of God is disproven by the existence of persons whom Schellenberg calls non-resistant non-believers. I aim to problematize Schellenberg’s claim that there are such persons by arguing that his understanding of resistance is too narrow and that there is a broader kind of resistance he has not adequately considered. My argument has two stages. In Stage One, I argue that by culpably gravely injuring other humans, humans injure God indirectly and this is a kind of resistance towards him. In Stage Two, I point out that, if Christianity is true, human sin led to the suffering and death of God incarnate; I then try to show that, if Christianity is true, humans who have committed gravely immoral acts bear some non-negligible moral responsibility for the death of Christ, and that this too is a kind of resistance towards God. Since virtually all humans have gravely injured another human and committed at least one gravely immoral act, virtually all humans are resistant to God in this broader sense. Finally, I try to account for the variation in belief and non-belief by arguing that temporary divine hiding is an acceptable but not necessary divine response to this kind of resistance.
Available open-access.
Soham Gupta is studying for a DPhil in the Faculty of Theology and Religion
Profiles of Recent Graduates
I’m currently working as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Helsinki in the Templeton-funded project The Surface and the Deep. This project focuses on mysticism, ineffability and religious language. Generally, my work sits at the intersection of philosophy of religion and systematic theology, with a particular focus on ineffability and contemplative traditions. I’m also interested in the problem of evil, religious experience and practices, aesthetics, classical theism and Thomistic metaphysics. Across these topics, I am interested in how philosophical clarity and theological depth can mutually inform one another, especially when addressing existential and experiential dimensions of faith.
My doctoral dissertation examined theodical responses to the problem of evil — that is, attempts to defend the rationality of Christian theism by proposing morally justifiable reasons God might have for permitting suffering. I began by critically assessing both classical theodicies and their anti-theodical critics. While I argue that it is coherent to speak of God’s reasons for creating a world like ours, I suggest that many standard theodicies risk entangling divine agency too closely with evil. To avoid this, I develop what I call a “grammar” for speaking about divine reasons — one that is epistemically minimalistic and acknowledges the limits of our access to God’s purposes.
This epistemic modesty does not, however, require abandoning the claim that Christian faith can be shown to be coherent and credible in the face of evil. Rather than relying solely on speculative accounts of divine reasons, I argue that we should situate theodical questions within the lived practices of Christian faith. In particular, I explore how aesthetic religious experience, trust, openness to God, and the search for meaning function as practical resources that contribute to the lived credibility of faith. At the same time, I take seriously the way suffering poses not only an intellectual challenge but also an extended practical challenge to central Christian claims.
Current Research
Since completing my DPhil (2025) under Profs. Mark Wynn and Thomas Simpson, I have taken up a postdoctoral fellowship with the Center for Philosophy of Religion at the University of Notre Dame to explore the theme of ‘prayer and providence’.
My current project explores practices of prayer in the Christian tradition: If answered petitionary prayer amounts to some kind of evidence (maybe that God cares, or is attentive) why doesn’t unanswered prayer amount to counter-evidence? While we need not think that it does, certainly we sometimes feel like it does—what relational dynamics are in play when we grapple with what CS Lewis calls ‘emphatic or unmistakable refusals’? Can ordinary relational practices of requesting, granting, and refusing in the context of trusting relationships help us better understand our experience in prayer?
Doctoral Research
Thesis title: Faith and Trust: A Theological and Philosophical Study
Thesis abstract: Is Christian faith basically trust? Yes and no—a lot hangs on how one defines trust. This study aims to articulate the nature and character of Christian faith and to elucidate its relation to trust. I argue that Christian faith is a practical, relational disposition of trust and loyalty toward God in Jesus Christ. My analysis begins with three biblical ‘faith-data’ that constrain legitimate accounts of Christian faith: the Greek pistis, the Hebrew ʾemunāh, and Abraham as a biblical exemplar of faith. Recent work by classicist Teresa Morgan suggests that pistis is centrally associated with trust, but her account (among others in the literature) lacks specificity. To address this, I draw on contemporary philosophy of trust to develop the notion of pistis as a form of nondoxastic, relational trust. I do so by proposing a functional account of trust that captures diverse intuitions about trust and underpins a practical interpretation of faith. Together with the faith-data, these insights from trust yield a characterization of faith as a practical, relational disposition. I evaluate how three philosophical accounts of Christian faith—Trust with Belief, Faith-as-faithfulness, and Trust-Loyalty—align with this characterization. The results are mixed, but each offers insights. I suggest revisions to better align them with my characterization, and through that dialogue refine the details of my view, particularly its salient relational features. This positions me to meet the primary aim of this study: I articulate the nature and character of Christian faith as a practical, relational disposition of trust and loyalty toward God in Jesus Christ. Thus, the secondary aim is also met: I elucidate the relation between faith and trust by showing that Christian faith is a species of engaged, relational trust. I close by demonstrating how this view of faith opens new avenues for both theological and philosophical reflection.
Research Interests
My research focuses on questions in philosophy of religion, epistemology, and ethics—with particular interest in the intersection with Christian theology. I am also interested in moral / religious disagreement, evidential ambiguity, epistemic humility, grit, and resilience.
Contact
See Liz's personal website.
