Morality and religion: intimately wed, violently opposed, or something else? Discussion of this issue appears in pop culture, the academy, and the media ? often generating radically opposed views. At one end of the spectrum are those who think that unless God exists, ethics is unfounded and the moral life is unmotivated. At the other end are those who think that religious belief is unnecessary for ? and even a threat to ? ethical knowledge and the moral life. This volume provides an accessible, charitable discussion that represents a range of views along this spectrum. The book begins with a lively debate between Paul Kurtz and William Lane Craig on the question, Is goodness without God good enough? Kurtz defends the affirmative position and Craig the negative. Following the debate are new essays by prominent scholars. These essays comment on the debate and advance the broader discussion of religion and morality. The book closes with final responses from Kurtz and Craig.

List of Contributors

Louise Antony, William Lane Craig, John Hare, Donald C. Hubin, Paul Kurtz, C. Stephen Layman, Mark C. Murphy, Walter Sinnott-Armstrong, and Richard Swinburne.

Table of Contents

• • Preface
  • Introduction Robert K. Garcia and Nathan L. King
• Part I
  • Chapter 1: The Kurtz / Craig Debate: Is Goodness without God Good Enough?
    Paul Kurtz and William Lane Craig
• Part II
  • Chapter 2: A Moral Argument for the Existence of God by C. Stephen Layman
  • Chapter 3: Atheism as Perfect Piety by Louise Antony
  • Chapter 4: Is Moral Goodness without God Rationally Stable? by John Hare
  • Chapter 5: Why Traditional Theism Cannot Provide an Adequate Foundation for Morality by Walter Sinnott-Armstrong
  • Chapter 6: Theism, Atheism, and the Explanation of Moral Value by Mark C. Murphy
  • Chapter 7: Empty and Ultimately Meaningless Gestures? by Donald C. Hubin
  • Chapter 8: What Difference Does God Make to Morality? by Richard Swinburne
• Part III
• • Chapter 9: This Most Gruesome of Guests (A Response by William Lane Craig)
  • Chapter 10: Ethics without God: Theism versus Secular Humanism (A Response by Paul Kurtz)
  • Further Reading
  • About the Contributors