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Hiddenness, holiness, and impurity

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 July 2016

BRENT G. KYLE
BRENT G. KYLE*
Affiliation:
Department of Philosophy, United States Air Force Academy, CO, 80840, USA
*
e-mail: brent.kyle@usafa.edu
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Abstract

John Schellenberg has advanced the hiddenness argument against God's existence, based on the idea that an all-loving God would seek personal relationships. This article develops a reply to Schellenberg's argument by examining the notion of moral impurity, as understood by Paul the Apostle. Paul conceptualized moral impurity as a causal state that transfers from person to person, like a contagious disease. He also believed that moral impurity precludes divine–human relationship. The goal of this article is to develop these ideas into a problem for one of Schellenberg's key premises.

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Articles
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Religious Studies , Volume 53 , Issue 2 , June 2017 , pp. 239 - 259
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Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2016 

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