Department
Biblical and Theological Studies
Location
Bethel University
Document Type
Event
Start Date
10-25-2023
End Date
10-25-2023
Abstract
The problem of religious peer disagreement is this: suppose there are people that are your "epistemic peers" - they are just as intelligent, informed, and sincere as you - but they reject your religious beliefs. Does the existence of skeptical epistemic peers force Christians to withhold or evidentially support their religious beliefs? In this paper, I critique Harold Netland's work on religious peer disagreement on three fronts: (1) his identification of epistemic peers, (2) his understanding of the epistemic implications of religious peer disagreement, and (3) the viability of his demand for additional evidence as a response to instances of peer disagreement.
Recommended Citation
Beilby, Jim, "The problem of religious peer disagreement: A response to Harold Netland" (2023). Day of Scholarship. 35.
https://spark.bethel.edu/dayofscholarship/fall2023/oct25/35
The problem of religious peer disagreement: A response to Harold Netland
Bethel University
The problem of religious peer disagreement is this: suppose there are people that are your "epistemic peers" - they are just as intelligent, informed, and sincere as you - but they reject your religious beliefs. Does the existence of skeptical epistemic peers force Christians to withhold or evidentially support their religious beliefs? In this paper, I critique Harold Netland's work on religious peer disagreement on three fronts: (1) his identification of epistemic peers, (2) his understanding of the epistemic implications of religious peer disagreement, and (3) the viability of his demand for additional evidence as a response to instances of peer disagreement.