Becoming Perfect and Other Axiological Advantages of Theism

Abstract

The axiology of theism focuses on whether living in a theistic or non-theistic reality is best for worlds or the lives of persons. Some argue that supernatural-atheism—the view that God does not exist, but things like karma or souls do—is best because, on that view, worlds or persons could possess all the goods of theism without its disadvantages. However, I argue that certain forms of theism offer persons several unique goods: namely, partaking in the divine nature, becoming perfected, having an intimate mutual relationship with Perfection, and knowing that one has been perfected. I further argue that many of the allegedly unique goods of anti-theism are either available on theism or that anti-theism has the same disadvantages as theism concerning those goods. Pro-theism is thus a stronger position than is currently assessed in the axiology of theism literature.