Written and collected by Zia H Shah MD

Abstract:
This article explores why God is posited as the metaphysically necessary foundation of reality, through an interfaith philosophical lens. We begin by introducing David Bentley Hart, an Eastern Orthodox theologian and philosopher known for his robust defense of classical theism and Christian metaphysics. We then provide a thematic summary of Hart’s discussion in a Closer to Truth episode on the question “Why is there anything at all?”, highlighting Hart’s insights and direct quotations from the talk. Building on these themes, we examine the contention that God is metaphysically necessary as an explanation for the existence of the universe. We engage critically with contemporary skepticism and naturalist accounts that attempt to answer this “ultimate question” without God, drawing on Hart’s arguments. Subsequently, we offer a theological-philosophical defense of divine necessity from two complementary perspectives. First, we draw on Islamic metaphysics – including classical kalām arguments on contingency and the concept of a Necessary Being (wājib al-wujūd) grounded in the doctrine of tawḥīd (divine oneness). Second, we incorporate Christian philosophical insights – especially the Thomistic contingency argument, Neoplatonic notions of the One, and the classical theist understanding of God as ipsum esse (Being itself). Through this interfaith analysis, we affirm that God, as conceived in these traditions, emerges as the only coherent and sufficient answer to the mystery of existence, countering naturalist objections and demonstrating a deep consonance between Islamic and Christian views on divine necessity. The article is structured with an academic tone, including an introduction to Hart, a summary of the dialogue, thematic sections on metaphysical arguments, and a conclusion underscoring the unity of classical theism across traditions in addressing why anything exists at all.

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