Worst Friends or Best Enemies?

Abstract

This article examines the question of whether the atheist and the believer can understand each other, to the point of being friends intellectually. The answer is no. The atheist and the believer can be best enemies, but their epistemic disagreement is definitely radical. For it is not a disagreement on religious belief itself, but about what allows the believer to believe. The article examines some aspects of John Greco’s concept of ‘friendly theism’, the discussion of conciliationism and anti-conciliatonism, and the epistemic role of the Holy Spirit.