Uploaded June 2022 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
Dr. Dustin Crummett is a professor of philosophy Seattle Pacific University. We discuss his paper, "We Are Here to Help Each Other: Religious Community, Divine Hiddenness, and the Responsibility Argument" published in the journal Faith and Philosophy. The paper is linked below.
https://place.asburyseminary.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2570&context=faithandphilosophy
For more on Dustin, check out his website linked below.
dustincrummett.com
For a broad overview of theistic responses to divine hiddenness, check out my interview with Dr. Daniel Speak.
youtu.be/icip4GjaMXs
Please consider becoming a patron. Go to patreon.com/theanalyticchristian
For merch and more, go to theanalyticchristian.com
——————————TIMESTAMPS—————————
00:00 Intro
02:31 How did you get interested in the topic of Divine Hiddenness?
04:09 What is the Problem of Divine Hiddenness?
06:12 What is the core idea of the responsibility argument?
07:49 What is the Scriptural support for the responsibility argument?
09:59 What are some of the ways that one can positively and negatively affect others spiritual development?
13:02 Would Swinburne and Dumsday deny your broader ways of influencing others spiritual development?
15:06 If you put the responsibility of the spiritual development of others on us, then it seems to have some natural implications for the afterlife, can you spell out these implications?
19:43 What are some of the major ways that your view differs from Swinburne’s and Dumsday’s accounts of the responsibility argument?
23:16 Schellenberg’s Criticism #1 of the responsibility argument: we don’t have the necessary tools to have this type of responsibility. Can you elaborate on this criticism and how your version of the responsibility argument would respond to it?
26:06 Schellenberg’s Criticism #2 of the responsibility argument: temporary and spatially isolated non-theists. Can you elaborate on this criticism and how would you respond to it?
28:58 Schellenberg’s Criticism #3 of the responsibility argument: the overwhelming value of relationship with God far surpasses other goods such as responsibility for the spiritual development of others. Can you elaborate on this criticism and how would you respond to it?
34:45 Schellenberg’s Criticism #4 of the responsibility argument: is there too much responsibility for us? Can you elaborate on this criticism and how would you respond to it?
37:08 Schellenberg’s Criticism #5 of the responsibility argument: the responsibility argument violates God’s concern for particular individuals. Can you elaborate on this criticism and how would you respond to it?
40:40 Short summary of Dustin Crummett’s responsibility arguments response to the problem of Divine hiddenness
42:04 Question #1: What do you think of the argument that God doesn’t reveal himself because he wants to minimize the guilt of people who would reject him?
43:29 Question #2: Is there a problem of hiddenness involving non-human animals? (Also, what is Dustin’s favorite non-domestic animal?)
45:15 Question #3: Could we have no reasonable nonbelief but have all these benefits (group Bible studies, missions, apologetic arguments, etc.)?
Dr. Dustin Crummett is a professor of philosophy Seattle Pacific University. We discuss his paper, "We Are Here to Help Each Other: Religious Community, Divine Hiddenness, and the Responsibility Argument" published in the journal Faith and Philosophy. The paper is linked below.
https://place.asburyseminary.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2570&context=faithandphilosophy
For more on Dustin, check out his website linked below.
dustincrummett.com
For a broad overview of theistic responses to divine hiddenness, check out my interview with Dr. Daniel Speak.
youtu.be/icip4GjaMXs
Please consider becoming a patron. Go to patreon.com/theanalyticchristian
For merch and more, go to theanalyticchristian.com
——————————TIMESTAMPS—————————
00:00 Intro
02:31 How did you get interested in the topic of Divine Hiddenness?
04:09 What is the Problem of Divine Hiddenness?
06:12 What is the core idea of the responsibility argument?
07:49 What is the Scriptural support for the responsibility argument?
09:59 What are some of the ways that one can positively and negatively affect others spiritual development?
13:02 Would Swinburne and Dumsday deny your broader ways of influencing others spiritual development?
15:06 If you put the responsibility of the spiritual development of others on us, then it seems to have some natural implications for the afterlife, can you spell out these implications?
19:43 What are some of the major ways that your view differs from Swinburne’s and Dumsday’s accounts of the responsibility argument?
23:16 Schellenberg’s Criticism #1 of the responsibility argument: we don’t have the necessary tools to have this type of responsibility. Can you elaborate on this criticism and how your version of the responsibility argument would respond to it?
26:06 Schellenberg’s Criticism #2 of the responsibility argument: temporary and spatially isolated non-theists. Can you elaborate on this criticism and how would you respond to it?
28:58 Schellenberg’s Criticism #3 of the responsibility argument: the overwhelming value of relationship with God far surpasses other goods such as responsibility for the spiritual development of others. Can you elaborate on this criticism and how would you respond to it?
34:45 Schellenberg’s Criticism #4 of the responsibility argument: is there too much responsibility for us? Can you elaborate on this criticism and how would you respond to it?
37:08 Schellenberg’s Criticism #5 of the responsibility argument: the responsibility argument violates God’s concern for particular individuals. Can you elaborate on this criticism and how would you respond to it?
40:40 Short summary of Dustin Crummett’s responsibility arguments response to the problem of Divine hiddenness
42:04 Question #1: What do you think of the argument that God doesn’t reveal himself because he wants to minimize the guilt of people who would reject him?
43:29 Question #2: Is there a problem of hiddenness involving non-human animals? (Also, what is Dustin’s favorite non-domestic animal?)
45:15 Question #3: Could we have no reasonable nonbelief but have all these benefits (group Bible studies, missions, apologetic arguments, etc.)?
