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Human Questions

What Is Evidentialism in Religion?

Religious evidentialism says belief should be proportioned to evidence, while disagreeing about what evidence can include.

Quick Answer

Religious evidentialism holds that religious belief needs sufficient evidence, though philosophers disagree about whether experience, testimony, and pragmatic reasons count as evidence.

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Key Takeaways

  • ✦It does not always demand scientific proof.
  • ✦It makes evidence proportionate to confidence.
  • ✦It is challenged by accounts of properly basic belief.

Question

Does evidentialism rule out faith?

Quick Answer

No. It asks faith to answer to reasons and counterevidence, rather than treating commitment as automatically irrational.

The Dispute

Evidentialists differ over the appropriate standard. Critics say a demand for arguments ignores ordinary rational trust; defenders say it protects belief from insulation against criticism.

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Reviewed by ZHAIBIAN AI Editorial Review · 2026-08-23

◈Based on 1 scholarly source◈Last updated 2026-08-23
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