Worship-Worthiness First

This paper argues that worship-worthiness should be treated as the foundational question of philosophy of religion. To develop this claim, I divide the philosophy of worship into two branches: the axiology of worship (whether God is worthy of worship) and the deontology of worship (whether we ought to worship God). After developing a tripartite account of worship, I distinguish two broad theological approaches: Worship-Worthiness Theology (WWT), which takes worship-worthiness as its organizing concern, and Non-Worship-Worthiness Theology (NWWT), which begins from other metaphysical or theological priorities. I argue that WWT has axiological, prudential, and methodological priority over NWWT – a thesis I call Worship-Worthiness First. I argue that this thesis can transform existing debates in the philosophy of religion. I develop this thesis through three case studies: perfect being theism, arguments for God’s existence, and the nature of God. Worship-worthiness, this paper argues, is not one topic among others. It is the question that should guide and structure all the others.