This unique textbook--the first to offer balanced, comprehensive coverage of all major perspectives on the rational justification of religious belief--includes twenty-four key papers by some of the world's leading philosophers of religion. Arranged in six sections, each representing a major approach to religious epistemology, the book begins with papers by noted atheists, setting the stage for the main theistic responses--Wittgensteinian Fideism, Reformed epistemology, natural theology, prudential accounts of religious beliefs, and rational belief based in religious experience--in each case offering a representative sample of papers by leading exponents, a critical paper, and a substantial bibliography. A comprehensive introductory essay and ample cross-references help students to contrast and evaluate the different approaches, while the overall arrangement encourages them to assess the full range of philosophical positions on the issue.Carefully selected to provide both a comprehensive overview of current work and a series of modern perspectives on many classic sources--Swinburne's detailed discussion of Hume's critique of the design argument, for example, as well as an entire section evaluating and extending Pascal's famous Wager--the essays also provide a uniquely readable survey that will be useful in a wide range of undergraduate and graduate courses in philosophy of religion and epistemology.

Contemporary Perspectives on Religious Epistemology

Politics & Social Sciences

Sweetman, Brendan

Geivett, R.Douglas

Philosophy

Oxford University Press

Key Concepts in Philosophy is a series of concise, accessible and engaging introductions to the core ideas and subjects encountered in the study of philosophy. Specially written to meet the needs of students and those with an interest in, but little prior knowledge of, philosophy, these books open up fascinating, yet sometimes difficult ideas. The series builds to give a solid grounding in philosophy and each book is also ideal as a companion to further study. A core area in the study of philosophy, the philosophy of religion is a subject of growing contemporary interest.  It encompasses some of the most fascinating questions of all: does God exist?; what is God's nature?; why does God allow evil?; what is a religious experience?; are religion and science compatible?; what relevance does evolution have for religious belief?; and questions concerning the challenge of religious pluralism, a topic of great contemporary relevance.   Written with the specific needs of students new to philosophy in mind, Religion: Key Concepts in Philosophy covers the work of major thinkers, and outlines clearly the central questions and arguments encountered in studying the philosophy of religion.  This is an engaging and clear introduction to a major component of the undergraduate philosophy curriculum, as well as being an ideal support for general readers.

Religion: Key Concepts in Philosophy

Religion & Spirituality

Religious Studies

Continuum

The philosophy of religion is a core area in the study of philosophy, as well as being a subject of growing contemporary interest. It encompasses some of the major and most complex philosophical questions. Does God exist? What is God's nature? Why does God allow evil? What is a religious experience? Are religion and science compatible? What relevance does evolution have for religious belief? It also covers questions concerning the challenge of religious pluralism, a topic of great contemporary relevance. Written with the specific needs of students new to philosophy in mind, Religion: Key Concepts in Philosophy covers the work of major thinkers and outlines clearly the central questions and arguments encountered in studying the philosophy of religion. This is an engaging and clear introduction to a major component of the undergraduate philosophy curriculum, as well as being an ideal support for general readers.

Can religion and politics mix? Many voices reply, "No way!" Yet in this provocative and timely book, Brendan Sweetman argues against this charge and the various sophisticated arguments that support it. As we witness the clash of religious and secular worldviews he claims that our pluralistic democratic society will be best served when the faith elements of secularism are acknowledged and the rational elements of religious arguments are allowed to inform the momentous debates taking place in the public square. In fact, Sweetman contends that "politics needs religion if it is to be truly democratic, concerned with fairness among worldviews, equality and a vigorous public discussion."

Why Politics Needs Religion: The Place of Religious Arguments in the Public Square

History

World

IVP Academic

Truth and Religious Belief

This book contains a thorough and balanced series of dialogues introducing key topics in philosophy of religion, such as: the existence and nature of God, the problem of evil, religious pluralism, the nature of religious experience, immortality, and the meaning of life. A realistic cast of characters in a natural setting engages in a series of thought-provoking conversations; the dialogue format of these conversations captures typical student attitudes and questions concerning religious belief; allows comparison of important themes throughout the dialogues; encourages the interjection of insights, observations, questions, and objections; and introduces related points when they would naturally arise, instead of relegating them to a later chapter. As well as presenting a detailed and probing discussion, each dialogue includes a list of key terms, a set of study questions, and a bibliography - all of which make this an excellent text for courses in philosophy of religion and introductory philosophy classes.

Truth and Religious Belief: Philosophical Reflections on Philosophy of Religion

Feezell, Randolph

Hancock, Curtis L.

Routledge

This book contains a thorough and balanced series of dialogues introducing key topics in philosophy of religion, such as: the existence and nature of God, the problem of evil, religious pluralism, the nature of religious experience, immortality, and the meaning of life. A realistic cast of characters in a natural setting engages in a series of thought-provoking conversations; the dialogue format of these conversations captures typical student attitudes and questions concerning religious belief; allows comparison of important themes throughout the dialogues; encourages the interjection of insights, observations, questions, and objections; and introduces related points when they would naturally arise, instead of relegating them to a later chapter. As well as presenting a detailed and probing discussion, each dialogue includes a list of key terms, a set of study questions, and a bibliography - all of which make this an excellent text for courses in philosophy of religion and introductory philosophy classes.

Feezell, Randolph L.

Evolution, Chance, and God: Understanding the Relationship between Evolution and Religion

Evolution, Chance, and God looks at the relationship between religion and evolution from a philosophical perspective. This relationship is fascinating, complex and often very controversial, involving myriad issues that are difficult to keep separate from each other. Evolution, Chance, and God introduces the reader to the main themes of this debate and to the theory of evolution, while arguing for a particular viewpoint, namely that evolution and religion are compatible, and that, contrary to the views of some influential thinkers, there is no chance operating in the theory of evolution, a conclusion that has great significance for teleology.
 One of the main aims of this book is not simply to critique one influential contemporary view that evolution and religion are incompatible, but to explore specific ways of how we might understand their compatibility, as well as the implications of evolution for religious belief. This involves an exploration of how and why God might have created by means of evolution, and what the consequences in particular are for the status of human beings in creation, and for issues such as free will, the objectivity of morality, and the problem of evil. By probing how the theory of evolution and religion could be reconciled, Sweetman says that we can address more deeply key foundational questions concerning chance, design, suffering and morality, and God's way of acting in and through creation.

Bloomsbury Academic

Evolution, Chance, and God looks at the relationship between religion and evolution from a philosophical perspective. This relationship is fascinating, complex and often very controversial, involving myriad issues that are difficult to keep separate from each other. Evolution, Chance, and God introduces the reader to the main themes of this debate and to the theory of evolution, while arguing for a particular viewpoint, namely that evolution and religion are compatible, and that, contrary to the views of some influential thinkers, there is no chance operating in the theory of evolution, a conclusion that has great significance for teleology. One of the main aims of this book is not simply to critique one influential contemporary view that evolution and religion are incompatible, but to explore specific ways of how we might understand their compatibility, as well as the implications of evolution for religious belief. This involves an exploration of how and why God might have created by means of evolution, and what the consequences in particular are for the status of human beings in creation, and for issues such as free will, the objectivity of morality, and the problem of evil. By probing how the theory of evolution and religion could be reconciled, Sweetman says that we can address more deeply key foundational questions concerning chance, design, suffering and morality, and God's way of acting in and through creation.

Aone-stop resource for undergraduate students examining the many complexities of the relationship between religion and science. >

Religion and Science: An Introduction

Aone-stop resource for undergraduate students examining the many complexities of the relationship between religion and science. &gt;

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Sweetman, Brendan. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Sweetman, Brendan

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Sweetman, Brendan. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Contemporary Perspectives on Religious Epistemology

Religion: Key Concepts in Philosophy

Religion: Key Concepts in Philosophy

Why Politics Needs Religion: The Place of Religious Arguments in the Public Square

Truth and Religious Belief: Philosophical Reflections on Philosophy of Religion

Truth and Religious Belief

Evolution, Chance, and God: Understanding the Relationship between Evolution and Religion

Evolution, Chance, and God: Understanding the Relationship between Evolution and Religion

Religion and Science: An Introduction

Religion and Science: An Introduction