The debate between "new atheists" and religious apologists today is often hostile. Turning Images is a book that sets a new tone by locating the debate between theism and naturalism (most "new atheists" are self-described "naturalists") in the broader context of reflection on imagination and aesthetics. The eleven original essays will be of interest to anyone who is fascinated by the power of imagination and the role of aesthetics in deciding between worldviews or philosophies of nature. Representing a variety of points of view, authors include outstanding philosophers of religion and of science, a distinguished art historian, and a visual artist. Martin Kemp begins the book by looking at D'Arcy Thompson's vision of the natural world, combining poetry and visual images to set the stage for thinking about nature along teleological or non-purposive lines. Geoffrey Gorham then offers an overview and analysis of the images of nature found in early modern science and philosophy. Anthony O'Hear takes up the problem of accounting for the origin of mind or consciousness, highlighting some of the limitations of Darwinian evolutionary biology in terms of values. Dale Jacquette offers a thoroughgoing, naturalistic account of the emergence of intentionality and a unique argument about the emergence of art and the aesthetic appreciation of nature. E.J. Lowe advances some difficulties facing a naturalist approach to mental life. Douglas Hedley offers a cognitive account of the imagination and also advances reasons why naturalism faces deep challenges. Daniel N. Robinson offers a sweeping account of nature and naturalism, historically engaging Aristotle, Kant, Hegel and others. Conor Cunningham provides a take-no-prisoners critique of contemporary naturalism. Gordon Graham investigates the resources of naturalism in accounting for our sense of the sacred. Mark Wynn provides a subtle account of the imagination and perception, suggesting how these may play into the theism - naturalism debate. The book concludes with Jil Evans' reflections on the Galapagos Islands, that key, almost mythic place that became instrumental in shaping Darwin's development of his theory of evolution.

Turning Images in Philosophy, Science, and Religion: A New Book of Nature

Religion & Spirituality

Taliaferro, Charles

Evans, Jil

Religious Studies

Oxford University Press

The title of Charles Taliaferro’s book is derived from poems and stories in which a person in peril or on a quest must follow a cord or string in order to find the way to happiness, safety, or home. In one of the most famous of such tales, the ancient Greek hero Theseus follows the string given him by Ariadne to mark his way in and out of the Minotaur’s labyrinth. William Blake's poem “Jerusalem” uses the metaphor of a golden string, which, if followed, will lead one to heaven itself. Taliaferro extends Blake’s metaphor to illustrate the ways we can link what we see, feel, and do with deep spiritual realities. Taliaferro offers a foundational case for the recognition of the experience of the eternal God of Christianity, in which God is understood as the fount of all goodness and the subject and object of our best love, revealed through scripture, tradition, philosophical reflection, and encountered in everyday events. He addresses philosophical obstacles to the recognition of such experiences, especially objections from the “new atheists,” and explores the values involved in thinking and experiencing God as eternal. These include the belief that the eternal goodness of God subordinates temporal goods, such as the pursuit of fame and earthly glory; that God is the essence of life; and that the eternal God hallows domestic goods, blessing the everyday goods of ordinary life. An exploration of the moral and spiritual riches of the Christian tradition as an alternative to materialism and naturalism, The Golden Cord brings an originality and depth to the debate in accessible and engaging prose.

The Golden Cord: A Short Book on the Secular and the Sacred

Politics & Social Sciences

Philosophy

University of Notre Dame Press

Contemporary Philosophical Theology

In Contemporary Philosophical Theology, Charles Taliaferro and Chad Meister focus on key topics in contemporary philosophical theology within Christianity, Islam, and Judaism, as well as Hinduism and Buddhism. The volume begins with a discussion of key methodological tools available to the philosophical theologian, such as faith and reason, science and religion, revelation and sacred scripture, and authority and tradition. The authors use these tools to explore subjects including language, ineffability, miracles, evil, and the afterlife. They also grapple with applied philosophical theology, including environmental concerns, interreligious dialogue, and the nature and significance of political values. A concluding discussion proposes that philosophical theology can contribute to important reflections and action concerning climate change.

Meister, Chad

Routledge

Consciousness and the Mind of God

Contemporary materialist accounts of consciousness and subjectivity challenge how we think of ourselves and of ultimate reality. This book defends a nonmaterialistic view of persons and subjectivity and the intelligibility of thinking of God as a nonphysical, spiritual reality. It endeavors to articulate in a related way the integral relationship between ourselves and our material bodies and between God and the cosmos. Different versions of materialism are assessed, as are alternative, post-dualist concepts of God.

Cambridge University Press

Evidence and Faith: Philosophy and Religion since the Seventeenth Century (The Evolution of Modern Philosophy)

Emphasizing shifting views of faith and the nature of evidence, Charles Taliaferro has written a dynamic narrative history of philosophical reflection on religion from the seventeenth century to the present. Beginning with the movement of Cambridge Platonism, which formed a bridge between the ancient and medieval worlds and early modern philosophy, his book provides an overview of different movements in philosophy, as well as detailed analysis and reflection on key arguments.

Emphasizing shifting views of faith and the nature of evidence, Charles Taliaferro has written a dynamic narrative history of philosophical reflection on religion from the seventeenth century to the present. Beginning with the movement of Cambridge Platonism, which formed a bridge between the ancient and medieval worlds and early modern philosophy, his book provides an overview of different movements in philosophy, as well as detailed analysis and reflection on key arguments.

History

Christian Philosophy and the Problem of God (Elements in the Problems of God)

This first volume of The History of Evil covers Graeco-Roman, Indian, Near Eastern, and Eastern philosophy and religion from 2000 BCE to 450 CE. This book charts the foundations of the history of evil among the major philosophical traditions and world religions, beginning with the oldest recorded traditions: the Vedas and Upaniṣads, Confucianism and Daoism, and Buddhism, and continuing through Graeco-Roman and Judaeo-Christian schools of thought. This cutting-edge treatment of the history of evil at its crucial and determinative inception will appeal to those with particular interests in the ancient period and early theories and ideas of evil and good, as well as those seeking an understanding of how later philosophical and religious developments were conditioned and shaped.

The History of Evil in Antiquity: 2000 BCE - 450 CE

Angier, Tom

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

Books by Taliaferro, Charles

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

Turning Images in Philosophy, Science, and Religion: A New Book of Nature

The Golden Cord: A Short Book on the Secular and the Sacred

Contemporary Philosophical Theology

Contemporary Philosophical Theology

Consciousness and the Mind of God

Consciousness and the Mind of God

Evidence and Faith: Philosophy and Religion since the Seventeenth Century (The Evolution of Modern Philosophy)

Evidence and Faith: Philosophy and Religion since the Seventeenth Century (The Evolution of Modern Philosophy)

Christian Philosophy and the Problem of God (Elements in the Problems of God)

The History of Evil in Antiquity: 2000 BCE - 450 CE