Philosophy of Religion: A Guide and Anthology

by Brian Davies (Editor)

Overview

Is it possible to be both a philosopher and a religious believer? Is philosophy a friend or foe to religious belief? Does talk of God make sense? Does God exist? What is God?
Essential for anyone pondering these and similar questions, Philosophy of Religion: A Guide and Anthology provides a comprehensive, authoritative, and accessible overview of the subject. Carefully edited by Brian Davies, it contains a wide-ranging selection of 65 of the best classical and contemporary writings on the philosophy of religion, together with substantial commentary, introductory material, discussion questions, and detailed guides to further reading. The editorial material sets the selections in context and guides students through the readings.
Part I of the book examines the relation between philosophy and religion; Parts II-IV consider the existence and nature of God; Part V addresses the "problem of evil" that has puzzled thinkers for centuries; and Parts VI and VII are devoted to the relationship between morality and religion and to the question of life after death. An extensive treatment of the major issues that Western philosophers have faced in thinking about religion, Philosophy of Religion is an exceptional text. No other book on the market offers this combination of introductory guide along with such a substantial anthology of readings.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780198751946
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Publication date:	09/14/2000
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	784
Product dimensions:	9.65(w) x 6.75(h) x 1.59(d)

About the Author

Brian Davies is Distinguished Professor of Philosophy at Fordham University. He is a Catholic Priest and Dominican Friar, and is General Editor of the series "Outstanding Christian Thinkers" and the Oxford series "Medieval Minds."

Table of Contents

Notes on ContributorsGeneral IntroductionAdvice on Further ReadingPART I. PHILOSOPHY AND RELIGIOUS BELIEF1. Faith and Reason in Harmony, Thomas Aquinas2. The Ethics of Belief, W.K. Clifford3. The Presumption of Atheism, Antony Flew4. Religious Belief as 'Properly Basic', Alvin Plantinga5. Evidence and Religious Belief, Norman Kretzmann6. Grammar and Religious Belief, D.Z. Phillips7. The Groundlessness of Religious Belief, Norman MalcolmPART II. THE PROBLEM OF GOD-TALK8. How Believers Find God-Talk Puzzling, Augustine of Hippo9. God-Talk is Evidently Nonsense, A.J. Ayer10. God-Talk is Not Evidently Nonsense, Richard Swinburne11. 'Death by a Thousand Qualifications', Antony Flew12. One Way of Understanding God-Talk, Thomas AquinasPART III. ARGUMENTS FOR GOD'S EXISTENCECosmological Arguments13. A Concise Cosmological Argument from the Eleventh Century, Anselm of Canterbury14. A Thirteenth-Century Cosmological Argument, Thomas Aquinas15. A Fourteenth-Century Cosmological Argument, John Duns Scotus16. A Seventeenth-Century Cosmological Argument, Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz17. A Modern Cosmological Argument, Herbert McCabe18. Objections to Cosmological Arguments, Paul Edwards19. More Objections to Cosmological Arguments, J.L. Mackie20. Why is a Cause Always Necessary?, David Hume21. 'Whatever Has a Beginning of Existence Must Have a Cause', G.E.M. Anscombe22. Can There be an Endless Regress of Causes?, James A. SadowskyDesign Arguments23. Is the World Ruled by Providence?, Thomas Aquinas24. An Especially Famous Design Argument, William Paley25. We Cannot Know that the World is Designed by God A David Hume26. The Limits of Design Arguments, Immanuel Kant27. God, Regularity, and David Hume, R.G. Swinburne28. Can Design Arguments be Defended Today?, Robert HambourgerOntological Arguments29. Anselm Argues that God Cannot be Thought Not to Exist, Anselm of Canterbury30. Gaunilo Argues that Anselm is Wrong, Gaunilo of Marmoutiers31. Anselm Replies to Gaunilo, Anselm of Canterbury32. Descartes Defends an Ontological Argument, René Descartes33. Descartes Replies to Critics, Pierre Gassendi, Johannes Caterus, René Descartes34. A Classic Repudiation of Ontological Arguments, Immanuel Kant35. A Contemporary Defense of Ontological Arguments, Alvin PlantingaGod and Human Experience36. Why 'Knowing God by Experience' is a Notion Open to Question, C.B. Martin37. Can We Know God by Experience?, Peter Donovan38. Why Should There Not Be Experience of God?, William P. AlstonPART IV. WHAT IS GOD?Omnipotent39. A Modern Discussion of Divine Omnipotence, Thomas V. Morris40. Why Think of God as Omnipotent?, Thomas Aquinas41. Miracles and Laws of Nature, Richard Swinburne42. Why We Should Disbelieve in Miracles, David HumeKnowing43. Why Ascribe Knowledge to God?, Thomas Aquinas44. Omniscience and Human Freedom: a Classic Discussion, Boethius45. Problems for the Notion of Divine Omniscience, Nelson PikeEternal46. Why Call God 'Eternal'?, Thomas Aquinas47. God is 'Everlasting', not 'Eternal', Nicholas Wolterstorff48. A Modern Defence of Divine Eternity, Eleonore Stump and Norman Kretzmann49.. A Different Modern Defense of Divine Eternity, Paul HelmSimple50. A Classic Defense of Divine Simplicity, Thomas Aquinas51. Problems with Divine Simplicity, Thomas V. Morris52. A Modern Defense of Divine Simplicity, Brian DaviesPart V. THE PROBLEM OF EVIL53. Evil Shows that There is No God, J.L. Mackie54. What is Evil?, Augustine of Hippo55. Evil Does Not Show That There Is No God, Richard Swinburne56. God, Evil, and Divine Responsibility, Herbert McCabe57. God and Human Freedom, Thomas AquinasPart VI. MORALITY AND RELIGION58. God as a 'Postulate' of Sound Moral Thinking, Immanuel Kant59. Why Morality Implies the Existence of God, H.P. Owen60. Moral Thinking as Awareness of God, Illtyd Trethowan61. Morality Does Not Imply the Existence of God, Kai NielsenPart VII. PEOPLE AND LIFE AFTER DEATH62. Philosophy and Life After Death: The Questions and the Options, Stephen T. Davis63. Life After Death: An Ancient Greek View, Plato64. Belief in Life After Death Comes from Emotion, not Reason, Bertrand Russell65. What Must be True of Me if I Survive My Death?, Peter GeachIndexParts I-II and V-VII open with an Introduction and end with Questions for Discussion and Advice on Further Reading; Parts III and IV open with an Introduction and Advice on Further Reading; the sub-sections of Parts III and IV open with an Introduction and end with Questions for Discussion and Advice on Further Reading