Contemporary Philosophy of Religion

This volume provides a vivid and engaging introduction to contemporary philosophy of religion.

Acknowledgments x

Introduction 1

1 Religious Beliefs 14

2 Religious Practices and Pictures of Reality 36

3 Divine Power 61

4 Materialism, Positivism and God 83

5 Divine Intelligence and the Structure of the Cosmos 106

6 The Transcendence of the Sacred 143

7 God, Values, and Pluralism 189

8 Evidence, Experience, and God 246

9 The Problem of Evil and the Prospects of Good 299

10 Theism and Naturalism350

Bibliography 394

Index 421

"Taliafero’s work is a major contribution. It shows mastery of the field, the capacity to think creatively within it, and and usual ability to write clear and engaging prose. This book will quickly become an indispensable teaching tool." Paul J. Griffiths, University of Chicago

"Taliafero’s book combines a staggering breadth of research with a careful attention to organization and development the result is an extremely helpful map of the conceptual landscape in contemporary philosophy of religion." Patricia Sayre, Saint Mary’s College

"Taliafero has written a lively, engaging introduction to contemporary philosophy of religion. It combines current ‘front-burner’ issues with a solid background of traditional themes, and incorporates welcome attention to non-Western religious traditions." William Hasker, Huntington College

"Taliafero provides and open-minded and stimulating introduction which will encourage readers to form their own views about some of the deepest issues confronting human beings." Roger Trigg, University of Warwick

"While he places at the center of the book the philosophical articulation of theism and theistic themes, author Taliafero develops these themes in conversation with four other living world religion, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, an Buddhism, and with various atheistic or agnostic challenges to them. This is first-rate book and will be useful in the classroom." Michael Beaty, Baylor University

Charles Taliaferro is Professor of Philosophy at St. Olaf College. He is author of Consciousness and the Mind of God (1994), and co-editor of A Companion to Philosophy of Religion (Blackwell 1997) and Philosophy of Religion: An Anthology (Blackwell 2002). This volume provides a vivid and engaging introduction to contemporary philosophy of religion. It is distinctive in its coverage of world religions, its emphasis on the social and ethical consequences of religious and political convictions, and its focus on the current state of the field. Topics include the nature of religion, the relation of religious faith and evidence, alternative concepts of God, religious views of good and evil, religious tolerance, the possibility of an alternative and divine incarnation, religious diversity and experience.

Including discussion questions and suggestions for further reading, the volume provides an excellent basis for an undergraduate course in the philosophy of religion.