Religious Studies

More than four hundred alphabetically arranged entries discuss various aspects of the conflict between science and religion.

Providing focused help as you build and maintain your philosophy and religion collections and field patron's requests, this new addition to the ARBA In-depth series contains over 300 critical reviews of quality reference titles by subject experts. These reviews - all of which have appeared in the last six editions of American Reference Books Annual, the long-trusted source of reliable reviews of recent reference publications - cover both general and specialized reference titles in the fields of philosophy and religion. Author, title, and subject indexes, as well as a contributor list, are provided.

It gives clear and reliable guidance to all areas of philosophy and to the ideas of all notable philosophers from antiquity to the present day.

An accessible and engaging introduction to the philosophy of religion. Places key issues and debates in the philosophy of religion in their historical contexts, highlighting the conditions that led to the development of the field Addresses the core topics, among them the the existence of God, the problem of evil, death and the afterlife, and the problem of religious diversity

Miracles give hope to the hopeless and exemplify the intersection of the divine and the mundane. They have shaped world history and continue to influence us through their presence in films, television, novels, and popular culture. This encyclopedia provides a unique resource on the philosophical, historical, religious, and cross-cultural conceptions of miracles that cut across denominational lines. Provides the most authoritative exposition of miracles across history currently available in English--a highly useful resource for inquirers on miraculous phenomenon Goes far beyond discussions of specific miracle stories to explore their provenance, cultic aspects, philosophical underpinnings, and psychological roots. Covers some of the major aspects of miraculous phenomena through entries drawn from the humanities, social and behavioral sciences, and the hard sciences, particularly physics and natural biology

This so-called New Atheism is arguably the most striking development in western socio-religious culture of the past decade or more. As such, it has spurred fertile (and often heated) discussions both within, and between, a diverse range of disciplines. Yet atheism, and the New Atheism, are by no means co-extensive. Interesting though it indeed is, the New Atheism is a single, historically and culturally specific manifestation of positive atheism (the that there is/are no God/s), which is itself but one form of a far deeper, broader, and more significant global phenomenon.

The philosophy of religion as a distinct discipline is an innovation of the last two hundred years, but its central topics--the existence and nature of the divine, humankind's relation to it, the nature of religion and its place in human life--have been with us since the inception of philosophy.

The Oxford Handbook of Secularism offers a wide-ranging and in-depth examination of this global conversation, bringing together the views of an international collection of prominent experts in their respective fields. This is the essential volume for comprehending the core issues and methodological approaches to the demographics and sociology of secularity; the history and variety of political secularisms; the comparison of constitutional secularisms across many countries from America to Asia; the key problems now convulsing church-state relations; the intersections of liberalism, multiculturalism, and religion; the latest psychological research into secular lives and lifestyles; and the naturalistic and humanistic worldviews available to nonreligious people.

The present study of the being of things and of God. The thinking of a philosopher and theologian is here presented in the language of a poet, as the author invites us to join him as he seeks to explain the relations of our world to God and God to our world.

Here we have not merely one great theologian taking the measure of another. That in itself would be interesting enough. But in addition to that we are here shown one great theologian clarifying and crystallizing, in conversation with another, his own ideas as to the nature of theology and of the theologian's task.

Accomplished and prolific author and philosopher Avrum Stroll believes that although we are right to believe in the authority and power of science, there are many issues that neither science nor any other discipline will resolve. These are the same issues that have perplexed philosophers, scientists, indeed most of humanity for centuries #150; Is there Life after Death, Does God Exist, Where did the Universe Come From? In Did My Genes Make Me Do It? Stroll takes a reader on an enthralling journey through these and other timeless questions; Do we have a soul? Are we free to make our own choices?; examining the contributions of figures as diverse as Aristotle, Einstein, Newton, and St Augustine, while also revealing his own unique theories. Using plenty of no-nonsense examples, he presents the essence of each question, equipping readers to decide for themselves whether these questions will ever be answered.

Homer ; Orphism ; Eleusinian mysteries -- Plato ; Aristotle -- Stoicism ; Neoplatonism -- Eastern mysteries ; Early Christianity -- Gnostics ; Clement ; Origen -- Gregory of Nyssa ; Macarius ; Pseudo-Dionysius -- Augustine -- Summary of Greek philosophic influences -- Thomas Aquinas -- Christian mystics ; The modern period.

A major theological study which systematically confronts the philosophical problem of evil, and the Holocaust in particular. It presents an extensively researched and comprehensive review of the subject.

In order to be truly free, must you act arbitrarily? If an event did not happen, could it have happened? Since there is evil, and God could have made the world without evil, did God fail to pick the best course? Grappling with such simple--yet still intriguing--puzzles, Leibniz was able to present attractively his new theories of the real and the phenomenal, freewill and determinism, and the relation between minds and bodies.

In the tradition of Bertrand Russell's Why I Am Not a Christian and Sam Harris's recent bestseller, The End of Faith, Christopher Hitchens makes the ultimate case against religion.

The debate between atheism and theism spreads far across the range of philosphical questions about the status of science, the nature of mind, the character of good and evil, the epistemology of experience and testimony, and so on. In this book two philosophers each committed to unambiguous versions of belief and disbelief, debate the central issues of atheism and theism.

A magisterial work of social history, Life After Death illuminates the many different ways ancient civilizations grappled with the question of what exactly happens to us after we die. In a masterful exploration of how Western civilizations have defined the afterlife, Alan F. Segal weaves together biblical and literary scholarship, sociology, history, and philosophy.

Truth, beauty, and goodness are more than traditional ideas--they are living realities bearing dynamic potentials for a future we can help create. As we grow, these supreme values increasingly guide our thinking, feeling, and doing. No matter what your philosophical, religious, or spiritual orientation may be, having a philosophy of living centered on these ideals will enhance your understanding and integration.

Graham Ward argues that the study of theology and religion, as a single academic discipline, plays a vital role in helping us to understand politics, world affairs, and the nature of humanity itself. Religion can be used to justify inhumane actions, but it also feeds dreams, inspires hopes, and shapes aspirations. By invoking a sense of wonder about the natural world, religion can promote scientific discoveries, and by focusing on shared experiences, religion helps to bind societies together. Some scientists now believe that religious feeling might be hard-wired into our DNA, a fundamental aspect of what makes us human. Because religion is rooted in the imagination itself, its study involves staring into the profundities of who we are. Religion will not go away, so it needs to be understood.

An important part of philosophy is concerned with religious questions. What is the meaning of life, and how might religious faith or doubt impact such meaning? What is the evidence for the existence of God? Is evidence essential for religious faith? What is the relationship between science and religion? What is the relationship between religions? How can or should one assess virtues and vices, right and wrong, from a religious versus a secular point of view? In this beginner's guide, Charles Taliaferro addresses these and other important questions involved in philosophy of religion. He challenges the negative, often complacent attitudes towards religion as being dangerous or merely superstitious, arguing instead for a healthy pluralism and respect between persons of faith and secular inquirers. What is Philosophy of Religion? takes a practical, question-based approach to the subject, inviting the reader to engage with this exciting area of philosophy in a down-to-earth way.

Swinburne argues compellingly that the existence of the universe, its law-governed nature and fine-tuning, human consciousness and moral awareness, and evidence of miracles and religious experience, all taken together (and despite the occurrence of pain and suffering), make it likely that there is a God.

The question of whether or not God exists is profoundly fascinating and important. Now two articulate spokesmen--one a Christian, the other an atheist--duel over God's existence in an illuminating battle of ideas. In God? A Debate between a Christian and an Atheist, William Lane Craig and Walter Sinnott-Armstrong bring to the printed page two debates they held before live audiences, preserving all the wit, clarity, and immediacy of their public exchanges. Avoiding overly esoteric arguments, they directly address issues such as religious experience, the Bible, evil, eternity, the origin of the universe, design, and the supposed connection between morality and the existence of God. Employing sharp and humorous arguments, each philosopher strikes quickly to the heart of his opponent's case.

This book explores the desire to live forever, which manifests itself in many forms. The author's self-expressed "aim has been, simply, to write a readable book that will afford the reader an increased sensitivity to the many ways the desire for immortality has shaped history, philosophy, art, and literature."

A survey of the Judeo-Christian tradition and the contemporary theological conversation concerning ways of speaking of God's relation to suffering people and to a world in which suffering is such a stark reality.

Sorrell is critical of the scientistic tendency in philosophy. He does not wish to devalue science but supports the need to raise the status of arts and humanities within the discipline.

Special attention is paid to the interdisciplinary nature of Jewish philosophy, the institutional settings for generating Jewish philosophy, and the contribution of philosophizing to contemporary Jewish self-understanding.

Anatheism refers to an inaugural event that lies at the heart of every great religion, a wager between hospitality and hostility to the stranger, the other--the sense of something "more."

DVD special feature: Printable discussion guide (not rated).
Presents a debate on the question of the existence of God between the philosophies of Sigmund Freud and C.S. Lewis.