1st Edition

What is this thing called Philosophy of Religion?

By Elizabeth Burns Copyright 2018
240 Pages
by Routledge

240 Pages
by Routledge

240 Pages
by Routledge

What is this thing called Philosophy of Religion? grapples with the core topics studied on philosophy of religion undergraduate courses including: the meaning of religious language, including 20th century developments the nature of the Divine, including divine power, wisdom and action  arguments for the existence of the Divine challenges to belief in the Divine,... Read more

Acknowledgements

Chapter 1 – What is philosophy of religion?

Chapter 2 – Ways with words: The meaning of religious language

Chapter 3 – Religious language: Twentieth-century developments

Chapter 4 – Personal and impersonal interpretations of the Divine

Chapter 5 – Divine Power

Chapter 6 – Divine wisdom

Chapter 7 – Divine action

Chapter 8 – Petitionary prayer

Chapter 9 – Arguments for the existence of the Divine: Cosmological arguments

Chapter 10 – Arguments for the existence of the Divine: Design arguments

Chapter 11 – Arguments for the existence of the Divine: Moral arguments

Chapter 12 – Arguments for the existence of the Divine: Arguments from religious experience

Chapter 13 – Arguments for the existence of the Divine: Ontological arguments

Chapter 14 – Arguments against belief in the Divine: The problem of evil

Chapter 15 – Arguments against belief in the Divine: The problem of divine hiddenness

Chapter 16 – Arguments against belief in the Divine: The problem of religious diversity

Chapter 17 – Voluntarist theories of religious belief

Chapter 18 – Reformed Epistemology

Chapter 19 – Life, death and hope

Appendix 1 – Defining the Divine

Appendix 2 – List of further reading on the varieties of religious belief

Appendix 3 – List of anthologies and their contents by topic

Appendix 4 - Glossary

Index

Biography

Elizabeth Burns was a Reader at Heythrop College, University of London, UK where she taught philosophy of religion from 2000—2017 and was, for five years, Dean of Undergraduate Studies. She is now a Reader and Programme Director of the University of London International Programmes in Theology at the central University of London and Director of Taught Programmes at the Cambridge Theological Federation, UK.

"Writing in crystal clear language, Elizabeth Burns provides an insightful, concise, and classroom-ready treatment of every question central to philosophy of religion. Each chapter captures the classical ideas and the contemporary challenges to belief in God. A reliable guide."

Kevin Schilbrack, Appalachian State University, USA 

"Burns has accomplished her goal in this book of defining, in graspable terms, what the philosophy of religion entails. (...) Burns’s slim volume provides a valuable synthesis of the philosophy of religion."

Nathan 'Jack' Read, Ryokan College