The Oxford Handbook of Philosophy of Religion

Description

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. Philosophers have long critically examined the truth of (and rational justification for) religious claims, and have explored such philosophically interesting phenomena as faith, religious experience and the distinctive features of religious discourse. The second half of the twentieth-century has been an especially fruitful period, with philosophers using new developments in logic and epistemology to mount both sophisticated defenses of, and attacks on, religious claims. The Oxford Handbook of Philosophy of Religion contains newly commissioned chapters by 21 prominent experts who cover the field in a comprehensive but accessible manner. Each chapter is expository, critical, and representative of a distinctive viewpoint. The Handbook is divided into two sections. The first, "Problems," covers the most frequently discussed topics, among them arguments for God's existence, the problem of evil, and religious epistemology. The second is called "Approaches" and contains four essays assessing the advantages and disadvantages of different methods of practicing philosophy of religion. The Handbook offers contributors of high stature who present substantive and in-depth treatment of the most central topics. It is a must-have reference for anyone with an interest in philosophy and religion. INTRODUCTION......Page 2 1 DIVINE POWER, GOODNESS, AND KNOWLEDGE......Page 10 2 DIVINE SOVEREIGNTY AND ASEITY......Page 26 3 NONTHEISTIC CONCEPTIONS OF THE DIVINE......Page 46 4 THE ONTOLOGICAL ARGUMENT......Page 64 5 COSMOLOGICAL AND DESIGN ARGUMENTS......Page 96 6 MYSTICISM AND RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE......Page 115 7 PASCAL'S WAGERS AND JAMES'S WILL TO BELIEVE......Page 142 8 THE PROBLEM OF EVIL......Page 160 9 RELIGIOUS LANGUAGE......Page 187 10 RELIGIOUS EPISTEMOLOGY......Page 209 11 GOD, SCIENCE, AND NATURALISM......Page 231 12 MIRACLES......Page 260 13 FAITH AND REVELATION......Page 277 14 MORALITY AND RELIGION......Page 294 15 DEATH AND THE AFTERLIFE......Page 313 16 RELIGIOUS DIVERSITY......Page 336 17 ANALYTIC PHILOSOPHY OF RELIGION......Page 359 18 WITTGENSTEINIANISM......Page 382 19 CONTINENTAL PHILOSOPHY OF RELIGION......Page 403 20 FEMINISM AND ANALYTIC PHILOSOPHY OF RELIGION......Page 423