Eighteen Takes on God: A Short Guide for Those Who Are Still Perplexed

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"This is a compact introduction to a variety of conceptions of God. Part I examines eight theologies: God as an old man in the sky, as an incorporeal person, as a necessary being, as truth goodness and beauty, apophatic theology (beyond all words), pantheism, deism, and open theology in which God acts and changes. The discussion shows up differences over whether God is a person, whether he is simple, whether he changes over time, and whether he can be spoken of at all. Part II reviews five different ways of understanding language about God: instrumentalism, reductionism, postmodernism, relativism, and a Wittgensteinian view. Part III moves closer to religious experience and practice, looking at the views of Otto, Buber, Kant, Tillich, and Quakers. There are also comments and endnotes on such diverse figures as William Blake, Samuel Palmer, Feuerbach, Don Cupitt, Goethe, Kierkegaard, Iris Murdoch, Simone Weil, Abbe Louf, John Gray and Keith Ward. There is no overall commitment to theism, atheism or agnosticism. Instead there is a sympathetic account of various views of the divine, combined with critical questioning about their meaning and practical application. In Ch18 Quakerism is recommended as one good way. personal theism, necessary being, apophatic theology, pantheism, deism, open theology, religious experience, faith, forgiveness, Quakers"--  Read more... The old man in the sky? -- The omnipresent person -- The unchangeable necessary being -- Negative (apophatic) theology -- Truth, goodness, and beauty -- Pantheism -- Deism -- The God who changes and acts -- Instrumentalism -- Reductionism -- Postmodernism -- Relativism -- Wittgensteinian Christianity -- Religious experience -- The eternal thou -- Moral faith -- Forgiveness and grace -- The inward light.