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Philosophy of Religion
(3rd ed)
Hodder Headline (Teach Yourself),
2007, 288pp, 978-0-340-94018-1,
£9.99
People long to make sense of life; to find some key that will unlock
its
mysteries and
enable them to understand themselves and their place within the universe. Faced
with their own fragility and death, they seek courage or comfort.
Longing to develop and create, they seek inspiration.
In
this human quest for meaning, some take to philosophy, others to the creative
arts, and others - in fact the majority of humankind - take to some form of
religion.
Almost every profound aspect of life - from sexuality to artistic creativity, or
from the
emotional trauma of prolonged suffering or bereavement to the spontaneous
expression of wonder at natural beauty - may become the raw material out of
which a
religious interpretation of life can be built.
But
why? What are religious beliefs, and how do they relate to the rest of our
understanding of life? Can they be justified rationally? Are they a mental
springboard,
launching us into a deeper exploration and appreciation of life, or a mental prison, closing our minds to reason and evidence? Or are they neither, but only our use
(or
misuse) of them makes them so?
…
just some of the questions that are explored in this book.
NB. In
the new edition there is a chapter on Atheism and Humanism, some additional
material on psychology and religion, and a broader final chapter, looking at the
relevance and impact of religion on society.
Contents:
Introduction
7. Psychology and Religion
1.
Religious Experience
8. Suffering and Evil
2.
Religious Language
9. Religion and Science
3.
God: the concepts 9. Religion and
Society
4.
God: the arguments Postscript
5.
Atheism and Humanism Taking it further
6.
The Self
Glossary
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