Philosophy of religion, selected readings edited by William Row and William Wainwright

Philosophy of religion, selected readings edited by William Row and William Wainwright

Preface

The aim of this volume is to introduce students to the philosophy of religion by acquainting them with the writings of some of the thinkers who have made substantial contributions to this area. The text covers many topics that are central to the philosophy of religion, and, for each topic it considers, we have sought to provide a group of readings that reflects various philosophical viewpoints and pursues them in some depth without a loss of clarity.

There are several special features of the book. First, a substantial number of selections are included in a section that deals solely with the nature and attributes of God, treating such fundamental concepts as omniscience and omnipotence. Along with several discussions of these concepts by contemporary philosophers of religion, the section also offers pertinent readings from such classical sources as Augustine, Boethius, and Aquinas. We believe that a study of the readings in this section will deepen the student's understanding of the concept of God that has been dominant in Western thought.

Second, in the section devoted to arguments for the existence of God, lesser known arguments have been avoided in favor of pursuing the three traditional arguments more thoroughly than is customary in works of this sort.

The thoroughness of the selections thus provided should lead each reader to an understanding of the ontological, cosmological, and teleological arguments for the existence of God. Finally, wherever possible, we have tried to include selections that relate the philosophical topic being discussed to some current issue. There is, for example, a selection on the question of whether hallucinogenic drugs can produce mystical states of consciousness.

The editorial material includes an introduction to each major topic, with suggestions for further reading presented at the end of each section. The student may also benefit from the brief biographical footnotes that identify the authors of the selections.

Details

• Paperback
• Condition: Used, cover has folds in the corners and the spine is sunbleaked, no notes/stamps
• ISBN: 0155705806
• Publishing House: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich INC.