Reason & religious belief: an introduction to the philosophy of religion

Preface to the Third Edition

Preface to the Second Edition

Preface to the First Edition

Introduction

1. Thinking about God : the Search for the ultimate

Defining religion

What is philosophy of religion?

The God of theism

The religious ambiguity of life

Our task

2. Religious experience : what does it mean to encounter the divine?

Types of religious experience

Religious experience as feeling

Religious experience as perceptual experience

Religious experience as interpretation based on religious beliefs

Can religious experience justify religious belief?

The principle of credulity

Diversity of religious experiences

Is there a common core to religious experience?

3. Faith and reason : how are they related?

Can reason be trusted?

Strong rationalism

Fideism

Critical rationalism

4. The divine attributes : what is God like?

Perfect and worthy of worship

Necessary and self-existent

Personal and free creator

All-powerful, all-knowing, and perfectly good

God eternal

timeless or everlasting?

5. Theistic arguments : is there evidence for God's existence?

Theistic arguments as proof

The ontological argument

Contemporary versions of the ontological argument

The cosmological argument

The Kalām cosmological argument

An atheistic argument from the big bang

The atemporal cosmological argument

The analogical teleological argument

The anthropic teleological argument

The intelligent design telelogical argument

The moral argument

Cumulative case arguments and God

The God of religion and of philosophy

6. Knowing God without arguments : does theism need a basis?

Evidentialism

Critique of evidentialism

Plantinga on properly basic beliefs

Alston on perceiving God

Plantinga on warrant and knowledge.

7. The problem of evil : the case against God's existence

The logical problem of evil

The evidential problem of evil

Defense and theodicy

Themes in theodicy

Some important global theodicies

Horrendous evils and the assessment of theism

8. Divine action : how does God relate to the world?

What kind of power does God exercise?

What kind of freedom has God given?

Does God know the actual future?

What if the future is truly open?

9. Miracles : does God intervene in Earthly affairs?

Miracles defined

Miracles as historical events

Miracles as unexplainable events

Miracles as acts of God

Practical considerations.

10. Life after death : are there reasons for hope?

Terminology

Concepts of life after death

Personal identity and the soul

Immortality of the soul

Criticism of the soul concept

The self as a psychophysical unity

Re-creation and spatio-temporal continuity

A posteriori arguments for life after death

A priori arguments for life after death

Prospects

11. Religious language : how can we speak meaningfully of God?

Human language and the infinite

The classical theory of analogy

Verification and falsification issues

The functions of religious discourse

Religious language as symbolic

Feminism and masculine God-talk

Can talk of God be literal?

12. Religion and science : compatible or incompatible?

Do religion and science conflict?

Are religion and science independent?

Is dialogue possible?

Attempts at integration

Insights

13. Religious diversity : how can we understand differences among religions?

Religious diversity

Exclusivism

Critique of exclusivism

Exclusivism and justified belief

Pluralism

Critique of pluralism

Pluralism as a plurality of salvations

Inclusivism

Critique of inclusivism

Criteria for assessing religions.

14. Religious ethics : The relation of God to morality

The source of religious ethical truth

The authoritative basis of religious ethical truth

The acquisition of religiously based ethical truth

The significance of religiously based ethical truth

Current issues

15. The continuing quest : God and the human venture

The intellectual process

Philosophical activity and religious faith

Where do we go from here?

Name index

Subject index.