Philosophy of religion Books

Book SynopsisNo thinker has reflected more deeply on the role of religion in human life than Søren Kierkegaard, who produced in little more than a decade an astonishing number of works devoted to an analysis of the kind of personality, character, and spiritual qualities needed to become an authentic human being or self. Understanding religion to consist essentially as an inward, passionate, personal relation to God or the eternal, Kierkegaard depicts the art of living religiously as a self through the creation of a kaleidoscope of poetic figures who exemplify the constituents of selfhood or the lack thereof. The present study seeks to bring Kierkegaard into conversation with contemporary empirical psychology and virtue ethics, highlighting spiritual dimensions of human existence in his thought that are inaccessible to empirical measurement, as well as challenging on religious grounds the claim that he is a virtue ethicist in continuity with the classical and medieval virtue tradition.Trade Review'In this incredibly clear, sweepingly aware, and compellingly argued book, Walsh presents Kierkegaard as being most radical when at his most religious, and at his most empirically relevant when at his most existentially concerned. Although this book is primarily written for a scholarly audience, the Kierkegaard that Sylvia Walsh presents is someone that I hope all my students get to meet. And since I get to decide what goes on the syllabus, I will make sure that they do.' J. Aaron Simmons, Reading ReligionTable of Contents1. The constituents of personality; 2. Portraits of character; 3. Character and virtue; 4. Existence as a time of testing; 5. The content and formation of Christian character; 6. Progress and sanctification in the Christian life.

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Book SynopsisTackling the question of why medieval philosophy matters in the current age, Stephen Boulter issues a passionate and robust defence of this school in the history of ideas. He examines both familiar territory and neglected texts and thinkers whilst also asking the question of why, exactly, this matters or should matter to how we think now. Why Medieval Philosophy is also provides a introduction to medieval philosophy more generally exploring how this area of philosophy has been received, debated and, sometimes, dismissed in the history of philosophy.Trade ReviewThis volume is important for recognizing the value of medieval philosophy and its place in Western intellectual history. Scholarly yet accessible, the book will be embraced by both specialists and generalists, including those who wish to expand their interests beyond texts assigned in most introductory philosophy courses. Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through faculty. * CHOICE *Stephen Boulter’s book provides a cogent answer to the question of why medieval philosophy matters, by making the case that the scholastics had a distinctive and strong sense of their identity and utility within society as philosophers – a sense that has to some degree been forgotten in the modern era. The medievals saw themselves as usefully engaged in addressing important questions arising within the sciences and explored within society at large; their texts paradigmatically convey to the reader a sense of the value of philosophy and of the philosopher’s intellectual responsibilities and goals within society at large. The book will be a useful read for anyone, including those who might want to critically engage with its overall argument. -- Anna Marmodoro, Professor of Philosophy, Durham University and Research Fellow, Corpus Christi, University of Oxford, UKThis stimulating and highly original book makes a powerful case for the relevance of medieval philosophy to the methodology and content of contemporary natural sciences. It will be read with profit and great interest by all interested in medieval philosophy and its significance for the modern world. -- Richard Cross, Rev. John A. O'Brien Professor of Philosophy, University of Notre Dame, USATable of Contentspreface Introduction Chapter 1. Medieval Philosophy and Common Sense Chapter 2. Medieval Philosophy and the Sciences Chapter 3. Medieval Philosophy and Methodology Chapter 4. What Philosophers Used to Know (The art of distinctions) Chapter 5. The Best Argument for the Existence of God (Scotus’ De Primo Principio) Chapter 6. Medieval Philosophy and the Problem of Western Disenchantment Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisGereon Kopf is Professor of East Asian Religions and Philosophy of Religion at Luther College, USA. He is the Editor of the Journal of Buddhist Studies.Purushottama Bilimoria Adjunct Lecturer at the California State University, USA and Principal Fellow of Historical and Philosophical Studies at The University of Melbourne, Australia. He is Senior Fellow Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies and Editor-in-Chief of Sophia, Journal of Philosophy of Religion.

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Book SynopsisEric S. Nelson is Professor of Philosophy at The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong. His authored books include Chinese and Buddhist Philosophy in Early Twentieth-Century German Thought (Bloomsbury 2017) and other works.

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