Philosophy of religion Books

Book SynopsisEinleitung: Religionsphilosophie nach Kierkegaard.- I Hermeneutische Zugänge.- Kierkegaard: Der Schriftsteller als Religionsphilosoph.- Can a Non-Practitioner Understand a Religion? Climacus and the Problem of Christianity.- Das Erscheinen des Paradoxen. Zur Phänomenologie der Offenbarung bei Kierkegaard.- Existential Soft Determinism. Kierkegaard on Predestination, Providence, and Governance.- Einheit und Differenz. Zu einer Diskontinuität in Kierkegaards Glaubensverständnis.- Die Freiheit und das Christliche. Kierkegaards Anknüpfung an Schelling.- Versöhnung. Kierkegaards zweite Abendmahlsrede von 1851.- Das leidenschaftlichste Interesse der Subjektivität. Kierkegaard über Unsterblichkeit.- On the Relation between Religion and Politics. Is Kierkegaard's Religious Philosophy Completely Apolitical?.- II Systematische Perspektiven.- Das wahrhaft Christliche und die Wahrheit des Christentums. Kierkegaard über Möglichkeit und Rationalität des Glaubens.- Dasein, Sosein, Wahrsein. True Christians and the Truth of Christianity.- Kierkegaard on Faith and Reason.- Fakultät im Widerstreit. Kant, Kierkegaard und Weber zum Strukturproblem der theologischen Profession.- Kierkegaard and Schellenberg on Divine Hiddenness.- Kierkegaard on Miracles.- Kierkegaard and the Rationality of Transition Between Competing Frameworks of Existence.- Ereignis und Prozess. Kierkegaard über die Zeitlichkeit der Existenz und ihre Geschichte als Freiheit in der Zeit.- Regarding the Spirit of Despair. Kierkegaard vs. Anti-Climacus in The Sickness Unto Death.

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Book SynopsisThe Jungian concept of archetypes is of immense value for critically distinguishing what is potentially of universal practical value in religious and other cultural traditions, and separating this from the dogmatic elements. However, Jung encumbered the concept of archetypes with debatable constructions like the 'collective unconscious' that are unnecessary for understanding their practical function. This book puts forward a far-reaching new theory of archetypes that is functional without being reductive. At the centre of this is the idea that archetypes are adaptations to help us maintain inspiration over time. Humans are such distractable beings that they need constant reminders to maintain integration with their most sustainable intentions: reminders using the profound power of symbol linked to embodied experience. This multi-disciplinary book weaves together religious studies, ethical philosophy, the psychology of bias, the neuroscience of brain lateralisation, the linguistics of embodied meaning, the feedback loops of systems theory, with a lifetime's experience of Buddhist practice and appreciation of symbolism in the arts: all with the aim of producing a fresh understanding of the role of archetypes in religion and beyond, that can also be directly applied in practice.Table of ContentsIntroduction 1. What is an Archetype? 2. The Projection of Archetypes 3. The Integration of Archetypes 4. Categorization of Archetypes 5. Archetypes in Religious Traditions 6. Archetypal Function in 'Secular' Concepts Conclusion

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Book SynopsisChakravarthi Ram-Prasad is Professor of Comparative Religion and Philosophy in the Department of Politics, Philosophy and Religion, and Associate Dean for Research, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, at Lancaster University, UK. He is the author of Knowledge and Liberation in Classical Indian Thought (Palgrave, 2001), Advaita Epistemology and Metaphysics: An outline of Indian non-realism (Routledge, 2002), Eastern Philosophy (Wiedenfield and Nicholson, 2005), India: Life, Myth and Art (Duncan Baird, 2006), which has been translated into French, Polish and Finnish, and Indian Philosophy and the Consequences of Knowledge (Ashgate, 2007). He is a member of the Academic Advisory Council at the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies and a regular contributor to BBC Radio 4's Beyond Belief and Sunday Programme.Trade ReviewProfessor Ram-Prasad brings to his subject an unusual degree of experience in interreligious dialogue as well as a formidable scholarship in his own tradition, and he develops in these pages a fresh and sophisticated analysis of some of the most complex questions arising around the idea of selfhood, agency, self-knowledge and liberation in the classical commentaries on the Gita by Sankara and Ramanuja. It is a major contribution to all interested in the conversation between Christian and Hindu thinking, taking us well beyond the conventional characterisations of this encounter. -- Rowan Williams, Master of Magdalene College, Cambridge University, UK, and formerly the Archbishop of CanterburyDivine Self, Human Self intends to defy categories. The book is neither a traditional commentary on the Gita, nor a work in Indological history of Sankara and Ramanuja, nor a theology or philosophy in the traditional ‘Western’ sense. Divine Self, Human Self is something more luminous: taking two Sanskrit commentaries on the Gita as resources for how we think about divinity, being, and self, the book is a rigorous invitation to readers from all cultures to think through these fundamental questions anew. In the past few decades scholars have argued that Indian forms of thought can be a window onto the ontological and metaphysical questions of our emerging global cultures. But these same scholars have struggled to find a way to do so without losing the traditional structures that give these forms of thought their unique power. Ram-Prasad's book does exactly that, and the results are fresh and startling. -- Laurie L. Patton, Durden Professor of Indian Religions and Dean, Arts & Sciences, Duke University, USAThis work by Ram-Prasad (Lancaster Univ., UK), on philosophy of being in the Gita commentaries, despite what the title and table of contents might suggest is not a study of the Bhagavad Gita. Further, the author does not seek to provide a subcommentary on the commentaries of either Sankara or Ramanuja. Rather, he borrows from Christian theology and asserts his approach as one of constructive theology. Beginning with an introduction to the various texts, this volume then delves into an understanding of the nature of divinity, selfhood, and being, and the relationships between them. By illustrating the dialectic between how Sankara understands Krsna and a metaphysics of being and Ramanuja’s perspective, the author draws readers into a rich discussion of the various ways of understanding divinity in the Gita. The juxtaposition also enables a clear understanding of these differing conceptions of the self and its relationship with the divine. Again, while this volume does not serve as a traditional or synoptic commentary on the Gita, it nonetheless provides a new and insightful lens through which to approach the text and is rich commentaries. Summing Up: Upper-level undergraduate and graduate students. -- C.A. Barsley, Transylvania University * CHOICE *The author presents both a re-thinking of the traditional interpretations of the commentaries and new thinking about their implications for contemporary theology, including the moral psychology of action and devotion ... The book will be of interest and value especially to libraries supporting graduate programs in comparative theology, metaphysics and epistemology, Hindu philosophy and religious studies, or East-West studies. -- Robert R. Rahl * Catholic Library World *The human self is divine and the divine Self manifests in humanity. Being and identity have been complex issues leading to elaborate commentaries and glosses on various scriptures. The Bhagavadgita, in particular, has been commented on by numerous scholars, traditional and modern alike. This book attempts to unravel the ground of being and the divine Self, both from the perspective of Acharya Shankara and Ramanuja. The author tries to interpret their commentaries on the Gita to ‘develop two competing visions of the relationship between metaphysics and theology, and therefore of how one may relate inquiry to fath’ (xx). In this task, the author has been remarkably successful and he also gives us a wonderful comparative study of Shankara and Ramanuja. Anyone interested in these two thinkers should definitely read this volume. * Prabuddha Bharata *Table of ContentsPreface Introduction 1. The ground of being/non-being, and the divine self: Sa?kara on brahman and K???a 2. Being and the God other than being: Ramanuja on brahman and K???a 3. A comparative study of Sa?kara and Ramanuja on self and person, gnosis and loving devotion Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisThe origin of our universe is the greatest mystery of all. How do we find ourselves existing, let alone enveloped in a cosmos enriched with such order and complexity? For religious philosophers, despite the incredible advances of modern physics, we are no closer to a scientific explanation of where the universe came from. God', they affirm, is the best solution to the mystery.' Yet, there are those who call for patience. The new atheists remind us that science has a habit of explaining what was once unexplainable. In the meantime, we should not delude ourselves into contentment. Religion', they say, is the opium of the people and the enemy of progress. In fact, God may be the nastiest idea in human history.'This book is a short, engaging and accessible guide to the mystery of existence. Featuring remastered interviews and original essays from the world's most influential and respected thinkers, Philosophers on God explores the most fascinating and innovative re

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Book SynopsisWhat is human freedom? By addressing a number of theological 'limit situations', Robert Greystones, while at Oxford University in the 1320s, developed his own philosophical theory. This volume is the first Latin critical edition, with a clear English translation. There is an extensive introduction describing his life and teaching on human freedom.Table of ContentsSELECTIONS FROM GREYSTONES'S COMMENTARY

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Book SynopsisThis book contains new critical editions of the Latin texts of Robert Grosseteste's 13th century treatise on free will, De libero arbitrio, with complete English translations. Included is a substantial study of the texts, their place in Grosseteste's body of works, doctrinal content, employment by later thinkers, and manuscript sources.Table of ContentsAcknowledgements Sigla and Abbreviations Introduction De libero arbitrio, earlier recension De libero arbitrio, later recension Appendix: Richard Rufus of Cornwall on the Problem of a Plurality of Eternal Beings Index Sacrae Scripturae Index Auctorum Operumque Antiquorum Index of Modern Works and Authors Index Doctrinalis Index to the Introduction

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Book SynopsisMuch philosophical thinking about religion in the Anglophone world has been hampered by the constraints of Eurocentrism, colonialism and orientalism. Addressing such limitations head-on, this exciting collection develops models for exploring global diversity in order to bring philosophical studies of religion into the globalized 21st century. Drawing on a wide range of critical theories and methodologies, and incorporating ethnographic, feminist, computational, New Animist and cognitive science approaches, an international team of contributors outline the methods and aims of global philosophy of religion. From considering the importance of orality in African worldviews to interacting with Native American perspectives on the cosmos and investigating contemplative studies in Hinduism, each chapter demonstrates how expertise in different methods can be applied to various geographical regions, building constructive options for philosophical reflections on religion. Di

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Book SynopsisReuven Leigh provides the first in-depth introduction to the pioneering philosophy of Rabbi Shalom Ber Schneersohn. Bringing him into dialogue with key continental philosophers Emmanuel Levinas, Jacques Derrida and Julia Kristeva, this book reveals how Schneersohn's views anticipated many prominent themes in 20th-century thought. Shalom Ber Schneersohn (1860-1920) was the fifth Rebbe of the Habad-Lubavitch dynasty. He was a traditional, kabbalistic thinker and yet, beyond mysticism, he wrote extensively on speech, gender and the body. So why is he not better known? Leigh begins by uncovering and contesting numerous scholarly assumptions that have operated to exclude traditional rabbinic thinkers from contemporary philosophical debates. Seeking to correct this, this book offers a close reading of Schneersohn's 1898 discourses. With the disruption of traditional binary structures being the dominant theme pervading Schneersohn's work, Leigh engages with Levinas' provoca

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Book SynopsisArguments concerning the existence and nature of God have been a staple of western philosophy for over 2,000 years. This title offers a historical overview of this field. It also includes essays that introduce and explore the contributions of those philosophers who have shaped the subject and the central issues and arguments therein.Table of ContentsIntroduction; 1. Anselm and the Ontological Argument Graham Oppy; 2. Aquinas and the Cosmological Argument William Rowe; 3. Pascal and the Wager Jeffrey J. Jordan; 4. Hume and the Problem of Evil Michael Tooley; 5. Hume on Miracles Howard Sobel; 6. Kant and the Moral Argument Peter Byrne; 7. Paley and the Design Argument Mark Wynn; 8. James and Religious Experience Richard Gale; 9. The Idea of God; Conclusion; Further Reading; Index.

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Book SynopsisPolitical theology is one of the most influential theological movements of the latter part of the twentieth century, and yet, as Arne Rasmusson argues here, the field suffers from deep inherent tensions in its attempt to mediate the Christian tradition and the modern emancipatory tradition. Rasmusson contributes to political theology through an innovative discussion of the relationship between church and society and an exposition of the thought and work of political theology''s influential representative, Jürgen Moltmann. Rasmusson further refines his argument by filtering Moltmann''s theology through an exploration of Stanley Hauerwas''s theological positions.Trade Review"This is a challenging, acute, revealing and, at times, immensely creative monograph. Rasmussen has tackled two of the icons of modern Reformed theology, Jergen Moltmann and Stanley Hauerwas, and he has done so positively and intelligently by refusing to condemn the 'failings' of his chosen subjects. . . . [A]n admirable study . . . but it is also an impressive theological argument . . . and as such should be read by anyone concerned with the role of ecclesiology in modern theology." —Reviews in Religion and Theology"This comparative study . . . is a wide ranging and competent work that gives many insights into the theology of its two main 'characters,' Moltmann and Hauerwas." —Pro Ecclesia"The Church as Polis is a significant contribution to contemporary discussions on public theology and the relation between religion and politics." —Francis Fiorenza, Harvard University

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Book SynopsisA collection of 15 research papers exploring the implications of chaos and complexity in physical, chemical and biological systems for philosophical and theological issues regarding God's action in the world.

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Book SynopsisTaking the film ""The Dead Poet's Society"" as his inspiration, Vittorio Hosle creates a place where the great philosophers of antiquity and their modern successors can all meet. They gather in the ""Cafe of the Dead But Ever Young Philosophers"" and discuss eleven-year-old Nora K.'s letters.Trade Review“Hösle (Univ. of Essen, Germany, and Univ. of Notre Dame, Indiana) presents two years of correspondence between himself and an 11- to 13- year-old girl identified as Nora K. Nora received a copy of Jostein Gaarder’s Sophie’s World (Eng., 1994); when Hösle first met her, she asked whether the Platonic idea of the dinosaur had ceased to exist, since there are no living dinosaurs. In a thank you note for a marzipan dinosaur present from Hösle, she mentioned that Aristotle’s conception of women made her made. Hösle responded with a letter describing the “Cafe of the Dead but Ever Young Philosophers.” where the philosophers Gaarder mentioned were encountered arguing among themselves. Nora was quick to play along with the fantasy, and 56 letters ensued. There is much of interest in the letters, but it is easy to miss the point of this book. A better beginning might have been prefaced by Nora; only late does Hösle reveal his intention: “What is new, and perhaps unique, about the present work is that it contains the philosohy of a child” rather than philosophy about children. Hösle ends with an insightful commentary but risks losing readers by failing to say earlier why and how they should attend to the exchange. Recommended; all levels.” —Choice“These discussions—related to Nora through Vittorio’s letters—raise, challenge, and vigorously debate these issues in a philosophically satisfying and entertaining fashion. To its credit, this work implicitly argues that philosophical ideas and problems are not solely a playground for adults; they are equally relevant to children. It also illustrates that, by engaging the intellect and imagination in a comprehensive and constructive way, philosophy may even be fun.” —International Philosophical Quarterly

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Book SynopsisTrade Review“This compilation of perceptive and in-depth essays . . . examines the epistemological topic of the rationality of Christian belief. These particular essays take a problematic approach in their criticism of contemporary analytic objections of theistic belief, and in the process make a contribution to general epistemology.” —Faith & Reason“This is an important book by members of what can be loosely called the school of contemporary Calvinist philosophers of religion. It is worthy of study by everyone concerned with the epistemology of religion.” —The Journal of Religion“The essays are exceptionally well written, clear, and stimulating. They explicate what it means to be rational in general and to hold a rational belief in particular. For those interested in the vexing but crucial issues of how reason relates to faith, this is a probative and illuminating study.” —Theological Studies“. . . an important new approach to the philosophy of religion. . . . The contributors are sophisticated and able.” —The Journal of Philosophy“This volume, which represents the best philosophical theology being done today, is a fascinating step in a largely unrecognized dialogue between Reformed and Roman Catholic philosophers.” —New Oxford Review"Faith and Rationality is an impressive and original contribution to the epistemology of religious belief and to general epistemology. [T]hese essays revolve around several common themes: first and perhaps foremost, there is the rejection of classical foundationalism ... a second and closely related theme concerns the evidentialist challenge to religious belief ... and thirdly, we find a position Plantinga and Wolterstorff dub Calvinist epistemology or Reformed epistemology." —NousTable of ContentsReason and belief in God / Alvin Plantinga -- The stranger / George I. Mavrod -- Christian experience and Christian belief / William P. Alston -- Can beli in God be rational if it has no foundations? / Nicholas Wolterstorff -- Turn / George I. Mavrodes -- Jerusalem and Athens revisited / George I. Mavrodes The collapse of American evangelical academia / George Marsden -- Faith, reason, and the Resurrection / D. Holwerda.

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Book SynopsisIn Offering Hospitality: Questioning Christian Approaches to War, Caron E. Gentry reflects on the predominant strands of American political theologyChristian realism, pacifism, and the just war traditionand argues that Christian political theologies on war remain, for the most part, inward-looking and resistant to criticism from opposing viewpoints.In light of the new problems that require choices about the use of forcegenocide, terrorism, and failed states, to name just a fewa rethinking of the conventional arguments about just war and pacifism is timely and important. Gentry's insightful perspective marries contemporary feminist and critical thought to prevailing theories, such as Christian realism represented in the work of Reinhold Niebuhr and the pacifist tradition of Stanley Hauerwas. She draws out the connection between hospitality in postmodern literature and hospitality as derived from the Christian conception of agape, and relates the literature on hosTrade Review"This is a bold and brave book that tackles weighty matters pertaining to violence and community with a deft touch. Caron Gentry’s perspective, which marries contemporary feminist and critical thought to Christian realist, just war, and pacifist concerns, is fresh and insightful. She succeeds wonderfully in carving out a space that relates the literature on hospitality to the contemporary ethics of war. This book will be of major interest to scholars working in theology, international relations, political theory, and religious ethics." —Cian O'Driscoll, University of Glasgow"Caron Gentry offers a daring constructive moral proposal here calling for a reconstruction of the just war ethic’s criterion of last resort as a platform for embodying a deep form of Christian hospitality in international affairs. Along the way she analyzes the work of Reinhold Niebuhr, Stanley Hauerwas, and Jean Bethke Elshtain. A must read for students of political theology, international relations, and feminist theory." —Shaun Casey, Wesley Theological Seminary"Gentry challenges modern just-war theologians to move beyond abstract notions of the state to embrace both the new realities of global warfare and the eternal reality of agape love. . . . Gentry's book contributes an informed feminist and postmodern critique to the just-war conversation. She does a fine job of outlining gaps in current just-war theorizing and begins to scratch the surface of envisioning new answers." —Publishers Weekly“This is a work that adds another voice to the chorus calling for Christians not just to avoid war or practice it with restraint, but to build peace. May the numbers increase.” —America Magazine“Caron [E. Gentry] brings a lens of feminism and a theology of the marginalized to bear against popular political theologies that rely on a state-centric view of the world. A dense and interesting read.” —Prism“Gentry . . . presents an alternative approach to building and sustaining international political life through the Christian ethic of hospitality. . . . She argues that a Christian approach of hospitality offers a morally preferable approach to coping with failed states and international political conflicts because it can bypass hegemonic power and is better able to incorporate the needs and wants of the weak, the vulnerable, and the poor.” —Choice“By applying the concept of ‘hospitality’ in both the Christian notion of agape and in post-modern thought, [Gentry] seeks to transform each of these approaches to war in order to pave the way for a ‘better peace’ . . . Offering Hospitality is a provocative and compelling book that makes a vital contribution to Christian thinking about war.” —Political Studies Review“Gentry brings together theory, data, and practice in a stark analysis of conflict and puts forth a robust Christian approach to war. . . Though Gentry writes with an American Christian audience in mind, the principles embodied in this work find support in a plurality of religious and political traditions and extend beyond the purview of American politics, even to include a variety of inter-communal as well as inter-personal relationships. This work contributes a fresh and overdue perspective to the conversation.” —Journal for Peace and Justice Studies

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Book SynopsisIn this classic work, Frederick C. Copleston, S.J., outlines the development of philosophical reflection in Christian, Islamic, and Jewish thought from the ancient world to the late medieval period. A History of Medieval Philosophy is an invaluable general introduction that also includes longer treatments of such leading thinkers as Aquinas, Scotus, and Ockham.Trade Review"There is always room for a new look at old things when it is taken by a master who is not afraid to make up his own mind or to accept a justified consensus of opinion, and such is the book now before us. There is nothing better of its size on the market." —Heythrop Journal"To write well a history of ideas is notoriously difficult. Dr. Frederick Copleston, an established master who has made both historians and philosophers sit at his feet by his well-known History of Philosophy, wrote some years ago a short account of medieval philosophy. This little book he has now remade and expanded to become a substantial survey." —Spectator

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Book SynopsisThe three books presented in this volume, Integral Humanism, Freedom in the Modern World, and A Letter on Independence, were all written in the early 1930s, a time of dire trouble for France. France was then surrounded by enemies preparing for war and was itself so violently split between parties of Left and Right that it seemed on the verge of civil war. In this collection, Jacques Maritain accepts the responsibility of a Christian philosopher to actively address the agonizing practical problems of the time.Maritain discusses major political issues such as the relation of freedom and religion, the opposition of democracy to any form of totalitarianism, the relation of the spiritual and the temporal, the need for an integral and Christian humanism, and the prospects for a new Christian civilization, all in opposition to the materialism of both communism and capitalism.Against the fierce antagonism of the parties of the political Left and Right, Mar

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Book SynopsisIn Philosophy and the Christian Faith, Thomas V. Morris brings together prominent contemporary philosophers to examine a number of doctrines central to traditional Christian theology. The essays straddle a complete spectrum of topics such as original sin, salvation, the Trinity, and eschatological pragmatism, all to the end of launching new philosophical research into the foundational ideas of Christian faith. The perspectives peculiar to Christianity on human nature and the reality of God richly reward this philosophic investigation.Trade Review"Morris presents a variety of philosophical arguments, some of them simply stated ... others are more complex.... William P. Alston, Nicholas Wolterstorff, Marilyn McCord Adams and others show how promising philosophy of religion, directed to Christian claims, has again become." —The Christian Century

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Book SynopsisIn this volume of essays John Howard Yoder projects a vision of Christian social ethics rooted in historical community and illuminated by scripture. Drawing upon scriptural accounts of the early church, he demonstrates the Christian community''s constant need for reform and change. Yoder first examines the scriptural and theoretical foundations of Christian social ethics. While personally committed to the radical reformation tradition, he eschews denominational categorization and addresses Christians in general. The status of Christian community, he argues, cannot be separated from the doctrinal content of beliefs and the moral understanding of discipleship. As a result, the Christian''s voluntary commitment to a particular community, as distinct from secular society, offers him valuable resources for practical moral reasoning. From a historical perspective, Yoder reviews the efforts of sixteenth-century radical (or Anabaptist) reformers to return to the fundamental ethical standards oTrade Review"In this collection of essays . . . John Howard Yoder presents a powerful and provocative brief for the radical reformation as the demonstratively classical form of Christian faith. Those who know Yoder’s work will not be surprised by the stance, but will be stimulated by the depth and rigor with which its foundations and implications are explored. The radical reformation of free church is, to Yoder, not a historical curiosity, a minor movement to be respected or tolerated by the mainstream, but a paradigm for all times and peoples . . . Yoder’s is a significant voice in contemporary Christian thought." —Journal of the American Academy of Religion“The essays in this volume merit careful reading . . . because they stimulate thought about how we should live as Christians in a world that is no longer Christendom, and they will, by provoking reaction, help us to consider how characteristic Lutheran emphases (upon Jesus as Savior, not just Example or Lord; upon infant baptism as a freely given grace in which one can grow; upon God’s two ways of governing the world and preserving it against Satan) may lead to a somewhat different social ethic.” —Concordia Theological Quarterly“In this collection of essays Yoder develops a constructive alternative to Reinhold Niebuhr. Yoder’s case for Christian nonviolence draws on Christological and eschatological connections that reveal that any attempt to separate theology and ethics is erroneous. Yoder may provide the kind of ecclesiology that Lindbeck suggests we need.” —The Christian Century

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Book SynopsisThe Summa Contra Gentiles is not merely the only complete summary of Christian doctrine that St. Thomas has written, but also a revolutionary work of Christian apologetics composed at the moment when Christian thought needed to master and assimilate the intelligence and wisdom of the Greeks and the Arabs.

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Book SynopsisBook Three, Part 1 of the Summa Contra Gentiles series is the first part of a treatise on the hierarchy of creation, the divine providence over all things, and man's relation to God.The Summa Contra Gentiles is not merely the only complete summary of Christian doctrine that St. Thomas has written, but also a creative and even revolutionary work of Christian apologetics composed at the precise moment when Christian thought needed to be intellectually creative in order to master and assimilate the intelligence and wisdom of the Greeks and the Arabs. In the Summa Aquinas works to save and purify the thought of the Greeks and the Arabs in the higher light of Christian Revelation, confident that all that had been rational in the ancient philosophers and their followers would become more rational within Christianity.Book 1 of the Summa deals with God; Book 2, Creation; and Book 4, Salvation.

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Book SynopsisAn introduction to ethical theory from a Christian perspective, this book examines the connection between moral theory, theology and metaphysics, approaching standard ethical theories from the standpoint of Christian theology.Trade Review“. . . a very effective text for introducing undergraduate students to the analytic tradition in ethical theory.” —Religious Studies Review"Writing as a mainline Christian philosopher, neither radical nor conservative, Layman offers a useful introduction to ethical theory. He defends a Christian teleological position: 'An act is right if and only if it promotes the Kingdom of God.' His incisive critiques of other ethical theories—relativistic, subjective, egoistic, utilitarian, deontological—are philosophical, not theological. . . . [I]t is clear and persuasive and should be readily understandable by upper-level undergraduates." —Choice, June 1992"The Shape of the Good, truly an informative book, is clear, precise, and logical. . . . It can serve . . . as an excellent guide for the more advanced student who sees the need for approaching ethical theory from the standpoint of Christian theology. It is also illustrative of the fruitfulness of combining philosophical reflections with those of theology." —America"Readers looking for a clear and systematic account of various ethical theories and an interesting twist in relating God positively and negatively to those theories will not be disappointed with The Shape of the Good." —Theology Today"Layman's book provides an excellent introduction to subjectivism, relativism, and the basic ethical theories, as well as their strengths and weaknesses. Those parts of the book provide an invaluable reference. . . . [T]he book should be a useful one in undergraduate courses." —Calvin Theological Journal"The exposition is clear, the ideas interesting and challenging, and the theory obviously will be applicable to many of our bioethical disputes." —Journal of Clinical Ethics

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Book SynopsisModern Physics and Ancient Faith argues that modern physics is more compatible with the central teachings of Christianity and Judaism than with the atheistic viewpoint of scientific materialism.Trade Review“Written from the viewpoint of an accomplished physicist, this book is an invaluable contribution to the growing interest in the relationship between science and religion. The arguments are rigorously logical and the documentation is excellent.”"Physicist Barr deploys his scientific expertise to challenge the dogmas of materialism and to assert his belief that nothing explains the order of the galaxies better than divine design."—Booklist"Stephen M. Barr's book energizes the reader, since its philosophical positions are well argued, its writing is clear and accessible, and its religious affirmations are provocative for believers and nonbelievers alike...His responses to the cruder materialist arguments are deftly executed and highly convincing, drawing upon history, clarifying often misunderstood theological concepts and discussing the relationship of faith and reason in traditional Catholicism and Protestantism."—Christian Century"Stephen Barr does heroic service with his book Modern Physics and Ancient Faith as a revolutionary insurgent within the intellectual hegemony of modern scientific materialism...Barr's strong and well-written arguments...open up the debate for more fundamental critiques that must necessarily come from outside the paradigm."—Crisis Magazine"Barr's background in theology, apparent in his discussions of Thomas Aquinas, serves him well as he shows that the argument is not between religion and science per se but between religion and scientific materialism, the philosophy that sees as real only what can be measured and observed. Writing in a popular style, Barr makes both modern physics and theology understandable to the lay reader."—Library Journal

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Book SynopsisThe contributors to this book argue for a robust, frequently positive, often complex, relationship between Roman Catholicism and the Enlightenment.Trade Review"An undoubted landmark in Enlightenment studies, this is certainly the best volume that we have in English on the ‘Catholic Enlightenment.'" —Jonathan I. Israel, Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton"The nature of the interaction between established religion and Europe's Enlightenment remains deeply problematical. This notably well-planned collection of studies of well-known and less familiar figures brings the Catholic Enlightenment squarely into focus. Nuanced, informative, and wide-ranging, it provides the best introduction currently available to a central topic in eighteenth-century European history." —Hamish Scott, University of Glasgow“But the book’s great contribution is that it supplies English-language accounts of some of the most significant Catholic writings of the eighteenth and early-nineteenth centuries from many European countries, not only France, Italy, and Germany but also Spain, Austria, Poland, and Scotland. In each case a bibliography is also supplied. No other book conveys so well the pan-European nature of Catholic discussion, or its range and depth. . . . The editors deserve congratulation for having ranged so widely and for having insisted on publishing short accounts of works by many authors, so that their variety and geographical range can be appreciated.” —The Catholic Historical Review“Overall, these articles cast light on the attempts of some Catholics to engage with the issues of their day, and also address the opposition to these lines of thought by Catholic contemporaries.” —Choice“It has only been possible to draw attention to some of the riches contained in this stimulating volume. All the works cited are set in their social, cultural, and intellectual contexts. The transnational approach helps to set 18th-century Catholicism and the Enlightenment in a new perspective and to draw attention to some thinkers who are not well known in the English-speaking world. There are comprehensive bibliographies on all the authors treated in the volume. This book will be an invaluable source of reference for philosophers, theologians, historians, and students of European literature.” —Irish Theological Quarterly“This collection of brief biographies by European and American scholars challenges the misconception, both lay and scholarly, that the Enlightenment was uniformly secular and anticlerical by exploring the lives and works of twenty men and one woman who embraced aspects of Enlightenment science and philosophy in a Catholic context. Organized into nine parts based on nationality, the subjects span the breadth of Europe from the British Isles to Poland, illustrating the complexity of Catholic attitudes toward liberal currents in eighteenth-century thought.” —Catholic Library World“The editors intend this book to introduce the subject and to provoke further research. The biographical organization helps achieve that; and each essay answers just enough questions, and leaves just enough hanging, to encourage working through the full bibliographies concluding each one. Most of these chapters were commissioned for this volume, and some of this research appears in English for the first time. Several of these chapters could easily be used in a class on the Enlightenment—and should be.” —Fides et Historia“This book argues for a robust, frequently positive, often complex, relationship between Roman Catholicism and Enlightenment. It does so through a series of essays on individual figures, lay and ordained, male and female, from almost all parts of Europe that had a significant Roman Catholic presence, illustrating many aspects of Enlightenment culture, thought and politics. . . . This is a landmark book and will form an important basis for future work on Roman Catholicism’s relationship with, and contributions to, the European Enlightenment.” —The Journal of Ecclesiastical History“Study of the “Catholic Enlightenment” flourishes as never before. . . . Charging at the gallop are Jeffrey D. Burson and Ulrich L. Lehner. . . . Taken as a whole this welcome book will stimulate further discussions of a subject that no serious dix-huitiémiste, ecclesiastical or otherwise, can afford to ignore.” —Journal of Jesuit Studies“What one gleans from a reading of the volume as a whole is how very many ways of being Enlightened there were, and how at least some Catholic thinkers reconciled within their life spans…an Enlightened approach to knowledge and traditional Catholicism. [The] introduction by Jeffrey D. Burson . . . should be required reading for anyone interested in the Enlightenment as a whole or its many aspects.” —H-Net Reviews

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Book SynopsisThe Liber de causis (De causis et processu universitatis a prima causa), a monotheistic reworking of Proclus' Elements of Theology, was translated from Arabic into Latin in the twelfth century, with an attribution to Aristotle. Considering this Neoplatonic text a product of Aristotle''s school and even the completion of Aristotle's Metaphysics, Albert the Great concluded his series of Aristotelian paraphrases by commenting on it.To do so was to invite controversy, since accidents of translation had made many readers think that the Liber de causis taught that God made only the first creature, which in turn created the diverse multitude of lesser things. Thus, Albert's contemporaries in the Christian West took the text to uphold the supposedly Aristotelian doctrine that from the One only one thing can emanatea doctrine they rejected, believing as they did that God freely determined the number and kinds of creatures. Albert, however, defended Trade Review“This relatively short, but amply footnoted, work is written in the light of an exhaustive bibliography, and with a meticulous care in establishing the best provisional text of Albert’s commentary on the Liber de causis.” —Journal of Ecclesiastical History * Journal of Ecclesiastical History *“A study of an ‘Aristotelian paraphrase’ by the 13th-century German Scholastic philosopher and saint Albert Magnus.” —The Chronicle of Higher Education

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