Philosophy of religion Books

Book SynopsisSpinoza's Theological-Political Treatise was published anonymously in 1670 and immediately provoked huge debate. Its main goal was to claim that the freedom of philosophizing can be allowed in a free republic and that it cannot be abolished without also destroying the peace and piety of that republic. Spinoza criticizes the traditional claims of revelation and offers a social contract theory in which he praises democracy as the most natural form of government. This Critical Guide presents essays by well-known scholars in the field and covers a broad range of topics, including the political theory and the metaphysics of the work, religious toleration, the reception of the text by other early modern philosophers and the relation of the text to Jewish thought. It offers valuable perspectives on this important and influential work.Trade Review"...Spinoza’s Theological-Political Treatise: A Critical Guide is a delightful book, an impressive demonstration of erudition and scholarship. The presentation is clear and forthright." --George Lăzăroiu, PhD, Institute of Interdisciplinary Studies in Humanities and Social Sciences, New YorkTable of ContentsList of contributors; Acknowledgements; List of abbreviations; Introduction Yitzhak Y. Melamed and Michael Rosenthal; 1. Spinoza's exchange with Albert Burgh Edwin Curley; 2. The text of Spinoza's Tractatus Theologico-Politicus Piet Steenbakkers; 3. Spinoza on Ibn Ezra's Secret of the Twelve Warren Zev Harvey; 4. Reflections of the medieval Jewish-Christian debate in the Theological-Political Treatise and the Epistles Daniel J. Lasker; 5. The early Dutch and German reaction to the Tractatus Theologico-Politicus: foreshadowing the Enlightenment's more general Spinoza reception? Jonathan Israel; 6. G. W. Leibniz's two readings of the Tractatus Theologico-Politicus Mogens Laerke; 7. The metaphysics of the Theological-Political Treatise Yitzhak Y. Melamed; 8. Spinoza's conception of law: metaphysics and ethics Donald Rutherford; 9. Getting his hands dirty: Spinoza's criticism of the rebel Michael Della Rocca; 10. 'Promising' ideas: Hobbes and contract in Spinoza's political philosophy Don Garrett; 11. Spinoza's curious defense of toleration Justin Steinberg; 12. Miracles, wonder, and the state in Spinoza's Theological-Political Treatise Michael A. Rosenthal; 13. Narrative as the means to freedom: Spinoza on the uses of imagination Susan James; Bibliography.

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Book SynopsisThis book articulates a deeper understanding of the phenomenon of Jew hatred as a metaphysical aspect of the human soul. Proceeding from the Jewish thinking that the anti-Semites oppose, David Patterson argues that anti-Semitism arises from the most ancient of temptations, the temptation to be as God, and thus to flee from an absolute accountability to and for the other human being.Trade Review'David Patterson's remarkable book offers a new method for a provocative evaluation of anti-Semitism. It uses a 'Jewish approach to understanding Jew hatred' and sees the roots of this hatred springing from ancient, metaphysical origins. Analyzing the human ambition for unlimited power, it argues that longing to kill God drives the desire to kill the Jews. Incisive, lucid and extremely well researched, this work opens up new questions and gives new answers to the urgent issue of the hatred of the Jews.' Zsuzsanna Ozsvath, Leah and Paul Lewis Chair of Holocaust Studies, Ackerman Center for Holocaust Studies, University of Texas, Dallas'David Patterson transforms the proposition of the first theological conversation in Genesis: 'You will be like God' into his hermeneutical instrument to explore the metaphysical origins of anti-Semitism and what drives this scourge of humankind's history. His extensive acquaintance with ancient, medieval, modern and postmodern Jewish and non-Jewish sources grounds and elaborates his thesis that anti-Semitism is the manifestation par excellence of deicide. This is a fascinating, intriguing and evocative study truly worthy of our serious engagement.' Martin Rumscheidt, College of Arts and Sciences, Case Western Reserve University'Anti-Semitism and its Metaphysical Origins is a relentless investigation into this dangerous phenomenon. With broad erudition and systematic analysis, it surely makes us better-informed students. But the book does more than that. With fiercely energetic prose, David Patterson teaches us about anti-Semitism from a God-centered vantage point. To this end, he recruits gems of Torah to provoke a sea change in our thinking about the subject - and about ourselves.' Alan Rosen'Daring, brilliant, comprehensive, challenging, disturbing - those words describe David Patterson's magisterial interpretation of anti-Semitism. From now on, no attempts to understand and resist anti-Semitism will be sound unless they grapple with Patterson's provocative thesis: Anti-Semitism originates in humanity's craving to be rid of God and ethical obligation. That deadly temptation ultimately entails destruction of Jewish life and tradition, the most enduring and persistent sources that bear witness to the living God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the divine commandment against murder, and the injunction to love one's neighbor as oneself.' John K. Roth, Edward J. Sexton Professor Emeritus of Philosophy, Claremont McKenna CollegeTable of ContentsIntroduction: anti-Semitism as deicide; 1. Preliminary explanations; 2. The arrogation of God: Christian theological anti-Semitism; 3. Islamic jihadism: religious-fanatic anti-Semitism; 4. The elimination of God: philosophical anti-Semitism in modern thought; 5. National socialist anti-Semitism; 6. Antihistorical anti-Semitism: Holocaust denial; 7. Anti-Zionist anti-Semitism; 8. Jewish Jew hatred; 9. Sounding the depths of the anti-Semitic soul: Arthur Miller's Focus; Concluding reflection: the messianic side of the soul of Adam.

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Book SynopsisMara Benjamin argues that Rosenzweig's reinvention of scripture illuminates the complex interactions between modern readers and ancient sacred texts.Trade Review'The standard reading of Franz Rosenzweig's life and thought is that the thought culminated with the publication of his magnum opus the Star of Redemption in 1921 and that his life as a Jewish educator in Frankfurt was a realization of the mandate of that great work. But this reading suggests that Rosenzweig's remaining thinking and writing are ancillary to the system of the Star. Benjamin's provocative proposal, which she develops with clarity and intelligence, is that the Star is not the end but rather the beginning of Rosenzweig's life-long project. His entire professional career can be viewed as an effort to read and understand the biblical text. Benjamin's readings of the Bible in the Star, in Rosenzweig's translations and commentary of the poems of Yehuda Halevi, and in the Biblical translation project with Martin Buber map three stages on a journey that lasted until his death in 1929. The book gives us a novel and fascinating picture of this important Weimar Jewish intellectual.' Michael Morgan, Indiana University'In this nuanced and noteworthy book, Mara Benjamin shows how the great German-Jewish philosopher Franz Rosenzweig struggled to define what the ancient Hebrew liturgy could mean to Jewish existence under the radically altered conditions of late modernity. Textually precise without ever losing sight of the broader context of Weimar-era theology, Rosenzweig's Bible makes a lasting and significant contribution to the current debate concerning Rosenzweig and the modernist reinvention of Jewish tradition.' Peter E. Gordon, Harvard University'This work should certainly be read by anyone who is interested in the central role that all things biblical have played in modern theological discussions, and Jewish theology in particular.' AJS ReviewTable of ContentsIntroduction: the decline and renewal of scripture; 1. Scripture in the star of redemption; 2. Yehudah Halevi: the creation of a scriptural world; 3. Bible translation and the shaping of German identity; 4. Toward a new encounter with the Bible; Conclusion: scripture today: some considerations.

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Book SynopsisThis volume is a unique collection of essays by an international team of leading scholars investigating the views of pagan and Christian philosophers on causation and creation in late antiquity. The book will be of interest to upper-level students and scholars of philosophy, classics, ancient history and theology.Trade Review'A fascinating investigation by leading experts into the issues of creation and causation (including moral agency) in a selection of late antique philosophers, 'pagan' and Christian alike.' Ilaria Ramelli, Catholic University, Milan'Causation and Creation in Late Antiquity contains uniformly excellent scholarly articles, collected around the related themes of the respective origins of the cosmos and of human action.' Matthew W. Knotts, AugustinianaTable of ContentsIntroduction Anna Marmodoro and Brian D. Prince; Part I. The Origin of the Cosmos: 1. Two early Stoic theories of cosmogony Ricardo Salles; 2. Plotinus' account of demiurgic causation and its philosophical background Riccardo Chiaradonna; 3. Creation and divine providence in Plotinus Christopher Isaac Noble and Nathan M. Powers; 4. Waiting for Philoponus Richard Sorabji; 5. Gregory of Nyssa on the creation of the world Anna Marmodoro; 6. Simplicius on elements and causes in Greek philosophy: critical appraisal or philosophical synthesis? Han Baltussen; Part II. The Origins of Human Agency: 7. Divine and human freedom: Plotinus' new understanding of creative agency Kevin Corrigan; 8. Consciousness and agency in Plotinus D. M. Hutchinson; 9. Neoplatonists on the causes of vegetative life James Wilberding; 10. Astrology and the will in Porphyry of Tyre Aaron P. Johnson; 11. Proclus on the ethics of self-constitution Michael Griffin; 12. Deficient causes: Augustine on creation and angels Gillian Clark; 13. Willed causes and causal willing in Augustine Mark Edwards; References; Index locorum; General index.

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Book SynopsisAlthough many see the four noble truths as the kernel of the historical Buddha's teachings, early texts reveal they are a later development. Shulman illustrates that these truths originated as observations to be cultivated during meditation, challenging the conventional view that the Buddha's teachings represent universal themes of human existence.Table of ContentsPreface; 1. The structural relation between philosophy and meditation; 2. A philosophy of being human; 3. Mindfulness, or how philosophy becomes perception; 4. The four noble truths as meditative perception; 5. Conclusion.

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Book SynopsisCreatio ex nihilo - the principle that God created the world from nothing - is a foundational doctrine in Judaism, Christianity and Islam. This edited collection explores how we might recover a place for this doctrine and a consistent defence of the God of Abraham in philosophical, scientific and theological terms.Trade ReviewReview of the hardback: 'This book is an example of inter-faith dialogue at its most constructive … This collection is a magnificent achievement. It left me hoping for a thoroughgoing formulation of 'theology and science' which started from what this book lays before us. I venture that almost all we need for the renewal of that field could be found in this exceptional volume.' Church TimesTable of ContentsList of contributors; Preface David D. Burrell and Janet M. Soskice; Introduction Carlo Cogliati; 1. Creation ex nihilo: early history Ernan McMullin; 2. Creatio ex nihilo: its Jewish and Christian foundations Janet M. Soskice; 3. The act of creation with its theological consequences David D. Burrell; 4. Scotistic metaphysics and creation ex nihilo Alexander Broadie; 5. Creation and the context of theology and science in Maimonides and Crescas Dan Davies; 6. Creation: Avicenna's metaphysical account Rahim Acar; 7. Four conceptions of creatio ex nihilo and the compatibility question Pirooz Fatoorchi; 8. Will, necessity, and creation as monistic theophany in the Islamic philosophical tradition Ibrahim Kalim; 9. Trinity, motion and creation ex nihilo Simon Oliver; 10. The big bang, quantum cosmology and creatio ex nihilo William R. Stoeger; 11. What is written into creation? Simon Conway Morris; 12. Creatio ex nihilo and dual causality James R. Pambrun; 13. God and creatures acting: the idea of double agency Thomas F. Tracy; 14. Thomas Aquinas on knowing and coming to know: the Beatific vision and learning from contingency Eugene F. Rogers.

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Book SynopsisIn 1875, the geophysicist Balfour Stewart and the mathematician P. G. Tait published the second edition of The Unseen Universe. The book's aim had been 'to overthrow materialism by a purely scientific argument', and its initial success, and the controversy it aroused, prompted this revised edition. The treatise suggests that science and religion could be reconciled, and that by using science, it could be proved that the soul survives after death. The book begins with a historical account of the beliefs about the afterlife of ancient Egypt, the Greeks, Buddhism and Christianity. The authors then refine a Ptolemaic vision of the universe in which the material universe is surrounded by concentric, invisible universes. The Unseen Universe discusses the nature of matter and ether, Newton's laws, and the idea that, through electromagnetism, the soul upon death transfers molecularly from the visible to the invisible universe.Table of ContentsPreface to the Second Edition; Preface to the First Edition; 1. Introductory sketch; 2. Position taken by the authors—physical axioms; 3. The present physical universe; 4. Matter and ether; 5. Development; 6. Speculations as to the possibility of superior intelligences in the visible universe; 7. The unseen universe.

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Book SynopsisLudwig Feuerbach (180472) was a German intellectual whose attack on religion in this 1841 work was immediately controversial. The second edition of 1843 was translated into English by Marian Evans (181980) - who would become better known by her pen name of George Eliot - and published in 1854.Table of ContentsPreface to the second edition; 1. Introduction; Part I. The True or Anthropological Essence of Religion: 2. God as a being of the understanding; 3. God as a moral being, or law; 4. The mystery of the incarnation; or, God as love, as a being of the heart; 5. The mystery of the suffering God; 6. The mystery of the Trinity and the Mother of God; 7. The mystery of the logos and divine image; 8. The mystery of the cosmogonical principle in God; 9. The mystery of mysticism, or nature in God; 10. The mystery of providence and creation out of nothing; 11. The significance of the creation in Judaism; 12. The omnipotence of feeling, or the mystery of prayer; 13. The mystery of faith - the mystery of miracle; 14. The mystery of the resurrection and of the miraculous conception; 15. The mystery of the Christian Christ, or the personal God; 16. The distinction between Christianity and heathenism; 17. The significance of voluntary celibacy and monachism; 18. The Christian heaven, or personal immortality; Part II. The False or Theological Essence of Religion: 19. The essential stand-point of religion; 20. The contradiction in the existence of God; 21. The contradiction in the revelation of God; 22. The contradiction in the nature of God in general; 23. The contradiction in the speculative doctrine of God; 24. The contradiction in the Trinity; 25. The contradiction in the sacraments; 26. The contradiction of faith and love; 27. Concluding application; Appendix: 1. The religious emotions purely human; 2. God is feeling released from limits; 3. God is the highest feeling of self; 4. Distinction between the pantheistic and personal God; 5. Nature without interest for Christians; 6. In God man is his own object; 7. Christianity the religion of suffering; 8. Mystery of the Trinity; 9. Creation out of nothing; 10. Egoism of the Israelitish religion; 11. The idea of providence; 12. Contradiction of faith and reason; 13. The resurrection of Christ; 14. The Christian a supermundane being; 15. The celibate and monachism; 16. The Christian heaven; 17. What faith denies on earth it affirms in heaven; 18. Contradictions in the sacraments; 19. Contradiction of faith and love; 20. Results of the principle of faith; 21. Contradiction of the God-Man; 22. Anthropology the mystery of theology.

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Book SynopsisOriginally published in Dutch in 1715, this two-volume work by the philosopher and theologian Bernard Nieuwentyt (1654â1718) is reissued here in the 1724 third edition of the English translation by John Chamberlayne (1668/9â1723). The book seeks to persuade both Christians and atheists that scientific examination of the natural world is compatible with religious belief. According to Chamberlayne, Nieuwentyt published this illustrated work to 'magnify the Wisdom and Goodness of God' while challenging those who did not see proof of the divine in nature. The work is known to have influenced the natural theology of the English philosopher William Paley (1743â1805), whose famous analogy of the watchmaker is believed to have been taken directly from Nieuwentyt. Arguing against rationalist philosophers such as Spinoza, Volume 1 defends natural theology and presents a series of detailed 'contemplations' about the complexity of the human body.Table of ContentsThe introduction; 1. Of the vanity of all worldly things; 2. Of all that is visible, and of our selves in particular; 3. Of some particulars in the mouth; 4. Of the throat, stomach, and bowels; 5. Of the venae lacteae, and ductus chylicus; 6. Of the heart; 7. Of respiration; 8. Of the structure of the veins; 9. Of the nerves, and briefly of the lymphatick vessels, glands, and membranes; 10. Of the muscles; 11. Of the bones; 12. Of the sight; 13. Of the hearing; 14. Of the senses of tasting, smelling and feeling; 15. Of the union of the soul and body, of the imagination and memory; 16. Of the humane passions or inclinations, and briefly of procreation; 17. Of the air; 18. Of meteors.

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Book SynopsisThis book clarifies the concepts involved and the problem that arises from believing in both God and abstract objects. Presents the possible kinds of solutions to that problem. Discusses a new kind of solution to the problem, according to which reality is most fundamentally made of information.Trade Review'Bøhn's overview is very insightful. His overview of proposed solutions … is also very good.' Matthew Baddorf, Religious Studies ReviewTable of ContentsIntroduction; 1. The problem; 2. The positions; 3. Towards a new theory – divine informationalism; Concluding remarks.

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Book SynopsisThe Doctrine of the Incarnation, that Jesus Christ was both truly God and truly human, is the foundation and cornerstone of traditional Christian theism. And yet, this traditional teaching appears to verge on incoherence. How can one person be both God, having all the perfections of divinity, and human, having all the limitations of humanity? This is the fundamental philosophical problem of the incarnation. Perhaps a solution is found in an analysis of what the traditional teaching meant by person, divinity, and humanity, or in understanding how divinity and humanity were united in a single person? This Element presents that traditional teaching, then returns to the incoherence problem to showcase various solutions that have been offered to it.Table of Contents1. Introduction; 2. The person; 3. The divinity of Christ; 4. The humanity of Christ; 5. The hypostatic union; 7. The fundamental philosophical problem; 8. Conclusion.

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Book SynopsisJesus changed our world forever. But who was he and what do we know about him? David Wenham''s accessible volume is a concise and wide-ranging engagement with that enduring and elusive subject. Exploring the sources for Jesus and his scholarly reception, he surveys information from Roman, Jewish, and Christian texts, and also examines the origins of the gospels, as well as the evidence of Paul, who had access to the earliest oral traditions about Jesus. Wenham demonstrates that the Jesus of the New Testament makes sense within the first century CE context in which he lived and preached. He offers a contextualized portrait of Jesus and his teaching; his relationship with John the Baptist and the Qumran community (and the Dead Sea Scrolls); his ethics and the Sermon on the Mount, his successes and disappointments. Wenham also brings insights into Jesus'' vision of the future and his understanding of his own death and calling.Table of ContentsPart I. SETTING THE SCENE: 1. Sources for our knowledge of Jesus' context; 2. The historical and social contexts; 3. The religious context; 4. Our sources of information about Jesus; 5. The writing of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John; 6. Finding the historical Jesus; PART II. JESUS' LIFE. MINISTRY AND TEACHING: CONTEXT AND HISTORY: 7. Beginnings; 8. Baptism and John the Baptist; 9. Amazing teacher in Galilee: parables; 10. The kingdom of God; 11. Healings, miracles and the Son of man; 12. Friend of the 'poor'; 13. Followers and supporters; 14. Following Jesus in practice: way of life; 15. Opposition, new directions, Jesus as Messiah; 16. So to Jerusalem: journey, arrival, confrontation; 17. Jesus' vision of the future and of his own divine authority; 18. On the way to crucifixion: why did Jesus have to die?; 19. Finale in Jerusalem; 20. After the death of Jesus: victory; 21. Final conclusions, and postscript.

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Book SynopsisThis Element provides an introduction to the hiddenness argument, as presented by John Schellenberg, and its up-to-date discussion in a comprehensible way. It concludes with a brief assessment of where things stand, from the author''s point of view, and why divine hiddenness should not reduce a reflective theist''s confidence in theism.Table of Contents1. The Hiddenness of God in the Hiddenness Argument; 2. The Premises of the Hiddenness Argument; 3. Comparisons to the Argument from Evil; 4. Other Types of Hiddenness Arguments; 5. A Brief Assessment.

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Book SynopsisIn this Element, Michael Ruse offers a critical analysis of contemporary atheism. He puts special emphasis on the work of so-called 'New Atheists': Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, Daniel Dennett, and Christopher Hitchins, whose views are contrasted with those of Edward O. Wilson.Trade Review'Ruse's newest book on atheism is one of the best introductory texts to the subject in print … an excellent primer for students who are studying some of the basic reasons for faith and unbelief.' Glenn B. Siniscalchi, Religious Studies ReviewTable of Contents1. Why atheism?; 2. The new atheists; 3. Critique; 4. Critique continued; 5. Epilogue: Darwinian existentialism.

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Book SynopsisScholastic theologians made the Virgin Mary increasingly perfect over the Middle Ages in Europe. Mary became stainless, offering an impossible but ideologically useful vision of womanhood. This work offers an implicit theory of the utility and feelings of women in a Christian salvationary economy. The Virgin was put to use as a shaming technology, one that silenced and effaced women''s affective lives. The shame still stands to this day, although in secularised mutated forms. This Element deploys the intellectual history of medieval thought to map the moves made in codifying Mary''s perfection. It then uses contemporary gender and affect theory to consider the implications of Mary''s perfection within modernity, mapping the emotional regimes of the medieval past upon the present.Table of ContentsIntroduction. The Maternal Scholar; 1. Shame; 2. Pain; 3. Stain; Conclusion.

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Book SynopsisRichard Atkins presents an examination of Peirce's theories of sentiment and instinct, his defence of the rational acceptability of religious belief, his analysis of self-controlled action, and his pragmatic account of practical ethics. Essential for those interested in American philosophy, pragmatism, the philosophy of religion, the philosophy of action, and ethics.Trade Review'… it is a review of contemporary Peirce scholarship as scholars argue about the correct interpretation of Peirce's often ambiguous texts.' The Review of Metaphysics'… this is a valuable and important book that should appeal to a variety of readers, not only Peirce scholars, but readers interested more generally in pragmatism, ethics, and the philosophy of religion.' The New England QuarterlyTable of ContentsAcknowledgements; Abbreviations; Introduction; 1. Peirce's 'paradoxical irradiations' and James's The Will to Believe; 2. A defense of Peirce's sentimental conservatism; 3. Heeding the call of one's savior; 4. On becoming welded into the universal continuum; 5. Self-control and moral responsibility; 6. Peirce and practical ethics; Bibliography.

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Book SynopsisIn Religion, Kant addresses the relationship between faith and reason, framed largely in terms of the relationship between religion and morality. This volume provides a synoptic view of Kant's major work of religious thought. This collection of essays will be useful for those studying Kant and the philosophy of religion.Table of ContentsIntroduction Gordon Michalson; 1. Holy scriptures within the boundaries of mere reason: Kant's reflections Otfried Höffe; 2. The evil in human nature Allen W. Wood; 3. Radical evil and human freedom Ingolf Dalferth; 4. Gesinnung: responsibility, moral worth and character Alison Hills; 5. Hope, possibility, and divine action Andrew Chignell; 6. Kant on grace Leslie Stevenson; 7. Kant, miracles, and Religion, Parts One and Two Karl Ameriks; 8. Kant's Jesus Manfred Kuehn; 9. Pluralism in the ethical community Nicholas Tampio; 10. Kant's religious constructivism Pablo Muchnik; 11. What does his Religion contribute to Kant's conception of Practical Reason? G. Felicitas Munzel; 12. Culture and the limits of Practical Reason in Kant's Religion Richard Velkley.

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Book SynopsisAn Apology for Raymond Sebond is widely regarded as the greatest of Montaigne's essays: a supremely eloquent expression of Christian scepticism. An empassioned defence of Sebond's fifteenth-century treatise on natural theology, it was inspired by the deep crisis of personal melancholy that followed the death of Montaigne's own father in 1568, and explores contemporary Christianity in prose that is witty and frequently damning. As he searches for the true meaning of faith, Montaigne is heavily critical of the arrogant tendency of mankind to create God in its own image, and offers his personal reflections on the true role of man, the need to eschew personal arrogance, and the vital importance of faith if we are to understand our place in the universe. Wise, perceptive and remarkably informed, this is one of the true masterpieces of the essay form.Table of ContentsAn Apology for Raymond Sebond - Michel de Montaigne Translated with an Introduction and Notes by M. A. ScreechIntroductionNote on the TextExplanation of the SymbolsNote on the TranslationFurther ReadingAppendicesAN APOLOGY FOR RAYMOND SEBOND

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Book SynopsisTraces the critical engagement of Agamben, Derrida, and Zizek, among others, back to nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century philosophers of early Christianity. This work offers a different way for critical theory to construe the relationship between the modern past and the biblical traditions to which we seem to be drawn once again.Trade Review"The time is ripe for Displacing Christian Origins. Over the past two or more decades, there has been a growing interest among many biblical scholars in continental philosophy. At the same time, there seems to be growing interest among some philosophers in moving beyond simply reading biblical texts without reference to or engagement with biblical scholarship. This brings much to the table, pushing biblical scholars and philosophers to engage one another with higher levels of literacy in the other's field." - Timothy K. Beal, Case Western Reserve University"

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Book SynopsisFor a theologian who died in 1971, Reinhold Niebuhr maintains a remarkably high profile in the twenty-first century. This title begins by working through Niebuhr's theology, which focuses less on God's presence than his absence - and the ways that absence abets the all-too-human sin of pride.Trade Review"John Patrick Diggins was the most philosophical-minded of the American historians. He was always trying to get at the big questions, about heroism, virtue, and the conflict between utopian aspirations and the disappointments of life. His work was a kind of ongoing meditation." (Paul Berman, New York Times)"

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Book SynopsisBringing a fresh and unexpected perspective to bear on Heidegger's profoundly influential critique of modern metaphysics, the author traces a larger lineage between religious and theological discourse and continental philosophy.Trade Review"Heidegger's Confessions traces the role of Augustine across Heidegger's thinking-early, middle, and late-to convincingly show that Augustine is not only a constant companion but an inspiration for Heidegger's own transformations throughout his career." (Andrew J. Mitchell, Emory University)

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Book SynopsisTaking on the question of how the glories of the classical world could be reconciled with the Bible, this book explains how Judaism played a vital role in defining modern philhellenism. It illustrates how the encounter between Athens and Jerusalem became a lightning rod for intellectual concerns.Trade Review"An extraordinarily rich and multilayered book that is at once intellectual history, reception studies, and philosophical-cum-philological inquiry. A remarkable achievement." (Elizabeth Wingrove, University of Michigan)"

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Book SynopsisUntil the last century, it was generally agreed that Maimonides was a great defender of Judaism, and Spinoza - as an Enlightenment advocate for secularization - among its key opponents. This book sets out to challenge the now predominant view of Maimonides as a protomodern forerunner to Spinoza.Trade Review"A well-conceived, well-executed thinking through of a tangled controversy over how to understand the relationship between two formidable and influential figures in the history of philosophy. Joshua Parens is thoroughly convincing in his assertion that the current scholarly tendency to assimilate Maimonides to Spinoza is superficially attractive but fundamentally misleading." (Martin D. Yaffe, University of North Texas)"

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Book SynopsisIt is hard to think of two philosophers less alike than St. Thomas Aquinas and Jean-Paul Sartre. Aquinas, a thirteenth-century Dominican friar, and Sartre, a twentieth-century philosopher and atheist, are separated by both time and religious beliefs. Yet, for philosopher Joseph S. Catalano, the two are worth bringing together for their shared concern with a fundamental issue: the uniqueness of each individual person and how this uniqueness relates to our mutual dependence on each other. When viewed in the context of one another, Sartre broadens and deepens Aquinas's outlook, updating it for our present planetary and social needs. Both thinkers, as Catalano shows, bring us closer to the reality that surrounds us, and both are centrally concerned with the place of the human within a temporal realm and what stance we should take on our own freedom to act and live within that realm. Catalano shows how freedom, for Sartre, is embodied, and that this freedom further illuminates Aquinas's notTrade Review"This book demonstrates Catalano's wide background and extensive life experience with both key philosophical concepts and their practical relevance as he addresses topics including good faith, the universal singular, and the pervasiveness of freedom in the actions of human beings. Catalano has created a coherent yet wide-ranging collection of ideas, presented in a way that is attractive and accessible to a broad reading public. The Saint and the Atheist is the unique product of a seasoned philosopher eager to share his philosophical reflections with an audience that extends well beyond the borders of professional philosophy."--William McBride, author of From Yugoslav Praxis to Global Pathos: Anti-Hegemonic Post-Post-Marxist Essays "In a profound effort to think with and through Sartre and Aquinas, Catalano works out an original and reconstructive reading of these odd bedfellows, one that moves us well beyond both 'the atheist' and 'the saint.' Catalano's emphatic commitment to a corporeal understanding of the human experience is vivid throughout, and his philosophical imagination is rigorous, nuanced, and often poetic. He is, as he has always been, exceptionally good at giving the reader immediate insight into seemingly impenetrable philosophical terms, thanks not least to the power and clarity of his thinking and the inviting and open-textured quality of his writing. Among its many merits, and perhaps above all, The Saint and the Atheist asks the reader to slow down and think--to think hard about things that matter; to think with challenging figures such as Aquinas and Sartre, among many others; to think along with Catalano, too; and, most importantly, to think for oneself."--Matthew Ally, author of Ecology and Existence: Bringing Sartre to the Water's EdgeTable of ContentsIntroduction 1. The Cast 2. Becoming Acquainted 3. Introducing Good Faith 4. Good Faith 5. Our Twofold Birth 6. From Child to Adult 7. Sartre’s Studies of Flaubert and Genet 8. Lying to Oneself 9. On Being an Author 10. The Value of Universals in Our Lives 11. Universality and Personality 12. My Time, Your Time, the World’s Time 13. Half-Time: The Battle over the Sex of Angels 14. On Truth: A First Glance 15. Pursuing Truth 16. The Truth of Our Present History: Scarcity 17. Our World 18. Our One World 19. Influencing the World: Action and Praxis 20. Intentionality and Methodology Conclusion: The Meaning of Life Appendix 1. Edith Stein Appendix 2. Hitler, the Vatican, and Donald Trump Notes Index

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Book SynopsisBy making faith a philosophical rather than a theological matter, this book explores its essence as an awareness of how we relate within mundane reality to all that is beyond the human world. It examines how faith structures a variety of relations from the nature of cults to servitude to God.Table of ContentsForeword by Paul Mendes-Flohr Preface 1: The Approach 2: The Phenomenon of Faith 3: Denominators 4: Characterizations 5: Manifested Guidance 6: Being 7: Entity, Cognition, and Reality 8: Holiness 9: Active Expressions of Faith 10: From Generation to Generation 11: Bondage 12: Reflective Articulation 13: The Core 14: Exposition and Identification 15: Negation and Restrained Affirmation

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Book SynopsisBy making faith a philosophical rather than a theological matter, this book explores its essence as an awareness of how we relate within mundane reality to all that is beyond the human world. It examines how faith structures a variety of relations from the nature of cults to servitude to God.

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Book SynopsisThis text tells the story of how the idea that physical suffering could be a path to redemption became a fixed part of the French legal system during the early modern period. Using documents from criminal cases, it looks at the theory and practice of judicial torture in France from 1600 to 1788.

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Book SynopsisReaders familiar with Mark C. Taylor's previous writing will immediately recognize Altarity as a remarkable synthetic project. This work combines the analytic depth and detail of Taylor's earlier studies of Kierkegaard and Hegel with the philosophical and theological scope of his highly acclaimed Erring. In Altarity, Taylor develops a genealogy of otherness and difference that is based on the principle of creative juxtaposition. Rather than relying on a historical or chronological survey of crucial moments in modern philosophical thinking, he explores the complex question of difference through the strategies of contrast, resonance, and design. Taylor brings together the work of thinkers as diverse as Hegel, Heidegger, Merleau-Ponty, Lacan, Bataille, Kristeva, Levinas, Blanchot, Derrida, and Kierkegaard to fashion a broad intellectual scheme. Situated in an interdisciplinary discourse, Altarity signifies a harnessing of continental and American habits of intellectual thought and illustr

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Book SynopsisWhen first published in 1853, William Whewell's book caused a bitter debate in Victorian England on science and religion. The book, presented in this text with Whewell's response to his critics, argues that no life can exist on any other planet because of the implications to religion.

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Book SynopsisWhen first published in 1853, William Whewell's book caused a bitter debate in Victorian England on science and religion. The book, presented in this text with Whewell's response to his critics, argues that no life can exist on any other planet because of the implications to religion.

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Book SynopsisFirst published in 1963, this book remains one of the most important texts illuminating the complex relationship between theology and philosophy.Trade Review'Mehl's 1963 treatise explores the relationship between philosophy and Christian theology. His topics include the Christian concept of truth, understanding revelation, the renewing of the mind, and the dialogue between the theologian and the philosopher.' --Book News Inc, June 2011Table of ContentsThe Problem; The Christian Concept of Truth; Metaphysical Experience and Christian Dogmatics; Understanding Revelation; The Renewing of the Mind; The Dialogue Between the Theologian and the Philosopher; Conclusion: The Difficult Condition of the Christian Philosopher; Bibliography; Index.

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Book SynopsisAmid the crisis of authority in our modern and postmodern era, Christians need to be able to point to God''s revelation in the natural world in addition to defending God''s unique revelation in the Bible and in the person of Jesus Christ.Classical apologetics takes a two-step approach to commending the Christian picture of reality. First, arguments for the existence of God, such as those of natural theology, are employed to create common ground with people outside the household of the Christian faith and to provide intellectual support for Christians. Second, classical apologetics defends key items of Christian revelation, including the reliability of the Bible, the identity of the historical Jesus, and the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.In the Knowledge of God in the World and the Word Workbook, designed to be used alongside the Knowledge of God in the World and the Word textbook by authors Douglas Groothuis and Andrew I. Shepardson, stud

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Book SynopsisTakes a new approach to the study of archaeological remains of ancient religions. Focusing on the materiality of ritual - inherent in everything from monumental temples and altars, to votive offerings and codices - allows for a novel vantage point from which to consider ancient religious practices, as well as an important counterbalance to more traditional conceptual perspectives.

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Book SynopsisIn 2007, Christopher Hitchens, Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, and Daniel Dennett filmed a landmark discussion about modern atheism. The video went viral. Now in print for the first time, the transcript of their conversation is illuminated by new essays from three of the original participants and an introduction by Stephen Fry. At the dawn of the new atheist movement, the thinkers who became known as “the four horsemen,” the heralds of religion's unraveling—Christopher Hitchens, Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, and Daniel Dennett—sat down together over cocktails. What followed was a rigorous, pathbreaking, and enthralling exchange, which has been viewed millions of times since it was first posted on YouTube. This is intellectual inquiry at its best: exhilarating, funny, and unpredictable, sincere and probing, reminding us just how varied and colorful the threads of modern atheism are. Here is the transcript of that conversation, in print for the first time, augmented by material from the living participants: Dawkins, Harris, and Dennett. These new essays, introduced by Stephen Fry, mark the evolution of their thinking and highlight particularly resonant aspects of this epic exchange. Each man contends with the most fundamental questions of human existence while challenging the others to articulate their own stance on God and religion, cultural criticism, spirituality, debate with people of faith, and the components of a truly ethical life.Praise for The Four Horsemen “This bracing exchange of ideas crackles with energy. It’s fascinating to watch four first-class minds explore a rugged intellectual terrain. . . . The text affords a different, more reflective way of processing the truly vital exchange of ideas. . . . I commend the book to those seeking an honest reckoning with their religion—and those curious about how the world looks from a rigorously naturalistic and atheistic point of view.”—Pittsburgh Post-Gazette “The full, electrifying transcript of the one and only conversation between the quartet of luminaries dubbed the ‘four horsemen’ of the New Atheism, which took place in Washington, D.C., in 2007. Among the vast range of ideas and questions they discuss: Is it ever possible to win a war of ideas? Is spirituality the preserve of the religious? And, are there any truths you would rather not know?”—The Bookseller (UK) (starred review)

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Book SynopsisFirst Published in 2015. The gospels tell a story. There are many types of story ranging from fiction through biographies to attempts at historical accounts. Even so-called ''true'' stories will be affected by the perception of the writer. It is impossible to present any book without taking the viewpoint of the author into account - which is one reason why this book will be devoting considerable time to understanding the purpose and intention of the individual gospel writers. Matthew, Mark, Luke and John present different accounts of the life and death of Jesus of Nazareth, as one might expect from four people who, although they use some common material, nevertheless present this material in distinctive ways. This book will be concerned with helping you, the reader, to understand the gospel stories and how they came to be written; to bring to light the implicit references that were being made of which modern readers may be unaware; and also to consider the issue of the truth of the stoTable of ContentsPart 1 Introduction; Chapter 1 Two Stories; Part 2 The Individual Gospels; Chapter 2 The Core Ideas in the Gospels; Chapter 3 The Gospel Story of Matthew; Chapter 4 The Gospel Story of Mark; Chapter 5 The Gospel Story of Luke; Chapter 6 The Gospel Story of John; Part 3 Background and Analytic Tools; Chapter 7 Analysing the Gospel Books; Chapter 8 The Search for the Historical Jesus; Chapter 9 The Four and Forty Gospels; Chapter 10 Dissecting the Evidence; Chapter 11 The Synoptic Tradition; Chapter 12 The Johannine Tradition; Part 4 Some Themes; Chapter 13 The Miracle Stories; Chapter 14 The Parables of Jesus; Chapter 15 Women in the Gospels; Chapter 16 Jesus, Community and Church; Part 5 The Question of Truth; Chapter 17 Biblical Language and Truth; Chapter 18 God and Jesus; Chapter 19 Resurrection; Chapter 20 The Significance of Jesus; Chapter 21 Jesus’ Life and Message; Chapter 22 The Last Week; Chapter 23 Bringing the Threads Together; post Postscript;

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Book SynopsisA prominent Christian philosopher offers a contemporary, sophisticated, yet accessible response to skeptics, showing that Christian faith makes sense.Table of ContentsContents1. Who Are the New Atheists, and What Are They Saying?2. The Value of Natural Theology3. The Concept of a Natural Sign for God4. Natural Signs for God and Theistic Arguments5. Can We Trust the Natural Signs for God?6. Recognizing God's Self-Revelation7. Criteria for a Genuine Revelation from God8. Conclusions: Making the Case for Christian FaithIndex

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