Introducing Philosophy of Religion

by Chad Meister, محمدیوسف ثانی (مترجم)

Does God exist? What about evil and suffering? How does faith relate to science? Is there life after death? These questions fascinate everyone and lie at the heart of philosophy of religion. Chad Meister offers an up-to-date introduction to the field, focussing not only on traditional debates but also on contemporary concepts such as the intelligent creator. Key topics, such as divine reality and the self and religious experience, are discussed in relation to different faiths. Introducing Philosophy of Religion : • offers a lucid overview of contemporary philosophy of religion
• introduces the key figures in the history of philosophy of religion
• explores the impact of religious diversity and pluralism
• examines the main arguments for and against the existence of God and the nature of the divine
• looks at science and issues of faith and reason
• explores how the different religions approach the concept of life after death. The wealth of textbook features, including tables of essential information, questions for reflection, summaries, glossary and recommendations for further reading make the book ideal for student use. Along with its accompanying Reader, this is the perfect introductory package for undergraduate philosophy of religion courses. Visit the book's companion website at www.routledge.com/textbooks/978041540... . Features

Genres: Philosophy, Religion, Nonfiction

256 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 2008

Reviews

[Isaac · Rating 2 out of 5]

A fairly basic introduction to the philosophy of religion. It is not very challenging intellectually and doesn't go very deep into the issues. I've read better books on this subject, but if you are coming to the topic as a novice, you'll learn some useful facts.

[Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a great introduction to the Philosophy of Religion. It covered the main points that would be expected, mostly the three arguments for God (Cosmological, Teleological, and Ontological), the problem of evil, as well as much more. In his description of the three arguments, Meister definitely displayed no bias - he offered objections, counter objections and counter-counter objections to each proof, leaving it open to the reader to delve deeper. In fact, he was so unbiased that he even offers a cosmological argument for atheism. Naturally, he did the same thing for the problem of evil, though he admits that it, at least in one form, is no longer seen as a valid argument against God, because of the free will defense.

On top of this, he also added a lot more to the book, such as talking about different kinds of religious diversity (religious pluralism, religious inclusive, etc), and what constitutes the divine in different traditions, as well as the different concepts of "self" and the afterlife. He also added chapters on the interaction between science and religion, as well as reason and faith, offering arguments for both sides and how we can reconcile or see these things interacting.

Perhaps among my favorite parts of this book, however, were all the direct quotes that Meister gave to help elucidate some topics. He took these quotes from some of the most influential philosophers of religion, and used them to elaborate on what he was saying, making the arguments clearer. Furthermore, he made use of extensive footnotes to writings, as well as a massive "Further Reading" section at the end of each chapter that included not only books/articles (on both the argument and its opposition), but also websites and other material, along with discussion questions. And, if Meister believed the concept was still too confusing, he was also willing to add his own examples to make it clearer.

The one objection I see people having with this book is that Meister is a Christian and that he focuses heavily on Western religions. However, he explains this in the introduction. Basically, because of the history of the discipline, that is what most has been written about. He says focusing on those traditions, which he is most well-acquainted with and which the most research has been done on, makes the book easier to read (especially for a Western reader, who would be familiar with them as well). I agree with this decision, and I don't think the book suffered, as he did incorporate other traditions when he was able (for example, the final chapter on the self and afterlife discussed both Buddhism and certain schools of Hinduism). Some also argue that Meister's Christian background creates a bias, but I disagree with this and believe he has presented everything of a typical introductory course to the philosophy of religion (mainly the three arguments for God, as well as the problem of evil) in a non-biased manner, offering objections in a non-condescending manner, and giving the reader more sources to pursue the arguments and objections.

Overall, I would say this is a must read for anyone who is interested in the philosophy of religion. It is a great book that makes extensive use of the original authors and includes citations for their writing, allowing the user to pursue any subject of interest in much more depth.

[Maryam · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a good introduction book, I learned a lot! But there is a point that bothers me; at first I though it was written without any sides taken but it was obvious that the writer some places is taking sides! It was better that there were all information in there without telling me this one seems more logical and thet one those and the logical one was 90% the religion side and the God side! I would like it more challenging, it could be better if it made me think more. But again, I learned a lot. And that is why I gave 4 stars.

[Laurent Dv · Rating 4 out of 5]

La meilleure "vraie" introduction à la philosophie de la religion (la plupart sont un peu trop longues et pas du tout accessibles pour un néophyte) : aborde les thèmes principaux (hormis les arguments moraux, dommage), plan avec sections structuré et clair, synthétique, très accessible (peut servir de première lecture en philosophie de la religion), arguments formulés avec prémisses et conclusion claires, de bonnes références pour aller plus loin, des encarts et des images (une mise en page soignée), aborde aussi les religions orientales ou asiatiques, écrit en gros caractères. L'auteur écrit d'un point de vue théiste chrétien tout en restant relativement neutre.

Niveau arguments, il présente :
- Dans les arguments cosmologiques : la troisième voie (un remix assez original), l'argument de la contingence de Leibniz et le kalam classique
- Dans les arguments téléologiques : l'argument analogique de Paley (qu'il n'expédie pas heureusement avec condescendance après Darwin et Hume), le fine-tuning et l'argument de l'intelligent design (Michael Behe, etc.)
- Dans les arguments ontologiques : l'argument d'Anselme et l'argument modal de Plantinga
- Dans le problème du mal : les versions logique, empirique/probabiliste et expérimental

[Cal Davie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a wonderful introduction into the topic of the Philosophy of Religion. I feel it was both informative and challenging into the way that I saw religious belief. More could have been researched into non-monotheistic religions, but the author was upfront about his expertise on that front.

[Maia Matson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solid philosophy textbook. It helped me get through my university course on the philosophy of religion. If you are interested in the topic, this is a fairly accessible introductory guide to the topic.

[Enrique · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's an easy to read book which concerning important aspects on philosophy of religion. It develops arguments for each religious belief, their strenghts and limitations. Very recommended for one who wants to learn the basics of each religion.

[Moaz Elshinawy · Rating 3 out of 5]

كتاب منظم ومرتب، مكتوب بأسلوب واضح وسلس، يناسب القارئ الذي لا يمتلك خلفية مسبقة في فلسفة الدين.

[Cole · Rating 3 out of 5]

"That's not an argument, Chad!" - my professor taking some issues with the book.