Global philosophy of religion : a short introduction / Joseph Runzo.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Runzo, Joseph, 1948-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Religion--Philosophy.

Religion.

Physical Description:

xv, 264 pages : illustrations ; 23 cm

Place of Publication:

Oxford ; New York : Oneworld, [2001]

Summary:

In this stimulating new introduction, Joseph Runzo addresses the fundamental questions of life to present a uniquely global perspective on the philosophy of religion.

Comparing and contrasting the philosophical insights offered by the different world religions, and examining their application today, this concise yet comprehensive book covers everything from the arguments for and against the existence of God to the problem of suffering and the possibilities of life after death. Balancing scholarship with a jargon-free approach, Runzo makes even the most profound arguments accessible to readers of all levels.

Sophisticated, authoritative, yet thoroughly readable, this contemporary study encourages readers to arrive at their own informed and global understanding of the great religious ideas of humankind. It will fascinate students, scholars and the general reader alike.

Contents:

The problem of religious commitment 2

Religious epistemology 4

The World Religions 5

The relation of scientific to philosophical approaches to religion 6

Against global theology or a global philosophy of religion 8

The way of knowledge versus the way of love 9

1 Religion and Philosophy 13

What is religion? 13

What is philosophy? 21

Doing philosophy and using philosophy 23

Are philosophy and religion enemies? 24

Why religion needs philosophy 26

2 Worldviews and Religion 29

The problem of religious plurality 30

Can different worldviews be compared? 31

Exclusivism and Antipathy 34

Subjectivism and Pluralism 35

Inclusivism and Henofideism 37

A road map of world religiosity 41

3 Religious Metaphysics Without God 44

The material world versus the Transcendent 45

Buddhism and metaphysics 46

Theological realism versus religious non-realism 53

The advantages of non-theism 57

4 Religious Metaphysics with God 60

God and monotheism 60

Hindu theistic Vedanta 61

Hindu henotheism 65

YHWH, the Trinity, and Allah 68

An ontological argument for God's existence 70

The advantages of theism 76

5 A Posteriori Arguments for God's Existence 79

The nature of proofs 80

Cosmological arguments 81

Teleological arguments 85

The value of theistic "proofs" and cumulative arguments 92

6 Evil: An Argument Against Monotheism 94

The problem of evil 94

The strong formulation of the problem of evil 95

The weak formulation of the problem of evil 98

Theodicies and the free will defense 99

The Augustinian theodicy and hell 103

Soul-making theodicies 105

The best possible world 107

7 Embodiment, Gender, and God 110

Incarnation and embodiment 111

Feminine divine metaphors 112

The problem of reference and representation 115

Sexual metaphors 115

Symbols, sexuality, and God 118

8 Life After Death 124

The religious importance of life after death 124

The problem of death 125

Conceptions of the self 126

Buddhist reincarnation 133

The evolving soul 136

Will you be there? 140

9 Religious Experience 143

Religious experience and scriptural authority 143

Justification and religious knowledge 146

Ineffability and mystical experiences 148

The problem of privacy 150

Kant's attempted solution 152

Historicity, pluralism, and faith 156

10 Using Science to Argue Against Religion 159

Does physics explain everything? 160

What does evolutionary biology tell us about religion? 162

Is religion just a cultural phenomenon? 165

Is religion just a psychological phenomenon? 167

The compatibility of science and religion 169

11 Morality, Ethics, and Religion 172

Morality and ethics 172

Secular ethics 174

Moral duty and religion 178

Are morality and religion logically connected? 183

The moral point of view and the religious point of view 187

12 Prudential Arguments for Religious Belief 192

Pascal's Wager 193

Religion as a live option 197

Karma and samsara 197

Is religion cost-effective? 200

13 Faith and Justified Believers 204

Evidentialism and religious belief 205

Why religious beliefs are properly basic 207

Faith commitments, worldviews, and conversion 210

Religion as a genuine option 212

14 Love and the Meaning of Life 216

Values and the religious dimension of meaning 217

Science and religion revisited 220

Seraphic love 222

Six characteristics of eros 223

The argument from love 226

Faith, love, and religion 229.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages [247]-258) and index.

ISBN:

185168235X

OCLC:

45438233