Reason and Religious Belief: An Introduction to the Philosophy of Religion

Preface to the Third Edition Preface to the Second Edition Preface to the First Edition INTRODUCTION 1. THINKING ABOUT GOD: THE SEARCH FOR THE ULTIMATE Defining Religion What is Philosophy of Religion? The God of Theism The Religious Ambiguity of Life Our Task 2. RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE: WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO ENCOUNTER THE DIVINE? Types of Religious Experience Religious Experience as Feeling Religious Experience as Perceptual Experience Religious Experience as Interpretation Based on Religious Beliefs Can Religious Experience Justify Religious Belief? The Principle of Credulity Diversity of Religious Experiences Is There a Common Core to Religious Experience? 3. FAITH AND REASON: HOW ARE THEY RELATED? Can Reason Be Trusted? Strong Rationalism Fideism Critical Rationalism 4. THE DIVINE ATTRIBUTES: WHAT IS GOD LIKE? Perfect and Worthy of Worship Necessary and Self-Existent Personal and Free Creator All-Powerful, All-Knowing, and Perfectly Good God Eternal--Timeless or Everlasting 5. THEISTIC ARGUMENTS: IS THERE EVIDENCE FOR GOD'S EXISTENCE? Theistic Arguments as Proof The Ontological Argument Contemporary Versions of the Ontological Argument The Cosmological Argument The Kalam Cosmological Argument An Atheistic Argument from the Big Bang The Atemporal Cosmological Argument The Analogical Teleological Argument The Anthropic Teleological Argument The Intelligent Design Telelogical Argument The Moral Argument Cumulative Case Arguments and God The God of Religion and of Philosophy 6. KNOWING GOD WITHOUT ARGUMENTS: DOES THEISM NEED A BASIS? Evidentialism Critique of Evidentialism Plantinga on Properly Basic Beliefs Alston on Perceiving God Plantinga on Warrant and Knowledge 7. THE PROBLEM OF EVIL: THE CASE AGAINST GOD'S EXISTENCE The Logical Problem of Evil The Evidential Problem of Evil Defense and Theodicy Themes in Theodicy Some Important Global Theodicies Horrendous Evils and the Assessment of Theism 8. DIVINE ACTION: HOW DOES GOD RELATE TO THE WORLD? What Kind of Power Does God Exercise? Does God Know What Would Have Happened? Does God Know the Actual Future? What If the Future Is Truly Open? 9. MIRACLES: DOES GOD INTERVENE IN EARTHLY AFFAIRS? Miracles Defined Miracles as Historical Events Miracles as Unexplainable Events Miracles as Acts of God Practical Considerations 10. LIFE AFTER DEATH: ARE THERE REASONS FOR HOPE? Terminology Concepts of Life after Death Personal Identity and the Soul Immortality of the Soul Criticism of the Soul Concept The Self as a Psychophysical Unity Re-creation and Spatio-Temporal Continuity A Posteriori Arguments for Life after Death A Priori Arguments for Life after Death Prospects 11. RELIGIOUS LANGUAGE: HOW CAN WE SPEAK MEANINGFULLY OF GOD? Human Language and the Infinite The Classical Theory of Analogy Verification and Falsification Issues The Functions of Religious Discourse Religious Language as Symbolic Feminism and Masculine God-Talk Can Talk of God Be Literal? 12. RELIGION AND SCIENCE: COMPATIBLE OR INCOMPATIBLE? Do Religion and Science Conflict? Are Religion and Science Independent? Is Dialogue Possible? Attempts at Integration Insights 13. RELIGIOUS DIVERSITY: HOW CAN WE UNDERSTAND DIFFERENCES AMONG RELIGIONS? Religious Diversity Exclusivism Critique of Exclusivism Exclusivism and Justified Belief Pluralism Critique of Pluralism Pluralism as a Plurality of Salvations Inclusivism Critique of Inclusivism Criteria for Assessing Religions 14. RELIGIOUS ETHICS: THE RELATION OF GOD TO MORALITY The Source of Religious Ethical Truth The Authoritative Basis of Religious Ethical Truth The Acquisition of Religiously Based Ethical Truth The Significance of Religiously Based Ethical Truth Current Issues 15. THE CONTINUING QUEST: GOD AND THE HUMAN VENTURE The Intellectual Process Philosophical Activity and Religious Faith Where Do We Go from Here? Name Index General Index