Philosophy of Religion
Towards a More Humane Approach

In this book, abstract intellectual argument meets ordinary human experience on matters such as the existence of God and the relation between religion and morality.

John Cottingham (Author)

9781107695184, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 15 September 2014

208 pages
22.6 x 14.7 x 2.3 cm, 0.29 kg

'… clear, thoughtful and gently passionate style. … a wonderful book; creative, harmonious, evocative, reasonable. I cannot recommend it enough …' Maximilian De Gaynesford, Tablet

Religious belief is not just about abstract intellectual argument; it also impinges on all aspects of human life. John Cottingham's Philosophy of Religion opens up fresh perspectives on the philosophy of religion, arguing that the detached neutrality of much of contemporary philosophizing may be counterproductive - hardening us against the receptivity required for certain kinds of important evidence to become salient. This book covers all the traditional areas of the subject, including the meaning of religious claims, the existence of God and the relation between religion and morality, as well as the role of spiritual praxis and how religious belief affects questions about the meaning of life, human suffering and mortality. While preserving the clarity and rigor that are rightly prized in the analytic tradition, the book also draws on insights from literary and other sources, and aims to engage a wide readership.

1. Method
2. Metaphysics
3. Meaning and modes of access
4. Morality
5. Misfortune and misery
6. Mortality and meaningfulness
7. Mathesis
8. Conclusion: humane philosophizing about religion.

Subject Areas: Religious ethics [HRAM1], Religious issues & debates [HRAM], Nature & existence of God [HRAB1], Philosophy of religion [HRAB], Ethics & moral philosophy [HPQ], Philosophy: metaphysics & ontology [HPJ]