Reason and Religious Belief

What is the status of belief in God? Must a rational case be made or can such belief be properly basic? Is it possible to reconcile the concept of a good God with evil and suffering? In light of great differences among religions, can only one religion be true?
The most comprehensive work of its kind, Reason and Religious Belief, now in its fourth edition, explores these and other perennial questions in the philosophy of religion. Drawing from the best in both classical and contemporary discussions, the authors examine religious experience, faith and
reason, the divine attributes, arguments for and against the existence of God, divine action (in various forms of theism), Reformed epistemology, religious language, religious diversity, religion and science, and much more.
Retaining the engaging style and thorough coverage of previous editions, the fourth edition adds a critical new chapter on the ontological status of religion and the nature of religious claims. It also features revised treatments of omnipotence, miracles, and providence and updated suggestions
for further reading. A sophisticated yet accessible introduction, Reason and Religious Belief, Fourth Edition, is ideally suited for use with the authors' companion anthology, Philosophy of Religion: Selected Readings, Third Edition (OUP, 2006).
"I believe that Reason and Religious Belief is the best text available for an introductory philosophy of religion course. One of the greatest strengths is its fair representation of differing positions and approaches to problems. The level is just right for my purposes - introducing students to
philosophy of religion in a way that challenges them." - Gordon Pettit, Western Illinois University
"The treatments of opposing viewpoints are fair and well balanced. The writing style is superb: consistently economical, engaging, and clear." - Gary Rosenkrantz, University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Preface to the Fourth 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. The Nature of Religion: What Are Religious Beliefs About?


Non-realism


Realism


Wittgenstein


Implications for Philosophy of Religion


3. Religious Experience: What Does It Mean to Encounter the Divine?


Types of Religious Experience


Religious Experience as Feeling


Some 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?


4. Faith and Reason: How Are They Related?


Can Reason Be Trusted?


Strong Rationalism


Fideism


Critical Rationalism


5. 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


6. Theistic Arguments: Is There Evidence for God's Existence?


Theistic Arguments as Proofs


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 Teleological Argument