Product Description

What does belief in God amount to? Can we reasonably believe in God's existence without argument or evidence? Can God's existence be proved? Can we believe in miracles? Is there life after death? In this book, Brian Davies provides a critical examination of some fundamental questions posed by religious belief. Completely rewritten in order to cover the latest developments in the field, the new edition of this highly successful textbook will once again prove the ideal introduction for all students of the philosophy of religion. The book is highly accessible and covers all the key elements of a course in the philosophy of religion. It is designed to complement Brian Davies' Philosophy of Religion: A Guide and Anthology, although the book can also be used as a stand-alone introduction.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #95191 in Books
• Published on: 2003-10-30
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 344 pages

Review
succeeds in providing a readable introduction covering most of the major issues and arguments in the field Anthony Thorpe, Philosophy Now

Anthony Thorpe, Philosophy Now
`succeeds in providing a readable introduction covering most of the major issues and arguments in the field'

Anthony Thorpe, Philosophy Now
"succeeds in providing a readable introduction covering most of the major issues and arguments in the field"

Customer Reviews

Neither Superficial Nor Subjective
Intended as an introductory text for undergraduates and the general reader, Davies' book provides a broad and balanced account of philosophy of religion as practiced in the analytic tradition in America and the United Kingdom. The topics covered are those that are likely to be encountered by an undergraduate undertaking a first course: analysis of the monotheistic concept of divinity, arguments for the existence of God, miracles, the nature of religious language etc. The exclusion of Eastern religions and philosophy thus reflects the anglo-american academic tradition (if the is a charge of eurocentrism to me made, it seems unfair to level it at Davies: he is well aware of the material he chooses not to cover). Arguments are placed in the context of various traditions in Western philosophy, and are developed in sufficient depth to allow beginners to appreciate the complexity of the issues raised. The result is neither superfical nor subjective: OUP is to be congratulated in taking this excellent text book to a third edition.

Still the most accessible and cogent insight into the big Qs
As a raw undergrad., Davies was a life-saver, giving me a relatively unwordy, yet insightful synopsis and commentary on all the major fundamental questions. Each chapter deals with the issues whether it be theodicy, or each of the classical theisitc arguments (and their modern variations) with economy and clarity.
The latest text now serves as an excellent introduction for my A'Level students.

A good book - ignore the first review
This is easily the best available textbook in philosophy of religion at undergraduate level.

I'm afraid that the reviewer who describes the book as 'superficial' seems unfamiliar with the norms governing philosophy of religion in the analytic tradition. First, leaving questions 'open' in a textbook is not a failure. The role of a textbook author is to introduce students to debates, not to set him or herself up as a guru. Second, the reason the book concentrates on a 'Western' concept of God is that, rightly or wrongly, debate about God in analytic philosopher has drawn primarily on the classical monotheistic tradition.