Philosophy of Religion

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Philosophy of Religion (July 15, 2006)

In this first book of the Theology series, we will look at the basic issues of theological thought: what is religion, why should we be concerned with religion, how do we think about religion, and what do we think about religion?

Of course, I use the term "Theology" in a broad sense - not simply the study of God as the word etymologically implies but the study of religion.

This book should be understandable by the reader with very little exposure to religious studies. Yet it is an attempt to cover the subject in considerable depth and completeness. With critical oversight by other's of the Wiki community, hopefully, it will ultimately be a valuable resource for individuals desiring a solid foundational understanding of the nature of Humanity's investigations into the ultimate.

The two companion books are Theology 2: Comparative Religion and Theology 3: Descriptive Religion. In Comparative Religion, I plan to give an overview of the history of religion and then to tell and compare stories from many of the worlds religions to display common themes and important differences between various religious systems. In Descriptive Religion, I will discuss various religions, both major world religions and newly emerging belief systems, individually.

With that as my goal, I present here the table of contents:

Contents

• What is religion?
• Why think about religion?
• How do we think about religion?
• The institution of religion

Themes in Religion

• The divine
  • Does God exist?
  • Can God be known?
  • What is the nature of the divine?
  • Eternity
  • Love, grace, and mercy
  • Justice
  • Creator/destroyer
  • Providence
  • Miracles
  • The sacred
• The Human condition
  • Humanity's place in the world
  • Sin and salvation
  • Covenant
  • Faith and doubt, belief and disbelief
  • God's will and obedience
  • Grace and works
  • Freedom and choice
  • The afterlife
  • Healing
  • Dreams and oracles
  • Death and dying
  • Psychology and religion
  • Sociology and religion
  • Science and religion
  • Anthropology and religion
• Civilization
  • City life
  • Religiosity
  • Organized religion
  • The local church
  • Denominationalism and cults
  • Religion and state
  • Sacralization and secularization
  • Moral validation
  • Social institutions
  • Folkways
  • Unification
  • Religions as shapers of society
  • Tolerance
  • Economics and religion
  • Descent and social conflict
• Worship and service
  • Tradition and scripture, orthodoxy, heterodoxy, and heresy
  • Worship
  • Sacrifice
  • Service
  • Ritual
  • The mystical
  • Asceticism
  • Magic
  • Altruism
  • Clergy and laiety
  • Missionary activities and evangelism
• Creation, history, the end, and cosmologies
  • Creation
  • Cosmology
  • Providence
  • Eschatology
• Nature
  • Nature as entity
  • Veneration of nature
  • Life as sacred
  • Animals
  • Place and thing as sacred
  • All my relations
• Supernature
  • Nature and supernature
  • Spirit
  • Entities
  • The spirit world

Note: This project provides the exciting possibility of a dimension not possible in traditional textbooks. Discussion and debate in the discussion pages allow for ongoing exploration of the topics contained in this book. I would like to see the discussion pages become an integral part of the material of the Theology series.

References

Internal

• [Philosophy of Religion]
• [Religion]

External

Books

• Bouquet, A. C. (Reprint with revisions 1969) Comparative Religion: A Short Outline. Baltimore:Penguin Books ISBN 1199181277
• Christian, James L. (4th ed. 1986) Philosophy: An Intoduction to the Art of Wondering. New York: Holt, Rinehart, and Winston, Inc. ISBN 0030717477
• Cogley, John (1968) Religion in a Secular Age: The Search for Final Meaning. (Britannica Perspectives). Chicago: William Benton, Publisher ISBN 0269670327
• Einstein, Albert (1954) Ideas and Opinions. New York: Bonanza Books ISBN 0517003937
• Ewing, A. C. (1962) The Fundamental Questions of Philosophy. New York: The Macmillan Company ISBN 0710005865
• Geisler, Norman L. (1976) Christian Apologetics. Grand Rapids: Baker Books ISBN 156563800X
• Haught, John F. (1995) Science and Religion: From Conflict to Conversation. New York:Paulist Press ISBN 0809136066
• Kung, Hans (1978) Does God Exist? An Answer for Today. New York: Doubleday and Company ISBN 0385235920
• Macquarrie, John (Rev. ed. 1981) Twentieth-Century Religious Thought. Philadelphia:Trinity Press International ISBN 0334017092
• Pelikan, Jaroslav (ed.) (1990) A World Treasury of Religious Thought. Boston: Little, Brown, and Company ISBN 0316697702
• Roland, Vernon C. (1994) Sacred Lies and Silences: A Psychology of Religious Disguise. Collegeville,MN: The Liturgical Press ISBN 0814658474
• Xavier, N. S. (1987) The Two Faces of Religion: A Psychiatrist's View. Tuscaloosa, AL: Portals Press. ISBN 0916620867

Internet sites

• [The Catholic Encyclopedia]
• [Great Books Index]
• [The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy]
• [Michael Sudduth's Analytical Philosophy of Religion]
• [Philosophy of Religion Resources]
• [Project Gutenberg Official Home Site]
• [Secular Web: Atheism, Agnosticism, Naturalism, Skepticism, and Secularism]
• [Shamanism]
• [The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy]
• [Virtual Religion Index]

Courses

• Oden, Robert (Presenter) (1998) God and Mankind: Comparative Religion. Chantilly, VA: The Teaching Company
• Hall, James (Presenter) (2003) Philosophy of Religion: 2nd Edition. Chantilly, VA: The Teaching Company

Other media

• Bill Moyers on Faith and Reason (2006) 12 part series. ISBN 1421353636