Belief And Metaphysics

This is an exciting, distinguished and indeed brave volume on the relation between belief and metaphysics. The volume of twenty essays is exciting in that the points of entry to the question of relation and styles of discourse are so varied, while less-established voices are allowed to sound with the more established; it is distinguished not simply because of its many famous names, but because it unites in one volume analytic and continental philosophical approaches to the issue to the common purpose of retrieving yet also reconceiving metaphysics; and it is brave in that not only does it refuse to indulge the contemporary prejudice against metaphysics and the necessity for belief to forgo the comfort of relation, but brings to the surface postmodernity's own penchant for axiomatics and its containment of the religious by uncoupling it from metaphysical commitments." -Cyril O'Regan, Catherine F. Huisking Professor of Theology, Department of Theology, Notre Dame "Without metaphysics theology is boring, some one says in this book; without theology metaphysics goes nowhere, some one else says. Of course it depends what you mean by metaphysics and for that matter theology. There is more than enough here to interest, entertain, and even enrage philosophers and especially theologians. A MARVELLOUS COLLECTION!" -Fergus Kerr O.P., Honorary Fellow in the School of Divinity at the University of Edinburgh "This is a truly splendid collection of essays, admirable not only for its range, but for its depth. It would be hard to assemble a more distinguished cast of contributors, and harder still to find another volume that offers comparably rich and varied reflections on the profund relation between faith and metaphysical reasoning." -David Bentley Ha

Papers delivered at the International Philosophy Year conference at Brockport, 1967-68. Includes bibliographical references.

William Desmond's original and creative work in metaphysics is attracting more and more attention from philosophers of religion. Putting Desmond in conversation with John D. Caputo, an important philosopher of religion from the Continental tradition, Christopher Ben Simpson casts new light on Desmond's complex, multifaceted, and nuanced thought. The comparative approach allows Simpson to get at the core of recent debates in the philosophy of religion. He develops a rich understanding of how ethics and religion are informed by metaphysics, and contrasts this approach to the decidedly anti-metaphysical stance in Continental philosophy. Religion, Metaphysics, and the Postmodern presents a systematic analysis of Desmond's thought as it advances work on Caputo's thinking and on the philosophy of religion.

Little Book of Beliefs is an express tour of belief topics for curious minds. Is there a God? What is the purpose of life? Do humans have souls? Why do bad things happen to good people and vice versa? Life is a mystery and we're still guessing about its meaning and purpose. Our personal beliefs, whether vague or specific, philosophical or spiritual, surely influence our values and outlook on life. Philip Koehn, author of Choosing your Religion and Exploring the Major Faiths, presents a brief synopsis of key philosophical and spiritual topics in this compact analysis. Questions about existence? What does it mean to be a human being? Does reality exist only in the mind of the beholder or is reality independent of human perception? Do humans create the human condition or does a higher being impose it? Little Book of Beliefs explores some of the possible answers to these and other existential questions. It raises many of the questions that are likely to remain unsettled and answered only by beliefs. Little Book of Beliefs is divided into three sections: Philosophy, Religion, and Spiritual Metaphysics. The book roams far and wide to look at this mystery from different angles. It looks at the big philosophical questions, important points of faith, and esoteric beliefs, the subjects that often define one's belief orientation. It examines topics as diverse as auras, God, ethics, existentialism, the human condition, karma, moral values, mysticism, nature spirits, and salvation, pieces of a puzzle we may never fit together. It is a "believe it or not" book about beliefs themselves.

Lucian Blaga was an early twentieth-century European philosopher whose work was suppressed at the height of his career by the creation of the Romanian Socialist Republic. Blaga's philosophical writings are rich and creative, spanning metaphysics, epistemology, philosophy of science, philosophical anthropology, aesthetics, philosophy of culture, philosophy of history, and philosophy of religion. Mircea Eliade wrote that Blaga was the most gifted and critical original thinker in the history of Romanian philosophy. Because of historical circumstances, Blaga's philosophy has not become known outside of his own country, although within Romania it continues to be read and discussed. Were it to become known outside of Romania, Blaga's philosophy could provide interesting contributions to contemporary philosophical discussions. The thesis of this book is that Blaga's philosophy can make valuable contributions to contemporary Anglo-American philosophy. In order to support this thesis, Blaga's philosophical system is explained in detail so that the reader may see how it can be applied to a variety of philosophical issues. philosophy of religion in order to demonstrate that it can contribute to contemporary Anglo-American discussions. Michael S. Jones is Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Liberty University.