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An Intelligent Person's Guide to Religion
What use is religion in the modern world? Since the Enlightenment philosophers have stripped faith of its claim to being part of human knowledge. But since the dismantling of religion, the ancient and enduring questions about the meaning of our existence - questions that haunt all of us at some point during our life - have never been adequately answered. Drawing on many aspects of human culture, John Haldane offers a defence of religion as not only credible but necessary. He explores the place of religion in relation to science, in making sense of evil, in understanding history and in explaining value. He also looks at religion's impact on art and its complex relationship with death. An Intelligent Person's Guide to Religion makes a compelling argument for the necessity of faith in modern society.
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First published February 27, 2003
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About the author
John Haldane
39 books22 followersJohn Joseph Haldane KHS FRSE FRSA (born 19 February 1954) is a Scottish philosopher, commentator and broadcaster. He is a papal adviser to the Vatican. He is credited with coining the term Analytical Thomism and is himself a Thomist in the analytic tradition. Haldane is associated with The Veritas Forum and is the current chairman of the Royal Institute of Philosophy.
He has been a visiting lecturer in the School of Architecture of the University of Westminster, at the Medical School of the University of Dundee, at the University of Malta, at the Thomistic Institute at the University of Notre Dame, at the University of Aberdeen, at Denison University, at the University of St. Thomas, at The John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin, and the Institute for the Psychological Sciences. He held the Royden Davis Chair of Humanities at Georgetown University, and delivered the Gifford Lectures at the University of Aberdeen in 2003-04, and the Joseph Lectures at the Gregorian University in Rome.
He was appointed to the University of St Andrews in 1983 where he has held a lectureship, a readership and as of 1994 is University Professor in Philosophy. From 1988 to 2000 and from 2002 to the present he has been Director of the University Centre for Ethics, Philosophy and Public Affairs. In addition, he has held fellowships at the University of Pittsburgh, University of Edinburgh, St John's College, Oxford, Social Philosophy and Policy Center, Bowling Green State University and at the Centre for the Study of Sculpture in Leeds, England. Starting in autumn 2015, he holds the J. Newton Rayzor Sr. Distinguished Chair in Philosophy at Baylor University.
He has been a visiting lecturer in the School of Architecture of the University of Westminster, at the Medical School of the University of Dundee, at the University of Malta, at the Thomistic Institute at the University of Notre Dame, at the University of Aberdeen, at Denison University, at the University of St. Thomas, at The John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin, and the Institute for the Psychological Sciences. He held the Royden Davis Chair of Humanities at Georgetown University, and delivered the Gifford Lectures at the University of Aberdeen in 2003-04, and the Joseph Lectures at the Gregorian University in Rome.
He was appointed to the University of St Andrews in 1983 where he has held a lectureship, a readership and as of 1994 is University Professor in Philosophy. From 1988 to 2000 and from 2002 to the present he has been Director of the University Centre for Ethics, Philosophy and Public Affairs. In addition, he has held fellowships at the University of Pittsburgh, University of Edinburgh, St John's College, Oxford, Social Philosophy and Policy Center, Bowling Green State University and at the Centre for the Study of Sculpture in Leeds, England. Starting in autumn 2015, he holds the J. Newton Rayzor Sr. Distinguished Chair in Philosophy at Baylor University.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
January 25, 2018
This is a fine introduction to theistic religion. John Haldane is a Catholic, but this book is not limited to Christian theism at all. Rather, Haldane offers compelling reasons for why religious orientation makes sense and ultimately allows for the fullest possibility of human flourishing. He does not cover every topic of interest in religion, but he does explore questions of science and religion, evil, history, aesthetics, death, axiology, and sociology.
November 15, 2016
Haldane provided a short yet informative introduction to religious thought: Ranging from broad topics such as the relationship between science and religion, meaning and value or grand metanarratives to details about Vico and Aquinas. Surely, atheists can do little better than to read this book in order to get a grip on what it is that they are rejecting, and Theists might read the book in order to get some clarification as to why they are not atheists. The guide is of course just an introduction and not a complete account of every topic that is in any way related to religious thought and practice but it does an excellent job as an introduction because it is hard not to feel drawn into argument about many of the things Haldane touches upon.
March 6, 2015
Couldn't get more than halfway through it. Haldane shows his erudition, but the text is very dry and breezes over issues that are more complicated than the presentation indicates. It's admittedly difficult to condense "religion" down to a short volume like this, but I was hoping for more.
September 16, 2012
Difficult one!
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews