Philosophy of Religion: The Basics

by Samuel Lebens

This book introduces students and other interested readers to the philosophy of religion--a vibrant and growing field of academic philosophy. Readers will be guided through an exploration of classic and contemporary arguments for and against theism. In addition to this crucial, but standard fare, this book looks to probe deeper into the nature and value (or dis-value) of religion itself. Philosophy of religion is becoming more diverse, both in terms of the religious traditions it examines, and the issues that it addresses. This book reflects that fact, engaging with religious traditions from Quakerism to Jainism. Questions and topics covered include:

What is religion? What philosophical problems arise for the practices of prayer, worship, and meditation? How might multiple religions co-exist in peace? If there's a God, would it be the sort of thing that language could describe? When and how might it be rational to wager that a particular religion is true?
With a glossary of key terms and suggestions for further reading, Philosophy of Religion: The Basics is an ideal starting point for anyone seeking a lively and accessible foray into the study of religion or philosophy.

Genres: Philosophy, Religion

202 pages, ebook

Published September 13, 2022

Reviews

[Sarah Niednagel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book did an excellent job at explaining super complex topics with a calm and conversational tone. Lots of my beliefs on religion were expressed in a way I’ve never been able to express before which felt refreshing.

There were lots of times where it got super in the weeds on specifics, which, being text book-esque this makes sense…

but overall it was full of really enlightening discussions on what religion is, why humans rely on it, how it can hurt, how it can help, and the differences between the main world religions!

[David Green · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book provided excellent overview to the philosophy of religion. Not only did it cover many of the major subjects, but it also went into detail regarding many specific arguments. One particular aspect of the book I enjoyed was that it didn't only provide the arguments for religion, but also brought up potential rebuttals, giving the reader a full scope of the discussions that have been had on these topics. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and would absolutely recommend it to anyone looking to learn about the philosophy of religion.