Abstract

Short, immediately engaging, vigorously competent in analytic technique, this book could be used profitably in a "problems" format introduction to philosophy, as well as for a text in the philosophy of religion. Knowledgeable and at ease with the Judeo-Christian tradition which provides the religious subject matter of his analysis, Ross writes as a philosopher, not an apologist. He does show that certain attacks on religious positions are instances of general philosophical trends, and can best be met with specialized philosophical argument. He treats such classical topics as the existence and nature of God, non-theoretical knowledge of God, the problem of evil, and the current debate, characteristic of 20th century philosophy, on whether religious discourse is cognitively meaningful, examining the claim that religious belief and phenomena can not be taken seriously at all. Besides concise and well-marshalled use of traditional material, Ross includes original material from his recent more technical study Philosophical Theology. In addition to its obvious usefulness for the needs of students, the attention of scholars is warranted by a sketch of a theory of analogy.--M. B. M.