Keith Yandell's Philosophy of Religion: a Contemporary Introduction was one of the first textbooks to explore the philosophy of religion with reference to religions other than Christianity. A decade later, this fully revised and updated edition deals lucidly with representative views from Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, and Jainism, as well as addressing topical debates and issues such as as intelligent design.

Exploring the nature of religion and philosophy, and introducing key thinkers in the history of the field, Yandell guides students through the varieties of religion and of religious experience, the relationships between faith and reason and religion and science, and examines fundamental problems religion seeks to address, such as the nature of ultimate reality and the problem of evil.

This diverse and comprehensive approach makes this rich and stimulating reading for students of philosophy of religion at undergraduate level.

features include:

• suggestions for further reading
• discussion questions
• a glossary of philosophical terms
• list of key figures in the philosophy of religion

The last two centuries have witnessed profound changes in the nature of public consciousness. Nowhere has this been more true than in India, especially in relation to changing cultures of public life and religious tradition in South India. Essays in this collection attempt to explore the intricacies of what is perhaps the single most complex socio-religious environment in the world. The essays consider the evolution of the notion of Hinduism as a distinct and singular separate religion; the relationship between this kind of formulation and various European or western influences in India; and differences which the formation of this idea and its acceptance have made upon wider public consciousness. Each essay also considers certain general issues - such as the passing along of religious authority from one generation to the next, and the rise of disputes over matters both ideological (or doctrinal) and institutional, disputes that are fundamental to the traditions concerned and yet have unmistakable cross-cultural references.

In recent years Buddhism has attracted a fast-growing following in North America and Europe. In part, this is because Buddhism seems to offer peace and inner tranquillity, a profound spirituality and insight into ultimate reality yet without the need for belief in a God. To many spiritual seekers in the post-Christian West this 'spirituality without God' has strong appeal. Whilst Buddhism has been a formative influence in the cultures of South and East Asia it is a relatively new arrival in the West and is little understood by Christians. This book has the twofold aim of introducing the diverse Buddhist traditions to Western readers and of offering a Christian engagement with the central truth-claims of Buddhism. This book is one of few attempts by Christians to offer a respectful and informed, but honest and robust critique of this important religion. It forms a helpful contribution to inter-faith understanding and discussions. ' This is interfaith dialogue at its best. Netland and Yandell provide a thoughtful understanding of Buddhism, followed by a careful pressing of internal problems within Buddhism, then a constructive summary of real differences between Christianity and Buddhism. They also succeed in establishing the plausibility of Christianity in the light of various possible Buddhist critiques. No reader, Christian or Buddhist, will be left unchallenged by this lucid exposition, critique, and proclamation.'

Essays explore the intricacies of what is perhaps the single most complex socio-religious environment in the world, and consider the evolution of the notion of Hinduism as a distinct and separate religion; and the effects this idea and its acceptance have had upon wider public consciousness.

From epic to limerick, novel to anecdote, literary narratives engage and entertain us. From autobiography and biography to accounts of familial generations, narratives define communities. Myths and histories loom large in religious traditions as well. Recently, the importance of narrative to ethics and religion has become a pervasive theme in several scholarly disciplines. In the essays presented here, a distinguished roster of scholars addresses a range of issues associated with this theme, focusing especially on questions concerning narrative's contribution to knowledge.

Keith Yandell's Philosophy of Religion: a Contemporary Introduction was one of the first textbooks to explore the philosophy of religion with reference to religions other than Christianity. A decade later, this fully revised and updated edition deals lucidly with representative views from Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, and Jainism, as well as addressing topical debates and issues such as as intelligent design.

Exploring the nature of religion and philosophy, and introducing key thinkers in the history of the field, Yandell guides students through the varieties of religion and of religious experience, the relationships between faith and reason and religion and science, and examines fundamental problems religion seeks to address, such as the nature of ultimate reality and the problem of evil.

This diverse and comprehensive approach makes this rich and stimulating reading for students of philosophy of religion at undergraduate level.

features include:

• suggestions for further reading
• discussion questions
• a glossary of philosophical terms
• list of key figures in the philosophy of religion

This book addresses fundamental questions in the philosophy of religion. Can religious experience provide evidence for religious belief? If so, how? Keith Yandell argues against the notion that religious experience is ineffable, while advocating the view that strong numinous experience provides some evidence that God exists. He contends that social science and other non-religious explanations of religious belief and experience do not cancel out the evidential force of religious experience. The core of Yandell's argument concerns the formulation and application of an appropriate principle of experimental evidence. A final chapter considers the relevance of nonexperimental, conceptual issues. An attractive feature of the book is that it does not confine its attention to any one religious cultural tradition, but tracks the nature of religious experience across different traditions in both the East and the West.

This text addresses a fundamental question in the philosophy of religion. Can religious experience provide evidence for religious belief? If so, how? Keith Yandell argues against the notion that religious experience is ineffable, while advocating the view that strong numinous experience provides some evidence that God exists. He contends that social science and other non-religious explanations of religious belief and experience do not cancel out the evidential force of religious experience. The core of the argument conveyed in the book concerns the formulation and application of an appropriate principle of experiental evidence. A final chapter considers the relevance of nonexperiential, conceptual issues. A feature of the book is that it does not confine its attention to any one religious cultural tradition, but tracks the nature of religious experience across different traditions in both the East and the West.