Top 10 Recently Reviewed Books on the Philosophy of Religion

Although it is clear that religion can play an important role in the cause or at least the intensification of violence, could religion and religious language serve a useful purpose in understanding violence and the violent tendencies in both individuals humans and human social groups?

Religions give people reasons for why they exist, but different religions give different reasons. Religions help people answer moral questions, but different religions provide different structures for understanding and addressing moral issues. There are a lot of similarities between religions, but also a lot of variation; as a result, it is necessary to get a good overview of how different religions work in order to intelligently discuss religion at all.

Belief in a god is ubiquitous in America today. Given that such belief has been integral to society and will continue to be so for the foreseeable future, it is worth asking: why do people believe and how does that belief proceed? Why do people retain their religion instead of abandoning it?

Does God exist? If so, is it possible for God to be male or female? Do we survive our physical deaths? What is religion and what purpose does it serve? Does life have any sort of meaning? All of these questions and more are topics in the philosophy of religion, the subject of the recent and worthwhile book "Global Philosophy of Religion" by Joseph Runzo.

What provides the best framework for understanding life and the universe? Is it a religion which relies upon the premise that a supernatural realm or being exists, or rather a thoroughly secular worldview which employs naturalism in science, ethics and politics? That is the question which Kai Nielsen addresses in his recent book, "Naturalism and Religion."

Does God exist? If so, what is "God," what does God want and how do we know? If not, why do so many people believe anyway? The search for God - or at least the roots of belief in God - is one of the most divisive and perplexing projects in human culture. Is there any hope at it being resolved?

Understanding religion, both generally and specific religious beliefs, is an important key to understanding human culture and history. Unfortunately, there are so many religious traditions, all with their own unique doctrines and complexities, that it is difficult for one person to reach a decent understanding of even most of the major ones.

Among both believers and nonbelievers, there are people who tend to assume that there must exist some essential tension between religion and atheism. For whatever reason, it is simply taken for granted that the two do not and cannot mix. But what if this assumption is wrong? What is atheism is readily compatible with religion?

Does a "God" exist, or is belief in gods actually a function of our brains and biology? If the latter is true, what consequences would this have for our ability to have meaning, purpose and morality in our lives? Is theism simply necessary for human life - a "white lie" of evolution?

Does God exist? Is it reasonable to believe in a god, or is such belief simply an ancient superstition which most people have yet to abandon? These sorts of questions have long been key points of debate in philosophy and culture, and there are always new books attempting to provide definitive answers.