Summary
Title: Global Philosophy of Religion: A Short Introduction
Author: Joseph Runzo
Publisher: Oneworld Publications
ISBN: 185168235X
Pro:
• Clearly written text makes a difficult subject comprehensible to lay readers
• Addresses a wide variety of issues in the philosophy of religion
• Explains many arguments, counter-arguments and positions.
Con:
• Weak binding (on my copy, at least)
• Poor finish with an argument that breaks all the rules emphasized in the rest of book
Description:
• Introduction to the philosophy of religion, from a global perspective
• Examines and critiques numerous arguments for the existence of gods
• Explains the various issues which are often debated in religion
Book Review
People often discuss these issues without realizing that they are dealing with the philosophy of religion — and unfortunately, most people don’t do a very good job when such questions come up. They would benefit greatly from a better grasp of facts and arguments which have long been part of these topics, and that is exactly what Runzo provides in his recent book.
Professor of Philosophy and Religious Studies at Chapman University and Life Fellow of Clare Hall, Cambridge University, Runzo states that his purpose is to explain to people how to better reason about religion. Because of this, he specifically addresses himself to both believers and nonbelievers equally. To nonbelievers, he cautions not to dismiss the possibility that there can exist good reasons for belief in a god. To believers, he cautions that the doubts of the skeptics must be confronted if religious belief is to be defined as reasonable. In the process, he addresses three key problems:
- “(1) what is the rational justification for holding one set of beliefs instead of some alternative religious (or even non-religious) worldview?”
(2) how could one’s own religious beliefs be rationally justified when there is insufficient proof?”
(3) are the non-rational elements of religion somehow rationally justified?”
The use of the term “global” in the title of the book was chosen deliberately — Runzo has designed his work to address the above questions in a global nature. This does not mean that he tries to develop a “global theology” or a “global philosophy of religion” which somehow incorporates every religion on the planet. Instead, he emphasizes the fact that people need to have a global perspective on questions about religion and religious belief.
