Reading Philosophy of Religion

Graham Oppy is Professor of Philosophy at Monash University, where he has recently been Head of the School of Philosophy and Bioethics, and Associate Dean Research in the Faculty of Arts. His publications in philosophy of religion include Ontological Arguments and Belief in God (1996), Philosophical Perspectives on Infinity (2006), and Arguing about Gods (2006) and numerous journal articles. Michael Scott is lecturer in Philosophy at the University of Manchester and editor of Ars Disputandi, an online journal in philosophy of religion. He has written several papers in philosophy of religion and perception and co-authored Realism and Religion (2007) with Andrew Moore.

• 1. Religious Language IntroductionIntroduction to AyerA. J. Ayer, ‘Critique of Theology’ (selection from Language, Truth and Logic ch. 6)Commentary on AyerIntroduction to BerkeleyGeorge Berkeley, ‘Alciphron’ (selection from the seventh dialogue)Commentary on BerkeleyIntroduction to PutnamHilary Putnam, ‘Wittgenstein on Religious Language’ (selection from Renewing Philosophy ch. 7-8)             Commentary on PutnamIntroduction to AlstonWilliam Alston, ‘Referring to God’Commentary on Alston2. Arguments about the Existence of GodIntroductionIntroduction to AnselmAnselm, Proslogion: The Ontological ArgumentCommentary on AnselmIntroduction to AquinasAquinas, Summa Theologica: First Way, Third WayCommentary on AquinasIntroduction to PascalBlaise Pascal, Pensées: The WagerCommentary on PascalIntroduction to PaleyWilliam Paley, ‘Natural Theology’ (selection)Commentary on PaleyIntroduction to HumeDavid Hume, ‘Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion’ (selection)Commentary on HumeIntroduction to EverittNicholas Everitt, ‘Teleological Arguments’ (selection from The Non-Existence of God, ch. 5)Commentary on EverittIntroduction to MackieJohn Leslie Mackie, ‘Evil and Omnipotence’Commentary on MackieIntroduction to RoweWilliam Rowe, ‘The Problem of Evil and Some Varieties of Atheism’Commentary on Rowe3. Evidence, Argument and Belief in GodIntroduction to NewChristopher New, ‘Antitheism’Commentary on NewIntroduction to CliffordWilliam Clifford, ‘The Ethics of Belief’Commentary on CliffordIntroduction to JamesWilliam James, ‘The Will to Believe’Commentary on JamesIntroduction to PlantingaAlvin Plantinga, ‘Is Belief in God Properly Basic?’Commentary on PlantingaIntroduction to ReyGeorges Rey, ‘Meta-Atheism: Religious Avowal as Self-Deception’Commentary on Rey4. Divine AttributesIntroduction to BoethiusBoethius, The Consolation of Philosophy (selection)Commentary on BoethiusIntroduction to SavageB Wade Savage, ‘The Paradox of the Stone’Commentary on SavageIntroduction to PikeNelson Pike, ‘Divine Omniscience and Voluntary Action’Commentary on PikeIntroduction to KretzmannNorman Kretzmann, ‘Abraham, Isaac and Euthyphro: God and the Basis of Morality’Commentary on Kretzmann5. Religious DiversityIntroductionIntroduction to HickJohn Hick, The Interpretation of Religion (selection)Commentary on HickIntroduction to PlantingaAlvin Plantinga, ‘Pluralism: A Defense of Religious Exclusivism’ (selection)Commentary on Plantinga