Prologue: Deep Time Religion
1: Half a Revolution
2: First Among Unequals?
3: Evolutionary Skepticism
4: The New Pessimism
5: The New Optimism
6: Imagination is Key
7: The "Chief Objections"
8: Religion for Pioneers
Epilogue: Darwin's Door and Hegel's Hinge
J. L. Schellenberg (DPhil, Oxford) is Professor of Philosophy at
Mount Saint Vincent University and Adjunct Professor in the Faculty
of Graduate Studies at Dalhousie University. He is the author of
the seminal Divine Hiddenness and Human Reason (Cornell University
Press, 1993), which introduced the now well-known hiddenness
argument for atheism, and of an acclaimed trilogy on the philosophy
of religion: Prolegomena to a Philosophy of Religion, The
Wisdom to Doubt: A Justification of Religious Skepticism, and The
Will to Imagine: A Justification of Skeptical Religion (Cornell
University Press, 2005; 2007; 2009). In 2013 the journal Religious
Studies will publish
a special issue dedicated to Schellenbergs philosophy of religion.
One of the galling tendencies of religion's detractors is that they
describe religion as primitive but instead of calling for more
mature forms of religion they insist that religion is forever
primitive and thus summarily dismiss it. Schellenberg rightly calls
their bluff and does so on evolutionary grounds A stimulating
contribution this slender and thought-provoking volume is well
worth the read.
*William J. Meyer, International Journal for Philosophy of
Religion*
Schellenberg's emphasis on deep time and on an evolutionary
perspective is important, and it does have implications for
religious beliefs. . . . The book is accessible to the general
reader. It deals with issues of 'spirituality' and 'religion' that
are of both general and scholarly interest. And it would make a
good text for college discussions of the nature of religious
faith.
*Keith Ward, Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews*
I enjoyed reading this a great deal. Its proposal is serious and
well-reasoned, and I want to argue with the author, which is just
about the highest recommendation I can give of a book.
*Michael Ruse, Florida State University*
With his customary clarity, wit and originality, Schellenberg
invites us to re-imagine religion's future possibilities and power
within the realm of cultural evolution. This book cuts right
through the tired contemporary stand-offs between church and
secular science.
*Sarah Coakley, University of Cambridge*
This clearly written book is a philosophical tour de force, as
accessible as it is profound.
*Paul Draper, Purdue University*
Evolutionary Religion is a very fine book. Its distinctive thesis
and innovative arguments expand our understanding of religion, the
philosophy of religion, and skepticism
*Joshua C. Thurow, International Journal for the Study of
Skepticism*
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