Routledge Twentieth-Century Philosophy of Religion: The History of Western Philosophy of Religion, Volume 5

The twentieth century saw religion challenged by the rise of science and secularism, a confrontation which resulted in an astonishingly diverse range of philosophical views about religion and religious belief. Many of the major philosophers of the twentieth century - James, Bergson, Russell, Wittgenstein, Ayer, Heidegger, and Derrida - significantly engaged with religious thought. Idiosyncratic thinkers, such as Whitehead, Levinas and Weil, further contributed to the extraordinary diversity of philosophical investigation of religion across the century. In their turn, leading theologians and religious philosophers - notably Buber, Tillich and Barth - directly engaged with the philosophy of religion. Later, philosophy of religion became a distinct field of study, led by the work of Hick, Alston, Plantinga, and Swinburne. "Twentieth-Century Philosophy of Religion" provides an accessible overview of the major strands in the rich tapestry of twentieth-century thought about religion and will be an indispensible resource for any interested in contemporary philosophy of religion. Review 'Vibrant, contentious and constructive, these essays powerfully demonstrate that the last century is by any standard a critical period for progress in the history of western philosophy of religion.' --Pamela Anderson, University of Oxford. 'Students of the philosophy of religion will pass many an agreeable hour absorbing the lessons of a century's contemplation from these rich and fascinating essays.' --John Schellenberg, Mount Saint Vincent University About the Author Graham Oppy is a Professor of Philosophy and Head of the School of Philosophical, Historical and International Studies (SOPHIS) at Monash University, Australia. N. N.Trakakis is a Research Fellow in Philosophy, and Assistant Director of the Centre for the Philosophy and Phenomenology of Religion, at the Australian Catholic University.