Perceiving God: The Epistemology of Religious Experience

Rating:
Summary: A very subtle work
Review: A subtle work for advanced students. It seems destined to become a classic in the field, in my humble (non-expert) judgement.

Rating:
Summary: Alston's great book
Review: William Alston is professor emeritus in philosophy at Syracuse University in USA. In this book he combines his knowledge of general epistemology with his interest in philosophy of religion. Alston focuses on experience as a provoding a strong basis for theist belief. He tries to show that in so far general perceptive practices are reliable, and Christian mystical practices may be shown to be very similar to general or "ordinary" perception, there is no reason to be a skeptic towards religious experiences. Like general doxastic practices, mystical perceptual practices may be shown to be socially established.

Alston projects his moderate foundationalism into philosophy of religion, in his model experience may be intimately conncted to experience of God, although it is never thought to be infallible. According to Alston theist belief is based on two pillars, natural theology and religious experience, where experience is the most important part.

The book may be read as a modern analytic philosopher's attempt to identify with the Christian mystical tradition, with its empahsis on direct awareness of God.