Philosophy of Religion: A Guide and Anthology

Rating:
Summary: A well-rounded and well-executed effort
Review: There are a host of philosophy of religion books out there, so the question becomes what's the best way to get a well-rounded survey of the field. Davies solution is to pick plenty of articles with, what I perceive to be, a somewhat contemporary slant, and then carefully organize them according to topical groupings with overview-type introductions. Each topical grouping leads naturally into the next grouping, so debates early on are carried forward into new areas. I liked this book as soon as I came into contact with the desk copy, and having now read it, my first impressions were correct: a nice summary and guide for anyone who has already had an Introduction to Philosophy class. A class in Ancient and Medieval Philosophy would be very helpful too, though hardly necessary, for much medieval philosophy still influences issues in contemporary philosophy of religion.

Rating:
Summary: A well-rounded and well-executed effort
Review: There are a host of philosophy of religion books out there, so the question becomes what's the best way to get a well-rounded survey of the field. Davies solution is to pick plenty of articles with, what I perceive to be, a somewhat contemporary slant, and then carefully organize them according to topical groupings with overview-type introductions. Each topical grouping leads naturally into the next grouping, so debates early on are carried forward into new areas. I liked this book as soon as I came into contact with the desk copy, and having now read it, my first impressions were correct: a nice summary and guide for anyone who has already had an Introduction to Philosophy class. A class in Ancient and Medieval Philosophy would be very helpful too, though hardly necessary, for much medieval philosophy still influences issues in contemporary philosophy of religion.