Meaning and Mystery

Meaning and Mystery offers a challenge to the way Philosophy has traditionally approached the issue of belief in God as a theoretical problem, proposing instead a form of reflection more appropriate to the practical nature of the issue. Makes use of abundant illustrative material, from both literature, such as Les Misérables, Edwin Abott’s Flatland, Yann Martel’s Life of Pi and Leo Tolstoy’s A Confession, and popular culture, such as advertisements, the television series Joan of Arcadia and the film Stranger Than Fiction Uses imaginative scenarios to offer explanations of central concepts Incorporates theories on human thought and behavior in exploring the formation of religious belief Written in a style that is accessible to readers with little background knowledge of philosophy

Preface. Acknowledgments. Introduction: Does Anyone Actually Believe in God? 1 Life-Orienting Stories. 2 God of the Philosophers. 3 Reasons for Believing in God. 4 Resistance and Receptivity. 5 Belief As a Practical Issue. 6 Anthropomorphism and Mystery. 7 Naturalistic Stories. 8 Theistic and Naturalistic Morality. 9 Meaning and the Limits of Meaning. 10 Conviction, Doubt, and Humility. Suggestions for Further Reading. Index.