The Moral Interpretation of Religion (Reason and Religion) [Paperback]

Mr. Peter Byrne (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 31, 1998 | ISBN-10: 0802845541 | ISBN-13: 978-0802845542 | Edition: 1999

The Moral Interpretation of Religion provides a critical examination of the traditional attempt to interpret religion in moral terms alone. Respected philosopher Peter Byrne discussed the general character of moral interpretation, probes the relation of religion to morality, and assesses historical attempts to reason directly from the basis of morality to the existence of a personal God. / Byrne explores Immanuel Kant’s famous system of “practical reason” as well as the approaches to moral philosophy taken by Iris Murdoch and Ludwig Wittgenstein in order to show where the essence of the moral interpretation lies and to critique its viability as an approach to religious belief. In the process, Byrne addresses key themes in contemporary reflection on religion, such as the definition of religion, the nature of religious realism, and the secular problem of evil in human life. His work clearly demonstrates the strengths of a moral approach to religious faith and the surest method for building a cogent moral argument. / As the first full-length treatment of this theme, this volume offers students and inquiring general readers a valuable discussion of one of the most powerful and enduring apologetics for explicating religious belief.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Senior lecturer in the philosophy of religion at King's College in London, England, and editor of the journal Religious Studies.

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company; 1999 edition (July 31, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0802845541
• ISBN-13: 978-0802845542
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,572,081 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent chapter on moral arguments for theism, September 9, 2001

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This review is from: The Moral Interpretation of Religion (Reason and Religion) (Paperback)

This is an interesting book by respected philosopher Peter Byrne (editor of the prestigious academic journal, RELIGIOUS STUDIES). Byrne discusses 'the moral interpretation of religion," the view that "morality provides the anchor for belief in transcendent, sacred reality and, consequently, provides the means for interpreting belief in a religious ultimate." This book is not sympathetic to the view that morality needs a personal God as its foundation, though Byrne is equally willing to criticize secular ethics when appropriate. Byrne argues (1) that if the foundation of morality is a personal God, then the autonomy of morality is undermined. (2) When theists appeal to moral arguments for theism, they are open to the counterargument that the problem of evil is a reason for favoring atheism over theism. According to Byrne, the argument from evil is stronger evidence for atheism than the moral argument is for theism.

Of special interest to me was the book's second chapter, which focuses exclusively on an oft-neglected topic: the various moral arguments for theism. In that chapter, Byrne states a number of objections to moral arguments for God's existence. (Ironically, most of those objections have NOT appeared in atheistic literature in the philosophy of religion!) Along the way, Byrne manages to discuss the following topics:

* the Euthyphro dilemma,
* Robert Adams' modified divine command theory,
* Linda Zagzebski's claim that without God we must become moral skeptics,
* the suggestion that secular morality is deficient because it lacks a proper motivational background to pursue the moral good

In short, I would say that chapter 2 alone justifies purchasing the book. If you have an interest in moral arguments for the existence of God, then you will definitely want to add this book to your library.