Understanding Religion [Paperback]

S. A. Grave (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 15, 2004

This book seeks to further an understanding of religion from the inside, so to speak - that is, from the point of view of someone who is committed to a religion. It aims both at increasing this understanding in readers who already have it and, where it is absent, at bringing it about without presupposing any religious commitment at all. Identifying the fundamental characteristic of religion as a transcendental concern - that is, belief in divinity or in existence beyond death - the author argues that this concern, above all, makes religion unlike anything else in human life. Material for the book's themes is drawn from five great world religions: Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam and Judaism. Besides considering the transcendental concerns that make religion unique, the book discusses the varieties of religious experience and the ways in which religion deals with the existence of evil and human suffering.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Born and brought up in New Zealand, Selwyn Grave was Professor of Philosophy at the University of Western Australia from 1961 to 1981. Besides articles on philosophical and theological topics, he wrote The Scottish Philosophy of Common Sense (Oxford, Clarendon Press, 1960); A History of Philosophy in Australia (University of Queensland Press, 1984) and Conscience in Newman's Thought (Oxford, Clarendon Press, 1989). Selwyn Grave died in 2002.

Product Details

• Paperback: 136 pages
• Publisher: Cybereditions Corporation (December 15, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1877275700
• ISBN-13: 978-1877275708
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #9,697,689 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)