Charles Taliaferro - A Dictionary of Philosophy of Religion

Charles Taliaferro , professor of philosophy, St. Olaf College, is the author of Consciousness and the Mind of God (Cambridge University Press), Evidence and Faith: Philosophy and Religion Since the Seventeenth Century (Cambridge University Press), Contemporary Philosophy of Religion (Blackwell), Dialogues About God (Rowman and Littlefield), Philosophy of Religion: A Beginners Guide (OneWorld Press), and the coauthor of Naturalism (Eerdmans). He is the coeditor of the first edition of the Blackwell Companion to Philosophy of Religion and the second edition, Philosophy of Religion Reader (Blackwell), Cambridge Platonist Spirituality (Paulist Press), and the Cambridge Companion to Christian Philosophical Theology (Cambridge University Press). He was the philosophy of religion area editor of the Encyclopedia of Philosophy , second edition (Macmillan), and is on the editorial board of Religious Studies , Sophia , Blackwells Philosophy Compass , American Philosophical Quarterly , and Ars Disputandi . Taliaferro has lectured at Oxford, Cambridge, NYU, Columbia, Princeton, St. Andrews University (Scotland), and elsewhere.

Elsa J. Marty , a former student of Charles Taliaferro, the coeditor of the first edition of A Dictionary of Philosophy of Religion . She is completing her doctorate at the University of Chicago with a focus on theological anthropology and religion in India.

To our editor, Haaris Naqvi, our many thanks for his guidance and encouragement. Thanks also go to Katherine De Chant, Andrew Lupton, Lindsey Merritt, Emma Claire dePaulo Reid, Erika Rist, and Linden Smith for assistance in preparing the manuscript. We also thank Divya Bardhan for her expert copy-editing and our project manager, Monica Sukumar. We are the joint authors of all entries with the exception of those scholars we invited to make special contributions. We thank: Shatha Almutawa, Willamette University (Ikhwn al-Saf); Pamela Sue Anderson, Oxford University (Feminist Philosophy of Religion, Lacan, Lyotard, Ricoeur); Benjamin Carter, University of Durham (Florentine Academy, Glanvill, History, Lessings Ditch, Mendelssohn); Sung-Yeon Moon Choi, St. Antonys College, Oxford (Kyoto School, Nishitani); Robin Collins, Messiah College (Fine-Tuning Argument); Brian Davies, O.P., Fordham University (Divine Simplicity); Paul R. Draper, Purdue University (Bayes Theorem); Ashley B. Dreff, Hood Theological Seminary (Wesley); Elizabeth Duel (Buddha, Dalai Lama, Native American Traditions, Wicca); Rika Dunlap, Seattle University (Dgen); Kevin Flannery, S. J., Gregorian University, Rome (Aquinas, Aristotle); Ian Gerdon, University of Notre Dame (Pelagianism, Roman Catholicism, Transubstantiation); John J. Giannini, Hope College (Analogy, Habermas); Paul J. Griffiths, Duke Divinity School (Augustine, Lying, Reading); Shandon Guthrie, University of Nevada, Las Vegas (Angels, Demons); Harriet Harris, University of Edinburgh (Evangelicalism, Evangelism, Fundamentalism, Prayer); Victoria Harrison, University of Macau (Holiness, von Balthasar); William Hasker, Huntington College (Intelligent Design, Molinism, Open Theism); Douglas Hedley, Cambridge University (Coleridge, Divine Sensations, Iamblichus, Literal, Naturphilosophie , Neoplatonism, Plotinus, Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite, Sacrifice, Theurgy); James N. Hoke, Luther College (Basil, Chrysostom, Dion Chrysostom, Gregory Nazianzus, Gregory of Nyssa, Paul); Sonam Kachru, University of Virginia ( Dukkha , Four Noble Truths, nyat ); Dale Jacquette, University of Bern, Switzerland (Schopenhauer); Mark Linville, Clayton State University (Moral Arguments for Theism); Jessica Locke, Loyola University Maryland (Tibetan Buddhism); Robert MacSwain, The School of Theology, Sewanee: The University of the South (Farrer, Lewis); Karen OBrien-Kop, SOAS, University of London (Skhya, Yogcra); David L. OHara, Augustana College (Bishop, Heraclitus, Maimonides, Parmenides, Peirce, Pneuma , Providence, Ptolemaic, Reality, Sacrament, Satan, Separation of Church and State, Suspicion, Symbol, Syncretism, Thales, Transcendentalism, Zeno of Citium); Elizabeth Palmer, Christian Century (Luther); Stephen R. Palmquist, Hong Kong Baptist University (Kant); Stephen R. Palmquist and Sai-ming Wong, Hong Kong Baptist University (Confucianism, Confucius, L , Mencius, Mu Zngsn, Q , Tin , Wng Shurn); Naimi Patel, Rutgers University (Advaita Vednta, Rmnuja, Viidvaita Vednta); Sunny Patel, George Washington University ( rama , Bhagavad Gt , Dharma , Mrti , Puras); Paul Reasoner, Bethel University ( Bodhisattva , Reincarnation, Sincerity, Transfer of Merit); Dan N. Robinson, Oxford University (Reid); Joshua Seachris, University of Notre Dame (Meaning of Life); Lad Sessions, Washington and Lee University (Honor); Vivek Shah, Rutgers University ( Brahman , Nyya, Prama , Prva Mms, Vedas); Marciano Spica, Universidade Estadual Do Centro-Oestem, Brazil (Candombl); Leslie Stevenson, University of St. Andrews (Religious Society of Friends); Koert Verhagen, University of St. Andrews (Bonhoeffer); David Vessey, Grand Valley State University (Gadamer, Husserl, James, Levinas, Maritain, Pragmatism); Jerry Walls, Houston Baptist University (Universalism); Lesley-Anne Dryer Williams, LeTourneau University (Gnosticism, Scripture, Time); and Sarah Zager, Yale University (Mendelssohn, Rosenzweig).

We are especially grateful to our colleagues at St. Olaf College and the University of Chicago. At St. Olaf: Bob Entenmann (Chng Ho, Chng Y, Huinnz , Huayan School, Loz, Neo-Confucianism, Shintoism, Xing Shl, Xunzng, Xnz, Zhng Dngsn, Zhng Zi, Zh X, Zhungz), Almut Furchert (Hildegard of Bingen), Jeanine Grenberg (Humility), Benjamin Heidgerken (Baptism, Canon Law, Canonical, Confirmation, Doctrine, Dogmatics/Dogmatic Theology, Donatism, Excommunication, Heaven, Hell, Holocaust, Homoiousia , Homoousia , Idol/Idolatry, Jansenism, John of the Cross, Judaism, Justification, Liberal Theology, Liturgy, Logos , Marcionism, Mass, Messiah, Millennialism, Neo-Thomism, Ordination, Orthodox Church, Orthodoxy, Purgatory, Resurrection, Saints, Salvation, Sanctification, Schism, Sovereignty, Supersessionism, Theocracy, Theotokos ), Jason Marsh (Cognitive Science), Anantanand Rambachan (Hinduism, ankara), Anthony Rudd (Fichte, Heidegger, Kierkegaard, Schelling, Schiller), Jamie Schillinger ( Falafa , Jihad ), and Doug Schuurman (Vocation).

At the University of Chicago: Erin Atwell (Hadith, Sufism), David Barr (H. Richard Niebuhr, Reinhold Niebuhr), Olivia Bustion (Analytic Philosophy of Religion, Continental Philosophy of Religion, Eschatology, Queer Theology, Schleiermacher), Jason Cather (Cobb, Ogden), Julius Crump (Black Theology, Rorty), Erik Dreff (Spinoza), Eun Young Hwang (Soteriology, W Wi ), Russell Johnson (Gandhi, Heschel, Lindbeck, Peace, Reconciliation, Rhetoric), Hannah Jones (Suffering, Tillich), Allison Kanner (Avicenna, Suhraward), SoJung Kim (Cone, Womanist Theology), Susan Lee (Averros, Ibn Arabi, al-Kind), Zahra Moeini (al-Rz, Kalm , Rumi, Shia Islam, Sunni Islam, Ummah ), Anil Mundra ( Ahis , Anekntavda , Trthkara ), Daniel Owings (Protestantism, Sola Scriptura ), Viraj Patel (Swaminarayan Hinduism), Andrew Packman (Race), Samantha Pellegrino (Ibn Ezra, Wahhbism), Paride Stortini (Ancestor), Willa Swenson-Lengyel (Hope), Sara-Jo Swiatek (Derrida, Hermeneutics, Postmodernism), Matthew Vanderpoel (Duns Scotus, Lombard, Melanchthon), and Ral Zegarra (Liberation Theology, Pope John Paul II, Second Vatican Council).

Finally, we thank our families and friends for their continued support and encouragement.

Surveys and Introductions

Abraham, William J. An Introduction to the Philosophy of Religion . Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1985.

Bertocci, Peter. Introduction to the Philosophy of Religion . New York: Prentice-Hall, 1951.

Cahn, Steven M. Philosophy of Religion . New York: Oxford University Press, 2009.

Caird, John. An Introduction to the Philosophy of Religion . New York: Macmillan, 1891.