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'As a philosopher of religion Peter Vardy is unsurpassed' John Walters, Dialogue
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The attempt to define what we mean by God, and indeed goodness, has been the central pre-occupation of western religion and philosophy. In the 21st century, with deteriorating relationships between Islam and the West, with fundamentalist movements growing and with terrorism increasing, the quest is as urgent and relevant as ever. Can one have goodness without God? Is goodness real or do we create it? Does the understanding of God change through our own scriptures? Where does our understanding of God and goodness come from? How does it relate to other virtues, particularly those of beauty and truth? What is the role of reason? What about the ways other cultures approach reality, and how can traditions live peaceably together? Peter Vardy concisely explores the range of approaches to God that has influenced the western Christian tradition in an easy-to-read, popular style.
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This book will embark on a journey through our rich intellectual heritage with the modest aim of clarifying the past in order to illuminate the present. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
This book will embark on a journey through our rich intellectual heritage with the modest aim of clarifying the past in order to illuminate the present. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This book answers many questions, posed not only by Christians but also by agnostics and members of other religions. It is ideal for students at A level and undergraduate degree level who are studying Philosophy, Theology or Religious Studies. Indeed, I would recommend it to anyone who is looking for thought-provoking arguments about God.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
This is a superb introduction to questions every human being has, will or should be asking. The centrality of the questions to human life cannot be over-estimated and the authors have created a highly engaging, highly readable and very open-minded book for those who think. Whether you subscribe to "faith seeking understanding" or "don't know but wish to understand", read this book and you won't be disappointed.
11 of 13 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Firstly, the good points. This is as accessible a work as I have ever read about philosophy and theology. Difficult concepts are very well explained and demonstrated, and theories linked together. I consider myself reasonably well read, but until I read this book there was many philosophical concepts I barely understood, and some I was entirely ignorant of. It covers the full spectrum of issues surrounding the idea of God - What do we mean by `God', arguments for/against existence, his attributes, effects of scientific discovery on our understanding of God, miracles and spirituality, etc. In short, it's pretty comprehensive. Had Richard Dawkins read a couple of small chapters in this book, he could have saved his blushes on a few occasions. Conversely, I doubt many churchgoers are aware 10% of what is in this book. In fact, you could probably say that about 99% of all people are completely unaware of even some of the basic concepts noted in this book (though that hasn't stopped people having strong opinions on them!). Considering this largely ignored subject area, the writers do an excellent job or explaining most of the issues in a clear and memorable fashion.
Onto the bad points. Though occasionally Islam, Buddhism, Judaism and a couple of other religions are mentioned throughout the book, it's mostly about Christianity. I would personally liked a little more about the other religions. A couple of the chapters are pretty mind numbing, though this may well be because some of the issues are so dry that even the best explanations cannot shed any light on them. The chapter on the Attributes of God for example, is so dull I couldn't stop myself skimming over it. Maybe it is simply impossible, however, to have an interesting discussion on the subject.
I think if you are interested in the subject, and are looking for a place to start, I can't think of a better book to introduce you to the relevant issues better than this one
Onto the bad points. Though occasionally Islam, Buddhism, Judaism and a couple of other religions are mentioned throughout the book, it's mostly about Christianity. I would personally liked a little more about the other religions. A couple of the chapters are pretty mind numbing, though this may well be because some of the issues are so dry that even the best explanations cannot shed any light on them. The chapter on the Attributes of God for example, is so dull I couldn't stop myself skimming over it. Maybe it is simply impossible, however, to have an interesting discussion on the subject.
I think if you are interested in the subject, and are looking for a place to start, I can't think of a better book to introduce you to the relevant issues better than this one
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
A larger size please!
This is a good introduction to many important ideas associated with the notion of God. It is clearly written with a lot of effort put in to make them accessible to general reader... Read more
Published 10 months ago by Reader123
Really helpful
The Thinkers Guide to God is a colourful book that really makes the reader THINK, for themsleves, which is of course the purpose of the book. Read more
Published on 29 Mar 2009 by "Smith" Reader
Another of Vardy's
Another useful book by Vardy - great for A level students or as a background for degree level.
Easier to follow if you've heard him talk but a very accessible book... Read more
Easier to follow if you've heard him talk but a very accessible book... Read more
Published on 30 Jan 2009 by lizwisch89
Does what it says on the cover
A superb concise introductory tour of our concepts of God and how they have changed over time.
Well written, well illustrated, well produced. Read more
Well written, well illustrated, well produced. Read more
Published on 3 Aug 2006 by Dr. Nicholas P. G. Davies
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