Philosophy of religion

Not to be confused with Religious philosophy or Theology.
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Philosophy of religion
Religious concepts
Challenges
Problem of evil
God
Conceptions
Existence
Arguments for
Arguments against
By religion
Theories of religion
Philosophers of religion
Ancient and medieval
Early modern
19th-century
Contemporary
Related topics
Philosophy of religion article index

Philosophy of religion is "the philosophical examination of the central themes and concepts involved in religious traditions".[1] Philosophical discussions on such topics date from ancient times, and appear in the earliest known texts concerning philosophy. The field involves many other branches of philosophy, including metaphysics, epistemology, logic, ethics, aesthetics, philosophy of language, and philosophy of science.[2]

The philosophy of religion differs from religious philosophy in that it seeks to discuss questions regarding the nature of religion as a whole, rather than examining the problems brought forth by a particular belief-system. The philosophy of religion differs from theology in that it aims to examine religious concepts from an objective philosophical perspective rather than from the perspective of a specific religious tradition. The philosophy of religion also differs from religious studies in that it seeks to evaluate the truth of religious worldviews. It can be carried out dispassionately by those who identify as believers or non-believers.[3]

  1. ^ Taliaferro, Charles (1 January 2014). Zalta, Edward N. (ed.). Philosophy of Religion (Winter 2014 ed.). Archived from the original on 2 July 2019. Retrieved 5 October 2015.
  2. ^ Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, "Philosophy of Religion." Archived 2018-06-11 at the Wayback Machine
  3. ^ Evans, C. Stephen (1985). Philosophy of Religion: Thinking about Faith. InterVarsity Press. pp. 16–17. ISBN 978-0-87784-343-6. Philosophy of religion is not so much religious thinking as it is thinking about religion, a thinking which can be carried on by both religious and nonreligious persons.