God and Meaning
New Essays
Published on 8. September 2016
Book
Paperback/Softback
280 pages
978-1-62892-761-0 (ISBN)
Description
Over the past decade, there has been a growing interest among analytic philosophers in the topic of life's meaning. What is striking about this surge of work is that nearly all of it is by naturalists theorizing from non-theistic starting points.
This book answers the need for a theistic philosophical perspective on the meaning of life. Bringing together some of the leading thinkers in analytic philosophy of religion and theology, God and Meaning touches on important issues in metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, philosophy of religion, and biblical theology that intersect with life's meaning. In particular: What does the question "What is the meaning of life?" mean? How can we know if life has meaning and what that meaning is? Might God enhance life's meaningfulness in some ways but detract from it in others? Is the most meaningful life one of perfect happiness? What is the relationship between eternity and life's meaning? How does the Old Testament book of Ecclesiastes illumine the topic? Should we hope that a kind of transcendent meaning exists?
Presenting a state-of-the-art assessment of current philosophical positions on these and many other questions, God and Meaning is an invaluable resource for all students and scholars of the philosophy of religion.
This book answers the need for a theistic philosophical perspective on the meaning of life. Bringing together some of the leading thinkers in analytic philosophy of religion and theology, God and Meaning touches on important issues in metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, philosophy of religion, and biblical theology that intersect with life's meaning. In particular: What does the question "What is the meaning of life?" mean? How can we know if life has meaning and what that meaning is? Might God enhance life's meaningfulness in some ways but detract from it in others? Is the most meaningful life one of perfect happiness? What is the relationship between eternity and life's meaning? How does the Old Testament book of Ecclesiastes illumine the topic? Should we hope that a kind of transcendent meaning exists?
Presenting a state-of-the-art assessment of current philosophical positions on these and many other questions, God and Meaning is an invaluable resource for all students and scholars of the philosophy of religion.
Reviews / Votes
... [A] notable range of considerations and responses, from how God could (or would) make life meaningful to the roles of perfectionism and hedonism ... [T]hese essays succeed in providing a bridge between philosophy and religious studies. * CHOICE * This is a lively and highly illuminating book. The editors have done an excellent job of collecting a fascinating set of essays developing theistic approaches to the meaning of life. The papers are rigorous and insightful. In considering the theistic side of things, this is a valuable contribution to the relatively recent literature in the meaning of life by analytical philosophers. Highly recommended! * John M. Fischer, Distinguished Professor of Philosophy, University of California, Riverside, USA * This collection is a vitally important contribution to the upswing of interest amongst Anglo-American philosophers on the topic of life's meaning. As the editors correctly note, most of this recent work has denied that God (or a soul) is necessary for meaning in life. This text serves as a first-rate counterbalance, the most deep and revealing collection of supernaturalist, and particularly Christian, philosophical approaches to meaningfulness yet compiled. It includes a stellar line up of contributors addressing several new topics and often advancing fresh perspectives. * Thaddeus Metz, Distinguished Professor and Research Professor of Philosophy, University of Johannesburg, South Africa *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
New York
United States
Publishing group
Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
Target group
College/higher education
Dimensions
Height: 216 mm
Width: 138 mm
Weight
373 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-62892-761-0 (9781628927610)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
E-Book
09/2016
1st Edition
Bloomsbury Academic USA
€33.99
Available for download
E-Book
09/2016
1st Edition
Bloomsbury Academic USA
€33.99
Available for download
Persons
Stewart Goetz is the Ross Frederick Wicks Distinguished Professor in Philosophy and Religion at Ursinus College, USA. His previous books include The Soul Hypothesis (co-edited with Mark Baker, 2011), A Brief History of the Soul (co-authored with Charles Taliaferro, 2011), The Purpose of Life: A Theistic Perspective (2012), The Routledge Companion to Theism (co-edited with Charles Taliaferro and Victoria Harrison, 2012), and A Philosophical Walking Tour with C. S. Lewis (2015). He is the Series Editor of Bloomsbury Studies in Philosophy and Religion.
Joshua W. Seachris is Program Director at the Center for Philosophy of Religion and Adjunct Professor of Philosophy at the University of Notre Dame, USA. He is the editor of Exploring the Meaning of Life: An Anthology and Guide (2013), and has authored articles on a range of topics, including the problem of evil, Confucius and virtue, the meaning of life, and death.
Joshua W. Seachris is Program Director at the Center for Philosophy of Religion and Adjunct Professor of Philosophy at the University of Notre Dame, USA. He is the editor of Exploring the Meaning of Life: An Anthology and Guide (2013), and has authored articles on a range of topics, including the problem of evil, Confucius and virtue, the meaning of life, and death.
Content
Acknowledgements
Introduction
Stewart Goetz and Joshua W. Seachris
Section I: Clarifying the Question: Conceptual and Theistic Tools
1. The Meaning of Life and Narratives: A Framework for Understanding and Answering the Question of Life's Meaning
Joshua W. Seachris, University of Notre Dame, USA
Section II: Meaningfulness and God
2. What God Could (and Couldn't) Do to Make Life Meaningful
Tim Mawson, University of Oxford, UK
3. Hedonistic Happiness Life's Meaning
Stewart Goetz, Ursinus College, USA
4. Belief that Life has Meaning Confirms that Life has Meaning: A Bayesian Approach
Trent Dougherty, Baylor University, USA
5. Can the Demands of the Perfection Thesis Be Trivialized?
Nicholas Waghorn, St. Benet's Hall, University of Oxford, UK
Section III: Meaningfulness, Time, and Eternity
6. Meaningfulness, Eternity, and Theism
John Cottingham, University of Reading, UK, Heythrop College, University of London, UK, and St. John's College, University of Oxford, UK
7. The Expansion and Contraction of the Meaning of Life
Charles Taliaferro, St. Olaf College, USA
8. How God Makes Life a Lot More Meaningful
Richard Swinburne, Oriel College, University of Oxford, UK
Section IV: The Purpose(s) of Life
9. Affective Gethsemane Meaning for Life
Paul Moser, Loyola University in Chicago, USA
10. St. Isaac's Dictum
Terence Cuneo, University of Vermont, USA
Section V: Meaning in Ecclesiastes
11. Wisdom and Meaning: Philosophy and the Theology of the Meaning of Life in Ecclesiastes
Craig Bartholomew, Redeemer University College, Canada
12. "Meaningless, Meaningless, Says Qohelet": Finding the Meaning of Life in the Book of Ecclesiastes
Tremper Longman III, Westmont College, USA
Notes on Contributors
Bibliography
Index
Introduction
Stewart Goetz and Joshua W. Seachris
Section I: Clarifying the Question: Conceptual and Theistic Tools
1. The Meaning of Life and Narratives: A Framework for Understanding and Answering the Question of Life's Meaning
Joshua W. Seachris, University of Notre Dame, USA
Section II: Meaningfulness and God
2. What God Could (and Couldn't) Do to Make Life Meaningful
Tim Mawson, University of Oxford, UK
3. Hedonistic Happiness Life's Meaning
Stewart Goetz, Ursinus College, USA
4. Belief that Life has Meaning Confirms that Life has Meaning: A Bayesian Approach
Trent Dougherty, Baylor University, USA
5. Can the Demands of the Perfection Thesis Be Trivialized?
Nicholas Waghorn, St. Benet's Hall, University of Oxford, UK
Section III: Meaningfulness, Time, and Eternity
6. Meaningfulness, Eternity, and Theism
John Cottingham, University of Reading, UK, Heythrop College, University of London, UK, and St. John's College, University of Oxford, UK
7. The Expansion and Contraction of the Meaning of Life
Charles Taliaferro, St. Olaf College, USA
8. How God Makes Life a Lot More Meaningful
Richard Swinburne, Oriel College, University of Oxford, UK
Section IV: The Purpose(s) of Life
9. Affective Gethsemane Meaning for Life
Paul Moser, Loyola University in Chicago, USA
10. St. Isaac's Dictum
Terence Cuneo, University of Vermont, USA
Section V: Meaning in Ecclesiastes
11. Wisdom and Meaning: Philosophy and the Theology of the Meaning of Life in Ecclesiastes
Craig Bartholomew, Redeemer University College, Canada
12. "Meaningless, Meaningless, Says Qohelet": Finding the Meaning of Life in the Book of Ecclesiastes
Tremper Longman III, Westmont College, USA
Notes on Contributors
Bibliography
Index