Human Suffering and the Evil of Religion

Human Suffering and the Evil of Religion PDF Author: Dennis Jensen
Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers
ISBN: 1532643438
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 167

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Book Description
Dennis Jensen looks at two very important problems that have led many to reject religious belief generally and Christianity in particular: Why has God allowed the extreme suffering we find in our world? And Can religion be blamed for much of this suffering? He looks at not only the evil so often associated with religions--inquisitions, holy wars, pograms, witch hunts--but also some of the difficulties found specifically in the Bible. Did the God of the Bible command or advocate mass murder, homophobia, slavery? Is the New Testament anti-Semitic? Jensen argues persuasively that a fully biblical teaching does not advocate subservience of women in today's society, church, or family. It does not condemn all same gender sexual relations or transgender identity. It does not teach an eternal hell. As just one of the many fascinating topics he tackles, one of the more important biblical reasons suggested for the existence of evil is that God wants to know whether we will seek to stop or alleviate the suffering we see, whether we will learn to have God's heart, whether we will hate evil and anguish over the hurting as God does. ""This book is a crowbar prying loose imaginations, religious and skeptical alike, stuck in simplistic answers and easy slogans. Jensen's wide-ranging explorations don't try to convince the reader of his every proposal, but they do make it reasonable to trust that God is good and has purposes for us hidden in our lives. A book to be wrestled with, argued over, and grateful for."" --Matt Marston, Pastor, Trinity Baptist Church, Moultrie, Georgia In addition to two other books, Dennis Jensen has written for a local university oriented tabloid and for the American Scientific Affiliation's journal, Perspectives. He holds a master's degree in philosophy of religion, has taught philosophy at a local college, engages in debate and dialogue online, and maintains a web page focused on issues in philosophy of religion, www.encounter1.org. Resource published his second book, Flirting with Universalism: Resolving the Problem of an Eternal Hell (2014).

God's Problem

God's Problem PDF Author: Bart D. Ehrman
Publisher: Harper Collins
ISBN: 0061744409
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 308

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Book Description
One Bible, Many Answers In God's Problem, the New York Times bestselling author of Misquoting Jesus challenges the contradictory biblical explanations for why an all-powerful God allows us to suffer.

Human Suffering and the Evil of Religion

Human Suffering and the Evil of Religion PDF Author: Dennis Jensen
Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers
ISBN: 1532643438
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 167

Get Book Here

Book Description
Dennis Jensen looks at two very important problems that have led many to reject religious belief generally and Christianity in particular: Why has God allowed the extreme suffering we find in our world? And Can religion be blamed for much of this suffering? He looks at not only the evil so often associated with religions--inquisitions, holy wars, pograms, witch hunts--but also some of the difficulties found specifically in the Bible. Did the God of the Bible command or advocate mass murder, homophobia, slavery? Is the New Testament anti-Semitic? Jensen argues persuasively that a fully biblical teaching does not advocate subservience of women in today's society, church, or family. It does not condemn all same gender sexual relations or transgender identity. It does not teach an eternal hell. As just one of the many fascinating topics he tackles, one of the more important biblical reasons suggested for the existence of evil is that God wants to know whether we will seek to stop or alleviate the suffering we see, whether we will learn to have God's heart, whether we will hate evil and anguish over the hurting as God does. ""This book is a crowbar prying loose imaginations, religious and skeptical alike, stuck in simplistic answers and easy slogans. Jensen's wide-ranging explorations don't try to convince the reader of his every proposal, but they do make it reasonable to trust that God is good and has purposes for us hidden in our lives. A book to be wrestled with, argued over, and grateful for."" --Matt Marston, Pastor, Trinity Baptist Church, Moultrie, Georgia In addition to two other books, Dennis Jensen has written for a local university oriented tabloid and for the American Scientific Affiliation's journal, Perspectives. He holds a master's degree in philosophy of religion, has taught philosophy at a local college, engages in debate and dialogue online, and maintains a web page focused on issues in philosophy of religion, www.encounter1.org. Resource published his second book, Flirting with Universalism: Resolving the Problem of an Eternal Hell (2014).

Reasonable Faith

Reasonable Faith PDF Author: William Lane Craig
Publisher: Crossway
ISBN: 1433501155
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 418

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Book Description
This updated edition by one of the world's leading apologists presents a systematic, positive case for Christianity that reflects the latest work in the contemporary hard sciences and humanities. Brilliant and accessible.

The Origin and the Overcoming of Evil and Suffering in the World Religions

The Origin and the Overcoming of Evil and Suffering in the World Religions PDF Author: P. Koslowski
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 9781402001871
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 176

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Book Description
Nine papers from a March 2000 conference in Hanover, Germany explore the views of five major religions on the origin and nature of evil and suffering, and the question of overcoming them. In addition, there are a summary and critique from by a Christian theologian, the concluding discussion, and a summary of conversation between the representatives after the conclusion of the presentation. No subject index is provided. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

God, Suffering, and the Value of Free Will

God, Suffering, and the Value of Free Will PDF Author: Laura W. Ekstrom
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0197556426
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages :

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Book Description
For many of us, the question of whether or not God exists is one of the most perplexing and profound questions of our lives, and numerous philosophers and theologians have debated it for centuries. Laura Ekstrom here takes a new look at the issue of God's existence by examining it against the reality of human suffering, bringing to the fore contentious presuppositions concerning agency and value at the core of the matter. When we survey the world, we observe an enormous amount of pain, including virtually unspeakable kinds of maltreatment and agony, many instances of which seem patently unfair, unearned, and pointless. This book argues that, in light of these observations, it is reasonable to conclude that God does not exist. The book unravels the extent and power of arguments from evil. Ekstrom provides a close investigation of a largely overlooked claim at the heart of major free-will-based responses to such arguments, namely that free will is worth it: sufficiently valuable to serve as the good that provides a God-justifying reason for permitting evil in the world. Through fresh examinations of traditional theodicies, Ekstrom develops an alternative line called divine intimacy theodicy, and makes an extended case for rejecting skeptical theism. The book takes up an argument from evil concerning a traditional doctrine of hell, which reveals a number of compelling issues concerning fault, agency, and blameworthiness. In response to recent work contending that the problem of evil is toothless because God is indifferent to human beings, Ekstrom defends the essential perfect moral goodness of God. She further tackles the question of whether or not it is possible to live a religious life as an agnostic or as an atheist. Through rigorous reflection, with deep respect for religious thought and experience, and with sensitivity to the range and kinds of suffering so many endure, Ekstrom firmly advances discussion of the problem of evil and paves the way for further scholarship in the philosophy of religion.

Evil and Suffering

Evil and Suffering PDF Author: Jacob Neusner
Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers
ISBN: 1597525065
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 177

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Book Description
Do Hindus, Buddhists, Christians, Jews, and Muslims tend to experience pain in fundamentally different ways? Are suffering and human evil equally difficult problems in these particular religious traditions? How is each person to deal with or overcome suffering? In Evil and Suffering, acknowledged experts in each religion offer clear answers to these and similar questions. Through their discussions, the history and diversity of the traditions are also revealed. In this volume, editor Jacob Neusner address the topic from the standpoint of Judaism, Bruce Chilton presents the perspective of Christianity. Jonathan Brockopp discusses Islam, Brian K. Smith presents Hinduism, and Charles Hallisley discusses Buddhism.

The Cambridge Companion to Religious Experience

The Cambridge Companion to Religious Experience PDF Author: Paul K. Moser
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1108472176
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 355

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Book Description
Offers a state-of-the-art contribution by providing critical analyses of and creative insights to the nature of religious experience.

God and Human Suffering

God and Human Suffering PDF Author: Douglas John Hall
Publisher: Fortress Press
ISBN: 9781451407174
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 228

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Book Description
Professor Hall has written a major work on an agonizing subject, at once brilliant, comprehensive, and thought provoking.In contrast to many writers who gloss over one or the other, Dr. Hall is true both to the reality of suffering and to the affirmation that God creates, sustains, and redeems.Creative is his view that certain aspects of what we call suffering -- loneliness, experience of limits, temptation, anxiety -- are necessary parts of God's good creation. These he distinguishes from suffering after the fall, the tragic dimension of life.Unique is his structure: creation-suffering as becomingthe fall--suffering as a burdenredemption--conquest from within.Professor Hall succeeds in moving the reader beyond the customary way of stating the problem: "How can undeserved suffering coexist with a just and almighty God?" He also evaluates five popular, leading thinkers on suffering: Harold Kushner, C.S. Lewis, Diogenes Allen, George Buttrick, and Leslie Weatherhead.

Why We Need Religion

Why We Need Religion PDF Author: Stephen T. Asma
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0190469692
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 273

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Book Description
How we feel is as vital to our survival as how we think. This claim, based on the premise that emotions are largely adaptive, serves as the organizing theme of Why We Need Religion. This book is a novel pathway in a well-trodden field of religious studies and philosophy of religion. Stephen Asma argues that, like art, religion has direct access to our emotional lives in ways that science does not. Yes, science can give us emotional feelings of wonder and the sublime--we can feel the sacred depths of nature--but there are many forms of human suffering and vulnerability that are beyond the reach of help from science. Different emotional stresses require different kinds of rescue. Unlike secular authors who praise religion's ethical and civilizing function, Asma argues that its core value lies in its emotionally therapeutic power. No theorist of religion has failed to notice the importance of emotions in spiritual and ritual life, but truly systematic research has only recently delivered concrete data on the neurology, psychology, and anthropology of the emotional systems. This very recent "affective turn" has begun to map out a powerful territory of embodied cognition. Why We Need Religion incorporates new data from these affective sciences into the philosophy of religion. It goes on to describe the way in which religion manages those systems--rage, play, lust, care, grief, and so on. Finally, it argues that religion is still the best cultural apparatus for doing this adaptive work. In short, the book is a Darwinian defense of religious emotions and the cultural systems that manage them.

Suffering Religion

Suffering Religion PDF Author: Robert Gibbs
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1134501455
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 201

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Book Description
In a diverse and innovative selection of new essays by cutting-edge theologians and philosophers, Suffering Religion examines one of the most primitive but challenging questions to define human experience - why do we suffer? As a theme uniting very different religious and cultural traditions, the problem of suffering addresses issues of passivity, the vulnerability of embodiment, the generosity of love and the complexity of gendered desire. Interdisciplinary studies bring different kinds of interpretations to meet and enrich each other. Can the notion of goodness retain meaning in the face of real affliction, or is pain itself in conflict with meaning? Themes covered include: *philosophy's own failure to treat suffering seriously, with special reference to the Jewish tradition *Martin Buber's celebrated interpretations of scriptural suffering *suffering in Kristevan psychoanalysis, focusing on the Christian theology of the cross *the pain of childbirth in a home setting as a religiously significant choice *Gods primal suffering in the kabbalistic tradition *Incarnation as a gracious willingness to suffer.