Rationality and Religion Does Faith Need Reason?

Rationality and Religion deals with the perennial question of how far religious faith needs reason. Religion must claim truth, it is argued, and indeed needs the idea of a transcendent God. The book deals squarely with such problems as the existence of different religions, the relation between science and religion, and how religion should be treated in a pluralist society. This is one of the most fundamental issues facing religion at the present time. Can religion still be the subject of rational discussion or must it be privatized and left to the personal decisions of individuals as to how they should live their lives? Can it make claims that demand universal attention? This book is a spirited contribution to a vital contemporary debate. Based on the prestigious Stanton lectures at the University of Cambridge, the volume is ideal for student and general readership, as well as for philosophers and theologians.

Roger Trigg is Professor of Philosophy at the University of Warwick. His publications include Rationality and Science (Blackwell, 1993), Ideas of Human Nature (Blackwell, 1988), and Understanding Social Science (Blackwell, 1985). He was the founding President of the British Society for the Philosophy of Religion, and in 1997 was the Stanton Lecturer in the Philosophy of Religion at the University of Cambridge. He is currently President of the Mind Association.