Reason and the Radical Crisis of Faith (American University Studies) - Hardcover

Akhtar, Shabbir

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0820404519 ISBN 13: 9780820404516

Publisher: Peter Lang Inc., International Academic Publishers, 1987

Synopsis

Is belief in the Christian God intellectually defensible? Is it even morally necessary? In this book, Dr. Shabbir Akhtar, himself a Muslim, examines and rejects one fideist and two reductionist defences of the rationality of Christian conviction in modern industrial society. He identifies another defensive position - «theological revisionism» - which has recently gained popularity with secularized Christian thinkers. Rejecting this as merely a conservative version of reductionism, he emphasizes the need for reviving the tradition of natural theology and, in doing so, a religious vision of the world.

About this title

Review:

«Akhtar undermines this central orthodoxy (among theists in analytical philosophy of religion), and, shows such revisionist views to be evasive and not providing the rational underpinning for religious belief in our secular age...This is an important book running against the stream...» (Kai Nielsen, University of Calgary)
«Not only...erudite and well-researched, but... eloquent and forceful...work of considerable public interest.» (Hugo Meynell, University of Calgary)
«Dr. Akhtar's book stands out from most recent work in the philosophy of religion in being intelligent, clear, direct and forceful.» (C.B. Martin, University of Calgary) «Akhtar's book deserves to be widely read. He argues with insight, wit, and lucidity.» (Keith M.Parsons, The Journal of Religion) «The book is written with admirable clarity, and its contribution lies as much in the specific insights it affords as in throwing into sharp focus the more general point that no theological debate can be isolated from the prevailing intellectual climate in which it is conducted.» (Arvind Sharma, Journal of the American Academy of Religion)

About this edition

• Publisher: Peter Lang Inc., International Academic Publishers
• Publication date: 1987
• ISBN 10: 0820404519
• ISBN 13: 9780820404516
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 281