Faith, Reason, and Compassion: A Philosophy of the Christian Faith

(Paperback)

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What is the relationship between faith and reason How should faith and reason situate themselves in relation to each other These are the chief questions that James Gilman seeks to address in Faith, Reason, and Compassion: A Philosophy of the Christian Faith. An innovative new book in philosophy of religion, it treats the problems typical of the discipline in an untypical way, with a methodology that presupposes a particular religious tradition, in this case Christianity, and that reenfranchises emotions (e.g., compassion) as crucial to shaping solutions to philosophical problems.

Developing a methodology on the basis of three principles: the principle of symmetry, asymmetry, and supersymmetry, Gilman confiscates these three terms from physics and deploys them collectively as a metaphor in service to a method whereby the problems belonging to philosophy of religion can be critically and constructively treated. While ideal for courses in philosophy of religion, this book stretches across disciplines and is also ideal for use in Christian ethics and theology courses.

Reviews

This is a radical approach to philosophy of religion. Putting to one side the detached, academic method of standard texts, Gilman advances a Christian philosophy of religion that should engage non-Christian as well as Christian readers. By taking compassion and a specific religious framework seriously, Gilman offers novel, illuminating accounts of the problem of evil, religious pluralism, and other central issues. -- Charles Taliaferro, St. Olaf College
Overall, Faith, Reason, and Compassion provides innovative refinements to the Christian model of "faith seeking understanding," and Gilman makes a strong case for the illuminating role of compassion in some of the thorniest issues in the philosophy of religion. * Christian Scholar's Review *
James Gilman offers a (com)passionately reasoned defense of Christian belief that avoids the excesses and pretensions of rationality and fideism. By embracing faith <U>and<U> reason, Gilman engages both the heart and mind in a philosophy for whole personsliving in the real (i.e., ambiguous and confusing) world.... -- Kelly James Clark, professor of philosophy, Calvin College
James Gilman offers a (com)passionately reasoned defense of Christian belief that avoids the excesses and pretensions of rationality and fideism. By embracing faith and reason, Gilman engages both the heart and mind in a philosophy for whole persons living in the real (i.e., ambiguous and confusing) world. -- Kelly James Clark, professor of philosophy, Calvin College

Author Bio

James Gilman is professor of religion and philosophy at Mary Baldwin College.