Love of a God of Love: Towards a Transformation of the Philosophy of Religion

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Traditionally, religious belief has in the philosophy of religion been understood along more or less epistemological lines. Love of a God of Love develops another understanding of belief, where the moral concept of love is central. In this context, what is distinctive about the concept of love is that it is both the "what" and the "how" of belief: for the one who loves a God of love, the concept of love characterizes both the content side and the act side of the belief. In that respect, this understanding of religious belief makes it possible to avoid certain formalist difficulties, arising when the "what" and the "how" of belief are sharply distinguished.

Reviews

"Religious belief concerns a relation of love and this love is a love of a God of love. Through the theme of love Strandberg works out a philosophy of religion which does not understand religious belief hypothetically and evidentially. Faith is a relation and an existential endeavor primarily involving oneself. Strandberg is an original and serious thinker. His book presents an important alternative in the ongoing reflection upon what belief is and even more so, how to believe. I recommend this book to all those who appreciate perceptive and engaging thinking." -- Catharina Stenqvist, Professor of Religion and Philosophy, Lund University, Sweden
"Rejecting the 'formalist' distinction between the 'what' and the 'how' of believing, Hugo Strandberg offers a lucid and pathbreaking account of belief in God as love of a God of love. If, as Strandberg argues, the task of philosophy is to bring its audience into a new relationship with its subject mattera relation of understanding, in which moral and religious demands cannot be evadedit is a mark of his success that his study has the effect of rendering its subject not merely intelligible but compelling. Love of a God of Love is a major achievement of philosophical thinking." -- Richard Amesbury, Associate Professor of Ethics, Claremont School of Theology, USA
Topics are discussed with special attention to linguistic philosophical elucidation and cover most bases currently of interest in analytic Christian philosophy of religion. Strandberg goes into great detail and with astute remarks at times is able to tease out what he considers the implications of concepts and ideas presented as properly basic to the field. The author shows good conceptual acumen, impressive analytical skills and offers dense rhetorical strategies coupled with interesting trains of thought on every subject. -- Jaco Gericke, North-West University, South Africa * Religion & Theology *

Author Bio

Dr. Hugo Strandberg is Lecturer in the Department of Philosophy at bo Akademi University, Finland. His previous publications are Escaping My Responsibility: Investigations into the Nature of Morality (Peter Lang, 2009) and The Possibility of Discussion: Relativism, Truth and Criticism of Religious Beliefs (Ashgate, 2006).