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Reimagining Philosophy of Religion

Understanding, Commitment, and Making-Believe

Reimagining Philosophy of Religion cover

Reimagining Philosophy of Religion

Understanding, Commitment, and Making-Believe

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Pre-order. Available 27 Nov 2025
$40.49 RRP $44.99 Website price saving $4.50 (10%)

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Description

Exploring how analytic philosophy of religion can expand its horizons to combat old biases, Amber L. Griffioen's new book argues for reorientations in the discipline aimed at transforming it into a field that is simultaneously theoretically rigorous, socially relevant, and radically inclusive.

Drawing on diverse philosophical resources, Griffioen brings the practical and imaginative aspects of religion to the fore as objects for philosophical reflection. Chapters include discussions of topics such as theological realism, religious epistemology, models of religious faith, the religious imagination, and the problem of evil. Ultimately, Griffioen argues for a “doxastically permissive” approach to the religious life understood as a form of deeply earnest play-one compatible with belief but not requiring it.

Exploring traditional debates together with a consideration of their limits-and proposing alternative approaches that promise to move the discipline forward in exciting ways-Griffioen's book is an essential resource for any scholar or student of philosophy of religion.

Table of Contents

Preface
Acknowledgments
Introduction: Playing at Being a Discipline?
Part One: Reorientation
1 Beyond Help? Fairies, Idols, and the View from Nowhere
2 Beyond Knowledge: Toward a Social Epistemology of Understanding
3 Beyond Nowhere: Doing Religious Epistemology from Somewhere
Interlude-From Reorientation to Reform: Implications for the Discipline
Part Two: Reform
4 Beyond the Cognitive: Faith, Commitment, and the Religious Life
5 Beyond the Doxastic: Recovering the Role of Imagination in Religion
6 Beyond the Indicative: the “Ultimate Horizons” of Pretend Play
7 Beyond Faith: Make-believe and the Religious Life
Interlude-From Reform to Revolution: Playing the “Spoilsport”
Part Three: Revolution
8 Beyond Theodicy: Faith-shaking Trauma and the “Purely Intellectual” Approach
9 Beyond Closure? “Re-mystifying” Analytic Philosophy of Religion
Works Cited
Index

Product details

Bloomsbury Academic Test
Published 27 Nov 2025
Format Paperback
Edition 1st
Extent 280
ISBN 9781350328501
Imprint Bloomsbury Academic
Dimensions 234 x 156 mm
Series Expanding Philosophy of Religion
Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing

About the contributors

Author

Amber L. Griffioen

Amber L. Griffioen works on topics in philosophy o…

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