The Will to Imagine

A Justification of Skeptical Religion

Nonfiction, Religion & Spirituality, Philosophy, Religious
Cover of the book The Will to Imagine by J. L. Schellenberg, Cornell University Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: J. L. Schellenberg ISBN: 9780801458026
Publisher: Cornell University Press Publication: April 24, 2012
Imprint: Cornell University Press Language: English
Author: J. L. Schellenberg
ISBN: 9780801458026
Publisher: Cornell University Press
Publication: April 24, 2012
Imprint: Cornell University Press
Language: English

The Will to Imagine completes J. L. Schellenberg's trilogy in the philosophy of religion, following his acclaimed Prolegomena to a Philosophy of Religion and The Wisdom to Doubt. This book marks a striking reversal in our understanding of the possibility of religious faith. Where other works treat religious skepticism as a dead end, The Will to Imagine argues that skepticism is the only point from which a proper beginning in religious inquiry—and in religion itself—can be made. For Schellenberg, our immaturity as a species not only makes justified religious belief impossible but also provides the appropriate context for a type of faith response grounded in imagination rather than belief, directed not to theism but to ultimism, the heart of religion. This new and nonbelieving form of faith, he demonstrates, is quite capable of nourishing an authentic religious life while allowing for inquiry into ways of refining the generic idea that shapes its commitments.

A singular feature of Schellenberg's book is his claim, developed in detail, that unsuccessful believers' arguments can successfully be recast as arguments for imaginative faith. Out of the rational failure of traditional forms of religious belief, The Will to Imagine fashions an unconventional form of religion better fitted, Schellenberg argues, to the human species as it exists today and as we may hope it will evolve.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

The Will to Imagine completes J. L. Schellenberg's trilogy in the philosophy of religion, following his acclaimed Prolegomena to a Philosophy of Religion and The Wisdom to Doubt. This book marks a striking reversal in our understanding of the possibility of religious faith. Where other works treat religious skepticism as a dead end, The Will to Imagine argues that skepticism is the only point from which a proper beginning in religious inquiry—and in religion itself—can be made. For Schellenberg, our immaturity as a species not only makes justified religious belief impossible but also provides the appropriate context for a type of faith response grounded in imagination rather than belief, directed not to theism but to ultimism, the heart of religion. This new and nonbelieving form of faith, he demonstrates, is quite capable of nourishing an authentic religious life while allowing for inquiry into ways of refining the generic idea that shapes its commitments.

A singular feature of Schellenberg's book is his claim, developed in detail, that unsuccessful believers' arguments can successfully be recast as arguments for imaginative faith. Out of the rational failure of traditional forms of religious belief, The Will to Imagine fashions an unconventional form of religion better fitted, Schellenberg argues, to the human species as it exists today and as we may hope it will evolve.

More books from Cornell University Press

Cover of the book Talking about Machines by J. L. Schellenberg
Cover of the book Chaucer and the Poets by J. L. Schellenberg
Cover of the book Everyone Counts by J. L. Schellenberg
Cover of the book Speaking the Unspeakable in Postwar Germany by J. L. Schellenberg
Cover of the book Oneida Utopia by J. L. Schellenberg
Cover of the book A Fiery Gospel by J. L. Schellenberg
Cover of the book Seductive Reasoning by J. L. Schellenberg
Cover of the book Stretched Thin by J. L. Schellenberg
Cover of the book Public Housing Myths by J. L. Schellenberg
Cover of the book Humanitarianism in Question by J. L. Schellenberg
Cover of the book China 2020 by J. L. Schellenberg
Cover of the book White Flight/Black Flight by J. L. Schellenberg
Cover of the book Networked Politics by J. L. Schellenberg
Cover of the book "I'm Not a Racist, But . . ." by J. L. Schellenberg
Cover of the book Inconceivable Effects by J. L. Schellenberg
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy