TOK - Theory of Knowledge: Religious knowledge systems

This text is an accessible, student-centred guide to the key ideas in Philosophy of Religion. Through lucid explanation, careful use of modern examples and engaging activities it leads students towards deeper understanding of all the key issues in the study of Philosophy of Religion.

A preeminent scientist -- and the world's most prominent atheist -- asserts the irrationality of belief in God and the grievous harm religion has inflicted on society, from the Crusades to 9/11. With rigor and wit, Dawkins examines God in all his forms, from the sex-obsessed tyrant of the Old Testament to the more benign (but still illogical) Celestial Watchmaker favored by some Enlightenment thinkers. He eviscerates the major arguments for religion and demonstrates the supreme improbability of a supreme being. He shows how religion fuels war, foments bigotry, and abuses children, buttressing his points with historical and contemporary evidence. The God Delusion makes a compelling case that belief in God is not just wrong but potentially deadly. It also offers exhilarating insight into the advantages of atheism to the individual and society, not the least of which is a clearer, truer appreciation of the universe's wonders than any faith could ever muster.

Writing with bracing intelligence and clarity, internationally renowned evolutionist and bestselling author Stephen Jay Gould sheds new light on a dilemma that has plagued thinking people since the Renaissance: the rift between science and religion. Instead of choosing them, Gould asks, why not opt for a golden mean that accords dignity and distinction to each realm? In his distinctively elegant style, Gould offers a lucid, contemporary principle that allows science and religion to coexist peacefully in a position of respectful noninterference. Science defines the natural world; religion our moral world in recognition of their separate spheres of influence. In exploring this thought-provoking concept, Gould delves into the history of science, sketching affecting portraits of scientists and moral leaders wrestling with matters of faith and reason. Stories of seminal figures such as Galileo, Darwin, and Thomas Henry Huxley make vivid his argument that individuals and cultures must cultivate both a life of the spirit and a life of rational inquiry in order to experience the fullness of being human. In Rocks of Ages, Gould’s passionate humanism, ethical discernment, and erudition are fused to create a dazzling gem of contemporary cultural philosophy.

A response to the arguments of Dawkins et al.

In God: A Guide for the Perplexed, bestselling author Keith Ward has crafted a unique, perceptive, witty, and informative introduction to the mysteries of the divine. From the essential truths presented in ancient Greek mythology via the stories about Olympian gods, through the key ideas of major philosophers such as Nietzsche and Marx, to the surprise insights offered by such diverse elements of our experience as Romantic poetry and the film ‘Alien’, Ward draws on everything that has either directly or remotely influenced our knowledge of a higher force. His book therefore provides not only a multi-disciplinary and comprehensive account of the different manifestations of God, but, most importantly, offers a humorous and engaging encounter with both humanity’s belief in God and our exploration of that belief. Mixing the eclectic with the sublime, this illustrated and profound volume will be a compulsive page-turner for anyone interested in the real core of the philosophical and spiritual quest for meaning.

The Koran has constituted a remarkably strong core of identity and continuity for a religious tradition that is now in its fifteenth century. This Very Short Introduction explores the significance of the Koran both in the modern world and in traditional Muslim culture. Michael Cook provides a lucid and direct account of the Koran as codex, as scripture, as liturgy, and as the embodiment of truth, and examines its means of formation and dissemination. He also discusses issues of interpretation for certain key verses, demonstrating that fecundity of the text for readers throughout the world.