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This encyclopedia presents the religious affiliations and beliefs of 152 prominent philosophers, in A-Z entries. Biographical information is given about each with a special focus on his or her religious upbringing, practice, and beliefs (or lack thereof). Each entry also contains a brief summary of the points each philosopher has made concerning God and religion, typically gathered from a study of the philosopher's writings. An examination of several complex issues, including the existence and nature of God, human immortality, and the nature of religious language and symbolism, is thus aided via numerous points of view.
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Encyclopedia of Philosophers on Religion This page intentionally left blank Encyclopedia of Philosophers on Religion BERNARD J. VERKAMP McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers Jefferson, North Carolina, and London To all my students and colleagues over the years LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOGUING-IN-PUBLICATION DATA Verkamp, Bernard J. (Bernard Joseph), 1938– Encyclopedia of philosophers on religion / Bernard J. Verkamp. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-0-7864-3286-8 illustrated case binding : 50# alkaline paper 1. Philosophers — Biography — Encyclopedias. 2. Religion — Philosophy — Encyclopedias. I. Title. B104.V47 2008 210.92'2— dc22 2008023326 British Library cataloguing data are available ©2008 Bernard J. Verkamp. All rights reserved No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying or recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. On the cover: statue ©2008 Shutterstock; stained glass window ©2008 Value Stock Images Manufactured in the United States of America McFarland & Company,