A Dictionary of Philosophy of Religion, CharlesTaliaferro and Elsa J.Marty (eds), Bloomsbury, 2018 (ISBN 978‐1‐5013‐2523‐6), xxxii + 360 pp., pb £27.99
2020-10-01

This Dictionary of Philosophy of Religion is an excellent resource for entry-level courses on this important academic subject. From ‘a posteriori’ over to ‘sola Scriptura’ and then to ‘Zoroastrianism’, all the major names and terms are addressed. The work also includes a chronology and a 15-page introduction to the subject matter. A helpful bibliography is included at the end on subjects such as ‘surveys’ (of the philosophy of religion), ‘theism’, ‘naturalism’, ‘religion and morality’, ‘Confucianism’, and ‘postmodernism’. In the acknowledgments, around 80 authors of many special contributions, mostly from the Anglo-American world (and especially from St Olaf College and the University of Chicago), are named. The terms are not only defined but also in many cases briefly situated in the contemporary debates. Cross-references are also provided which help - students to deepen their understanding of the ultimate questions. Major theologians are included in this collection, as well as special theological terms, such as ‘Divine Simplicity’. The entries are focused on the Western tradition, but other religious traditions are also included. The mass of terms in the work, which is 353 pages in length, was updated with more than 100 new entries in this second edition. The entries are sometimes very short. For example, the central philosophical term of Aristotle's ethical system, eudaimonia, is given a mere 67 words (there is no entry on ‘happiness’). The central ethical term in Kant's system, ‘duty’, is given 57 words (without reference to Kant). ‘Theodicy’ is given around 35 words and ‘Evil, the problem of’ is given around 100 words. There is also an entry on ‘Anti-theodicy’. The entry on the central concept of German idealism, ‘consciousness’, provides no reference to Hegel, although, Ralph Cudworth, Brahman and atman are referenced. (There is no entry on ‘self-consciousness’.) Every dictionary of this breadth must impose limitations. The truly positive aspects of this resource are twofold: approachable student-level definitions and brief introductions to the contemporary usage of terms or figures. Sometimes, the entries also highlight the significance of the philosophers in high relief. The entry on William James, for example, briefly explains James's work and then points out very appropriately how James changed the game, drawing attention to the fact that he upended the principles of evidentiality in matters of faith: ‘often we need to believe something first in order for our actions to bring it about’ (p. 148). While the legacy of Protestantism is not mentioned here, it is refreshing to encounter this degree of explicit commentary in a dictionary. The philosophy of religion is certainly one of the most important academic disciplines today, as it draws our attention to the foundations of knowledge and the edifice of meaning while directing our mental energies to think about the good life and its ultimate origin. Taliaferro and Marty's work helps us to understand the big debate about these weighty questions. Anyone who wants to acquire a basic familiarity with the hundreds of terms and the many figures and schools of thought in this exciting field of study will be helped along the way by this dictionary. Open access funding enabled and organized by Projekt DEAL.