Books in the Boston University Studies in Philosophy and Religion series

This work addresses the meaning of selfhood. It explores this question by reshaping fundamental ideas of the self in such varied fields as theology, biology, psychoanalysis, and political philosophy.

A conversation between major philosophers and religious scholars on the increasingly significant theme of civility. There seems to be a consensus that the lack of civility is a problem; that it is more than a class issue of manners; and that its loss is troubling for contemporary society.

A collection of essays on the problems of comparative studies of religions and cultures. Methodology and specific religious cultures are examined.

Do myths and symbols have anything at all to tell us about reality? Or do they simply deserve to be relegated to the realm of fantastic unreality?The essayists in this volume deploy all the critical tools available in the task of taking myth and symbol seriously. They are not willing to consign the use of the symbolic to the logician or to relinquish the mythical to the comparative anthropologist as something of historical interest only. Instead, they strive for that difficult position that is guided by criticism but is still open to wonder in the face of what myth and symbol offer in terms of enrichment, meaning, and self-transcendence.

This work explores the notion that home is both a place and a condition of the spirit. While a person may have a place that is home, he or she may also be nostalgic for an inner spiritual home which beckons even as it lies beyond the human grasp.

The contrtibutors to this collection offer personal, philosophical and historical views on questions about death. Contributors include: John Lachs, Jurgen Moltmann, David Roochnik, Aaron Garrett, David Schmidtz, David Eckel, Brian Jorgensen, Rita Rouner, Peter Gomes and Wendy Doniger.

This volume contains 11 essays which address the question: can virtue be taught? The essays illuminate the dilemma over the problematic role of moral education in a pluralistic society; in addition they illustrate the positive role diversity plays in the discussion of virtues and education.

This text explores questions of the relation of meaning and truth in the philosophy of religion. Topics discussed include: the logic of theological enquiry; the challenges to the veracity of religious discourse; social processes and religious beliefs; and the question of the reality of God.

Coming in the wake of momentous changes in Eastern Europe, the Soviet Union, Germany and the movement for democracy in China, Celebrating Peace presents original essays by thinkers and writers to provide reflections on peace that go beyond current events and point towards extending and building peace. This volume intends not only to celebrate peace but to contribute to an understanding of it through philosophical, theological and literary explorations.

Focusing on the contemporary experience of cultural and religious pluralism, the authors in this volume work toward a reconception of the basic concepts in philosophy of religion - the idea of God and the religious ways of knowing that idea - as historically dynamic.

Just when we need them the most, our ethical resources seem least clear and reliable. Hence our search for foundations of ethics. The intent of this volume has not been to solve any specific moral problem, but to explore basic issues.

What does death really mean? Is there life after death? This conversation covers various views on these matters, from John Lach's insistence that the notion of immortality is philosophically unintelligible, to Jurgen Moltmann's study of various arguments for what happens to us when we die.

Evil is a problem that will not go away. For some it is an inescapable fact of the human condition. For others 'evil' is a term that should only be used to name the most horrible of crimes. This book presents a thoughtful, sensitive, and wide-ranging consideration of the challenging problem of 'evil' and how we might be delivered from it.

This text reflects on the fascination and fear that humans experience when confronted with diverse religious beliefs and practices. Contributors argue that fear of the ""stranger"" and his or her religion can only be overcome through education, and they suggest ways in which we can better understand one another and the world in which we live.