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| Summary | The philosophy of religion is the philosophical exploration of religious matters. Conceptual analyses of the varying conceptions of God, philosophical arguments for and against the existence of a deity (or deities), epistemological concerns about the rationality of religious belief, philosophical discussions of the theological claims of religious doctrines, and questions of life after death are among the many topics at home in the philosophy of religion. |
| Key works | While the philosophy of religion in the west dates back to the works of Plato (e.g,. Plato 1977) and Aristotle (Aristotle 2007), it was in the medieval period that interest in religious matters became central in the work of philosophers. Augustine 2006, Aquinas 1274, and Anselm 1979 are classics from that period.The classic from the modern area is Gaskin 1998/2009. In the latter half of the twentieth century, the philosophy of religion came out of hibernation. Flew et al 1964 is a collection in which religious language is considered in light of the verificationism that was rampant at the time. Among the key works published in the final quarter of the century were Hick 1966, Plantinga 1978, Swinburne 1993, Mackie 1982, and Alston 1991. |
| Introductions | A fine introduction to the subject that is historically informed and yet issue-oriented is Rowe 2001. |
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