Wittgenstein and Philosophy of Religion Self and Personal Identity in the Eighteenth Century

"Wittgenstein and Philosophy of Religion "is an exciting introduction to the influential and controversial contribution which the later Wittgenstein made to the philosophy of religion. Although his writings on religion were few, he nevertheless developed a distinctive way of understanding religious belief that holds great appeal for many readers and philosophers, especially those who do not view theistic religion as simply a form of superstition or irrationality. This collection brings together leading Wittgenstein scholars with varying views on the correct interpretation, and acceptability, of Wittgenstein's writings on religion. The essays show how Wittgenstein's comments on religion (and magic) stress the distinctive character of religious discourse. He emphasizes how we can misunderstand its nature if religious statements are viewed as contradicting scientific ones. The themes discussed include Wittgenstein's views on creation, magic and free will, and Wittgenstein's thought is compared to that of Kierkegaard, Nietzsche and contemporary reformed epistemologists.
"Wittgenstein and Philosophy of Religion" sheds new light on the perennial debate between faith and reason. It highlights the disagreements between Wittgenstein and the religious sceptics, resulting in a collection that is both informative and stimulating.

Wittgenstein and Philosophy of Religion sheds new light on the perennial debate between faith and reason. It highlights the disagreements between Wittgenstein and religious sceptics, resulting in a collection that is both informative and stimulating. The themes discussed include Wittgenstein's views on creation, magic and free will, and Wittgenstein's thought is compared to that of Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, and contemporary reformed epistemologists.

Acknowledgements. Contributors. Abbreviations. Editors' Introduction 1.The Gospel According to Wittgenstein 2. Wittgenstein and Magic 3.Wittgenstein, Religious Belief, and On Certainty 4. Creation, Causality, and Freedom of Will 5. Faith: Themes from Wittgenstein, Kierkegaard, and Nietzsche 6. D.Z.Phillips' Fideism in Wittgenstein's Mirror 7. Wittgensteinian Religion and 'Reformed' Epistemology 8. Wittgenstein and the Interpretation of Religious Discourse 9. Wittgenstein and Wittgensteinians on Religion 10. 'Theology as Grammar': Wittgenstein and Some Critics

Robert L. Arrington is Professor of Philosophy at Georgia State University. He is author of Rationalism, Realism and Relativism and Western Ethics, the Editor of the Blackwell Companion to the Philosophers, and co-editor of two other collections of essay on Wittgenstein published by Routledge. Mark Addis is a Lecturer at the University of Central England and the author of Wittgenstein: Making Sense of Other Minds.