Conversations with George Pattison: God, Philosophy, and the Meaning of Life

George Pattison is one of the world's leading theologians and philosophers. Over the past four decades, he has not only advanced thinking and research within the discipline of theology but also made significant contributions to a wide range of debates in philosophy, existential thought, art and aesthetics, technology, modernity and faith, mysticism, religious studies, and the life of the Anglican Church. Characterised by a series of highly original attempts to synthesise and develop ideas and concepts from theology, philosophy, phenomenology, education and aesthetics his work is innovative, accessible and engaging. It offers an original perspective on, among other topics, the devout life, prayer, hope, what it means to be human, and God. This first book-length introduction to his thought provides a highly readable account of Pattison's life and career in the form of a set of interviews he gave to a philosopher based at the University of Glasgow. The interview format allows Pattison to present his ideas in his own words. The book covers the entirety of Pattison's career, from his earliest publications to his most recent collection of essays, A Philosophy of Prayer: Nothingness, Language, and Hope (2024).