Problem of God : A Short Introduction

The material in this book is philosophically (as opposed to theologically or religiously) oriented, stressing the problem of God as a logical and philosophical problem. The perspective is critically analytic in the Naturalistic-Humanistic tradition. The basic approach is an issues or problems approach, but this is set in a historical context with quotations from Greek philosophy, the Church Fathers, the Medieval period, and from modern philosophers. The aim is to enable students to see what is being said and has been said about God and thereby fits this into a better framework in the light of present knowledge and society. It is hoped that students will develop an awareness and appreciation of the philosophical problems in the concept of God, that they will acquire the ability to engage in intelligent evaluation and exchange of ideas, and that they will display these qualities in their everyday thought.

This volume is by no means exhaustive of all the themes in the Philosophy of Religion. The most fundamental ones about God's existence are covered thoroughly. The book is a starting point for more intensive work in the subject. It lays down the basic groundwork for an easy transition to other topics and to more sophisticated thought-patterns. The writing has been kept as concise and elementary as possible with short sections on a variety of topics.

Peter A. Angeles received his B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. degrees from Columbia University, New York. He has taught philosophy at the University of Western Ontario, Canada; Albert Schweitzer College, Switzerland; the University of California at Santa Barbara; and in Arizona taught at Northern Arizona University, Yavapai College, Mesa College, Scottsdale College, and the University of Phoenix. He is Professor Emeritus of Philosophy at Santa Barbara City College, where he taught and was Chairperson of the Department of Philosophy from 1970 to his early retirement in 1990. He is the author of an Introduction to Sentential Logic; the Possible Dream: Toward Understanding the Black Experience; The Problem of God and Critiques of God (ed.); Dictionary of Christian Theology; When Blind eyes Pierce the Darkness; and numerous articles in scholarly journals.

He is currently living in Santa Barbara, California and writing a Dictionary of World Religions and a Dictionary of Philosophic Concepts for College Students and another series of 52 half-hour weekly children's stories for his radio show The Children's Story Time; and is writing and producing more of his one-act plays.