Overview
A fascinating, philosophical approach to the concept of divine revelation, exploring the implications this theory may have for generating a new concept of religious truth.
Full Product Details
Author: Rolfe King
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Imprint: Continuum International Publishing Group Ltd.
Dimensions:
Width: 15.60cm
, Height: 2.80cm
, Length: 23.40cm
Weight: 0.594kg
ISBN: 9781847062581
ISBN 10: 184706258
Pages: 292
Publication Date: 22 January 2009
Audience:
Professional and scholarly
,
Professional & Vocational
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active
Availability: In Print
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Language: English
Reviews
'In this important work, King asks an interesting question: 'what obstacles does God face when it comes to self-disclosure?' Many will be struck by the somewhat unusual nature of such a project, for it seems that focus within contemporary philosophy of religion is centred more on the problem of religious knowing from the human perspective. For King, the obstacles to divine revelation are not features of God (i.e. are not some kind of inner deficiency within God), but are features of the created order. King is concerned with identifying the necessary structure of revelation given the limits presented by the created order. The text is written in an admirably clear and vivid style, and readers will find that, as well as advancing its main arguments, the book provides an illuminating account of important debates in the philosophy of religious epistemology. One of the main claims to emerge from King's book is that it is impossible for God to give revelation to us if we will not place some trust in God ourselves. Thus, in the end, he proposes the notion of 'journey-epistemology' that links head and heart. I highly recommend this book!' - David Cheetham, Director of Postgraduate Studies, School of Philosophy, Theology and Religion, University of Birmingham, UK
'This is a bold and imaginative book that puts forward the thesis that there are, by the nature of the created order, aspects of existence that block or hinder some forms of divine disclosure. It proposes that there is a logically given structure to revelation, which God, if there is such a being, must work within. A main virtue of Obstacles to Divine Revelation is that it approaches familiar theological issue from the perspective and using the tools of analytical philosophy. It would be useful to advanced students of theologians as well as philosophers because it offers fair expositions of the work of many key thinkers and takes provocative, well-argued positions within a number of current debates in the field. This is an excellent addition to the literature dealing with revelation.' <br>Revd Dr Adam Hood, Vice Principal & Director of Graduate and Research Centre, The University of Birmingham, UK
'A wide-ranging and probing treatment of an interesting but neglected topic. Benefitting from both continental and analytic philosophy, King develops a theistic epistemology more theologically sensitive than many on offer today.' J.L. Schellenberg, Professor of Philosophy, Mount Saint Vincent University, Canada What is original is King's taking obstacle to divine revelation as the focal issue through which to view much discussed issues in the epistemology of religious belief. Conducting the inquiry from this fresh perspective proves both stimulating and fruitful: Philosophers of religion and epistemologists generally will profit from engaging with King's work. Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews (reviewer: John Bishop, University of Auckland) 'In this important work, King asks an interesting question: 'what obstacles does God face when it comes to self-disclosure?' Many will be struck by the somewhat unusual nature of such a project, for it seems that focus within contemporary philosophy of religion is centred more on the problem of religious knowing from the human perspective. For King, the obstacles to divine revelation are not features of God (i.e. are not some kind of inner deficiency within God), but are features of the created order. King is concerned with identifying the necessary structure of revelation given the limits presented by the created order. The text is written in an admirably clear and vivid style, and readers will find that, as well as advancing its main arguments, the book provides an illuminating account of important debates in the philosophy of religious epistemology. One of the main claims to emerge from King's book is that it is impossible for God to give revelation to us if we will not place some trust in God ourselves. Thus, in the end, he proposes the notion of 'journey-epistemology' that links head and heart. I highly recommend this book!' - David Cheetham, Director of Postgraduate Studies, School of Philosophy, Theology and Religion, University of Birmingham, UK This book provides an analytically acute, religiously sensitive treatment of some of the most fundamental issues in the epistemology of religion. It examines, clearly and carefully, the question of how we might assess a purported revelation's claim to divine provenance, and considers the role in the life of faith of evidence and trust, of character and desire, and the willingness to commit oneself to a 'journey'. - Dr Mark Wynn, Department of Theology, University of Exeter, UK 'Lucid and well-informed, this book makes a constructive contribution to contemporary philosophy of religion. It breaks new ground with its fascinating focus on the constraints facing any divine revelation within the created order.' Roger Trigg, Emeritus Professor of Philosophy, University of Warwick, UK 'This is a bold and imaginative book that puts forward the thesis that there are, by the nature of the created order, aspects of existence that block or hinder some forms of divine disclosure. It proposes that there is a logically given structure to revelation, which God, if there is such a being, must work within. A main virtue of Obstacles to Divine Revelation is that it approaches familiar theological issue from the perspective and using the tools of analytical philosophy. It would be useful to advanced students of theologians as well as philosophers because it offers fair expositions of the work of many key thinkers and takes provocative, well-argued positions within a number of current debates in the field. This is an excellent addition to the literature dealing with revelation.' Revd Dr Adam Hood, Vice Principal & Director of Graduate and Research Centre, The University of Birmingham, UK
Author Information
He is an Honorary Lecturer in the School of Philosophy, Theology and Religion at the University of Birmingham, UK. He was formerly Senior Lecturer in the Department of Theology at Newman College (now Newman University College), Birmingham. He is currently engaged in research projects at both the University of Birmingham and the University of Aberdeen. Rolfe King is currently based at the University of Birmingham as an Honorary Lecturer engaged in research in philosophy of religion, as well as being a Research Associate at the Queen's Foundation in Birmingham.
