64 PHILOSOPHY AND RELIGIONQuestions for reflection
1 What do the religious texts quoted at the beginning of this chapter say about
the importance of having certain sorts of religious experiences? What do they
say about the significance of correct belief?
2 Is the author right in claiming that those who accept what these texts say are
not wicked by virtue of doing so? Can one be tolerant and accept the teachings
of texts of this sort?
3 What importance, if any, is there to there being claims that are shared by
most religions?
4 What importance, if any, is there to there being claims that are particular to
each religion? What importance do the religions themselves attach to there
being such claims?
5 What would a religion composed only of shared claims look like? How would
particular religions look at such a composite religion?
6 Distinguish between functional sameness and substantial sameness. Which
sort of sameness will seem the more important for the religions themselves?
Annotated reading
Carr, Brian and Mahalingham, Indira (1996) Companion Encyclopedia of Asian
Philosophy, London: Routledge. Contains discussions of issues, views, and figures in
Persian, Indian, Buddhist, Chinese, Japanese, and Islamic philosophy.
Frank, Daniel H. and Leaman, Oliver (1997) History of Jewish Philosophy, London:
Routledge. A comprehensive volume on the nature and foundations of Jewish philosophy
and its Medieval, Modern, and Contemporary representatives.
McGrath, Alister E. (1998) Historical Theology, Oxford: Blackwell. An historical
presentation of the major figures and doctrines of Christian thought.
Nasr, S. H. and Leaman, Oliver (1996) History of Islamic Philosophy, London: Routledge.
A very comprehensive presentation of Islamic philosophy: its history, context,
representatives, fields, and issues.
Otto, Rudolph (1958) The Idea of the Holy, New York, Oxford University Press.
Quasten, Johannes (1996) Patrology, Allen, TX: Christian Classics Reprint. A standard
reference work for the Church Fathers dealing with Patristic Literature from the
Apostle’s Creed to the “golden age” of their Greek and Latin writings.