Meaning And Mystery - What It Means To Believe In God

Meaning and Mystery offers a challenge to the way Philosophy has traditionally approached the issue of belief in God as a theoretical problem, proposing instead a form of reflection more appropriate to the practical nature of the issue.
Makes use of abundant illustrative material, from both literature, such as Les Misérables, Edwin Abott’s Flatland, Yann Martel’s Life of Pi and Leo Tolstoy’s A Confession, and popular culture, such as advertisements, the television series Joan of Arcadia and the film Stranger Than Fiction
Uses imaginative scenarios to offer explanations of central concepts
Incorporates theories on human thought and behavior in exploring the formation of religious belief
Written in a style that is accessible to readers with little background knowledge of philosophy

David M. Holley is Professor of Philosophy and Chair of the Department of Philosophy and Religion at the University of Southern Mississippi. His previous book, Self-Interest and Beyond (1999), develops an account of the proper use and limits of self-interested thinking. His articles on topics in philosophy of religion, ethics, and moral psychology have appeared in numerous professional journals.

"Holley makes strong but subtle arguments for a transcendent agent conception of God, and the need for this image for a coherent morality, the value of revelation-bearing traditions, and the priority of practice for discovering belief." (CHOICE, September 2010)
"The question of the existence of God has been part of the philosophical debate ...with arguments advanced for and against it. In this heartfelt ... argument for God’s existence, the author studies the subject from every perspective. Echoes of ancient thinkers as well as more contemporary observers of the religious scene are well represented herein. Holley is clearly well versed in the arguments on both sides of the question. And he shows some insight into those who find belief in God to be a thing devoutly to be avoided even while espousing belief as part of his own life. In the end, Holley chooses faith over doubt and offers guidelines for those seeking an experience with the divine. His observations are well worth reading." (Publishers Weekly, January 2010)
"This book achieves something very difficult: it provides a fresh and innovative way of looking at the age-old questions about religious faith that philosophers have argued about for centuries. Written in a clear and engaging style, Holley shows the role 'life-orienting stories' play for both believers and atheists, and, without dogmatism or minimizing difficulties, he shows how religious faith might be possible in the contemporary world."
—C. Stephen Evans, Professor of Philosophy and Humanities, Baylor University
"The epistemic bearing of all-encompassing narratives on religious belief and disbelief has been largely neglected by philosophers in the English speaking world. Holley's lucid and well-written book is a welcome corrective."
—William J. Wainwright, Distinguished Professor of Philosophy Emeritus, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

Preface.
Acknowledgments.
Introduction: Does Anyone Actually Believe in God?
1 Life-Orienting Stories.
2 God of the Philosophers.
3 Reasons for Believing in God.
4 Resistance and Receptivity.
5 Belief As a Practical Issue.
6 Anthropomorphism and Mystery.
7 Naturalistic Stories.
8 Theistic and Naturalistic Morality.
9 Meaning and the Limits of Meaning.
10 Conviction, Doubt, and Humility.
Suggestions for Further Reading.
Index.