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This book breaks new ground for the philosophy of religion by showcasing work that engages with the lived reality of the spiritual life. It demonstrates that philosophy's relationship with spirituality is more than a historical curiosity and that, in the twenty-first century, it is still meaningful to think about philosophy in connection with spirituality. The chapters are organised around the following themes: spiritual practice and philosophical understanding; philosophical reflections on living a spiritual life; philosophical problems concerning the spiritual life. The first part discusses whether or not the topic of spirituality should be given a more fundamental role within the philosophy of religion, and, if so, how that might be accomplished. The second part addresses fundamental issues concerning human beings, their lives, and their self-understanding in relation to the spiritual life. The final part considers philosophical problems that emerge when discussing the spiritual life. By bringing together discussions of these topics, this volume constitutes a valuable resource for scholars in disciplines in which the spiritual life is a focus of interest, particularly philosophy, theology, and religious studies.
List of contents
Acknowledgments
List of Contributors
Preface
1 The spiritual life and philosophy: a historical and contemporary orientation
Rhett Gayle, Victoria S. Harrison, and Tyler Dalton McNabb
PART I Spiritual practice and philosophical understanding
2 Beginning with the spiritual life
Mark R. Wynn
3 Engagement, immersion, and enactment: the role of spiritual practice in religious belief
John Cottingham
4 Philosophy as a spiritual exercise: some ethical and aesthetic reflections
Douglas Hedley
PART II Philosophical reflections on living a spiritual life
5 The unexamined life is not worth living: examination of conscience and philosophy as a way of life
Daniel D. de Haan
6 Blinding darkness: or, whose being is this, anyway?
Gwen Griffith-Dickson
7 A pluralist account of spiritual exemplarity
Ian James Kidd
8 Self-transformation and spiritual exemplars
Victoria S. Harrison and Rhett Gayle
PART III Philosophical problems concerning the spiritual life
9 The problem of the self-ascription of sainthood
Gorazd Andrejc
10 Boredom and divine infinity
Jonathan Hill
11 Desire and the spiritual life
Fiona Ellis
About the author
Victoria S. Harrison is a Professor of Philosophy at the University of Macau, China. Until 2016, she was Reader in Philosophy at the University of Glasgow, where she directed the Forum for Philosophy and Religion.
Tyler Dalton McNabb is an Associate Professor of Philosophy at St. Francis University, Pennsylvania.
Summary
This book breaks new ground for the philosophy of religion by showcasing work that engages with the lived reality of the spiritual life.
