Philosophy & Religion
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by Daniel Dennett (Get the Book)
Dennett (philosophy, Tufts Univ.; Consciousness Explained) thinks of intuition as ideas that have a central place around which other ideas hang. His phrase, "intuition pumps," refers to the philosopher's tools used to push such ideas to their limits. He argues that intuitions are either pushed aside and replaced with new ones, or they survive and become even more firmly rooted. According to Dennett, some of these tools are formal (the reductio ad absurdum), others are informal (various rhetorical fallacies), and still others resemble thought experiments. He introduces these general philosophical tools and then moves to a discussion of topics in which he is well known, such as evolution, consciousness, free will, etc. The author's weakness is lack of analysis; however, the concept of intuition pumps is in general provocative and makes for an entertaining intellectual appetizer. VERDICT Dennett shows himself again to be both avuncular to the curious and confrontational with opposing scholars. General readers and professionals should find him most engaging. --Library Journal
by Miguel Ruiz (Get the Book)
Ruiz's explanations of Toltec-based cosmography got a major boost recently when publishing pooh-bah Oprah Winfrey mentioned his work on her TV show. Ruiz, whose workshop teachings are distilled here, was born into a Mexican family of traditional healers, became a surgeon in adulthood, then underwent a near-death experience that made him reexamine his life, his beliefs. Like the popular works of the late Carlos Castaneda, Ruiz's teachings focus on dreams and visions. "Dreaming," Ruiz argues, "is the main function of the mind." A series of four "agreements" are detailed, which make up a larger picture of unconditional human faith. Despite the New Age- sounding language, Ruiz is refreshingly clear in the presentation of his ideas. Reading aloud, actor Coyote sounds every bit the enthusiastic old hippie, genuinely excited by the concepts he is spinning. Based on the 1997 Amber-Allen edition. --Publishers Weekly
by Ira G. Zepp (Get the Book)
Zepp (emeritus, religious studies, Western Maryland Coll.) has written and now updated a superb introduction to Islam for the non-Islamic reader, including a brief history of the Prophet Muhammad and his ideas, the beliefs of Islam, divisions within the community, the role of women, and other topics. Scarcely less useful and informative are short sections on Islamic art, medicine, science, and architecture and hints for dialog between Islam and other religious traditions. The general reader could hardly do better than Zepp's thoughtful and careful primer. Highly recommended. --Library Journal
by Gregg L. Frazer (Get the Book)
The debate over the religious beliefs of the founders of the American Republic continues to rage between the deist camp and Christian evangelicals, as characterized by David Barton's recently discredited The Jefferson Lies (2012). Making a claim for a via media between deism and orthodox Christianity, Frazer (Master's College, Santa Clarita, California) here proposes a distinctly new category he refers to as "theistic rationalism." "Theistic rationalists" drew upon theologians such as Unitarian Joseph Priestley and Anglican divine Samuel Clarke, for whom the acceptable doctrines of Christianity served the purpose of giving a due regard for God and his creation and facilitated the system of rewards and punishments that bound man in the transcendent realm while heightening his moral sense and benevolence toward his fellow man. Frazer argues that the key founders valued religion not for any truths delivered by divine revelation or as a means to salvation but because of its "laudable effects," which included providing a foundation for public morality. In summary, Frazer has skillfully marshaled a considerable amount of evidence in support of his new category of revolutionary-era religious belief and added more fuel to an already intense discourse. --Choice
