Category Archives: PHIL 525

Anne Rice’s return

I’ve re-checked out from the library Anne rice’s Called Out of Darkness: A Spiritual Confession for probably the third time. This time I’m actually reading the book. I am not a fan of vampires so I “missed out” on the … Continue reading

Posted in Books, James, PHIL 525, Religion Blog, Religious Belief, Schleiermacher, Theorists | Tagged | Leave a comment

The economics of Hell

Well, some may think that Economics is hell. But here’s a twist. Evidence suggests that a society’s belief in Hell affects their economy. Yeah, that’s what I thought! A pair of Harvard researchers recently examined 40 years of data from … Continue reading

Posted in PHIL 525, Religion Blog, Religious Pluarlism | Tagged | Leave a comment

Religion and violence

It’s sad that so much of contemporary discussion about religion centers on violence: the violence that is generated and sanctioned in the name of religion. Some critics of religion have argued that religion is inherent problematic. One such problem is … Continue reading

Posted in Islam, PHIL 525, Religion Blog | Tagged | Leave a comment

Islam and creationism

The discovery of “Ardi” supports a creationist perspective? This isn’t what I’d have thought but apparently there is a rise of creationism in some Muslim communities. But there is another creationist movement whose influence is growing, and which is fueling … Continue reading

Posted in Darwin, Islam, Nature, PHIL 525, Religion Blog, Religious Belief, Science | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Etiquette and religion

Randy Cohen is an ethicist who writes for the New York Times. This recent article discusses a touchy issue: is it OK to criticize religions (the religious leaders) or religious believers for holding beliefs or making statements that are not … Continue reading

Posted in PHIL 525, Religion Blog, Religious Belief | Leave a comment

The Vatican’s astronomer

This is a long way from Galileo! There have been some bizarre guesses, often involving little green men. Consolmagno recalls that a British group calling itself the Catholic Truth Society once asked him if he would write a book about … Continue reading

Posted in PHIL 525, Science | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Your brain on God?

Is this your brain on God?

Posted in PHIL 525 | Tagged | Leave a comment

A book about my favorite place!

What a surprise! A book about the one and only In-N-Out! Do not even think of getting it for me as a present! It’s done. (A Windows 7 & In-N-Out 7×7 party!) http://www.badmouth.net/in-n-outs-secret-menu/ Ouch! The calories in a 50 by … Continue reading

Posted in Books, Food, PHIL 525, Religion Blog | Tagged | Leave a comment

Stoicism and emotions

Stoicism is experiencing a resurgence. I’m not sure why, but it is. This interview with Margaret Graver present a look at some misconceptions of stoicism. Here’s a quote from A.A. Long (Classics, UC Berkeley) about Graver’s book, Stoicism and Emotion: … Continue reading

Posted in Books, James, PHIL 525, Philosophers, Religion Blog, Stoicism, Theorists | Leave a comment

Example of a mystical experience

Watch just the first few minutes of this clip until the credits (the whole clip is over 20 minutes). Sounds like a Jamesean mystical experience to me.

Posted in James, Mysticism, Nature, PHIL 525, Religion Blog | Leave a comment