Perceiving God
 Cover of the first edition | |
| Author | William Alston |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Subject | Philosophy of religion |
| Published | 1991 |
| Media type | Print (Hardcover and Paperback) |
| Pages | 336 |
| ISBN | 978-0801481550 |
Perceiving God: The Epistemology of Religious Experience is a 1991 book by William Alston, one of his chief works in the philosophy of religion.[1]
Summary
Alston, combining his interests in epistemic justification and religious language, gives a detailed account of the epistemology of religious experience,[2] and argues that experiential awareness of God makes an important contribution to the grounds of religious belief.[1] He argues that religious experiences which are taken by their subjects to be direct non-sensory experiences of God are perceptual in character because they involve a presentation or appearance to the subject of something that the subject identifies as God.[2]
He defends the view that such mystical perception is a source of prima facie justified beliefs about divine manifestations by arguing for the practical rationality of engaging in a belief-forming practice that involves reliance on mystical perception.[2]
Scholarly reception
Perceiving God has been praised by philosopher Alvin Plantinga.[1]
References
Footnotes
- 1 2 3 Plantinga 1999. p. 23.
- 1 2 3 Quinn 2005. p. 21.
Bibliography
- Books