Lesson 3
Grammar Practice
1. The Gerund. Г.В. Верба, Л.Г. Верба Граматика сучасної англійської
мови, стор. 113–119.
2. Exercises: Г.В. Верба, Л.Г. Верба Граматика сучасної англійської мови,
ex. 243, 244, pp. 312.
Vocabulary Practice
1. Read and translate the text.
2. Learn the unknown words.
Philosophy of Religion
Philosophy of religion is the philosophical study of the meaning and nature of religion.
It includes the analyses of religious concepts, beliefs, terms, arguments, and practices of
religious adherents. The scope of much of the work done in philosophy of religion has
been limited to the various theistic religions. More recent work often involves a broader,
more global approach, taking into consideration both theistic and non-theistic religious
traditions. The range of those engaged in the field of philosophy of religion is broad and
diverse and includes philosophers from the analytic and continental traditions, Eastern
and Western thinkers, religious believers and agnostics, skeptics and atheists.
Philosophy of religion draws on all of the major areas of philosophy as well as other
relevant fields, including theology, history, sociology, psychology, and the natural
sciences.
There are a number of themes that fall under the domain of philosophy of religion as it
is commonly practiced in academic departments in North America and Europe. The
focus here will be limited to six: (1) religious language and belief, (2) religious diversity,
(3) concepts of God / Ultimate Reality, (4) arguments for and against the existence of
God, (5) problems of evil and suffering, and (6) miracles.
Religious Diversity
In the West, most work done in philosophy of religion historically has been theistic.
More recently, there has been a growing interest in religions and religious themes
beyond the scope of theism. While awareness of religious diversity is not a new
phenomenon, philosophers of religion from both the East and the West are becoming
increasingly more aware of and interactive with religious others. It is now common to
see contributions in Western philosophy of religion literature on various traditions,
including Hinduism, Buddhism, Daoism, Confucianism, and African religions.
While interest in Eastern religion and comparative religion have brought about a deeper
understanding of and appreciation for the different non-theistic religious traditions, it
has also brought to the fore an awareness of the many ways the different traditions
conflict. Consider some examples: for Buddhists there is no creator God, whereas
Muslims affirm that the universe was created by the one true God, Allah; for Advaita
Vedanta Hindus, the concept of Ultimate Reality is pantheistic monism in which only
Brahman exists, whereas Christians affirm theistic dualism in which God exists as
distinct from human beings and the other created entities; for Muslims and Christians,
salvation is the ultimate goal whereby human beings are united with God forever in the
afterlife, while the Buddhists’ ultimate goal is nirvana—an extinguishing of the
individual self and complete extinction of all suffering. Many other examples could be
cited as well. For the realist, at least, not all of these claims can be true. How is one to
respond to this diversity of fundamental beliefs?