An introduction to and overview of the entire problem of evil, from a philosophical perspective. The text aims to be introductory and inclusive, both by familiarizing students with the main contours of the intellectual terrain, and by pointing them in the direction of further resources. This book provides a descriptive, episodic yet analytical synthesis of industrialization in America. It integrates analysis of the profound economic and social changes taking place during the period between 1877 and the start of the Great Depression. Ten topicsvarieties of industrialization, questions of labor, immigration, urbanization, the Westward movement, the environment, transportation, power, politics, and the organization of workare examined with each subject illustrated by three case studies. The 30 case studies were selected as examples of the underlying principles of industrialization that cumulatively convey a comprehensive understanding of the era.

This is the shocking story of a doctor who was addicted to murder: a man who wickedly abused the trust of his patients with horrifying results. He was a pillar of the community: attentive, kind, never too busy to chat. Yet behind this charming facade lay Britain's most prolific serial killer, with at least 200 victims. Small, bespectacled Dr Shipman was making house calls - and then committing murder with bloodcurdling expertise and professionalism. He saw himself as playing God. This sensational book looks behind the man and reveals how, throughout his 25-year campaign of evil, Shipman continued to be a doting husband and father, trusted and adored by the majority of his patients. Evil Beyond Belief looks at how he was able to get away with murder for so long and - most important of all - why he was driven by a twisted, insatiable lust for death. It also looks at the events leading up to Shipman's suicide and examines the effect that this dramatic event had on the families of his numerous victims.

This study of Professor William Rowe’s defense of atheism on the basis of evil assesses the literature that has developed in response to Rowe’s work, closely examining two strategies: mystery – the idea that God may have reasons beyond our comprehension for permitting evil; and theodicy - explanations as to why God allows evil to flourish. The book unearths difficulties in both, concluding that the God of theism must be "beyond belief."

How and why does faith so often fade away? Where does it go, and what do you hold on to when it is gone? Between the believer and the unbeliever lies a sort of communicational void--a cultural gap--usually marked by silence or, alternatively, by rage. This extended essay draws on history, literature, and theology as well as personal experience in an attempt to give some kind of account of the demise of belief in terms that a believer can perhaps understand and, in the process, to cover some of the principal reasons why the arguments usually put forward to buttress faith prove to be without force. In the end, faith can enrich a person's life only at the expense of the illusions on which it is based.

Belief creates our reality which creates more belief Our strongest beliefs can be wrong Our inability to question beliefs is hard-wired in the brain Reality is also made from what we do not believe Should the author be believed? The advice is not to believe Read, apply, and experience Discover why you believe what you believe Realise the illusory nature of reality Understand the strange truths of perception Find the moving arbitrary line between knowledge and belief Question the dependence on beliefs Decide if the beliefs are necessary Are there better mental positions to adopt? Change Your Beliefs Live a Life of Uncommon Reality Kun-Gay Yap www.realitybeyondbelief.com

The current age marks the transition from modernity to postmodernity, a period as impactful to the Western sensibility as any previous era. The role of religion and the future of Christianity are at stake. At this time of transition, many thoughtful individuals find themselves at a quandary, having reached a "critical stage" in their spiritual journey. Prompted by academia, science, reason, culture, and their own experience, they feel compelled to choose between the beliefs they inherited as children and the claims of science, reason, pluralism, and secularism. Beyond Belief suggests that one need not take an either/or approach on these issues; there is a better way, one that embraces adventure and ambiguity, science and religion, reason and faith, evolution and creation, and finds ways to live creatively with realities for which there are no easy explanations. Building on a paradigmatic journey of faith that involves three stages (precritical, critical, and postcritical understanding), Beyond Belief describes the quest for God and for authentic faith in the twenty-first century. The key point for this understanding is to replace belief with faith, acknowledging that belief in doctrines is not central, since they are themselves unprovable. This new theological perspective requires rethinking many of our cherished doctrines, including our understanding of God, Jesus, Scripture, prayer, miracles, and revelation.

A personal, surprising, and heart-warming book wherein two spiritual masters of our time advance the central questions of life and faith. "Brother David Steindl-Rast and Father Anselm Grün are figures of hope, people who by the power of their example can offer an orientation in a world that has become too complex to comprehend. The spirituality they radiate is an everyday thing that is nevertheless both profound and vivid. . . . "Our conversations, on which this book is based, could be read as a 'crash course' in Christian spirituality. This book will be an inspiration and an aid to spiritual life for many people of our time, whether they are believers or not." Johannes Kaup From the Introduction

Women have made great strides toward equal rights over the past hundred years, especially in the West. But when considering the ongoing fight over reproductive rights and equal pay—and the prevalence of sexual violence and domestic abuse—it is clear that a significant gap still exists. With scripture often cited as justification for the marginalization of women, it is time to acknowledge that one of the final barriers to full equality for women is religion. Much has been written about the great strides humankind has made in knocking down many long-held religious beliefs, whether related to the age of the earth or the origin of the species. But religion's negative impact on women has been less studied and discussed. This book is a step toward changing that. Twenty-two women from a variety of backgrounds and Judeo-Christian traditions share their personal stories about how they came to abandon organized religion, and how they discovered life after moving away from religious and supernatural beliefs. Their words serve both as a celebration of all who have taken similar steps under the weight of thousands of years of religious history—and as a source of inspiration for those individuals, especially women, who have deep doubts about their own belief traditions but who don't yet know how to embrace life without falling back on religion.