Evil in the World via Philosophical Analysis
598693
This was a very challenging and difficult book to read as Neiman writes mostly for other philosophers and academics.  Her main point is that the major ground that used to be the focus of philosophy was the problem of evil.  She explanis how this was present in the philosophical works of earlier philosophers.  This all was changed, however, by the earthquake in Lisbon, which caused Enlightenment Europe to recoil in horror.  The intellectual and philosophical response to the earthquake was to bifurcate evil into moral and natural evil.  This, in turn, had a major impact on philosophy as the latter was put on the fringes of philosophical discussions.  Neiman delved deeply into the various interpretations about life that this new perspective caused; the role of God in all this, especially.  Neiman covers extensively the place of Auschwitz and the holocaust as a touch point of the meaning and causes of evil in the modern. There is a lot to be mined here, with much of the material extrapolated from Hannah Arendt's work. Unfortunately, the lay reader will have a hard time wading through the text and absorbing all the lessons given the occasional untranslated French, for example, or reference that assume a deep knowledge of philosophy or literature.
273941
As a student of Philosophy and have been studying the problem of Evil (theodicy) for a number of years now, this book is long over due. Now there are an innumerable amount of books on this issue, what makes this book any  better you may ask? Three points on that 1) I never said it is better, but  it is necessary and culturally relevant for our understanding today. 2)  Most books in this area deal with the question in either an esoteric  philosophical or theological way, that leaves our heart out in the cold, or  they warm the heart, and leave the mind out to freeze to intellectual  death. Where are the books NOW that honor the mind and give comfort to the  heart!  I present this book by Dr. Zacharias as not only helpful in dealing  with the perplexing questions that have philosophers holding their head in  heart wrenching sweat, but also for the young spouse who just lost their  best friend  in a destructive fire. Most of all it helps to shine the Light  of the SON on the shadow of evil. Give it a chance. You won't be  disappointed.
2188741
Morality of machines is a topic, but I am more interested in how to use AI, then the moral implications of it. This ok, if you want to argue about whether machines will /should have conscience.
365667
This book innocently but powerfully presents and unwraps a deep philosophical concept that provides a mind-boggling perspectives on the brain, acquisition of  knowledge, generation of insights, the phenomenon of having visions, and the wondrous intelligence that permeates all living creatures. By the time you are done reading the book you are pretty convinced that you have a plausible and logical answer to the old-age question regarding the root nature of reality, existence and knowledge, which has always been at the center of human bewilderment, yet has also always been beyond our grasp and comprehension.
The beauty of this book is that such a deep philosophical concept is presented in a subtle and clever way that you are sure you are reading just another fascinating spy novel, as opposed to a very deep philosophical novel. This is brilliantly accomplished by wrapping two parallel stories into one. The first story is an interesting terrorist plot to inflict maximum casualties in the USA, and the other is a portrayal of a thorough, scientifically based methodology, step-by-step experimentation and logical conclusions that deal with the broader philosophical issue.  The book takes you on the philosophical journey without you even realizing it. As stated earlier, by the time you are done reading the book you are pretty convinced that you have a plausible and logical answer regarding the root nature of reality, existence and knowledge. If you like logic and reasoning, or if you have ever wondered about the existence of unknown forces in the universe, you will utterly enjoy this book.
4513795
Researchers have demonstrated a correlation between reading fiction and a capacity for empathy. This should not surprise us, for both require attentiveness, imagination, and the ability to enter into another's story. Synthesizing solid yet accessible biblical scholarship, fictionalized retellings of biblical narratives, and pastoral wisdom, JR. Forasteros invites us to consider the perspectives of familiar and not-so-familiar villains of the Bible. Empathy for the Devil performs a kind of 'listening between the lines' for the desires, motivations, and rationalizations of even the most despicable characters and their (mis)deeds. The point is not to elevate them, but to humble us. Their stories, carefully considered, expose similar tendencies and twistedness lurking within our own hearts. Every reader will benefit not only from JR.'s insights into these cautionary tales, but from the exercise of entering empathetically into their stories and allowing the Holy Spirit to shine the flashlight into the darkest corners of our souls
3564578
In The Absence of God written by philosophy professor Dr. Cleary in 2012 was a very intriguing novel. The novel discussed many different philosophical concepts in two different ways: first through conversations and secondly through the actions of the characters. These philosophical concepts are discussed throughout a lot of dialogue and through many social situations, such as romantic relationships, friendships and crimes.

As the reader, one can see the consequences that these worldviews present and also how worldviews can shift and change depending on the outcome of certain decisions that are made. Even though this novel did deal with some very dark and gruesome crimes, there were also some good philosophical concepts that are brought up and discussed. This is a great book to read if a person is into philosophical concepts and ideas and it is a way to think things differently whether one is a Christian or not.

My reason for giving this book three out of five stars was mainly because of the pacing issues. There were parts of the novel that were fast paced and I could not put the book down. There were other sections of the novel that truly seemed to drag on and I just wanted to get to a more exciting section of the novel. The novel could have been a lot shorter maybe by 100 pages or so, so that a lot of the information could be condensed and they there could be more action and a lot less dialogue. Even though I give this book three out of five stars it is still a good book and recommend it for any reader who enjoys philosophy, people who think deeply about concepts and readers who wonder about how certain decisions affect one's life.
4858576
The subject of Boyd's book is a very detailed explanation of the same thing that Lewis states in one chapter of Mere Christianity, where Lewis says we live, as Christians, in "enemy occupied territory." Boyd goes into the subject in far greater detail, giving OT examples of Jewish belief, Hebrew folk lore concerning "monsters" at work in the world, and God having to master them. Walter Bruggerman goes into quite a bit of detail covering the same subject in a Theology of the Old Testament, where he gives Jon Levenson credit in the same way that Boyd does in his book. The Old Testament tells the same story which Christ taught, that there is a prince of darkness at work in the world warring against God. Boyd titles his book simply "God at War". Lewis, and many writers and theologians teach exactly what he has laid out. The book of Revelation ends with a description of Satan eventually being bound and a new heaven and earth being formed.

What Boyd's book does also is that it explains the "problem of evil" in the world as being caused by one who became an adversary to God. George Eldon Ladd said that "evil is the price God paid" for granting free will to his creatures.

Boyd explains that evil in the world committed by human beings is a product of our own choosing. God interacts with us by allowing and permitting, at least for now, the gratuitous evil we see in the holocaust, current genocidal practices in some quarters of the world, and brutal, heinous crimes we read about daily.

Anthony Flew, the most published atheist of the 20th century, recently converted to "deism" says in his book "there is a God", that "theologians do not deny that the fact of pain counts against the assertion that God loves humankind, and it is precisely this that generates the theological problem of evil." He is stating that if God is good, and loving, our world would not exist as it does. Boyd explains that there is a God and he has chosen to grant his creatures free will, for now, to live and conduct themselves as they do. The Bible speaks of a time that he won't permit evil as we live and experience it.

It is the "free will" defense of why evil exists in the world, but if there is a God, it is the best one presented. You can't explain a God who causes, creates, and predestines evil upon people. Who would say God used those German soldiers to put out that little girls eyes, for his greater purposes. We live in enemy occupied territory, and Boyd makes that pretty clear. There will be a day it will be different, or there is no God as portrayed in the Bible.
1014326
I was intrigued to see Shelley Klein's stories of The Most Evil Women in History prominently featured during a recent visit to Barnes and Noble. Later finding the book selling on Amazon for as little as $.01, I'm glad I only browsed it in the bookstore. Klein's anthologies on evil, from Evil Men to Evil Dictators, Evil Pirates, Evil Secret Societies, and Evil Women, offer a compelling study of society's most horrific abuses. Although her recent title, Senior Moments, may be a hint that her studies of evil are complete, if she does pen another, I propose Evil Lawyers. Regardless of the focus, understanding the breaking point and pathologies that lead people who could have lived productive, meaningful lives that contributed to society instead commit senseless atrocities is a reminder of Albert Einstein's famous quote: "For evil to succeed in the world, it is enough for good men to stand by and do nothing."
2062741
In short, this is a brief history on the repetitive and devastating effects dualism has had on Western culture and theology.

Classic philosophical dualism has tainted the Western worldview ever since its earliest philosophers started speculating on the nature of matter. The result has been pejorative, undermining everything from scientific models of the universe, to linguistic and mathematical theories, to how we envision our relationship with the divine and to how we perceive one another.

In A World Split Apart, theologian-historian, M. James Sawyer invites our Western culture to superintend the remarriage of matter and spirit after 2500 years of a separation attributed to irreconcilable differences. Then, he invites us to a grand reception in which we will all be able to participate in a perichoretic dance in union with the Trinity.

Sawyer calls us to stop baltering around with our dualist-deterministic thinking, to paradigm shift back into the incarnational spirit of Nicene theology, to fully embrace a humble epistemology and to enjoy the propinquity available with our onto-relational God.

Andy Barlow
linguist-Bible translator
2019420
This book kept me intrigued. The author delved into the area of philosophy of evil and it's possible origins with insiteful dialoge between his characters. All of the characters are artfully explored and believable. Thoughtful and engrossing read.
3037623
The long history of atheist criticisms of religion have largely concentrated on the major literate religions -- those with holy books, and written and printed doctrines -- because of the ease with which their internal contradictions and falsifiability can be dissected. But these criticisms have little to say about the non-literate religious phenomena which manifest as superstition, belief in spirits, magic, sacred objects (such as mountains, springs, trees, ancient ruins, etc.), animals as spiritual agents, and the supernatural in general.

Pascal Boyer's long and detailed hypothesis covers all religious phenomena from animism to the complex religions of today. He postulates that humans have adapted to an environment that includes other humans and the necessity for cooperation between them to survive against much stronger and fleeter predators. This has involved the attributing of agency to both living and non-living objects to explain various occurrences in the world, whether natural or resulting from other creatures. It is notable that there are many ontological features that all religions exhibit, and other possible features are never seen.

Boyer's hypothesis includes many testable propositions, some of which have been subjected to psychological studies which support them. The hypothesis is thus open to further testing to attempt to falsify propositions, and is therefore amenable to  scientific verification. This book is of equal value to both the believer and non-believer to examine to support or undermine their different positions.
4664717
A Killers Grace is Ronald Chapmans novel where Kevin, a journalist who starts to push the limits of what he thinks he knows. He is contacted by a man put away for murder, who believes his own mental state is disturbed and hopes that Kevin can work in conjunction with him to help others from becoming like him. He wants to try and prevent people from committing horrific crimes so that they can continue to live as regular people. This makes the book pretty philosophical in what can and cannot be done, for what is right and wrong. Is someone inherently evil and can be found and then prevented by helping them or do individuals grow from their environment into those with righteous or evil intentions. I like that this book makes me question my own stance on morality and how people can be shaped because of their circumstances and it is something that should be considered when something horrific occurs.
4108743
Here is a forceful and leonine approach to the question of evil. The writer pulls no punches. If you have ever wondered about the problem of evil, and have found the common free will approach as a cop-out as I have, you will get strong theology here. I have long admired Cheungs work, and I am very sympathetic to it. Along with Gordon Clarks God and Evil, this book is the definitive answer. God is God!
4853836
David Baggett and Jerry Walls do a great job answering critical questions about morality and how it shapes us and the world we live in.  In the spirit of those like C.S. Lewis they give us good and compelling reason to believe that God exists and makes himself known to us.  The introduction alone is worth the read.  Even as a committed follower of Jesus, I found my own philosophical assumptions being challenged as the authors dealt with what makes something morally right.

I did find it a struggle reading though some of the more difficult philosophical language and debate.  This is mostly due to my own lack of knowledge on moral theology, but the authors do a great job keeping the reader focused on the main line of thought throughout so that even I could get the big picture.

In the end, I found the arguments logical, biblical, sound, and compassionate towards those who may disagree.  I hope lots of people will pick this book up and allow it to challenge their thinking.
3699895
This is a philosophical, psychological, and theological treatise written as a dark fantasy novel with the rigor of hard science fiction.  Blish likes to tackle big questions, from what would cause a man to choose to unleash Hell on Earth to what would happen if you dropped a nuclear bomb on the city of Dis.

Something that must be noted are the names and personality descriptions of the monks who are called to fight the apocalypse.  Here's a hint -- one of them is Brother Anson, and he's more engineer than monk...  A delicious in-joke for classic SF/Fantasy fans.

It's a short and to the point book -- another author might take hundreds of pages to tell the same story in gory detail, but it would be a horror novel.  This is not a horror novel -- it's a  science fiction novel about theology.  Classic Blish.
4536955
I found this novel to be reflective of contemporary evil machinations. The motivation to silence competitors through devious means eventually leads the antagonist

to commit a series of despicable acts. The author provides a balanced portrayal of discord, mayhem and  protagonist perseverance to keep you enthralled.
682239
This takes place in a parallel universe.  Many of the differences, such as geography, provide only a backdrop, but separating this world from ours are two major differences that play important roles.  First, there is the mysterious "Dust" and, secondly, all humans are here are accompanied by the well-known "familiar" of witchcraft lore.  The author openly labels them demons.

  Early on, the main character acquires a device that allows her to enter a trance and prophesy.  As the novel progresses, the main character discovers that her parents are evil, sometimes backed by an evil church, sometimes operating in defiance of that evil church.  She also discovers that Dust is the source of all sin.  This source of all sin is what powers her divination device.  She reckons that since her evil parents thought that Dust was evil, then this Dust, the source of all sin must actually be a good thing, and she embraces it.

Although very well written, this novel is too long to be effective in turning children against their parents' beliefs and values, although it may be suggested for independent reading or assigned to more advanced students as an individual choice novel.