Theism and Humanism

Balfour, Arthur James, 1848-1930Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

4.0

Word count: 321K words
Chapters: 33

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Theism and Humanism by Arthur James BalfourAuthor: Balfour, Arthur James, 1848-1930,Language: English, Class: BL: Philosophy, Psychology, Religion: Religion: General, Miscellaneous and Atheism, Release Date: Aug 25, 2018

Editor's review

This is Balfour's English lecture on the relationship between theism and humanism, a public-domain e-book in religious philosophy. Its value lies in its clear argumentation on whether religious belief and humanistic values can be compatible, making it useful supplementary material for the history of ideas and introductory religious philosophy. The style is argumentative and concept-dense, requiring readers to have a basic framework of philosophy and religion. Read for the structure of the argument rather than rushing to judge its position, and use notes to sort out core concepts and rebuttals; it also helps with studying the context of modern British thought or practicing the reading of English argumentative prose.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Students and researchers in philosophy or religious studies
Readers interested in the relationship between religion and humanism
Advanced learners needing English argumentative prose for close reading practice

Not a good fit for

Readers seeking spiritual guidance or religious comfort
Beginners without philosophical grounding who want an easy introduction to religion
Readers who want only a Chinese translation and cannot work with the English original

Reading tips

Read the table of contents and conclusion first, then return to the argument to grasp the overall framework.
Keep a concept list as you read, distinguishing how key terms such as theism and humanism are used.
After each chapter, restate the core argument in your own words to test your understanding.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this book apologetic or a neutral discussion?

The author treats the relationship between theism and humanism argumentatively, with a clear sense of the problem and a argumentative bent; it is not a neutral survey. Readers should follow the argument while keeping their own critical judgment.

Can I understand it without a philosophy background?

It will be somewhat difficult. The book is concept-dense and strongly argumentative; it is better to first learn the basic terms and issues of religious philosophy before starting, which will make reading more efficient.

Is it suitable as a course reference?

It can serve as supplementary reading for courses in religious philosophy or modern intellectual history, especially for discussions on the relationship between religious belief and humanistic values, but it should not replace a systematic textbook.

Comments

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About the author

Balfour, Arthur James, 1848-1930 Author

Arthur James Balfour (1848–1930) was a British philosopher and statesman. Publicly available information on the details of his life is limited, so this introduction focuses mainly on his surviving works. The work held in this collection is Theism and Humanism, which originated in the Gifford Lectures he delivered in 1914 and which argues about the relationship between religious belief and humanistic values. Balfour's writing does not rely on dense terminology; it is marked instead by clear, unhurried argumentation, and he is skilled at weaving observations on history and culture into philosophical reasoning. In this book he seeks to show that theistic belief is not at odds with humanism but rather provides a foundation for moral and aesthetic experience. The work is still regarded as an important reference in the philosophy of religion and natural theology, and it is valuable for understanding early twentieth-century debates in the English-speaking world about faith and reason.