Overview

"In this book Larry Harwood situates and evaluates Bertrand Russell's thought on religion within the context of Russell's biography. His well-known animus toward religious belief is highlighted and maintained without neglecting his quieter and comparatively unknown quest for something religious. The book argues that while Russell's critique of religious belief is not unlike that of other thinkers, his superlative prose, extraordinary skill with words, and candor gave him an advantage and audiences beyond competing secular thinkers. Harwood argues that among secularists few have been as vehemently critical of religious belief and believers as Russell, while even fewer have displayed his appetite for some religious truth. The author presses these two antipodes in Russell's mind to provide a holistic picture of the life and thought of arguably the greatest philosopher of the twentieth century. By the conclusion of this study, the reader has witnessed Russell as not only a petulant and abiding critic of religious belief, but also as a thinker who has ""carried the burden of God."""

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9781625644947

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"""Bertrand Russell has long been associated with opposition to Christianity. As Larry Harwood shows, however, Russell's views on Christianity were much more complex. Russell was a romantic as well as a rationalist, wanting a God for whom he did not believe there was enough evidence. Harwood explores Russell's attitudes to Christianity in his philosophy and his personal life. The result is a fascinating account of intellectual and spiritual struggle that complicates our understanding of Russell and the intellectual culture of twentieth-century Britain."" --Alister Chapman, professor of history, Westmont College"

Author Information

Larry D. Harwood is professor emeritus of philosophy and history at Viterbo University in Wisconsin and occasional visiting professor at Tyndale Theological Seminary in Badhoevedorp, Netherlands.

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