Religious Fictionalism Elements in the Philosophy of Religion Series

This Element is an introduction to contemporary religious fictionalism, its motivation and challenges. Among the issues raised are: can religion be viewed as a game of make-believe? In what ways does religious fictionalism parallel positions often labelled 'fictionalist' in ethics and metaphysics? Does religious fictionalism represent an advance over its rivals? Can fictionalism provide an adequate understanding of the characteristic features of the religious life, such as worship, prayer, moral commitment? Does fictionalism face its own version of the problem of evil? Is realism about theistic (God-centred) language less religiously serious than fictionalism?

Prologue; 1. Religious realism – the natural view?; 2. Non-realism – the garden of forking paths; 3. Fictionalism and the religious life; 4. Fictionalism and evil; Epilogue.