ABSTRACT
In this chapter let us consider themes in five theological traditions we have not covered in detail until now. Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism provide important opportunities for philosophers who seek to work constructively and critically “inside” these traditions. There is considerable overlap of themes in the Abrahamic faith traditions and Hinduism, but there are also distinctive differences. The relationship of faith and reason, prophecy, divine revelation, the philosophy of prayer, and other topics, for example, might be taken up in exploring any of these four theological traditions. Buddhism is unique in this regard in that Buddhists generally do not affirm a personal God, at least not a divine reality in the theistic sense. Yet there are some commonalities among all five traditions, including Buddhism. We distribute common themes among all of them, while seeking to focus on topics that are specific to the traditions (e.g. the Incarnation and Trinity in Christianity) in an effort to constructively engage with each tradition.
