ABSTRACT
This introduction chapter presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book addresses that the several issues are religious and philosophical, arising where religion and philosophy meet; however, more basically, they are human issues. It discusses other ways that religious belief might be shown to be reasonable, and focuses on the possibility that religion is reasonable because it has a basis in a kind of experience that is open to human beings. The book also addresses questions that have to do with "religious language," in particular language about God. Religious believers, to the extent they have beliefs about God—as that God is merciful or caring—must be able to say things about God. For instance, philosophical reflection may be directed to the nature of knowledge or of moral rightness or of love. Sometimes philosophical reflection arises in response to a sense of awe before the world.
