Alternative Conceptions of the Spiritual - by Travis Dumsday (Hardcover)

About the Book

"Alternative Conceptions of the Spiritual engages with polytheism, henotheism, pandeism, cosmopsychism, world-soul ontologies, animism and theophanism as propounded by recent philosophers and by members of lesser-known non-western faith communities, new religious movements, and esoteric groups. Treating the topics with comparative philosophical exploration and assessment, Travis Dumsday brings Christian doctrines, specifically from an Eastern Orthodox perspective, into dialogue with these alternative viewpoints"--

Book Synopsis

Analytic philosophy of religion and philosophical theology are known for being focused on issues pertaining specifically to Judeo-Christian theism. This volume answers the call for novel work on a broader range of ideas about the spiritual, engaging with key concepts and neglected recent literature from other traditions.

Alternative Conceptions of the Spiritual engages with polytheism, animism, panspiritism and theophanism as propounded by recent philosophers and members of lesser-known spiritual traditions and new religious movements. Summarizing and assessing their core ideas and arguments with both clarity and sympathy, Dumsday combines respectful dialogue with logical rigour. Providing an accessible introduction to a rich and nuanced set of traditions largely overlooked in contemporary philosophical scholarship, the work will be welcomed by philosophers, theologians and students of new religious movements.

Review Quotes

"Displaying his deep knowledge of metaphysics and an admirable friendliness to every theme and thinker, Dumsday opens up new areas of the philosophy of religion to fruitful exploration. His expert conceptual spadework, subtle analysis of arguments, and judicious selection of topics warranting further attention will help many an investigator get up to speed quickly on his neglected themes and show them where they can make their mark." --J. L. Schellenberg, Professor of Philosophy, Mount Saint Vincent University, Canada

"Philosophers of religion commonly see Christian theism and metaphysical naturalism as the only two live options. This leaves them ill equipped to explore other models of ultimate reality, such as polytheism and animism. In this clear and incisive book, Travis Dumsday demonstrates the philosophical interest of these and other minority traditions - a must-read for philosophers of religion and lay readers who want to expand their philosophical horizons." --Helen De Cruz, Professor of Philosophy and Danforth Chair in the Humanities, Saint Louis University, USA

About the Author

Travis Dumsday is Associate Professor of Philosophy at Concordia University of Edmonton, Canada. He is the author of Dispositionalism and the Metaphysics of Science (2019), Assisted Suicide in Canada (2021) and The Marian Apparitions at Zeitoun (2024).