George Santayana's Philosophy of Religion - by Edward W Lovely (Hardcover)

About the Book

The book addresses George Santayana's philosophy of religion and its basis in his overall philosophical project with an exploration of some phenomenological aspects of his approach and his potential influence on contemporary religious thought. Emphasis is placed upon his Roma...

Book Synopsis

The book addresses George Santayana's philosophy of religion and its basis in his overall philosophical project with an exploration of some phenomenological aspects of his approach and his potential influence on contemporary religious thought. Emphasis is placed upon his Roman Catholic and Greek influences and his constructionist viewpoint toward Catholic symbols and dogma.

Review Quotes

George Santayana's Philosophy of Religion is a useful work for the philosophic scholar, as it brings together a wide range of references and material that could easily serve as the impetus for further study.

It is striking that despite Santayana's extensive consideration of religious themes scholars have generally abstained from attributing to him a philosophy of religion. Edward W. Lovely's new book boldly bucks this trend. The author makes a compelling case that Santayana's thinking delivers an un-proclaimed but evident 'phenomenological method, ' and further suggests that Santayana's uniquely naturalistic account of spirituality speaks more than ever to today's religiously inclined. This book ought to invite vigorous debate about how a self-proclaimed 'materialist' can have so much to offer, across aisles of devotion, to religious debate.

One of the most compelling pieces of evidence for the great value of Edward Lovely's approach to Santayana through his philosophy of religion is the way Lovely's work ties together the main areas of Santayana's thought and addresses key interpretative disputes. In demonstrating the significance of Catholicism for Santayana's philosophy, Lovely relates in mutually enlightening ways Santayana's ontology, moral philosophy, and cultural critique...Lovely's inquiry confronts head-on the seeming contradiction between Santayana's materialism and his embrace of conservative Catholic ideals while also showing Santayana innovative reconceptions of prayer, immortality, and salvation in ways relevant to the European cultural bequest in the twenty-first century. The book is profitable for both student and scholar, and it signals the continuing fertility of Santayana's philosophy.


The past twenty years have seen a remarkable renaissance of interest in Santayana's philosophy. This book is a thoughtful and detailed study of Santayana's views on religion. Lovely is sensitive to the full complexity of Santayana's ideas and explores their connections to the tradition of phenomenology. The research is comprehensive and Lovely makes significant contributions to the existing literature.

About the Author

After a career in science and business, Edward Lovely received a Ph.D. in philosophy of religion at Drew University with a dissertation on George Santayana. He teaches philosophy at William Paterson University and Fairleigh Dickinson University, both in New Jersey and his research interests are in American Philosophy and religion.