Reviewing this volume presents two particular problems. Firstly, in discussing spirituality we are, as Charles Bailey pointed out more than 20 years ago, confronted by an ‘over-abundance of meanings’ (1984, p. 73); or, as Iris Yob more graphically suggests, it is one of those words that might be described as ‘promiscuous’ (p. 112). Certainly the term ‘spirituality’ provokes mixed, and often visceral, responses. Some would like it to represent a chaste adherence to a particular tradition, whilst others rejoice in the (...) rich variety on offer, a spiritual ‘pick ‘n’ mix’; others still would cast it out of respectable academic vocabulary as a wanton distraction from rigorous ethical or epistemological debate. The second problem is that we have here fifteen different perspectives on the subject and it is tempting to write fifteen reviews rather than the one required! (shrink)

It would appear that certain deeper concerns about epistemic status and credibility underlie recent heated controversies about faith schools. The evident hostility of secular liberals to religious education in general and faith schools in particular rests on the deep-seated conviction that religious claims, beliefs and narratives are essentially non-rational, if not irrational, and therefore that no religious instruction could avoid indoctrination. Proceeding via an exploration of the non-literal signification of myth and fiction, this essay sets out to show how religious (...) and other non-literal stories and narratives can be routes to objective meaning and truth that fully engage reason and understanding as well as feeling and emotion. However, the article also acknowledges the likely reservations of some religious believers to any such approach. (shrink)

Iris Murdoch's moral philosophy has long influenced contemporary ethics, yet it has not, in general, received the kind of sustained critical attention that it deserves. "Existentialists and Mystics" and "Metaphysics as a Guide to Morals" provide new access to most of Murdoch's philosophical writings and make possible a deeper appreciation of her contribution to current thought. After assessing the recent critical reception of Murdoch's thought, this review places her moral philosophy in the context of contemporary trends in ethics by tracing (...) her influence on the work of Charles Taylor, highlights the distinctive features of her moral philosophy, and suggests future directions for Murdochian ethics. (shrink)