An introduction to the theory of religion

• Main Author: Baillie, John
• Published: University of Edinburgh 1928
• Online Access: https://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.735209

The wore which follows may perhaps be most simply described as an attempt to perform for the religious consciousness of our race the sane service which is performed for its moral consciousness by the ordinary text-books of ethical. theory. Its primary aim is accordingly to set forth what seems to the writer to be a valid theory of religion; but this aim is carried out by means of a detailed criticism of the most important alternative views represented in the history of the subject. The writer has hoped that the work might prove of use to students, Particularly in enabling them tip f ind their way through the mazes of past and present opinion. He has consequently made the .fullest references throughout the work to the literature of the subject, both classical and contemporary. The work is now in the press, and is to be published in the early autumn by Messrs. T. & T. Clark in Edinburgh and by Messrs. Scribner in New York. While the type- script as submitted is doubtless legible enough, the writer feels it necessary to apologize to the examiners for the number of red-ink corrections and deletions it contains. The explanation is that the type-script submitted is one of two copies which was finally prepared for the press. The worst disfigurements are due to the fact that the publishers suggested (a) the transliteration or omission of all the Greek words and phrases occurring in the text, so as to make the book more generally useful, and (b) the shortening of the book wherever possible so as to enable it to be published at a price within the reach of students.