PREFACE -- CHAPTER 1: PROBLEMS IN DEFINING 'RELIGION' -- A. Expecting too much from one definition -- B. The problem of an evaluative definition -- C. The problem of a diluted definition -- D. The problem of an expanded definition -- E. The problem of the true religion -- F. The preliminary definition of 'religion' -- G. Explicating core-concern with finitude -- H. Religion and magic -- I. Dimensions of religion -- CHAPTER 2: RESPONSES TO THE CONCERN WITH FINITUDE -- A. The response definition of 'religion' -- B. Reductionism -- C. Rational thinking develops its own problems -- D. The issue of objectivity -- E. Empirical testing -- F. The question of consistency -- G. What to do with contradiction -- H. On seeing contradictions -- I. On protecting one's central beliefs -- J. Seeking out threatening challenges to belief -- K. Hypocrisy and contradiction -- CHAPTER 3: THE EMOTIONAL DIMENSION OF RELIGIOUS RESPONSES -- A. Response to loss and defeat -- B. Frustration and anger -- C. The study of covert and overt behaviors -- D. Preventive religion -- E. The religion of the insiders -- F. Religion and separation -- G. Balancing the need for unity and separateness -- CHAPTER 4: THE MORAL DIMENSION OF RELIGION -- A. The impact of Positivism -- B. The problem of moral conventionalism -- C. The procedure of moral appeal and inquiry -- D. On transcending convention -- E. Moral authority -- F. The interchange between communities -- G. The gift of nature -- H. The animal and primitive roots of society -- I. Sources of social and moral transcendence -- J. Religious commitment to the society perceived as protector -- K. Born again -- L. Theological ethics -- M. From involvement to moral commitment -- N. The quest for a rock-bottom ethical foundation -- O. The risk of involvement -- CHAPTER 5: RELIGIOUS EDUCATION -- A. The myth of the neutral point of view.

B. Required courses - A Church-State problem? -- C. Presenting a variety of viewpoints -- D. The Religion of the Republic and its 'Sunday School' -- E. A serious threat to the plan -- F. Christianity and the Religion of the Republic -- G. The influence of the Religion of the Republic -- H. The secular outlook and the Religion of the Republic -- I. Conclusion -- CHAPTER 6: THE MYSTIC AND GOD -- A. Mysticism and oneness -- B. Mysticism and ineffability -- C. Observing the 'inner' world -- D. The social construction of reality -- E. More than eliminating external stimuli -- F. The mystic's 'knowledge' of God -- CHAPTER 7: CORE-DEPRIVATION AND THE PROMISE OF FULFILLMENT -- A. Theology: problem or solution? -- B. Perfect being as perfect solution -- C. Core-concern and universal reconciliation -- D. Reconciliation of desires -- E. 'Original' conflict and 'ultimate' solution -- F. All perfections are finite states -- G. Pride and guilt -- H. Rising expectation in religion -- I. Teaching people to fall into despair -- J. The right to life after death -- K. Naturalism and Christian hybris -- L. Freeing imagination from conviction -- M. The sin of desiring to be infinitely sinful -- CHAPTER 8: Is GOD VERIFIABLE? -- A. The verification criterion -- B. Confusion regarding God-talk -- C. Social tolerance does not entail loss of epistemological rigor -- D. Eschatological verification -- E. Indefinite postponement of verification -- F. Infinite regress and empty conclusion -- G. Hell - The Achilles' heel of Hick's argument -- H. The problem of induction -- CHAPTER 9: RELATIVISM AND CONTRADICTION -- A. What epistemological relativism entails -- B. No universal criterion of truth -- C. The method of internal criticism -- D. God-talk without theism -- E. Contradiction as a test of falsity -- F. An example of embarrassment over contradiction.

G. The role of dogmatism -- H. The pressure of contradiction -- I. Expansion of the belief-system -- J. Summary -- CHAPTER 10: DAVID HUME'S THREAT TO FAITH -- A. Karl Popper - Opponent of verificationism -- B. Hume's position -- C. The radical implications of Hume's argument -- D. New conjectures and inspiration -- E. Doubt and belief -- F. Science and religion - Some differences and similarities -- G. Faith in rational inquiry -- H. Two meanings of 'Rational' -- I. From faith to faith -- J. From conjecture to conjecture -- CHAPTER 11: MEANING IN THEOLOGY -- A. Careful about procedures -- B. The question of meaning -- C. Do theological statements have cognitive meaning? -- D. Extending the boundaries of theological meaning -- E. Theology as a distinct reality -- F. Theology and transcendent objective reference -- G. The problem of translating from one language game to another -- H. Transforming one language game into another -- I. Will God-talk talk itself to death? -- J. Tillich's transitional linguistics -- K. What does God-talk talk itself into? -- L. Who are the opponents of God-talk? -- CHAPTER 12: THE-MEANING-OF-LIFE QUESTION -- A. More than cognitive meaning -- B. Meaning through a cosmic goal -- C. Meaning through finite sources of enjoyment -- D. Meaning through belonging to a significant group -- E. Meaning through recognition -- F. Meaning through satisfaction of strong expectations -- G. Meaning through a sense of control and personal wholeness -- H. Meaning through a sense of aesthetic completeness -- I. Meaning through orientation -- J. Meaning through service to others -- K. Conclusion -- BIBLIOGRAPHY -- INDEX OF NAMES -- SUBJECT INDEX.