Rowe (Perdue U.) points out that the philosophy of religion is not the study of the history of religions, nor is it the study of theology. In fact, it is not a part of the subject matter it studies at all, but instead a critical examination of basic religious beliefs and concepts. In this undergraduate review text, and with new material on rational thought, nonwestern beliefs and the issue of evil for this edition, Rowe describes how Western theism works and how it compares to other beliefs, the major arguments for the existence of God, religious and mystical experience, the role of faith, and specific questions about miracles, life after death, predestination, exclusivism/inclusivism and pluralism. Particularly interesting is his treatment of the arguments about whether the existence of evil disproves the existence of a loving God. Chapters include topics for review and further study. Annotation ©2006 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)