Can religion be explained away? Book

Excellent book. Not only is it an insightful introduction to the Philosophy of Religion, it also serves as a good primer on several metaphysical and epistemological issues such as the nature of causality, explanation, and possibility and necessity. The nature of morality, including its metaphysical underpinnings is also explored. This is a far-cry from the bombastic broadsides of the "New Atheists;" Le Poidevin takes religion and its metaphysical and moral content very seriously while arguing against theological realism. The suggestions for further reading are invaluable. The only criticism I have is that the possibility of God as a sustaining (but not temporally antecedent) cause of the universe is not examined during the author's discussion of the Cosmological argument. The chapters are brief and the discussion cannot be exhaustive, but this is meant as an introduction so that's no sin (if you'll pardon the phrase). For those who appreciate clarity and logical rigour when it comes to philosophy, this book will serve as an excellent introduction to a subject too often the domain of obscurantism. The arguments are presented carefully and precisely, the premises clearly marked out and the logical structure explained. Highly recommended.