Book Four: Philosophical Approaches
1 Understanding spiritual concepts, moral beliefs and fundamental archetypes can take you beyond religion itself and into the realm of philosophy. 2This is a great area to study if you want to grasp the issues raised by religion but not from within religion itself.
30n the whole, philosophy doesn t necessarily delve into spiritual or religious topics, but many philosophers have spent their lives theorising upon many of the issues raised. 4Studying philosophical concepts is a good way to develop spiritual understanding without the bias and contradictory offerings of mainstream religion.
5Many great philosophers have been devoutly religious people, and their theories and concepts stem from those beliefs. 6Since the purpose of this book is to develop spiritual understanding without religion, some of these thinkers will be left out. 7For example, Thomas Aquinas is considered to be one of the most influential philosophers, but since his studies and writings are from a strictly Catholic perspective, they aren t as well suited to this topic as others.
8Please be warned that philosophical terminology and concepts can be difficult to grasp for the layperson, so further study in the area is encouraged.