Author | : Steven J. Brams |
Publisher | : MIT Press |
Total Pages | : 244 |
Release | : 2003 |
Genre | : Business & Economics |
ISBN | : 9780262523325 |
BACK IN PRINT with a new preface and a new chapter
Author | : Steven J. Brams |
Publisher | : MIT Press |
Total Pages | : 244 |
Release | : 2003 |
Genre | : Business & Economics |
ISBN | : 9780262523325 |
BACK IN PRINT with a new preface and a new chapter
Author | : Steven J. Brams |
Publisher | : MIT Press |
Total Pages | : 219 |
Release | : 2024-03-12 |
Genre | : Mathematics |
ISBN | : 0262551454 |
A game-theoretical analysis of interactions between a human being and an omnipotent and omniscient godlike being highlights the inherent unknowability of the latter's superiority. In Divine Games, Steven Brams analyzes games that a human being might play with an omnipotent and omniscient godlike being. Drawing on game theory and his own theory of moves, Brams combines the analysis of thorny theological questions, suggested by Pascal's wager (which considers the rewards and penalties associated with belief or nonbelief in God) and Newcomb's problem (in which a godlike being has near omniscience) with the analysis of several stories from the Hebrew Bible. Almost all of these stories involve conflict between God or a surrogate and a human player; their representation as games raises fundamental questions about God's superiority. In some games God appears vulnerable (after Adam and Eve eat the forbidden fruit in defiance of His command), in other games his actions seem morally dubious (when He subjects Abraham and Job to extreme tests of their faith), and in still other games He has a propensity to hold grudges (in preventing Moses from entering the Promised Land and in undermining the kingship of Saul). If the behavior of a superior being is indistinguishable from that of an ordinary human being, his existence would appear undecidable, or inherently unknowable. Consequently, Brams argues that keeping an open mind about the existence of a superior being is an appropriate theological stance.
Author | : Philip Halstead |
Publisher | : Rowman & Littlefield |
Total Pages | : 244 |
Release | : 2020-11-24 |
Genre | : Religion |
ISBN | : 1978711441 |
Sport is a major preoccupation of the modern world. It consumes the time and energies of millions of people around the globe. In fact, for many participants, it operates much like a functional equivalent of religion, giving them a way to interpret and understand the world. Sports stadiums are the cathedrals of our time. Sports stars are the saints or demi-gods through whom we access the transcendent. Members of the sports media serve as religious scribes, and sports fans are the worshiping faithful. What is true of sport is also true, more generally, of play. Nevertheless, and quite remarkably, Christian theologians and religious historians have been surprisingly slow to recognize the spiritual and cultural significance of sport and play, or to engage in the study of these concepts. This book attempts to redress that neglect by integrating sport and play with Christian faith and practice. In Sports and Play in Christian Theology, ten Christian scholars and practitioners explore sport and play from theological, biblical, historical, and pastoral perspectives. This rich collection of wide-ranging reflections and focused case studies will help readers locate sport and play within Christian faith and practice.
Author | : Daniel Vincent |
Publisher | : Concept Publishing Company |
Total Pages | : 336 |
Release | : 2007 |
Genre | : Religion |
ISBN | : 9788180693823 |
This book takes a new Book at the Bible and its people from the dimension of its folk elements.
Author | : Steven J. Brams |
Publisher | : Psychology Press |
Total Pages | : 336 |
Release | : 2003 |
Genre | : Business & Economics |
ISBN | : 9780415308946 |
Steven J. Brams is one of the leading game theorists of his generation. This new edition includes brand new material on topics such as fallback bargaining and principles of rational negotiation.
Author | : Dan W. Clanton, Jr. |
Publisher | : Oxford University Press, USA |
Total Pages | : 615 |
Release | : 2020 |
Genre | : Religion |
ISBN | : 0190461411 |
"The study of the reciprocal relationship between the Bible and popular culture has blossomed in the past few decades, and the time seems ripe for a broadly-conceived work that assesses the current state of the field, offers examples of work in that field, and suggests directions for further study. This Handbook includes a wide range of topics organized under several broad themes, including biblical characters and themes in popular culture; the Bible in popular cultural genres; "lived" examples; and a concluding section in which we take stock of methodologies like Reception History and the impact of the field on teaching and publishing. These topics are all addressed by focusing on specific examples from film, television, comics, music, literature, video games, science fiction, material culture, museums, and theme parks, to name a few. This book represents a major contribution to the field by some of its leading practitioners, and will be a key resource for the future development of the study of Bible and American popular culture"--