Evidence, Rationality, and Religious Beliefs

There is growing interest in analytic philosophy/epistemology of religion and a nascent interest in cognitive science of religion (CSR) in Latin America. And the academic culture in the region is beginning to change from one in which academics are expected to publish only in local journals and with the limited purpose of interpreting the thought of specific authors, to one in which academics are expected to participate in and contribute to the larger, global discussion in their areas of specialization. I believe that by funding a post-doctoral research fellowship that will enable me to complete two books and a number of articles in philosophy/epistemology of religion and their intersection with CSR to be published in reputable English-language peer-reviewed journals, JTF will be contributing to consolidate this trend toward greater professionalization and internationalization of research in those areas of inquiry in Latin America. By funding my work on the two books (one introducing the Portuguese-speaking public to analytic epistemology of religion, and the other introducing the same public to Alvin Plantinga’s main contributions to philosophy), JTF will be making available, in the Portuguese-speaking world, academic material in the local language in analytic philosophy/epistemology of religion that is accessible to a non-specialist audience, while being useful to undergraduate and graduate students in philosophy and theology. And by funding my work on the articles, JTF will contribute to encourage other local academics to do research in those areas and seek to publish their results in academic journals outside Latin America, thus contributing to greater integration of Latin American academics to the global research community in those areas and to greater professionalization of academic work in philosophy/epistemology of religion and CSR in Latin America.