While much has been written on Lewis and his work, virtually nothing has been written from a philosophical perspective on his views of happiness, pleasure, pain, and the soul and body. As a result, no one so far has recognized that his views on these matters are deeply interesting and controversial, and-perhaps more jarring-no one has yet adequately explained why Lewis never became a Roman Catholic. Stewart Goetz’s careful investigation of Lewis’s philosophical thought reveals oft-overlooked implications and demonstrates that it was, at its root, at odds with that of Thomas Aquinas and, thereby, the Roman Catholic Church.

This volume introduces readers to the dominant scientifically oriented worldview called naturalism. Stewart Goetz and Charles Taliaferro examine naturalism philosophically, evaluating its strengths and weaknesses. Whereas most other books on naturalism are written for professional philosophers alone, this one is aimed primarily at a college-educated audience interested in learning about this pervasive worldview.

Eerdmans’ Interventions series scrutinizes the popular and cultural lenses by which modern theological thought is (often unknowingly) studied. Featuring introductions as critical as they are timely, these pivotal studies analyze theologians and philosophical movements that have had a long-lasting impact on modern theology. Coming from the Centre of Theology and Philosophy at the University of Nottingham, England, Interventions is a genuinely interdisciplinary series of mediations of crucial concepts and key figures in contemporary thought.

This high-powered collection of 47 Eerdmans titles features the best in Catholic theology and biblical studies and will super-charge your Verbum library, dramatically broadening and deepening your understanding of the Catholic faith and Tradition.

The Eerdmans Ultimate Collection includes resources for study in Bible, theology, history and more. These resources come from well-received series such as Theological Dictionary of the New Testament (TDNT), New International Commentary (NIC), Pillar New Testament Commentary (PNTC), Forms of Old Testament Literature (FOTL), New International Greek Testament Commentary (NIGTC), among others as well as outstanding stand-alone volumes. Your studies will be enriched with titles from scholars such as D.A. Carson, Douglas Moo, Leon Morris, Joel B. Green, J. Gordon McConville, and more.

The Eerdmans Philosophy Collection (6 vols.) features 6 volumes surveying several concepts and characters of philosophy’s history. Four volumes from Eerdmans’ Interventions series are included dealing with the theological and philosophical implications of provocative figures such as Heidegger and slovenian philosopher Slavoj Žižek, as well as surveying the concepts of naturalism and hierarchy. Of particular interest is Prudence Allen’s magisterial two-volume work, The Concept of Woman, wherein Allen surveys 2,000 years of woman, especially in relation to man. Her insights are an essential addition the library of students of philosophy, history, theology, literature, and politics.

The Eerdmans Catholic Theology Collection presents a wealth of insights, reflections, and challenges for Catholics, and indeed, all Christians. This is not a collection for soothing re-affirmation of the modern-day “it’s all good” mentality, but rather a powerful set of volumes that provoke you to re-think what it means to be Christian and a Catholic.

Why pursue a university education? Some people answer in terms of the purpose of getting a good job. Others respond in terms of the aim of earning more money. Still others answer in terms of the goal of promoting social justice. Drawing on C. S. Lewis's belief that the purpose of life is the experience of perfect happiness, Stewart Goetz explains Lewis's simple but overlooked view that a person should pursue a university education for the pleasure that comes from higher-level intellectual activity. Goetz not only sharpens our understanding of Lewis's life and work in higher education, but also leads us to question why we attend, study, teach, or research at a university.