Yandell, Keith E.

Keith E. Yandell (1938-2020) was an American philosopher of religion who taught at the University of Wisconsin-Madison for over four decades. He made significant contributions to religious epistemology, comparative philosophy of religion, and the rational assessment of religious claims. Yandell defended the view that religious beliefs can be rationally evaluated and that religious experience can provide evidence for theistic belief. His work "Religion with Reasons" exemplifies his commitment to rigorous philosophical analysis of religious claims, arguing against both fideism and religious skepticism. Yandell also wrote extensively on Eastern religions, particularly Hinduism and Buddhism, bringing analytical philosophical methods to bear on non-Western religious traditions. His approach combined respect for religious diversity with insistence on rational standards for evaluating religious truth claims. Throughout his career, he maintained that philosophy of religion should engage seriously with actual religious traditions rather than merely abstract theological concepts.