'John Laughland has produced a masterful, scholarly, and compelling account of Schelling, uncovering entirely new and important material relating to the development of his later thought, and tracing with dexterity Schelling’s roots in, and passage beyond, German Idealism. Where Laughland really excels is in showing how Schelling is in dialogue with, and even influenced by, St. Thomas Aquinas. The Schelling presented here turns out to be a thoroughgoing Christian metaphysician, entirely undermining, Hegel’s claim to be the last word in Christian philosophy.' Revd Dr Laurence Paul Hemming, Heythrop College, University of London 'Laughland’s thesis is that Schelling’s philosophy is not idealism, but real-idealism. By stressing the realist aspect, Laughland makes a convincing point that instead of being closely tied with proto-idealist approaches such as Neoplatonism and Spinozism, as it is commonly believed, Schelling is indeed much closer to Aquinas and to Catholic Philosophy. The book is significant for addressing an issue that has hardly been addressed as such, while covering all periods of Schelling’s philosophical production.' Riccardo Pozzo, University of Verona, Italy ’... for the depth and breadth of his scholarship, the elegance of style, the precision and wisdom of his selectivity, Laughland’s study is currently the best thing on Schelling available in English.’ Heythrop Journal 'This book is full of genuine insights and at times shines with beautiful statements ... Laughland, a talented political philosopher, has done a great service for theologians ... Every theologian who is remotely interested in philosophy or metaphysics, or in the relationship between faith and reason, owes him a debt of gratitude.' Modern Theology