Dewi Z. Phillips, 71; Claremont Professor of Philosophy of Religion

Dewi Zephaniah Phillips, 71, a professor of the philosophy of religion at Claremont Graduate University, died July 25 in Swansea, Wales, where he was doing research.

Phillips, who also was a research professor at the University of Wales in Swansea, died after collapsing in the school library. The cause has not yet been determined.

He was considered an expert on the teachings of Ludwig Wittgenstein, the 20th century philosopher who explored the foundations of logic. Phillips wrote more than 20 books on his subject, including “Wittgenstein and Religion.”

His other books included “Interventions in Ethics” and “Religion Without Transcendence?”

A native of Swansea, Phillips earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Wales, where he studied philosophy and the philosophy of religion.

He joined the Claremont Graduate University faculty in 1992 after teaching at several universities in Britain. At Claremont, he organized an annual conference on the philosophy of religion.

Although he took his subject seriously, he was known for his great sense of humor. Among his favorite quotes: “Any philosophy that could be stated in a nutshell belongs there.”