Further Clarifications of Geertz's Account of Culture as a Resource for Theology

Abstract

This article builds on a previous article in Pacifica on Clifford Geertz's understanding of culture. It continues the articulation of Geertz's views by way of an examination of various criticisms both of the details of his work and of his approach. It shows that many of these criticisms have misunderstood Geertz's work or are otherwise unfounded. In particular the author examines the objection that any hermeneutic approach to culture cannot be empirical, and looks at what “empirical” might mean in relation to a discipline in which “meaning” is a key category. The work of Bernard Lonergan is used throughout as a major resource for clarifying both Geertz's own thought and that of his critics.