Human rationality in Vito Mancuso’s liberal Catholic theology augmenting the notions of Van Huyssteen’s ‘postfoundational transversality’ and McGrath’s ‘rational consilience’

Johan Buitendag,Corneliu C Simut

doi:10.4102/ve.v42i2.2222

Abstract

The cue for this article is human rationality being the cornerstone in Wentzel van Huyssteen’s thinking, and Alister McGrath’s scepsis about the feasibility of a postfoundational transversality in particular. This article does not intend to juxtapose Van Huyssteen’s postfoundational rationality to McGrath’s enterprise of a ‘rational consilience’ but contends that a transversal approach to rationality engages social ramifications as well. Subsequently, a liberal Catholic theologian’s take on rationality is presented here as such an offering from the social sciences contributes to a bricolage of unintegrated pieces of knowledge and discernments emerging from various disciplinary or social viewpoints on reality. Vito Mancuso continues to focus on human rationality which, in his view, provides humanity with the hope of eternal life or life from the perspective of eternity. Such a conviction is in line with his horizontal understanding of human rationality, in addition to the human being’s first challenge to understanding reality.Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: The reason d’être of this article is to call for a discussion partner to the notion of human rationality from the social sciences (indicated as one of the neglected fields in the theology and science discourse). Vito Mancuso, for one, brings the pragmatic and transformative (even revolutionary) dimension to the table. A transversal approach to rationality must integrate such social practices as well.

Highlights

Towards the end of his seminal recent book, The Territories of Human Reason: Sciences and Theology in an Age of Multiple Rationalities (McGrath 2019), Alister E
Alister McGrath has an illuminating remark regarding the transformation of the world through ‘intellectual culture’ and ‘natural sciences’ that fits Mancuso
Wentzel van Huyssteen’s understanding of transversality embraces our embeddedness in specific contexts, which is more than ‘mere belief’ and like ‘biological evolution’ implies ‘cultural evolution’, which goes beyond Darwinism (Van Huyssteen 2006:98)

Summary

Introduction

Towards the end of his seminal recent book, The Territories of Human Reason: Sciences and Theology in an Age of Multiple Rationalities (McGrath 2019), Alister E. No prism exists that does justice to this diversity when it comes to the theology and science discourse Models such as conflict, contrast, contact and confirmation have all proven to be dated (cf Buitendag 2003:1031). Van Huyssteen asserts in this regard: ‘Special attention needs to be given, for instance, to differences and apparent contrasts between science and religion, and to the important distinction between religion and theology. Theology, in this reflective mode, may turn out to share more with scientific reflection than with mystical experience’ (Van Huyssteen 1996:108; cf 1996:125). The position I designate here as “religious political pluralism” emerged within Christianity, but it is not the Christian position.’

Objectives

Conclusion