Philosophy Of Religion Research Articles

Filozoficzna droga kard. Mariana Jaworskiego: od metafizyki ogólnej do szczegółowej i stosowanej

The article is an attempt to present the philosophical achievements of Marian Jaworski in terms of the basic method and direction of his thoughts as well as the most important ideas. These ideas are particularly present in his last book, which constitutes the third volume of his work, in which the vast majority of his most recent articles are included. They are a testimony to the way he understood philosophy and the problems it raises. They are also the most persuading sign of the process of evolution that took place in his scientific life. It is evidenced by the existence of three, quite clearly outlined, phases in his philosophical research. Each one is distinct from another in terms of prevailing methodology used, and the philosophical questions which had been raised. The first phase of his philosophical investigations was connected with general metaphysics. The second one was related to the application of the ideas of special and applied metaphysics on the basis of the cognitive tools of general metaphysics in the main philosophical disciplines (philosophy of religion, philosophical anthropology and philosophy of God). The third one, however, was expressed in the application of the above mentioned met- aphysical ideas in more specialized philosophical disciplines, such as Christian philosophy (e.g. philosophy of prayer, philosophy of consecrated life), and in the philosophy of specifically human phenomena (philosophy of suffering, of humanism and of dialogue).

O vínculo silogístico entre religião e Estado nas Lições sobre a filosofia da religião de Hegel

In this article, I draw upon the connection between politics and religion from Hegelian Logic’s elements. In The Science of Logic's Introduction (1812-1816), Hegel conceives the logical method as the explanation of a content that affirms itself as “the exposition of God as he is in his eternal essence” (WdL-I, p. 44). This assertion is enhanced in The Encyclopedia of the Philosophical Sciences in Basic Outline (1830), in which Hegel claims that Logic must be sought in order to support an understanding the interest taken “in in religion, the State, the law and ethical life” (Enz § 19 Z3). The connection through Logic between religion and politics highlights the sense of “process” in which God, whereas he is activity, constitutes himself as he interacts with the other of himself (world and human beings). The divine moving is composed out of the logical "parts" Singular (S), Particular (P) and Universal (U), and actualizes the truth through the syllogism U-P-S, improving itself from other three iterations: S-P-U, P-S-U, and S-U-P. The Universal transcendental level attempts to solve the joint between Objective spirit (State) and Absolute spirit (Religion). This article also evaluates the usage of the syllogisms to indicate the intersection of temporal and spiritual elements, as well as political and logical dimensions under the concept of “community” in Philosophy of Right (1821), the aforementioned The Encyclopedia, and the Lectures on the Philosophy of Religion (1821-1831).

Spirituality of Catholic Teachers in Realizing Multicultural Education in Indonesia

The spirituality of Catholic teachers is critical, considering that the Indonesian nation is rich in cultural, religious, ethnic, and racial diversity. If not managed, the diversity can lead to problems such as racism, radicalism, and others. This study aims to implement multicultural understanding among Catholic teachers by developing multicultural attitudes. This study uses library research by analyzing previous works on Catholic teachers and multicultural education in Indonesia. The results show that many efforts have been implemented to enhance multicultural education in Indonesia. Furthermore, Catholic teachers are required to be professional in teaching and have a spirituality that was derived from the Catholic faith. This spirituality should always be developed and maintained by realizing Catholic teachers’ status as pastoral agents, educators, apostles, and catechists. The formation of the multicultural character of Catholic teachers starts from inculcating multicultural values and fostering the Catholic faith for prospective Catholic teachers. Prospective Catholic teachers should be prepared to live and become the frontrunner in multicultural education by providing them with proper capacity in interreligious dialogue, comparative philosophy of religion, the study of local wisdom of Pancasila, and contextual theological studies. Prospective Catholic teachers are expected to encourage their future students’ national characters to create an inclusive Indonesian society.

정통주의 그리스도교는 포스트모더니즘으로부터 무엇을 배울 수 있는가?: 메롤드 웨스트폴의 유한성의 해석학과 포스트모더니즘에 대한 종교적 전유

This paper investigates Merold Westphal’s understanding of postmodernism, as well as how he appropriates it to religion, especially Christianity. In this study, I will: (1) explore Westphal’s understanding and interpretation of postmodernism; (2) investigate Westphal’s hermeneutics of finitude as a framework for appropriating postmodernism; and (3) critically consider how Westphal appropriates postmodernism to Christianity by introducing John D. Caputo’s criticism of Westphal’s understanding of postmodernism. In doing so, I will examine the meanings and limits of Westphal’s thought. Ultimately, this study will provide a deeper understanding of Westphal himself as an important figure in the philosophy of religion in our time. This will enable a clearer reflection on the advantages and insights that religious believers and communities can gain when applying postmodernism to their religious faith and understanding.

Job's Final Insight, Narratives, and the Brain

In continental philosophy of religion, the hermeneutics of narratives takes a central role. Analytic philosophy of religion, on the other hand, considers religious statements mostly as assertions of fact. It examines the logical form and semantics of religious statements, addresses their logical commitments, and examines their epistemological status. Using the example of a passage in the Book of Job, it is investigated whether the methods of analytic philosophy are also suitable for analyzing religious narratives. The question is explored whether there is a genuine form of knowledge, besides propositional factual knowledge, which is bound to the form of narration. Particular attention will be paid to the inter-personal pragmatic embeddedness of narratives. The connection between second-personal knowledge and narratives is examined. Using the historical example of Ignatius of Loyola's theory of religious knowledge, it is argued that propositional argumentative knowledge is only one form of religious knowledge among others. The others are second-personal and narrative in character. Having thus established this distinct form of knowledge, it is asked whether our best empirical knowledge of the neurophysiological basis of intuitive and non-argumentative cognition provides a foundation for better understanding inter-personal religious cognition within narratives.

Editorial: E. J. Lowe’s Metaphysics and Philosophical Theology

Edward Jonathan Lowe was one of the most distinguished metaphysicians of the last 50 plus years. He made immense contributions to analytic philosophy in as diverse areas as metaphysics, philosophy of mind, philosophy of language, philosophical logic, history of Modern philosophy (especially on John Locke), and philosophy of religion

Religion, Platonist Dialectics, and Pragmatist Analysis: Marcus Tullius Cicero’s Contributions to the Philosophy and Sociology of Divine and Human Knowing

Whereas Socrates, Plato, Aristotle and Augustine are probably the best known of the early Western philosophers of religion, Marcus Tullius Cicero (106-43 BCE) also played a particularly consequential role in the development and continuity of Greco-Latin-European social thought. Cicero may be best known for his work on rhetoric and his involvements in the political intrigues of Rome, but Cicero’s comparative examinations of the Greco-Roman philosophies of his day merit much more attention than they have received from contemporary scholars. Cicero’s considerations of philosophy encompass much more than the theological issues considered in this statement, but, in the process of engaging Epicurean and Stoic thought from an Academician (Platonist) perspective, Cicero significantly extends the remarkable insights provided by Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. Although especially central to the present analysis, Cicero’s On the Nature of the Gods (1972) is only one of several texts that Cicero directs to a comparative (multiparadigmatic and transhistorical) analysis of divine and human knowing. Much of Cicero’s treatment of the philosophy of religion revolves around variants of the Socratic standpoints (i.e., dialectics, theology, moralism) that characterized the philosophies of Cicero’s era (i.e., Stoicism, Epicureanism, Academician dialectics), but Cicero also engages the matters of human knowing and acting in what may be envisioned as more distinctively pragmatist sociological terms. As well, although Cicero’s materials reflect the socio-historical context in which he worked, his detailed analysis of religion represents a valuable source of comparison with present day viewpoints and practices. Likewise, a closer examination of Cicero’s texts indicates that many of the issues of divine and human knowing, with which he explicitly grapples, have maintained an enduring conceptual currency. This paper concludes with a consideration of the relevance of Cicero’s works for a contemporary pragmatist sociological (symbolic interactionist) approach to the more generic study of human knowing and acting.

Critical Theory of Religion by Erich Fromm: from Messianic Judaism to Radical Humanism

This paper studies Erich Fromm’s critical theory of religion and looks into the evolution of the philosopher’s views. We analyze key concepts of Fromm’s humanistic psychology, including biophilia, rejection of idolatry, X-experience, classification of religions as humanistic or authoritarian, plea for sustainable coexistence with the environment, and some others. The author demonstrates close connection of these concepts with Judaic tradition, especially the messianism and negative theology of Maimonides. The paper is divided into chapters tracing the evolution of Fromm’s views on religion — from Hasidic Judaism, through following Freud and Marx, to the concept of humanistic religion. The analysis shows that starting from his early works and up to the radical, socialistic humanism as the pinnacle of his thought, Fromm as a philosopher and a strong Israelite draws inspiration from the religious tradition. Notably, his PhD thesis was devoted to the sociology of Hebrew diaspora, Der Sabbath, The Dogma of Christ. However, Fromm’s theory of religion, accordant with the Frankfurt School, combines aspects of Hegel, Marx and Freud’s teachings. Fromm’s views on religion are an original, self-consistent synthesis of diverse ideas, and result in the concept of radical humanism. The paper specifically considers Fromm’s view on idolatry as a form of alienation. Fromm urges to fight against idolatry in a bro.ader sense, finding it in various social phenomena, ranging from consumerism to religious fundamentalism. The paper also reviews the concept of X-experience that Fromm gives in You Shall Be as Gods. The X-experience is a special transcendental experience, separated from its multiple theistic or non-theistic conceptualizations. X-experience is psychological in its nature and leads to diminishing or eliminating narcissism. It constitutes a certain opposition to the alienation caused by idolatry. The work also considers Fromm’s idea of humanistic religion as related to his other concepts. The author supposes that the distinction between authoritarian and humanistic religions is tied to the earlier separation into authoritarian and humanistic ethics that Fromm presents in Man for himself. The impact of Marx and Freud on Fromm’s philosophy of religion is highlighted. While drawing from both, Fromm considered Marx’s theory to be deeper and more significant.

It Takes Two to Make a Thing Go Right: Phenomenology, Theology, and Janicaud

AbstractIn his influential essay, “The Theological Turn of French Phenomenology,” Dominique Janicaud suggests that phenomenology and theology “make two.” On the thirtieth anniversary of that essay, here we consider some of the main lines of response that have been offered to his account. We suggest that there are three general approaches that have been the most prominent: indifferentism, integrationism, and pluralism. The indifferentists implicitly suggest that Janicaud is right about the divide between phenomenology and theology. The integrationists think that Janicaud is wrong about the divide because theology and philosophy are unable to be strictly distinguished. The pluralists suggest that Janicaud is right about the division, but wrong about how it works. For pluralists, philosophy and theology are distinguished due to the immediate evidential authorities that operate in the two discourses. As such, phenomenological theology and phenomenological philosophy of religion are importantly different. Defending pluralism as the best of the three options, we argue that it avoids the potential reductionism that is present in the other two. We conclude by turning to the ways in which, precisely because phenomenological philosophy and phenomenological theology make two, they can both benefit from being put into robust engagement with the other.

Reproaching the Divine: Poetic Theologies of Protest as a Resource for Expanding the Philosophy of Religion

AbstractEngaging with works of poetry is one effective, yet hitherto underdeveloped, means of diversifying the philosophy of religion beyond the standard preoccupations with narrow formulations of theism. This article explores and exemplifies this potential in relation to two major poetic figures, namely R. S. Thomas and Rāmprasād Sen. Despite their locations in very different religious contexts—Anglican Christianity in twentieth-century Wales, in the one case, and Hindu Goddess devotion in eighteenth-century Bengal, in the other—each of these poets voices sentiments that are redolent of a theology (or thealogy) of protest. Such protest is exhibited not in an outright rejection of the divine but in a troubled relationship through which the deity is questioned, reproached, and sometimes railed against. Attending to such materials affords the philosophy of religion, and the study of religion more broadly, an enriched appreciation of the possibilities both of religious viewpoints and of conceptions of divinity.

From the Death to Rebirth of Religion: Evolution of Leszek Kołakowski’s Thought in the Context of the Question: “Who Is Man?”

In his numerous books and articles, Leszek Kołakowski brought up a number of topics in the fields of the history of philosophy and contemporary philosophy. His work offers valuable insights into problems revolving around Karl Marx’s philosophy, social philosophy, and the philosophy of religion, to mention but a few. In all these areas of thought, the Polish philosopher centres his focus on the fundamental question of man. The present paper is aimed at discussing Leszek Kołakowski’s contribution to the philosophical debate on this topic. The evolution of Kołakowski’s views is traced from the Marxist concept of man which, after a certain period, is discarded by the philosopher in favour of a religious concept, to be confronted again with a liberal theory. Kołakowski is not uncritical about any of the conceptions, which testifies to the profound complexity of every attempt to gain insights into the very essence of the human being which, irrespective of the doctrine or perspective taken for interpretation, escapes clear-cut definition. However, despite the lack of unambiguous definitions Kołakowski recognises that the sole point of reference in any attempts to gain an understanding of the human condition in culture is religion.

After a Post-Heterosexual Mormon Theology: A Ten-Year Retrospective

After a Post-Heterosexual Mormon Theology: A Ten-Year Retrospective

Special Issue: Analytic Philosophy of Religion

Special Issue: Analytic Philosophy of Religion

THE DIVINE IDEAS TRADITION IN CHRISTIAN MYSTICAL THEOLOGY. By Mark A.McIntosh. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2021. Pp. xiii + 240. Hardcover, $85.00.

Religious Studies ReviewVolume 47, Issue 4 p. 522-523 Short Reviews of Recent Publications: Philosophy of Religion THE DIVINE IDEAS TRADITION IN CHRISTIAN MYSTICAL THEOLOGY. By McIntosh, Mark A.. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2021. Pp. xiii + 240. Hardcover, $85.00. First published: 19 January 2022 https://doi.org/10.1111/rsr.15528Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat No abstract is available for this article. Volume47, Issue4New Religious Movements and Documentary FilmsDecember 2021Pages 522-523 RelatedInformation

URGENSI FILSAFAT DAN AGAMA DALAM KEHIDUPAN MASYARAKAT INDONESIA: TINJAUAN FILSAFAT AGAMA TERHADAP KEMATIAN PASCA PANDEMI

Philosophy of religion is not focused on a particular religion, but rather on explaining the main points of religious teachings in general and includes all components of thought and teachings related to the interests of human essential life. Death is a part of human life that cannot be explained empirically. Thus, death becomes an eternal problem for humans. In this study, the death of the philosophy of religion perspective is a form of awareness of the reality of metaphysical-existential life. Thus, the synergy between heart in religion and reason in philosophy becomes one as an objective approach to death. The process of death during a pandemic is an acknowledgment of human existence in this limited world. The purpose of this paper is the importance of understanding philosophy and religion in the philosophy of religion in human life. Especially the meaning of death during a pandemic and after the Covid-19 pandemic. This research is library research with a qualitative method that involves the point of view of religious philosophy in seeing the meaning of post-pandemic death in a rational-philosophical manner. Thus, death is no longer a matter that is always debated, but death does not need to be worried and worried but must be faced by preparing it through the provision of religious understanding and a good attitude of religiosity. Therefore, this research is considered important to provide a critical view of the meaning of death from the point of view of religious philosophy.

BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ANALYSIS OF THE STUDIES ON THE PHILOSOPHY OF MUSIC IN TURKEY

Philosophy of music constitutes a wide area of research as a branch of music. It is observed that studies on the subject have increased in recent years. Since the philosophy of music has an interdisciplinary feature, it has been observed that there are writers from different fields. The aim of this research is to examine the scientific studies (graduate theses and articles) on the Philosophy of Music in Turkey by the bibliographic method. The research is based on the descriptive model and literature review and was performed using the bibliographic method. The study is important in terms of giving researchers a detailed framework and providing clues about the literature. In the research, YÖK (Council of Higher Education) National Thesis Center was used to scan the theses, and Dergipark, ULAKBİM (Turkish National Academic Network and Information Center), and Google Scholar databases were used to scan the articles. As a result of the research, 30 theses related to the Philosophy of Music in Turkey were reached. It was determined that 6 of the theses are doctoral studies and 24 of them are graduate studies. A total of 93 articles on the Philosophy of Music, 62 of which were published in international and 31 in national journals, were reached. When the areas of expertise of the researchers were examined, it was seen that they were among the fields of “Music” (30), “Philosophy” (21), “Music and Philosophy” (4), and “Theology and Philosophy of Religion” (11). However, it was determined that there are writers/researchers from different fields of study such as Communication, Political Science, Business, Economics, Geography, History, Art History, Painting, Literature. Key words: Music, philosophy, philosophy of music, bibliography

Ritual and Thought: Spirituality and Method in Philosophy of Religion

This paper outlines a strain of French Spiritualism, a philosophical tradition extending from Maine de Biran, Félix Ravaisson, and Jules Lachelier to their reception in the work of Maurice Blondel and his protégé Henry Duméry. In receiving and transforming this tradition, Blondel and Duméry have helped to provide a distinct philosophical paradigm in philosophy of religion, capable of providing insight into the spiritual nature of the human being, both in how spirituality relates to the advanced stages of religious culture in addition to its primitive presence in spontaneous action. As a tradition consecrated to the study of human consciousness, and the operations of the mind [l’esprit], the French spiritualist tradition provides a rich conceptual matrix for analyzing the nature of human thinking and its relationship to action. In such an analysis of human thought, Maurice Blondel set up a moral psychology and metaphysical anthropology, highlighting how the consciousness of the human being is linked to the objective order of existence, both in its material form and in the intelligible realities behind the nature of existence. This philosophical matrix helps to show how religious practices, through embodied engagement with the material world, are effective at generating a consciousness of metaphysical or transcendent realities. As such, this philosophical paradigm provides the means for constructing a theory of ritual, where ritual acts with symbols and signs may be rendered intelligible as the sensible means for the cognitive expression of spiritual activity.

Edmund Husserl on the Historicity of the Gospels. A Different Look at Husserl’s Philosophy of Religion and his Philosophy of the History of Philosophy

Edmund Husserl on the Historicity of the Gospels. A Different Look at Husserl’s Philosophy of Religion and his Philosophy of the History of Philosophy

The Challenge of Evil in Islamic Thought: A Brief Survey

Abstract The challenge of evil to rational Abrahamic religions has clearly been articulated in modern philosophy of religion predicated on the incompatibility of the omnipotence, omnibenevolence, and omniscience of God with the existence of evils. Even within the Islamic theological and philosophical traditions, there is a venerable history of theodicies and defences of a good God and the efficacy of human free will. That is the context in which we wish to locate the contributions in this special issue that examine the ways in which evil is considered in Islamic philosophical accounts (particularly of the Šiʿi traditions) from the classical period to the present.

Postmodern Theology as a Methodological Resource of Understanding Modern Religiosity: Conceptual, Worldview and Important Social Dimensions

The article comprehends the potential of the current achievements of the new Christian theologians in interpreting of the phenomenon of religiosity, its life and value-conceptual core and contexts of functioning, taking into account the modification of the historical conditions of the existence of culture, society, spirituality. The author ponders the conceptual content of the ideas of J. Milbank, J.-L. Marion and J. Caputo. The ideas of these authors are highlighted in their methodological uniqueness and at the same time the general paradigmatic context of their focus for comprehending the postmodern anthropological situation and the effectiveness of Christian spirituality in the conditions of post-secularism is taken into account. The research is interdisciplinary, combining the history of theological thought with the possibilities of philosophical anthropology and philosophy of religion.