Job's Final Insight, Narratives, and the Brain

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Godehart Brüntrup
Keyword(s):  
Philosophy Of Religion ◽  
Logical Form ◽  
Continental Philosophy ◽  
Analytic Philosophy ◽  
Factual Knowledge ◽  
Empirical Knowledge ◽  
Religious Knowledge ◽  
Book Of Job ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Neurophysiological Basis

 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.

The Two-Fold Task of Christian Philosophy of Religion

2018 ◽  
pp. 83-103
Author(s):  
Bruce Ellis Benson
Keyword(s):  
Philosophy Of Religion ◽  
Continental Philosophy ◽  
Analytic Philosophy ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Way Of Life ◽  
Christian Philosophy ◽  
Practical Task ◽  
Continental Philosophy Of Religion

Using Pierre Hadot’s idea of “philosophy as a way of life,” Bruce Ellis Benson argues that Christian philosophy of religion is ultimately about the practical task of living our lives. But he contends that this task is two-fold: it includes both theory and also practice. While analytic philosophy of religion (APR) tends to emphasize theory and continental philosophy of religion (CPR) tends to emphasize practice (admittedly, these generalizations are only true to a certain extent), APR and CPR are both part of a two-fold task. Throughout the chapter, Benson puts into question any hard distinction between theory and practice.

scholarly journals DOES AGNOSTICISM EXIST?

2021 ◽  
pp. 68-75
Author(s):  
D.V. Ankin ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Philosophy Of Religion ◽  
A Priori ◽  
Logical Form ◽  
Analytic Philosophy ◽  
Analytical Philosophy ◽  
Existence Of God ◽  
Philosophical Literature ◽  
Linguistic Turn ◽  
Negative Characteristic ◽  
Definition Of

The term «agnosticism» is used quite often in the philosophical literature. Usually, the meaning of this term is associated with the presence of boundaries in knowledge, and as an example of agnosticism, they refer to the philosophy of I. Kant. Nevertheless, the meaning of this term raises many questions. What are these boundaries? What exactly does Kant consider unknowable? And a number of other questions are still waiting to be answered. Our goal will be to remove some of the existing uncertainties and to demonstrate, if not senselessness, then the problematicity of the very term «agnosticism». We will try to show that what is suitable for the philosophy of religion is not always meaningful and suitable for epistemology. Our methodology will be the analysis of the logical form of statements about the existence / non-existence of something. Such statements are called existential. The methodology for studying problems through the analysis of their linguistic form is the norm for analytical philosophy. For the definition of analytic philosophy, see V. Ye. Borisov and [7]. This methodology is associated with a «linguistic turn in philosophy» [14]. In this case, the term «agnosticism» should be investigated through existential statements, through statements about the existence / non-existence of something (God, spirits, etc.). In defining the concept of agnosticism, the interpretation of the position of I. Kant in relation to the boundaries of knowledge is of great importance. The position of I. Kant is also appropriate to interpret through the ways of using existential statements. Some existential statements according to Kant turn out to be cognitively insoluble. Such are the statements about God, about spirits, about a world transcendent to our experience (things in themselves), etc. For example, it is impossible to prove or disprove the existence of God — this is not a question of cognition (epistemology), but exclusively of faith. Of particular importance is I. Kant’s division of thinking and cognition. The research carried out shows that the term «agnosticism» is often used unreasonably and even meaninglessly, especially when some a priori negative characteristic is attached to it. The use of this term turns out to be very problematic.

Beyond Perennialism and Constructivism

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ayon Maharaj
Keyword(s):  
Conceptual Framework ◽  
Common Core ◽  
Mystical Experience ◽  
Philosophy Of Religion ◽  
Analytic Philosophy ◽  
Cultural Conditioning ◽  
Mystical Experiences

This chapter draws upon Sri Ramakrishna’s teachings and mystical testimony in order to develop a new conceptual framework for understanding the nature of mystical experience. In recent analytic philosophy of religion, two approaches to mystical experience have been especially influential: perennialism and constructivism. While perennialists maintain that there is a common core of all mystical experiences across various cultures, constructivists claim that a mystic’s cultural conditioning plays a major role in shaping his or her mystical experiences. After identifying the strengths and limitations of these two positions, Maharaj argues that Sri Ramakrishna champions a “manifestationist” approach to mystical experience that provides a powerful dialectical alternative to both perennialism and constructivism. According to Sri Ramakrishna, mystics in various traditions experience different real manifestations of one and the same impersonal-personal Infinite Reality. Sri Ramakrishna’s manifestationist paradigm shares the advantages of both perennialism and constructivism but avoids their respective weaknesses and limitations.

Emergent creationism: another option in the origin of the soul debate

2014 ◽  
Vol 50 (3) ◽  
pp. 321-339 ◽  
Author(s):  
JOSHUA R. FARRIS
Keyword(s):  
Philosophy Of Religion ◽  
Causal Role ◽  
Alternative View ◽  
Viable Option ◽  
Substance Dualism ◽  
Material Part ◽  
Recent Philosophy ◽  
Discrete Effect ◽  
The Brain

AbstractIn the debate over the theology of the soul's origin, there have traditionally been three broad views on origins. These include creationism, traducianism, and Origen's pre-existence view. In the recent philosophy of religion and mind literature, William Hasker posits an alternative view of origins called emergent substance dualism. As a contribution to this discussion, I put forward one novel option as a via media between simple creationism and Hasker's emergent substance dualism, wherein it has relevant overlapping features found in the two contrary positions. I suggest that this view is a variation of creationism like emergentism where the material part (i.e. the brain) has some positive causal role in the soul's coming to be as a discrete effect of one divine cause. I argue that emergent creationism (as I call it) is a viable option deserving the attention of philosophers and theologians.

scholarly journals Non-philosophical Christ-poetics beyond the mystical turn in conversation with continental philosophy of religion

2016 ◽  
Vol 72 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Johann-Albrecht Meylahn
Keyword(s):  
Philosophy Of Religion ◽  
Continental Philosophy ◽  
The Other ◽  
Negative Theology ◽  
The Uncanny ◽  
Close Proximity ◽  
Mystical Theology ◽  
Critical Conversation ◽  
Language Text ◽  
The Way

The religious turn in continental philosophy has opened the door for postmetaphysical mystical theology. Postmetaphysical mystical theology seeks to understand the non-relation relation of language (text) to the Other. Yet, this non-relation relation to the Other, who is every other, can also be interpreted differently to the mystical understanding. For example, Žižek argues that the Other, which is often experienced as the uncanny, the unpredictable and the contingent (lived spirituality), is not necessarily the result of some mystical unknowable Otherness but is a consequence of the way the subject’s own activity is inscribed into reality. These experiences of lived spirituality or experiences of Otherness can, rather than being interpreted as an in-breaking of the mystical Other, be interpreted otherwise, as a grammatological consequence of the inability and impossibility of language (Lacan). Therefore, in this article, Žižek’s thoughts function as a bridge to bring this mystical turn back into critical conversation with continental philosophy and particularly with the thoughts of Derrida, Laruelle and Stiegler. The contemporary mystical turn in theology rediscovers something of this non-religious religion. Derrida’s thoughts are in close proximity to negative theology and yet there is an important difference. This difference will be explored and further developed towards Laruelle’s non-philosophy, which does not translate into a non-religion religion or postmetaphysical metaphysics but remains a non-philosophy or maybe a science of Christ. This article will conclude with a tentative exploration of a postmetaphysical Christ-poetics beyond the mystical turn.

scholarly journals Exceeding Continental and Analytic Philosophy: The Post-Continental Thought of W.J.T. Mitchell

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (5) ◽  
pp. 14-19
Author(s):  
Anastasia Jessica Adinda Susanti
Keyword(s):  
Modern Philosophy ◽  
Mathematical Analysis ◽  
Continental Philosophy ◽  
Analytic Philosophy ◽  
Contemporary Philosophy ◽  
Picture Theory ◽  
Historical Continuity ◽  
Image Science ◽  
Continental Thought

The division between Continental and Analytic Philosophy in contemporary philosophy is more difficult to maintain than in modern philosophy. Some philosophers use both Continental and Analytic Philosophy together. They defy the presupposition that Continental thought is subjectivist, collectivist, and historicist, while Analytic thought is objectivist, individualist, and scientific. John Mullarkey calls this circumstance “The Post-Continental Philosophy”. This research aims to examine 'what is the post-continental thought of W.J.T. Mitchell?' and 'how does Mitchell exceed the boundaries of Continental and Analytic Philosophy?'. The method of this research is hermeneutic which involves some elements such as interpretative analyses, historical continuity, heuristics, and descriptive. In conclusion, Mitchell’s post-continental thought bridges the Continental and Analytic philosophy, especially through the concepts of Picture Theory and Image Science. In Picture Theory, he uses the Continental philosophy approach that emphasizes the interpretation of the image. Meanwhile, in Image Science, he employs the Analytic philosophy approach that gives attention to the abstract, rational, and mathematical analysis.

scholarly journals Special Issue: Analytic Philosophy of Religion

Manuscrito ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 44 (4) ◽  
pp. 1-2
Author(s):  
FÁBIO M. BERTATO ◽  
NICOLA CLAUDIO SALVATORE
Keyword(s):  
Philosophy Of Religion ◽  
Analytic Philosophy ◽  
Special Issue

Conceptions of Faith

2021 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Philosophy Of Religion ◽  
Analytic Philosophy ◽  
Christian Tradition ◽  
Contemporary Philosophy ◽  
Continental Tradition ◽  
Belief Model ◽  
Historical Accounts

This entry focuses on the recent resurgence of discussion of faith in contemporary analytic philosophy of religion. One prominent position that perhaps runs contrary to the popular-level view of the matter is that faith does not require belief. This—whether faith requires belief—is one of the most discussed issues in the literature, with some arguing that a different, weaker attitude than belief, such as acceptance or hope, is sufficient for faith. Other alternatives to the belief model of faith include imaginative faith in ultimism, faith as doxastic venture, and faith as trust. Additional topics in this entry include whether faith is consistent with evidentialism or whether it inherently requires a type of irrationality, and finally the degree to which skepticism is consistent with faith. In order to keep this entry a manageable size we will not address historical accounts of faith or those found within the Continental tradition. Additionally, we will not discuss non-Western conceptions of faith; the literature we examine focuses on propositional faith as found in the Judeo-Christian tradition (which is the focus of much contemporary philosophy of religion). Finally, given space constraints we focus on work produced after 2000, with the exception of particularly influential pieces.

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