Development of Philosophy of Religion:Rationality of Belief in God/Teleology/Miracle/Origin of Evil

I. Plato's Philosophy of Religion:

A. The Problem of Morality and Religion. Euthyphro; Apology; Crito; and PhaedoB. The Problem of the Virtuous Soul and Its Relation to God. Protagoras; Symposium;

Republic, Book I, IV, VI, VII. XC. The Problem of Creation and the Nature of the Universe. Timaeus D. The Problem of Religious Knowledge. Theaetetus; Parmenides; Laws, Bk. X (Plato's Ideas

and Aristotle's form)

II. Aristotle's Philosophy of Religion:

A. The Problem of Reason and Its Uses. Posterior Analytics; Topics, Bk. I (Logic)B. Problem of the Nature and Function of the Soul. On the Soul (De Anima) (Psychology)C. The Problem of the Nature of Being. Metaphysics, Bkx. I, IV, VI, VII, X, XIV (Being)D. The Problem of the Universe and God. Physics, Bks. Ill, VII, VIII (Matter)E. On the Good Life. Nichomachean Ethics; Bks. I-VI (Ethic)

(Plotinus' Neo-Platonian Philosophy)

III. Augustine and His Philosophy:

A. On Relations of Philosophy to Religion. Of True Religion (in Library of Christian Classics, Vol. VI). On the Morals of the Catholic Church. Enchiridian; or Faith, Hope and Charity.

B. On Religious Knowledge. Confessions. Of the Trinity, Bks. IX-XV.C. On Man and His Nature. Of the Free Will (in Selections from Medieval Philosophy,

McKeon, Vol. I and in Library of Christian Classics, Vol. VI). Of Two SoulsD. On History and the Salvation of Man. The City of God, Bks. XI-XXII.

IV. Problem of Faith and Reason:

Introduction: Sources and Nature of the Problem

1. Existence and Understanding2. The Real, the True and the Known

A. The Problem Stated "Analytically"

1. Modes of Knowing

a. As immediate apprehensionb. As intuition of necessary relationsc. As self-authenticating experienced. As subjective certitude

e. Mutuality-interpenetration-encounter (response)

2. Dimensions of Reason

a. As the principle of beingb. As a category of understandingc. As a regulative conceptd. As a manipulative instrumente. As a comprehensive meaning and art 3. Types of Faith

a. As belief or opinionb. As intelligent willc. As trustful actiond. As participation in community

B. The Problem Stated Historically (Definitions of Reason and Faith)

1. Reason as Essence - Plato, Theaetetus, esp. 177-2102. Reason Challenged by Faith - Clement of Alexandria, Stromateis, Bk. II.3. Reason Understanding Faith - Augustine, On the Profit of Believing4. Faith Employing Reason in its Defense - Anselm, Monologium5. Faith as the Capstone of Reason - Aquinas, Summa Theologica, Pt. I, Qp. 1 and 2; and Pt. II.

ii, Qp. 1-76. Alienation of Faith and Reason

a.. Descartes, Discourse on Method b. Spinoza, Theologico-Political Treatise, esp. XI-XV

7. Reduction of Faith to Reasona. Locke, Essay Concerning Human Understanding, Bk. IV, esp. 14-18. b. Hume, Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding, esp. VIII-XI.

8. Reason Removed to Make Room for Faith - Kant, Prolegomena to Any Future Metaphysic9. Faith Absorbed in Absolutized Reason - Hegel, Phenomenology of Mind, esp. pp. 272-336

and 507-558 (Baillie Translation)10. The Conflict Resolved in Passionate Act - Kierkegaard; Concluding Unscientific Postscript,

esp. pp. 23-55 and 169-224. (Background to Contemporary Theology)

C. Toward a Resolution of the Problem

1. Faith as Autonomous

a. Rejection of Natural Theology (Nature/Grace)b. Faith as Gift vs. Faith as Verdict

(Read E. L. Cocke, By Faith Alone (Clarke & Co.. 1943); E. Brunner Revelation and Reason (Westminster); K. Barth, The Word of God and the Word of Man (Pilgrim. 1928)

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2. Reason as Autonomous

a. Reason as absolute - essence and criteriab. Identification of rationality and reason

(Read R. L. Patterson, Rationalism and Irrationalism in Religion (Duke, 1954); Morris Cohen, Reason and Nature (Free Press, 1953); A. E. Murphy, Uses of Reason (Macmillan, 1943).

3. Faith as Comprehensive Reason

a. Reason and "Right Reason"b. Reason as interpreter of fact and of faithc. Faith and Knowledge in Dynamic interaction

(Read N. F. S. Ferre, Faith and Reason. Harper, 1946; J.V.L. Casserley, Graceful Reason. Longmans, 1955; L. H. DeWolf, Religious Revolt Against Reason. Harper, 1949; Roger Hazelton, Renewing the Mind. Macmillan, 1949)

4. Religious Knowledge as Participation of Persons

(Read John Baillie, Our Knowledge of God (Scribners, 1939); Maxan Buber, The Eclipse of God. Harper, 1952; Wm. G. DeBurgh, Toward a Religious Philosophy. MacDonald and Evans, 1937; Karl Heim. God Transcendent; Scribners, 1936)

V. Five Faces of Atheism:

A. Origins of Modern Atheism:

1. Science and Proofs for God2. Kant's First Critique: Conclusion: Man's theoretical reason is unable to establish God's

existence. Affirmation of God's existence is not an act of knowledge, i.e., no certainty (reasoned) about God's existence. Kant adheres to theism in Critique of Practical Reason (God, Freedom, Immortality). Ethical duties constitute object of practical reason. See Ignace Lepp, Atheism in Our Time (Macmillan paperback, 1963).

3. Kant rejected the claim that science could ever affirm or deny God's existence. Aristotle to Aquinas (ontological, cosmological, teleological - design mechanism Newtonian world-machine).

B. Five Faces of Atheism:

1. Comtes Positivism - Sociological expression of unbelief. Science and absence of God.2. Psychological Atheism - e.g., Freud's projection theory, i.e., religion as illusion; future of an

illusion.3. Economic Atheism - e.g. Marx's Atheism (Hegel-Feuerbach). Religion as instrument of

oppression

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4. Moral Atheism - e.g. Nietzsche's Death of God.5. Anthropological Atheism: From Darwin to existentialism/phenomenological atheism, e.g.

Sartre; M. Merleau-Ponty.

a. Does science (physics, Inter-Disciplinary Humanities, social science) need God?b. Does Religion need God?c. Does Ethics need God?d. Does Society need God?

1. Sociological Atheism - of A. Comte (1798-1847)

Two correlated propositions: (1) Law of three stages, e.g., each science passes - theological, metaphysical, and positive. (2) Sociology the summit of hierarchy of sciences. French Revolution destruction of social structures. The individual and society passes thru laws - positive social development depends on scientific, i.e., sociological knowledge of sociological phenomenon. The great discovery of the year 1822 in Comte's mind was to become directive idea for reorganizing society shaken by the French Revolution. Science alone could rebuild society. Conclusion: Sociological Atheism.

2. Psychological Atheism

God/Man/Sin/Civilization after Freud Projection - Locke, Berkeley, and Kepler Theory of colors and visual perception of space. Projection in Freud - man projects best and worships as God.Future of Illusion - Totem-and Taboo - Moses and Monotheism (Golding's Lord of the Flies)

Theory of Origin of Religion: Totemism as origin - Religion is nothing but a scheme by which man tries to defend himself against the overpowering forces of nature. Begins by humanizing forces, lose fearful character; father ambiguous Totemistic religion: tribe catches animal, savagely kills it via beating or tearing it to pieces alive, and then mourns its death. Origin of guilt and anxiety. Totem animal stands for Father. In primitive horde jealous father kept all females for himself frustrating sexual cravings of adolescent sons. Brothers joined forces and killed and ate the father. Identified with the Father and acquired his power; also Totem meal beginning of social organization, moral rules, religion. Love/Hate - Deification of Father Image - Future of an Illusion, wish, desire.

3. Economic Atheism: Marx

4. Moral Atheism - Nietzsche (1844-1900)

a. The Dawn of Day (against the morality of self-renunciation)b. Gay wisdom (against Christianity)c. Thus Spoke Zarathustra (coming of Superman)d. Beyond Good and Evil (will to power)e. God is Dead

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i) If God exists then man cannot fulfill vocation. Psychological explanation of man's belief in God. Four reasons for rejecting God:

a. Morals connected with God - forbid the strong to develop their power.b. God leads to equality of all man.c. Faith in providence robs man of any motive for striving for power and greatness - providence

means man doesn't matter - God determines future (will to power).d. As long as belief in God prevails neither man nor the earth can be restored to their original

"innocence"; Yes to the world and execute his will to power.

ii) Nietzsche on Christianity (For the loser - three attacks)

a. Lowers man to slavery - enslaving moralityb. Christian virtues lead to decadence - to keep species healthy, eliminate misfits and the weakc. No striving if morality connected with God b. No more striving for truthd. Man is "diseased animal" if man would vanish from earth nothing important would be lost -

purify earth of "skin disease."

5. Anthropological Atheism - Authentic man depends on Death of God

Anthropos - reason for rejection of God

1. Kierkegaard - 1813 to 1855 (influences - positivism and Hegel) e.g. Sartre's Atheism - Devil and Good Lord. Evil - what he wants to say:a. Absolute good - impossibleb. Imperative to appeal to God in order to provide human action with guarantee of absolute

goodness - God does not exist. M. Merleau Ponty - atheism - temporal being2. Radical Theology - Death of God3. Theological Fragmentation - William Hamilton - metaphor describing new essence of

Christianity.4. Problem of Meaning - Paul M. van Buren - God - Meaningless5. Christian Atheism - Thomas J. J. Altizer6. Incarnation - Death of God - via the Cross7. Gospel of Christian Atheism; Oriental Mysticism and Biblical Eschatology - Westminster8. Death of God - Dialogue - Interfaith9. Ethics as worldly responsibility - Centrality of Person of Jesus10. Cosmic Croquet Game - Alice in Wonderland - The umpire, the Queen of Hearts, kept

changing the rules and sending the players to the headsman to be beheaded. Kant - 1724-1804 Hegel - 1770-1831 Marx - 1818-1883 Darwin - 1809 - 1882 Nietzsche - 1844-1900 Freud - 1856-1939 Wilhelm Hermann - 1846-1922 Ernst Troeltsch - 1856-1923 Adolf von Harnack - 1851-1930 (K. Barth's Word of God and Words of Men; R. Otto, Idea of Holy (Oxford Galaxy, pb.)

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VI. Emergence Of Philosophy Of Religion: Hume - Kant - Hegel

A. Historical Backgrounds:

1. Hellenic Philosophy2. Hebrew-Christian Thought3. Stoicism and Platonism4. Augustinian Synthesis

Burtt: Types of Religious Philosophy, Preface and chps. I-IV

Primary Sources:

Augustine, Confessions, esp. Bks. VII-XI

Secondary Sources:

Edwyn Bevan, Hellenism and ChristianityJ. B. Bury, The Idea of ProgressC. N. Cochrane, Christianity and Classical CultureA. D. Nock, ConversionT. R. Glover, Conflict of Religions in the Early Roman EmpireA. C. McGiffert, The God of the Early ChristiansE. M. Pickman, The Mind of Latin ChristendomW. P. Tolley, The Idea of God in the Philosophy of St. Augustine

B. Catholic Philosophy of Religion:

1. Eclipse of Platonism2. Aristotelianism as Christian Philosophy3. Scholasticism: the System of Thomas Aquinas4. Catholic Criticisms of the System

Burtt: Types of Religious Philosophy, Chp. V

Primary Sources:

Thomas Aquinas: Randomhouse on Aquinas; Sunma contra Gentiles, Books I—II Introduction to Thomas Aquinas, Modern Library Thomas Aquinas, Everyman Library

Secondary Sources:

Karl Adam: The Spirit of CatholicismHilaire Belloc: The Question and the Answer M. C. D'Arcy: Thomas Aquinas

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Etienne Gilson: God and Philosophy: The Philosophy of St. Thomas Aquinas The Spirit of Mediaeval Philosophy Reason and Revelation in the Middle Ages

Martin Grabmann: Thomas Aquinas, His Personality and ThoughtG. H. Joyce: Principles of Natural Theology D. J. Kennedy: Thomas Aquinas and Mediaeval Philosophy Jacques Maritain: St. Thomas Aquinas C. C. Martindale: The Faith of the Roman Church: Human Nature and Destiny F. J. Sheen: Philosophy of Religion: God and Intelligence in the Modern World

C. Protestant Fundamentalism and Its Philosophy:

1. Revival of Platonic Augustinianism2. Reassessment of Reason and Revelation3. God's Sovereignty and Man's Freedom

Burtt: Types of Religious Philosophy, Chp. VI

Primary Sources:

Martin Luther: Primary Words (ed., Wace and Buchheim)Compend of Luther's Theology (Ed., H. T. Kerr) Reformation Writings of Martin Luther (Ed., B.

L.'Woolf)John Calvin: Institutes of the Christian Religion, Books I-II Jonathan Edwards: On Freedom of the Will

Secondary Sources:

L. Boettner: The Reformed Doctrine of PredestinationE. J. Camell: Introduction to Christian Apologetics

Philosophy of the Christian Religion

G. H. Clark: The Christian View of Men and Things S. G. Craig: Christianity Rightly So CalledC. F. H. Henry: The Protestant Dilemma; The Remaking of the Modern Mind J. G. Machen: The Christian Doctrine of Man; Christian Faith in the Modern World; Christianity

and Liberalism James Orr: Revelation and InspirationR. A. Torrey: Fundamental Doctrines of the Christian Faith Cornelius Van Til: The New ModernismB. B. Warfield: Revelation and InspirationBernard Ramm: Science and The Christian Scriptures Strauss, J. D. A Puritan in a "Post-Puritan World" in Grace Unlimited, ed. by Clark Pinnock.

Bethany House, 1975.

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D. Religion of Reason:

1. Mathematical Method and Religious Knowledge2. Reason, Nature and God3. Rational Necessity and Human Freedom4. The Intellectual Love of God

Burtt: Types of Religious Philosophy, Chp. VII

Primary Sources:

Descartes: Meditations of the First Philosophy I & II Discourse on Method, Part I Principles of Philosophy. Part II

Spinoza: On the Improvement of the Understanding Ethics, Parts I, II & V Leibniz: Monadology

Secondary Sources:

G. P. Adams: Idealism in the Modern AgeArthur Balfour: Theism and ThoughtJ. E. Boodin: GodA. S. Eddington: The Nature of the Physical WorldW. L. Davidsun: Theism as Grounded in Human NatureA. C. Fraser: Philosophy of TheismJ. S. Haldane: The Sciences and PhilosophyR. B. H. Haldane: Pathway co RealityW. E. Hocking: The Meaning of God in Human ExperienceHenry James: A Faith that EnquiresJames Jeans: The Mysterious UniverseWilliam Temple: Men's CreatrixF. R. Tennant: Philosophical Theology, Vol. IIW. M. Urban: Humanity and Deity

E. Agnosticism: The Religion of Doubt

1. Empirical Method and Scientific Method2. Limitations on Empiricism3. God as a Useful Probability

Burtt: Types of Religious Philosophy, Chp. VIII

Primary Sources:

John Locke: Essay Concerning the Human Understanding, Bks. I & IVDavid Hume: An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding, Sections IV-VIII

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Secondary Sources:

J. S. Huxley: Religion Without Revelation T. H. Huxley: Science and the Christian Tradition J. S. Mill: Three Essays on Religion - or Essays on Religion Herbert Spencer: First Principles Bertrand Russell: A Free Man's Worship Leslie Stephen: An Agnostic's Reply

F. Religion of the Moral Will: Ethical Idealism (Kant)

1. Reason's Critique of Reason2. Autonomy of Moral Will3. Religion Grounded on Moral Postulates

Burtt: Types of Religious Philosophy, Chp. IX

Primary Sources:

E. Kant: Fundamental Principles of a Metaphysic of Ethics; Critique of Practical Reason; Religion Within the Limits of Reason Alone

Secondary Sources:

Felix Adier: An Ethical Philosophy of LifeJohn Baillie: Interpretation of ReligionB. P. Browne: TheismA. C. Bradley: Ideals of ReligionJ. W. Hudson: The Truths We Live ByA. C. Knudson: The Doctrine of GodRichard Kroner: The Primacy of FaithE. W. Lyman: The Meaning and Truth of ReligionRudolph Otto: Philosophy of Religion based on Kant and FriesxW. R. Sorley: Moral Values and the Idea of GodA. E. Taylor: The Faith of a Moralist, Vol. IC. C. J. Webb; God and Personality

VII. A Dubious Heritage: Emergence Of Philosophy Of Religion (Hume-Kant-Hegel)

"During the last five centuries. Western man has brought ever more spheres of existence under his control. Simultaneous with this conquest he has come to consider himself as the creator of his own values. His awareness of creative autonomy has extended from the artistic and the technological, to the scientific and presently even the moral sphere." (L. Dupre, Religion in Contemporary Thought. Alba House, 1973, pp. 311.) See Journal, Ultimate Reality and Meaning, Van Gorcun, Assen, Netherlands.

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A. Historic Origins of Hume's Philosophy of Religion grounded in Newtonian Scientific Revolution

B. Methodological Revolution (cf. Kuhn's Concept of Paradigmatic Revolution and Search for Ratiional Justification of Christian Theism).

C. Conceptual Crisis, 'Cognitive Minorities' and the problem of religions legitimation (P. Berger, A Rumor of Angels. 1960, Chp. 7; also my "Is Job's God in Exile?" in the Shattering of Silence, Joplin. MO, 1976, pp. 487-531). James Collin , God in Modern Philosophy. Chicago: H. Regnery, 1959 pb.).

D. Religion within the Scope of 'Reason,' i.e.. Scientific Methodology developed by Newton, et. al..

E. The Century of Philosophy of Religion, 1730-1830.F. Three Theories of Religion: (1) Hume's Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion; (2) Kant's,

Religion Within the Limits of Reason Alone; and (3) Hegel's, Lectures on the Philosophy of Religion (3 vols.). Also see the excellent work of James Collin, Emergence of Philosophy of Religion. New Haven, Yale University Press, 1967; and Philosophy of Religion and Theology, ed. D. G. Cox (Chambersburg: An Academy of Religion, 1978.

HUME'S DIALOGUES (1711-1776)

A. Hume's Philosophy of Religion centered on classical proof for monotheism, i.e.. Design Arguments, Causality, and contra via entailment of evil (cf. R. H. Hurlbutt, Hume, Newton, and the Design Argument (Lincoln: University of Nebraska,Press, 1967).

B. Design is argument from analogy and Hume argues contra analogy between human mind and divine mind (cf. A. Leroy, La Critique et la Religion chez D. Hume (Paris. 1930).

C. Contra God talk via Anthropomorphian (cf. G. Deleuze, Empirisme et subjectivite; Essai sur la Nature humaine selon Hume (Paris, 1953, esp. pp. 72-78).

KANT'S RELIGION WITHIN THE LIMITS OF REASON ALONE (1724-1804)

A. Kant's "Copernican Revolution" First CritiqueB. Three conclusions: (a) Reliable theoretical knowledge is restricted to the objective,

phenomenal sphere, the religious consciousness expects no direct support of its beliefs from theoretical reason, (b) Since the transcendent does not belong to the objective, phenomenal sphere, it must be approached through the subject's awareness of itself rather than through that of its world. (c) Since the subject must be conceived as essentially autonomous, no transcendent reality can ever interfere with the exercise of human freedom.

C. Each conclusion contains 'paradigmatic' challenge to all subsequent speculation about religion: (a) How can we restore the theoretical support of religious faith after Kant's critique of the arguments for the existence of God? (b) How can a method be conceived for the philosophical study of religion on the basis of the experience alone? and (c) How can that experience itself be legitimated within the context of human autonomy?

D. Two challengers—to the question of autonomy: (a) Schleiermacher linked the problem to the subject-object opposition of cognitive and volitional acts, and showed how feeling overcomes this opposition; (b) Kierkegaard challenged Kant's view of freedom. Autonomous freedom, he claimed, is not an ultimate; it is bound to fail and in its failure inevitably encounters the question of transcendence.

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E. Post-Kantian Problem: Legitimacy of Religious Experience—which method allows us to make meaningful statements concerning the object of the experience on the sole basis of the experience? Response to problem reserved for Hegel (cf. Husserl's sharp distinction between experience and object manifested through experience). Scheler, one of Husserl's successors and Blondel concentrated on establishing objective structures of the experience itself, leaving its object largely to faith; also transcendental reduction stretched to the ultimate limits, contains true solution of Kant's problem because religious experience is concerned with the ground of all experience more than a specific ‘object’ of experience, (cf. Evans, Subjectivity and Religious Belief. Eerdmans. 1978 pb., F. M. Tyrrell, Man: Believer and Unbeliever. Alba House, 1974; G. Grisez, Beyond the New Theism, Notre Dame: University of Notre Dame, 1975; and B. Blanchard's Gifford Lectures, Yale University Press; compare with the Gifford).

HEGEL'S GEIST. i.e. THE IMMANENT/TRANSCENDENT (1770-1831)

A. Hegel's critique of Kant's Moral Theism B. Hegel's view of Religion vs. AlienationC. Hegel's view of Religion on FreedomD. Hegel's Death of Absolutes (Existentialism)E. Hegel aid Nihilism (Less of Meaning)F. Hegel and Relativism (Sociology of Knowledge)G. Hegel and PositivismH. Hegel and the Immanent/Transcendent Geist and Panentheisro (Process Philosophy)I. Hegel and Death of God/Death of Man J. Hegel and Death of Culture/History

PANENTHEISM AND GOD—THE FUTURE (see my essay, Buber's View of God; God in Whitehead; God-Creator/Redeemer with extensive bibliography; and Process Studies)

HENRI BERGSON

Oswald Spengler in The Decline of the West, called 1859 "the year of symbolic coincidences" (Vol. I, p. 373) because Mills published his Liberty and Henri Bergson was born; Marx published his critique of Political Economy, Wagner's Tristan and Isolde; Darwin's Origin of Species.

Eight Presuppositions of Bergson:

1. Time is ultimately real, so that all reality changes.2. A creative life stream, or elan vital, is productive of unforeseeable novelty in nature.3. This stream of life has its origin in supre-consciousness.4. Matter may be simply an arresting of the life movement.5. Matter resists and hinders the begetting of novelty by consciousness6. The disproportion between effect and cause is so great that it is impossible to regard the cause

always as the producer of the entire effect.7. The finite stream of life is wholly immanent, not transcending the universe.8. The universe is not so much intelligibly as intuitively apprehended.

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SAMUEL ALEXANDER

His Major Presuppositions:

1. Space-tine is ultimately real and all finites, deity included, are dependent upon this infinite matrix.

2. A nisus or striving toward higher levels is humanly unpredictable.3. The emergence of new levels is humanly unpredictable, chough fully determined within the

Space-Time context.4. The effect exhibits more and higher qualities than the cause.5. This nisus toward deity is wholly immanent^ so that all finite differentiations are within

Space-Time.6. Mind is itself one among several qualities which have emerged within a broader context, so

cannot be made determinative for the whole.7. The emergence of new qualities is not to be viewed as miraculous unless it is seen that such

miracle pervades the whole world of things, i.e., is natural.

Victor Lowe, "The Influence of Bergson, James, and Alexander on Whitehead" Journal of History of Ideas, Vol. X, 1949, pp. 267-296. A Campbell Barnett, "Scientific Method and the Concept of Emergence" The Journal of Philosophy, August 27, 1942. Samuel Alexander, Space, Time, and Deity. 2 volumes, Dover paperback. LLOYD MORGAN

Morgan was the first to use the concept (emergent evolution) . He differed radically with the evolutionary concepts of Alexander in that his idealistic bent was contra-materialistic naturalism and left room in the universe for the Judaeo-Christian God. We want to constantly remind ourselves that both Freudianism and Marxism have as their fundamental postulate naturalistic evolution. This position entails the assumption that mind, logic, language, etc., are evolutionary deposits.

A. Eight Assumptions of Morgan's Emergent Evolution:1. World + God as its directive activity is ultimately real, though this reality is acknowledged

rather than directly known.2. Striving toward higher levels pervades reality, directed by immanent activity of God as both

final and efficient cause.3. Emergence of new levels is humanly unpredictable, though fully determined within the

pyramid of events.4. Effects exhibits more and higher qualities than the cause for emergents are more than

resultants.5. Although the nisus toward deity is not shared by all events, yet divine activity is manifested

omnipresently.6. Not two disparate orders of being, but one in which deity and emerging universe are merged.

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7. Mind as reflective consciousness, has emerged at a late stage in the evolutionary progress, but in two senses mind has not emerged: (1) as directive activity of emergent evolution, and (2) as correlated with all events with pyramid (negative and positive …)

8. Emergent process is accordingly a psycho-physical evolution with unrestricted correlation. (1) Denial of transcendent God (both creator and preserver); (2) Denial of special creation; (3) Denial of miracle; (4) optimism.

WHITEHEAD

1. Whitehead's God 2. Subjective Aim 3. Positive and Negative prehension, his view4. Source of order 5. Purpose and power 6. God's Growth7. Whitehead's metaphysics and8. God in History9. History/Nature

TEILHARD de CHARDIN/CHRISTIANITY AND EVOLUTION FROM HEGEL, PIERCE. ROYCE, et. al.

1. Theory of Evolution as complete interpretive scheme of universe in view of certain interpretations of the Judaeo-Christian tradition.

2. Methodology: Nature and Extent Evidence.3. Phenomenology Analysis4. Evolution Motif (Developmentalism)5. Developmental Philosophy correlated with Christianity (Judaeo-Christian)6. Evolution and God-Christ-Redemption7. Evolution and Man-Freedom, Intelligence, Morals, Sin, Culture, Christ, Civilization.8. Evolution and Nature - Physical - Chemical9. Evolution and History - Difference between them

VIII. Contemporary Philosophy Of Religion

General Bibliography of Introductory Material

Aubrey, Present Theological TendenciesE. A. Burtt, Types of Religious PhilosophyF. H. Foster, Genetic History of New England and TheologyWm. Hordern, A Layman's Guide to Protestant TheologyF. H. Foster, The Modern Movement in American TheologyHorton, Contemporary English Theology/Contemporary Continental TheologyKepler, Contemporary Religious TheologyKnudsen, Present Theological TendenciesD. C. Macintosh, The Problem of Religious Knowledge

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H. R. Macintosh, Types of Modern TheologyA. C. McGiffert, The Rise of Modern Religious IdeasSoper, Major Voices in American TheologyWieman and Meland, American Philosophies of Religion

Classical and Older Works

Aquinas, T., De Ente Et Essentia.Bruaire, C. Logique et religion chretienne (Paris, 1965).,______. L^Affirmation de Deus (Paris, 1964).Clark, M., Logic and System (The Hague, 1971).Dumery, H., Blondel et la religion (Paris, 1970).Kennery, A., The Five Ways(London, 1969).Keonard, A., La Foi chez Hegel (Paris, 1970).Luypen, W.A., Phenomenology and' Atheism (Pittsburgh, 1964). Major Works:

Armstrong, D. M., Belief, Truth and Knowledge (Cambridge, 1973).Barnes, J., The Antological Argument (London, 1972).Diamond, M. L., Philosophy and Religious Thought (New York, 1974).Geach, P., Reference and Generality (Ithaca, 1962).Miller, J. F. II. Principles, Sophia 12 (1973).Phillips, D. Z.. Religion and Understanding (New York, 1967).

IX. Subjectivity/Subjectivism and Religious Belief:

A. Problem: Subjective or Objective Justification of Belief in God?

1. Kant: Belief as a Postulate of Practical Reason; and on Theoretical and Practical Reason.2. Kierkegaard: (see his Unscientific Postscript) Belief as existentially necessary

a. Failure of objective thoughtb. Subjectivity entails commitmentc. Faith as a mode of Human Existence

3. James: Belief as Pragmatically Justified (see his Will to Believe)a. Repudiation of neutrality b. Legitimacy of Believing

4. Legitimization of Beliefa. Subjective categories as Universalb. Subjective Arguments as Person Relativec. Inconclusiveness of Subjective Arguments (see my Paradigms, World-Views and Cross-

Cultural Communication)

B. A Dubious Heritage: Philosophy of Religion After Kant (see Dupre)

Problem: Religion legitimized Beyond Experience.

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Kant's pioneering work resulted in three conclusions which have affected all subsequent philosophy of religion.

1. Since reliable theoretical knowledge is restricted to the objective, phenomenal sphere, the religious consciousness can expect no direct support of its beliefs from theoretical reason.

2. Since the transcendent does not belong to the objective, phenomenal sphere, it must be approached through the subject's awareness of itself rather than through that of its world.

3. Since the subject must be conceived as essentially autonomous, no transcendent reality can ever interfere with the exercise of human freedom.

Each of these conclusions contains a fundamental challenge to all subsequent speculation about religion.

1. How can we restore the theoretical support of religious faith after Kant's critique of the arguments for the existence of God?

2. How can a method be conceived for the philosophical study of religion on the basis of the experience alone?

3. How can that experience itself be legitimated within the context of human autonomy?

Surprisingly, the last challenge was the first one to be met. Two major thinkers took up the question of autonomy shortly after it had been formulated. Schleiermacher linked the problem to the subject-object opposition of cognitive and volitional acts, and showed how feeling overcomes this opposition. Kierkegaard directly took issue with Kant's view of freedom. Autonomous freedom, he claimed, is not an ultimate: it is bound to fail, and in its failure inevitably encounters the question of transcendence.

Kierkegaard wrote, of course, well after Hegel aid, to a great extent, against him. Yet as regards Kant's challenge, he dealt with a more basic matter. For Kant had left no avenue open to the religious object but that of experience itself. The latter must be justified before the former can properly be discussed. We therefore thought that Kierkegaard's attempt to legitimate the religious experience should precede Hegels discussion of its meaning. (Louis Dupre, A Dubious Heritage (Paulist Press, MY) pb, pp. 3/4.

1. Schleiermacher's Religion as Feeling.2. Kierkegaard's Religion as Freedom.3. Hegel’s Religion as Representation.

C. Search For a Method

1. Husserl's Intentions of Experience.2. Blondel's Reflections on Experience3. Dumery's Reductions of Experience

D. Legitimization of Religious Faith

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1. Cosmological argument after Newton/Kant2. Teleological argument after Hume and Darwin3. Moral/Ontological arguments, Kant's Critique of Judgment; Newman's Grammar of Assent.

E. Language. Truth and Logic: From Kant to Ayer

1. Elimination of Metaphysics - Kantian Ding an Sich (Laws of nature and God).2. Positivism from Bacon to Mach - The Verification Principle (cf. Popper's Falsification

Principle) Demise of Positivism - see my Christian Faith and Development of The Physical Sciences

3. Nature of analysis (What is Philosophy?)4. The Apriori5. Truth and Probability6. Critique of Ethics/Theology/Aesthetics7. Unity of Self and Common world8. Unity of Science/Vienna Circle/Encyclopedia of The Unity of Science9. Developments in Theoretical Physics and Molecular Biology10. Death of Paradigm: Kuhn's Concept of ‘Paradigm’ in context of positivism

F. Beyond The New Theism: (see Grisez)

1. God: Creator/Redeemer/) Self-sufficient set of contingent states of affairs? Must there be an explanation of the contingent? (God, god or gods?)

2. Critique of Alternatives: Presuppositions, Paradigms and World-Viewsa. Empiricist alternativeb. Alternative to critique of knowledgec. Absolute idealist alternatived. Relativism as a metaphysical alternative (see my Idolatrous Absolutes)

3. Meaning fullness of God-Talk:a. Limits of Reductionismb. Relational Predications about uncaused entity

4. Existential Objections to God:a. Human Freedom is compatible with creaturelinessb. Evil is real but not createdc. Religion need not be in conflict with humanistic valuesd. Dignity of man

5. Meaningfulness of Christian Faith (Beliefs)a. Miracles as Signals from the Creator (Critique of Sume)b. Human Person and Human Communityc. Supernatural World-View and Revelation

Why Christian Doctrine, if true, is important. Truth as rational content and relational. "You shall know the truth and the truth shall make you 'free'." John 8

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Bibliography

Antony Flew, "The Presumption of Atheism," Canadian Journal of Philosophy, 2 (1972) 29-46.Donald Evans, "A Reply to Flew's 'The Presumption of Atheism,'" CJP, 2 (1972), pp. 47-50.M. L. Diamond, Contemporary Philosophy and Religious Thought: An Introduction to the

Philosophy of Religion (NY: 1974), pp. 286-287.James F. Ross, "Aquinas and Philosophical Methodology," Metaphilosophy 1 (1970) 300-317.John P. Doyle, "Ipsum Esse as God-Surrogate: The Point of Convergence of Faith and Reason

for St. Thomas Aquinas," Modern Schoolman, 50 (1973), pp. 293-296.G. F. Kreyche, "The Soul-Body Problem in St. Thomas," New Scholasticism 46 (1972) 466-484.Ludwig Wittgenstein, Lectures and Conversations on Aesthetics, Psychology and Religious

Belief, ed. Cyril Barrett (Oxford: 1966), p." 59.

The Necessity For Reasoning Toward God:

Sylvain Bromberger, "Why-Questions," in Baruch A. Brody, ed., Readings in the Philosophy of Science (Englewood Cliffs, NJ: 1970), pp. 66-87.

N. K. Smith, "Is Divine Existence Credible?" in D. Z. Phillips, ed., Religion and Understanding (NY: 1967). p. 120.

Illtyd Trethowan, "Professor N. H. G. Robinson and Natural Theology," Religious Studies 9 (1973) 463-468.

William James, The Varieties of Religious Experience (NY; 1929).George Mavrodes, Belief in God: A Study in the Epistemology of Religion (NY:1970) 70-77.Patrick Sherry, "Is Religion a Form of Life?" American Philosophical Quarterly 9 (1972) 159-

167.Kai Nielsen, "Challenge of Wittgenstein," Studies in Religion/Sciences 3 (1973) 29-46.James Kellenberger, "The Language-Game View of Religion and Religious Certainty," Canadian

Journal of Philosophy, 2 (1972), pp. 255-275.Michael Durrant, "Is the Justification of Religious Belief a Possible Enterprise?" Religious

Studies, 9 (1973), pp. 449-455.Kai Nielaen, Scepticism (London: 1973), p. 32 and passim.Terence Penelhum, Problems of Religious Knowledge (London: 1971), p. 47; 34-35.Rudolf Bultmann, Faith and Understanding, trans. Louise Pettibone Smith (NY and Evanston:

1969), pp. 53-65 and 3l3-333.Van A. Harvey, The Historian and the Believer: The Morality of Historical Knowledge and

Christian Belief (,NY: 1969), pp. 139-146.Hugo Meynell, Sense, Nonsense, and Christianity (London and NY: 1964), pp. 250-270.D. Scheltens, "Reflections on Natural Theology," International Philosophical Quarterly, 11

1971.) 78.Jonathan Barnes, The Ontological Argument (London, 1972), pp. 92-98.D. M. Armstrong, Belief. Truth and Knowledge (Cambridge: 1973), p. 49.

Criticism of Empiricism:

Jerome A. Miller, The Irrefutability of Metaphysical Truths (unpublished Ph.D. dissertation, Georgetown University, 1973).

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Max Black, A Companion to Wittgenstein's Tractatus (Ithaca, NY: 1964), p. 379. Antony Flew, God and Philosophy (London: 1966), pp. 88-89. Terence Penelhum, Religion and Rationality; An Introduction to the Philosophy of Religion

(NY; 1971), p. 36.A. Michotte, The Perception of Causality (London: 1963), p. 265.Jerrodi L. Aronson, "Explanations without Laws," Journal of Philosophy, 66 (1969) 541-557.B. A. Brody, "Toward an Aristotelian Theory of Scientific Explanation," Philosophy of Science

39 (1972). pp. 20-31.Richard Taylor, "Causation," Encyclopedia of Philosophy, vol. 2, p. 63. Barry Miller, "Making Sense of ‘Necessary Existence’," American Philosophical Quarterly, 11

(1974), pp. 47-54.

The Alternative of a Critique of Knowledge:

Kant, Inaugural Dissertation and Early Writings on Space, trans. J. Handyside (Chicago: 1929) pp. 52-66.

Norman Kemp Smith, A Commentary to Kant's 'Critique of Pure Reason', 2nd ed. (NY: 1962) 485-492.

P. F. Strawson, The Bounds of Sense (London; 1966), pp. 175-206.

Criticism of Critique as Metaphysics:

Robert P. Wolff, Kant's "Theory of Mental Activity (Cambridge, 1963), pp. 281-282.H. J. Paton, Kant’s Metaphysic of Experience, vol 1 (London, 1963), p. 422.Paul Tillich, "The Meaning and Justification of Religious Symbols," in Sidney Hook, ed..

Religious Experience and Truth (NY: 1961), pp. 3-11. The Absolute Idealist Alternative:

Emil L. Fackenheim, The Religious Dimension of Hegel's Thought (London: 1967) 160-219.James Collins, The Emergence of Philosophy of Religion (New Haven: 1967), pp. 330-342.G. W. F. Hegel, Lectures on the Proofs of the Existence of God. in Lectures on the Philosophy of

Religion, trans. E. B. Speirs and J. Burdon Sanderson, vol. 3 (London: 1962), p. 188

Criticism of Absolute Idealism:

G. W. F. Hegel, Lectures on the Philosophy of Religion, trans. E. B. Speirs and J. Burdon Sanderson, vol. 1 (London: 1962), pp. 63-64.

G. R. G. Mure, A Study of Hegel's Logic (Oxford: 1950), pp. 294-323.James Collins, God in Modern Philosophy (Chicago: 1959), p. 213.

Relativism as a Metaphysical Alternative:

Karl Lowith, From Hegel to Nietzsche: The Revolution in 19th Century Thought (NY: 1964), pp. 53-135.

Max Black, Margins of Precision (Ithaca and London: 1970), p. 268.

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Criticism of Metaphysical Relativism:

Patrick J. Bearsley, S.M., "Aquinas and Wittgenstein on the Grounds of Certainty," Modern Schoolman, 51 (May, 1974), pp. 316-334.

Limits of Reductionism:

Germain Grisez and Russell Shaw, Beyond the New Morality: The Responsibilities of Freedom (Notre Dame and London: 1974), pp. 76-149.

What Can Be Affirmed of the Uncaused Entity:

Alastair McKinnon, " 'Existence' in ‘the Existence of God’," American Philosophical Quarterly, 9 (1972). p. 351.

Mary Hesse, "The Explanatory Function of Metaphor," Yehoshua Bar-Hillel, ed., Logic, Methodology, and Philosophy of Science (Amsterdam; 1965), p. 259.

Relational Predications About the Uncaused Entity:

Mary Hesse, Science and the Human Imagination (London: 1954), pp. 134-146; Models and Analogies in Science (Notre Dame: 1966).

Evil Is Real But Is Not Created:

Roger Trigg, Pain and Emotion (Oxford: 1970), p. 60.G. H. von Wright, The Varieties of Goodness (London: 1963), p. 57.John Hick, Evil and the God of Love (NY: 1966), pp. 328-372.E. H. Madden and Peter H. Hare, Evil and the Concept of God (Springfield, IL: 1968) pp. 4-5. Russell Shaw, Beyond the New Morality: The Responsibilities of Freedom (Notre Dame and

London: 1974), pp. 55-96. Charles F. Kielkopf, "Emotivism as the Solution to the Problem of Evil," Sophia, 9 (1970) 34-38. Alvin Plantinga, "Which Worlds Could God Have Created?" Journal of Philosophy 70 (1973),

pp. 539-552.Dewey J. Hoitenga, Jr., "Logic and the Problem of Evil," American Philosophical Quarterly, 4

(1967), pp. 114-126.Nelson Pike, "Hume on Evil," Philosophical Review, 72 (1963), pp. 180-197.Keith E. Yandell, Basic Issues in the Philosophy of Religion (Boston: 1971), 43-52. Peter Geach, "Omnipotence." Philosophy 48 (1973), pp. 7-20.Robert Merrihew Adams, "Must God Create the Best?" Philosophical Review 81 (1972) 317-

332.John King-Farlow and Wm. N. Christensen, Faith and the Life of Reason (Dordrecht, Holland:

1972), pp. 131-135.David Hume, Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion, X (NY and London: 1966), 61-70.

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Religion Need Not Conflict with Humanistic Values:

Wm. D. Davies, Paul and Rabbinic Judaism, 2nd ed. (London: 1958) pp. 31f£. Denzinger-Schonmetzer, Enchiridion symbolorum definitionum et declarationum de rebus fidei

et morum, 34th ed., sees. 1520-1583.Konrad Lorenz, On Aggression, trans. Marjorie Kerr Wilson (NY: 1966), pp. 236-274.

Developing Creatures and a Perfect Creator:

Aristotle, Metaphysics xii. 1071b3-1072b29.R. J. Nogar, O.P., The Wisdom of Evolution (Garden City, NY: 1963).P. J. Donnelly, "Saint Thomas and the Purpose of Creation," Theological Studies 2 (1941) 53-67.P. J. Donnelly, S.J., "The Doctrine of the Vatican Council and the End of Creation," Theological

Studies, 4 (1943), pp. 21-29.

Miracles as Signals From the Creator:

Alastair McKinnon, "Miracle and Paradox," American Philosophical Quarterly, 4 (1967), 313.Antony Flew, Hume's Philosophy of Belief (London; 1966), 207-208.Michael Scriven, "Explanations, Predictions, and Laws," in B. A. Brody, ed., Readings in the

Philosophy of Science (Englewood Cliffs, NJ: 1970), p. 100.Robert Young, "Miracles and Epistemology," Religious Studies, 8 (1972), p-. 115-126.John King-Farlow and Wm. Christensen, Faith and the Life of Reason (Dordrecht, 1972) 45-77.0. Costa de Beauregard, "Irreversibility Problems," in Yehoshua Bar-Hillel, ed., Logic,

Methodology and Philosophy of Science (Amsterdam: 1965), 313-346.John A. Harden, S.J., "The Concept of Miracle from St. Augustine to Modern Apologetics."

Theological Studies 15 (1954), pp. 229-257.Liam Breartuin, "The Theology of Miracles" Ephemerides Carmeliticae 20 (1969)1-51, 351-402.Robert D. Smith, Comparative Miracles (St. Louis and London: 1956) 106-163.

The Human Person and the Human Community:

J. R. Lucas, The Freedom of the Will (Oxford: 1970), pp. 114-172.H. D. Lewis, The Elusive Mind (London & NY: 1969), pp. 68-226.H. M. McElwain, "Resurrection of the Dead," New Catholic Encyclopedia, vol. 12, pp. 419-427.Richard Purtill, "Disembodied Survival," Sophia, 12 (1973), pp. 1-10.

Meaning, Revelation, and Christian Mysteries:

A. J. Ayer, Language, Truth and Logic, 2nd ed. (London/NY: 1961), pp. 108-109.J. L. McKenzie, S.J., Jerome Biblical Commentary, 77:13, cf. Raymond Abba, "The Divine

Name Yahweh," Journal of Biblical Literature, 80 (1961), pp. 320-328.Karl Rahner. S.J., "Scholastic Concept of Uncreated Grace," Theological Investigations, vol. 1,

God, Church, Mary, and Grace, trans. Cornelius Ernst, O.P.(Baltimore: 1961) 334-346.

James D. Strauss

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