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Summary: Informative Overview of Five Major Philosophical Paradigms
Review: First published in 1972, this work underwent a substantial revision in 2002 by the original author. A comparison of the two versions provides a very informative overview of the changes having taken place in the field of religious philosophy over this 30 year period. First, the formerly prominent inclination toward a universal theology of religions has been displaced by recognition of a plurality of theologies. Thus talk of Otto's "the Numinous", Durkheim's "the Sacred" and Tillich's "unconditional concern" must now make way for radical plurality and diversity. Second, this move from universal to particular requires the academic input of the social sciences, anthropology, psychology and history in order to adequately understand particular theologies. This greatly expands and thereby complicates, though for the better, the study of religious systems. Third, there has recently emerged a new way of doing philosophy, often over-generalized under the term 'post-modernity', which emphasizes the 'constructive' role cultures, especially those of the West, play in the formation of the primary religio-philosophical ideas and worldview. Thus this new approach, led by thinkers such a Nietzsche, Heidegger and Derrida calls for a 'deconstruction' of the established (Western) philosophical and metaphysical presuppositions. Such deconstruction allows newer, more adequate (re)formulations whereby previously unvoiced concerns (by, for example, women, minorities, etc) play a role. Charlesworth breaks down his discussion into what he sees as the "five main conceptions of the nature and scope of philosophy or religion". By this is meant that history has predominantly viewed philosophy as belonging to one of these five conceived roles. These five roles constitute a 'grid' upon which most varieties of philosophy of religion may be located. The entire work is structured around these five perspectives, each of which is substantially described in the five sections constituting the book. These roles are expressed in the following five theses : 1. It is the business of philosophy to lead us to a quasi-religious view of reality and even to a quasi-religious way of life. 2. The task of philosophy of religion is above all a defensive or apologetic one, justifying the 'preambles' of faith and defending the 'articles of faith' derived from Christian revelation. 3. Philosophy has no justificatory role with regard to religion. Rather its function is to establish the conditions of possibility of the religious domain by showing that we know neither that God exists nor that he does not exist. 4. Philosophy of religion is a purely analytic or meta-logical enterprise, whose business is not to engage in metaphysical speculation about any realm that purports to transcend the world of our immediate experience (but rather to analyse the conditions of meaningfulness of the various languages or areas of discourse). 5. The main task of philosophy is to purge itself of the 'metaphysics' which has distorted traditional modes of philosophy by assuming ultimate and absolute foundations for reality and for human thought. Though predominantly Western in its treatment of the subject, Charlesworth includes several subsections on early development in Islamic philosophical thought. These sections prove helpful not only in tracing parallels in the development of Western and Islamic thought, but also in providing an informative backdrop for major Islamic thinkers such as Aviccena and Averroes, both of whom are quoted heavily in Western medieval philosophical works. This book can be recommended for students of theology and philosophy, and will be of particular interest to those pursuing historical theology, philosophy of religion, or history of philosophy. The book's intent of laying out a 'grid' whereby major philosophical movements, regardless of their milieu, may be placed, may prove helpful to teachers in the above fields as they strive to bring their students to a holistic and historical purview of philosophical thought. This review is also available at TheologyWebsite.com.
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