A Radical Pluralist Philosophy of Religion

A Radical Pluralist Philosophy of Religion

Author: Mikel Burley

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Published: 2020-01-23

Total Pages: 265

ISBN-13: 1350098337

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This book is a unique introduction to studying the philosophy of religion, drawing on a wide range of cultures and literary sources in an approach that is both methodologically innovative and expansive in its cross-cultural and multi-religious scope. Employing his expertise in interdisciplinary and Wittgenstein-influenced methods, Mikel Burley draws on works of ethnography and narrative fiction, including Dostoevsky's The Brothers Karamazov and Soyinka's Death and the King's Horseman, to critically engage with existing approaches to the philosophy of religion and advocate a radical, pluralist approach. Breaking away from the standard fixation on a narrow construal of theism, topics discussed include conceptions of compassion in Buddhist ethics, cannibalism in mortuary rituals, divine possession and animal sacrifice in Hindu Goddess worship and animism in indigenous traditions. Original and engaging, Burley's synthesis of philosophical, anthropological and literary elements expands and diversifies the philosophy of religion, providing an essential introduction for anyone interested in studying the radical plurality of forms that religion takes in human life.


Book Synopsis A Radical Pluralist Philosophy of Religion by : Mikel Burley

Download or read book A Radical Pluralist Philosophy of Religion written by Mikel Burley and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2020-01-23 with total page 265 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book is a unique introduction to studying the philosophy of religion, drawing on a wide range of cultures and literary sources in an approach that is both methodologically innovative and expansive in its cross-cultural and multi-religious scope. Employing his expertise in interdisciplinary and Wittgenstein-influenced methods, Mikel Burley draws on works of ethnography and narrative fiction, including Dostoevsky's The Brothers Karamazov and Soyinka's Death and the King's Horseman, to critically engage with existing approaches to the philosophy of religion and advocate a radical, pluralist approach. Breaking away from the standard fixation on a narrow construal of theism, topics discussed include conceptions of compassion in Buddhist ethics, cannibalism in mortuary rituals, divine possession and animal sacrifice in Hindu Goddess worship and animism in indigenous traditions. Original and engaging, Burley's synthesis of philosophical, anthropological and literary elements expands and diversifies the philosophy of religion, providing an essential introduction for anyone interested in studying the radical plurality of forms that religion takes in human life.

John Hick's Pluralist Philosophy of World Religions

John Hick's Pluralist Philosophy of World Religions

Author: Paul Rhodes Eddy

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2020-08-26

Total Pages: 366

ISBN-13: 100016067X

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This title was first published in 2002. One of the most fascinating and controversial interpretations of religious diversity is 'religious pluralism.' According to John Hick's model of religious pluralism, all the world's great religions are equally valid ways of understanding and responding to the ultimate spiritual reality. This book offers an exposition of, and critical response to, John Hick's model. Introducing the various interpretations of religious diversity being discussed today, this book presents constructive suggestions as to how things could be further developed to offer a more accurate, less confusing presentation of the various options in theology of religions. The standard threefold typology of responses to religious diversity - exclusivism, inclusivism, and pluralism - are explained and defended. Hick's pluralist interpretation of religious diversity is traced, culminating in a critical assessment of Hick's pluralistic model and an up-to-date summary of a variety of critiques directed toward Hick's proposal. Paul Rhodes Eddy concludes that Hick's present model is ultimately unsuccessful in retaining both of his long-cherished goals, a robust religious realism and a consistent religious pluralism, whilst overcoming the most difficult problem for the pluralist, the fact that the world's religions understand the divine in often contradictory ways.


Book Synopsis John Hick's Pluralist Philosophy of World Religions by : Paul Rhodes Eddy

Download or read book John Hick's Pluralist Philosophy of World Religions written by Paul Rhodes Eddy and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2020-08-26 with total page 366 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This title was first published in 2002. One of the most fascinating and controversial interpretations of religious diversity is 'religious pluralism.' According to John Hick's model of religious pluralism, all the world's great religions are equally valid ways of understanding and responding to the ultimate spiritual reality. This book offers an exposition of, and critical response to, John Hick's model. Introducing the various interpretations of religious diversity being discussed today, this book presents constructive suggestions as to how things could be further developed to offer a more accurate, less confusing presentation of the various options in theology of religions. The standard threefold typology of responses to religious diversity - exclusivism, inclusivism, and pluralism - are explained and defended. Hick's pluralist interpretation of religious diversity is traced, culminating in a critical assessment of Hick's pluralistic model and an up-to-date summary of a variety of critiques directed toward Hick's proposal. Paul Rhodes Eddy concludes that Hick's present model is ultimately unsuccessful in retaining both of his long-cherished goals, a robust religious realism and a consistent religious pluralism, whilst overcoming the most difficult problem for the pluralist, the fact that the world's religions understand the divine in often contradictory ways.

Infinite Paths to Infinite Reality

Infinite Paths to Infinite Reality

Author: Ayon Maharaj

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Published: 2018-10-08

Total Pages: 288

ISBN-13: 0190868244

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Sri Ramakrishna is widely known as a nineteenth-century Indian mystic who affirmed the harmony of all religions on the basis of his richly varied spiritual experiences and eclectic religious practices, both Hindu and non-Hindu. In Infinite Paths to Infinite Reality, Ayon Maharaj argues that Sri Ramakrishna was also a sophisticated philosopher of great contemporary relevance. Through a careful study of Sri Ramakrishna's recorded oral teachings in the original Bengali, Maharaj reconstructs his philosophical positions and analyzes them from a cross-cultural perspective. Sri Ramakrishna's spiritual journey culminated in the exalted state of "vijñana," his term for the "intimate knowledge" of God as the Infinite Reality that is both personal and impersonal, with and without form, immanent in the universe and beyond it. This expansive spiritual standpoint of vijñana, Maharaj contends, opens up a new paradigm for addressing central issues in cross-cultural philosophy of religion, including divine infinitude, religious pluralism, mystical experience, and the problem of evil. Sri Ramakrishna's vijñana-based religious pluralism--when grasped in all its subtlety--proves to have major philosophical advantages over dominant Western models. Moreover, his mystical testimony and teachings not only cut across long-standing debates about the nature of mystical experience but also bolster recent defenses of its epistemic value. Maharaj further demonstrates that Sri Ramakrishna's unique response to the problem of evil resonates strongly with Western "soul-making" theodicies and contemporary theories of skeptical theism. A pioneering interdisciplinary study of one of India's most important philosopher-mystics, Maharaj's book is essential reading for scholars and students in philosophy of religion, theology, religious studies, and Hindu studies.


Book Synopsis Infinite Paths to Infinite Reality by : Ayon Maharaj

Download or read book Infinite Paths to Infinite Reality written by Ayon Maharaj and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2018-10-08 with total page 288 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Sri Ramakrishna is widely known as a nineteenth-century Indian mystic who affirmed the harmony of all religions on the basis of his richly varied spiritual experiences and eclectic religious practices, both Hindu and non-Hindu. In Infinite Paths to Infinite Reality, Ayon Maharaj argues that Sri Ramakrishna was also a sophisticated philosopher of great contemporary relevance. Through a careful study of Sri Ramakrishna's recorded oral teachings in the original Bengali, Maharaj reconstructs his philosophical positions and analyzes them from a cross-cultural perspective. Sri Ramakrishna's spiritual journey culminated in the exalted state of "vijñana," his term for the "intimate knowledge" of God as the Infinite Reality that is both personal and impersonal, with and without form, immanent in the universe and beyond it. This expansive spiritual standpoint of vijñana, Maharaj contends, opens up a new paradigm for addressing central issues in cross-cultural philosophy of religion, including divine infinitude, religious pluralism, mystical experience, and the problem of evil. Sri Ramakrishna's vijñana-based religious pluralism--when grasped in all its subtlety--proves to have major philosophical advantages over dominant Western models. Moreover, his mystical testimony and teachings not only cut across long-standing debates about the nature of mystical experience but also bolster recent defenses of its epistemic value. Maharaj further demonstrates that Sri Ramakrishna's unique response to the problem of evil resonates strongly with Western "soul-making" theodicies and contemporary theories of skeptical theism. A pioneering interdisciplinary study of one of India's most important philosopher-mystics, Maharaj's book is essential reading for scholars and students in philosophy of religion, theology, religious studies, and Hindu studies.

Religion and the Hermeneutics of Contemplation

Religion and the Hermeneutics of Contemplation

Author: D. Z. Phillips

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 2001-07-26

Total Pages: 348

ISBN-13: 9780521008464

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Leading philosopher of religion D. Z. Phillips examines the conceptual assumptions of atheistic thought.


Book Synopsis Religion and the Hermeneutics of Contemplation by : D. Z. Phillips

Download or read book Religion and the Hermeneutics of Contemplation written by D. Z. Phillips and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2001-07-26 with total page 348 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Leading philosopher of religion D. Z. Phillips examines the conceptual assumptions of atheistic thought.

Encountering Religious Pluralism

Encountering Religious Pluralism

Author: Harold Netland

Publisher: InterVarsity Press

Published: 2001-08-14

Total Pages: 372

ISBN-13: 9780830815524

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Harold Netland traces the emergence of the pluralistic ethos that challenges Christian faith and mission, interacting heavily with philosopher John Hick and providing a framework for developing a comprehensive evangelical theology of religions.


Book Synopsis Encountering Religious Pluralism by : Harold Netland

Download or read book Encountering Religious Pluralism written by Harold Netland and published by InterVarsity Press. This book was released on 2001-08-14 with total page 372 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Harold Netland traces the emergence of the pluralistic ethos that challenges Christian faith and mission, interacting heavily with philosopher John Hick and providing a framework for developing a comprehensive evangelical theology of religions.

Religious Education in a Pluralist Society

Religious Education in a Pluralist Society

Author: John Edwards

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2019-07-12

Total Pages: 197

ISBN-13: 1317958071

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Religious education in liberal pluralist societies such as the UK, the USA, and Australian underwent radical change in the 1980s and 1990s, with a major shift towards multi-faith, educationally oriented programmes. This has meant significant modifications to both the content and the methodology of religious-education courses and to the way they are conceived of and taught in schools and universities. One important implication of this change for the teaching and study of religion today is the need for a philosophical dimension that deals with issues such as the truth status of religious statements and the moral acceptability of religious claims. This dimension is often insufficiently developed; this lack is made more critical by the multiple competing truth claims of various religions, giving rise to such contentious problems as the growth of fundamentalism, increasing religious intolerance and conflict, and differences of opinion on central moral problems such as birth control, abortion and euthanasia. This text attempts to provide the philosophical underpinning that the study and teaching of religion in modern societies requires.


Book Synopsis Religious Education in a Pluralist Society by : John Edwards

Download or read book Religious Education in a Pluralist Society written by John Edwards and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2019-07-12 with total page 197 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Religious education in liberal pluralist societies such as the UK, the USA, and Australian underwent radical change in the 1980s and 1990s, with a major shift towards multi-faith, educationally oriented programmes. This has meant significant modifications to both the content and the methodology of religious-education courses and to the way they are conceived of and taught in schools and universities. One important implication of this change for the teaching and study of religion today is the need for a philosophical dimension that deals with issues such as the truth status of religious statements and the moral acceptability of religious claims. This dimension is often insufficiently developed; this lack is made more critical by the multiple competing truth claims of various religions, giving rise to such contentious problems as the growth of fundamentalism, increasing religious intolerance and conflict, and differences of opinion on central moral problems such as birth control, abortion and euthanasia. This text attempts to provide the philosophical underpinning that the study and teaching of religion in modern societies requires.

Blessed Rage for Order

Blessed Rage for Order

Author: David Tracy

Publisher: University of Chicago Press

Published: 1996-03

Total Pages: 287

ISBN-13: 0226811298

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In Blessed Rage for Order, David Tracy examines the cultural context in which theological pluralism emerged. Analyzing orthodox, liberal, neo-orthodox, and radical models of theology, Tracy formulates a new 'revisionist' model. He considers which methods promise the most certain results for a revisionist theology and applies his model to the principal questions in contemporary theology, including the meanings of religion, theism, and of christology.


Book Synopsis Blessed Rage for Order by : David Tracy

Download or read book Blessed Rage for Order written by David Tracy and published by University of Chicago Press. This book was released on 1996-03 with total page 287 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In Blessed Rage for Order, David Tracy examines the cultural context in which theological pluralism emerged. Analyzing orthodox, liberal, neo-orthodox, and radical models of theology, Tracy formulates a new 'revisionist' model. He considers which methods promise the most certain results for a revisionist theology and applies his model to the principal questions in contemporary theology, including the meanings of religion, theism, and of christology.

The Pluralist Paradigm

The Pluralist Paradigm

Author: Sondra Myers

Publisher:

Published: 2006

Total Pages: 184

ISBN-13:

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As recent elections in Iran and Iraq have shown, the increasing diversity of religious practices around the world may redefine democracy as we know it--leaving many of us to wonder just how compatible religion and democracy really are. The Pluralist Paradigm explores this difficult question with essays from a variety of disciplines, including theology, philosophy, political science, sociology, and ethics. It will be an ideal reference for anyone concerned with fostering tolerance in a progressively global society.


Book Synopsis The Pluralist Paradigm by : Sondra Myers

Download or read book The Pluralist Paradigm written by Sondra Myers and published by . This book was released on 2006 with total page 184 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: As recent elections in Iran and Iraq have shown, the increasing diversity of religious practices around the world may redefine democracy as we know it--leaving many of us to wonder just how compatible religion and democracy really are. The Pluralist Paradigm explores this difficult question with essays from a variety of disciplines, including theology, philosophy, political science, sociology, and ethics. It will be an ideal reference for anyone concerned with fostering tolerance in a progressively global society.

Pluralism: The Future of Religion

Pluralism: The Future of Religion

Author: Kenneth Rose

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing USA

Published: 2013-03-28

Total Pages: 176

ISBN-13: 144115776X

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Theology of religions has defaulted in the last two decades to an epicyclic inclusivism which seeks to undermine pluralism with claims that it is covertly triumphalistic and that it mirrors the logic of exclusivism. With the exception of pioneers in the field such as John Hick and Paul Knitter, most major figures in this theological field have retreated from pluralism and promote versions of particularism and inclusivism. Pluralism: The Future of Religion argues for an apophatic pluralism that is motivated by the insight that it is impossible to secure universal assent for changeable bodies of religious teachings. This insight implies the non-finality and consequent 'departicularization' of all religious teachings and their inclusivistic defenses. These conclusions point us inevitably toward pluralism and lead us out of the inclusivistic impasse of contemporary theology in religions.


Book Synopsis Pluralism: The Future of Religion by : Kenneth Rose

Download or read book Pluralism: The Future of Religion written by Kenneth Rose and published by Bloomsbury Publishing USA. This book was released on 2013-03-28 with total page 176 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Theology of religions has defaulted in the last two decades to an epicyclic inclusivism which seeks to undermine pluralism with claims that it is covertly triumphalistic and that it mirrors the logic of exclusivism. With the exception of pioneers in the field such as John Hick and Paul Knitter, most major figures in this theological field have retreated from pluralism and promote versions of particularism and inclusivism. Pluralism: The Future of Religion argues for an apophatic pluralism that is motivated by the insight that it is impossible to secure universal assent for changeable bodies of religious teachings. This insight implies the non-finality and consequent 'departicularization' of all religious teachings and their inclusivistic defenses. These conclusions point us inevitably toward pluralism and lead us out of the inclusivistic impasse of contemporary theology in religions.

The Political Problem of Religious Pluralism

The Political Problem of Religious Pluralism

Author: Thaddeus J. Kozinski

Publisher: Lexington Books

Published: 2010

Total Pages: 290

ISBN-13: 0739141686

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In contemporary political philosophy, there is much debate over how to maintain a public order in pluralistic democracies in which citizens hold radically different religious views. The Political Problem of Religious Pluralism deals with this theoretically and practically difficult issue by examining three of the most influential figures of religious pluralism theory: John Rawls, Jacques Maritain, and Alasdair MacIntyre. Drawing on a diverse number of sources, Kozinski addresses the flaws in each philosopher's views and shows that the only philosophically defensible end of any overlapping consensus political order must be the eradication of the ideological pluralism that makes it necessary. In other words, a pluralistic society should have as its primary political aim to create the political conditions for the communal discovery and political establishment of that unifying tradition within which political justice can most effectively be obtained. Kozinski's analysis, though exhaustive and rigorous, still remains accessible and engaging, even for a reader unversed in the works of Rawls, Maritain, and MacIntyre. Interdisciplinary and multi-thematic in nature, it will appeal to anyone interested in the intersection of religion, politics, and culture.


Book Synopsis The Political Problem of Religious Pluralism by : Thaddeus J. Kozinski

Download or read book The Political Problem of Religious Pluralism written by Thaddeus J. Kozinski and published by Lexington Books. This book was released on 2010 with total page 290 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In contemporary political philosophy, there is much debate over how to maintain a public order in pluralistic democracies in which citizens hold radically different religious views. The Political Problem of Religious Pluralism deals with this theoretically and practically difficult issue by examining three of the most influential figures of religious pluralism theory: John Rawls, Jacques Maritain, and Alasdair MacIntyre. Drawing on a diverse number of sources, Kozinski addresses the flaws in each philosopher's views and shows that the only philosophically defensible end of any overlapping consensus political order must be the eradication of the ideological pluralism that makes it necessary. In other words, a pluralistic society should have as its primary political aim to create the political conditions for the communal discovery and political establishment of that unifying tradition within which political justice can most effectively be obtained. Kozinski's analysis, though exhaustive and rigorous, still remains accessible and engaging, even for a reader unversed in the works of Rawls, Maritain, and MacIntyre. Interdisciplinary and multi-thematic in nature, it will appeal to anyone interested in the intersection of religion, politics, and culture.