This piece replies to a recently published article in the European Journal for Philosophy of Religion by J. L. Schellenberg and Paul Draper. They contend that the field of African philosophy of religion needs renewal, and they make several recommendations on how to achieve this. I agree with their recommendations, but I argue they have omitted a crucial problem and solution to renew the field; namely, a fundamental problem of the field is that it systemically excludes non-Western philosophies and scholars and, therefore, the field needs to be decolonised.
{"title":"Towards a Global Philosophy of Religion","authors":"L. Cordeiro‐Rodrigues","doi":"10.24204/ejpr.2022.3881","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.24204/ejpr.2022.3881","url":null,"abstract":"This piece replies to a recently published article in the European Journal for Philosophy of Religion by J. L. Schellenberg and Paul Draper. They contend that the field of African philosophy of religion needs renewal, and they make several recommendations on how to achieve this. I agree with their recommendations, but I argue they have omitted a crucial problem and solution to renew the field; namely, a fundamental problem of the field is that it systemically excludes non-Western philosophies and scholars and, therefore, the field needs to be decolonised.","PeriodicalId":43251,"journal":{"name":"European Journal for Philosophy of Religion","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.5,"publicationDate":"2022-10-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48020447","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"哲学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Nagasawa argues that only transcendentalism can constitute a potentially successful response to the problem of impermanence. In this review, I argue that Chōmei’s hermitism can be another realistic strategy to respond to it. Chōmei lived in a small house in the remote mountains and interacted with the surrounding nature. His lifestyle is considered a good example of reconciling one’s finite life with the impermanence of the world and human sufferings. I conclude that Nagasawa’s interpretation of hermitism might be one-sided.
{"title":"Hermitism and Impermanence: A Response to Nagasawa’s Argument on Transcendentalism in Medieval Japan","authors":"M. Morioka","doi":"10.24204/ejpr.2022.3815","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.24204/ejpr.2022.3815","url":null,"abstract":"Nagasawa argues that only transcendentalism can constitute a potentially successful response to the problem of impermanence. In this review, I argue that Chōmei’s hermitism can be another realistic strategy to respond to it. Chōmei lived in a small house in the remote mountains and interacted with the surrounding nature. His lifestyle is considered a good example of reconciling one’s finite life with the impermanence of the world and human sufferings. I conclude that Nagasawa’s interpretation of hermitism might be one-sided.","PeriodicalId":43251,"journal":{"name":"European Journal for Philosophy of Religion","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.5,"publicationDate":"2022-10-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48172283","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"哲学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
In this paper we consider the possibility of a Quantum Molinism: such a view applies an analogue of the Molinistic account of free will‘s compatibility with God’s foreknowledge to God’s knowledge of (supposedly) indeterministic events at a quantum level. We ask how (and why) a providential God could care for and know about a world with this kind of indeterminacy. We consider various formulations of such a Quantum Molinism, and after rejecting a number of options arrive at one seemingly coherent formulation.
{"title":"Quantum Molinism","authors":"Thomas Harvey, F. Kroon, K. Svozil, C. Calude","doi":"10.24204/ejpr.2022.3680","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.24204/ejpr.2022.3680","url":null,"abstract":"In this paper we consider the possibility of a Quantum Molinism: such a view applies an analogue of the Molinistic account of free will‘s compatibility with God’s foreknowledge to God’s knowledge of (supposedly) indeterministic events at a quantum level. We ask how (and why) a providential God could care for and know about a world with this kind of indeterminacy. We consider various formulations of such a Quantum Molinism, and after rejecting a number of options arrive at one seemingly coherent formulation.","PeriodicalId":43251,"journal":{"name":"European Journal for Philosophy of Religion","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.5,"publicationDate":"2022-10-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47502673","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"哲学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Review of \"Love Divine: A Systematic Account\", by Jordan Wessling","authors":"Eric Reitan","doi":"10.24204/ejpr.2022.3914","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.24204/ejpr.2022.3914","url":null,"abstract":"<jats:p>-</jats:p>","PeriodicalId":43251,"journal":{"name":"European Journal for Philosophy of Religion","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.5,"publicationDate":"2022-10-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46761637","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"哲学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Abstract. In psycho-clinical research, the notion of spirituality acquires a semantic plurality. This equivocal and ambiguous connotation that characterizes this term represents an obstacle to research designs’ epistemic and methodological validity, recognized as the threat to construct validity. To overcome this difficulty, we introduce the notions of intentionality and transcendence from Dietrich von Hildebrand’s phenomenology insofar as these can account for the specific element of the spiritual-religious phenomenon and discriminate it from the other phenomena or variables that may be included under the notion of spirituality. This conceptual elucidation task allows evaluating the legitimacy of the variable selection process and establishing why they are or are not representatives of the phenomenon of spiritual-religious experience. Along the same lines, we believe that Hildebrand’s efforts to delimit a philosophical notion of spirituality are clearly articulated in the definitional approach by the psychologist of religion, Kenneth Pargament.
{"title":"Intentionality and transcendence as core components of the spiritual-religious experience","authors":"Teresa Gargiulo","doi":"10.24204/ejpr.2022.3655","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.24204/ejpr.2022.3655","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract. In psycho-clinical research, the notion of spirituality acquires a semantic plurality. This equivocal and ambiguous connotation that characterizes this term represents an obstacle to research designs’ epistemic and methodological validity, recognized as the threat to construct validity. To overcome this difficulty, we introduce the notions of intentionality and transcendence from Dietrich von Hildebrand’s phenomenology insofar as these can account for the specific element of the spiritual-religious phenomenon and discriminate it from the other phenomena or variables that may be included under the notion of spirituality. This conceptual elucidation task allows evaluating the legitimacy of the variable selection process and establishing why they are or are not representatives of the phenomenon of spiritual-religious experience. Along the same lines, we believe that Hildebrand’s efforts to delimit a philosophical notion of spirituality are clearly articulated in the definitional approach by the psychologist of religion, Kenneth Pargament.","PeriodicalId":43251,"journal":{"name":"European Journal for Philosophy of Religion","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.5,"publicationDate":"2022-10-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41432820","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"哲学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Abstract. In this essay, we move to further advance the work done on God and emotions by RT Mullins, exploring the role exhaustive divine foreknowledge plays as it relates to God’s emotional life. Given our preliminary investigation at the intersection of divine foreknowledge and divine emotions, and focusing specifically on the neoclassical theistic conception of God, we argue that in light of God’s foreknowledge, his emotional life is (in certain important respects) dissimilar when compared to that of his creation. That said, our primary aim is one of exploration: Should divine foreknowledge play a role in how we understand God’s emotional life? Given our analysis, we answer in the affirmative.
{"title":"Foreknowledge & Divine Emotions","authors":"Michael DeVito, T. McNabb","doi":"10.24204/ejpr.2022.3675","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.24204/ejpr.2022.3675","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract. In this essay, we move to further advance the work done on God and emotions by RT Mullins, exploring the role exhaustive divine foreknowledge plays as it relates to God’s emotional life. Given our preliminary investigation at the intersection of divine foreknowledge and divine emotions, and focusing specifically on the neoclassical theistic conception of God, we argue that in light of God’s foreknowledge, his emotional life is (in certain important respects) dissimilar when compared to that of his creation. That said, our primary aim is one of exploration: Should divine foreknowledge play a role in how we understand God’s emotional life? Given our analysis, we answer in the affirmative.","PeriodicalId":43251,"journal":{"name":"European Journal for Philosophy of Religion","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.5,"publicationDate":"2022-10-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45725202","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"哲学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
In his examination of the concepts of evil and impermanence, entitled “Evil and the Problem of Impermanence in Medieval Japanese Philosophy”, Yujin Nagasawa addresses four responses to the problem of impermanence, arguing that the only satisfactory response to the problem leads to an implication about supernaturalism. As Nagasawa puts it, “the problem of impermanence can be construed as a partial argument for supernaturalism and against naturalism”. In response to Nagasawa, I will take up the challenge of naturalism by trying to deconstruct the arguments against indifferentism in order to reformulate and thus strengthen Nagasawa’s response to the problem of impermanence. I will then turn to the radicalization of this thesis by drawing out implications through a comparison with Dōgen’s thought.
{"title":"Reformulating Indifferentism","authors":"F. Greco","doi":"10.24204/ejpr.2022.3909","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.24204/ejpr.2022.3909","url":null,"abstract":"In his examination of the concepts of evil and impermanence, entitled “Evil and the Problem of Impermanence in Medieval Japanese Philosophy”, Yujin Nagasawa addresses four responses to the problem of impermanence, arguing that the only satisfactory response to the problem leads to an implication about supernaturalism. As Nagasawa puts it, “the problem of impermanence can be construed as a partial argument for supernaturalism and against naturalism”. In response to Nagasawa, I will take up the challenge of naturalism by trying to deconstruct the arguments against indifferentism in order to reformulate and thus strengthen Nagasawa’s response to the problem of impermanence. I will then turn to the radicalization of this thesis by drawing out implications through a comparison with Dōgen’s thought.","PeriodicalId":43251,"journal":{"name":"European Journal for Philosophy of Religion","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.5,"publicationDate":"2022-10-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42339516","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"哲学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Prima facie, rule-consequentialism as a moral theory would correlate with the concerns of an omnibenevolent being should one exist. Indeed, such a being would be divine, and under the lenses of the three Abrahamic religions, would inter alia, also be omnipotent and omniscient. In this paper, I consider the attitude of such a being to rule-consequentialism in human society. I argue, from a probabilistic perspective, that the evidence of Abrahamic scripture confirms, to a degree, that God would judge rule-consequentialism to be a sound moral theory in different societies. I also consider a similar argument from a secular perspective.
{"title":"Is God a Rule-consequentialist?","authors":"William Hunt","doi":"10.24204/ejpr.2022.3697","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.24204/ejpr.2022.3697","url":null,"abstract":"Prima facie, rule-consequentialism as a moral theory would correlate with the concerns of an omnibenevolent being should one exist. Indeed, such a being would be divine, and under the lenses of the three Abrahamic religions, would inter alia, also be omnipotent and omniscient. In this paper, I consider the attitude of such a being to rule-consequentialism in human society. I argue, from a probabilistic perspective, that the evidence of Abrahamic scripture confirms, to a degree, that God would judge rule-consequentialism to be a sound moral theory in different societies. I also consider a similar argument from a secular perspective.","PeriodicalId":43251,"journal":{"name":"European Journal for Philosophy of Religion","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.5,"publicationDate":"2022-10-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42020103","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"哲学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Abstract. In this article I offer a programmatic interpretation of the fundamental problem of phenomenology in terms of a philosophy of revelation. As the subtitle expresses, this text is a research summary which shows the framework and the main conceptual structures of “phenomenology as philosophy of revelation”. I propose the outline of a renewal of one of the last important developments of Western philosophy both in terms of its metaphysical aspiration and scientific relevance. After the general introduction, I delineate the philosophical problem of revelation. I show how reflections on this problem influenced early phenomenology. I explain the underlying subject matter in the history of phenomenology, i.e., the notion of disclosure. I also outline what I term apocalyptic phenomenology in order to focus on the philosophical understanding of revelation. In this part I offer some details of the notion of newness and the appropriate method applied here. Finally, I summarize the scientific relevance of my approach in the context of logic, methodology, and disciplinarity with a special emphasis on the study of religion.
{"title":"Phenomenology as Philosophy of Revelation","authors":"B. Mezei","doi":"10.24204/ejpr.2022.3674","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.24204/ejpr.2022.3674","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract. In this article I offer a programmatic interpretation of the fundamental problem of phenomenology in terms of a philosophy of revelation. As the subtitle expresses, this text is a research summary which shows the framework and the main conceptual structures of “phenomenology as philosophy of revelation”. I propose the outline of a renewal of one of the last important developments of Western philosophy both in terms of its metaphysical aspiration and scientific relevance. After the general introduction, I delineate the philosophical problem of revelation. I show how reflections on this problem influenced early phenomenology. I explain the underlying subject matter in the history of phenomenology, i.e., the notion of disclosure. I also outline what I term apocalyptic phenomenology in order to focus on the philosophical understanding of revelation. In this part I offer some details of the notion of newness and the appropriate method applied here. Finally, I summarize the scientific relevance of my approach in the context of logic, methodology, and disciplinarity with a special emphasis on the study of religion.","PeriodicalId":43251,"journal":{"name":"European Journal for Philosophy of Religion","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.5,"publicationDate":"2022-10-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47868514","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"哲学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Abstract. The problem of evil is widely considered a problem only for traditional Western monotheists who believe that there is an omnipotent and morally perfect God. I argue, however, that the problem of evil, more specifically a variant of the problem of evil which I call the ‘problem of impermanence’, arises even for those adhering to the philosophical and religious traditions of the East. I analyse and assess various responses to the problem of impermanence found in medieval Japanese literature. I argue that the only response that is potentially satisfactory requires supernaturalism. I conclude, therefore, that the problem of impermanence is a unique problem posing a greater challenge to naturalists than to supernaturalists.
{"title":"Evil And The Problem Of Impermanence In Medieval Japanese Philosophy","authors":"Y. Nagasawa","doi":"10.24204/ejpr.2022.3908","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.24204/ejpr.2022.3908","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract. The problem of evil is widely considered a problem only for traditional Western monotheists who believe that there is an omnipotent and morally perfect God. I argue, however, that the problem of evil, more specifically a variant of the problem of evil which I call the ‘problem of impermanence’, arises even for those adhering to the philosophical and religious traditions of the East. I analyse and assess various responses to the problem of impermanence found in medieval Japanese literature. I argue that the only response that is potentially satisfactory requires supernaturalism. I conclude, therefore, that the problem of impermanence is a unique problem posing a greater challenge to naturalists than to supernaturalists.","PeriodicalId":43251,"journal":{"name":"European Journal for Philosophy of Religion","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.5,"publicationDate":"2022-10-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41715027","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"哲学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}