Philosophy of Religion-philosophy of religion

philosophy of religion

1. Philosophy of Religion by Cherielyn V. Tabangin

2. The term “philosophy” is a compound word of two words: philos (love) and sophia (wisdom), so “philosophy” literally means love of wisdom. To be a philosopher, then, is to love wisdom and philosophers are lovers of wisdom. What is Philosophy?

3. Philosophy of religion is the philosophical study of the meaning and nature of religion. In the first place, one question is how to define religion. The word religion derives from the Latin word “ religare ” or to bind or to put under an obligation. Philosophy of religion examines religious concepts, beliefs, terminology, arguments, and the practices of religious people. What is Philosophy of Religion?

4. Philosophy of religion as a field may be popular because of the overlapping interests found in both religious and philosophical traditions. Both religious and philosophical thinking raise many of the same, fascinating questions and possibilities about the nature of reality, the limits of reason, the meaning of life, and so on. What Accounts for the Vibrancy of Philosophy of Religion

5. Religious beliefs are the ideas and accepted tenets of any religion. While religious beliefs are essential to a religion, they are not the entirety of religion; a religion must also have practices and cultural rituals that its adherents engage in. What is the meaning of Philosophy of Religious Beliefs?

6. Philosophical Movements that Challenged a realist philosophy of God. 1. Positivism 2. Wittgensteinian Philosophy of Religion

7. “Positivism” is a term introduced by Auguste Comte (1798–1857), a French philosopher who championed the natural and social sciences over against theology and the philosophical practice of metaphysics. Positivism

8. Positivism relies on quantitative data that positivists believe is more reliable than qualitative research. Quantitative research is more “scientific” in its methods than qualitative research and thus more trustworthy. In research, quantitative data provides objective information that researchers can use to make scientific assumptions. Advantages and Disadvantages of Positivism Advantage: Quantitative Approach

9. Positivism follows a well-defined structure during studies and discussions. Positivists believe that since there are set laws and rules followed, there will be minimum room for error. This structure also gives little room for variance and drastic variable changes, thus making the study more accurate when it comes to experiments and applications as it tries to follow specific rules using objective mathematical and scientific tools. Advantage: Structure

10. Positivism believes that objective inferences and conclusions can be reached as long as the person doing the observation is objective and disregards her emotions. However, human behavior naturally comes with emotional responses. Although positivism encourages researchers to disregard human emotion and behavior, there is no guarantee that this will occur at all times during studies. Disadvantage: Human Behaviour

11. Some scholars believe that since positivists believe everything can be measured and calculated, they tend to be inflexible. Positivists see things as they are and tend to disregard unexplained phenomena. If a theory that says A only occurs when B and C combine, then B can never be A. This belief can eliminate lateral thinking, which is the process of finding answers by creatively and indirectly finding out ways to solve a problem. Disadvantage: Inflexibility

12. Wittgenstein shares with the 20th century a limited view of philosophy. Philosophy is not the love of knowledge nor is it an attempt to grasp the essential nature of reality. It is about language, or what has been called "the linguistic turn" in philosophy. Wittgensteinian Philosophy of Religion

13. Ludwig Wittgenstein is one of the most influential philosophers of the twentieth century

14. “a branch of philosophy that investigates the epistemic status of propositional attitudes about religious claims” Religious Epistemology

15. Natural Theology, Evidentialism, Reformed Epistemology, and Volitional Epistemology

16. Natural theology is the attempt to establish religious truths and prove the existence of God by rational argument and without reliance upon revelations. We will study and evaluate some of the most popular arguments for God. NAtural Theology

17. Evidentialism is the view that for a person to be justified in some belief, that person must have some awareness of the evidence for the belief. On this view, the belief in question must not be undermined (or defeated) by other, evident beliefs held by the person. Evidentialism

18. Two Movements in Philosophy of Religion Reformed epistemology is “Reformed” insofar as it draws on the Reformer John Calvin (1509–1564) who claimed that persons are created with a sense of God (sensus divinitatis). While this sense of God may not be apparent, it can reliably prompt you to believe in God and support a religious life.

19. 2. Volitional epistemology: If the God of Christianity exists, this God would not be evident to inquirers who are just curious about whether God exists. The God of Christianity would only become evident in a process that would involve the moral and spiritual transformation of persons. By willfully subjecting oneself to the commanding love of God, a person may come to serve as evidence of the truths of faith.

20. Thank You!