A Theology More Useful: Public Theology as Edification

The article argues that Richard Rorty’s idea of edification should be adopted as the central approach of public theology. It begins by outlining Rorty’s definition of edification before exploring the argument in Philosophy and the Mirror of Nature which led to this definition. Various critical respo...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:International journal of public theology
Main Author: Smith, Graeme (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
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Published: Brill [2019]
In: International journal of public theology
RelBib Classification:FA Theology
VA Philosophy
Further subjects:B Richard Rorty
B edification
B Agency
B Critical Realism
B Pragmatism
B Roy Bhaskar
B Relativism
B Rowan Williams
B Truth
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Summary:The article argues that Richard Rorty’s idea of edification should be adopted as the central approach of public theology. It begins by outlining Rorty’s definition of edification before exploring the argument in Philosophy and the Mirror of Nature which led to this definition. Various critical responses are then explored, especially the critique by Roy Bhaskar that Rorty’s approach is politically frivolous. It is suggested, however, that the criticism that Rorty is either relativist or unconcerned with ethical agency is unfair. Instead, rather than being concerned with different types of speaking Truth to power, public theologians should be focused on producing novel, unique and eye-catching redescriptions of social and political phenomena.
ISSN:1569-7320
Contains:Enthalten in: International journal of public theology
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1163/15697320-12341591