Am Ende der modernen Sicherheit: William James über religiöse Erfahrung
At the End of Modern Security: William James on Religious ExperienceWilliam James defends religious belief as a reasonable option against a kind of widespread agnosticism which he calls scientific absolutism, and against the dogmatism which he sees in the natural theology of his time. On the basis o...
Main Author: | |
---|---|
Format: | Electronic Article |
Language: | German |
Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
Journals Online & Print: | |
Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
Published: |
Brill
[2019]
|
In: |
Interdisciplinary journal for religion and transformation in contemporary society
Year: 2019, Volume: 5, Issue: 1, Pages: 52-75 |
Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains: | B
The will to believe, and other essays in popular philosophy
/ Religious experience
|
RelBib Classification: | AA Study of religion AG Religious life; material religion |
Further subjects: | B
Belief
B Dogmatism B pragmatistic epistemology B Religious Experience B radical empiricism B Motivation B Divine Presence B Natural Theology B scientific agnosticism |
Online Access: |
Volltext (doi) Volltext (kostenfrei) |
Summary: | At the End of Modern Security: William James on Religious ExperienceWilliam James defends religious belief as a reasonable option against a kind of widespread agnosticism which he calls scientific absolutism, and against the dogmatism which he sees in the natural theology of his time. On the basis of his collection of essays “The Will to Believe”, the article reconstructs his arguments and the epistemological foundation of his famous treatment of religious experience in “The Varieties of Religious Experience”. James’ pragmatistic approach, which he calls radical empiricism, resists the exclusion of “mystical” experiences of conversion and redemption, and of religious faith from the realm of reasonable attitudes. Experiences of the astonishing gift of being, of trust and openness, courage and motivation to endure life’s evils can validate religious faith.In so far as modern rationality with its highest expression in the sciences is rooted in an existential quest for security, the underlying attitude towards life unnecessarily prevents personal experiences of the divine and salvation and unreasonably devaluates attitudes of faith. James defends the desiring nature of human beings and opens up the space for legitimate religious experience. |
---|---|
ISSN: | 2364-2807 |
Contains: | Enthalten in: Interdisciplinary journal for religion and transformation in contemporary society
|
Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.30965/23642807-00501004 |