What’s New in….Philosophy of Religion
Daniel Hill describes how the work of Alvin Plantinga has revolutionised Philosophy of Religion.
From Philosophy Now:
"Analytic philosophy is concerned with analysis – analysis of thought, language, logic, knowledge, mind, etc; whereas continental philosophy is concerned with synthesis – synthesis of modernity with history, individuals with society, and speculation with application.’
Imagine approaching God and religion from one frame of mind rather than the other. Which do you so suppose might come closest to to examining and assessing God and Religion as it is actually practiced by flesh and blood human beings going about the business of living their lives?
Sure, if you are in the theology department why not approach God and religion more “conceptually”, “theoretically”, “analytically” up on the celestial skyhooks?
Thus:
On the other hand, how “careful” can the analytic arguments be when their technical conclusions are taken out into the world? Why? Well, in order to examine how “for all practical purposes” God and religion function existentially in the lives of the true believers: providing them with “paths” in choosing virtuous and enlightened behaviors on this side of the grave in order to put them on the “path” to immortality and salvation on the other side.
What of “logic, precision and clarity” there?
Is it any wonder then that so many religionists on this thread become, for all intents and purposes, theologians bent only on discussing God and religion in an exchange of “spiritual contraptions”. And the last place they want to take them, in my opinion, are to the questions that revolve around “love, life, and death”. Or, in any event, given particular sets of circumstances construed by those on many different spiritual paths in many different conflicting ways.