Religion and the Scientific Future [Book Review]

Review of Metaphysics 24 (3):543-544 (1971)
  Copy   BIBTEX

Abstract

The author explores the relationships among science, theology, and philosophy, and the way in which each relates to mythical language or statement. The starting point is the scientific nature of our culture and certain of its features which are untenable; the assumption is that a mythical, eternistic [[sic]] point of view of the traditional religious type constitutes the only alternative to that which takes as its model the experimental sciences. There is a review of the familiar incursions which science has made into the theological domain, to the point where the latter has doubted its own legitimacy. The effort on behalf of religion begins by an evaluation of science: it is seen to be less exact, less rigorous, and more dramatic, more human than it often is thought to be. In effect, science does not know itself, and can hardly dictate the limits of religion on the basis of ideals which are illusory. In fact, science has a need for mythical presentation of its own interests and activities; it has its own myths, and some are at odds with others. For example, the notion of objective man is not wholly compatible with the notion of man as object. The way has been cleared to claim that mythical language is legitimate, that it is central to the religious enterprise, and that religious myth may even serve science in the very way that science and the methodology of science have often sought to serve religious discourse--as a therapeutic device. This depends on an historical perspective: given the role that myth has played in religion and the role that it now plays in science, a more felicitous situation would be achieved if some of our convictions about myth were radically revised. The role of the philosopher in this projected task is analyzed and described as central. The conclusion is that science, far from being the force that eliminates religious language, shows, in its own activity, the urgent need for religious language.--J. J. E.

Links

PhilArchive



    Upload a copy of this work     Papers currently archived: 90,616

External links

Setup an account with your affiliations in order to access resources via your University's proxy server

Through your library

Similar books and articles

The persistence of religion: comparative perspectives on modern spirituality.Harvey Cox - 2009 - New York: Distributed in the U.S. and Canada exclusively by Palgrave Macmillan. Edited by Daisaku Ikeda.
The scientific Buddha: his short and happy life.Donald S. Lopez - 2012 - New Haven: Yale University Press.
Making Room For Faith In An Age Of Science.Michael Ruse - 2011 - Proceedings of the American Catholic Philosophical Association 85:43-58.
Phenomenology of religion.Mariasusai Dhavamony - 1973 - Rome,: Gregorian University Press.

Analytics

Added to PP
2012-03-18

Downloads
47 (#298,872)

6 months
5 (#246,492)

Historical graph of downloads
How can I increase my downloads?

Citations of this work

No citations found.

Add more citations

References found in this work

No references found.

Add more references