The philosophy of religion can analyze fundamentalism.
The philosophy of religion is a philosophical specialization focused on the analysis of religious beliefs, spirituality, and practices . The problem of evil, the opposition faith versus reason and the existence of God are some of his topics of study.
It should be noted that the idea of philosophy refers to the set of knowledge that aims to rationally determine the principles that guide people's actions and direct the understanding of reality. The term can also refer to a doctrine. The notion of religion , meanwhile, refers to the dogmas, convictions and rituals linked to divinity.
It can be said that the philosophy of religion is an area that is oriented towards reflection on issues of religious relevance . The concept, however, can also be linked to the worldview of a community or an individual about its origin, its guiding principles and its future.
History of the philosophy of religion
The origin of the philosophy of religion can be associated with the so-called natural theology (a current of scholasticism that had its peak in medieval times). This philosophical branch includes a discipline known as theodicy , focused on the problem of evil.
The concept of philosophy of religion, however, emerged in the 19th century to refer to the exploration of human religious consciousness and its cultural manifestations through language and behavior. It is a critical examination of religious beliefs and experiences, considering issues linked to ethics, power and reason.
It should be considered that, a long time before, Eastern philosophies such as Confucianism and Taoism had already addressed these types of topics. The history of the philosophy of religion also includes contributions from thinkers such as Aristotle , Thomas Hobbes , and John Locke .
Divine goodness is studied from the philosophy of religion.
Its characteristics
The philosophy of religion, as we already indicated, examines multiple issues. In principle, it must define what religion is : although views vary, it is usual to consider the existence of a set of practices and teachings about the divine and the sacred that serve as a guide for people to achieve enlightenment and salvation. or redemption.
Works in the philosophy of religion, on the other hand, investigate what religious beliefs mean and how they influence social life . They also observe actions and rituals such as prayer and sacraments and the link between religion and science.
Of course, the existence of God is central to the philosophy of religion. There are theistic positions that defend that there is one supreme being ( monotheism ) or several ( polytheism ), while other views do not contemplate divine intervention ( atheism ) or consider that it is unknown or escapes the possibilities of cognition ( agnosticism ).
It should be noted that the philosophy of religion includes fields of studies and theories such as religious metaphysics , religious epistemology , and phenomenology of religion . This reflects the breadth of the phenomena it analyzes.
Divine revelation and mystical experience are part of the object of study of the philosophy of religion.
Importance of philosophy of religion
Various reasons make the philosophy of religion of great importance. On the one hand, it must be considered that the majority of the population is part of a religion or lives under the influence of one. This implies that the philosophy of religion addresses issues that affect millions of men and women and that have to do with values that regulate the behavior of a good part of humanity.
The philosophy of religion, on the other hand, appears as an instrument that helps compare between religious traditions. In this way it can contribute to the understanding of those who have different beliefs and carry out different rituals .
Another aspect to highlight is that the philosophy of religion helps to understand history . Great movements and events were driven by a religious cause: understanding those roots is transcendental. Even today, religion is the basis of political decisions and even the cause of war.
Likewise, the philosophy of religion is key to understanding the link between faith and science . While science bases its claims on the evidence it obtains from the natural world, faith does not seek empirical proof of its expressions and tends to consider supernatural elements. Beyond this apparent conflict, it is often pointed out that science and faith refer to different dimensions of the human experience and therefore do not have to be opposed since their domains, according to this perspective, do not overlap.
The supreme being
The attributes of the supreme being are also part of the object of study of the philosophy of religion. The most widespread theistic tradition maintains that God is perfect and eternal : in the case of Christianity, unlike Islam and Judaism, it believes in the Holy Trinity (which implies that God is Father, Son and Holy Spirit) and in the incarnation of God like Jesus .
From the philosophy of religion, in this framework, the main divine attributes are analyzed:
- Divine omnipotence : God is all-powerful.
- Divine omniscience : God knows the totality of real and possible things.
- Divine omnipresence : God is everywhere at once.