Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-t5tsf Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-17T20:16:55.153Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Is there a Christian Philosophy?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 October 2008

R. F. Aldwinckle
Affiliation:
Professor of Theology, McMaster University, Ontario

Extract

In the present philosophical climate of opinion many are inclined to respond to this question in the spirit of the cynical comment concerning Christian Science, that it is neither Christian nor scientific. So it might be affirmed of Christian philosophy. It is neither Christian nor philosophical. It is customary these days to find both theologians and positivistic philosophers agreeing on this point. Theologians of a certain persuasion wish to keep theology free from any taint of the bacillus metaphysicus. Philosophers of a certain school are equally anxious to keep philosophy free of any entanglement with theological questions which involve problems incapable of linguistic clarification and precise meaning. Nevertheless, there is mounting evidence that this kind of intellectual apartheid is becoming less and less possible in practice and less attractive in principle. Even those who wish to separate rigidly theology and philosophy seem in practice to find it impossible to let each other alone. Each exercises a kind of morbid fascination for the other, and even if real dialogue is refused, the sniping still goes on, in reluctant acknowledgement of the existence of the other. The time would appear to be ripe, therefore, for a fresh and bold re-opening of the question which forms the title of this paper.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1967

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

page 233 note 1 Nédoncelle, M., Is there a Christian Philosophy? pp. 85 ff.Google Scholar

Sciacca, M. F., Le Problème de Dieu et de la Religion dans la Philosophie Contemporaine pp. 119 ff.Google Scholar

page 234 note 1 Bréhier, Emile, Histoire de la Philosophie II, viii, p. 487.Google Scholar

page 234 note 2 Gilson, Etienne, The Spirit of Mediaeval Philosophy p. 51.Google Scholar

page 236 note 1 M. Blondel, The Letter on Apologetics and History and Dogma, translated by Alexander Dru and Illtyd Trethowan, p. 185.

page 236 note 2 Bouillard, Henry, Blondel et le Christianisme p. 35.Google Scholar

page 236 note 3 Blondel, op. cit. p. 191.

page 236 note 4 Mehl, R., The Condition of the Christian Philosophy p. 15.Google Scholar

page 237 note 1 Mehl, R., The Condition of the Christian Philosophy p. 23.Google Scholar

page 237 note 2 Ibid. p. 26.

page 237 note 3 Gilson, E., The Spirit of Mediaeval Philosophy p. 5.Google Scholar

page 237 note 4 Mehl, op. cit. p. 31.

page 237 note 5 Mehl, op. cit. p. 94.

page 237 note 6 Smith, John E., Reason and God p. 141.Google Scholar

page 237 note 7 Smith, op. cit. p. 152.

page 237 note 8 Smith, op. cit. p. 153.

page 238 note 1 J. B. Cobb (Jr.), Christian Natural Theology.

page 238 note 2 E. L. Mascall, He Who is. Cf. his criticism of these two philosophers in chapters xi and xii.

page 238 note 3 H. D. Lewis, Our Experience of God, p. 46.

page 238 note 4 Ramsey, I. T., Religious Language p. 74.Google Scholar

page 239 note 1 Tresmontant, C., La Métaphysique du Christianisme p. 42.Google Scholar

page 239 note 2 Smith, op. cit. p. 144.

page 240 note 1 Ramsey, Ian, Prospect for Metaphysics pp. 95–6.Google Scholar

page 241 note 1 Christian, W. A., Meaning and Truth in Religion p. 240.Google Scholar

page 242 note 1 W. A. Christian op. cit. p. 260.