Faith and Philosophy A Historical Orientation (Value Inquiry Book, 371)

133 Pages·2021·1.931 MB·English

by  Jerry H. Gill

Faith and Philosophy
Value Inquiry Book Series

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Robert Ginsberg
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J.D. Mininger
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volume 371
The titles published in this series are listed at brill.com/vibs
Faith and Philosophy

A Historical Orientation
By
Jerry H. Gill
LEIDEN | BOSTON
Cover illustration: By Mari Ulla Sorri. Used with permission.
Library of Congress Cataloging- in- Publication Data
Names: Gill, Jerry H., author.
Title: Faith and philosophy : a historical orientation / by Jerry H. Gill.
Description: Leiden ; Boston : Brill, [2022] | Series: Value inquiry book
series, 0929-8 436 ; volume 371 | Includes bibliographical references and
index. | Summary: "The ancient religious thinker Tertullian asked: "What
has Athens to do with Jerusalem?", implying that faith and philosophy
have nothing to say to each other. The history of this dialogue has
shaped the intellectual dialogue from the very beginning right up to the
present. In this book, Jerry H. Gill has traced the dynamics of this
dialogue and in the conclusion he has offered his own answer to the
questions it raises"– Provided by publisher.
Identifiers: lccn 2021042776 (print) | lccn 2021042777 (ebook) |
isbn 9789004465459 (hardback : acid- free paper) | isbn 9789004465640 (ebook)
Subjects: lcsh: Philosophy and religion– History. | Philosophy– History. |
Christian philosophy.
Classification: lcc B56 .G49 2022 (print) | lcc B56 (ebook) |
ddc 210– dc23
lc record available at https:// lccn.loc.gov/ 2021042776
lc ebook record available at https:// lccn.loc.gov/ 2021042777
Typeface for the Latin, Greek, and Cyrillic scripts: “Brill.” See and download: brill.com/b rill- typeface.
issn 0929-8 436
isbn 978-9 0-0 4-4 6545-9 (hardback)
isbn 978-9 0-0 4-4 6564-0 (e- book)
Copyright 2022 by Jerry H. Gill. Published by Koninklijke Brill nv, Leiden, The Netherlands.
Koninklijke Brill nv incorporates the imprints Brill, Brill Nijhoff, Brill Hotei, Brill Schöningh, Brill Fink,
Brill mentis, Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, Böhlau Verlag and V&R Unipress.
Koninklijke Brill nv reserves the right to protect this publication against unauthorized use. Requests for
re- use and/ or translations must be addressed to Koninklijke Brill nv via brill.com or copyright.com.
This book is printed on acid- free paper and produced in a sustainable manner.
For my longtime colleague, buddy, and friend, Bruce Johnston
∵

Contents

P reface: The Why and Wherefore ix
A Very Happy Acknowledgement xi
I ntroduction: Faith Seeking Understanding 1
1 G reek Thought 9
1 P resocratics and Socrates 9
2 P lato: Theistic Idealism 15
3 A ristotle: Rational Theology 21
4 P lotinus: Neoplatonism 27
2 M edieval Thought 33
1 I renaeus: God and Evil 33
2 A ugustine: Christian Platonism 38
3 A quinas: Christian Aristotelianism 43
4 E ckhart: Christian Mysticism 50
3 M odern Thought 54
1 D escartes: Rationalist Faith 54
2 L ocke: Empiricist Faith 61
3 H ume: Religious Skepticism 67
4 K ant: Reason Seeking Faith 73
4 R ecent Thought 80
1 K ierkegaard: Faith without Reason? 80
2 F euerbach: Naturalistic Humanism 87
3 A . N. Whitehead: Process Thought 93
4 T illich: Philosophical Theology 100
C onclusion: Reasons of the Heart 108
B ibliography 119
I ndex 121

Preface: The Why and Wherefore

For the better part of my life I have been privileged to participate in the ongo-
ing conversation about the issues involved in the relation between faith and
philosophy, with both students and colleagues. This in no way makes me an
expert, but it does put me in a position to pass on to others, especially those
who may be just beginning their study of these issues, some reflections and
insights concerning this broad and fascinating field of study. Thus this book
is aimed at providing a brief, historical introduction to those thinkers and
questions that have shaped the ongoing dialogue between reason and faith in
Western thought.
When participating in this conversation, I have frequently encountered
many who come to the subject with a minimal background in either philos-
ophy or theology, or both. I have written this book with just such students in
mind in order to provide them with a brief orientation to the dynamics and
patterns that comprise what may well be the very heart of Western thought
itself. The goal is a book that will serve as a ready-r eference volume in courses
of study involving philosophy and/o r theology for those getting under way
in this field. The book can, then, function as a brief textbook in introductory
courses in both philosophy and theology, or as a helpful guide to those who
may just be interested in the questions involved for their own sake.
The introduction, “Faith Seeking Understanding,” presents what are gener-
ally regarded as the main lines of approach to the central issues involved in this
field throughout history. The idea here is to provide a backdrop against which
the student can better understand the points of view outlined in the main
body of the text. In the conclusion, “Reasons of the Heart,” I shall sketch out a
few of the current trends on the present scene, as well as offering what seems
to me to be the most helpful approach to take toward the relation between
philosophy and matters of religious faith.
I have divided the main body of the text into chapters according to the tra-
ditional time periods of Western thought. In each of these I take up the key
thinkers who down through the ages have influenced the direction that the dia-
logue between reason and faith has taken. In each case, as well, I have sought
to ground my exposition of the thinker’s point of view in his own writings,
including as many actual quotations as the short span of this sort of introduc-
tion will allow. In addition, I have consulted, and occasionally quoted, reliable
secondary scholars as well.
Of course, in a brief orientation such as this only the most salient aspects of
each thinker’s point of view can be treated. Nevertheless, my hope is that the
x Preface: The Why and Wherefore
reader will find each treatment to be clear, accurate, and helpful. In addition,
it must be borne in mind that there is no substitute for the reader’s own inter-
action with the issues. Philosophy and religious faith are not the sorts of things
one can expect or allow someone else to do for you. To paraphrase Socrates,
neither unexamined faith nor unexamined thought is worth affirming.