The Hermeneutical Keys to William James’s Philosophy of Religion: Protestant Impulses, Vital Belief

• Authors: David J. Zehnder
• Languages of publication: EN

Abstracts

EN

This essay argues that the American psychologist and philosopher William James should be viewed in the Lutheran Reformation’s tradition because this viewpoint offers the hermeneutical key to his philosophy of religion. Though James obviously didn’t ascribe to biblical authority, he expressed the following religious sensibilities made possible by Martin Luther and his contemporaries: 1) challenge of prevailing systems, 2) anti-rationalism, 3) being pro-religious experience and dynamic belief, 4) need for a personal, caring God, and also 5) a gospel of religious comfort. This essay asks, in one specific form, how religious concerns can hold steady over time but cause very different expressions of faith.

Keywords

EN

Philosophy of religion; Protestantism; Faith; Hermeneutics; Rationalism; James, William

• Publisher: Akademia Ignatianum w Krakowie
• Journal: Forum Philosophicum
• Year: 2010
• Volume: 15
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 301-316

Dates

published

2010

Contributors

author

David J. Zehnder

• Concordia St. Louis

References

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Identifiers

DOI

10.5840/forphil20101523

URI

http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=54527569&lang=pl&site=ehost-live

URI

http://www.pdcnet.org/pdc/bvdb.nsf/purchase?openform&fp=forphil&id=forphil_2010_0015_0002_0301_0316