Approaching God: Between Phenomenology and Theology

Description

Approaching God explores the ways in which phenomenology, metaphysics and theological enquiry can throw light upon each other. This is a matter of great interest and importance to the future of philosophical theology and the philosophy of religion. What, if anything, has philosophical reflection about God to contribute to Christian theology? And if indeed philosophy plays a positive role in theological reflection-what kind of philosophy? The first-person philosophical perspective of phenomenology or the objective philosophical perspective of metaphysics? Masterson devotes three chapters to, respectively, phenomenological, metaphysical, and theological approaches to God. Each are seen as animated by a first principle from which a comprehensive account of everything is said to follow-'Human Consciousness' in the case of phenomenology; 'Being' in the case of metaphysics; and 'God' in the case of theology. Although philosophers and theologians such as Ricoeur, Levinas, Kearney, Caputo, and Barth are considered briefly, Approaching God essentially provides a dialogue about theological and theistic issues between the phenomenological approach of the leading French Christian phenomenologist Jean-Luc Marion and the realist metaphysical approach of Aquinas. Masterson maintains that all three approaches are needed in trying to speak appropriately about God-they are irreducible but complementary. Cover HalfTitle Title Copyright Dedication Contents Introduction 1 Phenomenology Religion Phenomenology – introduction Phenomenology of religion Jean-Luc Marion Remarks Transcendence and experience Phenomenology and Revelation 2 Metaphysics Introduction Finite and infinite – two doubtful approaches The metaphysical meaning of finite being Arguing to the existence of infinite being The metaphysical meaning of infinite being Brief discussion of objections Coexistence of finite and infinite being Summary and conclusion 3 Theology Introduction The believing subject Karl Barth Thomas Aquinas The object of faith Remarks 4 Spirit Introduction Hegel – early work Spirit Hegel and theism Religion and philosophy Remarks 5 Comparisons Introduction Phenomenology versus metaphysics Metaphysics versus phenomenology Phenomenology and metaphysics 6 Relationships Introduction Creation Divinization Conclusions Introduction External and internal viewpoints Complementarity Interaction of theology and philosophy General conclusion Notes Bibliography Index