[Oe List ...] A review of Charles Taylor's "The Secular Society"

[jlepps at pc.jaring.my]

How could I stay out of this conversation???

There are at least three essays in my forthcoming book that address 
this issue. 2 are reviews of naive "theological" statements by Steven 
Hawking, and one is an essay on Faith. The latter is particularly 
pertinent here, since much of the controversy is about 
mis-understanding of language. Briefly, Faith seeks understanding, 
Faith seeks action, and Faith seeks expression. It's the expressions 
of faith that are sometimes confused with understandings of faith, 
and this leads to grossly flawed (and "unscientific") beliefs. It's 
as if one were to take Humpty Dumpty as a historical account rather 
than a mythological statement of profound truth!

Anyway the book is called "The Theology of Surprise: Exploring Life's 
Mysteries." It should be out around the first of August through 
Resurgence Publishing. Should be available through Amazon soon.

John

At 04:19 PM 7/9/2013, you wrote:
>On Jul 9, 2013, at 3:49 PM, Herman Greene 
><<mailto:hfgreenenc at gmail.com>hfgreenenc at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>>Now this is an incomplete response and there is much more to be 
>>said, including some positive things about Michael's approach. By 
>>the way, in some senses I am a religious naturalist, but along the 
>>lines of process theology. See
>>
>>
>><http://www.amazon.com/Reenchantment-without-Supernaturalism-Philosophy-Religion/dp/0801486572/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&qid=1373406412&sr=8-10&keywords=David+Ray+Griffin>Reenchantment 
>>without Supernaturalism: A Process Philosophy of Religion (Cornell 
>>Studies in the Philosophy of... by 
>><http://www.amazon.com/David-Ray-Griffin/e/B000APTCK4/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_10?qid=1373406412&sr=8-10>David 
>>Ray Griffin (Nov 16, 2000). In the process approach there's plenty 
>>of transcendence as well as immanence, and religious knowledge is 
>>not only what can be known through the five senses and logic. There 
>>are other ways of knowing.
>>
>>
>
>
>I think of myself as an avid scientist. What I believe is secondary 
>and derivative of what I experience, with gratitude to the RS-I and 
>Frank, Amy, Lyn, et al. I find myself thinking these days, "I don't 
>believe in God, I have a God Hypothesis."
>
>I observe in more ways than I can name a mystery, depth, and 
>greatness in the world (and dozens of et ceteras that I'll lump 
>under the category gracious and holy mystery) that come at me in the 
>form of relationships and events, inside me and outside me. It's all 
>sustaining and energizing, etc., etc.
>
>My God hypothesis (for which read: narrative of what to expect) 
>gives me eyes to see. My hypothesis is a narrative about trinitarian 
>dynamics (limits, possibilities, freedom) and it has been uniformly 
>and reliably predictive for over 40 years now. It's saved my life, 
>one might say.
>
>Rather than "do you believe in God?" I prefer to ask, "What are our 
>images of God? Are they predictive of life experience? Do they give 
>us eyes to see?"
>
>I toy with images of myself as contemplative or mystic or inveterate 
>listener or ceaseless questioner. All of them, really, are about 
>constantly, unobtrusively observing, testing my hypothesis, refining 
>my images of the way life is, and looking again, to see if I can see 
>more of what is there and what is real.
>
>I think I'd better read Dowd, Griffin, and Brooks, to see what all 
>the energy is about.
>
>I go a bit berserk at the endless, mindless contraversy about 
>conflict between religious belief and scientific knowledge.
>
>David
>
>
>
>---
>
>[]
>
>
>
>David Dunn
>740 S Alton Way 9B
>Denver, CO 80247
>720-314-5991
><mailto:dmdunn1 at gmail.com>dmdunn1 at gmail.com
>
>
>
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