THEOLOGY AS PHILOSOPHY AND AS RELIGION

“…but the wise shall understand.” (Daniel 12: 10)

Theology presents a problem for placement, wherever there is a choice between Religion and Philosophy. I cannot easily divide it into dogmatic theology, which belongs to Religion, and speculative theology, which belongs to philosophy, because the line is not all that clearly drawn. It is only obvious when we are looking at homiletic theology versus religion criticism, but such a distinction between the extremes gives us nothing toward the distinction of the basics.

A theoretical way to make this distinction would be to say that whenever we consider theology from inside its religion, we are dealing with religion, but whenever we do it from the outside, it is philosophy. Yet, this does not work either. A Christian philosopher studying Christian theology as “philosophy” is disingenuous of necessity, as he is patently incapable of making such a separation, removing him entirely from his own religion.

Besides, there is a similar problem in trying to place philosophy of religion, for instance, in either of these sections. Encyclopaedia Britannica “solves” this problem of placement by placing it in both, which is only proving, with reference to my case, that tautology and confusion here are unavoidable.

There is no sense for me either, to try to draw a sharp line of distinction where there is no borderline, but a diffused and ambiguous overlap over a common, but little-disputed territory. My placement decisions then (Philosophy or Religion?!) are to be guided by instinct, rather than by definition. Yet, this is by no means a loss for formal, “rational” study, as long as we shift that study’s focus from a search for some objectivity to a bemused retrospection, going case by case to determine where exactly our theological bus swerves off the road of religion to the adjacent road of philosophy and back, and how the bus driver reacts to such swerves.

To generalize this somewhat, one can learn a lot about a country, its general philosophical direction, and its future, by studying its prominent figures speaking or writing on matters specifically involving theology and ethics. It is great fun to watch brainwashers getting brainwashed themselves in the process of brainwashing others, as only through such instances can we discern with the greatest ease what the brainwashing is really about, and where it is leading both the leaders and the followers…

A fascinating subject of study, a bonanza for political psychologists!