Saving God: religion after idolatry 9780691143941, 9780691152615, 9781400830442

Table of contents :
Frontmatter
PREFACE (page xi)
Chapter 1 Is Your God Really God? (page 1)
Chapter 1 The Idolatrous Religions (page 18)
Chapter 3 Supernaturalism and Scientism (page 37)
Chapter 4 The Phenomenological Approach (page 53)
Chapter 5 Is There an Internal Criterion of Religious Falsehood? (page 70)
Chapter 6 Why God? (page 80)
Chapter 7 After Monotheism (page 95)
Chapter 8 Process Panentheism (page 115)
Chapter 9 Panentheism, Not Pantheism (page 126)
Chapter 10 The Mind of God (page 152)
Chapter 11 Christianity without Spiritual Materialism (page 160)
POSTSCRIPT (page 187)
INDEX (page 189)

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SAVING GOD

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vine Names, 104; and monotheism, Jesus Christ, 31, 91, II, 157; and 3—4; and ontological naturalism, 51; agape, 186; Ascension of, 42, 45;

and Passion and Crucifixion of atonement by, 42, 166; concept of afChrist, 173; as perverse worship, terlife as resistance to, 180—83; as de20-21, 24: rhetoric of, 3-4, 25-28, stroying kingdom of self-will and 77, 123; and science, 37; as servility, false righteousness, 171-74; as God 24-25; and sole worship of Highest and man, 121; and Judaism, 27, 33; One, 95; and spiritual materialism, and just desert under the Law, 182; 15; and supernaturalism, 39; and and justice, 183; and love, 182-83; Torah, 26; and worldly advantage, as making exemplary propitiatory 158-59; and worship of lesser gods sacrifice, 182; and nature of Highest

vs. Most High, 20-21 One, 33; as overcoming original sin, Ignatius, Spiritual Exercises of, 53-54 164; Passion and Crucifixion of,

ignorance, 15, 124 164, 166, 173, 174; as propitiating illusion, 34, 145, 155. See also Highest One, 161, 163; as provoca-

hallucination tive, 171; Resurrection of, 166, 174,

image, and original, 136 175-76; reward for, 182, 183; salvific

imagination, 83, 135 role of, 43, 165, 166; as scapegoat,

individuation, 156 164; as Son of God, 171-72, 182;

induction, 77 and Spinoza, 39; suffering and death instrumental attitude, 122 of, 182, 183; as unmasking and dis-

intelligent design, 50 crediting sacrificial religion, 163, intelligibility, 47, 128 166; and violence, 164—65 intentionality, 132-33, 136, 139, 140, Josephus, Flavius, 177

143, 144 Joshua 6, 59

intentional object, 83 Judaism, 2, 26, 64, 91; and afterlife, 13,

interpretation, 136 176, 180; and desire of Highest One introspection, 111 for us to be with him, 116; and

194 INDEX Judaism (cont'd) Paul, 19; and Rabbinic Judaism, 64; henotheism, 11; and idolatry, 18, 19, self-sacrificing, 165. See also agape;

29; and Islam and Christianity, 29, self-love 30, 31; and Jesus, 27; and monothe- __ Luther, Martin, 58, 74, 88, 91, 106n5 ism, 11; Rabbinic, 64; as religion of

Judas, 164 ;

salvation history, 125 and revelation, Maccabean War, 177, 180

34—36; and salvation, 157 , magic, 23

Juel, Donald, 42n7

Maimonides, Moses, 104—6, 107, 110, 131, 132

Jung, Carl Gustav, 51, 15941 —_ mantic worldview,

justice: and afterlife, 181-82, 183; and compassion for the needy and the

Manuel II, 71, 72, 73, 74 Mao Zedong, 160

rdddd

lowly, 57; as covenantal or contrac- Marci 6. 34. 63. 64

tual between Yahweh and Israel, 57; "a an litts. 110 and Jesus Christ, 173, 183; and Rab- ares are tS»

_ , - Margalit, Avishai, 22n3

binic Judaism, 64; and religion and Mari bc. 112 violence, 160; and Socrates, 174; “them Met 46. 75. 154

and Yahweh, 55, 56, 57,58, 170-71. DL meaning, quest for, 178-80 Meeropol, Abel, 172n3

Kant, Immanuel, 38, 45, 74, 91-93, mental acts, 83; and modes of presenta-

180-82, 183 tion, 144-49, 151; as samplings of

katalepsis, 81, 93-94 presence, 132, 151, 152

kenosis, 187 mental realm, nonnatural, 127 Kierkegaard, Soren, 67 mental states: inner, 132-33; presenta-

kin altruism, 155 tional nature of, 142—43 Kripke, Saul A., 4, 5, 137-38, 145 mental stuff, 130

Mill, John Stuart, 80, 185-86

Lakatos, Imre, 47 Miller, Patrick D., 42n7 Law, the, 26-27, 86-87, 89, 163, 169, Millikan, Ruth, 141-42

170, 182 mimetic desire. See desire

Leonardo da Vinci, 133 mind, 127; Aristotle on, 132; part of

Lewis, David, 80n1 human as eternal, 184; presence as Logos, 50; analogy of, 116-18; and not dependent on, 149-51 Benedict XVI, 72-73, 74, 75; de- modes of presentation. See presenta-

fined, 117; and intelligibility, 117- tion, modes of

18; and laws of nature, 117 monolatry, 21 love, 12, 16, 50, 112, 113; and Christ, monotheism, 12, 94, 118; as in conflict 182-83; and Christ’s Kingdom, 175; with science, 45; and descriptive confor enemies, 185; for God, 89, 172, tent of beliefs about God, 5; and 174; for neighbor, 89, 172, 174, 185; God as First in order of Being, 103;

for oneself objectively, 185; and and idolatry, 15, 40; journey to, 123;

INDEX 195 as limiting case of polytheism, 123; others: needs of, 157, 187; regard for,

and mimetic desire, 163; ontologi- 85-86, 88, 169; well-being of as

cal, 79; rhetoric of idolatry, 123 threat, 163 moral despair, 92, 93, 94

moral duplicity, 25 panentheism, 79, 115-25, 126-28,

moral ought, 92 158, 174

Morris, Thomas V., 121n2 Pannenberg, Wolfhart, 25n6 Moses, 6, 18, 21, 27, 34, 69, 71, pantheism, 39, 126-28

96-97, 98 Paradise, 88

Mount of Olives, 42, 45 Parfit, Derek, 184n6 Muhammad the Prophet, 29, 34, 71 past, 85

Murdoch, Iris, 25n6 Paul, 19, 26-27, 43, 73, 74-75, 114, 116, 175-76, 177, 182

Nagel, Thomas, 84n5, 90 Peacocke, Arthur, 120n1 names: and causation, 138; descriptive, Pentecostalism, 31 7-8; and descriptive content, 4, 5; perception, 129-30, 142-44, 152

reference of, 137-38 perceptual field, 83 naturalism, 40; and causes of events, perspective, 83 50-52; and denial of soul, 184—85; le- Pettit, Philip, 154n1

gitimate, 43-46, 127, 158; method- Pharisees, 33, 43, 164, 176 ological, 51, 52; ontological, 50-52: phenomena, redescription and model-

and resurrection without afterlife, ing of, 46-47

183-86 phenomenological method, 13, 34—36,

natural laws, 38, 48, 49, 50 37, 53-69, 81 natural realm, 126-28 philosophical materialism, 47 natural representation, 128, 133-38 philosophical monism, 12

natural sciences, 126, 127, 158 photographs, 135

natural selection, 50 physical laws, 49 natural theology, 102 physics, 47, 48, 49 nature: cunning of, 156, 158; laws of, Plantinga, Alvin, 103n3 117; and Logos, 117; and sense, 156; Plato, 76, 97, 103n3, 173-74

violation of laws of, 40 Platonism, 25, 74, 97, 98, 99, 108,

Noah, 58 121, 156 Nostra Aetate (In Our Time), 29-30 Pol Pot, 160

polytheism, 11, 15, 94, 123 potlatch, 165 Objective Mind, 129, 154, 155-56, 184 — power, 122; fear of, 25, 52

observation, 78 presence, 128-29, 132, 151; and conoccultism, 23, 24, 48 sciousness, 131; as disclosure, 129— original sin, 82, 88, 93, 163-64, 165— 31; and evolution, 152—54; intellec-

71. See also Fall, the tual, 130, 132; and natural represen-

196 INDEX presence (cont'd) reincarnation, 177—78 tations, 134; as not mind-depen- religion, 41n5, 117; and authenticity, dent, 149-51; Producers of, 131, 15; defined, 44; as essentially idola132, 133, 136, 148, 149, 151, 152; trous, 40; as essentially supernaturalSamplers of, 132, 151, 152; selective ist, 39; and existential strength, 44; access to, 148; without anyone ac- as faithlessness, 19; family resem-

cessing presence, 149 blance concept of, 37n1, 44n9; in gepresentation, 152; and mental states, neric conflict with science, 44—45;

142-43 genuine or true, 15; and life-orienta-

presentation, modes of: illusory, 145; tion toward Highest One, 37n1; and

objective, 144, 145, 146, 147, ontological naturalism, 51; as radi148, 151, 154, 155; structure of, cal self-abandonment to the Divine,

152-54 24; and scapegoating, 167; as scien-

priest-craft, 23 tific theory, 46; sociology of, 37n1, priestly caste, 24 44n9; and violence, 160-61; without

prodigal son, 182 idolatry, 40

proper function, 142, 143, 144, 150 religious fallibilism, 76-79

prophecy, 24 representation, 129, 131, 141-44; and

Protestantism, 19n1, 53 availability, 143-44; and descriptive

psychology, 3, 25, 123, 131 information, 136—39; natural, 128,

Pythagoras, 177 133-38; as of or about external Pythagoreanism, 12n3 world, 133, 134, 135, 136; and

“refrigerator light” fallacy, 149-50

quantitative models, 49 respectability, 88-8

resurrection, 42, 43, 175-78, 183-86. See also Jesus Christ: Resurrection of

Railton, Peter, 47n12 revelation, 33—34, 75 Rawls, John, 80n1 righteousness, 26, 88; false, 88, reality, 118; as Being-making-itself- 168-74, 175, 183 present-to-beings, 156; doubly Rorty, Richard, 17 donatory character of, 156-57,

158; neglect of holiness of, 122; sacrifice, 162, 164, 166

objective, 24 safety, experience of, 110-11 reason: and Benedict XVI, 72—76; ob- salvation, 10, 11, 12, 76, 157; in Bud-

jectivity of, 47; practical, 94; respect dhism, 14; and defects of human for, 80-81; and revelation, 75. See life, 15-16, 125; in Hinduism, 14;

also Logos and idolatry, 21; and kenosis, 187; reasonableness, 75, 79, 80—82 and love, 180; and mathematical re-

reasoning, 130 ality, 12; neutral account of, 13-14; redemption, 15, 16, 92-94, 124 as overcoming self-involvement, 23—

Reformation, 74 24; and Spinoza, 12; and spiritual refrigerator light fallacy, 149-50 materialism, 14—17

INDEX 197 Satan, the, 60, 66, 159 shirk, 31, 32 scapegoat, 87, 161, 162, 163, 164, 165, Shroud of Turin, 135

166, 167, 169, 173 Smith, Michael, 80n1 Schafer, Peter, 27n7 Socrates, 71, 173-74 scholasticism, 74, 106 Sodom and Gomorrah, 58 science, 77, 80; and causal knowledge, sola scriptura, 74 47, 48; discoveries of, 37; and exis- Spinoza, Baruch, 12, 38-39, 131, 157,

tential strength, 44; fundamental 181, 183-84 preconditions of, 47; generalization spiritual materialism, 14-17, 40, 48,

in, 77-79; generic conflict with 51, 123 religion, 44-45; and legitimate natu- spiritual tone deafness, 38 ralism, 43—44; method of, 46—47; Stalin, Joseph, 160 and panentheism, 119-20; and po- Stamp, Dennis, 138n5

tential causal completeness, 49; stigmatization, 87, 162. See also and progress, 41; and superstition, scapegoat 48; and survivorship bias, 51; and Stitch, Stephen, 141n7

technology, 44 Stoics, 76, 117

scientism, 38, 53; and abstractive pre- Stravinsky, Igor, 135 conditions of scientific modeling, substantive reasonableness, 79,

46-47; and “Godless” metaphysical 80-87 picture, 45-46; and natural realm, Sudarium of Orvieto, 135

127; and science, 46-50 suffering, 15, 16, 17, 124, 125

scruton, Roger, 161 supernaturalism, 39, 40-43, 135, 160, seeing and hearing as, 68, 69 169; defined, 40

seeing as, 41n5 superstition, 40, 45 self: and homo incurvatus in se, 157; syncretistic theology, 3, 5 and not-self, 85; as privileged and prized, 86

self-concern, 184 Talmud, 27 self-consciousness, 84n5, 85, 86, 91 Taoism, 45

self-involvement, 15, 124 Tao Te Ching, 97-98 self-love, 82, 84, 88, 91, 92, 93, 158, Taylor, Charles, 81n3

173, 175. See also love teleology, 118, 158 self-protectiveness, 86 tetragrammaton, 33n10, 96-99 self-will: Christ as destroying, 171-74; theodicy, 115

and compromised conception of Theory of Appearing, 131n4 good, 169-70; and ethics, 89; and Theravada Buddhism, 45 the Fall, 82-83, 127; in Kant, 93n13; Thomas, Dylan, 156 and original sin, 88, 168-69; and re- _ Tillich, Paul, 28n8, 98

gard for others, 86 transcendence, 1, 23, 28, 107, 112, 187

Septuagint, 73 Transcendental Meditation, 15 Sharpton, Al, 38 Troeltsch, Ernst, 45

198 INDEX truth, as-disclosure vs. -correspon- Wolterstorff, Nicholas, 102

dence, 129 works righteousness, 88

Tye, Michael, 141n7 worldliness, 20, 24

Ungar, Peter, 91n10 Yahweh, 2, 6, 10, 13; and Allah, 31;

Unitarians, 45 and compromised conception of univocal predication, 106, 107 good, 169; and discernment of

Unverborgenheit, 129 gods, 54-64; and dismissal of sacrifice, 163, 170; and evil, 60,

Valberg, J. J., 84n5 66; and genocide, 58-60, 163, 169Vattimo, Gianni, 161 70; and graven images, 32; and

Vedanta, 15 henotheism, 123; and historical Vendler, Zeno, 84n5 context of Hebrew Bible, 63—64,

via negativa, 36, 76, 107 66; as jealous, 18, 21, 57, 169-70;

Vidal, Gore, 163 and justice, 55, 56, 57, 58, 170-71; violence, 3, 38, 117, 160-65, 167, as loving, 169-70; and mercy,

169, 173 170-71; and mimetic desire, 163;

Virgin Birth, 42 moral and religious irrelevance of, Virgin Mary, 24n5 159; and neglect of holiness of

virtue, 16, 44, 89, 90, 167, 182 reality, 122; original cult of, 63-64;

Voting Rights Act, 40 presenting self as Most High, 20; revelation of true name to Moses,

Whitehead, Alfred North, 120n1 71; as source of evil and good, 60—

will, 81, 86, 92 63; and violence, 70. See also God;

wisdom, 168 Highest One Wittgenstein, Ludwig, 22n3, 37n1

Wolf, Susan, 90n9 Zen, 15, 45 Wolfson, Harry Austryn, 39 Zwingli, Ulrich, 74