Eclecticism & Historicism
In Fides et Ratio John Paul has called for a return to a philosophy which helps Catholic people lead a good life, distinguish reality from illusion & knowledge from superstition. He indicates various stances which may started life as full-blooded philosophies but quickly degenerated into vagueness or error. The Pope’s main concern is that theology should be liberated from these misleading philosophies.
He mentions eclecticism. Eclectics use ideas drawn from different sources without regard for their internal coherence. Thus they sprinkle jargon like ‘deconstruct’, ‘existential’, ‘hermeneutic’ throughout their books & teaching without real appreciation of the very different contexts in which these words first arose.
On the other hand, others are over-zealous about ‘context’. For example, historicism holds what is true at one historical period is not true at another. Thus historicists might reject certain doctrines as ‘what made sense in the past’ and seek more ‘relevant’ religious positions for today. To hold it ‘true’ that truth is relative is obviously self-contradictory, & to hold past wisdom is redundant risks teaching error in the shape of the latest fad or fashion. Thus the Catholic philosophy the Pope has in mind rejects historicism.
In Fides et Ratio John Paul has called for a return to a philosophy which helps Catholic people lead a good life, distinguish reality from illusion & knowledge from superstition. He indicates various stances which may started life as full-blooded philosophies but quickly degenerated into vagueness or error. The Pope’s main concern is that theology should be liberated from these misleading philosophies.
He mentions eclecticism. Eclectics use ideas drawn from different sources without regard for their internal coherence. Thus they sprinkle jargon like ‘deconstruct’, ‘existential’, ‘hermeneutic’ throughout their books & teaching without real appreciation of the very different contexts in which these words first arose.
On the other hand, others are over-zealous about ‘context’. For example, historicism holds what is true at one historical period is not true at another. Thus historicists might reject certain doctrines as ‘what made sense in the past’ and seek more ‘relevant’ religious positions for today. To hold it ‘true’ that truth is relative is obviously self-contradictory, & to hold past wisdom is redundant risks teaching error in the shape of the latest fad or fashion. Thus the Catholic philosophy the Pope has in mind rejects historicism.
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