The Relationship between Philosophy and Theology in the Postmodern Age

BOOK ID

Authors(s): Dr. Muhammad Legenhausen

Category: Philosophy

Journal: Vol:14 N.1

Topic Tags: Philosophy

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Language

English

Can philosophy agree with theology? Study of philosophy by Western scholars and Muslim scholars. Metaphysics, epistemology, Christian theology, and postmodernism.

The Relationship between Philosophy and Theology in the Postmodern Age

Dr. Muhammad Legenhausen

When I was a student at a Catholic high school in Queens, New York, I was taught that although philosophy is the mother of the sciences, she is also the handmaid of theology. Sometimes the dialogue between philosophy and theology may have seemed to have taken the form of orders given by the theological mistress to her erudite but obedient maid, but that was a long time ago, if ever it was at all.

The idea that philosophy should be in service to theology has been rejected in the West by most philosophers, and many theologians, at least since the Enlightenment period of European thought. But instead of bringing about the emancipation of philosophy, the result has been to place philosophy at the service of her own children, the natural and human sciences. Scientific realists would determine being itself by the ultimate dictates of science.

So, where does this leave the relationship between philosophy and theology? Many see it as forever broken off, and many Christian theologians think that this is to the advantage of theology. As they see it, philosophy was never a very good servant, for it was always raising more problems than it solved.

Of course, this attitude is not unknown to Muslin scholars. It is

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