Humanism and America : $b Essays on the outlook of modern civilisation
Philosophy
Humanism and America : $b Essays on the outlook of modern civilisation
Humanism; Literature -- Philosophy; Philosophy, Modern; United States -- Civilization -- 20th century
Religion is normally theistic, and therewith mediatorial and
sacramental. Otherwise she is not catholic and, _in the long run_,
loses her right humility. This should be evident enough from the long
history of religion, Christian and non-Christian, past and present.
Theism decays continually, but by reason of its own sins rather than
the virtues of opposing doctrines. Pantheism, deism, and all the others
flourish in its decadencies, more or less parasitically, but cannot
take deep root in human humility. I do not mean that theism is true
because it works, but that it works because at its best it is our
truest mode of conceiving the Eternal One. Voltaire’s epigram, “God
created man in His own image and man promptly returned the compliment,”
is superb and lasting because the doctrine here parodied is lasting
and sublime. The parody is catholically critical because the doctrine
itself is deeply catholic. Modernism, when strictly criticising
catholic doctrine, is helpful; when frankly rejecting it, respectable;
when blandly attempting to reduce it to poetry, baneful--baneful in
its hidden pride--and, I trust, hopeless. Not similarly hopeless
is Latin Fundamentalism; by which I mean the attempt of Latinised
theology, no matter in what branch of the Christian church it appears,
to define religious mysteries with a literalism that is too precise
to be accurate. Most hopeful is the work of a small and quiet group
of theologians, belonging to various churches, who are resuming and
carrying forward the thwarted hope of the great Christian humanists
of the Renaissance. They are striving for a non-revolutionary, a firm
and organic, development of Christian doctrine; that is, for a real
catholicity. It is they, studious, ethical, open-eyed, and humble who
are rebuilding the foundations of the Temple.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account