Theology and the Social Consciousness: A Study of the Relations of the Social Consciousness to Theology (2nd ed.)King, Henry Churchill
Religion
Theology and the Social Consciousness: A Study of the Relations of the Social Consciousness to Theology (2nd ed.)
King, Henry Churchill
Christian sociology; Theology, Doctrinal -- History -- 20th century
This recognition of likeness under diversity, too, leads to increased
_hope for men_, here and hereafter. In James' words: "It absolutely
forbids us to be forward in pronouncing on the meaninglessness of
forms of existence other than our own.... Neither the whole of truth
nor the whole of good is revealed to any single observer.... No one
has insight into all the ideals. No one should presume to judge them
off-hand."[70]
This thought helps us to greater hope for men, because, indeed, it
helps us to the discernment of genuine ideals under very different
forms of life, of the universal sense of duty and some loyalty to it,
though there is great diversity of judgment as to what is duty.[71]
But, it is here to be noted, also, that the thought of the
like-mindedness of men brings greater hope, because it helps to the
discernment of likeness, even under difference in important terms
used. We are coming to see that there is sometimes, at least, a really
strong religious faith where men do not acknowledge the term. Thus,
Bradley says: "All of us, I presume, more or less, are led beyond the
region of ordinary facts. Some in one way, and some in others, we seem
to touch and have communion with what is beyond the visible world. In
various manners we find something higher, which supports and humbles,
both chastens and transports us. And," as a philosopher he adds, "with
certain persons, the intellectual effort to understand the universe is
a principal way of thus experiencing the Deity."[72]
Even where the term Deity would be entirely abjured, we have seen with
Paulsen,[73] that a real faith essentially religious in character may
be clearly manifest. We are even coming to see that men may seem to
themselves to be contending upon opposite sides of so fundamental a
question as that of the personality of God, and yet be near together
as to their own ultimate faith and attitude, and possibly even as to
their real philosophical views of God; but the same term has come to
have such different connotations for the men, from their different
education and experience, that they simply cannot use it with the same
meaning.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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