T&T Clark Kant and Theology (Philosophy and Theology)

This title presents an introduction to the influence of Kant's though on theology and the response from theology. The philosophy of Kant is widely acknowledged to have had a major impact on theology. However, due to the vastness and complexity of Kant's philosophical system, contemporary theologians and ethicists tend to steer clear of his actual writings and often exhibit a misunderstanding of his central ideas on reason, morality and religion. Anderson and Bell aim to make Kant accessible again to new generations of students and to challenge twenty-first century academics to return to Enlightenment rationality. "Kant and Theology" takes a fresh look at freedom, evil and human autonomy in Kant's "Critique of Pure Reason, Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals and Critique of Practical Reason", as well as his "Religion Within the Boundaries of Mere Reason" and "An Answer to the Question: What is Enlightenment?", demonstrating how these core texts can inform debates about a range of topics including salvation, purgatory, ritual practice and the role of reason for religious people today. "The Philosophy and Theology" series looks at major philosophers and explores their relevance to theological thought as well as the response of theology. Review 'If you are in the market for a fast-moving, one volume introduction to the new Kant, then this is the book for you... Anderson and Bell cover a remarkable amount of material in a commendably clear way.' --Sanford Lakoff'Kant and Theology" is written in full awareness of the tendency of many theological readers to dismiss Kant as an especially pernicious advocate of autonomous Enlightenment reason who recognizes no limits to human rationality and volition. They are also aware of the many philosophical readers who simply by-pass Kant's religious concerns or else read them in strongly anti-theological ways. Nevertheless, Kant and Theology" presents the case that theology has much to learn from Kant and that there is much in Kant that can helpfully serve contemporary theological reflection, including those tendencies in contemporary theology indicated by such terms as feminism, embodiment, and hermeneutics. It covers basic elements in both the theoretical and the practical writings, and shows how the philosophical concern to understand the nature of knowledge can lead, via metaphysics, to those moral concerns that give religious language its abiding justification. It is clearly written and well-organized and will be of great help to students coming to Kant and to basic issues in the modern philosophy of religion for the first time.' - George Pattison, Lady Margaret Professor of Divinity, University of Oxford, UK. --Sanford Lakoff"Think for yourself" is a message by Kant and is strongly stressed in this most readable, bold and well-written book. The boldness is connected with the authors' ambition to restore Kant's philosophy after the upsurge of feminism and postmodernism, demonstrating its relevance for theology and hermeneutics today. It is indeed an impressive achievement to present Kant in this accessible manner while capturing his intricate thought.' - Catharina Stenqvist, Centre for Theology and Religious Studies, Lund University, Sweden.--Sanford LakoffAnderson and Bell cover a remarkable amount of material in a commendably clear way. For the most part, Anderson and Bell present Kant in a splendidly accessible way; I would feel comfortable using it in a mid-lever undergraduate course.--R W Fischer About the Author Pamela Anderson is Professor of Philosophy of Religion in the University of Oxford and Fellow of Regent's Park College, Oxford, UK. Dr Jordan Bell is a Lecturer in Philosophy at Regent's Park College, University of Oxford, UK. His philosophical interests centre on the two-aspect interpretation of Kant's transcendental idealism and the theory of freedom which arises out of it.