Christian philosophy in John Deely's Four ages of understanding
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
4-1-2010
Abstract
The Four ages contains a brief explicit discussion of the issue of Christian philosophy, referencing the Middle Ages and the 1930s French debates about Christian philosophy. Closer attention to the debates reveals a plurality of positions rather than unanimous agreement on Christian philosophy, indicating that the quite complex issues were not resolved. In this review article, I contest Deely's interpretation of Maritian's position, provide an exegesis of Maritain's position, argue that Deely's explicit position is identifiable as very close to Neo-Scholastic opponents of Christian philosophy during the debates, and briefly discuss Gilson's and Blondel's criticisms of such positions articulated during the 1930s debates. I also indicate that despite his opposition to Christian philosophy, Deely shares several key insights with its proponents, and I end by suggesting but not developing a few ways Deely's semiotic approach could bear additional fruit for postmodern Christian philosophy's ongoing projects of self-understanding. © 2010 Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co. KG.
Recommended Citation
Sadler, Gregory B., "Christian philosophy in John Deely's Four ages of understanding" (2010). College of Humanities and Social Sciences. 58.
https://digitalcommons.uncfsu.edu/college_humanities_social_sciences/58