Burley, M (2014) Atheisms and the purification of faith. International Journal of Philosophy and Theology, 75 (4). 319 - 331. ISSN 2169-2327
Abstract
Philosophers of religion have distinguished between ‘negative’ and ‘positive’ atheism. This article considers further conceptions of atheism, especially the idea that atheism can facilitate a faith in God purified of idolatrous assumptions. After introducing Bultmann’s contention that a ‘conscious atheist’ can find something transcendent in the world, this contention is interpreted through reflection on Ricoeur’s claim that the atheisms of Nietzsche and Freud serve to mediate a transition to a purified faith – a faith involving heightened receptivity to agapeic love. The troubling question of what differentiates atheism from belief in God is then discussed in the light of Simone Weil’s meditations on God’s secret presence.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2014, International Journal of Philosophy and Theology. This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in International Journal of Philosophy and Religion on 25 November 2014, available online: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/21692327.2014.985698. |
Keywords: | Atheism; Faith; Love; Rudolf Bultmann; Paul Ricoeur; Simone Weil |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Leeds |
Academic Units: | The University of Leeds > Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Cultures (Leeds) > School of Philosophy, Religion and History of Science (Leeds) > School of Philosophy (Leeds) |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Publications |
Date Deposited: | 17 Aug 2015 15:05 |
Last Modified: | 01 Jun 2016 06:06 |
Published Version: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/21692327.2014.985698 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | Taylor & Francis |
Identification Number: | 10.1080/21692327.2014.985698 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:88831 |