Kant and the New Philosophy of Religion

Preface

preface A myriad of important questions is bound to arise in the mind of any reader who, attempting to grasp the whole of Kant’s philosophy, tries to make sense of his specific views on God and religion, especially those expressed in Religion within the Boundaries of Mere Reason (1793) and The Conflict of the Faculties (1798). Does religion play a constitutive role in Kant’s philosophical system, or is he merely addressing a side issue? Why does he focus so intently on this topic at the end of his career, whereas his earlier work tended to address such issues only indirectly? Is Kant’s philosophy of religion more properly interpreted as a development of his ethical theory or of his transcendental theology? Or could it be regarded as an attempt to synthesize both? Does Kant’s account of rational religion need traditionally religious concepts like grace and redemption? If so, how can this need be justified in terms that satisfy the transcendental conditions set out in his critical philosophy? Was Kant, after all is said and done, trying to encourage or discourage people from being religious? Answers to these and numerous related questions are proposed in Kant and the New Philosophy of Religion, a collection of original essays on Kant’s philosophy of religion that explores the interface of his philosophy with theology and religion. Standard portrayals of Kant’s philosophy have tended to sideline theology and religion from the wider discussion of Kant’s philosophical program. As a result, the field of Kant studies often has been bifurcated into two allegedly distinct types of inquiry: Kant’s philosophy as such, and the religious and theological implications of this philosophy. The effect has been to eliminate religion and theology from the conversation over what Kant’s philosophy means, even before the discussion is allowed to get off the ground. This consequence is rarely the result of rational argumentation, for it belies the fact that quite a significant movement toward viewing Kant as philosopher, theologian, and religious theorist has been burgeoning for at least thirty years. This book continues the process of bridging the gap in the literature on Kant’s philosophy of religion that became all too apparent during the middle half of the twentieth century. During the past decade especially, a significant and growing number of Kant scholars have laid the groundwork for a reenvisioning of the traditional way of interpreting Kant’s philosophy. New interpretations of Kant’s philosophy of religion, including its rela- Preface xx tionship to his philosophical system as a whole, to theology, and to real empirical religion, are changing the way we think about the relevance of Kant. This book highlights this new trend by bringing together for the first time in one volume some of the major writers involved in its espousal and development. As the Introduction will outline in greater detail, the watershed represented by this book is multifaceted. The various contributors nevertheless come together around one mutually agreed theme: Kant’s philosophy is religiously and theologically affirmative. When we (the editors) first met in Hong Kong, in the mid-1990s, we recognized that a massive shift toward theological affirmation was already well under way. The shift involves a movement away from the theological pessimism of the traditional interpretation of Kant and toward the vast array of theologically insightful interpretations and appropriations of Kant’s thought that occupy the field of Kant scholarship. We decided to partner on a project we hoped would serve as a watershed for this new, theologically affirmative movement in English-speaking Kant scholarship. This book is the result of nearly seven years of work on that project. We would like to thank Hong Kong Baptist University, especially the Department of Religion and Philosophy, for providing Chris with a graduate student fellowship that enabled us to work so closely together for more than a year, before Chris decided to move elsewhere to complete his graduate work. Our original idea was to complete this book in time for it to be one of the many events marking the two hundredth anniversary of Kant’s passing, modeling it on an earlier collection edited by Philip Rossi and Michael Wreen, entitled Kant’s Philosophy of Religion Reconsidered (Indiana University Press, 1991). Our intent was to edit a collection of essays whose unified focus would contrast with that work by bringing together scholars optimistic about the prospect of grounding theology and religion...