Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

On positive mysterianism

  • Published:
International Journal for Philosophy of Religion Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Religious believers react in one of four ways to apparent contradictions among their beliefs: Redirection, Resistance, Restraint, or Resolution. This paper evaluates positive mysterian Resistance, the view that believers may rationally believe and know apparently contradictory religious doctrines. After locating this theory by comparing and contrasting it with others, I explore the best developed version of it, that of James Anderson’s Paradox in Christian Theology. I argue that it faces steep epistemic problems, and is at best a temporarily reasonable but ultimately unsustainable stance.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Anderson J. (2007) Paradox in Christian theology: An analysis of its presence, character, and epistemic status. Paternoster, Waynesboro, GA

    Google Scholar 

  • Basinger D. (1987) Biblical paradox: Does revelation challenge logic? Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 30(2): 205–213

    Google Scholar 

  • Cullison, A. (forthcoming). What are seemings? Ratio.

  • Elga A. (2010) How to disagree about how to disagree. In: Feldman R., Warfield T. (eds) Disagreement. Oxford University Press, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Koller J. (2007) Asian philosophies (5th ed.). Pearson Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ

    Google Scholar 

  • Plantinga A. (1999) On Heresy, mind, and truth. Faith and Philosophy 16(2): 182–193

    Google Scholar 

  • Plantinga A. (2000) Warranted Christian belief. Oxford University Press, New York

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Priest G. (2002) Beyond the limits of thought (2nd ed.). Oxford University Press, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Priest, G., Beall, J. C., Armour-Garb, B. (eds) (2004) The law of non-contradiction: New philosophical essays. Oxford University Press, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Reid, T. (1872) [1785]. Essays on the intellectual powers of man. In W. Hamilton (Ed.), The works of Thomas Reid, D.D. (Vol. I, pp. 219–508). Edinburgh: MacLachlan and Stewart.

  • Tanner, N. (eds) (1990) Decrees of the ecumenical councils II. Georgetown University Press, Washington, DC

    Google Scholar 

  • Tuggy D. (2003) The unfinished business of trinitarian theorizing. Religious Studies 39: 165–183

    Google Scholar 

  • Tuggy D. (2009a) Review of James Anderson’s paradox in Christian theology: An analysis of its presence, character, and epistemic status. Faith and Philosophy 26(1): 104–108

    Google Scholar 

  • Tuggy, D. (2009b). Trinity. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/trinity/. Cited 9 February 2010.

  • Willard D. (2009) Knowing Christ today. HarperOne, New York

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Philosophy, SUNY Fredonia, Fredonia, NY, 14063, USA

    Dale Tuggy

Authors
  1. Dale Tuggy
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Dale Tuggy.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Tuggy, D. On positive mysterianism. Int J Philos Relig 69, 205–226 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11153-010-9237-6

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11153-010-9237-6

Keywords

Search

Navigation