Abstract

This book presents a vigorous and sustained study of the question: How is it possible for religious utterances to express truth claims? Utilizing insights into the nature of language characteristic of recent analytical philosophy, a framework for investigating questions of meaning and truth responsive to the distinctive character of religious inquiry is developed. A crucial distinction between doctrinal propositions and basic religious propositions is formulated, along with a theory of religion in terms of which justice is done to the possibility of substantive disagreement among various religions. The roles that judgment and argument can properly play in religious inquiry are elucidated by contrasting them with their counterparts in science, morals and metaphysics.—V. R. M.