Bogoslovska smotra, Vol. 78 No. 1, 2008.
Original scientific paper
What is Religion, and What is Religion For? Wittgenstein and Religion
Ante Vučković
orcid.org/0000-0002-5049-2934
; Catholic Faculty of Theology, University of Split, Split, Croatia
Abstract
Dies Theologicus places the fundamental question of: »What is religion, and what is religion for?« in light of another more general question: Practice and/or belief? This means that the debate practically recalls Wittgenstein's all encompassing figure. After a few introductory points about the search of his coevals for religious experience, the global disgust with the connection between religion and violence and a hint of the return of philosophy to the topic of religion, the author first presents some advantages that are offered by introducing Wittgenstein into the debate. Wittgenstein's discourse about religion is fundamentally a discourse from the perspective of existential human issues. In addition it is obvious that religion for him is above all practice. Specific difficulties to understand religion come from the ruling scientific outlook of the world. It in itself is not questionable but can easily be turned into a barrier to enter any deeper, where problems of only human existentiality can be solved. The author enlightens the question of the notion of God and faith from within. In conclusion the article enlightens Wittgenstein's notion of religion through its relationship to reason, will and wisdom. At the base of religion stands the question of the meaning of life and the most significant relationship toward religion is not understanding but living.
Keywords
religion; belief; meaning; practise; form of life
Hrčak ID:
25565
URI
Publication date:
7.5.2008.
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