Final Oral Thesis Statements

Final Oral Thesis Stat Statement ement Philosophy of Religion Religion Mark Joseph Calano 1. An analysis analysis of the conict conict et!een philosoph philosophy y an" theology theology lea"s #s to a share" in"ecisi$e in"eterminacy et!een the t!o sciences. %t entails #n"erstan"ing of principles gi$en in the kno!le"ge of e&perience' gi$en in a non(imme"iate empirical !ay' an" yet e)ecti$ely gi$en. *The e$ent+for it is in"ee" an e$ent+of the Re$elation' in giving this asol#tely #nforeseeale e&perience' !hich in a sense is asol#tely impossile accor"ing to the criteria of metaphysical scienti,city' - para"o&ically opens a space for ne! kno!le"ge' a ,el" of phenomena !hich !o#l" ha$e other!ise remaine" in$isile. An" th#s it gives the possiility metaphysically impossile/ of a comprehension' that is to say it o)ers an e&tension of the ,el" of rationality-. Re$elation o)ers a given comparale to e$ery other gi$en of e$ery other science. 0#t the proce"#res of access to this gi$en call for a "i)erent epistemology here the gi$en has nothing imme"iate ao#t it eca#se it is necessary to elie$e it in or"er to recei$e it an" to e$ent#ally reach a partial an" al!ays pro$isional comprehension of it. %n fact' to elie$e here means m#ch more than to hol" as tr#e-2 to elie$e "eman"s lo$ing eca#se it res#lts from a gracio#s gift a grace/' #t ao$e all eca#se it concerns in the last instance an" from the $ery eginning the re$elation of lo$e itself. 3o$e plays a role of epistemological me"iation2 it is a re4#ire" con"ition of access to the re$eale" gi$en.5 Philo $s Religion Philo no one ans!er 1. Tha#ma6ein!on"e Tha#ma6ein!on"er/ r/ think7reect think7reect f#rther' life changing' changing' concrete concrete e&perience e&periences s 8. Aisthesis ea#tif#l/ ea#tif#l/ attract attract #s' "esire "esire for the impossile' impossile' can9t e graspe"' graspe"' call for "iscernment :. 3ogos lang#age/ lang#age/ artic#late artic#late e&periences' e&periences' talk talk ao#t ao#t it Religion manifeste" in mo$ement 1. ;i$ene ;i$eness ss her here e an" an" no! no! 8. 0rokeness 0rokeness not perfect' perfect' % h#rt people an" people people h#rt me' forgi$eness forgi$eness par"on/ par"on/ :. Possi Possiil ility ity of a ;o" ;o" <. =hy =hy "o "o !e !e s#)e s#)er> r> ?. @ope Re(ligare in" again' commit again' rene! to something greater Re(eligare look ack' recollect Re(legere to choose' *!e are chosen5 Re$eale" #st gi$en $s reason

8. *B$ery phenomenon appears' #t it appears only to the e&tent that it sho!s itself.5  The concrete manifestation of this sho!ing is the fact that there are e$ents. B$ents are not simply oects t#rne" into e$ents. There are oects2 there are e$ents. B$ents are al!ays historical an" in time. 0irth an" "eath are e&les of e$ents. 0#t irth is "i)erent. *%t happens to me e&actly in that it happens' an" happens advenir D only in that it en"o!s me !ith a f#t#re  l’avenir D. My irth is not calle" a phenomenon that of the non(originary origin/ eca#se it sho!s itself ' #t eca#se' in the $ery asence of any "irect monstration' it comes to pass as an e$ent that !as ne$er present an" al!ays alrea"y "ate" passED' #t ne$er o#t"ate" "epasseD+in fcat' al!ays to(come. My irth "oes phenomenali6e itself ' #t as a p#re e$ent' #npre"ictale' irrepro"#cile' e&cee"ing all ca#se' an" making the impossile possile that is to say' my al!ays ne! life/' s#rpassing all e&pectation' all promise' an" all pre"iction. This phenomenon' !hich is accomplishe" in a perfect re"#ction of that !hich sho!s itself ' th#s testi,es in an e&ceptional an" para"igmatic !ay that its phenomenality o!s "irectly from the fact that it gi$es itself.5 The self is oth the gi$en an" the gi$en to. *The gi$en(to is characteri6e" therefore y reception. To e s#re' reception implies passi$e recepti$ity' #t it also re4#ires acti$e capacity2 the capacity  capacitas/' in or"er to gro! to the meas#re of the gi$en an" to maintain its happening' m#st p#t itself to !ork+the !ork of the gi$en to e recei$e"' the !ork on itself to recei$e-. The gi$en re$eals itself to the gi$en(to y re$ealing the gi$en(to to itself. Bach phenomenali6es the other as the re$eale"' !hich is characteri6e" y this essential phenomenal reciprocity' !here seeing implies the mo"i,cation of the seer y the seen as m#ch as of the seen y the seer. The gi$en(to f#nctions as the re$elator of the gi$en an" the gi$en as the re$elator of the gi$en(to.5 B$ent ( ( ( ( eath ( ( ( ( ( S#ici"e ( ( 0irth ( ( (

irrepro"#cile' no ca#se' #nforeseeale makes possile time' #nfol"s tr#e time' recogni6es time' go thro#gh in time it stages yo# look thro#gh a !in"o!' see something f#rther manifeste" in time can only speak of it only e&perience" thro#gh the "eath of the other accomplishe" fact can9t capt#re it' it escapes yo# re"#ce "eath to an oect no one can "ie for #s' my o!n "eath in$ol$es me completely gi$en onto o#rsel$es' perfect gi$ing yo# aren9t a!are yetGnot conscio#s sat#rate" phenomena

:. Forgi$eness operates !ithin the aporetic logic of forgi$ale an" the #nforgi$ale' !ithin an" !itho#t the economy of e&change. The con"itional an" the #ncon"itional are asol#tely irre"#cile to one another' #t are also at the same time in"issociale. *There is in forgi$eness' in the $ery meaning of forgi$eness' a force' a "esire' an impet#s' a mo$ement' an appeal call it !hat yo# !ill/ that "eman"s that forgi$eness e grante"' if it can e' e$en to someone !ho "oes not ask for it' !ho "oes not repent or confess or impro$e or re"eem itself' eyon"' conse4#ently' an entirely i"enti,catory' spirit#al' !hether s#lime or not' economy' eyon" all e&piation e$en-. HForgi$ing oneself9+if % ha" to ans!er' % !o#l" say' on the one han"' % ne$er forgi$e myself' an" on the other han"' % al!ays forgi$e myself. %n oth cases' it !o#l" imply that % am not alone !ith myself either !hen % forgi$e myself' eca#se % s#mmon someone !ho helps me' or !hen % "o not forgi$e myself' eca#se there is another one of me !ho !ill not forgi$e me-. The people !ho ha$e faith in ;o"((since faith is not certainty an" since faith is a risk+ are also tempte" to acc#se or "eno#nce ;o". That is part of the risk of faith.5  To forgi$e 3ang#age ( Al!ays alrea"y f#l,lling the promise to speak the tr#th ( @inting at the tr#th Par"on ( Mention an" ask ( B&plain G ask for an apology =hy> Par"on $s Merci G m#ltiplicity of interpretations ( Ise lang#age as an archi(promise G f#n"amental' fo#n"ational ( Speak of an e$ent' #t it9s alrea"y "one ( =or" G attempt to talk of an e$ent that happene" ( 3ang#age G can9t grasp !hat is alrea"y accomplishe" Forgi$eness is a gift G Pharmakon poison an" gift/ ( Poison G tool for manip#lation ( ;ift G gi$en to #nforgi$ale In/con"itional forgi$eness ( @#man is "e6ein ( Inforgi$ale m#st al!ays pass thro#gh con"itions ( Incon"itional only makes sense in con"itionality' no *!hy5 o Challenge con"itionality o B&pan" thro#gh shattering Forgi$eness takes practice Can yo# forgi$e yo#rself> ( J#st gi$e #st eca#se %nprescriptaility $s Inforgi$aility ( Forgi$eness an" ref#sal G hyperolic ethics

<. The ontological arg#ment is ontological only !hen it pro$es the e&istence of ;o" on t!o gro#n"s 1/ y starting at a p#re concept an" 8/ y starting at the p#re concept of an essence. The *ontological arg#ment is not ontological.5 Firstly' the starting point is a matter of faith an" is not a matter of concept#al o$io#sness. %ntelligence procee"s from faith *eca#se rationality consists mainly in recogni6ing in faith the permanent an" ra"ical con"ition of the possiility of thinking2 in that sense' intelligence nee"s not merely faith' #t e&plicitly speci,e" faith. - %t is impossile to "eny the critical non(concept of the id quo maius cogitari nequit .  There occ#rs in relation to the id quo maius cogitari nequit  a secon" r#pt#re' !hich reaches a transcen"ental i"eal+that !hich transcen"s the transcen"ental limits of  o#r thinking. %n this sense' it is not simply an iss#e of the comparati$e' #t of the asol#te s#perlati$e+ Summum Bonum.

?. *Prayer is religio#s e&perience par e&cellence for it is the sole h#man act that opens the religio#s "imension an" ne$er come to #n"er!rite' to s#pport' an" to s#)er his opening.5 There is nothing that ;o" "oes not kno!. 0#t the !or"s spoken in prayer constit#te many semantic le$els. e$ertheless' it remains a !o#n"e" !or".

K. Anselm9s Proslogion is a manifestation of credo ut intelligam. *O 3or"' % "o not attempt to gain access to Lo#r loftiness' eca#se % "o not at all consi"er my intellect to e e4#al to this task. 0#t % yearn to #n"erstan" some meas#re of Lo#r tr#th' !hich my heart elie$es an" lo$es.5 Anselm "esires for aliquatenus to get to #n"erstan" sicuti est . An" he #n"erstan"s that ;o"' !ho is Summum Bonum' is not only id quo maius cogitari nequit  #t is also quiddam maius quam cogitari  possit. *Lo# alone' 3or"' are !hat Lo# are  es quod es/ an" are =ho Lo# are  et tu es qui es/-. 0#t Lo# are !hat Lo# are' eca#se that !hich Lo# e$er or in any !ay are' this Lo# are as a !hole n" al!ays hoc totus et semper es. 5 Anselm sho!s #s that it is not a 4#estion of #n"erstan"ing the same ;o" as it is a 4#estion of !hat happens to #s in the p#rs#it of this ;o".

. Faith is not a shiel" to s#)ering. ;o" is silent2 @e remains silent e$en in the face of all these s#)ering. Faith is not al!ays easy. *0#t Christ "i" not "ie for the goo" an" ea#tif#l. %t is easy eno#gh to "ie for the goo" an" ea#tif#l2 the har" thing is to "ie for the miserale an" corr#pt(this is the reali6ation that came home to me ac#tely at that time.5 There is something ao#t o#r neighors that comes !ith faith2 it is ne$er sel,sh. *Sin- is not !hat it is #s#ally tho#ght to e2 it is not to steal an" tell lies. Sin is for one man to !alk r#tally o$er the life of another an" to e 4#ite oli$io#s of the !o#n"s he has left ehin".5 Rightly' *tDr#e lo$e !as to accept h#manity !hen !aste" like rags an" tatters.5 e$ertheless' it remains to e ans!ere" !hy !e s#)er an" !here is ;o" in all these. Silence en"s !ith these contro$ersial lines *TrampleN TrampleN5 those eyes of pity ha" sai". *Lo#r foot s#)ers in pain2 it m#st s#)er like all the feet that ha$e steppe" on this pla4#e. 0#t that pain alone is eno#gh.5 The priest ha" sai"' *3or"' % resente" yo#r silence.5 *% !as not silent2 % s#)ere" esi"e yo#'5 ha" een the ans!er. *0#t yo# tol" J#"as to go a!ay =hat tho# "ost' "o 4#ickly. =hat happene" to J#"as>5 *J#st as % tol" yo# to step on the pla4#e' so % tol" J#"as to "o !hat he !as going to "o. For J#"as !as in ang#ish as yo# are no!.5

. @ope is the patient seeking of the light' yet to e orn' that cannot e seen nor e&perience" in moments of capti$ity' capit#lation' an" "arkness. *@ope is sit#ate" !ithin the frame!ork of the trial' not only correspon"ing to it' #t constit#ting o#r eing9s $eritale response.5 %t is not optimism' $italism' Stoicism' an" ;nosticism eca#se it entails the constant "ecision  nisus/ to hope an" the temptation to constantly lose hope. %t is a positi$e non(acceptance that is not centere" on the self' #t respects the personal rhythm y !hich one #n"ergoes the process of hope. There is openness to the sit#ation+a len" of patience an" tr#st.

. espair is a capit#lation to an" an anticipation of repetition2 it is spirit#al a#tophagy or self("e$o#ring.  Gk. auto-phagein/. %t t#rns to!ar"s the ego' making it the center an" closing it o) from possiilities' trapping itself #p in capti$e "arkness. @ope is creati$e. %t is open to !hat can e e$en if it has yet to see the ho!. @ope challenges fatum an" o$ercomes the temptation to "ecei$e one9s self !hen it is not ,&e" on a "e,nite oect an" it gro#n"s e$erything in ;o"' so#rce of all hope. %n this sense' time  chronos $s. kairos/ an" free"om are sa$e" an" properly #n"erstoo".

1Q. @ope is al!ays gro#n"e" in comm#nion. Against the temptation to "espair an" the temptation to reect hope ase "on empiricism' there is only one reme"y' a hope that can e est e&presse" as % hope in Thee for #s. There is a "eep an" intrinsic relationship et!een lo$e an" hope. @ope' like lo$e' is not possessi$e' nor osessi$e2 it is not clingy' not controlling' #t freeing. %t is non(calc#lati$e' non( oectifying' #t rather is patient an" tr#sting. Faithf#lness an" tr#thf#lness in hope is a grace' a "ecision' a call' an" a response. %n the face of "eath' hope says to the elo$e"' *Lo# shall not "ie.5 An" *O#r comm#nion is in"estr#ctile'5 an" *Someho!' in some !ay' % !ill see yo# again.5 The person !ho hopes "oes not e&actly kno! ho! that !ill happen2 he also kno!s that he himself cannot make it happen. %t is a recognition of hope an" lo$e as oth nostos an" kainon ti as efore' #t "i)erently an" etter than efore+a ret#rn to eing' #t in a trans,g#re" !ay.