Thesis advisor: Richard Kearney / What does the word of the cross mean for philosophical anthropology? That is my question in this dissertation, which undertakes a philosophical engagement with a word that is both a scandal and folly for philosophical wisdom. My task is to give a hermeneutical description of what I call the cruciform self, and to examine the significance of the cross for several key themes of philosophical anthropology. Because my focus is thematic, I engage with several interlocutors--most prominently Paul Ricoeur and Dietrich Bonhoeffer, but also Luther, Kierkegaard, Heidegger, Levinas, and Charles Taylor. Given the pronounced theological aspects of this project, a recurring theme is the relation between philosophy and faith, reason and revelation. The word of the cross interrogates anthropology as well as philosophy, and so I present a hermeneutics of the cruciform self as well as a distinctly cruciform philosophy. Chapter 1 outlines the hermeneutical turn in philosophical anthropology, and argues that the self is constituted in being addressed by an external word. Chapter 2 then draws on Luther's theology of the cross to sketch an ontology of justification by faith, in which the self is constituted by eschatological possibility rather than achieved actuality, and stands outside of itself with its identity in another, in promise rather than presence. Chapter 3 interprets sin and evil according to the image of incurvature--i.e., the self curved in on itself, cut off from its true relations to God, others, and itself. Chapter 4 then argues that this incurvature must be broken open by an external word. There I draw on Bonhoeffer's phenomenological christology, which identifies this word as Christ, the Counter-Logos who reverses the intentionality and interrogation of the immanent human logos. The chapters in Part II then use Bonhoeffer's account of the ultimate and the penultimate to show how the word of the cross refigures philosophical thinking about the concreteness and continuity of faith (Ch.5), human capability, agency, and ethical responsibility (Ch.6), reflexivity, self-understanding, and intentionality (Ch.7), and the tension between faith and religion (Ch.8). / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2009. / Submitted to: Boston College. Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: Philosophy.

This thesis is an investigation of Heidegger’s phenomenological analysis of religion. The author argues that Heidegger’s thought opens the way for descriptive conceptual analysis of religious experience and its object without undue theoretical distortion or reduction. Heidegger dismantles uncritical distortions of religious life under “scientific” rationality and objectivity. While the self-understanding implicit in religious practice is certainly transformed through Heidegger’s own philosophical analysis, philosophy undergoes its own transformation through thinking encounter with religious life. Philosophy cannot produce an objectively neutral, universal analysis of religion, but must in its own way participate in the object of religious life. The wonder and awe at the manifestation of being which gives rise to philosophical questioning finds orientation in poetic and revelatory sources of inspiration whose content exceeds conceptual grasp. Philosophical questioning brings thought to the paradoxes at the limits of our understanding of language and human experience. Philosophy cannot conceive of the origin systematically. But religious attunement to the origin, aided by the prophetic utterances of the poet, then enables philosophical speculation as to the highest form of human flourishing. The author concludes by calling into question interpretations of Heidegger’s phenomenology of religion in the work of Jean-Luc Marion and John D. Caputo. These remains bound up in part with the philosophical project for transcendental analysis of universal religion. Drawing on the hermeneutic phenomenology of Hans-Georg Gadamer and the philosophical theology of John Milbank and William Desmond, the author sketches an alternative reading of Heidegger’s critique of the Western metaphysical tradition and philosophical retrieval of religion in light of the notion of incarnation, arguing that this alternative offers a better phenomenological account of religion as such.

This essay is an attempt to provide an initial phenomenological reading of Saint Paul's notion of dunamis. Throughout his letters a thematic of dunamis is mentioned over forty times – often in close proximity to other central motifs of the Pauline message and not least to God. Although there has been a resurgence of philosophical interest in reading Paul for the last twenty years, a phenomenological thematic of dunamis hasn't been developed. Giorgio Agamben and Alain Badiou (among others) has both provided an analysis of dunamis: but for both mostly along the key of the messianic and prominently related to the political sphere. Following Martin Heideggers phenomenological reading and re-interpretation of the Aristotelean notion of dunamis in the thematic of a twofold disclosing of being I attempt to show how Paul's dunamis, through a praxis of kenotic self-emptying, manages to transform his weakness into strenght. By providing a space for the Sacred to enter and incarnate – and not least the Other – Paul's oppenes shows an ontological receptivity for change which is at the heart of the Aristotelean metaphysical framework. Thus a first attempt is made.

During the winter of 2011–2012, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) and Office of Public Archaeology (OPA) at Brigham Young University (BYU) conducted archaeological explorations in urban Provo, Utah. The purpose of the research was to uncover and document the extant remains of the Original or Old Provo Tabernacle (OPT; 42UT1844). The data recovered from that excavation was the impetus for the current study. Through a combination of documentary and archaeological evidence, and using Mormon theology as a lens through which to interpret the actions of nineteenth century Latter-day Saints, this thesis demonstrates the important role played by the OPT in the project of Mormon Zion in the American West. The OPT was the first proposed and eighth completed tabernacle in the LDS Church. In the OPT, Brigham Young initiated a dynamic new building form which was intended to accommodate both the political and economic needs of LDS settlements at a distance from Salt Lake City and the central hierarchy of the Church while simultaneously providing space for Mormon worship and ritual practice. These buildings sought to prepare the Saints of early Utah for the eventual construction of temples throughout the region and, like the Tabernacle of the Congregation anciently, served to build strong communal ties in outlying Mormon settlements.

This study discloses Shinto’s experiential and existential significance and aims to articulate Shinto’s sacred objective. It shows that Shinto, by way of experience, communicates being in the world with nature and with others as a sacred objective. This suggests that Shinto, in communicating its objective, appeals to the emotions more so than to the intellect; and that Shinto’s sacred objective does not transcend the natural world of both nature and everyday affairs. This study pursues this goal by showing the experiential and existential dimensions of the three primary features of Shinto: it shows how kami (or kami-ness) is thought of as an awe producing quality of being/s that are mostly associated with the natural world; how Shinto shrines’ aesthetics and atmosphere are thought to evoke a feeling of the natural world’s sacredness; and how festivals are thought to be ecstatic and effervescent occasions that regenerate an affirmation of being in the world with others. Though this study does not employ a strict methodological approach—insofar as the conclusions herein are based primarily on literature review—it was motivated by an existential outlook on the study of religion and assumes that the term “religion” refers primarily to an existential phenomenon that pertains not necessarily to socio-historical institutions but to a way of being in the world.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-08-03T12:19:54Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 vitor souza2.pdf: 2101245 bytes, checksum: 214591feb6d6907cb11972a37f74bb2d (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-03-16 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / This research intends to demonstrate the theme of religion in the thought of Paul Ricoeur. It correlates philosophy and theology having in the question of God the main problem. The hypothesis of the thesis argues that the intersection of the ar-eas is productive and an original work of thought can arises from this cross. The thesis suggests the term of the fold of religion, considering the task of recogni-tion of the self within broken ontology. The reflective philosophy articulates the aporias with the ontology of the possible in existential categories, especially in terms of religious language, hope and the aporia of grace. The research utilizes the phenomenological and hermeneutical method, and it is divided into four stages: at first, introduces the relationship between philosophy and theology and the divine name as the first fold of religion. The second chapter deals with time, narrative, and the myth-poetic. The third chapter deals with the metaphorical in-terpretation of religion within the ontology of the possible. The fourth and final chapter presents the existential fold whose movement is as a philosophical spiral in the life of Ricoeur. The research is concluded on the horizon of the capable human being and the recognition of the self mediated by the fold of religion. The result will be a reflection that makes possible a better understanding of the philosophy of Ricoeur, as well as foundation for future studies on the philoso-phy of religion. / Esta pesquisa propõe-se a tematizar a religião no pensamento de Paul Ricoeur. Correlaciona filosofia e teologia e tem na nomeação de Deus o primeiro pro-blema. Ao analisar os limites do assunto, a hipótese da tese sustenta que a inter-secção das áreas é produtiva e que um trabalho original de pensamento pode vir deste cruzamento. A tese sugere o termo da dobra da religião, tendo em vista a apropriação da tarefa do reconhecimento do si na ontologia quebrada. O desdo-bramento das aporias, pela filosofia reflexiva, articula a ontologia do possível nas categorias existenciais do autor, sobretudo em termos da linguagem religio-sa, da esperança e da aporia da graça. A pesquisa é feita com base no método fenomenológico e hermenêutico, dividido em quatro etapas: num primeiro mo-mento, introduz-se a relação da filosofia com a teologia e o teônimo como a primeira dobra da religião. No segundo capítulo, aborda-se a importância tempo-ralidade e a narratividade na mito-poética. O terceiro capítulo versa sobre a in-terpretação metafórica da religião na ontologia do possível. O quarto e último capítulo apresenta a dobra existencial cujo movimento se dá como um espiral fi-losófico na própria vida de Ricoeur. A pesquisa é concluída no horizonte do ser humano capaz e o reconhecimento de si mediado pela dobra da religião. Espera-se que o resultado seja uma reflexão que permita uma melhor compreensão da filosofia de Ricoeur, bem como que sirva de referencial e fundamento para fu-turos estudos acerca da filosofia da religião.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-08-03T12:21:12Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Vitor Chaves de Souza.pdf: 1155892 bytes, checksum: 6a794b81392f587254868ee2f73d557e (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010-09-24 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / Esta pesquisa propõe-se a tematizar a ontologia em Mircea Eliade. Constata que a ontologia é o centro do pensamento e do trabalho do autor. Ao analisar a forma mais elementar do ser, Eliade diz que o sujeito religioso funda o mundo ontologicamente a partir da experiência com o sagrado e a vivência dos mitos. A ontologia arcaica ritualiza eventos primordiais e confere sentido para a vida, enquanto a ontologia moderna nega qualquer tipo de transcendência e sacralidade. Eliade sugere uma ontologia religiosa que aponta para um novo humanismo a fim de solucionar as crises existenciais modernas. Esta análise da ontologia em Eliade é feita com base no método fenomenológico e hermenêutico. Este estudo é realizado em três etapas: primeiramente, buscam-se os eventos que inauguraram a ontologia na vida e obra de Eliade, analisando seu método de pesquisa e introduzindo a ontologia; em segundo lugar, formula-se uma abordagem geral dos assuntos trabalhados por Eliade e.g., mito, símbolo, existência e ser apresentando a ontologia arcaica e moderna; e, por último, a partir dos conteúdos apresentados, procede-se a uma análise do mundo constituído pela manifestação do sagrado e as possibilidades de uma ontologia religiosa para a pós-modernidade. Espera-se que o resultado seja uma reflexão que permita uma melhor compreensão da pesquisa de Eliade, bem como que sirva de referencial e fundamento para futuros estudos acerca de Eliade, da nova hermenêutica e da questão do ser religioso.

Submitted by Renata Lopes (renatasil82@gmail.com) on 2016-02-03T18:54:19Z No. of bitstreams: 1 reinaldodasilvajunior.pdf: 2122791 bytes, checksum: f8e972056841d4d1bd61f8769c412028 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Adriana Oliveira (adriana.oliveira@ufjf.edu.br) on 2016-02-05T10:51:22Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 reinaldodasilvajunior.pdf: 2122791 bytes, checksum: f8e972056841d4d1bd61f8769c412028 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-02-05T10:51:22Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 reinaldodasilvajunior.pdf: 2122791 bytes, checksum: f8e972056841d4d1bd61f8769c412028 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014-03-14 / CAPES - Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / Tratamos nesta tese da relação do brasileiro com o sagrado reconhecido como feminino, a partir desta temática central tocamos em questões transversais como: sincretismo, gênero, experiência religiosa, diálogo inter-religioso, Ethos; além de discutir a própria viabilidade de uma ciência da religião, pensando aí sua epistemologia e seus métodos de investigação. A complexidade da proposta nos levou a uma estrutura que dividiu o texto em duas partes: na primeira destacam-se as discussões mais teóricas, do campo epistemológico e metodológico; procuramos aí nos ancorar nos pensamentos da Fenomenologia, da Psicologia Analítica de Jung, na Psicologia Pragmática de James e no estruturalismo, buscando alguns conceitos que servissem de referência para pensar a experiência religiosa do brasileiro com este sagrado feminino. No campo metodológico procuramos apresentar uma dinâmica aberta, que envolve uma série de modelos de investigação, como a pesquisa participante, a etnografia e a coleta de dados para uma análise quantitativa. Na segunda parte do trabalho nos dedicamos à análise das experiências observadas em campo, procurando fazer a articulação com os conceitos propostos na primeira parte, para daí poder construir uma compreensão da importância deste sagrado feminino na constituição do Ethos de nosso povo. A expressão do sagrado feminino é mais do que um capricho; se apresenta como uma força de resistência e como uma necessidade das pessoas, que encontram nesta expressão uma identidade e uma possibilidade de sentido para sua religiosidade. / We treat this thesis the relationship between the Brazilian recognized as the sacred feminine, from this central theme touched on cross-cutting issues such as syncretism, gender, religious experience, interfaith dialogue, Ethos, and to discuss the viability of a science of religion, there thinking its epistemology and its methods of inquiry. The complexity of the proposal led to a structure that divided the text into two parts: first there are the more theoretical discussions, the epistemological and methodological field, try to anchor there in the thoughts of the Phenomenology of Analytical Psychology of Jung, in Psychology James and pragmatic structuralism, seeking some concepts serving as benchmarks to think the religious experience of Brazil with this sacred feminine. In the methodological field try to present an open dynamic, involving a number of different research as participatory research, ethnography and data collection for quantitative analysis. In the second part of the work dedicated to the analysis of the experiences observed in the field, looking to make the link with the concepts proposed in the first part, then to be able to build an understanding of the importance of the sacred feminine in the constitution of the Ethos of our people. The expression of the sacred feminine is more than a whim; presents itself as a force of resistance and as a need for people who are in this expression an identity and a sense of possibility for their religiosity.

In over three decades since their 1993 debut, the hip-hop artists known as RZA and Wu-Tang Clan created a world whose significance (for them) transcends the local contingencies of time, place, race, and religion. Whether it is by their creating a world based on filmic myths, by their conquering the world via hip-hop and finding their destiny in a Chinese sacred landscape, by their making themselves symbolic of a perennial worldview, or by their reimagining of their possibilities against the historical terrors of racism, in each case we find an ongoing quest for transcendence that at least for their leader, RZA, demonstrates the meaning of the Wu-Tang Clan. This study sets out to demonstrate this latter point. Framing its discussion in terms of world and worldmaking, I argue that the fundamental thread of significance that ties together the mythical world of the Wu, especially from the perspective of RZA, is a quest for transcendence, a project that is replete with stylistic, spiritual, existential, cross-cultural, and racial implications. While this is no biography of the Wu-Tang Clan, each chapter, starting with Chapter 2, asks how and why this quest takes shape in a sequentially ordered discussion of Wu’s worldmaking career. In arguing my point, I mainly take a phenomenological approach to RZA and the Wu-Tang Clan’s cultural productions, describing and interpreting various forms of Wu-associated media (songs, compact discs, album concepts and graphic designs, films, books, and more) from 1993 to the early 2020s. Between the practices of cultural criticism and interpretation, the study also draws from and contributes to Afro-Asian studies and Religious Studies. / Dissertation / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) / This is a study of the Wu-Tang Clan, a hip-hop group from Staten Island, New York. It argues that for over two decades since their 1993 debut, the Wu-Tang Clan has come to produce not only a long resume of music and other media but a mythic world. Furthermore, for the purpose of maintaining this world across time, Wu’s leader, RZA (pronounced “Rizah’), has aimed to make the Wu-Tang Clan symbolic of a universal worldview that transcends their local culture, history, place of origin, religion, and race.

本研究擬從宗教現象學的角度探討先秦儒家的宗教性。本研究以維根斯坦的「家族相似性」作為描述「宗教」的理據，運用海德格的「形式指引」（“formal indication”）與呂格爾的「象徵主義」（symbolism）作為探討「宗教性」時的現象學方法，並以尼尼安‧斯馬特（Ninian Smart）的「宗教向度論」作為展開論證的參考架構。本研究透過討儒家之道、經典與傳統的內涵，而將《詩》、《書》、《易》、《論語》、《孟子》、《荀子》等典籍當作研究範圍與主要分析文本。 　　本研究指出：《詩》、《書》、《易》裡所反映的殷周初民思想為先秦儒家之宗教性的根源，於其中我們可窺見其宗教性的敘事與神話、經驗與情感向度、儀式與實踐以及社會與制度等向度。孔子則承繼了《詩》《書》《易》的宗教內涵，而予以哲理形塑與倫理轉化。孔子之後，作為代表著先秦儒家的內聖與外王之內部的分化發展的孟子與荀子，他們皆自詡為道統的接班人與宣揚者，並分別使得先秦儒家之宗教性的情感經驗向度得以深化、儀式制度向度得以開展。 / This study aims at investigating the religiosity of classical Confucianism from the perspective of phenomenology of religion. It takes Wittgenstein’s concept of “family resemblance” as the methodological guide for characterizing “religion” in general, and Martin Heidegger’s concept of “formal indication” as well as Paul Ricœur’s symbolism as the phenomenological tools in describing “religiosity” in particular. It also adopts Ninian Smart’s theory of dimensions of religion as the framework for unfolding its argument. Meanwhile, by way of discussing the Confucian ideas of “dao,” “classics” and “tradition,” this study delimits its intellectual journey and choses the Classic of Poetry, the Book of Documents, the Book of Changes, the Confucius’ Analects, the Mencius and the Xunzi as the main texts for its inquiry. This study indicates that the thoughts contained in the Classic of Poetry, the Book of Documents and the Book of Changes are the roots of the religiosity of classical Confucianism. They reflect the narrative and mythic, experiential and emotional, social and institutional dimensions of that religiosity. Then this study shows that it is later philosophically reshaped and ethically transformed by Confucius. Finally, this study argues that Mencius and Xunzi, who regard themselves as the apologists and propagandists of orthodox Confucianism, have explored the experiential and emotional dimension and developed the social and institutional dimension of classical Confucianism’s religiosity respectively.