The Task of Theological Humanism
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commend themselves for reflection.(Buddhism, Christianity, etc.) tend, first, to have foundational myths that relate original events about how people in this particular tradition came into Several traits of “religion” in its historical, particular manifestations^8 The concrete historical religions
the real presence of divinity as a formative force in their lives. Embedded in foundational myths are symbols and metaphors, which incorporate moral, cosmological, and theological meanings. A second trait of historical religion is its intellectual tradition, that is, a pattern of reflection, born
from interpreting the foundational myth and metaphors, which leads toward theology and ethics. Third, religions have rituals that enable practitioners to enact the meanings of the myths. Fourth, the use of myth, reflection, and ritual aims at inculcating tradition-and its central symbols, practices,
defined religious experiences, such as those of divine grace, mokshaand communicate the meanings of myth, ritual, theology, and religious experience. Art, ritual, myth become gateways to the soul, meeting points. Fifth, religions inculcate artistic forms and styles which express nirvana, o r
for the divine and the human. Finally, religions have an institutional structure with a hierarchy of leaders who are especially adept at interpret-ing the myths, performing the rituals, and displaying the intended religious experiences.
being nor a set of unique and relatable culturally embedded events within particular traditions. divine (what is taken to be unsurpassable in importance and reality) experienced and Religion, we contend, is neither simply a universal structure of human Religion is the human longing for and awareness of the
expressed within the concrete cultural life of particular historical traditionsno religion in general, apart from its concrete historical manifestations. There is no particular religion which does not display the general traits of the concept “religion.” The challenge is to avoid making any one specific. There is
religion into an end in itself, thereby circumventing the claims of responsi-bility for the integrity of life. We can see the depth of this challenge, and the dangers that come from making any religion an end rather than a means, if we turn to patterns of religious life within our own culture (the contem-
porary United States) and reflect on the situation of religious diversity. Diana L. Eck writes that “America has always been a land of many reli-gions.”plexity. One sees a conflict between (^9) In recent decades, diversity has exploded in magnitude and com-true believers and secular humanists, a s
we note in the introduction to this book. And everywhere are the puzzled, open, yet uncommitted who bemoan the situation. How should we respond relighuman future?iously to this unprecedented diversity for the sake of the