Dictionary of Philosophy of Religion

REASON

194

know with certitude the nature of reality.
Some realists distinguish the concept
of reality from the concepts of delusion,
illusion, and mere appearances.
Other philosophers, often called non-
realists, treat ‘reality’ in epistemic terms.
On one view, inspired by Peirce, what is
real is what would be ultimately recog-
nized as true by an ideal community of
inquirers.

REASON. There is no consensus about
a standard use of “reason,” but it is fre-
quently used as a contrast or complemen-
tary term for “faith.” On this view, reason
stands for the faculties of rational reflec-
tion, sensations and experience, memory
and inference, and any a priori or a poste-
riori judgments that may be exercised
without relying on a religious faith that
is unsupported by reason. In this schema,
faith is beyond reason, but it may or may
not be incompatible with reason. Such
usage is not, however, uniform, for some
philosophers argue that the content of
religious faith (e.g., there is a Creator God
and Redeemer) is supported by reason.

REBIRTH. See REINCARNATION;
TRANSMIGRATION.

REDEMPTION. See ATONEMENT.

REDUCTIO AD ABSURDUM. Latin,
meaning “reduction to absurdity.” Argu-
ments that a given position is unacceptable

because it leads to cases that are evidently

preposterous, i.e., implying a contradic-

tion. Someone who is led to the position

that he believes he has no belief may be in

a reduction to absurdity.

REFORMATION, THE. A protest move-

ment (hence: Protestants) in Europe

during the sixteenth and seventeenth

centuries that sought to reform the

Roman Catholic Church. Most date its

inception to the publication of Martin

Luther’s Ninety-Five Theses (1517),

although others, such as John Wycliffe

and Johannes Hus, had been pushing for

reform earlier. Among other things,

Luther criticized the Church’s practice of

selling indulgences and its teachings

about purgatory. He was soon joined by

other reformers, such as Ulrich Zwingli

and John Calvin. Although their original

intention was to reform the Church,

the reformers ultimately broke from the

Roman Catholic Church and founded the

Protestant Church. Disagreements among

Protestants led to the formation of a vari-

ety of different denominations. Today, the

Protestant Church includes Anglicans,

Baptists, Calvinists, Lutherans, Method-

ists, Presbyterians, and many others.

REFORMED THEOLOGY. Theolog y

inspired and influenced by early Protes-

tants, especially John Calvin. Reformed

theology tends to give primacy to scrip-

ture, recognize the sovereignty of God,