Philosophies of Liturgy: Explorations of Embodied Religious Practice(Expanding Philosophy of Religion)

Mainstream philosophy of religion has primarily focused on the truth and justification of religious beliefs even though belief is only one small facet of religious life. This collection remedies this by taking practice and embodied action seriously as fundamental elements of any philosophy of religion. Emerging and established voices across different philosophical traditions come together to consider religious actions, including public worship, from perspectives such as trauma and social ontology, sound and silence, and knowledge and hope. Embodied religious practice is viewed through the lens of liturgy, intrinsically connecting religious rituals to human existence to show clearly that, no matter where one finds oneself in terms of the so-called 'analytic-continental' divide, philosophy of religion must be concerned with more than just beliefs if it is to adequately deal with the subject matter of 'religion.' The purpose of these studies is not to reject what has gone before but to expand the focus of philosophy of religion. This approach lays the groundwork for investigations into how beliefs are situated in our theological, moral, and social frameworks. For any philosophy of religion student or scholar interested in how thinking and living well are intimately related, this is a go-to resource. It takes seriously the importance of historical religious traditions and communities, opening the space for cross-cultural and interdisciplinary debates.

Table of Contents:
List of Contributors Foreword: Jean-Yves Lacoste – “Liturgy: From Word to Concept” Acknowledgements Editorial Introduction Part I: On Spiritual Practice 1. Clare Carlisle – “What is Spiritual Practice” 2. Christina M. Gschwandtner – “Why Philosophy Should Concern Itself with Liturgy: Philosophical Examination of Religion and Ritual Practice'' 3. John Cottingham – “Engagement, Immersion, and Enactment: The Role of Spiritual Practice in Religious Belief” 4. John Sanders – “Liturgical Jellyfish” Part II: Liturgy and Social Existence 5. Michelle Panchuk – “Power and Protest: A Christian Liturgical Response to Religious Trauma” 6. Bruce Ellis Benson – “Religion as a Way of Life: On Being a Believer” 7. Terence Cuneo – “Blessing Things” 8. Kevin Schilbrack – “Liturgical Groups, Religions, and Social Ontology” Part III: Materiality and Religiosity 9. Neal DeRoo – “Material Spirituality and the Expressive Nature of Liturgy” 10. Wendy Farley – “Dark Times and Liturgies of Truth: The Uses and Abuses of Reason” 11. Sharon L. Baker Putt – “Compassionate Action: Taking Eckhart, Farley, and the Beguines to Bethany” 12. Emmanuel Falque – “After Metaphysics?: The “Weight of Life” According to Saint Augustine” Part IV: Knowledge, Sound, and Hope 13. Nicholas Wolterstorff – “Knowing God by Liturgically Addressing God” 14. Sarah Coakley – “Beyond Belief: Liturgy and Cognitive Apprehension of God” 15. Joshua Cockayne – “Corporate Liturgical Silence” 16. Brian A. Butcher – “You Have Given Us the Grace to Pray Together in Harmony”: Orthodox Liturgical Singing as a Criterion for (Philosophical? Theological?) Aesthetics 17. J. Aaron Simmons and Eli Simmons – “Liturgy and Eschatological Hope” Index

About the Author :
J. Aaron Simmons is Professor of Philosophy at Furman University, USA. Bruce Ellis Benson is Visiting Senior Research Fellow at the University of Vienna, Austria. Neal DeRoo is Canada Research Chair in Phenomenology and Philosophy of Religion at The King's University, Canada.

Review :
[T]he book does a service not only to the topic of liturgy, but also to philosophy in general, showing that these two approaches benefit each other and readers when they are more in conversation with one another. A groundbreaking work, offering rich interdisciplinary insights into the performative and embedded practices of religious experience. An invaluable inquiry into the significance of neglected spiritual traditions and rituals. Participants in liturgies think of them as a privileged point of contact with the sacred. These essays offer a spirited, insightful and accessible approach to the question of how ritual action can bear this significance – and thereby they draw us into a deepened understanding of religion, and indeed of ourselves.