Date of Award
5-16-2025
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Department
Systematic Theology
First Advisor
Joel Okamoto
Scripture References in this Resource
Genesis 1-3; Romans 8; 1 Corinthians 2:16; Philippians 1:27; 1 Corinthians 1:10
Abstract
This dissertation argues that Christian theology and practice are aided and enriched by a more complete understanding of reason by surveying recent studies and views in theology, philosophy, cognitive psychology, and cognitive linguistics. Since the Enlightenment, Christian theology has assumed widely the Enlightenment model of human reason as ideally acontextual, that is, free from constraints of contexts, and therefore universal, that is, applicable in all contexts. Recent developments from a variety of perspectives challenge this model of rationality. Some challenge the acontextualism of the Enlightenment understanding by showing how it arose from and depends on a context, and that context is always a feature of being rational. Others call into question the assumed anthropology of Enlightenment rationality. They show that reason is situated and guided according to desires, biases, intuitions, and metaphors. This dissertation surveys and summarizes a variety of these developments, analyzes their theological implications, assesses their impact for selected Christian practices, and illustrates their value with specific recommendations for thinking about and evaluating these selected Christian practices.
Recommended Citation
Lowe, Joshua T. Rev. Dr., "Reason and All My Senses: Surveying the Post Enlightenment Frame of Reason through Contemporary Philosophy, Cognitive Psychology, and Cognitive Linguistics" (2025). Doctor of Philosophy Dissertation. 156.
https://scholar.csl.edu/phd/156
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
Included in
Biblical Studies Commons, Biological and Physical Anthropology Commons, Christian Denominations and Sects Commons, Christianity Commons, Cognitive Psychology Commons, Cognitive Science Commons, History of Christianity Commons, Linguistic Anthropology Commons, Liturgy and Worship Commons, Missions and World Christianity Commons, Practical Theology Commons, Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion Commons, Social and Cultural Anthropology Commons, Sociology of Culture Commons, Sociology of Religion Commons
