Saint Augustine
In his Confessions, St. Augustine poses the following question concerning the object of his passion: “What do I love when I love my God?” John Caputo, the author of On Religion, argues that we should not see St. Augustine’s question as a question only for theists, for members of monotheistic institutions, such as Christianity. The question is not irrelevant to atheists, for theists and atheists may both be lovers, and therefore religious. What Caputo would have us hear in St. Augustine’s Confession is the saint’s deep desire.
According to Caputo, what made St. Augustine religious was that he was a lover. He is in earnest and is receptive to the object of his passion. Read More
Why Be Religious?
In his book, On Religion,the philosopher John Caputo argues that the essence of religion is “the impossible” and the proper response is faith, hope and love, the greatest of these being Love. Religion is the ultimate realm of passion. Religion is where love is most fully experienced and expressed. Therefore, religion is a valuable and important part of experience. Religion is a good thing. Lovers are religious and to be religious is to be a lover. Religion is where love most fully manifests itself. According to Caputo, the irreligious lack “salt” and are loveless. Indeed, if you are not passionate, if you are not religious, then you should not refer to yourself as a lover. If there is any truth concerning religion, it is that Love is the mark of “religious truth.”
While I certainly agree that Religion involves Love (and passion, and salt), I disagree that Love, as Caputo understands is, is the mark of religious truth. Rather, Caputo fails to properly distinguish between the object of religion and the proper response. This series will attempt to explain how my view and Caputo’s differ. Read More »