Common Faith (Terry Lectures (Paperback))

Rating:
Summary: Review of Dewey's A Common Faith
Review: In this book John Dewey presents a compelling argument for a union of religious and social ideals, and for consistency in both idea and action. Although the book is brief, the rhetoric is dense and the thesis is thought-provoking. This volume is an excellent example of Dewey's social and political thought. It should be read and considered not only by social scientists, but also by Christians who wish to intelligently grow their own faith.

Rating:
Summary: Review of Dewey's A Common Faith
Review: In this book John Dewey presents a compelling argument for a union of religious and social ideals, and for consistency in both idea and action. Although the book is brief, the rhetoric is dense and the thesis is thought-provoking. This volume is an excellent example of Dewey's social and political thought. It should be read and considered not only by social scientists, but also by Christians who wish to intelligently grow their own faith.

Rating:
Summary: "The issue may be more definitely stated."
Review: The quote in the "title" line of this review comes from page 70 of American Philosopher John Dewey's "A Common Faith," Yale University Press 1934. In this short work Dewey seeks to call humanity away from the many variations of dogmatic "supernaturalism" and instead towards "the idea of the common brotherhood of all men" since "we are ... all in the same boat traversing the same turbulent ocean." Dewey argues that we, as humans, must turn the page on the organized religions of old. In its place, we ought to adopt a new "creed" of science, experience, and ever expanding knowledge that possesses the courage and honesty to reject implausible, impossible, or simply outmoded explanations of reality, the universe, and the proper roles we humans must play in it.

Dewey's suggestion rests on a distinction made in the opening portion of the essay between "a religion" and "the religious." "A religion" is easy enough for one to grasp. "The religious," on the other hand, isn't quite so simple. "The religious," for Dewey, is the "intimate connection of imagination with ideal elements in experience," namely, "the mysterious totality of being the imagination calls the universe." "The religious" binds all humanity because it "is the matrix within which our ideal aspirations are born and bread." Dewey concludes: "Such a faith has always been implicitly the common faith of mankind. It remains to make it explicit and militant."

Although I share almost all of Dewey's views (and would argue that they are entirely encapsulated within the modern "religious" movement of Unitarian Universalism), and was quite pleased to read the useful bits of wisdom contained in the essay, my stingy rating reflects Dewey's own words: the issue could have certainly been more definitely stated. The abovementioned bits are relatively few and very far between throughout the piece, so much so that "traversing the same turbulent ocean" begins to sound easier than slogging trough even this very short work. This criticism is of course somewhat unfair, given that Dewey was only one of many thinkers who wrote in the vague and tedious style of his time. Yet, the kernels of wisdom peppered throughout the essay may be worth the time of the more patient reader, so, if you're intrigued, have at it - you'll only spend a couple dollars and a handful of hours digesting "A Common Faith."

Rating:
Summary: "The issue may be more definitely stated."
Review: The quote in the "title" line of this review comes from page 70 of American Philosopher John Dewey's "A Common Faith," Yale University Press 1934. In this short work Dewey seeks to call humanity away from the many variations of dogmatic "supernaturalism" and instead towards "the idea of the common brotherhood of all men" since "we are ... all in the same boat traversing the same turbulent ocean." Dewey argues that we, as humans, must turn the page on the organized religions of old. In its place, we ought to adopt a new "creed" of science, experience, and ever expanding knowledge that possesses the courage and honesty to reject implausible, impossible, or simply outmoded explanations of reality, the universe, and the proper roles we humans must play in it.

Dewey's suggestion rests on a distinction made in the opening portion of the essay between "a religion" and "the religious." "A religion" is easy enough for one to grasp. "The religious," on the other hand, isn't quite so simple. "The religious," for Dewey, is the "intimate connection of imagination with ideal elements in experience," namely, "the mysterious totality of being the imagination calls the universe." "The religious" binds all humanity because it "is the matrix within which our ideal aspirations are born and bread." Dewey concludes: "Such a faith has always been implicitly the common faith of mankind. It remains to make it explicit and militant."

Although I share almost all of Dewey's views (and would argue that they are entirely encapsulated within the modern "religious" movement of Unitarian Universalism), and was quite pleased to read the useful bits of wisdom contained in the essay, my stingy rating reflects Dewey's own words: the issue could have certainly been more definitely stated. The abovementioned bits are relatively few and very far between throughout the piece, so much so that "traversing the same turbulent ocean" begins to sound easier than slogging trough even this very short work. This criticism is of course somewhat unfair, given that Dewey was only one of many thinkers who wrote in the vague and tedious style of his time. Yet, the kernels of wisdom peppered throughout the essay may be worth the time of the more patient reader, so, if you're intrigued, have at it - you'll only spend a couple dollars and a handful of hours digesting "A Common Faith."