Religious naturalism - Bishop, John (John Christopher); Perszyk, Kenneth J. (Cambridge : Cambridge University Press, 2025)
Is a religious naturalism possible? 'Scientific' naturalism accommodates only 'thin' religiousness. A more robust religious naturalism posits an ultimate reality that supports the ideals of eco-morality and the hope that human fulfilment may be achieved by following those ideals. Such an account may yet be 'expansively' naturalist in taking the natural world to be the only (concrete) reality, and in not going against, only beyond, well-confirmed science. For the core content of an expansive religious naturalism, this Element proposes the idea of an inherent integrative cosmic purpose. The authors reflect both on Indigenous worldviews and on theist traditions in pursuing this proposal.
Cover -- Title page -- Imprints page -- Religious Naturalism -- Contents -- 1 Introduction: 'Religion without the Supernatural' -- 2 Understanding the Religiousness of Religious Naturalism -- 2.1 Religious Feelings in Response to Nature's Sacredness -- 2.2 Religious Naturalism: 'Grounding' an Eco-Morality -- 2.3 Natural Reality as Ultimately Favourable to the Pursuit of an Eco-Morality -- 2.4 A 'Religion of Nature'? -- 3 Understanding the Naturalism of Religious Naturalism -- 3.1 'Nature is All That There is': Naturalism as 'One-World-ism' -- 3.2 Specifying 'the Natural World' -- 3.3 Religious Naturalism and Scientific Metaphysical Naturalism -- 3.4 Taking Science Seriously: A Constraint on Expansive Naturalism -- 3.5 Taking Stock -- 4 Religious Naturalism and Cosmic Purposiveness -- 4.1 Inherent Natural Purposes - Extendible to the Whole of Reality? -- 4.2 Naturalist Reservations about Ultimate Cosmic Purpose -- 4.3 Euteleological Religious Naturalism -- 4.4 Comparing Alternatives -- 5 Resources for a Robust Religious Naturalism -- 5.1 A Naturalist Conception of an 'Integrative' Supreme Good -- 5.2 Lessons from Indigenous Worldviews -- 5.3 Religious Naturalisms and Existing Religious Traditions -- 6 Conclusion: Challenges for Religious Naturalists -- References -- Acknowledgments.
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Keywords: Naturalism -- Religious aspects