Skepticism, Relativism, and Religious Knowledge shows where responses to skepticism and relativism by Karl Barth and Reformed epistemology have led to impasses, and reconstructs their insights in a more robust response that does not depend on making excessive claims about our epistemic capacities. This response is based on a more nuanced conception of the relationship between trust, doubt, faith, and reason, and a Kierkegaardian perspective on religious knowledge that stresses the role of the will and the intellectual and theological virtues.
“Michael G. Harvey has written a very readable, intelligent, and clearly argued book against the prevailing epistemological paradigm in contemporary philosophy of religion. Elaborating insights from Wittgenstein, Dilthey, and Kierkegaard, he criticizes the exclusive disjunction of objectivism and relativism and outlines a hermeneutical paradigm of rationality that points a way beyond the impasses of Reformed theology (Barth) and Reformed epistemology (Plantinga and Wolterstorff). Whereas our beliefs are rooted in our reactions and attitudes toward life and its problems, faith signifies a deep and strong unrest incompatible with the epistemological aim of feeling at home in the world. What is distinctive about Christians is not that they believe, but that they hope. Harvey helps us to make sense of this.”
—Ingolf U. Dalferth, Professor of Philosophy of Religion, Claremont Graduate University
“For Harvey, Kierkegaard is no irrationalist, and Wittgenstein is no champion of self-contained fideism. Both provide rather crucial resources for addressing objectivism, skepticism, relativism, and the rationality of religious knowledge. Drawing too upon Dilthey and Paul L. Holmer, Harvey expertly explores a hermeneutics and grammar of religious knowledge, one that by highlighting the place of passion, will, and suffering in faith prompts fascinating engagement with recent Reformed epistemology.”
—David J. Gouwens, Brite Divinity School
“Guided by the two lights of Wittgenstein and Kierkegaard, yet with his own steady hand, Harvey leads his readers through the pitfalls of skepticism, relativism, fideism, foundationalism, and more, keeping before him the notion that our ability to make sense of discourse, whether in science or religion, is based on shared agreements in judgment, not themselves grounded, but nonetheless foundational.”
—Ronald Hustwit, The College of Wooster
Michael G. Harvey holds a bachelor’s degree magna cum laude in physics and astronomy from the University of Pittsburgh, and master’s degrees from Yale University, Brown University, and Carnegie Mellon University. He has published in Religious Studies, The Journal of Religion, the Routledge Major Work Religion and Science, and Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology (JASIST).
“Michael G. Harvey has written a very readable, intelligent, and clearly argued book against the prevailing epistemological paradigm in contemporary philosophy of religion. Elaborating insights from Wittgenstein, Dilthey, and Kierkegaard, he criticizes the exclusive disjunction of objectivism and relativism and outlines a hermeneutical paradigm of rationality that points a way beyond the impasses of Reformed theology (Barth) and Reformed epistemology (Plantinga and Wolterstorff). Whereas our beliefs are rooted in our reactions and attitudes toward life and its problems, faith signifies a deep and strong unrest incompatible with the epistemological aim of feeling at home in the world. What is distinctive about Christians is not that they believe, but that they hope. Harvey helps us to make sense of this.”
—Ingolf U. Dalferth, Professor of Philosophy of Religion, Claremont Graduate University
“For Harvey, Kierkegaard is no irrationalist, and Wittgenstein is no champion of self-contained fideism. Both provide rather crucial resources for addressing objectivism, skepticism, relativism, and the rationality of religious knowledge. Drawing too upon Dilthey and Paul L. Holmer, Harvey expertly explores a hermeneutics and grammar of religious knowledge, one that by highlighting the place of passion, will, and suffering in faith prompts fascinating engagement with recent Reformed epistemology.”
—David J. Gouwens, Brite Divinity School
“Guided by the two lights of Wittgenstein and Kierkegaard, yet with his own steady hand, Harvey leads his readers through the pitfalls of skepticism, relativism, fideism, foundationalism, and more, keeping before him the notion that our ability to make sense of discourse, whether in science or religion, is based on shared agreements in judgment, not themselves grounded, but nonetheless foundational.”
—Ronald Hustwit, The College of Wooster
Michael G. Harvey holds a bachelor’s degree magna cum laude in physics and astronomy from the University of Pittsburgh, and master’s degrees from Yale University, Brown University, and Carnegie Mellon University. He has published in Religious Studies, The Journal of Religion, the Routledge Major Work Religion and Science, and Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology (JASIST).
