Monotheism and Tolerance: Recovering a Religion of Reason (Indiana Series in the Philosophy of Religion)

Why are religious tolerance and pluralism so difficult to achieve? Why is the often violent fundamentalist backlash against them so potent? Robert Erlewine looks to a new religion of reason for answers to these questions. Drawing on Enlightenment writers Moses Mendelssohn, Immanuel Kant, and Hermann Cohen, who placed Christianity and Judaism in tension with tolerance and pluralism, Erlewine finds a way to break the impasse, soften hostilities, and establish equal relationships with the Other. Erlewine’s recovery of a religion of reason stands in contrast both to secularist critics of religion who reject religion for the sake of reason and to contemporary religious conservatives who eschew reason for the sake of religion. Monotheism and Tolerance suggests a way to deal with the intractable problem of religiously motivated and justified violence. Contents......Page 8 Acknowledgments......Page 10 Part One Overcoming the Current Crisis......Page 12 1 Monotheism, Tolerance, and Pluralism: The Current Impasse......Page 14 2 Learning from the Past: Introducing the Thinkers of the Religion of Reason......Page 40 Part Two Mendelssohn: Idolatry and Indiscernibility......Page 52 3 Mendelssohn and the Repudiation of Divine Tyranny......Page 54 4 Monotheism and the Indiscernible Other......Page 80 Part Three Kant: Religious Tolerance......Page 94 5 Radical Evil and the Mire of Unsocial Sociability......Page 96 6 Kant and the Religion of Tolerance......Page 117 Part Four Cohen: Ethical Intolerance......Page 140 7 Cohen and the Monotheism of Correlation......Page 142 8 Rational Supererogation and the Suffering Servant......Page 161 Conclusion: Revelation, Reason, and the Legacy of the Enlightenment......Page 188 Notes......Page 194 Works Cited......Page 240 Index......Page 250 "Why are religious tolerance and pluralism so difficult to achieve? Why is the often violent fundamentalist backlash against them so potent? Robert Erlewine looks to a new religion of reason for answers to these questions. Drawing on Enlightenment writers Moses Mendelssohn, Immanuel Kant, and Hermann Cohen, who placed Christianity and Judaism in tension with tolerance and pluralism, Erlewine finds a way to break the impasse, soften hostilities, and establish equal relationships with the Other." "Erlewine's recovery of a religion of reason stands in contrast both to secularist critics of religion who reject religion for the sake of reason and to contemporary religious conservatives who eschew reason for the sake of religion. Monotheism and Tolerance suggests a way to deal with the intractable problem of religiously motivated and justified violence." --Book Jacket Overcoming The Current Crisis -- Monotheism, Tolerance, And Pluralism : The Current Impasse -- Learning From The Past : Introducing The Thinkers Of The Religion Of Reason -- Mendelssohn : Idolatry And Indiscernability -- Mendelssohn And The Repudiation Of Divine Tyranny -- Monotheism And The Indiscernible Other -- Kant : Religious Tolerance -- Radical Evil And The Mire Of Unsocial Sociability -- Kant And The Religion Of Tolerance -- Cohen : Ethical Intolerance -- Cohen And The Monotheism Of Correlation -- Rational Supererogation, And The Suffering Servant -- Conclusion: Revelation, Reason, And The Legacy Of The Enlightenment. Robert Erlewine. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Part I: Overcoming the current crisis -- Monotheism, tolerance, and pluralism : the current impasse -- Learning from the past : introducing the thinkers of the religion of reason -- Part II: Mendelssohn : idolatry and indiscernability -- Mendelssohn and the repudiation of divine tyranny -- Monotheism and the indiscernible other -- Part III: Kant : religious tolerance -- Radical evil and the mire of unsocial sociability -- Kant and the religion of tolerance -- Part IV: Cohen : ethical intolerance -- Cohen and the monotheism of correlation -- Cohen, rational supererogation, and the suffering servant -- Conclusion: Revelation, reason, and the legacy of the Enlightenment