THEOLOGY AMONG THE HUMAN HUMANITIES with Peter Harrison, “Defining and Defending the Humanities”; Michael Ruse, “Willem Drees on the Humanities”; Douglas F. Ottati, “Theology among the Human Humanities”; Lisa L. Stenmark, “ Who are the Humanities For? Decolonizing the Humanities”; Donald L. Drakeman, “Some Second Thoughts about the Humanities”; and Willem B. Drees, “The Coherence and Character of the Humanities: A Reply to Critics.”

• Published in: Zygon Vol. 56; no. 3; pp. 704 - 717
• Main Author: Ottati, Douglas F.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01-09-2021
• Subjects: Humanities; Philosophy; Theology
• ISSN: 0591-2385; 1467-9744
• DOI: 10.1111/zygo.12728

This essay indicates how theology of a certain sort may contribute to the “human humanities” as Willem B. Drees understands them, but also that there is no single entirely satisfactory solution to the question of how to give due attention to the intensely self‐involving character of plural religions. The best we can do is to undertake theology, religious studies, and philosophy of religion in proximity to one another. This helps to maintain the sense that, in the humanities generally and the study of religion specifically, we not only develop comparative and disciplined reflections that aspire to a measure of neutrality, but also invite persons to undertake inherently self‐involving and reflexive inquiries, including theological ones.