Abstract:Abstract This Introduction provides a general contextual background to the question of agnosticism. It addresses the question of definition: how the term ‘agnosticism’ has been variously defined, and ...Abstract This Introduction provides a general contextual background to the question of agnosticism. It addresses the question of definition: how the term ‘agnosticism’ has been variously defined, and some of the various sub-divisions of different types of agnosticism that have appeared in scholarly literature. The Introduction also considers contextual historical issues, identifying the origins of the term in the nineteenth century, and its subsequent development. It considers the relationship of agnosticism to both theism and atheism, identifying strains of agnosticism within theology, and looking at the relationship of agnosticism to recent manifestations of ‘New Atheism’. Finally, the Introduction discusses the essays that follow, identifying both convergences and divergences between them. It suggests that although the essays employ different methodologies and reach distinct conclusions, many of them suggest that agnosticism may not be as incompatible with religious belief and practices as has sometimes been assumed.Read More
Publication Year: 2020
Publication Date: 2020-10-22
Language: en
Type: book-chapter
Indexed In: ['crossref']
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