Diskurstheoretische Glaubensverantwortung. Konturen einer religiösen Epistemologie in Auseinandersetzung mit Jürgen Habermas

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Martin Breul
• Subject Area: Roman Catholic Theology
• Term: from 2018 to 2019
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 417784169

Religious Epistemology investigates the methodological foundations of a contemporary model of the reasonableness and rationality of religious beliefs. In my doctoral thesis, I provide outlines for such a model by an in-depth engagement with the discourse theory of Jürgen Habermas. Basic elements of this theory are interlocked with current insights from social philosophy and fundamental theology in order to extrapolate the potentials of Habermasian discourse theory for such a model. It becomes apparent that Habermas’ very own reservations against a discursive analysis of the potential rationality of religious beliefs are unfounded. Instead, an intersubjective model of the justification of religious beliefs can be worked out within a discourse-theoretic framework. This model proves to be very effective in productively tackling the challenges of pluralism, postsecularism, naturalism and religious fundamentalism.

• DFG Programme: Publication Grants