Articles

On Theology’s Use of Philosophy: The Status of Phenomenology in Saint John Paul II’s Fides et Ratio

Jay Martin

Abstract

Jay Martin explores the complex relationship between phenomenology and Catholic theology, focusing on its apparent absence in Saint John Paul II’s Fides et Ratio. Engaging Dominique Janicaud’s critique of phenomenology’s "theological turn," Martin argues that the encyclical provides a phenomenology of faith wherein reason’s autonomy is disclosed by revelation. Ultimately, Martin demonstrates that John Paul II’s approach integrates metaphysical foundations with phenomenological rigor to secure a robust Christian anthropology.

Citations

Fides et Ratio §81

Fides et Ratio §81.

Fides et Ratio §82.

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Fides et Ratio §83.

Fides et Ratio §83.

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Love and Responsibility (1960)

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Fides et Ratio §85.

Fides et Ratio §59.

Fides et Ratio §83.

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Fides et Ratio §59.

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Francesca Murphy, “Credo ut Intellegam: The Relationship Between Philosophy and Theology in the Catholic Tradition,” in The Challenge of Truth: Reflections on “Fides et Ratio,” ed. James McEvoy (Veritas, 2002): 50.

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