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James Fodor's Christian Theory of Truth: Is it Christian?

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The ‘task confronting contemporary theology’, says James Fodor, ‘is that of the rehabilitation or recovery of a distinctively Christian vision of truth’ (Christian Hermeneutics[Oxford, 1995] p. 72). In this paper I examine Fodor's attempt to construct a Christian or transformational theory of truth. I argue that his analysis of truth in terms of transformation leads to a concept of truth which is both subjective and relative. I argue further that Fodor's truth theory is either committed to a version of creative anti‐realism, according to which the existence of basic structure of the world is determined by our linguistic activities, or it implies that although our language doesn't correspond to the world, we should go on making our theological truth claims anyway. I conclude that Fodor's Christian theory of truth is in most crucial respects not Christian at all.

Wiley

The Heythrop Journal

Title: James Fodor's Christian Theory of Truth: Is it Christian?

Description:

The ‘task confronting contemporary theology’, says James Fodor, ‘is that of the rehabilitation or recovery of a distinctively Christian vision of truth’ (Christian Hermeneutics[Oxford, 1995] p.

72).

In this paper I examine Fodor's attempt to construct a Christian or transformational theory of truth.

I argue that his analysis of truth in terms of transformation leads to a concept of truth which is both subjective and relative.

I argue further that Fodor's truth theory is either committed to a version of creative anti‐realism, according to which the existence of basic structure of the world is determined by our linguistic activities, or it implies that although our language doesn't correspond to the world, we should go on making our theological truth claims anyway.

I conclude that Fodor's Christian theory of truth is in most crucial respects not Christian at all.

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