In Pragmatic Philosophy of Religion: Melioristic Case Studies, Ulf Zackariasson argues for the fruitfulness of pragmatic philosophy of religion by bringing it to bear on a number of classical topics within the contemporary philosophy of religion. Zackariasson first outlines a version of pragmatic philosophy of religion that takes the pragmatic insistence on the primacy of practice to heart. Here, he shows that religious traditions and their secular counterparts transmit a number of paradigmatic responses that adherents can draw on in their encounters with human life's existential contingencies. He further discusses the upshot of this approach for how we think of miracles, religious diversity, and what it is to be religiously mistaken. In each case, Zackariasson shows that a pragmatic approach offers important novel perspectives and insights that contemporary (primarily analytic) philosophy of religion tends to neglect. By relating to debates and well-known positions within the contemporary philosophy of religion, he also makes these novel perspectives and insights concrete for those who are not already committed pragmatists. The case studies thus serve as invitations to constructive dialogue within an increasingly pluralistic philosophy of religion.
Ulf Zackariasson is associate professor of philosophy of religion at Uppsala University, Sweden.
Preface Part I: A Pragmatic Philosophy of Religion with a Melioristic Flavor 1. The Pragmatic raison d'etre of Pragmatic Philosophy of Religion 2. Pragmatism and Pragmatic Philosophy of Religion Part II: Melioristic Applications: Three Case Studies in the Pragmatic Philosophy of Religion 3. What Is It to Be Religiously Mistaken? (and Why We Should Concentrate on That Question) 4. Our Claimed Lives: Meliorism, Miracles and the Miraculous 5. Pragmatic Pluralisms and Religious Diversities: Diapractice and Existential Agent-Regret Afterword Bibliography Index About the Author
"Ulf Zackariasson makes a genuinely original contribution to pragmatist philosophy of religion by exploring the fascinating 'melioristic case studies' of being 'religiously mistaken,' the miraculous, and religious diversities. He demonstrates that pragmatism can open a considerably more sophisticated perspective on these debates than the more mainstream approaches in the field, arguing that it offers insights that one does not have to be a pragmatist to appreciate. This is pragmatist philosophy practiced, not merely pragmatism interpreted, reminding us about our philosophical, ethical, and existential responsibility in developing a pragmatic pluralism about religious (and secular) matters of life and death. " -- Sami Pihlstroem, University of Helsinki "Ulf Zackariasson's book is enlightening in the very best sense of the word: It clarifies puzzles and problems in religion with the help of pragmatist philosophy. He shows the impact that pragmatism can have on this clarifying task in a highly accessible way. Any reader concerned with religious questions will benefit from engaging with his rich discussions." -- Jan-Olav Henriksen, MF Norwegian School of Theology
