In this article I argue that the subject‐object distinction, operative in Continental Europe during the late‐1700s and early‐1800s, led to the religion‐secular distinction in higher education in the United States.Many scholars believe the origins of the shifting nature of the religion‐secular distinction resided with some form of influence that students from the United States encountered while they pursued advanced academic work in Germany. These scholars studied this influence at an institutional or organizational level. An intellectual approach to history would assess (...) the metaphysical currents of idealism that proved to be the primary influence that students from the United States encountered during their time in Germany. While idealism would never fully take hold in the United States, it gave shape and direction to the emerging movement of pragmatism. As a result, the separation of subject and object, under the guise of pragmatism, is reified in the religion‐secular distinction in the academy in the United States. Once religion becomes the object of a subject, the subject's sense of self‐dependence forces the religion‐secular distinction. However, the religion‐secular distinction proves to be a transitory relationship.Inevitably, the underlying issue proves to be that only the secular can serve as the sustainable object of its subject. (shrink)

This paper addresses the intellectual motivation of some of those involved in the intelligent design movement. It identifies their concerns with the critique of the claim that Darwinism offers an adequate explanation of prima facie teleological features in biology, a critique of naturalism, and the concern on the part of some of these authors including Dembski, with the revival of 'Old Princeton' apologetics. It is argued that their work is interesting and is in principle intellectually legitimate. It is also suggested, (...) however, that it needs to be appraised qua 'research programme' (after the fashion of the early work of Lakatos), and that, seen in that light, what needs to be accomplished might seem daunting. (shrink)

Theology in the world of science: Although modern universities are direct successors of the great tradition of the Middle Ages they have a serious problem with theology. This discipline, which together with classical philology, has constituted the foundation and bond of all methodologically organised cognition has been marginalised because of the rapid development of natural sciences and rationalistic paradigm in science. The rejection of the “Hymn to Logos” and its consequences have led to the crisis of university, the dissolution of (...) existing vision of the world and moral principles rooted in the wise universum of the Creator and finally to the dejection of cognitive faculties of a human mind. In this context, the present study proposes a “logocentric” conception, persistently proclaimed by Joseph Ratzinger as the Cardinal- -Prefect and the Bishop of Rome which appears to be coherent and, most importantly, meaningful as it offers to the mankind understanding based on truth. Nevertheless, this doctrine derived from the fact of creation and incarnation of Logos-Jesus Christ seems to be rejected by modern culture which is variously prejudiced against Christianity. (shrink)