The Structure Of Religious Knowing: Encountering The Sacred In Eliade And Lonergan

The Structure of Religious Knowing Encountering the Sacred in Eliade and Lonergan John D. Dadosky The Structure of Religious Knowing The Structure of Religious Knowing Encountering the Sacred in Eliade and Lonergan 鵹鵺 John D. Dadosky STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK PRESS Published by State University of New York Press, Albany © 2004 State University of New York All rights reserved Printed in the United States of America No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission. No part of this book may be stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means including electronic, electrostatic, magnetic tape, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without the prior permission in writing of the publisher. For information, address State University of New York Press, 90 State Street, Suite 700, Albany, NY 12207 Production by Christine L. Hamel Marketing by Michael Campochiaro Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Dadosky, John Daniel, 1966– The structure of religious knowing : encountering the sacred in Eliade and Lonergan / John D. Dadosky. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references (p. ) and index. ISBN 0-7914-6061-4 1. Knowledge, Theory of (Religion) 2. Experience (Religion) 3. Holy, The. 4. Eliade, Mircea, 1907–5. Lonergan, Bernard J. F. I. Title. BL51.D23 2004 212'.6—dc22 2003062635 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 In loving memory of my brother Mark E. Dadosky (1955–1980) who introduced me to the wonder of the stars CONTENTS Acknowledgments xi Abbreviations xiii Introduction Scope and Content Parameters of the Study 1 3 4 1. Significant Moments in the Historical Development of the Study of Religion and Religious Experience Introduction 1. Schleiermacher and The Feeling of Absolute Dependence 2. Rudolf Otto and The Idea of the Holy Mysterium tremendum et fascinans 3. Gerardus Van der Leeuw: Phenomenology of Religion 4. Mircea Eliade and the Study of the Sacred Conclusion 2. Lonergan on the Relationship between Theology and the History of Religions Introduction 1. Lonergan’s Encounter with Eliade 2. The Turn to the Subject’s Religious Horizon 3. The Relationship between Theology and the History of Religions 4. The Coming Convergence of World Religions 5. Eliade’s New Humanism Conclusion vii 7 7 9 13 15 16 21 24 27 27 27 28 33 39 42 43 viii Contents 3. Lonergan’s Theory of Consciousness as Hermeneutic Framework Introduction 1. Patterns of Operations 2. Patterns of Experience 3. Differentiations of Consciousness 4. Transformations of Consciousness—Conversion 5. Lonergan’s Theory of Consciousness as Hermeneutic Framework The Upper Blade 45 45 45 49 51 55 4. The Experience of the Sacred Introduction 1. The Encounter with the Sacred 1.1 Coincidentia Oppositorum 1.2 Hierophany 1.3 The Paradoxical Relationship between the Sacred and the Profane 2. The Experience of the Sacred: A Lonergan Perspective 2.1 Coincidentia Oppositorum: An Analysis 2.2 The Sacred and Profane and Lonergan’s Theory of Consciousness Conclusion 63 63 63 63 67 5. Understanding the Sacred through Religious Symbols Introduction 1. Sacred Symbols 1.1 Recovering Sacred Symbols 1.2 The Symbolism of the Center 2. Lonergan and Symbolism 2.1 Elemental Symbols in Lonergan’s Theory of Consciousness 2.2 Psychic Conversion and the Recovery of Sacred Symbols Conclusion 83 83 84 87 88 92 6. The Sacred as Real: An Analysis of Eliade’s Ontology of the Sacred Introduction 58 60 69 71 71 76 80 93 94 97