Merold Westphal’s appropriation of Paul Ricoeur’s “hermeneutics of suspicion”

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.22240/sent29.02.101

Keywords:

Paul Ricoeur, Merold Westphal, hermeneutics of suspicion, atheism, criticism of religion, Marxism, psychoanalysis

Abstract

This article analyzes the main ideas of Paul Ricoeur’s hermeneutics of suspicion and especially its reception in Merold Westphal’s philosophy of religion. The author shows that Ricoeur’s concept of hermeneutics can be used not only as a theory for understanding texts but also as an effective methodology of historical and philosophical analysis as well as the interpretation of various aspects of social life. The author also shows that the use of a hermeneutics of suspicions in relation to the field of religious phenomena is a powerful tool for deciphering and unmasking religious illusions and latent sources of human behavior. The criticism of religion by Freud, Marx, and Nietzsche is akin to the traditional Christian doctrine of the sinfulness of human nature. For this reason, the author proposes to consider the hermeneutics of suspicion as an effective means of reminding religious communities about the necessity of constant self-examination and self-criticism.

Author Biography

Roman Soloviy, Evangelische Theologische Faculteit (Leuven, Belgium), Lviv Theological Seminary

PhD in history, doctoral candidate at Evangelische Theologische Faculteit (Leuven, Belgium), Dean of Graduate Studies at Lviv Theological Seminary

References

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Published

2013-12-16

How to Cite

Soloviy, R. (2013). Merold Westphal’s appropriation of Paul Ricoeur’s “hermeneutics of suspicion”. Sententiae, 29(2), 101–113. https://doi.org/10.22240/sent29.02.101

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