Skip to main content
Log in

Answering Pilate: Options for Interpreting Religious Truth

  • Published:
Sophia Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Pilate asked an important and pertinent question of Jesus regarding truth. A simple answer to his question would be ‘a statement is true only if it says what is the case.’ What that means, however, is another matter. By exploring options, I hope to elucidate some common disagreements among believers and non-believers, as well as squabbles between different religious positions. While most attention will be given to examples within Christianity, similar sorts of disagreements also occur in other religions. It is hoped that exploring such options will also help contribute to improved dialogue among the various contenders.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Alston, W. (1995). Realism and the Christian faith. International Journal for Philosophy of Religion, 38, 37–60.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Armstrong, K. (2005). A short history of myth. New York: Canon Gate.

    Google Scholar 

  • Binkley, L. (1962). What characterizes religious language? Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, 2, 18–22.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Byrne, P. (2003). God and realism. Burlington: Ashgate Press.

  • Coyne, J. A. (2015). Faith v. fact: why science and religion are incompatible. New York: Viking.

    Google Scholar 

  • D’Costa, G. (1996). The impossibility of a pluralist view of religions. Religious Studies, 32, 223–232.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Flew, A., Hare, R. M., & Basil, M. (1955). Theology and falsification. In S. M. Cahn (Ed.), Ten essential texts in the philosophy of religion (pp. 462–472). Oxford: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Griffiths, P., & Lewis, D. (1983). On grading religions. Seeking truth, and being nice to people: a reply to professor Hick. Religious Studies, 19, 75–80.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Haack, S. (2002). Realisms and their rivals: recovering our innocence. Facta Philosophica, 4, 67–88.

    Google Scholar 

  • Harris, S. (2004). The end of faith: religion, terror, and the future of reason. New York: W.W. Norton.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hick, J. (1989). The interpretation of religion. New Haven: Yale University Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Hick, J. (1993). Believing—and having true beliefs. In J. Runzo (Ed.), Is God real? (pp. 115–116). London: Macmillan.

  • Johnson, P. (1995). Reason in the balance: the case against naturalism in Science, Law & Education. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kitcher, P. (2011). Militant modern atheism. Journal of Applied Philosophy, 28, 1–13.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Laozi. (2003). The Daodejing of Laozi, translated and commentary by Philip J Ivanhoe. Indianapolis: Hackett.

    Google Scholar 

  • Luhrmann, T. M. (2012). When god talks back: understanding the American evangelical relationship with god. New York: Vintage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Miller, D. E. (1997). Reinventing American Protestantism: Christianity in the new millennium. Berkeley: University of California Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Pearcey, N. (2005). Total truth: liberating Christianity from its cultural captivity. Wheaton IL: Crossway.

    Google Scholar 

  • Phillips, D. Z. (1966). Religion and epistemology: some contemporary confusions. Australasian Journal of Philosophy, 44, 316–330.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Phillips, D. Z. (1993a). How real is realism? In J. Runzo (Ed.), Is God real? (pp. 193–198). London: Macmillan.

  • Phillips, D. Z. (1993b). On really believing. In J. Runzo (Ed.), Is God real? (pp. 85–108). London: Macmillan.

  • Putnam, H. (1981/1998). Reason, truth and history. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

  • Putnam, R. A. (1985). Creating facts and values. Philosophy, 60, 187–204

  • Putnam, H. (1987). The many faces of realism. Lasalle, IL: Open Court.

    Google Scholar 

  • Spufford, F. (2012). Unapologetic: why, despite everything, Christianity can still make surprising emotional sense. New York: Harper One.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wittgenstein, L. (1966/1988). Lectures and conversations on aesthetics, psychology and religious belief. Compiled from notes by Yorick Smythies, Rush Rhees, and James Taylor. Malden MA: Blackwell.

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Doren Recker.

Additional information

Publisher’s Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Recker, D. Answering Pilate: Options for Interpreting Religious Truth. SOPHIA 61, 383–398 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11841-020-00812-6

Download citation

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11841-020-00812-6

Keywords

Navigation