Browsing Faculty Publications by Title
Now showing items 18-37 of 72
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The Development of Curriculum With Relation to the Philosophy of the Cosmonomic IdeaThis thesis is concerned primarily with the philosophical foundations, and particularly the epistemological foundations, of a Christian approach to the school curriculum: we will construct a theoretical model of knowledge which may fruitfully inform the selection of goals and the establishment of criteria for the obedient progress of Christian education.
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A Different Tenor: Songs of Love and Sorrow--Re-Engaging the Social Ethics of MusicThe question of how music relates to our existence as ethical beings has not always elicited the same response. For much of the twentieth century, the relation between music and ethics was addressed from the angle of music's autonomy. Music was fenced off from society so that it might better fulfill its own internal demands. Thus, in answer to the question whether music has, or should have, an ethical dimension, the predominating philosophical answer of the twentieth century was solidly negative. The article that follows, a response to this negative point of view, reproduces a panel discussion that took place in April 2010 during a conference entitled "Songs of Love and Sorrow: Re-Engaging the Social Ethics of Music." Co-organized by the Institute for Christian Studies, the Toronto School of Theology, and the Royal Conservatory of Music, the conference attempted to bring to the musical arts a concern to re-evaluate the social significance of artistic experience and practice. Though not argued like an essay, the article highlights significant themes about the relationship of music to ethics, including the innately social character of music, its possible effect on our behaviour, the potential social content of sound itself, the positive social effect of music's ambiguity, the need to break down the barriers between music practitioners and interpreters, the role communities might play in sponsoring the work of musicians, and the possible compatibility between music's formal requirements and its potential for social engagement.
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Dooyeweerd's Conception of Truth: Exposition and CritiqueA transformed idea of truth is central to the project of reformational philosophy. This essay lays groundwork for such an idea by proposing a critical retrieval of Herman Dooyeweerd's conception of truth. First it summarizes relevant passages in Dooyeweerd's New Critique. Then it demonstrates several problems in his conception: he misconstrues religious truth, misconceives its relation to theoretical truth, and overlooks central questions of epistemology and truth theory. By addressing these problems, reformational philosophers can find new ways to think about truth that retain the holism, normativity, and radicalness of Dooyeweerd’s conception.
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Exempla and the Promotion of Religious Identity: Gerard of Frachet's Vitae FratrumThis paper will examine the pedagogy of the exemplary vignette as a means of "mass" identity formation within the Dominican Order and among its far flung supporters. In the process, I make the case that Cistercian Conrad of Eberbach's earlier Exordium Magnum provided a model for a Dominican "memory" and the identity that shared memory was to ensure.
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The Great Turning Point: Religion and Rationality in Dooyeweerd's Transcendental CritiqueHugo Meynell objects to the apparent fideism and anti-foundationalism of Herman Dooyeweerd's philosophy. In response, my essay explicates the historical setting and logical structure to Dooyeweerd's "transcendental critique of theoretical thought." His transcendental critique seeks to uncover the "religious root" of philosophy and of other academic disciplines. Given Dooyeweerd's notion of religion and his account of theoretical thought, I show that Meynell's criticisms are misplaced. Yet they point toward fundamental problems in Dooyeweerd's transcendental critique. Some problems pertain to the logic of Dooyeweerd’s argument, and others to his notion of religion. I explain these problems and indicate how they should be addressed.
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Haunting Conceptual Boundaries: Miracles in the Summa Theologiae of Thomas AquinasThomas understands our creaturely being under two contiguous categories: nature and grace, or the natural and the supernatural. In this two-fold understanding of the creaturely whole, miracle names a reality that haunts the boundary between. Is the result seamless harmony? Or seismic activity?
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"I believe in the resurrection of the body"“I believe in the resurrection of the body.” This fundamental tenet of the Christian faith extends beyond belief and into every corner of life. It provides the basis from which we might understand our whole selves as whole selves--to take into account where we are in body, heart, mind, and action. In terms of a guiding idea for curriculum development and for education, this statement calls us to see ourselves and others in primarily relational terms; to value people’s integral and multivalent relationships and all aspects of who, where, and what they are. Such an approach leads to a view of education--and of the human person--inextricably developed “from the ground up.”