Religious Experience After the Demise of Foundationalism
Dirk-Martin Grube
Religious Studies March 1, 1995 DOI: 10.1017/s0034412500023283 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key points | Argues that foundationalist reconstructions of religious experience fail philosophically, theologically, and in their epistemic implications for Christian ontology, and that both Alston's and Plantinga's foundationalism lead to skeptical conclusions. Proposes instead an antifoundationalist, coherentist reconstruction of religious experience using a "mobile" model. |
Abstract
In this article, I argue that foundationalist reconstructions of religious experience lose on all counts: First, philosophical defences of foundationalism are untenable. Second, the theological benefits that can be reaped from foundationalism come at too high a price. I show that both William Alston's and Alvin Plantinga's foundationalism leads to sceptical conclusions. Third, I argue that the epistemic implications of foundationalist reconstructions of religious experience are incompatible with Christian ontology. Criticizing the account Plantinga develops in his books on warrant, I suggest that it is preferrable to reconstruct religious experience in antifoundationalist, i.e., coherentist, terms and develop the model of a mobile for these purposes.