Kant’s Epistemological Model in Pluralistic Hypothesis: From an Interpretation of Religion in Africa (Published)
Here in this work, I tried to examined the nature of African traditional religion and explore the relative terms of its references on the concept of God; the definition and explanation of the concept of God as it pertains to the traditional cultures; the distinction between one’s religion’s tradition and another; and the explanation and analysis of the relationship between God and man on the other hand. My plight in this work is to draw an inference, a sort of examination of conscience in religion in certain ways that it appeals to African conditions to knowledge, and just as Kant elucidated in the Critique of Pure Reason. In doing this therefore, my objective is to find the real essence of religious pragmatism and traditionalism in African indigenous religion with reference to its point of reality in other religions. Thus, it is considerably under this panoply, that I envisioned the realism in Kant’s epistemological model to repudiate the reality of God in pluralistic hypothesis. So, the finding of this research supports the thesis that phenomena and their appearances are based upon the interpretations of reality. Things appear differently in our mind and our understanding differs.
Keywords: God, Religion., perception and appearances, pluralistic hypothesis, pragmatism and traditionalism
Exploring the Constructs of Derrida’s Religiosity in the Teachings of the Gita: A Comparative Study (Published)
The questions on religion and God have always been perplexing and they have remained as issues in academia. This has become more burning issue since Derrida’s introduction of deconstruction to academia in 1960s as both Derrida’s personality and deconstruction remained controversial regarding these issues. So in this paper I have reviewed the studies on Derrida and deconstruction in relation to religion and God with the purpose to find out the constructs to identify Derrida’s religiosity and its similarities with the teachings of the Gita. Then I have employed these constructs to explore the teachings of the Gita as a comparative study and identified that the constructs of Derrida’s religiosity go in the line with the teachings of the Gita. Thus both of them suggest the deconstructive understanding of religion and God; they identify religion as the pursuit of the truth and justice and God as the undeconstructible, a sacred reality; they are comprehensive and inclusive of all as they are guided by a quasi-transcendental logic and deconstructive belief. Thus, this study has made a significant foundation for the study of postmodern spirituality and its enhancement for promoting interspirituality and sustainable peace in the world.
Keywords: Derrida, Derrida's Religiosity, God, Postmodern Spirituality, Religion., Teachings of the Gita, deconstruction, interspirituality