Search for the truth about the divine does not disqualify religion as a manifestation of human nature or a path to the attainment of the transcendent.
It would be very pretentious to try to stipulate a clear and homogeneous view of religion on the part of philosophy. Faced with the multiplicity of philosophers and religious phenomena, a unique and defined relationship would limit the philosophical and religious experience and would contradict the principle of dynamic movement characteristic of both.
When we speak of philosophy – in a broad sense – we take as our definition the rational investigation of the problems of the world and of man, its principles, foundations and relationships. It is a philosophy rooted in human experience, be it wise or academic. This philosophy is nourished by a millenary history of thinkers who questioned and were questioned, argued, published, taught, and sometimes kept quiet.
If this philosophy deals with the world/man and its problems, the question of the existence, nature and action of the “divine” presents itself as one of the fundamental problems throughout its history. Religion becomes one of the objects of greatest interest to philosophers, and often uses philosophical refutations to build their theological systems.
Because they are apparently different foundations (philosophy is the activity of reason and religion is based on faith), the first movement we assume for philosophy and religion is strangeness. In fact, many philosophers intend to refute religious arguments and show that man does not need religion for his life.
The motivations for the strangeness with religion are diverse and they go through the areas of ethics, anthropology, epistemology, logic and metaphysics. However, it is clear to philosophy that the search for the truth about the divine does not disqualify religion as a manifestation of human nature or as a way to reach the transcendent. The struggle between philosophy and religion happens much more from a theoretical perspective than in the validation of a practice of encounter with God.
Religion deals with man’s relationship with the divine and, through its systems and discourses, builds the narrative of this relationship based on his knowledge of god – or gods – and culture. There is an important triad in religious discourse that will be repeated in philosophical discourse: man, nature, the divine (extranatural).
If there is a link between philosophy and religion within the object of research and the questioning subject, there is also a particularity in the expression of knowledge: discourse. Philosophy is made through discourse, argumentation, logical analysis. However, philosophical problems cannot always be answered with acceptable sentences simply by enunciating them: one must have faith. Whether faith in method, faith in concepts or faith in reason.
Religion is made through written narrative, tradition and rituals. Religion cannot be justified by the logical elements of necessity – many philosophers have tried this – because its narrative transcends the structure established by the criteria of truth of philosophy. Likewise, the philosophical narrative does not characterize a religion, since its form of being does not match the discursive structure of religion.
We could ask ourselves, then, what would be the meaning of religion. If we look at the philosophical perspective, religion has meaning in the construction of human identity and in its interpersonal development, it offers sensitive, rational and cultural narratives. Religion fills man’s longing for the divine and the transcendent, it bridges the gap between man and himself sublimated.
Religion provides answers about God, but its importance goes beyond “transcendental explanations”, it offers a way of life and models of humanity. With such nature it is a treasure of men, but at the same time a terrible weapon. The power of religious discourse can be used for alienation and corruption of the human, leading us to an irreflagent attitude.
Because of this ambiguous nature many philosophers say that religion has already fulfilled its role and is no longer necessary, or that it is necessary to purify the various religious experiences for a true religion that helps man on his way to the full realization of humanity.