The Traditions of Fideism

What is it about?

Chapter 4: “The Traditions of Fideism” presents a perspicuous approach to the histories of philosophy and theology through tracing the genealogies of the critical term “fideism” used in philosophical and theological classification and appraisal. Taking a cue from Wittgenstein, I propose that it is best to see how the term was actually used in its original context and to construct extensions of the term carefully from this original use. I trace the use of “fideism” from its origins in French Protestant and Catholic theological discourses to its current uses in philosophy, concluding that the term is helpful in interpretations only when philosophers scrupulously acknowledge the tradition of use that informs their understanding of the word.

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