Relations between religion and philosophy

Philosophy as an alternative to religion

Philosophy as a critic of religion, testing the claims of religion. Is it possible to (dis)prove the existence of God? What are the characteristics of the divine nature? Should God be conceived as infinite, finite, or somehow both? Religious traditions are not static. They change, partly in response to critique (whether that critique is wise or not).

Philosophy as articulating the concepts of religion. Religious philosophy proceeds from religious affirmations or assumptions. Such discourse may be intended for the community of fellow believers or for the general public.

17th century Ethiopian feminist thinker Zera Yacob (illustrates religious philosophy insofar as he makes religious affirmations as his basic findings of reason. He illustrates philosophy's critical function insofar as he takes critical distance from each of the three major traditions in his environment, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Neither his scholarship nor his logic is advanced, but he shows an independent willingness to challenge aspects of religious traditions that he finds inconsistent with the thesis that God is a good, wise, and powerful Creator. In particular, religious ideas that downgrade women, sexuality, and the family are inconsistent with the goodness of Creation. Zera Yacob affirms that God has created him with an intellect that he should use to discover truth, not by relying on human teachings, but by exploring God's truth for himself.