Elements for a Contextualisation of the Philosophy of Religion by Juan Carlos Scannone

A Critical Review of the Specialised Literature

Abstract

The proposal advanced by Juan Carlos Scannone for a philosophy of religion develops in a precise historical-geographical, intellectual and cultural framework, between the second half of the 20^th century and the first twenty years of the 21^st century. Since 1970, Latin America has been implementing theoretical proposals centered on the historical-political conditions, on the dynamics of liberation from oppression and injustices, on the valorization of popular wisdom and on philosophical inculturation. Starting from a hermeneutic-phenomenological approach, Scannone elaborates a philosophy of religion that is connected to his proposal of liberation; he is able to rethink the religious fact, God, and the categories of theology in a lively dialogue between Western thought and Latin American thought. Based on a reflection on God that moves from the victims, the Argentine philosopher exposes the current situation of the philosophical activity and of a particular kind of rationality. The article explores some useful aspects for the understanding of Scannone’s philosophy of religion; with this goal, it includes a critical review of the most recent specialist literature on the topic.