R.G. Collingwood and Christianity - by Peter Johnson (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

Drawing on his writing on philosophy, history, religion and politics, this is the first in-depth analysis of R.G. Collingwood's relation to Christian thought.Peter Johnson's original study sheds new and important light on Collingwood's views on emotion, civilisation and key political events such as the Spanish Civil War from the perspective of his religious beliefs.

Here Collingwood's Christianity takes centre stage. Johnson considers Collingwood's relationship to prominent philosophers of the 20th century like Wittgenstein and Rawls, and examines the connection between Collingwood's views on Christianity and thinkers such as Norman Malcolm and D. Z. Phillips. Chapters also cover Collingwood's discussion of the Augustine and Pelagius debate, the impact of Collingwood's Anglicanism on his liberalism and his idea of Christian historiography as a Leaven.

A rich and nuanced account of the importance of Christianity, and Christian concepts, to Collingwood's philosophical and political thought, this is a valuable resource for students and scholars of philosophy of history and philosophy of religion as well as historical and political theory.

Review Quotes

Attentive readers have long acknowledged the importance of religion in Collingwood's thought, but none have dealt with it in such a comprehensive way as this volume does. Johnson's study provides an illuminating lens for reassessing Collingwood's work, and an invitation - in Collingwoodian spirit - to engage in our own serious reflection on the relation between religion and civilization

Peter Johnson has written an important book about the underexplored topic of R. G. Collingwood's Christianity. By situating Collingwood in relation to some of the most prominent philosophers of the 20th century, the book offers a vital contribution to research about the role of religious thought in English-speaking philosophy.

Proper understanding of Collingwood's thought has long been distorted by neglect of his attitude to Christianity and a belief that the Christian dimension of his thought faded as his philosophy matured. A serious treatment of the role of Christianity in Collingwood's thought is long overdue: here, at last, we have it.

About the Author

Peter Johnson is Visiting Research Fellow in the Department of Philosophy, University of Southampton, UK.