THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PHILOSOPHY
AND THEOLOGY IN THE POSTMODERN AGE
Writted By : Ani Nurwasilah
UNIVERSITAS ISLAM INDONESIA
According to many scientists, the philosophy is the mother of all kinds of science, even though others reveal that philosophy is born because of theology but the idea about science philosophy rejected by philosophers in the Western world because philosophy is a science that puts on the science of devotion and human nature is not theology. And the philosopers looking for the real answer what is the relationship between philosophy and theology through the ultimate goal of a science.
Many people found that philosophy brings new problems to the resolution of a problem. Philosophers hoped that philosophy is not eliminated even by the scientists who hope philosophical theology will be lost. The philosophers refused the treatment of theologians because of some reasons that any human problems posed by philosophers concluded emerging as an issue of human reason and a man made the difference between humans and animals are the object of philosophy. Philosophy is a fact that has not complete and still debated. Philosophy presents science for many years, and the presentation of the science needs cooperation with humanism, materialism, physicalism, naturalism, and other ideologies in contrary to religion.
Meanwhile theology must be understood that it is not only includes the science of kalam but the ethics of religion jurisprudence and ushul fiqh. From some of the points above, we can see some questions raised by philosophers to the theologians. One of the most important things for review is epistimologi. Because it is the middle part of the thinkers who serve (ancient times) less attention to the contemporary thinkers. How we know the existence of God? Classic answer posed by the Christians and Muslims that we can formulate deductive proof and the conclusion states the existance of God. The problem of this answer is many premise that embodies at first, but now has been questioned. In fact, the philosophy is the science that uses the methods of human thought is not limited by religious laws while keagaan theological science which explains about the existence of God, religious ethics, jurisprudence, ushul fiqh and others.
In religion and philosophy, there are three subjects, there are religion is the main object of philosophy, the understanding of religion philosophy and the differences between theological and philosophical approaches, these three discussion influent to the relationship between philosophy and theology in fact. And as a rational human being must have the desire to prove the truth of religious beliefs from the perspective or logic or free. Thus the discussion of the them will be clarify in this paper.
B. THE PROBLEM STATEMENT
To understand the relationship between philosophy and theology in postmodern era, the authors presents some important issue about those theory, includes:
1. What is the real definition of philosophy and religion itself ?
2. Why Religion is referred as the object of Philosophy ?
3. How different approaches to the relationship between philosophy and theology ?
C. THE BASIC CONCEPTUAL FRAME WORK
According to the sources about the relationship between philosophy and theology explains the problems with the frame of mind is there is the influent from every aspect of either philosophy or theology itself, in fact the thought of both scientists and the condition in this postmodern era. Among the topics in conceptual frame work is the history of the greatest philosophers before Ibnu Sina is Al-Farabi, his philosophical analysis is drawn from the Greek language used as Arabic word come from the word philosophia means love of truth. It should be underlined that, although the word philosophy comes from the Greek language and the ancient Greek philosophical tradition has had since 500 BC, it does not mean only those ancient Greeks who had been living philosophy.
Whereas if you look up the definition of religion is a protective hard word. There are at least three reasons why religion is said to have a difficult first definition, because religion is a social spiritual experience and subjective subjective and individualistic,second there is no one talks so lively and emotional rather than talk about religion, then the discussion of religion always have strong and emotional conversation, so it is difficult to give meaning about religious sentence, third, because the concept of religion is influenced by the goal of the person who gave the definition of religion. (According to Dr. A. Mukti Ali). Many scientists claim that the difficulty of defining religion.
`Similarities between philosophy and theology are both aimed at finding the truth, Philosophy with his nature tp find the truth, whether the truth about nature or human or God, whereas the characteristic of religion provide answers to all the problems of human rights’s question, whether of nature, human and God.
D. THE STEPS, THE PROCEDURE AND THE APPLIED EXAMPLE
Steps and procedures used on the relationship between philosophy and theology in the postmodern era is analyze each understanding of philosophy and religion, then the discussion of the development of the two as the example of philosopher thought and a prominent theological thought in ancient times to discover similarities and differences of both, this is a stepto be the main subject to know how the relationship between philosophy and theology in this postmodern era. Its basically every science has two kinds of objects, material and formal object. It said that the material object is something being targeted investigations, as well as the human body is the material object of medical science, while the formal object is a particular perspective about material objects, such as empirical and experimental approaches in medical science.
Meanwhile observed from material object of philosophy, religion is an object in the physical and metaphysical dimensions. And if linked on the philosophy of religion is a discussion of the problematic aspects of the eschatology of absolute justice and the will of God, viewed from one side, God is almighty, but he also willing absolute. It becomes the problem of the God's justice as a Jahar entered into heaven. The solution for a certain class of Gods keep fair because they have an absolute desire, but another group thinks God is unfair because it does not conform with the promises in the Bible that God will enter the wicked into hell. According to another groups from class above about God enter the wicked into the heaven, then the system of good and bad values are not useful because the fate of someone is not determined by its effort in the world, but by the absolute will of God. Examples of such problems are used as an approximation of the relationship between philosophy and theology.
From the various descriptions of the formula above, we can conclude that there is an issue related to the relationship between philosophy and theology in the postmodern era, including:
a. Religion as the object study of philosophy
Philosophy as a systematicand radical process of thinking also has a material object and formal object. Material object of philosophy is all that exists, including the empirical worldand non empirical world. Seems like a metaphysical nature. Some philosophers divide philosophy material objects into three parts, in fact, in mind and that is the possibility. The formal object of philosophy is a holistic point of view, radical and objective, in order to achieve its nature.
Religion is a belief system that God has always embraced by human interaction with Him. Subject discussed in religion is the existence of gods, humans and the relationship between man and his god. This is an aspect of metaphysics while human beings and part of the natural objects included in the category of physics. Thus the philosophy of religion discussed in terms of the metaphysical and physical, but the pressure point of philosophy is more focused to the metaphysical aspect than the physical. The physical aspect will be more clearly outlined in the natural sciences such as biology, psychology and anthropology.
b. Understanding Philosophy-Theology
Discussed above regarding the definition of philosophy, addition to the understanding of philosophy is very diverse in expression, even Moh. Hatta and Langeveld said that the definition of philosophy not to be given because everyone has their own pressure in the definition. Therefore let everyone examines the philosophy first and then summarize their own perception.
There is another definition of religion that most of the scientists also can not give a clear sense of this, but etymologically religion derived from the word Sankskrit. Some argue that the word consists of two words, the first words a means not and gam means go so religion will not go, permanent inherited hereditary. Religion have such properties. While the Arabic word Al-din consist of letters dal, ya and nun, from these letters can be read by dain means the debt, and din means religion and doomsday.Those three meaning show two different parts, the first part higher, more powerful, feared and respected by second parts. In the religion of God, the first is higher than humans. In debts, lend is richer than is owed, as well as doomsday, God decices the doomstay, God is the owner of human and they must submit to the owner.
c. Theological and philosophical differences in approach
Karen theological science is discuss about the principal of religion, as an issue of faith and the oneness of god, this science is called Ushululddin. It also called tauhid
Review from subject aspects and object of theology and philosophy turned out some similarities. Subjects were discussing in theology and philosophy is the same discuss human. Object of theology and philosophy is divinity. In theology, divinity issues addressed in accordance with the instructions revelation, whereas problems in the philosophy of divinity based on rational question about the God’s being. Theology approach is more deductive, while philosophy is more inductive. The implications of these two approaches are different. God in theological discussion accentuate gods who has personified (personal God), while the god in philosophy does not accentuate personal god.
In addition the same forms of philosophy and theology mentioned above include:
1. Philosophy and theology equally never finished discussing the existence of god
2. The discussion object of philosophy and theology is the same, it is about existence of God as the One of the most perfect and eternal.
3. Philosophy and theology gives rational argument about God.
F. REFLECTION / IMPACT AND TO WORD IN ISLAM CONTRIBUTION THOUGHT.
The existence of differences and similarities and the relationship between philosophy and theology will affect human life and the notion of Islam now with the values contained in this connection is very important to know by the people, especially the students studied philosophy and religion or science Ushuluddin. Due to the presence of thoughts on philosophy and theology, reason will affect the perspective of someone who believed the truth of his argument. Because philosophy intends to assert the truth of a particular religion or untruth basic fundamentals. While theology accept certain religious teachings as truth, and aims to maintain religious beliefs, because of it, appears what is called Islamic theology, Christian theology and Jewish theology, the theology in this sense is like an army guarded the sacred trip,but philosophy likes a shepherd without a guard.