List, As I recently argued, although Peirce described himself as a theist, he did not see himself as an orthodox Christian in the conventional sense, and in my view he would have approached the Christian creeds and doctrines with a critical, philosophically pragmatic mindset. In my view he was primarily interested in the logical coherence and practical consequences of religious beliefs such that the truth of a belief or doctrine was not merely a matter of adherence to tradition or scripture, but rather how it might be verified through experience and, especially, its practical effects. In other words, Peirce was a thorough-going pragmatist in religion as in all matters.
Take for example the Christian creeds. Perhaps there is no more profound and beautiful an expression of traditional Christian faith than the Nicene Creed. That Peirce found it "precious" doesn't surprise me whatsoever, for I too once placed a very high value on it (although I might not use the word "precious" to describe that value, and my current religious views are, shall we say, in flux). But that he believed that creed "in a different way" than most others (as he wrote to James) also doesn't surprise me. It seems to me that Peirce valued religious doctrines to the extent that they could be pragmatically justified, meaning that they were valued to the extent that they had a meaningful impact on how one lives and experiences the world and, especially, in community. No doubt he had a high regard for the symbolic and communal aspects of religious practice, including liturgy and ritual. He saw religious rituals (such as reciting the creeds together in church) as important for the community and for the growth of the individual’s spiritual life and for the growth of the life of the community. These practices were likely seen by him as *signs* that conveyed deeper meanings and helped to reinforce the values of his religious community. Further, in my view it seems likely that Peirce’s understanding of Christian beliefs was closely tied to his understanding of belief formation within his concept of "fallibilism," as the idea that human knowledge is never complete, never secure, and is always open to revision. Is it possible that he saw religious belief as a form of belief that, like all beliefs, need be subjected to inquiry *and* could evolve over time? Well, the evolutionary character of his thinking is as compelling as his synechism. As I see it, Peirce *was *a theist, but that his belief was *not* based on a literal or dogmatic acceptance of Christian teachings, but rather a more philosophical and reflective -- even scientific -- faith, one that recognized the limits of human understanding and the necessity of humility in all things, including religious belief. But he most certainly thought that it would be a boon to humanity if religion were shown to be true -- perhaps that tended to color his religious metaphysics. While the community which he thought he could best address, most likely influence to bring about that belief (and, perhaps, even on a quasi-scientific basis) was the one he found himself in, one that was primarily theistic (unless they happened to be atheistic. since neither pantheism nor panentheism were 'in the air' then). And all this to counter the mechanistic, nothing-but-ism, the universe is a meaningless accidentism, which he found, frankly, illogical, and humanely debilitating. It seems to me probable that Peirce approached even the Judeo-Christian Bible as, yes, a significant cultural and religious document, but not a literal or inerrant text, not as the final or sole authority on truth as Orthodox Jews and orthodox Christians do. One can easily imagine that he appreciated the Bible for its moral and spiritual teachings and its role in shaping Western civilization. But for Peirce the Bible was a collection of sometimes profound texts that could, yet, be interpreted in various ways, and its meanings were not fixed but could be understood differently in different contexts. My sense is that he was more interested in the moral and philosophical lessons that could be drawn from the Bible rather than in its doctrinal 'inerrancy'-- let alone its historical -- 'accuracy'.All of this points to an understanding of Christianity steeped in his pragmatic philosophy so that the principal value of Christian beliefs and practices is determined by their ability to contribute to humane development, ethical living, and the pursuit of truth. Peirce appears to me to have thought that Christian doctrines and practices ought to be evaluated based on how they help individuals and communities live better, more meaningful lives. His pragmatic approach allowed him to engage with Christianity in a way that was both critical and constructive, respecting the tradition while also being open to reform and reinterpretation.Again, in my view Peirce engaged with Christianity from a philosophical perspective, valuing its doctrines, rituals, and texts for their symbolic and pragmatic significance rather than for their literal truth. His approach was characterized by a deep respect for the tradition combined with a commitment to ongoing inquiry and revision of beliefs in light of new experiences and understandings. Yes, Peirce thought that if religion could be proved that it would be a great gift to world culture, to the growth of humanity. But he worked within the society and culture of his time, so that one can only speculate as to how he might argue his 'truth of religion' case today (as one can only speculate on what his thinking might be in light of quantum and relativity theory, modern cosmology, etc.) Best, Gary R
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ARISBE: THE PEIRCE GATEWAY is now at https://cspeirce.com and, just as well, at https://www.cspeirce.com . It'll take a while to repair / update all the links! ► PEIRCE-L subscribers: Click on "Reply List" or "Reply All" to REPLY ON PEIRCE-L to this message. PEIRCE-L posts should go to [email protected] . ► To UNSUBSCRIBE, send a message NOT to PEIRCE-L but to [email protected] with UNSUBSCRIBE PEIRCE-L in the SUBJECT LINE of the message and nothing in the body. More at https://list.iupui.edu/sympa/help/user-signoff.html . ► PEIRCE-L is owned by THE PEIRCE GROUP; moderated by Gary Richmond; and co-managed by him and Ben Udell.
