University of Sussex
Browse

File(s) not publicly available

Ernst Bloch's theories concerning religion

Version 2 2023-06-12, 08:48
Version 1 2023-06-09, 09:31
chapter
posted on 2023-06-12, 08:48 authored by Heather McKnight
Ernst Bloch (1855 - 1977) is frequently described as being the philosopher of hope, and is credited with having returned dignity to the term utopia within critical theory. Bloch’s theory begins with the individual self-experience and pre-experience. He explains how the self is emergent from hunger, from which emotions arise, and understand us as creatures created out of internal forward reaching conflicts. For Bloch religion helps us understand what emerges from the human hunger, a hope for a better world. Bloch examines this hope content within religions, looking at various religions: Judeism, Christianity, Islam, Zoroastrianism, Buddhism, Toaism, Confusionism, and other ancient religions of classical Greece, Babylonia and Chaldaea but privileges Judeo-Christian religions within his historical analysis. He examines the characters within them as disruptive influences on the times in which they exist, and sees them as reappropriating celestial power to provide substance and critique for social change towards an idealised goal.

History

Publication status

  • Published

File Version

  • Published version

Journal

Springer Encyclopedia of Psychology and Religion (Third Edition)

Publisher

Springer

Book title

Encyclopedia of Psychology and Religion

ISBN

9783642277719

Department affiliated with

  • Law Publications

Full text available

  • No

Peer reviewed?

  • Yes

Legacy Posted Date

2018-01-02

First Compliant Deposit (FCD) Date

2017-12-22

Usage metrics

    University of Sussex (Publications)

    Categories

    No categories selected

    Exports

    RefWorks
    BibTeX
    Ref. manager
    Endnote
    DataCite
    NLM
    DC