James Herman Olthuis (born 1938)
is an interdisciplinary scholar in
ethics
Ethics or moral philosophy is a branch of philosophy that "involves systematizing, defending, and recommending concepts of right and wrong behavior".''Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy'' The field of ethics, along with aesthetics, concer ...
,
hermeneutics
Hermeneutics () is the theory and methodology of interpretation, especially the interpretation of biblical texts, wisdom literature, and philosophical texts. Hermeneutics is more than interpretative principles or methods used when immediate ...
,
philosophical theology, as well as a theorist and practitioner of
psychotherapy of a kind he calls "relational psychotherapy".
Life
Olthuis studied under H. Evan Runner in philosophy at
Calvin College, Grand Rapids, Michigan;
then in theology at
Calvin Theological Seminary
Calvin Theological Seminary is a private Christian Reformed Church seminary in Grand Rapids, Michigan. It is closely tied to Calvin University, though each institution has its own board.
History
The seminary was founded in 1876 with the purp ...
;
and finally in philosophical ethics at VU University, Amsterdam, where he received his
Doctor of Philosophy
A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, Ph.D., or DPhil; Latin: or ') is the most common degree at the highest academic level awarded following a course of study. PhDs are awarded for programs across the whole breadth of academic fields. Because it is ...
degree under in 1968. Olthuis analyzed and critiqued the works of
G. E. Moore, his dissertation being entitled ''Facts, Values, and Ethics: A Confrontation with 20th Century British Moral Philosophy''.
Positions held
Olthuis was a senior member at the
Institute for Christian Studies
The Institute for Christian Studies (ICS or ICS Toronto) is a private, graduate-level Reformed philosophical and theological school in Toronto, Ontario. At ICS, students and faculty take part in shared learning through participatory seminars, m ...
in Toronto from 1968 to 2004 and continues to hold an emeritus position there.
Bibliography
*(1968) ''Facts, Values and Ethics''
*(1975) ''I Pledge You My Troth''
*(1986) ''Keeping our Troth: Staying in Love During the Five Stages of Marriage''
*(1987) ''A Hermeneutics of Ultimacy''
*(1997) ''Knowing Other-wise: Philosophy on the Threshold of Spirituality'', ed.
*(2000) ''Towards an Ethics of Community'', ed.
*(2002) ''Religion With/out Religion: The Prayers and Tears of John D. Caputo'', ed.
*(2003) ''The Beautiful Risk: A New Psychology of Loving and Being Loved''
*(2005) ''Radical Orthodoxy and the Reformed Tradition: Creation, Covenant, and Participation'', ed. with
James K.A. Smith
James K. A. Smith (born 1970) is a Canadian-American philosopher who is currently Professor of Philosophy at Calvin University, holding the Gary & Henrietta Byker Chair in Applied Reformed Theology & Worldview. He is the current editor-in-c ...
Works about Olthuis
*(2006) ''The Hermeneutics of Charity: Interpretation, Selfhood, and Postmodern Faith''
See also
*
Deconstruction
*
List of thinkers influenced by deconstruction
This is a list of thinkers who have been dealt with deconstruction, a term developed by French philosopher Jacques Derrida (1930-2004).
__NOTOC__
The thinkers included in this list ''have Wikipedia pages'' and satisfy at least one of the three ...
*
Postmodern theology
Postmodern theology, also known as the continental philosophy of religion, is a philosophical and theological movement that interprets theology in light of post- Heideggerian continental philosophy, including phenomenology, post-structuralism, ...
*
Radical orthodoxy
References
Living people
American Christian theologians
Canadian Christian theologians
Calvin University alumni
Postmodernists
Hermeneutists
1938 births
{{US-theologian-stub