Some Followers of Wittgenstein

Abstract

During the last few years a number of writers have applied Wittgenstein’s concepts of ‘form of life’ and ‘language-game’ to religion. If they were just saying that religion involves certain activities and that it plays a particular role in human life, this would be uncontroversial — though none the less true and important. But their main purpose has been to attack what they regard as misguided demands for a justification of religious belief. They have gone beyond Wittgenstein both in applying his ideas generally to religion and in their treatment of the issues of religious truth and justification. In this chapter I shall examine their work and subject it to some criticism. But I think that we shall thereby clarify the relationship between religion and language-games, and also gain some insight into the kind of justification which may legitimately be sought for religious beliefs.