The Relationship between Religion and Humanity in the Thought of Josiah Royce: An Analysis of the Theory of the "Beloved Community"

Document Type : Research Paper

Author

Department of philosophy, Faculty of theology, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

10.22059/jpht.2025.390967.1006107

Abstract

The relationship between religion and humanity has been a fundamental issue in philosophy, sociology, and theology, undergoing various transformations in response to intellectual and social developments. In the modern era, particularly in the West, the rise of rationalism, secularism, and individualism has led to critical questions regarding the role of religion. In this context, Josiah Royce, an American idealist philosopher, proposed the theory of the "Beloved Community" as a novel framework to explain the connection between religion, society, and human identity. According to him, religion is not merely a set of metaphysical beliefs but rather an ethical and social commitment to a spiritual community, where loyalty to transcendent values and the collective good forms the essence of religious life. This study employs a descriptive-analytical method to examine Royce’s theory in relation to the challenges of spirituality in the contemporary world. The findings indicate that, despite Royce’s emphasis on the role of religion in fostering social cohesion, his theory faces several critical challenges. These include ambiguity in defining the "Beloved Community," neglect of the revelatory and mystical dimensions of religion, and the potential ideological misuse of the concept of loyalty. A comparative analysis of Royce’s ideas with Islamic philosophy reveals that, in contrast to Royce’s perspective—where religion is primarily conceived as a moral-social system—in Islamic thought, faith in divine revelation and transcendent truth constitutes the core of religiosity.The results of this research suggest that, if integrated with epistemological and revelatory dimensions, Royce’s theory of the Beloved Community could serve as a framework for rethinking the role of religion in the modern world. This study reaffirms that, despite the challenges posed by modernity, religion remains a vital source of meaning in contemporary human life.

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References

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Philosophy of Religion
Volume 22, Issue 2
July 2025
Pages 95-108

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