Scriptures and the Guidance of Language

In this book, Steven G. Smith focuses on the guidance function in language and scripture and evaluates the assumptions and ideals of scriptural religion in global perspective. He brings to language studies a new pragmatic emphasis on the shared modeling of life-in-the-world by communicators constantly depending on each other's guidance. Using concepts of axiality and axialization derived from Jaspers' description of the 'Axial Age', he shows the essential role of scripture in the historical progress of communicative action. This volume clarifies the formative power of scriptures in religions of the 'world religion' type and brings scripture into philosophy of religion as a major cross-cultural category of study, thereby helping philosophy of religion find a needed cross-cultural footing.

• Uses the concept of guidance to develop a pragmatic view of the powers of language within which scripture plays an arguably necessary role
• Uses the concept of guidance to establish a cross-culturally fair definition of scripture and to identify evaluative issues associated with the scripture premise
• Examines the possibility of a multiscripturalist human future