Bernard Lonergan's Methodology and the Philosophy of Religion: Functional Specialization and Religious Diversity

This study suggests ways in which functional specialization can make a methodological contribution to the enquiry into religious diversity. This work will be of interest to Lonergan scholars, philosophers of religion, and those interested in method in religious studies. This study proposes a methodological approach to the topic of religious diversity by exploring the division of tasks set out by Bernard Lonergan (1904-1984). Lonergan's methodological framework, which he called functional specialization, provides a generic differentiation of tasks, each of which is central to the overall project of understanding religious diversity. This study explores the relevance and utility of functional specialization as a methodological approach to religious diversity in the philosophy of religion. It begins by providing a survey of the obstacles which hinder the development of this enquiry and it explains the epistemological grounds of functional specialization.