CFP: Agnosticism

While a great deal of work has been done on belief in God and atheism, research on agnosticism is truly meager. One possible explanation for this omission (or sheer neglect) is that philosophers of religion assume that agnosticism is an unstable position, and one that most probably will lead to atheism, naturalism or belief in God.

Too often, agnosticism is in the shadow of atheism. This view deserves attention in its own right. The aim of this Special Issue is to cast light on agnosticism as a genuine position as well as to broaden the limited research on agnosticism. Indeed, this is, to our knowledge, the first issue of an academic journal that is fully devoted to this subject matter.

We welcome papers exploring answers to conceptual, epistemological, and pragmatic questions like: How should we understand and define agnosticism? Is there a difference, and if so, what is the difference between agnosticism and atheism? Can one and if so, how are we to justify the view? Should agnosticism, atheism or perhaps theism be considered a default stance one should take towards belief in God? Is it possible to pursue a religious way of life while at the same time being uncertain and agnostic about the existence of God or do agnostic views fit better in a nonreligious and secular society?

However, agnosticism raises significant issues beyond philosophy of religion. ”Don’t know” responses to religious issues are often reported in sociological research and psychological studies of agnosticism. We invite papers from these fields exploring questions like: How is agnosticism actualized and experienced in everyday life? How does agnosticism fit into identity construction or meaning making systems? Are there cultural differences in how agnosticism is conceptualized around the globe? We especially welcome studies which are focused on the intersection between empirical and philosophical fields.

Submit a paper here:

https://www.mdpi.com/journal/religions/special_issues/Agnosticism