R.G. Collingwood and Christianity: Faith, Philosophy and Politics

Drawing on his writing on philosophy, history, religion and politics, this is the first in-depth analysis of R.G. Collingwood’s relation to Christian thought. Peter Johnson’s original study sheds new and important light on Collingwood’s views on emotion, civilisation and key political events such as the Spanish Civil War from the perspective of his religious beliefs.

Here Collingwood’s Christianity takes centre stage. Johnson considers Collingwood’s relationship to prominent philosophers of the 20th century like Wittgenstein and Rawls, and examines the connection between Collingwood’s views on Christianity and thinkers such as Norman Malcolm and D. Z. Phillips. Chapters also cover Collingwood’s discussion of the Augustine and Pelagius debate, the impact of Collingwood’s Anglicanism on his liberalism and his idea of Christian historiography as a Leaven.

A rich and nuanced account of the importance of Christianity, and Christian concepts, to Collingwood’s philosophical and political thought, this is a valuable resource for students and scholars of philosophy of history and philosophy of religion as well as historical and political theory.

Peter Johnson is Visiting Research Fellow in the Department of Philosophy, University of Southampton, UK.