ONLINE FIRST
published on April 6, 2019
Joseph Rono
https://doi.org/10.5840/philtheol201944106
Revolutionary Traits in Wittgenstein and St. Paul
A Comparative Study
Philosophy experienced a turning point at the time of Ludwig Witt?genstein. Likewise, religion (Judaism) encountered transformation during the time of the apostle Paul. Wittgenstein¡¯s metaphor of the ¡®River-bed¡¯ that was later subsumed in the language-game theory is a concept that challenged the then status quo of philosophy known as rationalistic foundationalism. This philosophical predisposi?tion is analogous to the religious situation when Paul began his Christian ministry. Paul¡¯s passionate emphasis on ¡®justification by faith¡¯ rather than legalistic or ritualistic observance of the law, was a shockwave to the Judaist religious establishment. Wittgenstein and Paul could as well be regarded as ¡®radicals¡¯ or rebels in their respective disciplines. Wittgenstein introduced a paradigm shift into philosophy while Paul did it in the Christian religion. Their unconventional outlooks were, however, met with a lot of resistance especially from the diehard philosophers and/or religionists of the day. This paper, therefore, is a comparative work on Wittgenstein (Philosophy) and Paul (Religion) in order to demonstrate sustained revolutionary tendencies toward human innovations and the need to strive for excellence.