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TEMPTATION, reflections on Matthew 6.13
Author(s) -
Charlton William
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
new blackfriars
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1741-2005
pISSN - 0028-4289
DOI - 10.1111/nbfr.12353
Subject(s) - temptation , prayer , function (biology) , psychology , natural (archaeology) , social psychology , philosophy , epistemology , theology , history , archaeology , evolutionary biology , biology
Abstract I distinguish temptation to do what we think we shouldn't, temptation not to do what we think we should, and the difficulties we experience in customary religious practices like prayer. I ask whether temptation requires a tempter, also whether the phenomena we call ‘weakness of will’ can be explained without postulating a non‐cognitive faculty of will. I look at Plato's claim that training the emotions is the main function of education. Finally I consider how obstacles to prayer can be understood consistently with seeing a continuous development from the natural to the supernatural.