Philosophizing the Roles of Questions in Religions

by Nathan Eric Dickman

"Buddhas, gods, prophets and oracles are often depicted as asking questions. But what are we to understand when Jesus asks 'Who do you say that I am?', or Mazu, the Classical Zen master asks, 'Why do you seek outside?' Is their questioning a power or weakness? Is it something we are only capable of due to our finitude? Is there any kind of question that is a power? Focusing on three case studies of questions in divine discourse on the level of story-the god depicted in the Jewish Bible, the master Mazu in his recorded sayings literature, and Jesus as he is depicted in canonized Christian...