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This is true of theological reflection in all three senses of the words -- metaphysical words—metaphysical and philosophical as well as generic. It is true in the generic sense because it is true of the specific theological reflection anticipated by any specific religion. But it is just as true for both philosophical and metaphysical theological reflection, both of which critically reflect, in their different ways, on everything that human beings have thought, said, or done through all the forms of culture. Equally true of theological reflection in all senses of the words is that religion, past and present, provides its privileged data. This religion can do because its distinctiveness as a form of culture lies in making explicit the meaning of ultimate reality for us that all of the other primary forms of culture -- the culture—the so-called secular ones -- only ones—only imply.

But if religion for this reason properly provides the privileged data for theological reflection in all senses of the words, some specific religion provides, as it were, the twice-privileged data for the specific theological reflection anticipated by it, and thus for theological reflection in the generic sense. Of course, since there cannot be any privileged data with respect to truth, the data provided by religion generally as well as by any specific religion are privileged only with respect to determining the truth-claims that theological reflection is required to critically validate.

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