Inclusive Pauline Communities: The Campbellite Philosophy and Josiah Royce’s Religious Background

Many scholars have not understood the philosophical aspects of the religion in which Josiah Royce was raised, which was the Campbellite philosophy. As a result, certain features of his philosophy have been misunderstood and distorted. This paper explains the basic ideas of this philosophy of religion, how Royce's parents understood them, and how they relate to his mature philosophy, especially The World and the Individual and The Problem of Christianity. The central ideas are built around an inclusive community which is not universalist and takes sin seriously, but available to all, rejecting divine election and pre-destination (i.e., it is anti-Calvinist).