A Scientific Theology: RealityA Scientific Theology is a ground-breaking work of systematic theology in three volumes: Nature, Reality, and Theory. Written by one of the world's best-known theologians, these volumes together represent the most extended and systematic exploration of the relation between Christian theology and the natural sciences yet produced. Thoroughly ecumenical in approach, A Scientific Theology is a significant work for Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant and evangelical readers. Each volume is marked throughout by a sustained and critical engagement with the history and philosophy of the natural sciences and by a passionate commitment to the legitimacy of theology as an academic discipline. The three volumes together attempt to present an essentially linear argument from nature to theory, so that questions of how reality is represented will be dealt with entirely in the final volume, though preliminary discussions of aspects of reality are naturally included in this present volume. The second volume in the series thus provides a detailed and thorough examination and defense of theological realism. Its themes are set against the backdrop of radical changes in Western philosophy and theology resulting from the collapse of the Enlightenment project and the consequent fragmentation of intellectual discourse. Engaging critically with writers such as George Lindbeck and John Milbank, McGrath offers a sparkling and sophisticated affirmation of theological realism against its modern and postmodern critics. His refutation of the claim that the rise of philosophical nonfoundationalism entails the abandoning of any form of realism is of particular importance, as is his application of the highly influential form of "critical realism" developed by Roy Bhaskar. Viewed as a whole, Reality represents a sustained engagement with natural theology as the basis of a broader dialogue between the Christian tradition and other religious traditions. Book jacket. |
Contents
7 RATIONALITY AND KNOWLEDGE IN THEOLOGY AND THE NATURAL SCIENCES | 3 |
the polarity of knowledge | 5 |
The natural sciences and the question of knowledge | 11 |
corresponding coherently to reality | 14 |
The rise and fall of classical foundationalism | 20 |
Deduction from basic beliefs as the foundation of knowledge? | 23 |
Experience as the foundation of knowledge? | 24 |
the failure of foundationalism in mathematics | 27 |
Mathematical realism and the mind of God | 170 |
postmodern antirealism | 177 |
Working in Platos pharmacy | 178 |
the strong programme | 180 |
The Sokal hoax and postmodern interpretations of natural science | 188 |
After postmodernity what? | 191 |
CRITICAL REALISM ENGAGING WITH A STRATIFIED REALITY | 195 |
On exploring realism | 197 |
Frege and the linguistic turn in philosophy | 29 |
Does the rejection of classic foundationalism entail relativism? | 32 |
from foundations to webs | 35 |
coherent yet ungrounded? | 39 |
Lindbecks rejection of foundationalism | 42 |
Lindbecks critique of cognitive approaches to theology | 43 |
Lindbecks coherentist account of doctrine | 46 |
Moving on from Lindbeck | 52 |
NATURAL THEOLOGY AND THE TRANSTRADITIONAL RATIONALITY OF THE CHRISTIAN TRADITION | 55 |
a view from nowhere | 57 |
Ethnocentrism and rationality | 58 |
Transhistorical rationality and the history of science | 61 |
The scandal of particularity and religious authority | 62 |
Alasdair Maclntyre and the role of tradition | 64 |
Tradition and the construction of values | 68 |
On transcending tradition | 69 |
The role of a natural theology in transcending traditions | 72 |
Mathematics and transtraditional rationality | 78 |
Incarnation and transtraditional rationality | 83 |
Natural theology and the transtraditional religious quest | 85 |
Natural theology and the transtraditional sense of wonder | 87 |
Natural law and the transtraditional quest for goodness | 92 |
Basic beliefs within traditionconstituted rationalities | 97 |
an assessment | 102 |
Milbank as critic of MacIntyre | 103 |
Milbank s critique of secular reason | 106 |
three concerns | 109 |
Reaffirming the Christian tradition | 118 |
THE FOUNDATIONS OF REALISM IN THE NATURAL SCIENCES | 121 |
Realism as the working philosophy of the physical sciences | 123 |
Introducing realism | 126 |
Realism and the design of experiments | 128 |
The nature of scientific realism | 130 |
Rivals to scientific realism | 133 |
Idealism | 135 |
Positivism | 139 |
Instrumentalism | 140 |
the critical issues | 146 |
The laws of nature | 153 |
Abduction to the best explanation | 157 |
Classic objections to scientific realism | 160 |
Radical theory change in the history of science | 161 |
The underdetermination of theory by evidence | 166 |
The new realism in the social sciences | 198 |
Critical realism and the autonomy of theology | 200 |
Critical realism and Christian spirituality | 201 |
The variety of critical realisms | 202 |
American critical realism | 203 |
Critical realism within the science and religion community | 205 |
Roy Bhaskars critical realism | 209 |
Realism embraces both natural and social sciences | 214 |
Epistemology is to be distinguished from ontology | 218 |
Reality is stratified | 219 |
Against reductionism in theology or anything else | 224 |
some preliminary comments | 226 |
The horizontal stratification of theological explanation | 231 |
Karl Barth on the threefold form of the Word of God | 232 |
T F Torrance on multilevelled theological reflection and the Trinity | 234 |
The vertical stratification of theological explanation | 238 |
Nature | 240 |
History | 241 |
Experience | 243 |
THE ENCOUNTER WITH REALITY THE CONTOURS OF A SCIENTIFIC THEOLOGY | 245 |
Scientific theology as a response to reality | 246 |
The theological affirmation of reality | 247 |
Don Cupitt | 249 |
Karl Barth and T F Torrance | 257 |
Scientific theology as an a posteriori discipline | 268 |
A posteriori analysis in the natural sciences | 271 |
The incarnation and a priori notions of God | 272 |
Luthers theology of the cross as a critique of a priori notions of God | 277 |
Scientific theology as a response to its distinctive object | 279 |
Objects levels and language in the natural sciences | 280 |
the Heisenberg uncertainty principle | 283 |
The BarthScholz debate over theological science | 285 |
The nature of the knowledge of God | 290 |
Scientific theology offers an explanation of reality | 294 |
Why a scientific theology is Christocentric | 297 |
Christ as the foundation of faith | 300 |
Schleiermacher on the four natural heresies of Christianity | 302 |
scientific theology and Christology | 307 |
Creation Christology eschatology and the observability of God | 310 |
ANTICIPATING THE DEVELOPMENT OF THEORY | 315 |
Bibliography | 317 |
339 | |
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Common terms and phrases
affirmation analysis anti-realism argued basic beliefs Cambridge University Press Chicago Christian doctrine Christian theology Christian tradition Christology classic coherence concept concerning critical realism critique cultural Cupitt determined distinction divine doctrine of creation Don Cupitt electron empirical engagement Enlightenment entities epistemic epistemological Essays existence experience explanation explore faith foundation foundationalism fundamental grounded human mind ideas important incarnation insights insists intellectual interpreted issue Jesus Christ John Karl Barth knowledge levels Lindbeck logic London MacIntyre mathematics metaphysical Milbank Modern natural law natural sciences natural theology natural world notion object observation offers ontological Oxford University Press Philosophy of Science physical position posteriori postmodern principle priori question rationality reality reason reflection regarded religion represents revelation role Rorty Routledge Roy Bhaskar Schleiermacher Scientific Realism scientific theology scientific theories seen significant social construction specific stratification T. F. Torrance theologians theoretical thought truth understanding W. V. O. Quine York