Ramified Natural Theology in Science and Religion

Ramified Natural Theology in Science and Religion

Author: Rodney Holder

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2020-10-15

Total Pages: 214

ISBN-13: 1000205789

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This book offers a rationale for a new ‘ramified natural theology’ that is in dialogue with both science and historical-critical study of the Bible. Traditionally, knowledge of God has been seen to come from two sources, nature and revelation. However, a rigid separation between these sources cannot be maintained, since what purports to be revelation cannot be accepted without qualification: rational argument is needed to infer both the existence of God from nature and the particular truth claims of the Christian faith from the Bible. Hence the distinction between ‘bare natural theology’ and ‘ramified natural theology.’ The book begins with bare natural theology as background to its main focus on ramified natural theology. Bayesian confirmation theory is utilised to evaluate competing hypotheses in both cases, in a similar manner to that by which competing hypotheses in science can be evaluated on the basis of empirical data. In this way a case is built up for the rationality of a Christian theist worldview. Addressing issues of science, theology and revelation in a new framework, this book will be of keen interest to scholars working in Religion and Science, Natural Theology, Philosophy of Religion, Biblical Studies, Systematic Theology, and Science and Culture.


Book Synopsis Ramified Natural Theology in Science and Religion by : Rodney Holder

Download or read book Ramified Natural Theology in Science and Religion written by Rodney Holder and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2020-10-15 with total page 214 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book offers a rationale for a new ‘ramified natural theology’ that is in dialogue with both science and historical-critical study of the Bible. Traditionally, knowledge of God has been seen to come from two sources, nature and revelation. However, a rigid separation between these sources cannot be maintained, since what purports to be revelation cannot be accepted without qualification: rational argument is needed to infer both the existence of God from nature and the particular truth claims of the Christian faith from the Bible. Hence the distinction between ‘bare natural theology’ and ‘ramified natural theology.’ The book begins with bare natural theology as background to its main focus on ramified natural theology. Bayesian confirmation theory is utilised to evaluate competing hypotheses in both cases, in a similar manner to that by which competing hypotheses in science can be evaluated on the basis of empirical data. In this way a case is built up for the rationality of a Christian theist worldview. Addressing issues of science, theology and revelation in a new framework, this book will be of keen interest to scholars working in Religion and Science, Natural Theology, Philosophy of Religion, Biblical Studies, Systematic Theology, and Science and Culture.

In Defense of Natural Theology

In Defense of Natural Theology

Author: James F. Sennett

Publisher: InterVarsity Press

Published: 2005-10-04

Total Pages: 337

ISBN-13: 9780830827671

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James F. Sennett and Douglas Groothuis have assembled a distinguished array of scholars to examine the Humean legacy with care and make the case for a more robust, if chastened, natural theology after Hume.


Book Synopsis In Defense of Natural Theology by : James F. Sennett

Download or read book In Defense of Natural Theology written by James F. Sennett and published by InterVarsity Press. This book was released on 2005-10-04 with total page 337 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: James F. Sennett and Douglas Groothuis have assembled a distinguished array of scholars to examine the Humean legacy with care and make the case for a more robust, if chastened, natural theology after Hume.

Re-Imagining Nature

Re-Imagining Nature

Author: Alister E. McGrath

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons

Published: 2016-08-01

Total Pages: 256

ISBN-13: 1119046351

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Reimagining Nature is a new introduction to the fast developing area of natural theology, written by one of the world’s leading theologians. The text engages in serious theological dialogue whilst looking at how past developments might illuminate and inform theory and practice in the present. This text sets out to explore what a properly Christian approach to natural theology might look like and how this relates to alternative interpretations of our experience of the natural world Alister McGrath is ideally placed to write the book as one of the world’s best known theologians and a chief proponent of natural theology This new work offers an account of the development of natural theology throughout history and informs of its likely contribution in the present This feeds in current debates about the relationship between science and religion, and religion and the humanities Engages in serious theological dialogue, primarily with Augustine, Aquinas, Barth and Brunner, and includes the work of natural scientists, philosophers of science, and poets


Book Synopsis Re-Imagining Nature by : Alister E. McGrath

Download or read book Re-Imagining Nature written by Alister E. McGrath and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2016-08-01 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Reimagining Nature is a new introduction to the fast developing area of natural theology, written by one of the world’s leading theologians. The text engages in serious theological dialogue whilst looking at how past developments might illuminate and inform theory and practice in the present. This text sets out to explore what a properly Christian approach to natural theology might look like and how this relates to alternative interpretations of our experience of the natural world Alister McGrath is ideally placed to write the book as one of the world’s best known theologians and a chief proponent of natural theology This new work offers an account of the development of natural theology throughout history and informs of its likely contribution in the present This feeds in current debates about the relationship between science and religion, and religion and the humanities Engages in serious theological dialogue, primarily with Augustine, Aquinas, Barth and Brunner, and includes the work of natural scientists, philosophers of science, and poets

Natural Theology

Natural Theology

Author: Geerhardus Vos

Publisher: Reformation Heritage Books

Published: 2022-03-11

Total Pages: 209

ISBN-13: 1601789092

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Biblical and natural theology may not appear to mix, but the two actually do belong together. Vos’s reputation as the father of contemporary biblical theology is not negated by his earlier teaching of natural theology, appearing here for the first time in English. Gathered from source material found in the Heritage Hall archives at Calvin Seminary and University, these are the earliest notes of Vos’s lectures on natural theology. They demonstrate his understanding of Reformed orthodox approaches as well as extensive knowledge of contemporary developments in the subject. The present volume could be regarded as, and may have formed, a partial introduction to Reformed Dogmatics since it lacks a prolegomenon and because Natural Theology discusses religion and the proofs for the existence of God.


Book Synopsis Natural Theology by : Geerhardus Vos

Download or read book Natural Theology written by Geerhardus Vos and published by Reformation Heritage Books. This book was released on 2022-03-11 with total page 209 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Biblical and natural theology may not appear to mix, but the two actually do belong together. Vos’s reputation as the father of contemporary biblical theology is not negated by his earlier teaching of natural theology, appearing here for the first time in English. Gathered from source material found in the Heritage Hall archives at Calvin Seminary and University, these are the earliest notes of Vos’s lectures on natural theology. They demonstrate his understanding of Reformed orthodox approaches as well as extensive knowledge of contemporary developments in the subject. The present volume could be regarded as, and may have formed, a partial introduction to Reformed Dogmatics since it lacks a prolegomenon and because Natural Theology discusses religion and the proofs for the existence of God.

The Failure of Natural Theology

The Failure of Natural Theology

Author: Jeffrey D Johnson

Publisher: New Studies in Theology Series

Published: 2021-09-15

Total Pages: 266

ISBN-13: 9781952599378

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Aristotle's cosmological argument is the foundation of Aquinas's doctrine of God. For Thomas, the cosmological argument not only speaks of God's existence but also of God's nature. By learning that the unmoved mover is behind all moving objects, we learn something true about the essence of God-principally, that God is immobile. But therein lies the problem for Thomas. The Catholic Church had already condemned Aristotle's unmoved mover because, according to Aristotle, the unmoved mover is unable to be the moving cause (i.e., Creator) and governor of the universe-or else he would cease to be immobile. By seeking to baptize Aristotle into the Catholic Church, however, Thomas gave his life to seeking to explain how God can be both immobile and the moving cause of the universe. Thomas even looked to the pantheistic philosophy of Pseudo-Dionysius for help. But even with Dionysius's aid, Thomas failed to reconcile the god of Aristotle with the Trinitarian God of the Bible. If Thomas would have rejected the natural theology of Aristotle by placing the doctrine of the Trinity, which is known only by divine revelation, at the foundation of his knowledge of God, he would have rid himself of the irresolvable tension that permeates his philosophical theology. Thomas could have realized that the Trinity alone allows for God to be the only self-moving being-because the Trinity is the only being not moved by anything outside himself but freely capable of creating and controlling contingent things in motion.


Book Synopsis The Failure of Natural Theology by : Jeffrey D Johnson

Download or read book The Failure of Natural Theology written by Jeffrey D Johnson and published by New Studies in Theology Series. This book was released on 2021-09-15 with total page 266 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Aristotle's cosmological argument is the foundation of Aquinas's doctrine of God. For Thomas, the cosmological argument not only speaks of God's existence but also of God's nature. By learning that the unmoved mover is behind all moving objects, we learn something true about the essence of God-principally, that God is immobile. But therein lies the problem for Thomas. The Catholic Church had already condemned Aristotle's unmoved mover because, according to Aristotle, the unmoved mover is unable to be the moving cause (i.e., Creator) and governor of the universe-or else he would cease to be immobile. By seeking to baptize Aristotle into the Catholic Church, however, Thomas gave his life to seeking to explain how God can be both immobile and the moving cause of the universe. Thomas even looked to the pantheistic philosophy of Pseudo-Dionysius for help. But even with Dionysius's aid, Thomas failed to reconcile the god of Aristotle with the Trinitarian God of the Bible. If Thomas would have rejected the natural theology of Aristotle by placing the doctrine of the Trinity, which is known only by divine revelation, at the foundation of his knowledge of God, he would have rid himself of the irresolvable tension that permeates his philosophical theology. Thomas could have realized that the Trinity alone allows for God to be the only self-moving being-because the Trinity is the only being not moved by anything outside himself but freely capable of creating and controlling contingent things in motion.

The Oxford Handbook of Natural Theology

The Oxford Handbook of Natural Theology

Author: Russell Re Manning

Publisher: OUP Oxford

Published: 2013-01-17

Total Pages: 672

ISBN-13: 0191611719

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The Oxford Handbook of Natural Theology is the first collection to consider the full breadth of natural theology from both historical and contemporary perspectives and to bring together leading scholars to offer accessible high-level accounts of the major themes. The volume embodies and develops the recent revival of interest in natural theology as a topic of serious critical engagement. Frequently misunderstood or polemicized, natural theology is an under-studied yet persistent and pervasive presence throughout the history of thought about ultimate reality - from the classical Greek theology of the philosophers to twenty-first-century debates in science and religion. Of interest to students and scholars from a wide range of disciplines, this authoritative handbook draws on the very best of contemporary scholarship to present a critical overview of the subject area. Thirty-eight new essays trace the transformations of natural theology in different historical and religious contexts, the place of natural theology in different philosophical traditions and diverse scientific disciplines, and the various cultural and aesthetic approaches to natural theology to reveal a rich seam of multi-faceted theological reflection rooted in human nature and the environments within which we find ourselves.


Book Synopsis The Oxford Handbook of Natural Theology by : Russell Re Manning

Download or read book The Oxford Handbook of Natural Theology written by Russell Re Manning and published by OUP Oxford. This book was released on 2013-01-17 with total page 672 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Oxford Handbook of Natural Theology is the first collection to consider the full breadth of natural theology from both historical and contemporary perspectives and to bring together leading scholars to offer accessible high-level accounts of the major themes. The volume embodies and develops the recent revival of interest in natural theology as a topic of serious critical engagement. Frequently misunderstood or polemicized, natural theology is an under-studied yet persistent and pervasive presence throughout the history of thought about ultimate reality - from the classical Greek theology of the philosophers to twenty-first-century debates in science and religion. Of interest to students and scholars from a wide range of disciplines, this authoritative handbook draws on the very best of contemporary scholarship to present a critical overview of the subject area. Thirty-eight new essays trace the transformations of natural theology in different historical and religious contexts, the place of natural theology in different philosophical traditions and diverse scientific disciplines, and the various cultural and aesthetic approaches to natural theology to reveal a rich seam of multi-faceted theological reflection rooted in human nature and the environments within which we find ourselves.

The Bible, Natural Theology and Natural Law: Conflict Or Compromise?

The Bible, Natural Theology and Natural Law: Conflict Or Compromise?

Author: Robert A. Morey

Publisher: Xulon Press

Published: 2010-05

Total Pages: 464

ISBN-13: 1609571436

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Dr. Robert Morey's study of natural law and natural theology raises important questions that every Bible-believer will want answered. His careful study and explanation of various Bible passages will yield a useful orientation to the classic arguments furnished us by the Reformers and their faithful heirs. Dr. Nelson Kloosterman The present volume presents a devastating critique of natural theology and natural law. Its argument is solidly biblical, and its accumulation of biblical data is overwhelming. I hope that God prospers it so that many will read it and take heed. Dr. John Frame A.W. Tozer said, "the most important thing about any person is what comes into their mind when they think of the word God." If you digest Dr. Morey's book, you will think of 'God' as the glorious One depicted in Holy Scripture." John G. Reisinger, I appreciate Dr. Morey's emphasis on making the Bible alone the theoretical basis for science and the arts. All throughout the book he consistently points to the Scriptures as the basis for sustaining everything else. Dr. Simon Kistemaker


Book Synopsis The Bible, Natural Theology and Natural Law: Conflict Or Compromise? by : Robert A. Morey

Download or read book The Bible, Natural Theology and Natural Law: Conflict Or Compromise? written by Robert A. Morey and published by Xulon Press. This book was released on 2010-05 with total page 464 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Dr. Robert Morey's study of natural law and natural theology raises important questions that every Bible-believer will want answered. His careful study and explanation of various Bible passages will yield a useful orientation to the classic arguments furnished us by the Reformers and their faithful heirs. Dr. Nelson Kloosterman The present volume presents a devastating critique of natural theology and natural law. Its argument is solidly biblical, and its accumulation of biblical data is overwhelming. I hope that God prospers it so that many will read it and take heed. Dr. John Frame A.W. Tozer said, "the most important thing about any person is what comes into their mind when they think of the word God." If you digest Dr. Morey's book, you will think of 'God' as the glorious One depicted in Holy Scripture." John G. Reisinger, I appreciate Dr. Morey's emphasis on making the Bible alone the theoretical basis for science and the arts. All throughout the book he consistently points to the Scriptures as the basis for sustaining everything else. Dr. Simon Kistemaker

Natural Theology; Or Evidences of the Existence and Attributes of the Deity, Collected from the Appearances of Nature

Natural Theology; Or Evidences of the Existence and Attributes of the Deity, Collected from the Appearances of Nature

Author: William Paley

Publisher:

Published: 1822

Total Pages: 384

ISBN-13:

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Book Synopsis Natural Theology; Or Evidences of the Existence and Attributes of the Deity, Collected from the Appearances of Nature by : William Paley

Download or read book Natural Theology; Or Evidences of the Existence and Attributes of the Deity, Collected from the Appearances of Nature written by William Paley and published by . This book was released on 1822 with total page 384 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

A Christian Natural Theology

A Christian Natural Theology

Author: John B. Cobb

Publisher: Presbyterian Publishing Corp

Published: 2007-01-01

Total Pages: 226

ISBN-13: 0664230180

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When the first edition ofA Christian Natural Theologyappeared in 1965, it was a groundbreaking work that incorporated Alfred North Whitehead's metaphysical philosophy as a framework for developing a Christian natural theology. The work was so significant it helped to launch process theology as a leading alternative to neo-orthodox theology and has since become a classic in the literature of process theology. This new edition by one of America's preeminent theologians is an essential work for all those interested in process theology.


Book Synopsis A Christian Natural Theology by : John B. Cobb

Download or read book A Christian Natural Theology written by John B. Cobb and published by Presbyterian Publishing Corp. This book was released on 2007-01-01 with total page 226 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: When the first edition ofA Christian Natural Theologyappeared in 1965, it was a groundbreaking work that incorporated Alfred North Whitehead's metaphysical philosophy as a framework for developing a Christian natural theology. The work was so significant it helped to launch process theology as a leading alternative to neo-orthodox theology and has since become a classic in the literature of process theology. This new edition by one of America's preeminent theologians is an essential work for all those interested in process theology.

A Natural History of Natural Theology

A Natural History of Natural Theology

Author: Helen De Cruz

Publisher: MIT Press

Published: 2024-06-11

Total Pages: 265

ISBN-13: 0262552450

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An examination of the cognitive foundations of intuitions about the existence and attributes of God. Questions about the existence and attributes of God form the subject matter of natural theology, which seeks to gain knowledge of the divine by relying on reason and experience of the world. Arguments in natural theology rely largely on intuitions and inferences that seem natural to us, occurring spontaneously—at the sight of a beautiful landscape, perhaps, or in wonderment at the complexity of the cosmos—even to a nonphilosopher. In this book, Helen De Cruz and Johan De Smedt examine the cognitive origins of arguments in natural theology. They find that although natural theological arguments can be very sophisticated, they are rooted in everyday intuitions about purpose, causation, agency, and morality. Using evidence and theories from disciplines including the cognitive science of religion, evolutionary ethics, evolutionary aesthetics, and the cognitive science of testimony, they show that these intuitions emerge early in development and are a stable part of human cognition. De Cruz and De Smedt analyze the cognitive underpinnings of five well-known arguments for the existence of God: the argument from design, the cosmological argument, the moral argument, the argument from beauty, and the argument from miracles. Finally, they consider whether the cognitive origins of these natural theological arguments should affect their rationality.


Book Synopsis A Natural History of Natural Theology by : Helen De Cruz

Download or read book A Natural History of Natural Theology written by Helen De Cruz and published by MIT Press. This book was released on 2024-06-11 with total page 265 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An examination of the cognitive foundations of intuitions about the existence and attributes of God. Questions about the existence and attributes of God form the subject matter of natural theology, which seeks to gain knowledge of the divine by relying on reason and experience of the world. Arguments in natural theology rely largely on intuitions and inferences that seem natural to us, occurring spontaneously—at the sight of a beautiful landscape, perhaps, or in wonderment at the complexity of the cosmos—even to a nonphilosopher. In this book, Helen De Cruz and Johan De Smedt examine the cognitive origins of arguments in natural theology. They find that although natural theological arguments can be very sophisticated, they are rooted in everyday intuitions about purpose, causation, agency, and morality. Using evidence and theories from disciplines including the cognitive science of religion, evolutionary ethics, evolutionary aesthetics, and the cognitive science of testimony, they show that these intuitions emerge early in development and are a stable part of human cognition. De Cruz and De Smedt analyze the cognitive underpinnings of five well-known arguments for the existence of God: the argument from design, the cosmological argument, the moral argument, the argument from beauty, and the argument from miracles. Finally, they consider whether the cognitive origins of these natural theological arguments should affect their rationality.