Theology As An Empirical Science

Investigating the question ‘can theology, description of the divine reality, be made truly scientific?’, this book addresses logic and human knowledge alongside experimental religion. An important philosophic work by a prolific theologian also known for his later court case regarding conscientious objection, this book describes how it is possible to relate theological theory with religious experience of the divine the way that the sciences relate to human acquaintance with things and people in social experience.

Excerpt from Theology as an Empirical Science A word of explanation seems called for, in order to remove, if possible, an initial prejudice which is likely to be aroused by the title chosen for this volume. Let it be understood from tho first, then, that what is claimed here, essentially, is just this: that it is possible to relate theological theory to that acquaintance with the divine which is to be found in religious experience at its best, as the physical and social sciences, with their theories as to the nature of things and persons, arc related to our common human acquaintance with things and persons in sense and social experience. What is aimed at in almost all of the recognized empirical sciences is not a mere description of the processes of our experiencing; otherwise individual psychology would be the only empirical science. What we are after, ordinarily, is an adequate understanding of the nature of the things and persons with which ordinary experience makes us acquainted. And if the reader comes finally to grant not only that genuine knowledge of a divine Reality has been gained through religious experience at its best, but also that this knowledge may be formulated and further developed by means of the inductive procedure advocated and exemplified in the body of this book, the author will not be disposed to quarrel with him over the comparatively unimportant question as to whether or not it is expedient to speak of the resultant theology as "an empirical science." In order that the theology may be viewed in relation to a harmonious philosophical background, I have appended to the main discussion a sketch of the philosophy of religion, with illustrations of a point of view and method which I have called Critical Monism. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

Excerpt from Theology as an Empirical Science Theology, in its days of undisputed supremacy, was defined as the science Of God. Of late, under the stress of much hostile criticism, there has been a strategic retreat, and the definitions generally favored are modest statements to the effect that theology is the intellectual expression of religion. The general situation, however, has come to be such as calls for a counter attack, having as its objective the recovery of a scientific status for theology, and a much stronger and more secure consolida tion of this scientific position than originally existed. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

This first book-length study of physico-theology questions the widespread notion of a steadily advancing early modern separation of religion and science. Beginning around 1650, the emergence of a number of new scientific concepts, methods, and instruments challenged existing syntheses of science and religion. Physico-theology, which embraced the values of personal, empirical observation, was an international movement of the early Enlightenment that focused on the new science to make arguments about divine creation and providence. By reconciling the new science with Christianity across many denominations, physico-theology played a crucial role in diffusing new scientific ideas, assumptions, and interest in the study of nature to a broad public. In this book, sixteen leading scholars contribute a rich array of essays on the terms and scope of the movement, its scientific and religious arguments, and its aesthetic sensibilities. Contributors: Ann Blair, Simona Boscani Leoni, John Hedley Brooke, Nicolas Brucker, Katherine Calloway, Kathleen Crowther, Brendan Dooley, Peter Harrison, Barbara Hunfeld, Eric Jorink, Scott Mandelbrote, Brian W. Ogilvie, Martine Pécharman, Jonathan Sheehan, Anne-Charlott Trepp, Rienk Vermij, Kaspar von Greyerz

The contributors of this volume reflect on the writings of Hans van der Ven on the foundations of practical theology, the empirical paradigm within practical theology, and specific subdisciplines within practical theology, especially religious education, moral education, church development and ministry.

The classic study, which establishes a sound theological base for the future of philosophical science.

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.