Alister McGrath, Christian Theology: An Introduction Chapter 7 Knowledge of God: Natural and Revealed Wiley-Blackwell 2010
Introduction The Idea of Revelation Models of Revelation An issue from the Bible, or from modern philosophy? The seeds of revelation in the Bible Models of Revelation Revelation as doctrine Scripture: conversative evangelicalism Carl F.H. Henry, God, Revelation, and Authority Tradition: Catholic neo-scholasticism Critiques George Lindbeck Karl Barth Wiley-Blackwell 2010
Revelation as presence Martin Buber (1878-1965) Emil Brunner, Truth as Encounter Revelation as experience F.D.E. Schleiermacher (1768-1834) On Religion: Speeches to its Cultured Despisers The Christian Faith Revelation as history Wolfhart Pannenberg (born 1928) God’s self-revelation occurred through acts of God in history Revelation is apprehended at the end, not the beginning God’s revelation in history is publicly and universal accessible God’s universal revelation is fully realized in the destiny of Jesus The Christ-event is set in the context of Israel Wiley-Blackwell 2010
Natural Theology: Its Scope and Limits Thomas Aquinas on natural theology Causality God’s perfection John Calvin on natural theology Subjective ground of knowledge: “sense of divinity” Objective ground of knowledge: inspection of the created order The role of revelation and Scripture Knowledge of God as creator; knowledge of God as redeemer The Reformed tradition on natural theology Two modes of knowing God: natural order and Scripture God’s two books: nature and Scripture Wiley-Blackwell 2010
Approaches to Discerning God in Nature Human reason Augustine, On the Trinity The ordering of the world John Polkinghorne (b. 1930) The beauty of the world Jonathan Edwards (1703-58) Hans Urs von Balthasar (1905-88) Wiley-Blackwell 2010
Objections to Natural Theology A theological objection: Karl Barth Attempt to undermine the necessity and uniqueness of divine revelation Criticisms of Barth’s position Inadequate biblical foundations Departure from the Reformed tradition Potential for disinterest in natural sciences A theological response: Thomas F. Torrance Barth’s objection: autonomous and independent natural theology Attempt to bridge disjunction between God and the world A philosophical objection: Alvin Plantinga Belief in God as basic, rather than grounded on another more basic belief Attempts to prove God’s existence rejected A philosophical response: William P. Alston Convergence between natural theology and traditional arguments for God’s existence A debate: Karl Barth vs. Emil Brunner (1934) Brunner: “point of contact” for divine revelation within human nature Barth: rejection of the analogia entis Wiley-Blackwell 2010
The Natural Sciences and Christian Theology: Models of Interaction The continuity between science and theology Liberal Protestantism Process theology Pierre Teilhard de Chardin (1881-1955) The distinctiveness of science and theology Neo-orthodoxy Langdon Gilkey (1919-2004) Karl Rahner (1904-84) The convergence of science and theology Thomas F. Torrance Alister McGrath The opposition of science and theology The “New Atheism” Scientific creationism Wiley-Blackwell 2010