Theology reliant on rational and empirical arguments
This article is about the branch of theology. For the 19th-century book by William Paley on natural theology and the teleological argument, see Natural Theology or Evidences of the Existence and Attributes of the Deity.
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Philosophy of religion article index
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Natural theology, once also termed physico-theology,[1] is a type of theology that seeks to provide arguments for theological topics (such as the existence of a deity) based on reason and the discoveries of science, the project of arguing for the existence of God on the basis of observed natural facts, and through natural phenomena viewed as divine, or complexities of nature seen as evidence of a divine plan (see predestination) or Will of God, which includes nature itself.[2]
This distinguishes it from revealed theology, which is based on scripture and/or religious experiences,[3] also from transcendental theology, which is based on a priori reasoning.[citation needed] It is thus a type of philosophy, with the aim of explaining the nature of the celestial motors, or gods, or of one supreme god, that are responsible for heavenly motion. Aristotle's tractate on metaphysics claims to demonstrate the necessary existence of an unmoved prime mover.
For monotheistic religions, this principally involves arguments about the attributes or non-attributes of a deity, and especially the deity's existence, using arguments that do not involve recourse to revelation.[4][5]
The ideals of natural theology can be traced back to the Old Testament and Greek philosophy.[6][7] Early sources evident of these ideals come from Jeremiah and the Wisdom of Solomon (c. 50 BC)[6][8] and Plato's dialogue Timaeus (c. 360 BC).[9]
Marcus Terentius Varro (116–27 BCE) established a distinction between political theology (the social functions of religion), natural theology and mythical theology. His terminology became part of the Stoic tradition and then Christianity through Augustine of Hippo and Thomas Aquinas.[10]
^"Physicotheology | Encyclopedia.com". www.encyclopedia.com. Retrieved 9 October 2020.
^Chignell, Andrew; Pereboom, Derk (2020), "Natural Theology and Natural Religion", in Zalta, Edward N. (ed.), The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Fall 2020 ed.), Metaphysics Research Lab, Stanford University, retrieved 9 October 2020
^McGrath, Alister (2022). "Natural Theology". St Andrews Encyclopaedia of Theology.
^Wahlberg, Mats (2020), "Divine Revelation", in Zalta, Edward N. (ed.), The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Fall 2020 ed.), Metaphysics Research Lab, Stanford University, retrieved 9 October 2020
^"Natural Theology | Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy". Retrieved 9 October 2020.
^ abSwinburne, Richard (2007). "THE REVIVAL OF NATURAL THEOLOGY". Archivio di Filosofia. 75: 303–322 – via JSTOR.
^McGrath, Alister (2022). "Natural Theology". St Andrews Encyclopaedia of Theology.
^Jennifer Mary Dines (8 June 2004). The Septuagint. A&C Black. p. 19. ISBN 978-0-567-08464-4. usually assigned to the late first century BCE
^"Plato, Timaeus".
^McGrath, Alister (2022). "Natural Theology". St Andrews Encyclopaedia of Theology.
Naturaltheology, once also termed physico-theology, is a type of theology that seeks to provide arguments for theological topics (such as the existence...
correlated with Christianity (e.g., in the term naturaltheology, which denoted theology based on reasoning from natural facts independent of specifically Christian...
was closely tied to the Church of England, while science was part of naturaltheology. Ideas about the transmutation of species were controversial as they...
rationalistic theology that generally rejects revelation as a source of divine knowledge and asserts that empirical reason and observation of the natural world...
Physico-Theology, which gave his "demonstration of the being and attributes of God from his works of creation". Later, William Paley, in his 1802 Natural Theology...
therefore includes naturaltheology as well as philosophical treatments of orthodox and heterodox theology. Philosophical theology is also closely related...
designed and created them; their features such as eyes were taken by naturaltheology to have been made to enable them to carry out their functions, such...
natural rights view human rights as the successor that is not dependent on natural law, naturaltheology, or Christian theological doctrine. Natural rights...
NaturalTheology or Evidences of the Existence and Attributes of the Deity is an 1802 work of Christian apologetics and philosophy of religion by the English...
A cosmological argument, in naturaltheology, is an argument which claims that the existence of God can be inferred from facts concerning causation, explanation...
teleological argument, an argument for the existence of God, originating in naturaltheology, which is often used to argue for the concept of intelligent design...
and Edinburgh. Their purpose is to "promote and diffuse the study of naturaltheology in the widest sense of the term – in other words, the knowledge of...
in which a God-given natural law dominated, removing the need for continuous "contrivance". The book is a work of naturaltheology, and incorporates extracts...
Chinese theology, which comes in different interpretations according to the Chinese classics and Chinese folk religion, and specifically Confucian, Taoist...
philosophy, particularly by Thomas Aquinas, forming the basis for naturaltheology. During the Renaissance, scholars (herbalists and humanists, particularly)...
The existence of God is a subject of debate in theology and the philosophy of religion. A wide variety of arguments for and against the existence of God...
Division of Humanities, for research into science and religion, and naturaltheology. He is married to Joanna Collicutt McGrath and they have two adult...
Apophatic theology, also known as negative theology, is a form of theological thinking and religious practice which attempts to approach God, the Divine...
reason, science, and history that do not rely on revelation—called Naturaltheology. The English word faith finds its roots in the Proto-Indo-European...
Process theology is a type of theology developed from Alfred North Whitehead's (1861–1947) process philosophy, but most notably by Charles Hartshorne (1897–2000)...
proper domain of theology. The methods of science should then be used to answer any empirical question about the natural world, and theology should be used...
account for why evil exists. A theodicy is often based on a prior naturaltheology, which exist to prove the existence of God,[clarification needed] and...
Sicily. Thomas was a proponent of naturaltheology and the father of a school of thought (encompassing both theology and philosophy) known as Thomism....
Liberation theology is a theological approach emphasizing the "liberation of the oppressed". It engages in socio-economic analyses, with social concern...
Cataphatic theology or kataphatic theology is theology that uses "positive" terminology to describe or refer to the divine – specifically, God – i.e....
to non-material forces acting in nature, Sheldrake believes. Naturaltheology – Theology reliant on rational and empirical arguments, often synonymous...
developed from medieval Aristotelian metaphysics, and that fit well with naturaltheology; and the development of the new anti-Aristotelian approach to modern...