An Eastern Orthodox Critique of the Science-Theology Dialogue

On the basis of both philosophical arguments and the theological perspectives of Eastern Orthodox Christianity, a critique of two beliefs that are common within the mainstream science-theology dialogue is outlined. These relate to critical realism in understanding language usage and to naturalistic...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Zygon
Main Author: Knight, Christopher 1952- (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
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Published: Wiley-Blackwell [2016]
In: Zygon
Further subjects:B causal joint
B Eastern Orthodoxy
B Miracles
B Critical Realism
B Divine Action
B Naturalism
Online Access: Volltext (doi)
Description
Summary:On the basis of both philosophical arguments and the theological perspectives of Eastern Orthodox Christianity, a critique of two beliefs that are common within the mainstream science-theology dialogue is outlined. These relate to critical realism in understanding language usage and to naturalistic perspectives in relation to divine action. While the naturalistic perspectives on the history of the cosmos that are predominant within the dialogue are seen as generally acceptable from an Orthodox perspective, it is argued that they require theological expansion. This expansion suggests an understanding other than the “causal joint” model commonly adopted in relation to “special” divine action. This alternative model renders the distinction between “special” and “general” divine action redundant, and is based on what has been called a “teleological-Christological” understanding of the cosmos, rooted in the fourth gospel's notion of the divine Logos. The relevance of this critique to scholars outside of the Orthodox community is urged.
ISSN:1467-9744
Contains:Enthalten in: Zygon
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1111/zygo.12269