Victoria Popoola Natural Theology: The Process Natural Theology is a branch of theology based on reason and ordinary experience that explains Gods rational as a part of the physical world deals with describing nature and the existence of
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Presentation Transcript
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Victoria Popoola Natural Theology: The Process<br>
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Natural Theology is a branch of theology based on reason and ordinary experience that explains God’s rational as a part of the physical world
deals with describing nature and the existence of God lacking special or supposed supernatural revelation Definition…<br>
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In about 116 -27 BC, Marcus Terentius Varro established a distinction of three kinds of theology
Civil – “the people” asking how God relates to daily life and the state
Natural – philosophers asking for the nature of God or gods
Mystical – poets crafting mythology In the Beginning…<br>
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Natural Theology was formulated at a time where people preferred Deism.
Deism is basically a theistic position based upon the preference of natural reason over sacred revelation
Only “chosen people” experienced divine revelations
High Middle Ages
Made fixed part of Roman Catholic dogma in 1870
Not intended to replace faith or grace of God revealed in Christ
Opportunity to establish certain truth by means common to all …Still the Beginning…<br>
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Thomas Aquinas
Adopted Aristotle’s beliefs
First great proponent of Natural Theology
Synthesized Greek philosophy and the Gospel
Laid groundwork for “natural law”
defined theology as a "science" in the Aristotelian sense, that is, a definable body of knowledge with its own sources, principles, methods, and content; beyond the truths derived from the study of Scripture there was another body of compatible truths based upon the application of reason to the created world Natural Theology Advocates…<br>
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William Paley
Made Natural Theology best known to Englishmen in the 1800s
How life works?
Used a mechanical analogy of the world, comparing it to a watch
Design qua purpose – purpose behind the design
Describes intricacies of
human eye,
the lacteal systems in mammals
design of a bird's wing Natural Theology Advocates<br>
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Human Eye<br>
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Lacteal System in Mammals<br>
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Bird's Wing<br>
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Charles Darwin
Occupied Paley’s room at Cambridge University
1838 –1859 Natural Selection “On the Origin of Species”
Major conflict
Explaining adaptation Opponents of Natural Theology<br>
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David Hume
18th century philosopher
Criticized Paley in "Dialogues concerning Natural Religion“
Argued that God of theism could not be “THE Designer”
Said designer would be capable of making mistakes and have successes
Explains imperfections
Or theory of team of gods/goddesses Opponents of Natural Theology<br>
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Science demonstrates dynamics of nature
20th century, Natural Theology out of favor
Metaphysics
Theory of Evolution widely accepted
Second half of 20th century, Metaphysics and Natural Theology Return
Practiced with a degree of diversity and confidence unprecedented since the late Middle Ages Natural Theology Today<br>
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Natural Theology - deals with describing nature and the existence of God lacking special or supposed supernatural revelation.
High Middle Ages, 1870
Advocates
Thomas Aquinas, William Paley
Opponents
Charles Darwin, David Hume
Natural theology, more evolved today SUMMARY<br>
