Explanation from Physics to Theology: An Essay in Rationality and ReligionIn this book Philip Clayton defends the rationality of religious explanations by exploring the parallels between explanatory effects in the sciences and the explanations offered by religious believers, students of religion, and theologians. Clayton begins by surveying the types of religious explanation, offering a synopsis of the most significant competing positions. He then critically examines recent important developments in the philosophy of science regarding the nature of scientific explanations--including the work of Popper, Hempel, Kuhn, and Lakatos in the natural sciences and Habermas, Weber, and Schütz in the social sciences. Clayton outlines the process of rational evaluation in these disciplines, defining the explanatory quest as the attempt to make sense of or bring coherence into subjective and intersubjective worlds. He briefly discusses explanations in philosophy and then turns to the explanatory role of individual religious experience, drawing on a coherence theory of meaning and on the conclusions from his discussion of science. Based on his defense of the doubting or "secular" believer, he concludes by advocating a model of theology in which questions about the truth of a religious tradition are intrinsic to its theology. "A valuable exposition of the thesis that the explanatory work of theology possesses formal similarities with that of the physical sciences, the social sciences, and philosophy. Clayton exhibits an impressive command of a broad area of scholarship, and his reflections are balanced and carefully argued." -Michael J. Buckley, S.J., professor of religion at the Jesuit Theological Seminary and author of At the Origins of Modern Atheism "I know of no philosopher writing today who has dealt in as informed and thoughtful a way with the broad subject of this book. Clayton guides the reader through important discussions with ease, illuminating the path all along the way." -Josiah B. Gould, professor of philosophy at the State University of New York, Albany. |
Contents
Explanation in Science and Religion | 1 |
The Fate of Formalism After Hempel | 31 |
Imre Lakatos | 48 |
The Problem | 59 |
61 | 94 |
69 | 96 |
Philosophical Explanations and | 103 |
In Defense of the Secular Believer | 134 |
Theological Method | 146 |
The Truth Claims of Theology | 168 |
Notes | 181 |
Bibliography | 189 |
Common terms and phrases
academic disciplines analysis antipositivists approach argue arguments assertions attempt basic broader Carl Hempel chap chapter Christian coherence concept context context principle contextualist criteria critical criticizability debate Dilthey discourse discussion distinction empirical epistemic epistemological evaluation explanandum explanatory faith falsifiability falsificationism Feyerabend formal formalist given Habermas Habermas's Hempel hermeneutical human sciences Ian Barbour ideal Imre Lakatos individual inquiry interpretation intersubjective Jürgen Habermas justification Karl Popper Kuhn Kuhn's Lakatos Lakatos's language logical meaning metaphysical method methodology natural sciences notion object Pannenberg paradigm phenomenology philosophy of science Popper position practice pragmatic problem question rational reconstruction reason reflection religious belief religious experience religious explanations religious tradition requirements role Schleiermacher scientific rationality scientists secular believer semantic sense significant social sciences social scientific explanation sociology specific statements structure systematic theologians theology theoretical theory of explanation theory of rationality thinkers tion understanding University Verstehen why-questions Wilhelm Dilthey Wittgenstein Wolfhart Pannenberg