1,720,976 research outputs found
Progress in Theology:An Introduction
Get PDFThis introductory chapter starts with a brief exploration of the debate on the roots of contemporary climate change in order to highlight the continuing relevance of theology. This then leads to a consideration of theology’s contested status as an academic discipline, especially in relation to the scientistic charge that theology does not (like the sciences) make any progress. Indeed, many theologians themselves seem hesitant to adhere to progress as an ideal or norm for their discipline. These observations elicit the twofold agenda of this book: investigating whether epistemic progress is being made in theology and exploring theology’s task to critically reflect on progress as an overarching cultural ideal. In light of this, the set-up of the volume is explained and an overview of the individual contributions is provided. The chapter ends with an acknowledgements section
A theology of inevitable climate change
Get PDFThis paper takes as its premise that climate change is now inevitable. From that beginning, it starts to work out how we can think about hope, environmental work, and pragmatic responses in light of theology and ecological science. Drawing on the resources of paleoclimate and restoration ecology, this paper offers theologically inspired pragmatic suggestions around migration, systemic change, and personal responsibility. It ends exploring the notion of hope in light of our failure to prevent climate change
Brother Juniper's Experiment:And Five Better Ways of Seeing Progress in Theology
Get PDFThis chapter offers an overview of the various ways in which the concepts of progress and theology can be related to each other. In doing so, like most contributions in this volume, it focuses on epistemic progress. Starting from the habitual New Atheist complaint that theology is useless since it makes no progress, the author distinguishes and explores five possible alternative answers to the question whether there is, or can be, progress in theology. These are: (1) theology does not make progress indeed, but this is for good reasons; (2) theology makes epistemic progress in the wake of the sciences; (3) theology generates epistemic progress within the sciences; (4) theology makes intra-paradigmatic progress in and of itself; and (5) theology makes progress even beyond the intra-paradigmatic level (or “trans-paradigmatic progress”). Some arguments are given for the validity of each of these answers, and it is suggested that most, if not all, of them are mutually compatible. Even though theologians often are (and should be) critical of progress as an ideal, there are various ways in which theology itself can be shown to make epistemic progress
Revisitar o papel dos humanos, num planeta em rápida mudança
Get PDFThe human roles in relation to the rest of the created world has long been debated in Christian circles. Now, the pressing immanence of climate change throws those roles, based on the assumption of a stable climate, into jeopardy. This article begins to articulate how the usual anthropological models used in ecotheology, including stewardship, priesthood, and more, begin to shift in the shadow of climate change. Woven through this argument is reflection on how the science of restoration ecology, one of the primary sciences of ecological care, is related to these different visions of humanity’s role.Le rôle humain par rapport au reste du monde créé a longtemps été débattu dans les cercles chrétiens. Maintenant, l’immanence pressante du changement climatique met en péril ces rôles, fondés sur l’hypothèse d’un climat stable. Cet article commence à explorer comment les modèles anthropologiques habituels utilisés en écothéologie, y compris l’intendance, la prêtrise, etc., commencent à évoluer dessous l’ombre du changement climatique. Cet argument central s’articule autour d’une réflexion sur la manière dont la science de l’écologie de la restauration, l’une des sciences primaires des soins écologiques, est liée à ces différentes visions du rôle de l’humanité.O papel dos humanos em relação ao resto do mundo criado há muito é debatido nos círculos cristãos. Agora, a premente imanência da mudança climática coloca esses papéis, baseados na suposição de um clima estável, em perigo. Este artigo começa por abordar o modo como os modelos antropológicos habitualmente usados em ecoteologia, incluindo os do cuidado, do sacerdócio e outros, começam a alterar-se à sombra das mudanças climáticas. Construída com base nesse argumento, apresenta-se uma reflexão sobre como a ciência da ecologia restaurativa, uma das ciências fundamentais do cuidado ecológico, está relacionada com essas diferentes visões do papel da humanidade
Christopher Southgate on glory and compassion
Get PDFThis article was presented at the 2018 American Academy of Religion conference at a panel honouring the work of Christopher Southgate. The first half is a response to the theology of glory in Southgate’s Theology in a Suffering World (CUP 2018). The second half expands on Southgate’s work on practical theodicy. I argue for a redirection of the work of theodicy toward a compassionate approach, outlined by three principles that are centred around helping those who suffer create their own theodicies. The job of the practical and compassionate theodicist, then, is not to provide answers for why suffering occurs, but rather to offer resources to help others frame their own experience
God, science, and truth: a signpost theory of truth for science and religion
No full textThis thesis proposes a signpost theory of truth and argues that a theory of truth for science and
religion is possible because scientific representations (such as, measurements and models) and
Christian doctrine are used in a similar manner. Scientific representations and Christian doctrine
are used as means to point towards a reality that is beyond them. Since scientific representations
and Christian doctrine point towards what is beyond them, they are used as signposts because
signposts point towards a destination. Signposts are used within the context of a journey to a
destination with some amount of distance. Signposts point towards a destination but are not
identical with the path or the destination. In order to articulate a signpost theory of truth, I argue
for the similarities and differences between scientific representation and Christian doctrine. So, I
attempt to formulate a signpost theory of the truth of Christian doctrine as well as of scientific
representations. To demonstrate the similarities in the use of scientific representations and
Christian doctrine as signposts, I distinguish between epistemologies and theories of truth,
highlight assumptions of realism, and survey other theories of truth found in the science and
religion literature (chapter 1 of part I). My survey of theories of truth indicates the space for a
signpost theory of truth and provides a list of key points of focus for this thesis. After narrowing
the focus of my study to Christian theology, I examine the relation between God and truth in
chapter 2. I conclude part I with a signpost theory of the truth of Christian doctrine in chapter 3.
The role of faith in the lives of believers is discussed as a significant parameter for a signpost
theory of the truth of Christian doctrine. I contrast a signpost theory of truth with other
understandings of doctrine and truth in Christianity. A signpost theory of the truth of Christian
doctrine highlights the use of Christian doctrines as aids that can point humans towards God. The
use of doctrines by Christian believers identifies potential problems that arise due to attempts to
unite the theory of the truth of doctrine with the use of doctrine in practice. The unity between
theory, practice, and reality can be examined by learning from the use of scientific
representations, such as measurements.
In part II, I argue that it is possible to learn from an empirical approach to measurement
in scientific practice because an empirical understanding of scientific representations upholds the
unity of theory, practice, and reality. So, I examine truth in philosophy of science by focusing on
an empirical understanding of scientific representations. To introduce an empirical philosophy of
science, chapter 4 presents a survey of realism(s) in philosophy of science. In relation to chapter
1, I demonstrate that the connection between realism and truth is extremely complex. In chapter
5, I outline the implications of an empirical understanding of measurement scientific practice
with the example of a model-based approach to time as well as theories of truth in philosophy of
science. I conclude part II with a general account of scientific representation in chapter 6.
Lastly, in part III, I relate the insights from an empirical understanding of scientific
representations to a signpost theory of truth for theology. To do so, I conduct a close reading of
Aquinas on truth from the Summa Theologiae and De veritate as well as surveying some relevant
secondary sources in chapter 7. The detailed analysis of Aquinas in chapter 7 shows why
Aquinas provides inspiration for a signpost theory of truth due to the (implicit or explicit)
presence of the key points of focus for a theory of truth for science and theology found in chapter
1. In chapter 8, I provide an in-depth analysis of secondary sources that help highlight the
uniqueness of a signpost theory of truth. In chapter 9, I outline a metaphysical system in support
of a signpost theory of truth that responds to empirical critiques of metaphysics. In conclusion, I
defend a signpost theory of truth as a novel theory for science and religion
The human role revisited on a rapidly changing planet
No full textO papel dos humanos em relação ao resto do mundo criado há muito é debatido nos círculos cristãos. Agora, a premente imanência da mudança climática coloca esses papéis, baseados na suposição de um clima estável, em perigo. Este artigo começa por abordar o modo como os modelos antropológicos habitualmente usados em ecoteologia, incluindo os do cuidado, do sacerdócio e outros, começam a alterar-se à sombra das mudanças climáticas. Construída com base nesse argumento, apresenta-se uma reflexão sobre como a ciência da ecologia restaurativa, uma das ciências fundamentais do cuidado ecológico, está relacionada com essas diferentes visões do papel da humanidade.The human roles in relation to the rest of the created world has long been debated in Christian circles. Now, the pressing immanence of climate change throws those roles, based on the assumption of a stable climate, into jeopardy. This article begins to articulate how the usual anthropological models used in ecotheology, including stewardship, priesthood, and more, begin to shift in the shadow of climate change. Woven through this argument is reflection on how the science of restoration ecology, one of the primary sciences of ecological care, is related to these different visions of humanity’s role.Le rôle humain par rapport au reste du monde créé a longtemps été débattu dans les cercles chrétiens. Maintenant, l’immanence pressante du changement climatique met en péril ces rôles, fondés sur l’hypothèse d’un climat stable. Cet article commence à explorer comment les modèles anthropologiques habituels utilisés en écothéologie, y compris l’intendance, la prêtrise, etc., commencent à évoluer dessous l’ombre du changement climatique. Cet argument central s’articule autour d’une réflexion sur la manière dont la science de l’écologie de la restauration, l’une des sciences primaires des soins écologiques, est liée à ces différentes visions du rôle de l’humanité
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Get PDFThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
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