Some Difficulties of Theology Developed in the Context of Science
A Critique of the Position of Grygiel and Wąsek
Abstract
Teologia ewolucyjna: Założenia – problemy – hipotezy (Evolutionary Theology: Assumptions – Problems – Hypotheses), by Wojciech P. Grygiel and Damian Wąsek, is an interesting and inspiring book. The attempt to formulate traditional problems of theology in the context of the natural sciences should com‑ mand special attention today. And if it is also a successful and consistently pursued attempt, then we should welcome it with particular interest. In this article, however, I do not want to dwell on the advantages of the publication being discussed, but rather to make some comments that may appear relevant when seeking to assess the theses of its authors from the perspective of a classical theist entertaining a metaphysical rather than scientific perspective on theology. I will focus on four issues: (1) the concept of Revelation developed in the context of the natural sci‑ ences, (2) the understanding of evolution, (3) the metaphorization of theological language, and (4) the panentheistic perspective of theology practiced in the context of science. In conclusion, I state that the proposed development of theology in the context of science, despite the advantage of presenting old theological problems in a new perspective, is vulnerable to the accusation of pan‑positivism, which entangles theology in too strict a context, depending as it does on the results of the empirical sciences.
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