Theology and Naturalism

Abstract

Historically and today, the movement of naturalism affirms the reality of the natural world, rejecting religious views of God, the soul, and values when these are understood to be supernatural or transcending the natural world. There are two forms of naturalism. According to scientific naturalism, what exists is ultimately describable and explainable by the natural sciences (physics, biology, chemistry). More liberal, expansive forms of naturalism allow for the social sciences, nonreductive views of the self, and values. Scientific naturalism faces substantial philosophical objections. More expansive forms of naturalism have been more philosophically resilient and been more hospitable to theological developments, even (according to some) allowing for a non-supernatural form of theism. Theological responses to both forms of naturalism have ranged from a defence of non-naturalist religious ideas to the appropriation of some forms of naturalism, including what is referred to as religious naturalism.

Keywords

• cambridge platonism
• reductionism
• aesthetics
• religious pluralism
• theology and science
• behavourism
• scientific naturalism
• physicalism
• emergentism
• panpsychism
• causal closure
• liberal naturalism
• expansive naturalism