CONFLICT
because of a performed commitment to
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Scientific
Materialism
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Biblical
Literalism
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INDEPENDENCE
because of a performed commitment to
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Contrasting
Methods
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Presuppositions
and Limit Questions
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Differing
Languages of Discourse
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DIALOGUE possible
about
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Methodological
Parallels
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Natural
Theology
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Nature
Centered Spirituality
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INTEGRATION
can take the form of
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A Theology
of Nature
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A
Systematic Synthesis
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Ian
Barbours most recent typology of the possible relationships between science
and religion.
Refer to natural
theology vs theology of nature to find out what Barbour means by these
terms.
Barbours scheme at least maps out the
territory, but in practice students often experience a lot of difficulty in
applying his categories with any precision, or aligning themselves
wholeheartedly with any particular one. For a series of articles on Barbour and
his Gifford Lectures see the journal Zygon, Volume 31, Issue 1, 1996.
A related scheme is that of John Haught,
who in his ingenious book Science and Religion: from Conflict to Conversation(1995), addresses a series of key issues from the standpoints of conflict,
contrast, contact and confirmation. This is a more helpful approach than
Barbours because the categories are not simply mapped out in the abstract, but
applied to particular questions.
See also critical
realism in science and religion and consonances between science and
religion.
Email
link | Feedback | Contributed by: Dr. Christopher Southgate
Source: God, Humanity and the Cosmos (T&T Clark, 1999)
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