Contents:
Part Three: Reality
7. Rationality and Knowledge in Theology and the Natural Sciences: Tradition and objectivity: the polarity of knowledge – The Natural Sciences and the Question of Knowledge – The Rise and Fall of Classical Foundationalism – Postliberalism and the Foundations of Theology: Coherent Yet Ungrounded
8. Natural Theology and the Trans-Traditional Rationality of the Christian Traditions: The Enlightenment: a ‘View from Nowhere’ – Alasdair MacIntyre and the Role of Tradition – The Role of a Natural Theology in Transcending Traditions – Basic Beliefs within Tradition-Constituted Rationalities – John Milbank and the Critique of Secular Reason: An Assessment – Reaffirming the Christian Tradition
9. The Foundations of Realism in the Natural Sciences: Realism as the Working Philosophy of the Physical Sciences – Rivals to Scientific Realism – The Case for Realism: The Critical Issues – Classic Objections to Scientific Realism – Mathematical Realism and the Mind of God – Retreating from Reality: Postmodern Anti-Realism
10. Critical Realism: Engaging with a Stratified Reality: On Exploring Realism – The Variety of Critical Realisms – Against Reductionism: Roy Bhaskar’s Critical Realism – The Stratification of Theological Reality: Some Preliminary Comments – The Horizontal Stratification of Theological Explanation – The Vertical Stratification of Theological Explanation
11. The Encounter with Reality: The Contours of a Scientific Theology: Scientific Theology as a Response to Reality – Scientific Theology as an a Posteriori Discipline – Scientific Theology as a Response to its Distinctive Object – Scientific Theology Offers an Explanation of Reality – Why a Scientific Theology is Christocentric
Moving On: Anticipating the Development of Theory