The idolatry argument against natural theology: how it works and why it fails
Some thinkers in the Reformed and postmodern' traditions in theology have argued that natural theology is idolatrous'. This article shows that such arguments hinge on distinguishing the object of revealed theology from the perfect being or first cause. It then shows that, on plausible an...
| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Cambridge Univ. Press
[2015]
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| In: |
Religious studies
Year: 2015, Volume: 51, Issue: 3, Pages: 401-410 |
| Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains: | B
Natural theology
/ Idolatry
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| IxTheo Classification: | AB Philosophy of religion; criticism of religion; atheism FD Contextual theology |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (Verlag) Volltext (doi) |
| Summary: | Some thinkers in the Reformed and postmodern' traditions in theology have argued that natural theology is idolatrous'. This article shows that such arguments hinge on distinguishing the object of revealed theology from the perfect being or first cause. It then shows that, on plausible analyses of worthiness of worship, the perfect being will always be more worthy of worship than anything not identified with it. Natural theology therefore has a proper place in investigating the nature of the true' God, if an object is the true' God because it is the being worthy of our worship. |
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| ISSN: | 1469-901X |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Religious studies
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1017/S003441251500030X |