A Scientific Theology

A Scientific Theology is a set of three books by Alister McGrath that explores the parallels between the working assumptions and methods of Christian theology and those of the natural sciences. Scientific Theology is also the "running title" of the project which gave rise to the trilogy. The work is preceded by three volumes that McGrath describes as "landmarks" in the development of his scientific theology: The Genesis of Doctrine: A Study in the Foundations of Doctrinal Criticism, The Foundations of Dialogue in Science and Religion and Thomas F. Torrance: An Intellectual Biography. The trilogy was later summarised in The Science of God. McGrath is working on a "scientific dogmatics" which will deal with the content of Christian theology following the method developed in the trilogy.

Since at least the time of the 2nd century apologists Christian theology has sought to relate itself to major intellectual trends. In earlier periods this meant engagement with Platonism and Aristotelianism. But as these philosophical systems waned under the increasing influence of natural philosophy (later "science") so Christian theology increasingly tended to focus on engagement with the natural sciences.

This engagement would eventually lead to the idea that Christian Theology itself should be "scientific" and by the earlier part of the 20th century calls were being made for a "scientific theology." This call has been answered in various ways.

These various approaches to "scientific theology" may be loosely categorised as "methodological" or "doctrinal" depending upon their primary focus. These concerns, however, are by no means mutually exclusive.

A "methodological" approach is concerned with practicing theology in a "scientific" manner and focuses on clearly articulating the assumptions, methods, and related thought-forms to be taken into account in the construction of dogmatic formulations.

A "doctrinal" approach is concerned with the inter-relationship of scientific and doctrinal content and focuses on formulating Christian theology against a framework of specific scientific theorems.

By a “scientific theology” McGrath does not mean an attempt to reconcile particular Christian beliefs with particular scientific theorems. Such efforts are regarded by him as pointless because they become outdated with scientific progress. Rather, McGrath seeks to draw upon the proven assumptions and methods of the natural sciences in order to inform the practice of Christian theology.

Such an approach is grounded in the fundamental belief that Christian theology seeks to describe the same God who (in whatever way) created the natural order which the natural sciences seek to describe. The assumption is that a theological investigation of reality can be informed by the approach taken in a scientific investigation of reality.

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