In what follows, I will argue that scientists should be brought into direct theological discourse. I have framed definitions for both theology and science in such a way as to respect substantive and functional priorities of various concerns within both disciplines. / Until recently science has been considered antithetical and irrelevant to theology. Historically the relationship between these two disciplines has been described in terms of conflict or separation due to incommensurability. This is one of a number of misrepresentations of science which I address. Science has been portrayed as dogmatic, completely separate, and even as atheistic. However, historical and crucial interactions between science and theology are extensive. / I argue that science is indeed relevant to theological discourse because scientists--through their objectives, methods and quest for the fundamentum res--address the question "What is going on here?". Theologians employ scientific information in the building of their systems and in the framing of world-views. / Scientists make the greatest contribution to our knowledge with novel discoveries. These discoveries influenced the development of more informed theological models (i.e., immanent, prosaic, natural, process and theologies of nature). Theology as a systematic discipline must remain cogent by including novel scientific data. / Drawing upon both life sciences and physics I argue that science and theology must now enter into polylogue for the data that we contend with generates many levels (dimensions) for creative exchange. This exchange must occur for theology to be taken seriously. A theological paradigm that is useful for these purposes and which emerged from scientific data is one of N-Dimensional Reality. The influence of science has led to the development of a number of different theological models expanding the horizons of our systems; now theological models are emerging from the sciences. / Science continues to add to our understanding of "What is going on here?" and theology uses this information in the framing of world views. The scientist is now needed as the partner of the theologian for a more informed analysis and conceptualization of our world view. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 54-12, Section: A, page: 4483. / Major Professor: Charles W. Swain. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1993.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:fsu.edu/oai:fsu.digital.flvc.org:fsu_77053 |
| Contributors | Johnson, Keith H., Florida State University |
| Source Sets | Florida State University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text |
| Format | 284 p. |
| Rights | On campus use only. |
| Relation | Dissertation Abstracts International |
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