A nuanced study of the intellectual accommodation between science and theology, suggesting that theology needs to rediscover its own independent voice.The last sixty years have witnessed a virtual explosion of interest in how modern science and traditional Christianity intersect. This new rapprochement with science has irrevocably altered how Christians think of God, providing a foundation from which we cannot retreat, but from which we also cannot move forward until we examine the presumptions on which it is based. For the first time, Richard J. Coleman interprets in a clear and meaningful way the themes and practitioners that make this rapprochement different, and what it has achieved. But this book is more than description - it is an inquiry into whether Christian theology has lost its authentic voice by its singular focus on accommodating modern science.
Richard J. Coleman is the author of two previous books exploring the subject matter of religion and science: 'Competing Truths: Theology and Science as Sibling Rivals' and 'Eden's Garden: Rethinking Sin and Evil in an Era of Scientific Promise'. A graduate of Johns Hopkins University and Princeton Theological Seminary, the author has retired from a career as teacher, executive director, and minister in the United Church of Christ.
Preface1 The Contemporary Scene 2 Irreconcilable Differences3 The New Rapprochement with Science4 Lingering Questions and Some Tentative Conclusions5 The Distinctiveness that Is Science 6 The Distinctiveness that Is Christian Theology7 Where Do We Go From Here? Selected BibliographyAuthor Index Subject Index
In this candid survey and synthesis, Richard Coleman states clearly what he considers to be both right and wrong in contemporary attempts to integrate science with the world of faith and theology. This well-informed book deserves careful reading and commentary.