Emerton on arguments for God from nature

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Emerton on arguments for God from nature
science

• Norma Emerton. Arguments for the Existence of
  God from Nature and Science. In Science and
  Theology Questions at the Interface. Eds.
  Murray Rae, Hilary Regan, John Stenhouse.
  Grand Rapids, MI William Eerdmans, 1994.
• There is a long tradition in Western Christianity
  of appealing to nature for reasoned support for
  God.
• And there is scriptural support to this appeal.
• Psalm 191 The heavens tell out the glory of
  God, heavens vault makes known his handiwork.

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Emerton on arguments for God from nature
science

• Romans 120 Ever since the world began his
  invisible attributes, that is to say his
  everlasting power and deity, have been visible to
  the eye of reason in the things he has made.

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Emerton on arguments for God from nature
science

• Emerton offers a brief history of appealing to
  nature to support Gods existence-- the Church
  Fathers, Augustine, Moses Maimonides, Aquinas,
  among many others.
• Augustines warning
• The Scientific Revolution brought a new attitude
  toward nature, that it is worthy of study.
• The immense popularity of the two-book metaphor
  -- Francis Bacon, Galileo, Newton, Robert Boyle

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Emerton on arguments for God from nature
science

• The new sciences enhanced arguments for the
  existence of God from nature by adding precision
  accuracy to the evidence for design.
• For Bacon, Boyle others, the exploration of
  nature using the new sciences was a way of
  glorifying God.
• Robert Boyle (1627-1691) When with the help of
  anatomical knives and the light of chymical
  furnaces I study the book of nature . . . I find
  myself exclaiming with the psalmist, How manifold
  are thy works, O God, in wisdom hast though made
  them all!

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Emerton on arguments for God from nature
science

• For Newton, natural theology (arguments for God
  from nature science) did not complement
  revelation, but supplanted it (79).
• Comments on Newtons unorthodox theology.
• The Enlightenment criticism of design arguments.
  
• David Humes classic challenge
• Yet natural theology remained popular
• Paleys Natural Theology of 1802

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Emerton on arguments for God from nature
science

• But Darwins Origin (1859) severely challenged
  design arguments.
• Yet even Darwin ended the Origin with a statement
  which expressed the ongoing hold of the design
  argument. See p. 82.
• But Darwins appeal to the design argument seems
  to have faded over time. See his 1876 statement
  about Paleys argument (83).

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Emerton on arguments for God from nature
science

• Does this history give us some guidance about the
  uses of natural theology today?
• The pure cosmological argument seems to still
  have standing. Emerton claims that it will never
  be challenged by science (83).
• What about the argument from design? It is
  powerful on an emotive, non-intellectual level
  this is not to be despised (84). The argument
  brings out the value of beauty as a pointer to
  God.

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Polkinghornes comments on Emerton

• John Polkinghornes comments on Emertons paper
• 1. Arguments from nature science for God are
  limited. They may lead us to a cosmic architect
  or great mathematician, but not to the God of
  scriptures.
• 2. These arguments are always vulnerable to
  alternative explanations. There is a risk in
  tying theology too closely to science.
• 3. Most design arguments fail to take into
  account the dark side of nature.

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Polkinghornes comments on Emerton

• Yet there is a value in these arguments. People
  are struck by the rational beauty of the universe
  by its delicately balanced fruitful history in
  a way which suggests some intelligence behind
  it all. (98)
• And the new natural theology claims less it
  claims intellectually satisfying understanding,
  not proof. Theism explains more than atheism.
• The new design argument based on the anthropic
  principle explains the fabric of the universe,
  not specific processes in nature.

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Polkinghornes comments on Emerton

• Finally, the new natural theology acknowledges
  that creation involves a kenosis of divine power.
  
• An evolutionary universe is one which is allowed
  by its creator to make itself.
• This view of Gods relation to universe gives
  chance a proper role.
• Also gives us a glimmer of an answer to the
  problem of theodicy (99).
• World is allowed to make itself and such a world
  will have blind alleys ragged edges.