T. L. Smith

Natural Theology the Dialectic of Natural Theology: Emil Brunner & Karl Barth on Nature and Grace T. L. Smith

Emil Brunner reflecting on the role of natural theology in his debate with Karl Barth explained: "There really can be no difference of opinion between us that a false natural theology did great damage to the Protestantism of the last century?or should we say of the last three centuries?... But the Church must not be thrown from one extreme to the other. In the long run the Church can bear the rejection of theologia naturalis as little as its misuse. It is the task of our theological generation to find the way back to a true theologia naturalis. And I am convinced that it is to be found far away from Barth?s negation..." The Barth-Brunner debate raised the question of the legitimacy of any form of natural theology and illustrated the dialectic of two opposing views of religion and nature, natural and revealed. Because of the environmental crisis, it is crucial to find a critical and reasonable theology of nature. This work is intended for all who are concerned with the environment, who are dissatisfied with neo-Romantic panentheistic approaches, macroevolution or creationist views, or god-of-the-gaps speculative approaches to science and theology. http://twitter.com/T_L_Smith