Alister McGrath

This article engages Thomas F. Torrance's landmark work, Space, Time and Incarnation (1969), suggesting that his approach needs amplification in the light of recent studies emphasising the importance of the affective aspects of theology. The alternative framework of ‘place, history, and incarnation’ is proposed as a means of safeguarding the important subjective aspects of the incarnation, and the theological task of interpreting its significance. The article makes use of Simeon Zahl's account of ‘affective salience’ in developing this richer account of the significance of the incarnation.

This paper takes its title from a poem by the late Romantic poet Joseph von Eichendorff (1788—1857), which speaks of a song lying hidden within nature, which can only be heard when a «magic word» is spoken. Eichendorff is here speaking of a hermeneutical key which unlocks the deeper meaning of the natural world. Nature is silent and mute, until it is approached and interpreted in certain ways. This theme is significant in contemporary discussions about natural theology, considered in this paper. The enterprise of natural theology is here interpreted in terms of discernment, of seeing nature in a certain way, of viewing it through a particular and specific set of theoretical spectacles. It is argued in this paper that a Trinitarian interpretative framework unlocks this deeper meaning of nature, allowing an enhanced engagement with its proper significance. A Trinitarian vision of reality illuminates nature, allowing new levels of perception and appreciation of its significance, while at the same time opening up new apologetic possibilities with contemporary secular culture. The rise of new forms of atheism on the one hand, and neo-paganism on the other, point to the urgent need for a renewed natural theology which allows full significance of the natural order to be unlocked.

This paper offers a theologically‐orientated examination of some core themes of the works of the philosopher Mary Midgley (1919–2018), identifying areas of possible theological exploration and development. Particular attention is paid to her critique of the reductionist strategies of writers such as Richard Dawkins, her development of the ‘mapping’ metaphor for engaging complex issues, and her emphasis on the critical role of philosophy. Although the paper offers some brief examples of theological issues which are illuminated by Midgley’s philosophical approach (such as soteriological mapping), the primary purpose of the paper is to highlight the theological hospitality that it offers

In 1892, Hastings Rashdall delivered a University Sermon at Oxford entitled ‘Abelard's Doctrine of the Atonement’. In this sermon, he outlines with increasing enthusiasm what he considered to be ‘as noble and perspicuous a statement as can even yet be found of the faith which is still the life of Christendom’. The central theme of his sermon is that in the twelfth century figure of Peter Abailard can be found a theory of the Atonement which meets the demands of an age shaped in the spirit of Darwinism and historical criticism. What Rashdall understands by the ‘Abelardian doctrine of the Atonement’ is expounded at much greater length in his 1915 Bampton Lectures, The Idea of Atonement in Christian Theology.

The paper considers the cultural and sociological pressures that lead to the generation of theological formulations as a means of identifying social groups, requiring to be distinguished from other such groups by theological means. Without in any way calling into question the legitimacy of doctrinal formulations as an intellectually defensible means of self-definition, it is argued that it is unrealistic to deal with the emergence and development of doctrine without considering its social functions. A study of the development of doctrine at critical junctures within church history reinforces the importance of considering this aspect of doctrine, and enables a helpful and fruitful engagement with otherwise puzzling phenomena – such as the manner in which, in recent ecumenical debates, doctrines once held to be the cause of confessional divergence can still be maintained as "true", while no longer entailing division.

The new interest in special divine action has led to a close reading of the great debates and discussions of the early modern period in an attempt to understand contemporary resistance to the notion of divine action, and to develop strategies for reaffirming the notion in a refined manner. Although continuing engagement with and evaluation of the Humean legacy on miracles and divine action will be of central importance to this programme of review, there are other issues that also need to be addressed. In this article I identify some of the factors that have caused or continue to cause difficulties for the articulation of a concept of special divine action and I suggest how they might be engaged.

This article marks the 400th anniversary in 2011 of the publication of the King James Bible, also known as the "Authorized Version", by considering the theories of translation that were dominant in Tudor England, and how these impacted on the shaping of this highly influential English translation of the Bible.

Following the deep and unsettling questions raised about the legacy of German Protestant theology as a result of the Great War (1914‒1918), a new interest emerged in returning to the fons et origo of Protestant theology in the writings of Martin Luther and other reformers. This was given additional impetus through the work of Karl Holl, who is widely credited with shaping the “Luther Renaissance” of 1919‒1921. Dialectical theology was a movement focused on Karl Barth that arose within German-speaking Protestantism in the aftermath of the Great War. The reception of Luther within the dialectical theology movement is complex and not easily reduced to simple categorizations. The diverse theological and confessional commitments within the movement led to various readings of Luther, generally mediated through secondary sources or channels. The movement portrayed itself in terms of a theocentric new reformation, breaking free from the cultural compromises and entanglements of German liber...

Following the deep and unsettling questions raised about the legacy of German Protestant theology as a result of the Great War (1914-18), a new interest emerged in returning to the fons et origo of Protestant theology in the writings of Luther and other reformers. This was given additional impetus through the work of Karl Holl, who is widely credited with shaping the "Luther Renaissance" of 1919-21. Dialectical theology was a movement that arose within German-speaking Protestantism in the aftermath of the Great War, focussed on Karl Barth. The reception of Luther within the dialectical theology movement is complex, and not easily reduced to simple categorizations. The diverse theological and confessional commitments within the movement led to various readings of Luther, generally mediated through secondary sources or channels. The movement portrayed itself in terms of a theocentric new reformation, breaking free from the cultural compromises and entanglements of German liberal theology in the first two decades of the twentieth century. The movement presented itself as both the heir and reinterpreter of the theological legacy of the Reformation, particularly the theology of Martin Luther. Yet its leading representatives-Karl Barth, Emil Brunner, Rudolf Bultmann and Friedrich Gogarten-understood Luther in somewhat different manners. It is therefore important to consider the use made of Luther by each of these figures individually, rather than try to collapse them into a single generic approach which is held to be representative of dialectical 2 theology. The high profile these four writers accorded to Luther unquestionably stimulated Luther studies in the postwar period, and contributed significantly to the current appreciation of Luther in contemporary theological debate.

This paper, included in a collection of essays on the ideas of "chance" and "providence" within the theistic tradition, considers the views of William Paley on these themes. Paley is best known for his work "Natural Theology" (1802), in which he places an emphasis on the ordering and design of the natural world, which he considers to be undermined by the notion of chance. This paper explores his concerns against his intellectual context.

After an extended reflection on how I came to value exploring the interfaces of science and theology, this paper explores three of my recent areas of research in the field. The first is the area of natural theology, which is here presented as a natural and potentially productive interface between science and theology, with the potential to catalyze and inform discussion between these two disciplines. The second is the raft of questions raised by the "New Atheism" of writers such as Richard Dawkins and Daniel Dennett, which offer a challenge to theology to offer a more persuasive reading of the nature and limits of science. The third is the intellectual difficulties raised by interdisciplinarity, in particular the observation that different disciplines-such as individual natural sciences and Christian theology-rest on quite different understands of methods, norms, and investigative procedures.

This study considers John Habgood’s understanding of the relation of science and religion, particularly his core notion that an ‘undivided mind’ engages different aspects of reality using disciplines of study appropriate to their specific subject matter. Particular attention is paid to the emergence of those views during his time as a research scientist at Cambridge, their location within the Anglican tradition, their expression in Habgood’s 1992 debate with Richard Dawkins, and their impact on his public ministry as Bishop of Durham and Archbishop of York, especially in public debates concerning bioethics.

This paper considers the development of Herbert's poem "The Elixir", noting the significant expansion of its alchemical imagery during this process. This imagery is then interpreted in terms of the alchemical context of the late Renaissance, to clarify both Herbert's motivation in using such imagery in the first place, and also what he intended to convey in doing so.

This paper offers a theologically-orientated examination of some core themes of the works of the philosopher Mary Midgley (1919-2018), identifying areas of possible theological exploration and development. Particular attention is paid to her critique of the reductionist strategies of writers such as Richard Dawkins, her development of the 'mapping' metaphor for engaging complex issues, and her emphasis on the critical role of philosophy. Although the paper offers some brief examples of theological issues which are illuminated by Midgley's philosophical approach (such as soteriological mapping), the primary purpose of the paper is to highlight the theological hospitality which it offers.

This article sets out the case for a narrative apologetics, understood not simply as an approach to theology which opportunistically uses stories, but one which is grounded in the fundamentally narrative nature of the Christian faith. The essay draws especially on C. S. Lewis in both making the case for the use of narratives in Christian apologetics, and also considering some ways in which a narrative apologetics might be developed further. In particular, it highlights the importance of showing that a Christian narrative has an imaginative and rational appeal that exceeds that of its secular alternatives.

Natürliche Theologie ist bis heute sowohl auf dem Gebiet der Systematischen Theologie als auch der Religionsphilosophie eines der interessantesten Themengebiete. Dieser Aufsatz erläutert wie wichtig es ist, die Bedeutung von Natürlicher Theologie zu überdenken. Allgemein wird von einem Verständnis ausgegangen, das den Beweis der Rationalität des christlichen Glaubens im Allgemeinen oder ein plausibles Argument für die Existenz Gottes im Besonderen bedeutet, ohne sich dabei auf religiöse Annahmen zu berufen oder diese vorauszusetzen. Durch eine genealogische Analyse zeigt dieser Aufsatz, dass der Begriff " Natürliche Theologie " in der christlichen Tradition an einigen Stellen in einer deutlich unterschiedlich Bedeutung verwendet worden ist, und das der in der Gegenwart vorherrschende Sinn die kulturellen und intellektuellen Belange des siebzehnten und frühen achtzehnten Jahrhunderts widerspiegelt. Sechs einzelne (wenn auch verwandte) Verständnisweisen der Natürlichen Theologie werden herausgearbeitet, von der jedoch keine als selbstverständlich richtig oder als normatives Verständnis des Konzepts verstanden werden kann. Abschließend wird festgehalten, welche positiven Folgen es haben könnte, wenn ein breiteres oder tieferes Verständnis der Natürlichen Theologie akzeptiert werden würde. Natural theology remains one of the most interesting fields of discussion within the fields of both systematic theology and the philosophy of religion. This article suggests that there is a need to review what is understood by the notion of natural theology, which is generally assumed to mean the demonstration of the rationality of the Christian faith in general, or a plausible argument for the existence of God in particular, without appealing to or presupposing any religious presuppositions. On the basis of a genealogical analysis, this article suggests that the term natural theology has been used in a number of quite different senses within the Christian tradition, and that the presently dominant sense of the term reflects the cultural and intellectual concerns of the seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries. Six distinct (though often related) understandings of natural theology are identified, none of which can be considered to be a self-evidentally correct or normative understanding of the concept. Finally, some possible outcomes of accepting a wider and deeper notion of natural theology are noted.

A plenary lecture given at the meeting of the Evangelical Philosophical Society in San Antonio, Texas, on 16 November 2016 by Alister McGrath, Andreas Idreos Professor of Science and Religion at Oxford University. An edited version of this lecture has now been published: Alister E. McGrath, “The Rationality of Faith: How Does Christianity Make Sense of Things?” Philosophia Christi 18, no. 2 (2016): 395-408.

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The notion of God's action in the world remains widely discussed, especially as a result of the Vatican Observatory project entitled ‘Scientific Perspectives on Divine Action’ (1988-2003). This paper considers three fundamental objections from the broad areas of contemporary culture, the natural sciences, and Christian theology to the idea of special divine action, and offers responses to each.

The 2009 Eric Symes Abbott Memorial Lecture, delivered at Westminster Abbey, London, on 14 May 2009. The lecture explores the evidential basis and judgements underlying the development of Darwin's theory of natural selection, and how this relates to Darwin's own views on religious faith, and to the general question of discernment and judgement in matters of faith.

This is the original text of the James Gregory lecture, delivered on 7th March 2016, in the Physics Lecture Theatre at the University of St Andrew’s, Scotland. The topic of this lecture is the general relation of the natural sciences and the Christian faith.

A keynote lecture given at a conference organized by the University of Zürich and the Studienzentrum für Glaube und Gesellschaft at the Kirchgemeindehaus Neumünster on 12 September 2016 to mark the 50th anniversary of the death of the Swiss theologian Emil Brunner (1889-1966). A revised version of this lecture will be published in 2017 in the Swiss academic journal "Theologische Zeitschrift".