Understanding Natural Theology
Mapping the Terrain of Recent Approaches
- Theology
- Publisher: Zondervan Academic (Zondervan)
- Published: 2026
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Publisher's Description
If God is the creator of all, might creation itself not provide us with ways of seeing God that enrich our understanding--that connect our desire for God with our life in creation? Natural theology has been a feature of Christian thinking for centuries, but it has also been misunderstood and maligned. What exactly is natural theology, and how might it help us in our pursuit to know and understand God? In Understanding Natural Theology, theologian and scholar Christopher R. Brewer considers several different versions of natural theology and their proponents, including David Brown, Alvin Plantinga, C. Stephen Evans, Thomas F. Torrance, and even Karl Barth, a noted critic of natural theology. Through this study, readers will come to understand not only what natural theology is but also how it can serve in our collective pursuit to understand God.
Endorsements (3)
“Praise for Understanding Natural Theology Christopher Brewer’s new book can rightly be described as magisterial, and professional academics are as likely to derive benefit from reading it as are students relatively new to the field. The field is “nature” or “creation” and what kind of knowledge of God may be so derived without benefit of scriptural revelation. Teachers are commonly so convinced of their own approach (for example, “theology of creation” or analytic “proofs”) that students often emerge from their classes totally unaware of alternatives. Brewer dispels such confusions by presenting five quite different approaches, with “natural religion” at one extreme and Karl Barth at the other, with equal attention given to background setting, critique, and defense. The presentation is admirably clear and in a lively, engaged style. Readers will not feel forced to endorse one particular view. Instead, they are given the tools to see clearly what is at stake through this impressive survey.”
“In this exploration of recent approaches, Chris Brewer expertly displays both the persistence of natural theology together with the variety of forms that it takes. In making the case for a necessary and complementary role, his account offers an acute but clear assessment of natural theology. Admirably generous in his acknowledgment of other writers, Brewer also brings his own distinctive voice to current debates.”
“points in natural theology. In these pages, Brewer has convened a sprawling dinner party for the most intriguing and invested cast of guests, and thus our good host offers here a much-needed reanimation of the discourse. He’s done much to render the topic exhilarating once more.”
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