Why I believe in Natural Theology: Craig Carter joins Matthew Barrett for a Credo Colloquy

Welcome back to the Credo Colloquy, exclusive dialogues between Credo Fellows. In this new series, leading theologians engage one another on some of the most important issues in theology facing the church. The previous colloquy with Credo Fellow Craig Carter explained why biblicism is not the same as biblical authority and therefore must be rejected. In this second colloquy, Craig Carter joins Matthew Barrett once more but this time to discuss natural theology, or what can be known about God through human reason. Contrary to popular belief, natural theology has a rich history within the Protestant tradition. It is based on the idea that human reason can discern certain truths about God from the natural world. Natural theology is supported by the scriptures when David exclaims, "the heavens declare the glory of God."
Carter and Barrett also engage the church fathers and Protestant Scholastics, observing how the Great Tradition affirmed and utilized natural theology. For instance, classical theology often appealed to philosophical concepts such as the "logos" to explain the rationality of the universe as evidence of God's existence.
However, Carter highlights a recent trend where natural theology has been largely neglected in evangelical, even reformed seminaries and theological textbooks. In the 20th century both Karl Barth and Cornelius Van Til rejected the classical use of natural theology, though each in his own way, which had a significant impact on modern Reformed theology. Carter questions the compatibility of such novel views with the classically Reformed theology of the 16th and 17th centuries, particularly the Westminster standards. He suggests that this abandonment of natural theology is a departure from the historical Protestant tradition.
By the end of this conversation, Carter and Barrett propose that Christians today must reject the prevailing metaphysical worldview of modernism, which denies creation ex nihilo and posits a universe (and God) in constant flux. Such a modern metaphysic is at odds with classical Christian theology which believes an immutable, eternal God created the world out of nothing, a world that depends on him to live and move and have its being. With the help of the Great Tradition we must be so bold to tear down the metaphysic of modernism and rebuild the metaphysical foundation of classical Christianity.

Пікірлер: 31

  • @normanmilquetoast1
    @normanmilquetoast19 ай бұрын

    Amazing content. In my opinion, the principles of this discussion are at the very heart of what is wrong with contemporary Western culture. Recapturing a pre-Enlightenment metaphysic under Christ is the remedy being able to unify the disintegrating world in which we live.

  • @AnciAlatir

    @AnciAlatir

    9 ай бұрын

    Agreed! Christian theologians and philisophers need to talk about these things more and educate the church.

  • @normanmilquetoast1

    @normanmilquetoast1

    9 ай бұрын

    @@AnciAlatir Actually, they need to free themselves from the shackles of Medieval aberration (Nominalism/Voluntarism) and Enlightenment philosophy (Van Tillian Idealism) first. Then they will have the wherewithal to teach others.

  • @howardhilliard9286

    @howardhilliard9286

    Ай бұрын

    @@normanmilquetoast1 Van Till was a critic of German Idealism in his doctoral dissertation. In fact he is often criticized as a fideist.

  • @normanmilquetoast1

    @normanmilquetoast1

    Ай бұрын

    @@howardhilliard9286 Van Til wrote a book critiquing Idealism called Christianity and Idealism. So most certainly would not have labeled himself an Idealist. However, he capitulated to Kant's idea that we cannot know the noumena and therefore fell dead at Kant's feet at a fundamental level. It's the very foundation of presuppositionalism and the reason I label him an Idealist.

  • @windowsoflife
    @windowsoflife6 ай бұрын

    This is a wonderful discussion. Thanks!

  • @servusbellator8554
    @servusbellator85549 ай бұрын

    It has been shown by several scholars that there is this oversimplified view of Van Til regarding his position on Natural Theology. While it is clear to anyone who has studied Van Til that he has his own way of articulating his thought that is out of the norm among Reformed thinkers, and that he does have his own divergence within that, it has been demonstrated inaccurate to state that Van Til rejected Natural theology. This can be seen in his "Introduction to Systematic Theology" and his paper on "Nature and Scripture," I would agree his articulation brings some questions about his positions consistency with, or lack there of, the WCF, but individuals fail to demonstrate Van Tils position as HE Explains his position. Van Til's position is that one cannot RIGHTLY interpret natural revelation without the lens of special revelation, and that individuals have taken an inconsistent approach to natural theology.. One can see this in Augustine and Calvin, that knowledge of God epistemologically comes prior. Van Til's very method presupposes the necessity of natural theology, the difference is where he places natural theology systematically and epistemologically within his thought. It doesn't help that various followers of Van Til have taken different trajectories all claiming to be inline with Van Til. Bahnsen et al., specifically has taken Van Til arguably on a different trajectory than Van Til while claiming to be the most faithful to his thought. Van Til is known for his own and often confusing ways of articulating his thought, but it is to misunderstand his own historical corpus to charge him with outright denying natural theology. I absolutely agree that there has been an unfortunate, and dangerous by some, divergence form classical theism which is why I appreciate Credo's work.

  • @bernardjones1615
    @bernardjones16159 ай бұрын

    This was a great discussion!

  • @travismaples4388
    @travismaples438819 күн бұрын

    I’m trying to chew my way through Carl Henry’s GRA, how would he engage with natural theology and reasons ability to interpret it?

  • @marilynmelzian7370
    @marilynmelzian73705 ай бұрын

    Thank you!

  • @Eric_Lichtenberg
    @Eric_Lichtenberg6 ай бұрын

    If you are going to hold the idea of Participation, how do you not end up with the Roman doctrine of the Mass? The Exitus and Reditus system requires a means of actualization, right? Isn't such actualization found in the Eucharist according to Aquinas?

  • @pastorpitman
    @pastorpitman9 ай бұрын

    Excellent!

  • @GlocalReformission
    @GlocalReformission9 ай бұрын

    Is there is release date for when this will be uploaded on the podcast?

  • @philsdronelyshots
    @philsdronelyshots9 ай бұрын

    How about that intro music... next level epic.

  • @dbodde
    @dbodde6 ай бұрын

    Evolution by natural selection isn’t a modern metaphysic but an inductive, historical science of life on earth. Granted it has been unnecessarily loaded with metaphysics (neo-Darwinism) and its content distorted to over-emphasize competition and under-emphasize costly cooperation (sacrifice!). It well describes Plato’s assumption that life is unstable (in flux)-his impetus for the stable, perfected forms.

  • @spartakos3178

    @spartakos3178

    6 ай бұрын

    There is not a whole lot of "science" in Evolution. It is not testable, has never been observed, and is not reproducible.

  • @callawaycass5148
    @callawaycass51489 ай бұрын

    Every example given of truth that supposedly requires metaphysics to arrive at can be clearly deduced from Scripture. I think the true metaphysic does not start with Plato or any correction of him, but with Scripture. We must get our system of thinking from the Bible itself. And I recognize we all have presuppositions which we must let God's Word correct. (Yes, call me a biblicist. Dr. Barrett already straw manned and misrepresented us in the previous conversation. It doesn't bother me.)

  • @user-fv4nv8oj2d
    @user-fv4nv8oj2d8 ай бұрын

    Is that really what the Logos is? Perhaps according to Justin Martyr! There is so much scholarship out there that would go against such interpretation. If you read the latest commentaries on John (e.g., M.M. Thompson, Udo Schnelle, Seitz, etc.), your interpretation would be questioned. I have no problem with these types of views (well, I do!) But If you would presented them with a bit more humility, I would be more inclined to listen. But the tone tends to be arrogant and amateurish, as if this were the first time that such views on natural theology were aired or discovered. Please, a little more modesty! You can't act as if Barth did not exist and made a strong case against Natural Theology

  • @rockpaperscissors82
    @rockpaperscissors829 ай бұрын

    Is it really too much for men to dress like men and not teenagers? Drop the sneakers.

  • @Particularly1677

    @Particularly1677

    7 ай бұрын

    American men? Native American men? Which culture?

  • @henrybarr7307

    @henrybarr7307

    6 ай бұрын

    Seriously. Grow up.

  • @HearGodsWord

    @HearGodsWord

    2 ай бұрын

    Since when can only teenagers wear 'sneakers'? I guess some people easily fall into legalism.

  • @rockpaperscissors82

    @rockpaperscissors82

    2 ай бұрын

    @@HearGodsWord It's not legalism. It's being self-aware and having standards. Sneakers are great for the tennis court, jogging at the park, doing a grocery run, etc. It screams immaturity in a more professional context, like this video.

  • @HearGodsWord

    @HearGodsWord

    2 ай бұрын

    @rockpaperscissors82 no, it doesn't scream that at all.

  • @johnstewart7025
    @johnstewart70255 ай бұрын

    Good luck with replacing theory of evolution, which is the basis of modern chemistry, biology, virology and pharmaceutical science.

  • @HearGodsWord

    @HearGodsWord

    2 ай бұрын

    Somewhat overstating the case for the theory, which is what it is, so has its own flaws, issues and required revisions.