ABSTRACT
Scientists have a tremendous amount of prestige and moral authority in Western culture, which is partly attributable to the instrumental power of science. The technological conveniences of modern life are the tangible fruit of scientific labor, as are the weapons that threaten to destroy human civilization. The prestige of science can be seen in the way that disciplines outside the natural sciences have tried to appropriate the methodology or philosophy of science for their own subject matter. Theologians likewise in the last fifty years have been keen to show that theology can meet the standards of scientific inquiry, for to admit otherwise would be to acknowledge that theology lacks intellectual content and does not deserve a place in modern intellectual life. With three major approaches—method, realism, and rationality—for understanding science, there are three different ways for arguing for the intellectual legitimacy of theology. The chapter also presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book.
