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Natural Sciences as a Contemporary Locus Theologicus
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Natural Sciences as a Contemporary Locus Theologicus

A special issue of Religions (ISSN 2077-1444). This special issue belongs to the section "Religions and Theologies".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 January 2025) | Viewed by 20441

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Jacek Rodzeń

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Guest Editor
Faculty of Humanities, Institute of History, Jan Kochanowski University, Kielce, Poland
Interests: history of relations between science and religion; science and theology studies; theology of science; the-ology of technology
Prof. Dr. Paweł Polak

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Philosophy, Pontifical University of John Paul II, Krakow, Poland
Interests: science and religion relations in methodological perspective; science and theology studies; theology of science; philosophy of science

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The particular role of science in the modern world provokes many questions about its relation to the spheres of faith and religion, but there is still a lack of deeper theological reflection on science itself.  The title of this Special Issue refers to the famous theological treatise De locis theologicis (1563) by Melchior Cano. In this work, the Spanish theologian innovatively developed a concept of sources of theological reflection and argumentation. Among the auxiliary sources of theology based on reason, he included, for example, philosophy and history.

In this Special Issue we would like to explore how modern natural sciences can serve as sources of theological reflection (locus theologicus). The issue would not deal with the methodological and historical issues concerning the relationship between science and religion (theology).

We would like to encourage authors to contribute to theological reflection on the very existence of the natural sciences as a special form of human cognitive activity. We welcome contributions that broaden or deepen our theological understanding of the existence, role, and value of the natural sciences.

The purpose of this Special Issue is to initiate a broader theological discussion concerning the role of the sciences as an important source of theological reflection. So far, this question has only been sketched, as in the concept of theology of science formulated by Templeton Prize laureate Michael Heller. The development of this question seems to be an important stimulus for contemporary theology.

This Special Issue welcomes original research articles and reviews. Areas of research may include (but are not limited to) the following:

  • Natural sciences as a form of human cognitive activity in the light of theology
  • The very existence of the natural sciences
  • The philosophical and theological conditions of scientific knowledge (especially scientific rationality)
  • Science as value and values in the sciences from a theological perspective
  • Goals of the natural sciences from a theological perspective
  • Theological uses and abuses of the scientific worldview (past and present)

We request that, prior to submitting a manuscript, interested authors initially submit a proposed title and an abstract of between 150–200 words summarizing their intended contribution. Please send it to the Guest Editors, Prof. Dr. Jacek Rodzeń (jacek.rodzen@ujk.edu.pl) and Prof. Dr. Paweł Polak (pawel.polak@upjp2.edu.pl), and CC the Assistant Editor, Ms. Joyce Xi (joyce.xi@mdpi.com). Abstracts will be reviewed by the Guest Editors for the purpose of ensuring the manuscript will fit within the scope of the Special Issue. Full manuscripts will undergo double-blind peer review.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Prof. Dr. Jacek Rodzeń
Prof. Dr. Paweł Polak
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Religions is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • science and religion
  • natural sciences
  • theology
  • scientific rationality
  • science as a value
  • aim(s) of science
  • scientific worldview
  • theology of science

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Published Papers (11 papers)

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Research

23 pages, 703 KiB  
Article
Science as Divine Signs: Al-Sanūsī’s Framework of Legal (sharʿī), Nomic (ʿādī), and Rational (ʿaqlī) Judgements
by Shoaib Ahmed Malik
Religions 2025, 16(5), 549; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16050549 - 25 Apr 2025
Viewed by 478
Abstract
This article examines the Ashʿarī theological framework of Imam Abū ʿAbd Allāh Muḥammad ibn Yūsuf al-Sanūsī (d. 1490) and its potential for shaping contemporary Muslim engagement with science. At the heart of al-Sanūsī’s thought is a tripartite typology of judgements—legal (ḥukm sharʿī [...] Read more.
This article examines the Ashʿarī theological framework of Imam Abū ʿAbd Allāh Muḥammad ibn Yūsuf al-Sanūsī (d. 1490) and its potential for shaping contemporary Muslim engagement with science. At the heart of al-Sanūsī’s thought is a tripartite typology of judgements—legal (ḥukm sharʿī), nomic (ḥukm ʿādī), and rational (ḥukm ʿaqlī)—as articulated in The Preliminaries of Theology (al-Muqaddimāt). This classification distinguishes between rulings grounded in revelation, patterns observed in nature, and conclusions drawn from reason. Unlike other theological approaches, al-Sanūsī’s model integrates core Ashʿarī doctrines such as radical contingency, occasionalism, and divine command theory, offering a coherent synthesis of metaphysics, empirical inquiry, and ethics. Building on recent scholarship that re-engages with Ashʿarī theology in the context of Islam and science, this article argues that al-Sanūsī’s schema offers a meta-framework—one that positions science not merely as an object of analysis but as a locus for theology. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Sciences as a Contemporary Locus Theologicus)
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19 pages, 291 KiB  
Article
Scientific Imagination as locus of Theology
by Robert J. Woźniak
Religions 2025, 16(4), 467; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16040467 - 5 Apr 2025
Viewed by 337
Abstract
Christian theology is not an isolated system of knowledge. The theological phenomena of revelation and inspiration are related to human knowledge of self, community and the world, yet it would be insufficient to think that their conceptual content comes only from human natural [...] Read more.
Christian theology is not an isolated system of knowledge. The theological phenomena of revelation and inspiration are related to human knowledge of self, community and the world, yet it would be insufficient to think that their conceptual content comes only from human natural experience. This truth is expressed in the doctrine of “theological places”, which is most often associated with the Spanish Dominican Melchior Cano because of its systematic presentation. In this contribution, I present the hypothesis that science (in the modern sense) can be understood as a “theological place”, not only from the perspective of direct assimilation of concrete and detailed scientific data, but also at the level of imagination. Imagination turns out to be one of the essential components of the scientific method, of course, differently at different stages of the history of science. At the same time, today, theology itself is increasingly appealing to the imagination. In this perspective, one of the main tasks facing theology is the reception of the scientific imagination at both levels of its functioning: as a paradigm of thinking and a specific set of information that makes up the modern scientific picture of the world. Scientific imagination, not only that which comes from art, literature and philosophy, can significantly stimulate the theological imagination. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Sciences as a Contemporary Locus Theologicus)
19 pages, 266 KiB  
Article
The Quest for Intelligibility as Mediation Between Science and Theology
by Dominique Lambert and Michał Oleksowicz
Religions 2025, 16(4), 421; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16040421 - 26 Mar 2025
Viewed by 257
Abstract
In this article, we explore how natural sciences can serve as sources of theological reflection. We do this by clarifying the notion of the intelligibility of the world and showing how it may work as the mediator between science and theology. In contrast [...] Read more.
In this article, we explore how natural sciences can serve as sources of theological reflection. We do this by clarifying the notion of the intelligibility of the world and showing how it may work as the mediator between science and theology. In contrast to the celebrated classification of the relationship between science and religion provided by I. Barbour, we elaborate our approach within the threefold division: concordism, discordism, and articulation (mediation). We opt for the articulation mode of relationship, arguing that the link between science and theology can be articulated by raising the issue of intelligibility from the epistemic and ontic points of view. From the epistemic perspective, it results that both science and theology are operating according to proper principles and are aimed at unifying their domains of discourse and giving proper understanding. From the ontic point of view, both are related to reality: science applies its own principles to the universe and works under empirical commitments, whereas theology discusses God himself, the relationship between God and all things (creatures), and God’s action in created reality. We emphasize how the articulation mode contributes to the formulation of a worldview, and we problematize the articulation by asking whether it is a convergent or divergent strategy. For this purpose, Kazimierz Ajdukiewicz’s philosophical approach is applied. Finally, we show that Georges Lemaître and Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, who used two very different scientific and theological approaches, can come together if we consider them from the point of view of the intelligibility of the universe. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Sciences as a Contemporary Locus Theologicus)
20 pages, 322 KiB  
Article
Contemporary Theologies of Science in the Light of Bonaventure’s De Reductione Artium ad Theologiam
by Jacek Rodzeń and Paweł Polak
Religions 2025, 16(3), 368; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16030368 - 14 Mar 2025
Viewed by 788
Abstract
For some time now, regardless of the still-common paradigm of Barbour’s practice of science–religion relations, proposals have been emerging to develop a theology of science from a Christian perspective. This article begins by discussing three theologies of science as proposed by Michael (Michał) [...] Read more.
For some time now, regardless of the still-common paradigm of Barbour’s practice of science–religion relations, proposals have been emerging to develop a theology of science from a Christian perspective. This article begins by discussing three theologies of science as proposed by Michael (Michał) Heller, Christopher B. Kaiser, and Tom McLeish. It then goes on to present the theological vision of the arts and sciences as contained in the work De reductione artium ad theologiam by Bonaventure of Bagnoregio (c. 1221–1274). The aim of this article is to compare the contemporary variants for a theology of science with each other and then compare them with Bonaventure’s theological project. Thus, we analyze this 13th-century thinker’s concepts and their heuristic relevance to the modern theologies of science. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Sciences as a Contemporary Locus Theologicus)
38 pages, 530 KiB  
Article
Criteria for the Acceptability of Scientific Theories as Locus theologicus: A Methodological Analysis of Catholic Church’s Reactions to the Cases of Galileo and Darwin (Bellarmine—Pius XII—John Paul II)
by Zbigniew Liana
Religions 2025, 16(2), 153; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16020153 - 28 Jan 2025
Viewed by 1038
Abstract
The categories of demonstration and hypothesis appear constantly in the texts of Catholic theologians confronted with the new science of Copernicus and Darwin. They were used by Robert Bellarmine to reject Galileo’s scientific and realistic interpretation of Copernican theory. They were equally used [...] Read more.
The categories of demonstration and hypothesis appear constantly in the texts of Catholic theologians confronted with the new science of Copernicus and Darwin. They were used by Robert Bellarmine to reject Galileo’s scientific and realistic interpretation of Copernican theory. They were equally used by some neo-scholastic theologians against Darwin’s theory of evolution and reappeared in the official texts of Pope Pius XII and John Paul II. My paper will analyze these selected historical texts to show whether and how the epistemology and methodology adopted by their authors determined their acceptance or rejection of scientific theories as potential Loci theologici. Moreover, the historical-comparative approach should reveal in this theological tradition, for all its officially declared continuity, the progressive evolution of views on the meaning and role of demonstration and hypothesis in science, as well as official Catholic theology’s dependence on the historically changing notion of science and its method. This will allow me to discuss the idea of a changing scientific methodology as another very specific locus theologicus, this time metatheoretical. I will propose the idea of a non-absolute autonomy or relative dependence of theology on available meta-scientific solutions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Sciences as a Contemporary Locus Theologicus)
14 pages, 266 KiB  
Article
The Idea of Mathematicity of the Universe as a Locus Theologicus: Michael Heller and Representatives of “The Kraków School of Philosophy in Science”
by Kamil Trombik
Religions 2025, 16(1), 54; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16010054 - 8 Jan 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1174
Abstract
In this paper, I focus on the analysis of the concept of the mathematicity of the Universe developed by Heller and his colleagues from the Kraków School of Philosophy in Science [KSPS]. For the representatives of this School, the mathematicity of nature was [...] Read more.
In this paper, I focus on the analysis of the concept of the mathematicity of the Universe developed by Heller and his colleagues from the Kraków School of Philosophy in Science [KSPS]. For the representatives of this School, the mathematicity of nature was one of the most frequently discussed issues. Based on these philosophical discussions, several proposals were formulated with clear theological references, and these also constitute an area for a broader discussion at the interface between science and religion. From a philosophical point of view, the question of the mathematicity of nature remains an open metaphysical problem. The image of the world formulated on the basis of this idea can be an inspiration for theologians seeking common ground with the sciences. An example of this are the views of Heller himself and some representatives of the KSPS, which are analyzed in this paper, taking into account critical positions and indicating possible research perspectives. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Sciences as a Contemporary Locus Theologicus)
12 pages, 237 KiB  
Article
Natural Science as a Modern Locus Theologicus Alienus
by Christoph Böttigheimer
Religions 2024, 15(12), 1445; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15121445 - 27 Nov 2024
Viewed by 796
Abstract
God’s word is the starting point of all theological knowledge and is conveyed through different objectivations. Since the 16th century, the authorised places of testimony of the Word of God have been referred to as “loci theologici”. The Dominican Melchior Cano distinguished ten [...] Read more.
God’s word is the starting point of all theological knowledge and is conveyed through different objectivations. Since the 16th century, the authorised places of testimony of the Word of God have been referred to as “loci theologici”. The Dominican Melchior Cano distinguished ten homes of the divine word of revelation, whereby he counted human reason, philosophy, and the history of mankind among the loci alieni. The Second Vatican Council valued the non-theological sciences and granted them autonomy, which is developed in the first part of the essay. Today, it is mainly the insights of natural sciences that enrich theology but also challenge it, especially when the theological view is not narrowed anthropocentrically but is oriented towards the whole of creation. In this case, the question underlying the second part arises as to how the goal of creation can be considered together with the intrinsic lawfulness of nature. It will be shown that this question offers theology the opportunity to reflect on its statements on creation, as well as unanswerable questions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Sciences as a Contemporary Locus Theologicus)
22 pages, 349 KiB  
Article
Dialogue Between Theology and Science: Present Challenges and Future Perspectives
by Giuseppe Tanzella-Nitti
Religions 2024, 15(11), 1304; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15111304 - 24 Oct 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2586
Abstract
In order to consider the natural sciences as a contemporary locus theologicus, I here examine the meaning and implications of the “dialogue between theology and the sciences”. Although widely used, this expression has different meanings. I try to clarify who the interlocutors of [...] Read more.
In order to consider the natural sciences as a contemporary locus theologicus, I here examine the meaning and implications of the “dialogue between theology and the sciences”. Although widely used, this expression has different meanings. I try to clarify who the interlocutors of the dialogue are, where the dialogue takes place, and what the goals of the dialogue itself are. A coherent agenda to encourage the use of the sciences in theological work should include (a) the design and implementation of interdisciplinary curricula to help those scholars who are seriously interested to be trained in this field; (b) an emphasis on the role of philosophy and philosophical sources in the study of the sciences and theology; (c) going beyond the epistemological level and developing the dialogue also at the anthropological level; (d) the identification of a number of key issues for theological and religious studies that are expected to become more urgent in the coming years. Finally, the use of the sciences as a locus theologicus is expected to bear two main fruits: first, to offer a positive, speculative insight to the work of theologians and, second, to contribute to a responsible development of the dogmatic teachings of the Church. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Sciences as a Contemporary Locus Theologicus)
14 pages, 242 KiB  
Article
Some Eastern Orthodox Perspectives on Science-Engaged Theology (and Their Relevance to Western Christians)
by Christopher C. Knight
Religions 2024, 15(10), 1189; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15101189 - 30 Sep 2024
Viewed by 1245
Abstract
An Eastern Orthodox understanding of science—that of Christopher C. Knight—is presented as a contribution to science-engaged theology that has implications for western Christian reflection on science as a contemporary locus theologicus. Three areas of enquiry are discussed: natural theology, the human mind in [...] Read more.
An Eastern Orthodox understanding of science—that of Christopher C. Knight—is presented as a contribution to science-engaged theology that has implications for western Christian reflection on science as a contemporary locus theologicus. Three areas of enquiry are discussed: natural theology, the human mind in its relationship to God, and divine action. It is suggested that in each of these areas, Orthodox perspectives can provide links between the differing perspectives to be found among western Christians and provide new pathways for theological exploration on an ecumenical basis. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Sciences as a Contemporary Locus Theologicus)
31 pages, 471 KiB  
Article
The Agencies of God’s Word and Spirit: Modern Science as a “Sacred Reminder”
by Christopher Barina Kaiser
Religions 2024, 15(3), 367; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15030367 - 19 Mar 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1889
Abstract
In this essay, I argue that modern science can function as a source of “sacred reminders” for aspects of Christian theology, like the doctrine of the Trinity, that are not normally engaged with in the empirical world. This approach is an alternative to [...] Read more.
In this essay, I argue that modern science can function as a source of “sacred reminders” for aspects of Christian theology, like the doctrine of the Trinity, that are not normally engaged with in the empirical world. This approach is an alternative to the usual ways of relating scientific and theological endeavors in terms of conflict, separation, or consonance. I demonstrate this by beginning with the thoughts of two representative physicists (John Archibald Wheeler and Steven Hawking), particularly focusing on a fundamental distinction they make about the underlying ideal of the physical sciences. Noting a striking similarity of this distinction with some of the biblical imagery of God’s Word and Spirit, I review biblical texts along these lines to show partial continuity with the groundbreaking ideas of our physicists, and to show how they can be generalized to include (a) levels of organization beyond those of physics; (b) intensive, localized agencies of Word and Spirit as well as the more extensive agencies suggested their ideas; and (c) the commissioning agency of God the Father. A review of the theology of Irenaeus shows that these distinctions in biblical imagery were developed in the early Church and played an important role in early Trinitarian theology. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Sciences as a Contemporary Locus Theologicus)
19 pages, 318 KiB  
Article
Theology of Science as an Intertextual Reading: The Bible, the Book of Nature, and Narrative Paradigm
by Tadeusz Sierotowicz
Religions 2024, 15(3), 293; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15030293 - 26 Feb 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1676
Abstract
The paper addresses the question of the identity of theology of science, fostering its interpretation as an intertextual narration. The starting point is the consideration of the domain of theology of science, which is viewed as a third domain of truth, according to [...] Read more.
The paper addresses the question of the identity of theology of science, fostering its interpretation as an intertextual narration. The starting point is the consideration of the domain of theology of science, which is viewed as a third domain of truth, according to Hans Urs von Balthasar. An analysis of the Swiss theologian’s perspective on this subject and the concept of God’s unknowability presents a strong counterargument to the claim that the natural sciences serve as a locus theologicus. Theology of science, nonetheless, exists and is engaged in a lively dialogue between science and theology, encompassing both the Revelation of God and the natural world or the Bible and the Book of Nature. What kind of discourse is this? This question concerns the position of theology of science within the field of science, specifically its objectivity and rigour, according to Evandro Agazzi’s analogical notion of science. Both the Bible and the Book of Nature ensure the objectivity of theology of science, while its rigour is established by the narrative paradigm. Therefore, theology of science can be seen as an intertextual narrative that engages both the Bible and the Book of Nature. The narrative paradigm of theology of science is subsequently elucidated, with particular emphasis on its cognitive aspects, narrative reasoning, the corresponding verification method, and Jewish corrective. The conclusion outlines a special task for theology of science in the modern age. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Sciences as a Contemporary Locus Theologicus)
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