A Scientific Theology

This volume presents a sustained case for the rationality of Christian theism through rigorous engagement with contemporary philosophy of science and naturalistic worldviews. Moreland argues that theism, particularly in its Christian form, provides superior explanatory power for fundamental features of reality when compared to naturalism's reductive accounts.

The work develops its argument across several interconnected fronts. First, Moreland examines the nature of scientific methodology itself, contending that science presupposes metaphysical commitments that naturalism cannot adequately ground. He argues that the reliability of cognitive faculties, the intelligibility of nature, and the existence of mathematical truths all point beyond purely materialistic explanations. The author draws on developments in philosophy of science to challenge scientism—the view that empirical science provides the only legitimate source of knowledge—while defending a realist understanding of both scientific and theological claims.

Central to Moreland's project is his critique of physicalism and defense of substance dualism. He marshals evidence from consciousness studies, arguing that qualia, intentionality, and first-person subjective experience resist reduction to physical processes. This irreducibility of consciousness serves as a key plank in his cumulative case for theism, as he contends that mental properties find their best explanation in a divine mind rather than emerging from purely physical antecedents.

The work engages extensively with prominent naturalist philosophers including Paul Churchland, Daniel Dennett, and Jaegwon Kim, offering detailed rebuttals to their positions on mind-body interaction, emergence, and causal closure. Moreland employs modal logic and metaphysical analysis to demonstrate what he views as fatal internal tensions within naturalistic frameworks, particularly regarding the emergence of genuine novelty and the grounding of abstract objects.

Methodologically, the volume combines analytic philosophy with natural theology, utilizing both deductive arguments and inference to the best explanation. Moreland situates his work within the broader revival of Christian philosophy in the Anglo-American tradition, drawing on insights from Alvin Plantinga, Richard Swinburne, and William Lane Craig while developing distinctive positions on divine action and the relationship between theology and empirical science.

The significance of this work lies in its systematic attempt to demonstrate that theism represents not merely a faith commitment but a rationally superior worldview that better accounts for the full range of human experience and scientific discovery. Moreland's integration of philosophy of mind with natural theology offers a sophisticated challenge to naturalistic assumptions prevalent in contemporary academia.