Essays in Postfoundationalist Theology

This collection represents van Huyssteen's sustained effort to develop a postfoundationalist theological methodology that navigates between the extremes of foundationalism and relativistic nonfoundationalism. Writing in the late 1990s context of science-theology dialogue and postmodern philosophical challenges, van Huyssteen articulates a position that seeks to maintain theology's rational integrity while acknowledging the contextual and provisional nature of all human knowledge, including theological claims about God.

The essays collectively argue that theology can engage in interdisciplinary dialogue without either claiming privileged epistemic access to divine truth or surrendering to complete relativism. Van Huyssteen develops his postfoundationalist approach by drawing on resources from philosophy of science, particularly the work of Harold Brown and Larry Laudan, to show how theology can participate in public discourse about rationality. Central to his project is the concept of "transversal rationality," which allows for meaningful conversation across disciplinary boundaries while respecting the integrity of different domains of inquiry.

Against foundationalist theologians who seek indubitable foundations for theological knowledge, van Huyssteen argues that all human knowing, including knowledge of God, emerges from interpreted experience within particular traditions. However, contra nonfoundationalist positions that might lead to fideism or relativism, he maintains that theological reflection can achieve intersubjective intelligibility through shared resources of human rationality. The essays demonstrate how this approach applies to various theological loci, including the doctrine of God, theological anthropology, and the relationship between theology and the natural sciences.

The work's significance for the God debate lies in its sophisticated treatment of epistemological questions that undergird all theological discourse about divine reality. Van Huyssteen shows how postfoundationalism enables theology to make truth claims about God while acknowledging their provisional and contextual nature. This approach proves particularly valuable for addressing the science-religion dialogue, where questions about divine action, creation, and human nature require careful navigation between scientific and theological modes of explanation. By developing a model of rationality that is neither universal nor fragmentary, van Huyssteen provides resources for theologians to engage contemporary challenges to theism without retreating into either dogmatism or relativism. His postfoundationalist framework continues to influence discussions about how theological claims about God can be rationally justified in pluralistic contexts.