Philosophical Theology Volume 2: The World, the Soul and God

This second volume of Tennant's Philosophical Theology advances his empirical approach to natural theology through a comprehensive examination of cosmological and teleological arguments for God's existence. Building upon his earlier epistemological foundations, Tennant develops what becomes known as his "wider teleology" or "cosmic teleology," which extends beyond traditional design arguments to encompass the entire evolutionary process and the emergence of moral and aesthetic values.

The work's central contribution lies in Tennant's sophisticated reformulation of the teleological argument in light of evolutionary theory. Rather than focusing on specific instances of apparent design in nature, Tennant argues for a cumulative case based on the overall directionality and value-productivity of the cosmic process. He contends that the universe's capacity to produce conscious beings capable of moral agency, aesthetic appreciation, and rational thought suggests an underlying purposiveness that naturalistic explanations cannot adequately account for. This argument anticipates later anthropic principle discussions by several decades.

Tennant engages critically with contemporary naturalistic philosophies, particularly those of Samuel Alexander and C. Lloyd Morgan, while also distancing himself from vitalist theories. He rejects both mechanistic materialism and panpsychistic solutions, arguing instead for a theistic interpretation that preserves both divine transcendence and immanence. His analysis of the problem of evil proves particularly nuanced, acknowledging its force while maintaining that a world capable of producing moral agents necessarily involves genuine risk and the possibility of suffering.

The volume demonstrates Tennant's commitment to empirical method in theology, eschewing a priori arguments in favor of probable reasoning based on observable phenomena. His approach influenced subsequent British philosophy of religion, particularly through his impact on philosophers like A. E. Taylor and his student John Hick. The work's emphasis on probability rather than demonstrative certainty, combined with its serious engagement with scientific findings, established a model for natural theology that remained influential throughout the twentieth century.

Tennant's broader teleology represents a significant attempt to preserve theistic belief within a scientifically informed worldview. By shifting focus from mechanical contrivances to the universe's capacity for value-realization, he offers a vision of divine purpose that accommodates evolutionary theory while maintaining that naturalistic explanations alone remain fundamentally incomplete in accounting for the full range of cosmic phenomena.