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8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullan-invitation-to-analytic-christian-theology-by-thomas-h-mccall-excerpt 133
An Inv i ta t ion t o
A N A L Y T I C
C H R I S T I A N
T H E O L O G Y
Thomas H McCal l
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullan-invitation-to-analytic-christian-theology-by-thomas-h-mccall-excerpt 233
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullan-invitation-to-analytic-christian-theology-by-thomas-h-mccall-excerpt 333
An Invitation to
ANALYTIC
C H R I S T I A NT H E O L O G Y
Thomas H McCall
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8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
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InterVarsity Press
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emailivpresscom
copy983090983088983089983093 by Tomas H McCall
All rights reserved No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from
InterVarsity Press
InterVarsity Pressreg is the book-publishing division of InterVarsity Christian FellowshipUSAreg a movement of
students and faculty active on campus at hundreds of universities colleges and schools of nursing in the United
States of America and a member movement of the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students For
information about local and regional activities visit intervarsityorg
All Scripture quotations unless otherwise indicated are taken from HE HOLY BIBLE NEW INERNAIONAL
VERSION reg NIV reg Copyright copy 983089983097983095983091 983089983097983095983096 983089983097983096983092 983090983088983089983089 by Biblica Inctrade Used by permission All rights reserved
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Images Geometric abstract copy marigold_983096983096iStockphoto
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ISBN 983097983095983096-983088-983096983091983088983096-983092983088983097983093-983091 (print)
ISBN 983097983095983096-983088-983096983091983088983096-983097983097983091983088-983090 (digital)
Printed in the United States of America
As a member of the Green Press Initiative InterVarsity Press is committed to protecting the environment
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
McCall Tomas H
An invitation to analytic Christian theology Tomas H McCall
pages cm
Includes bibliographical references and index
ISBN 983097983095983096-983088-983096983091983088983096-983092983088983097983093-983091 (pbk alk paper)
983089 TeologymdashMethodology 983090 Analysis (Philosophy) 983091 Philosophical theology I itle
BR983089983089983096M983090983092 983090983088983089983093
983090983091983088rsquo983088983092983094mdashdc983090983091
983090983088983089983093983088983091983091983092983093983089
P 983090983091 983090983090 983090983089 983090983088 983089983097 983089983096 983089983095 983089983094 983089983093 983089983092 983089983091 983089983090 983089983089 983089983088 983097 983096 983095 983094 983093 983092 983091 983090 983089
Y 983091983093 983091983092 983091983091 983091983090 983091983089 983091983088 983090983097 983090983096 983090983095 983090983094 983090983093 983090983092 983090983091 983090983090 983090983089 983090983088 983089983097 983089983096 983089983095 983089983094 983089983093
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8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
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Contents
Introduction 1048633
983089 What Is Analytic heology 983089983089
983090 Analytic heology and Christian Scripture 10486271048631
1048627 Analytic heology and the History o Doctrine 10486321048627
1048628 Analytic heology or the Church and the World 9830899830901048627
1048629 Analytic heology to the Glory o God 9830891048630983089
Author Index 9830891048632983089
Subject Index 98308910486321048627
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Introduction
983144983141 983159983145983140983141 983154983137983150983143983141 983151983142 983141983158983141983150983156983155 and publications that are loosely
gathered under the label ldquoanalytic theologyrdquo is both quite broad
and very active Proponents and practitioners range rom traditionally
minded Orthodox and Roman Catholic philosophers and theologians
through Anglican Lutheran Methodist and other tradition-sensitive
scholars to conservative evangelicals and to revisionist or ldquoprogressiverdquo
theologians In some quarters enthusiasm runs high In other sectors
o the theological (and philosophical) academy suspicion and even
hostility run deep Misunderstanding ofen accompanies the label and
questions abound But just what is this thing called ldquoanalytic theologyrdquo
What are its ldquoaccidentalrdquo eatures and what are its ldquoessentialrdquo attributes
And what are we to make o it as theology Or is it merely a technically
precise and agenda-driven subdiscipline o analytic metaphysics
Where is it going Is there some discernible direction that it willmdashor
shouldmdashtake
In this book I introduce nonspecialists to analytic theology I try to
make clear both what it isnrsquot and what it is Accordingly I discuss what
makes analytic theology analytic and I try to lay out what makes analytic
theology really theology Specifically I outline analytic theologyrsquos con-
nections to Scripture Christian tradition and culture (broadly con-ceived) and I do so by using case studies to illuminate the relationships
and the need or urther integration Here I must also coness to an
agenda I am hoping to influence the uture o analytic theology by
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
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1048625983088 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
calling the discipline to a deeper engagement with the traditional re-
sources o the theological task
I come to the work o analytic theology as someone who is by trainingand by vocation a theologian Tus I am especially grateul or the pa-
tience and graciousness o those riends and colleagues who have
genuine expertise in epistemology metaphysics and philosophy o re-
ligion (as well as the history o philosophy) I am deeply indebted to you
or whatever abilities I have as an analytic theologian and I am truly
grateul or your collegiality and encouragement I am also thankul or
those ellow theologians who have taken up the mantle o analytic the-ology and I am grateul as well to those who led the way by actually
doing it beore it was ever called by that name Oliver Crisp Mike Rea
and Billy Abraham read the manuscript and offered very helpul critique
and encouragement and the book is much improved as a result (All
remaining aults are o course entirely mine)
In addition I am grateul or the community o saints and scholars
who surround me at rinity Evangelical Divinity School (and especiallythe members o the Deerfield Dialogue Group who read part o the
manuscript) and I am indebted as well to the administration and the
board o regents or a sabbatical in the all o 10486269830881048625983092
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
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983089
What Is Analytic Theology
Fear of scholasticism is the mark of the false prophet
K983137983154983148 B983137983154983156983144
A B983154983145983141983142 H983145983155983156983151983154983161 983151983142 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 T983144983141983151983148983151983143983161Where we were Te revival of philosophy of religion For a good deal
o the twentieth century academic philosophymdashespecially Anglo-
American ldquoanalyticrdquo philosophymdashwas ofen taken to be hostile to tradi-
tional theistic belie in general and perhaps especially so to Christian
belie983089 Logical positivism insisted that theological claims were not only
alse but indeed meaningless and many philosophers ound it difficult
even to take theology seriously Te conclusions o A J Ayer are bothrepresentative and influential He claims that the very ldquopossibility o re-
ligious knowledgerdquo has been ldquoruled out by our treatment o metaphysicsrdquo983090
I the ldquocriterion o verifiabilityrdquo eliminates metaphysics and i theology
is only a subcategory o metaphysics then theology is obviously elimi-
natedmdashthe very possibility has been ruled out and all God-talk is literally
Epigraph Karl Barth Church Dogmatics vol I1048625 Te Doctrine of the Word of God ed F
orrance trans Geoffrey Bromiley (Edinburgh amp Clark 1048625983097983095983093) p 10486269830959830971I realize that (at least on some understandings o the term) the story o analytic theology ar
predates the modern era and indeed has ar more in common with scholasticism than it does
with either twentieth-century philosophy or modern theology More on this anon2Alred Jules Ayer Language ruth and Logic (New York Dover 10486259830979830931048626) p 10486251048625983092
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
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10486251048626 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
nonsensical983091 Hud Hudson says ldquoInormed that questions about the ex-
istence nature and significance o the deity were hereafer to be engaged
exclusively under the guidance o linguistic analyses o religious lan-guage and menaced with (inexplicably popular) verificationist theories
o meaning theologians were told by analytic philosophers that they had
not even achieved the minimal distinction o saying anything alse or
they had not managed to say anything at allrdquo1048628
Te response o many theologians in the late modern era to the develop-
ments in mainstream philosophy in Anglo-American circles was under-
standable they largely ignored the work o these philosophers andlooked elsewhere or intellectual resources and conversation partners
Some sought reuge in ldquoContinentalrdquo philosophy while others decried
any engagement between philosophy and theology
But the second hal o the twentieth century witnessed some re-
markable changes As Hudson notes ldquoTis most unortunate moment in
the history o analytic philosophy was merciully temporary as was its
slavish devotion to linguistic analyses verificationism and all the un-ounded suspicion o metaphysics ethics and religion that ollowed in its
wakerdquo1048629 Logical positivism couldnrsquot bear its own weight and Ayerrsquos con-
fident pronouncements are now valued more as a quaint museum artiact
o philosophical history (ldquoLook kids isnrsquot it amazing that anyone ever
said thatmdashand especially that he seemed so cocksure about itrdquo) than as
a helpul repository o philosophical insight With the collapse o posi-
tivism came a rebirth o serious metaphysicsmdashand with that collapse and
the rebirth o metaphysics came a revival o philosophy o religion983094
Where philosophical consideration o theological issues had been deemed
an utter waste o time now it was seen as an interesting area o inquiry
Serious and sustained engagement with perennial issues o religious and
theological interest was happening again and many o the philosophers
3Ibid p 10486279830934Hud Hudson Te Fall and Hypertime (Oxord Oxord University Press 10486269830881048625983092) p 9830925Ibid p 9830936For a telling o this tale see Nicholas Wolterstorff ldquoHow Philosophical Teology Became Pos-
sible Within the Analytic radition o Philosophyrdquo in Analytic Teology New Essays in the Phi-
losophy of Teology ed Oliver D Crisp and Michael C Rea (Oxord Oxord University Press
1048626983088983088983097) pp 1048625983093983093-1048630983096
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
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What Is Analytic heology 1048625983091
engaged in this work weremdashand aremdashcommitted Christians
Not all philosophers rejoice at these developments but it is increas-
ingly hard or them not to notice them Quentin Smith describesmdashanddecriesmdashthis development
Te secularization o mainstream academia began to quickly unravel upon
the publication o Plantingarsquos influential book on realist theism God and
Other Minds in 1048625983097983094983095 It became apparent to the philosophical proession
that this book displayed that realist theists were not outmatched by natu-
ralists in terms o the most valued standards o academic philosophy con-
ceptual precision rigor o argumentation technical erudition and an in-depth deense o an original worldview Tis book ollowed seven years
later by Plantingarsquos even more impressive book Te Nature of Necessity
made it maniest that a realist theist was writing at the highest qualitative
level o analytic philosophy on the same playing field as Carnap Russell
Gruumlnbaum and other naturalists1048631
Smith in what basically amounts to something o an alarmist ldquocall to
armsrdquo to his ellow atheists concludes that ldquoGod is not lsquodeadrsquo in aca-demia he returned to lie in the late 1048625983097983094983088rsquos and is now alive and well in
his last academic stronghold philosophy departmentsrdquo1048632
While triumphalism on the part o Christian philosophers would be
both very premature and unseemly (they remain by all measures in the
substantial minority within academic philosophy) nonetheless Smith is
right that the situation is very different than it was only a ew decades
ago Te Society o Christian Philosophers ounded in 1048625983097983095983096 as a small
group o diverse scholars who were more unified by common interests
than by shared commitment to a particular creed now has in the neigh-
borhood o a thousand members Several journalsmdashnotably Faith and
Philosophy Philosophia Christi Religious Studies Sophia Philo and the
International Journal of Philosophy of Religionmdashare devoted to issues
broadly related to the study o the philosophy o religion and Christian
philosophers are very active in these and other venues At the same time
Christian philosophers are very active in other more ldquomainstreamrdquo areas
o contemporary philosophy important recent work in metaphysics and
7Quentin Smith ldquoTe Metaphilosophy o Naturalismrdquo Philo 983092 no 1048626 (10486269830889830881048625) 10486268Ibid p 1048627
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
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1048625983092 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
epistemology in particular has been influenced by philosophers with
religious interests and well-known Christian commitments
Not surprisingly the growth o Christian involvement in philosophyhas been accompanied by increased interest in issues o perennial
concern in philosophy o religion Work on such issues had never en-
tirely disappeared o course or prominent philosophers such as Basil
Mitchell Peter Geach Austin Farrer and others were making significant
contributions well beore the current renaissance o Christian philosophy
really took off1048633 However engagement has been growing at an astounding
rate Issues surrounding religious pluralism and exclusivism problemso evil (including not only the ldquologicalrdquo problem o evil but also ldquoevi-
dentialrdquo problems) religious epistemology religious experience mir-
acles theistic arguments (particularly various versions o ontological
cosmological teleological and moral arguments) and science and re-
ligion have been explored with impressive vigor and analyzed with or-
midable rigor9830891048624 Positions have been set out and explained attacked and
deended modified and surrendered Te work in philosophy o religionhas not been cordoned off rom other more ldquomainstreamrdquo philosophical
work o the contrary in many ways it has remained vitally engaged with
9Eg Basil Mitchell Te Justification of Religious Belief (Oxord Oxord University Press 10486259830979830961048625)
Mitchell Faith and Criticism (Oxord Oxord University Press 1048625983097983097983093) Mitchell Morality Reli-
gious and Secular Te Dilemma of the raditional Conscience (Oxord Oxord University Press
10486259830979830961048630) Peter Geach God and the Soul (South Bend IN St Augustinersquos Press 10486259830971048630983097) Geach
Providence and Evil (Cambridge Cambridge University Press 1048625983097983095983095) Geach Te Virtues (Cam-
bridge Cambridge University Press 1048625983097983095983095) Geach Logic Matters (Berkeley University o Cali-ornia Press 10486259830979830951048626) Austin Farrer Te Freedom of the Will (London Black 1048625983097983093983096) Farrer Love
Almighty and Ills Unlimited An Essay on Providence and Evil (London Collins 104862598309710486301048625) Farrer
Saving Belief A Study of Essentials (London Hodder amp Stoughton 10486259830971048630983092) Farrer Faith and Spec-
ulation An Essay in Philosophical Teology (London Black 10486259830971048630983095)10Te contentsmdashand perhaps the very existencemdasho the numerous and massive ldquohandbooksrdquo and
ldquocompanionsrdquo to philosophy o religion bear weighty testimony to this act See eg William J
Wainwright ed Te Oxford Handbook of Philosophy of Religion (New York Oxord University
Press 1048626983088983088983093) Philip L Quinn and Charles aliaerro eds A Companion to Philosophy of Religion
(Oxord Blackwell 1048625983097983097983095) William E Mann ed Te Blackwell Guide to the Philosophy of Religion
(Oxord Blackwell 1048626983088983088983093) Michael L Peterson and Raymond J VanArragon eds Contemporary
Debates in Philosophy of Religion (Oxord Blackwell 1048626983088983088983092) J P Moreland and William Lane
Craig eds Te Blackwell Companion to Natural Teology (Oxord Blackwell 1048626983088983088983097) Justin Mc-
Brayer and Daniel Howard-Snyder eds Te Blackwell Companion to the Problem of Evil (Oxord
Blackwell 104862698308810486251048627) Chad Meister and Paul Copan eds Te Routledge Companion to Philosophy of
Religion 1048626nd ed (New York Routledge 104862698308810486251048627) See also the impressive series Oxord Studies in
Philosophy o Religion edited by Jon Kvanvig
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
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What Is Analytic heology 1048625983093
cutting-edge work in epistemology ethics and metaphysics to use the
latter as an example rom Alvin Plantingarsquos early work Te Nature of
Necessity to Brian Lefowrsquos recent contributions in God and Necessity important work in the metaphysics o modality has been deeplymdashand
some might say ldquoessentiallyrdquomdashconnected to philosophy o religion983089983089
Judging rom the interest and output analytic philosophy o religion is
not only alive and well but indeed healthy and robust
How we got here From philosophy of religion to philosophical the-
ology But or all the vigor and intellectual energy that is captured and
reflected in work on general or generic issues in philosophy o religion theinterests o Christian philosophers have not been limited to those issues
Instead Christian philosophers have been deeply interested in distinctly
Christian theological topics and they have devoted much energy to the
analysis and deense o Christian doctrine Te past ew decades have wit-
nessed important work on the doctrine o revelation (and divine speech)
the inspiration authority and interpretation o the Christian Scriptures
divine attributes (particularly simplicity necessity aseity omnipotenceomniscience eternity and reedom) divine action in creation providence
miraculous intervention theological anthropology original sin incar-
nation atonement resurrection and eschatology983089983090
Where we are Philosophical theology and analytic theology More
recently the term analytic theology has come into use Tere are o
course important orebears to this work David Kelsey Nicholas Wolt-
erstorff and others at Yale disparate figures such as William P Alston
Norman Kretzmann George Mavrodes Keith Yandell and others else-
where in the United States Paul Helm and Richard Swinburne in the
United Kingdom and Vincent Brummer and others o the Utrecht
11See Alvin Plantinga Te Nature of Necessity (Oxord Oxord University Press 1048625983097983095983092) and Brian
Lefow God and Necessity (Oxord Oxord University Press 104862698308810486251048626) See also the recent proposals
o Hugh J McCann Creation and the Sovereignty of God (Bloomington Indiana University Press
104862698308810486251048626)12Once again the prolieration o ldquoreadersrdquo ldquohandbooksrdquo and ldquocompanionsrdquo stands as evidence
o the breadth and depth o the work undertaken eg Oliver D Crisp ed A Reader in Contem-
porary Philosophical Teology (New York amp Clark 1048626983088983088983097) Michael C Rea ed Oxford Read-
ings in Philosophical Teology 1048626 vols (Oxord Oxord University Press 1048626983088983088983097) Tomas P Flint
and Michael C Rea eds Te Oxford Handbook of Philosophical Teology (Oxord Oxord Uni-
versity Press 1048626983088983088983097) Charles aliaerro and Chad Meister eds Te Cambridge Companion to
Christian Philosophical Teology (Cambridge Cambridge University Press 10486269830881048625983088)
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
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1048625983094 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
school o philosophical theology in the Netherlands Following trail-
blazers such as these and building on the recent renaissance o meta-
physics and philosophy o religion the analytic theology movement isnow growing Te publication o the volume Analytic Teology Essays
in the Philosophy of Teology edited by Oliver D Crisp and Michael C
Rea marked an important moment Te Analytic Teology Project
(sponsored and promoted by Notre Damersquos Center or Philosophy o
Religion as well the University o Innsbruck in Austria and the Shalem
Center in Jerusalem and unded by generous grants rom the John em-
pleton Foundation) with its annual Logos conerence and other activitiesthe launch o the Journal of Analytic Teology and the inauguration o
the book series Oxord Studies in Analytic Teology all lend support to
this growing movement
Te meaning o the term analytic theology can vary in common par-
lance and it is sae to say that there is no single decisively settled meaning
o the term when it is used as a label Still perhaps we can saely say that
what is common across the range o uses is this analytic theology sig-nifies a commitment to employ the conceptual tools o analytic phi-
losophy where those tools might be helpul in the work o constructive
Christian theology Scholars will naturally enough disagree among
themselves about just which o those tools are most helpul which
projects are best served by their use and other matters but on the whole
such a minimalist characterization seems sae enough William J
Abraham offers this helpul summary analytic theology ldquocan be useully
defined as ollows it is systematic theology attuned to the skills re-
sources and virtues o analytic philosophyrdquo983089983091 As such analytic theology
is a growing and energetic field at the intersections o philosophy o re-
ligion and systematic theology
W983144983137983156 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 T983144983141983151983148983151983143983161 I983155 (983151983154 S983144983151983157983148983140 B983141)
Such minimalist characterization while airly sae does not take us very
ar What more precisely is one doing when one does analytic theology
13William J Abraham ldquoSystematic Teology as Analytic Teologyrdquo in Analytic Teology New
Essays in the Philosophy of Teology ed Oliver D Crisp and Michael C Rea (Oxord Oxord
University Press 1048626983088983088983097) p 983093983092
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
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What Is Analytic heology 1048625983095
Just what is analytic theology Perhaps it will help first to consider what
is so analytic about analytic theology Following this we shall think
about how it is an exercise in theology Analytic theology as analytic theology As we have seen Quentin Smith
praises Plantingarsquos work or its excellence in ldquothe most valued standards o
analytic philosophy conceptual precision rigor o argumentation tech-
nical erudition and an in-depth deense o an original worldviewrdquo9830891048628 Oliver
D Crisp echoes this estimation o what counts as good work in analytic
philosophy he observes that analytic philosophy is characterized by ldquoa
logical rigour clarity and parsimony o expression coupled with attentionto a certain cluster o philosophical problemsrdquo9830891048629 Analytic theology is rel-
evantly similar he says or it ldquowill prize intellectual virtues like clarity
parsimony o expression and argumentative rigourrdquo983089983094 Michael C Rearsquos
description o analytic philosophy echoes these accounts in some ways
While recognizing that clear and sharp lines between ldquoanalyticrdquo and ldquonon-
analyticrdquo (or ldquoContinentalrdquo) philosophical approaches are neither easy to
come by nor perhaps really worth all the work he characterizes analyticapproaches to philosophy in terms o style and ambition9830891048631 Te ambitions
are generally ldquoto identiy the scope and limits o our powers to obtain
knowledge o the worldrdquo and ldquoto provide such true explanatory theories
as we can in areas o inquiry (metaphysics morals and the like) that all
outside the scope o the natural sciencesrdquo9830891048632 Rea characterizes the style as
including the ollowing prescriptions
P1048625 Write as i philosophical positions and conclusions can be adequately or-mulated in sentences that can be ormalized and logically manipulated
P1048626 Prioritize precision clarity and logical coherence
P983091 Avoid substantive (non-decorative) use o metaphor and other tropes
whose semantic content outstrips their propositional content
14Smith ldquoMetaphilosophyrdquo p 104862615Oliver D Crisp ldquoOn Analytic Teologyrdquo in Crisp and Rea Analytic Teology p 104862798309316Ibid pp 1048627983095-104862798309617Michael C Rea introduction to Crisp and Rea Analytic Teology pp 1048627-983092 See also Nick raka-
kis ldquoMeta-Philosophy o Religion Te Analytic-Continental Divide in Philosophy o Religionrdquo
Ars Disputandi 983095 (1048626983088983088983095) 1048625983095983097-1048626104862698308818Rea introduction p 983092
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
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1048625983096 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
P983092 Work as much as possible with well-understood primitive concepts and
concepts that can be analyzed in terms o those
P983093 reat conceptual analysis (insoar as possible) as a source o evidence9830891048633
Tis much at least is characteristic o analytic philosophy So what
about analytic theology As Rea sees things ldquoanalytic theology is just the
activity o approaching theological topics with the ambitions o an ana-
lytic philosopher and in a style that conorms to the prescriptions that
are distinctive o analytic philosophical discourse It will also involve
more or less pursuing those topics in a way that engages the literature
that is constitutive o the analytic tradition employing some o the tech-
nical jargon rom that tradition and so on But in the end it is the style
and ambitions that are most centralrdquo9830901048624
All this is helpul but perhaps a bit more explanation would be ben-
eficial Consider P1048625 Tis need not mean that all meaningul statements
in theology (or philosophy) need to be expressed ormally it should
not be taken to mean that every theological claim should be stated in
an apparatus with numbered propositions and a ormal structure
What it does mean however is that the deault setting or theologians
should be to communicate propositions that could be expressed this
way For as Rea says ldquoabsent special circumstancesrdquo things have ldquogone
very much amissrdquo i a view ldquois expressed in such a way that it has no
clear logical outcomesrdquo983090983089
Consider also P1048626 Tis need notmdashand should notmdashbe taken to mean
that logical precision and coherence are the only important criteria ora theologian and neither should it be taken to imply even that logical
precision and coherence are the most important criteria Te theologian
who is convinced that her first commitment is fidelity to the priority and
ultimacy o divine revelation should have no difficulty in assenting to P1048626
Neither urther should P1048626 be taken to imply that the same levels o
logical precision are possible with all theological topics nor yet that all
theological projects require the same levels o precision and argumentative
19Ibid pp 983093-104863020Ibid p 98309521Ibid p 983093 n 983093
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
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What Is Analytic heology 1048625983097
rigor Consider by way o example childrenrsquos catechetical literature
Surely this literature is theological but it neither can nor should attempt
to display the same level o logical precision or argumentative rigor assay advanced work in scholastic theology P1048626 does not clam that such
theological literature should do so or that all work in theology must
always do so
Neither should P1048626 be misunderstood with respect to claims about the
importance o ldquoclarityrdquo Rea notes that this claim can seem ironic ldquoin light
o the act that quite a lot o analytic philosophy [and we could add
some analytic theology] is very difficult even or specialists and totallyinaccessible to non-specialistsrdquo983090983090 But ldquoclearrdquo does not mean ldquoeasyrdquo In-
stead it expresses a commitment to the work o ldquospelling out hidden
assumptions scrupulously trying to lay bare whatever evidence one has
(or lacks) or the claims that one is making and on taking care to confine
onersquos vocabulary to ordinary language well-understood primitive con-
cepts and technical jargon definable in terms o theserdquo983090983091 Finally we
should note that P1048626 does not imply that everything (or everything worthtalking about) in theology will become crystal clear Te goal o analytic
theology is not (or at least need not be) the removal o all mystery in
theology o the contrary analytic philosophers o religion have long
been keenly aware o the place o mystery in theology and it may be that
at certain points an important role o the theologian is to clariy just
where the mystery really lies P1048626 does not suggest that analytic theology
will make everything ldquoclearrdquo in the sense that it makes everything ldquoeasy
and readily accessible to the nonspecialistrdquo Instead what it prioritizes is
clarity to the appropriate audiences and to the greatest possible degree
And it insists that ldquomysteryrdquo must not be conused with logical inco-
herence and it likewise insists that we do not gloriy what is clearly in-
coherent with the shroud o ldquomysteryrdquo As Alan G Padgett says theology
should ldquoseek the truth about Godrdquo and ldquothereore must shun incoherence
and irrationalityrdquo9830901048628 Where ldquosometimes lsquomysteryrsquo is evoked as an excuse
22Ibid p 983093 n 104863023Ibid24Alan G Padgett ldquoTe rinity in Teology and Philosophy Why Jerusalem Should Work with
Athensrdquo in Philosophical and Teological Essays on the rinity ed Tomas McCall and Michael
C Rea (Oxord Oxord University Press 1048626983088983088983097) p 104862710486271048626
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
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1048626983088 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
or sloppy thinking this must be anathema to any academic theology
worthy o the namerdquo For ldquoafer all the mystery o God does not end
when theology speaks clearly Te simple phrase lsquoJesus loves me this Iknow or the Bible tells me sorsquo covers vast deep mysteries that even the
angels gaze into with awe and wonderrdquo9830901048629
P983091 rules out ldquosubstantive (non-decorative) use o metaphor and other
tropes whose semantic content outstrips their propositional contentrdquo
Tis does not or at least need not mean that there is no valid or valuable
place or metaphor in theology Analytic theologians will disagree among
themselves as to howmdashand how muchmdashmetaphor is useul and legiti-mate983090983094 But the basic point is airly plain on P983091 theologians are not at
liberty to trade loosely in metaphor without ever being able to speciy
just what is meant by those metaphors Tey are not then ree to make
claims the meaning o which cannot be specified or spelled out Teolo-
gians are not licensed to trade in what Randal Rauser calls ldquounclarifiable
unclarityrdquo9830901048631 P983092 calls the analytic theologian to work with ldquowell-understood
primitive conceptsrdquo that are reasonably taken to be basic intuitive or(minimally) uncontroversial (and with concepts that can be understood
in terms o such primitive concepts) Some theologians will be quick to
raise concerns here they will worry that the very notion o ldquowell-
understood primitive conceptsrdquo may both conceal blind spots o social
location and privilege and be a Procrustean bed that restricts theological
concepts to ldquowhat we already know to be truerdquo and thus curtails the
possibility o engagement with divine revelation But once again it is
important not to misunderstand P983092 Te ldquoas much as possiblerdquo is key
here i the preunderstood concepts donrsquot do enough work then some o
them can be adjusted Others wonrsquot be so easy to adjust or discard but
this category o primitive concepts is both quite small and very basic (eg
the law o noncontradiction) Simply put there is no good reason to
25Ibid26I thank Billy Abraham or pressing this point Te ldquostandardrdquo work on metaphor in theology
remains Janet Martin Soskice Metaphor and Religious Language (Oxord Oxord University
Press 1048625983097983096983095)27Randal Rauser ldquoTeology as a Bull Sessionrdquo in Crisp and Rea Analytic Teology pp 983095983092-983095983093 See
also Harry Frankurt On Bullshit (Princeton NJ Princeton University Press 1048626983088983088983093) and Frank-
urt Bullshit and Philosophy ed Gary L Hardcastle and George A Resich (Chicago Open
Court 1048626983088983088983093)
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
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What Is Analytic heology 10486261048625
think that the notion o ldquowell-understood primitive conceptsrdquo must
unction as a Procrustean bed
Finally Rea says that P983093 calls us to ldquotreat conceptual analysis (insoaras it is possible) as a source o evidencerdquo It should be obvious that he
does not say that conceptual analysis is the only source o evidence and
there is no reason to think that it should be taken this way Neither does
he claim that conceptual analysis is the primary or ultimate source o
evidence P983093 makes an important claim but it is a rather modest one
What it insists on is this i close conceptual analysis reveals that some
theological proposition P is say internally inconsistent then thatanalysis gives us all the evidence we need to reject P No matter how
grand the claims o Prsquo s supporters in deense o the supporting evidence
for it i P is incoherent (sel-reerentially or otherwise) then it is not true
Once we have established that P is incoherent (which is a task much
harder than is sometimes supposed) we have all the reason we need to
conclude that it is wrong In addition o course conceptual analysis
might count as evidence in other and more positive ways as well Con-sider perect being theology or example here theologians analyze ldquoper-
ectionrdquo and then take deliverances o that analysis as evidence in support
o their theological conclusions
Much more could be said about what makes analytic theology truly
analytic o course While this could be expanded on and broadened
(particularly in directions that put less o a premium on precision) Rearsquos
P1048625-P983093 give us an initial sense o what it means to say that theology is
analytic theology Generally speaking analytic theology is theology that
is attuned to and committed to the ldquogoals and ambitionsrdquo o analytic
philosophy a commitment to truth wherever it may be ound clarity o
expression and rigor o argumentation Very ofen it will not hesitate to
make appropriate use o the available tools o analytic philosophy espe-
cially as these aid conceptual precision and argumentative rigor
Analytic theology as analytic theology But i echoing Smith it is the
concern with ldquoconceptual precisionrdquo and ldquorigor o argumentationrdquo that
makes analytic theology analytic then what is it that makes analytic
theology really theology Tis book develops an answer to this question
but an initial summary may help Recall that Smith talks not only about
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
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httpslidepdfcomreaderfullan-invitation-to-analytic-christian-theology-by-thomas-h-mccall-excerpt 1933
10486261048626 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
ldquoconceptual precisionrdquo and ldquorigor o argumentationrdquo but also about ldquotech-
nical eruditionrdquo and the ldquoin-depth deense o an original worldviewrdquo For
the analytic philosopher ldquotechnical eruditionrdquo will naturally involvemastery o the requisite field (metaphysics philosophy o mind epis-
temology etc) but it may also include competence in other related
fields (biology or philosophy o biology neurology or philosophy o
mind etc) For the analytic theologian such erudition will include com-
petence in the relevant areas o philosophical study that are necessary or
ldquoconceptual precisionrdquo and ldquorigor o argumentationrdquo But or the analytic
theologian qua theologian it must involve much more than this Forunless analytic theology is merely ldquoarmchair theologyrdquo (albeit armchair
theology done by very bright people) it will be grounded in the
Christian Scriptures it will be inormed by the great tradition o doc-
trinal development it will be ldquochristologically normedrdquo and it will be
culturally engaged As theology it will seek to articulate what we may
know o God as God has revealed himsel to us As Nicholas Wolterstorff
puts it to theologiansDo not be ersatz philosophers do not be ersatz cultural theorists do not be
ersatz anything Be genuine theologians Be sure-ooted in philosophy But
then be theologians What we need to hear rom you is how things look
when seen in light o the triune Godmdashmay his name be praisedmdashwho creates
and sustains us who redeems us and who will bring this rail and allen
though yet glorious humanity and cosmos to consummation9830901048632
Accordingly analytic theology is theology done by theologians who areldquosure-ootedrdquo in philosophy (many o whom will have extensive training
and proessional expertise there and indeed may be leaders within their
field) but it is a kind o theology nonetheless
Such a conception o theology is o course not remotely new What
we may useully reer to as ldquoanalytic theologyrdquo is very similar in many
respects to deeply traditional ways o doing theology We can see this
kind o work exemplified in the theology o the scholastics (both me-dieval and post-Reormationearly modern) So in some sense the re-
28Nicholas Wolterstorff ldquoo Teologians From One Who Cares About Teology but Is Not One
o Yourdquo Teological Education (1048626983088983088983093) 9830971048625-9830971048626
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
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What Is Analytic heology 1048626983091
birth o analytic theology may be thought o as scholasticism redivivus
As Richard Swinburnemdashsurely a pioneer o analytic theologymdashsays
ldquolarge-scale theology needs clear and rigorous argumentrdquo and it is ldquohightime or theology to returnrdquo to the standards set by Tomas Aquinas
John Duns Scotus and others9830901048633 But it is not only the ldquohigh scholasticsrdquo
who worked this way or we can also witness many o these virtues in
theologians rom the patristics to the pietists9830911048624 Many theologians in the
Christian tradition were concerned with both ldquoconceptual precisionrdquo and
ldquoargumentative rigorrdquo as well as ldquotechnical eruditionrdquo and the ldquoin-depth
deense o an original worldviewrdquoConsider what John Wesleymdashan evangelist hardly known as a ldquoscho-
lasticrdquo or an ldquoanalytic theologianrdquomdashhas to say about the importance o
acquiring the tools or ldquoconceptual precisionrdquo and ldquoargumentative rigorrdquo
Logic he says is ldquonecessary next to and in order to the knowledge o
Scripturerdquo983091983089 Despite the act that it is ldquonow quite unashionablerdquo none-
theless logic is invaluable For with it we have the possibility o ldquoappre-
hending things clearly judging truly and reasoning conclusivelyrdquo
983091983090
Andas with logic so also with metaphysics Tus Wesley will ask o clergy
Am I a tolerable master o the sciences Have I gone through the very gate o
them logic I not I am not likely to go much urther when I stumble at the
threshold Do I understand it so as to be ever the better or it o have it
always ready or use so as to apply every rule o it when occasion is almost
as naturally as I turn my hand Do I understand it at all Can I reduce an
indirect mood to a direct a hypothetic to a categorical syllogism Rather have
not my stupid indolence and laziness made me very ready to believe what the
little wits and pretty gentlemen affirm ldquothat logic is good or nothingrdquo It is
good or this at least (wherever it is understood) to make people talk less by
showing them both what is and what is not to the point and how extremely
29Richard Swinburne Te Coherence of Teism 1048626nd ed (Oxord Oxord University Press 10486259830979830971048627)
p 98309530See eg Gregory o Nyssa Against Eunomius 10486259830921048626 Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers ed Philip
Schaff series 1048626 (10486259830969830961048630ndash1048625983096983096983097 repr Peabody MA Hendrickson 1048625983097983097983092) 983093983097983096-983097983097 (Patrologia
Graeca [= Patrologiae Cursus Completus Series Graeca] ed Jacques-Paul Migne [Paris 1048625983096983093983095ndash
10486259830969830961048630] 9830929830939830921048630983088-10486301048625)31John Wesley ldquoAddress to the Clergyrdquo in Te Works of John Wesley vol 1048625983088 Letters Essays Dialogs
and Addresses (Grand Rapids Zondervan nd) p 983092983096104862732Ibid
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httpslidepdfcomreaderfullan-invitation-to-analytic-christian-theology-by-thomas-h-mccall-excerpt 2133
1048626983092 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
hard it is to prove anything Do I understand metaphysics i not the depths
o the Schoolmen the subtleties o Scotus or Aquinas yet the first rudiments
the general principles o that useul science983091983091
Consider urther what Wesley says about the importance o ldquotechnical
eruditionrdquo in theology Insisting on the importance o knowledge o the
scope o Christian Scripture as well as acility in the relevant ancient
languages he asks
Have I (1048625) such a knowledge o Scripture as becomes him who undertakes
so to explain it to others Have I a ull and clear view o the analogy o
aith which is the clue to guide me through the whole Am I acquainted with
the several parts o Scripture with all parts o the Old estament and the
New Upon the mention o any text do I know the context and the parallel
places Do I know the scope o each book and how every part tends
thereto Have I the skill to draw the natural inerences deducible rom each
text (1048626) Do I understand Greek and Hebrew Otherwise am I not at
the mercy o everyone who does understand or pretends to understand the
original For which way can I conute his pretence Do I understand the lan-
guage o the Old estament Critically At all Can I read into English one o
Davidrsquos Psalms or even the first chapter o Genesis Do I understand the
language o the New estament Am I a critical master o it Have I enough
o it even to read into English the first chapter o St Luke I not how many
years did I spend at school How many at university And what was I doing
all those years9830911048628
Wesley says similar things about the indispensability o knowledge o
the Christian tradition But the basic point should be clear important
elements o what we now call ldquoanalytic theologyrdquo have deep roots in the
broad Christian theological tradition Indeed or an evangelist like John
Wesley this is simply the kind o theology that any Christian minister
should be doing
W983144983137983156 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 T983144983141983151983148983151983143983161 I983155983150rsquo983156 M983145983155983157983150983140983141983154983155983156983137983150983140983145983150983143983155
983137983150983140 O983138983146983141983139983156983145983151983150983155
Many systematic theologians are suspicious o analytic theology Indeed
33Ibid pp 9830929830971048625-983097104862634Ibid pp 983092983097983088-9830971048625
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What Is Analytic heology 1048626983093
some are deeply suspicious Te concerns come rom several angles Here
are some o the most common9830911048629
ldquoAnalytic theology relies on a univocal account of religious languagerdquoSome theologians may worry that the current analytic discussions
proceed with an unrealistic and unhealthy naiveteacute regarding the nature
and unction o religious language For instance Stephen R Holmes
thinks that ldquoanalytic discussions o the rinity seem generally to proceed
with a remarkable confidence about the success o language in reerring
to the divinerdquo he thinks that the assumption o analytic theology ldquowould
always seem to be that language reers univocally to the divine and thecreatedrdquo Indeed he thinks that analytic theology would be ldquoimpossiblerdquo
without a commitment to univocity983091983094 More worrisome the concern may
be that analytic theologyrsquos commitment to univocity implicates it in
something that is (at least potentially) idolatrous9830911048631
A general treatment o religious language is beyond the scope o our
discussion but several observations may be helpul First it should be
noted that the case against univocity should not be merely assumed (asi some particular theological proposal could be damned by nothing
more than the charge o univocity) Nor is the case for univocity nearly
so weak as is ofen supposed o the contrary univocity has serious and
sophisticated deenders today and a case can be made that ldquothe doctrine
o univocity is true and salutaryrdquo9830911048632
Te second major point is perhaps more important or our purposes
It is this analytic theology as such requires no commitment to univocity
whatsoever Indeed many analytic theologians reject univocity in avor
35Tis section draws heavily rom my ldquoTeologians Philosophers and the Doctrine o the rinityrdquo
in McCall and Rea Philosophical and Teological Essays on the rinity pp 1048627983092983088-98309298309636Stephen R Holmes Te Quest for the rinity Te Doctrine of God in Scripture History and Mo-
dernity (Downers Grove IL IVP Academic 104862698308810486251048626) p 1048627104862637See eg Jean-Luc Marion God Without Being trans Tomas A Carlson (Chicago University
o Chicago Press 10486259830979830971048625) and John Milbank Te Word Made Strange (Oxord Blackwell 1048625983097983097983095)
See also the discussion in Daniel P Horan Postmodernity and Univocity A Critical Account of
Radical Orthodoxy and John Duns Scotus (Minneapolis Fortress 10486269830881048625983092)38Tomas Williams ldquoTe Doctrine o Univocity Is rue and Salutaryrdquo Modern Teology 10486261048625 (1048626983088983088983093)
983093983095983093-983096983093 See also William P Alston Divine Nature and Human Language Essays in Philosophical
Teology (Ithaca NY Cornell University Press 1048625983097983096983097) pp 1048625983095-10486251048625983095 and Keith E Yandell ldquoNot
Conusing Incomprehensibility and Ineffability Carl Henry on Literal Propositional Revela-
tionrdquo rinity Journal (10486269830881048625983092) 10486301048625-983095983092
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullan-invitation-to-analytic-christian-theology-by-thomas-h-mccall-excerpt 2333
1048626983094 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
o other approaches (the doctrine o analogy being avored by many)
and at least one prominent philosopher o religion deends apophati-
cism9830911048633 Perhaps there is a general sense in which it is true that analytictheologians are naive about religious language Perhaps they aremdash
although I doubt this very much But even i it were true this would not
obviously make analytic theology different rom or inerior to many
other approaches to the theological task Te concernmdasheven i it were
substantiatedmdashwould give us no reason to avoid or dismiss analytic the-
ology It might give us reason to want to do it better it might motivate
analytic theologians to pay closer attention to important issues relatedto theological language But the concern itselmdasheven i substantiatedmdash
would not count against the proper exercise o analytic theology It is at
best a red herring
ldquoAnalytic theology is an exercise in natural theologyrdquo Some critics
might charge analytic theology with reliance on ldquonatural theologyrdquo Tis
observation will seem benign to other theologians some analytic theo-
logians might even take this judgment as a badge o honor But to thosetheologians o the house and lineage o Karl Barth this will be the mark
o damnation some may take natural theology to be ldquothe invention o
the Antichristrdquo as something that can serve only to reinorce idolatry
and corrupt the truth10486281048624 Other theologians might not be so hostile but
they still might worry that natural theology distracts us rom obedience
and fidelity to the reality o divine revelation So i analytic theology is
an exercise in natural theology or even relies on it it should be held at
armrsquos length i not shunned entirely
Much could be said about this cluster o issuesmdashand indeed more will
be said in the next chaptermdashbut at this point a basic conusion needs to
be cleared away Fundamentally it is simply a misunderstanding o ana-
lytic theology to think that it is an exercise in natural theology Granted
some prolific analytic theologians are heavily invested in the project o
natural theology and we can say with confidence that rumors o the
39Eg Jonathan D Jacobs ldquoTe Ineffable Inconceivable and Incomprehensible God Fundamen-
tality and Apophatic Teologyrdquo in Oxford Studies in Philosophy of Religion orthcoming40More precisely Barth says that the analogia entis (which interpreters ofen take to be the basis
o all natural theology) is the ldquoinvention o the Antichristrdquo Doctrine of the Word of God p xiii
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8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
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What Is Analytic heology 1048626983095
demise o natural theology have been greatly exaggerated1048628983089 But there is
nothing about analytic theology as suchmdashas I have described it to this
pointmdashthat relies on natural theology Te conusion o natural theologywith the analytic project is just thatmdasha conusion Whatever we should
think about natural theology philosophically however we judge the suc-
cesses (or lack thereo) o the various theistic arguments natural the-
ology simply cannot be equated with analytic theology And whatever
we should conclude theologically about natural theology we should not
conuse it with the analytic project Once again this is a red herring
ldquoAnalytic theology is naive with respect to the history of doctrinerdquoAnother concern expressed by some contemporary systematic theolo-
gians is this analytic theology all too ofen proceeds with little awareness
o the complex but important historical actors associated with the de-
velopment and ormation o Christian doctrine o understate the point
analytic theologians are sometimes criticized or their ignorance o the
history o the development o dogma and or their lack o careul study
to understand the particular intellectual (not to mention social) settingo the person(s) controversies or eras under consideration Instead so
the story goes it is all too common or analytic theologians to approach
an issue by isolating a particular text and then breaking it down to
unpack the real ldquocorerdquo o the doctrine in question And the assumption
o the analytic theologians (again so the story goes) is ofen enough that
this can be saely or appropriately done with little or no reerence to the
particular context in which the development occurred As Fred Sanders
expresses the concern ldquophilosophers sometimes seem to think o ancient
texts as cumbersome delivery systems containing ideas which it is their
job to extract rom the delivery system and do something withrdquo1048628983090 Richard
A Muller likewise argues that lack o attention to historical context
sometimes results in problematic misunderstandings o the tradition in
41Eg Richard Swinburne Te Coherence of Teism (Oxord Oxord University Press 1048625983097983095983095) and
Swinburne Te Existence of God (Oxord Oxord University Press 1048625983097983095983097 [1048626983088983088983092]) For examples
o recent work see Moreland and Craig Blackwell Companion to Natural Teology and James F
Sennett and Douglas Groothuis eds In Defense of Natural Teology A Post-Humean Assessment
(Downers Grove IL IVP Academic 1048626983088983088983093)42Fred Sanders ldquoTe State o the Doctrine o the rinity in Evangelical Teologyrdquo Southwestern
Journal of Teology 983092983095 (1048626983088983088983093) 10486251048630983097
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
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1048626983096 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
his view or instance both recent deenders and contemporary de-
tractors o the doctrine o divine simplicity commonly ldquomisinterpret the
traditional doctrinerdquo1048628983091 Robert W Jenson is more scathing he judges theanalytic enterprise to be ldquosomewhat oddly related to the Christian aith
it claims to deendrdquo and he calls the work o Richard Swinburne a ldquotruly
bizarre caserdquo10486281048628
At least this is how the story ofen goes A major underlying worry
seems to be that reading texts without proper attention to their social
location and intellectual context can cause us to misread and mis-
interpret those texts Tis strikes me as a legitimate concern and it is onethat analytic theologians would do well to hear and heed No one should
deny that it is possible to misread and misinterpret important historical
texts and it seems to me that such misreadings are ar more likely when
particular bits o the text are isolated and scrutinized apart rom the
broader literary and historical contexts Te temptation to look away
rom the context as an irrelevant distraction is real It should also be
resisted So the criticism contains an important cautionAt the same time however we should keep several additional points
in mind First the problem is not restricted to analytic theologiansmdash
constructive or systematic theologians o any stripe may be susceptible
to this temptation Indeed ironies abound on this ront Afer criticizing
analytic philosophers o religion or overlooking ldquothe essentially his-
torical character o trinitarian theologyrdquomdashand especially or missing the
important differences between the ldquoGreek (or lsquoCappadocianrsquo) Eastrdquo and
the ldquoLatin WestrdquomdashCatherine Mowry LaCugnarsquos own work has been
criticized or exaggerating those differences10486281048629 It is not as i more main-
stream nonanalytic or antianalytic theologians are immune to the temp-
tation instead so ar as I can see this is a general concern that should
serve as an important reminder that all theologians who engage with the
43Richard A Muller Post-Reformation Reformed Dogmatics Te Rise and Development of Reformed
Orthodoxy ca 1048625104862910486261048624ndashca 1048625104863110486261048629 vol 1048627 Te Divine Essence and Attributes (Grand Rapids Baker
Academic 10486269830889830881048627) p 983092104862544Robert W Jenson Systematic Teology vol 1048626 Te Works of God (Oxord Oxord University
Press 1048625983097983097983097) p 983096 n 104862798309345Catherine Mowry LaCugna ldquoPhilosophers and Teologians on the rinityrdquo Modern Teology 1048626
(10486259830979830961048630) 10486259830951048626
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
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What Is Analytic heology 1048626983097
Christian intellectual tradition should do so with appropriate historical
sensitivity Second there is nothingmdashat least so ar as I can seemdashthat
makes this temptation irresistible Te act that some analytic theolo-gians have been insufficiently attentive to some historical matters does
not entail either that all analytic theologians are ignorant o the tradition
or that all analytic theologians must proceed in ignorance I see no
reason to conclude that this problem must be either essential or endemic
to analytic theology Surely more progress can be made in this area but
I see no reasons to think that such progress cannot happen Finally it is
worth noting that such progress in act is being made Tere are manyhappy exceptions to the common stereotype that analytic theologians
are ldquoahistoricalrdquo in act it is sae to say that many excellent analytic
thinkers have genuine specialization in historical scholarship Indeed
many are cutting-edge contributors1048628983094
ldquoAnalytic theology is only apologetics for conservative theologyrdquo Al-
ternatively the suspicion may be that analytic theology is too closely tied
to the Christian tradition Te assumption here is that analytic theologyis nothing more than the bastion o traditionally minded Roman Catholic
(and Orthodox) theologians and philosophers along with their conser-
vative Protestant riends and the worry is that they are interested in
nothing more than finding a sae place to deend what they already know
to be true Consequently the worry goes there is next to nothing o real
interest here or revisionist theologians o various stripes and there is
little promise or genuinely constructive theology
wo observations are important here First in principle there is
nothing about analytic theology that demands either traditional sympa-
thies or conservative conclusions Neither is there anything about ana-
lytic theology (either taken along the lines o Rearsquos P1048625-P983093 or in a somewhat
more expansive way) that precludes the use o the analytic tools by say
eminist womanist or liberationist theologies
46Stellar examples include Richard Cross Duns Scotus on God (Aldershot UK Ashgate 1048626983088983088983093) Cross
Te Metaphysics of the Incarnation Tomas Aquinas to Duns Scotus (Oxord Oxord University
Press 10486269830889830881048626) Eleonore Stump Aquinas (New York Routledge 10486269830889830881048627) Jeffrey E Brower Aquinasrsquos
Ontology of the Material World Change Hylomorphism and Material Objects (Oxord Oxord
University Press 10486269830881048625983092) and J Paasch Divine Production in Late Medieval rinitarian Teology
Henry of Ghent Duns Scotus and William Ockham (Oxord Oxord University Press 104862698308810486251048626)
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullan-invitation-to-analytic-christian-theology-by-thomas-h-mccall-excerpt 2733
983091983088 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
Second in point o act many criticisms o traditional doctrines
have emerged rom within analytic theology Consider this example It
is hard to think o a doctrine that is more deeply traditional or moredeeply woven into the abric o historic Christian theology than the
doctrine o divine simplicity Yet this venerable doctrine has endured
intense criticism rom analytic theologians over the past several de-
cades Alvin Plantingarsquos Does God Have a Nature raised ldquotwo diffi-
cultiesrdquo or the doctrine ldquoone substantial and the other truly
monumentalrdquo10486281048631 He argues that i God is identical with each o his
properties then God has but one property But this ldquoseems flatly in-compatible with the obvious act that God has several propertiesrdquo10486281048632 He
argues urther that i God is identical with each o his properties then
God is also a property ldquoTis view is subject to a difficulty both obvious
and overwhelming [or] i God is a property then he isnrsquot a person
but a mere abstract objectrdquo10486281048633 Many analytic theologians have joined
other criticisms to those o Plantinga and it is obvious that this doc-
trinemdashwoven deeply into the abric o traditional Christian doctrineas it ismdashis under assault rom within analytic theology We could mul-
tiply examples with ease (Te traditional doctrine o divine omni-
science stands out here) Tere are o course many sophisticated de-
enders o classical orthodoxy within analytic theology but the basic
point should be clear to reduce analytic theology to apologetics or
traditional doctrine is simply a mistake
As will become obvious in the ollowing pages I think that there is
much to be gained in the work o ldquoretrieval theologyrdquo and I see it as a
natural conversation partner and compatriot o analytic theology I want
to encourage more work at the intersection o analytic theology and
theologies o retrieval But there is nothing about analytic theology as
such that demands adherence to classical Christian theology
ldquoAnalytic theology relies on lsquosubstance metaphysicsrsquo rdquo Sometimes
theologians are suspicious o analytic theology due to its alleged reliance
on substance metaphysics Tis complaint can take various orms Some-
47Alvin Plantinga Does God Have a Nature (Milwaukee Marquette University Press 1048625983097983096983088) p 98309298309548Ibid49Ibid
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What Is Analytic heology 9830911048625
times it is claimed that the whole analytic enterprise is ldquopre-Kantianrdquo (as
in Kenneth Surinrsquos critique o David Brownrsquos work as being ldquorobustly
old-ashionedrdquo and ldquopre-Kantianrdquo)10486291048624 In other words critics complainthat analytic theology proceeds in blithemdashand perhaps willulmdashigno-
rance o the ldquoactrdquo that Kant undermined the entire project by destroying
the very possibility o doing it wo important claims seem to be in play
with this critique first that Kant did something to make analytic the-
ology impossible and second that analytic theologians are unaware o
what Kant did But both o these claims are problematic Te second is
simply mistaken and the first is vigorously contested As Nicholas Wolt-erstorff points out it is much more likely that the current generation o
analytic theologians is not so much ldquopre-Kantianrdquo as it is ldquopost-Kantianrdquo
As he puts it ldquoit really is possible to be post-Kantian Itrsquos possible to re-
cover rom Kant Te choices are not exhausted between being naively
pre-Kantian on the one hand and being a Kantian o one or another
stripe on the otherrdquo1048629983089 Tere are Wolterstorff argues philosophers who
are ully aware o Kantian ldquointerpretation-universalism and ully awareo [Kantian] metaphysical anti-realism but afer serious consideration
they have rejected these options as untenablerdquo1048629983090 So many analytic theo-
logians are well aware o Kantrsquos work (and the common claims made
about that work) but they donrsquot think that he did anything to shut down
the kind o work that they are doing As Plantinga puts it ldquothey have read
him and remain unconvincedrdquo1048629983091
But aside rom Kant analytic theology is sometimes criticized and
rejected or its reliance on ldquosubstance metaphysicsrdquo Unortunately ex-
actly what critical theologians have in their crosshairs when they talk
about substance metaphysics is ofen unclear and not closely defined
But very ofen the complaint is closely tied to a rejection o doctrines
50Kenneth Surin ldquoTe rinity and Philosophical Reflection A Study o David Brownrsquos Te Divine
rinity rdquo Modern Teology 1048626 (10486259830979830961048630) 10486261048627983097-98309298308851Nicholas Wolterstorff ldquoBetween the Pincers o Increased Diversity and Supposed Irrationalityrdquo
in God Philosophy and Academic Culture A Discussion Between Scholars in the AAR and APA
ed William J Wainwright (Atlanta Scholars Press 10486259830979830971048630) p 1048626983088 See also Wolterstorff ldquoIs It
Possible and Desirable or Teologians to Recover rom Kantrdquo Modern Teology 1048625983092 (1048625983097983097983096)
1048625-104862598309652Wolterstorff ldquoBetween the Pincersrdquo p 104862698308853Alvin Plantinga Warranted Christian Belief (Oxord Oxord University Press 1048626983088983088983088) p 1048627983088
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
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9830911048626 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
associated with ldquoclassical theismrdquo immutability impassibility time-
lessness and other doctrines are taken to be untenable and since they
are tied to substance metaphysics so much the worse or substancemetaphysics William P Alston defly analyzes this complaint and he
argues that substance metaphysics are really beside the point What he
says about substance metaphysics in discussions o the doctrine o the
rinity applies more broadly ldquoonce we get straight as to what is and is
not necessarily included in the metaphysics o substance we will see that
most twentieth-century objections to the use o substance metaphysics
are based on eatures o such ormulations that are not required bysubstance metaphysics as suchrdquo10486291048628 Perhaps there is something inherently
wrong with the use o substance metaphysics in theology and maybe this
counts against analytic theology But beore such a judgment can be
made we need more than the all-too-common generalizations and as-
sertions For beore we can conclude that analytic theology is atally
flawed due to a dependence on substance metaphysics we need to know
exactly what is meant by substance metaphysics we need to be shown just what is wrong (either philosophically or theologically) with sub-
stance metaphysics and we need to see that analytic theology really is (or
must be) committed to this kind o metaphysics Without the kind o
careul analysis and rigorous argumentation it is hard to see anything
here that might count as a orceul objection to analytic theology
ldquoAnalytic theology isnrsquot spiritually edifyingrdquo William Wood notes that
ldquomany conventional theologians remain deeply suspicious o analytic the-
ologyrdquo because o the worry that analytic theology is not spiritually edi-
ying As these theologians see matters ldquogenuine theology is in the first
instance practical aimed not at explanatory theories about God but at
ostering greater love or God and neighbor Genuine theology in short
is praxis one deeply woven together with a Christian lie o prayer virtue
and participation in the sacramentsrdquo10486291048629 Te basic concern is this when
more mainstream theologians look at analytic theology they donrsquot rec-
54William P Alston ldquoSubstance and the rinityrdquo in Te rinity An Interdisciplinary Symposium on
the rinity ed Stephen Davis Daniel Kendall SJ and Gerald OrsquoCollins SJ (Oxord Oxord
University Press 1048625983097983097983097) p 1048626983088104862555William Wood ldquoAnalytic Teology as a Way o Lierdquo Journal of Analytic Teology (10486269830881048625983092) 983092983092
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
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What Is Analytic heology 983091983091
ognize the kind o theology-as-praxis that they value Instead they see
purported explanatory theoriesmdashmere purported explanatory theories
Sometimes these explanations appear to be a very long way indeed romthe lie o aith Indeed they see ormulas such as this (selected pretty
much at random rom among many others)
P existx (Dx amp forally(Dy =gt Byx) amp x made us
Q existx(Dx amp forally(Dy =gt Byx ))1048629983094
When they encounter this kind o work some theologians donrsquot rec-
ognize it as theology at all I they are willing to recognize it as theology
they tend to worry that they donrsquot see the kind o theology that promotes
love o God and neighbor they are concerned that they donrsquot see the-
ology that is connected to the lie o aith As Wood puts it they worry
that ldquoanalytic theology is spiritually sterile and thereore not really a
orm o genuine theology at allrdquo10486291048631
I think this is an important point o criticism and it raises some very
intriguing concerns But as Wood also notes it would be a ldquomistake and
urthermore a presumptuous mistake to assume that analytic philo-
sophical theology cannot in principle be spiritually nourishingrdquo10486291048632 Tree
points stand out First it is important to realize that the temptation to
construct explanatory theories about God that are divorced rom worship
and transormation is both real and present It is also nearious10486291048633 Te
temptation besets theologians o all stripesmdashanalytic or otherwise I do
not think analytic theologians are the only theologians who ace this
temptation o the contrary idolatry is no respecter o ideologies Butsurely it is not invincible surelymdashby Godrsquos gracemdashit is not irresistible
As Wood reminds us ldquoGodrsquos love rains down on logicians too afer allrdquo9830941048624
Second there is good reason to think that analytic theology maymdash
contrary to common expectationsmdashturn out to be spiritually ediying
56Peter van Inwagen ldquoAnd Yet Tey Are Not Tree Gods but One Godrdquo in McCall and Rea
Philosophical and Teological Essays on the rinity pp 10486269830921048625 1048626983092104863057Wood ldquoAnalytic Teology as a Way o Lierdquo p 983092983092 See also Marilyn McCord Adams ldquoWhatrsquos
Wrong with the Ontotheological Errorrdquo Journal of Analytic Teology (10486269830881048625983092) 1048625-1048625104862658Wood ldquoAnalytic Teology as a Way o Lierdquo p 983092104863059See the warnings o Merold Westphal Suspicion and Faith Te Religious Uses of Modern Atheism
(New York Fordham University Press 1048625983097983097983096)60Wood ldquoAnalytic Teology as a Way o Lierdquo p 983092983095
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
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983091983092 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
Wood argues that analytic theology may be spiritually beneficial in
several ways He suggests that the ldquoconcentrated attention required to
read understand and develop very technical analytic argumentsrdquo maybe conducive to the kinds o intellectual virtues and habits o mind that
are spiritually beneficial983094983089 In addition he notes the ldquoargumentative
transparencyrdquo (what he terms the ldquoparadigmatic analytic virtuerdquo) may be
helpul in spiritual ormation983094983090 Wood readily admits that this tendency
toward argumentative rigor can also eed a orm o pride or even ldquointel-
lectual violencerdquo but he also points out that to make a ldquogood analytic
argument is to make that argument maximally easy or intellectual op-ponents to criticize or reuterdquo and this very transparency makes it much
harder to shield onesel rom criticisms but instead is a way to ldquomake
onesel intellectually vulnerablerdquo In this way it serves as a ldquocheck against
intellectual priderdquo983094983091 Moreover the pace demanded by such rigor and the
modesty o the claims that are rendered deensible have the potential to
cultivate epistemic humility Furthermore another important eature o
the analytic approach is the need to ldquoidentiy imaginatively with onersquosintellectual opponentsrdquo this also as Wood points out orces us to inhabit
a worldview that is not only oreign to our own but also sometimes
hostile In these ways Wood argues ldquoanalytic theology can become a
spiritual practice a way o seeking God and o training the mind and
the will to be open to gracerdquo9830941048628
Finally we should not neglect to notice those shining examples o
theologians or whom analytic theology indeed is closely related to
worship and spiritual nurture Indeed it would be hard not to notice
them or the tradition is rie with such theologians A great many pa-
tristic and most scholastic (both medieval and early modern) theolo-
gians count as ldquoanalytic theologiansrdquo For surely they fit our profile o
theologians who prize ldquoconceptual precision rigor o argumentation
technical erudition and an in-depth deense o an original worldviewrdquo
(and who would in many instances value P1048625-P983093) As an example con-
61Ibid p 98309398309362Ibid p 983093104863063Ibid64Ibid p 983093983096
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What Is Analytic heology 983091983093
sider Anselmrsquos Proslogion It is obvious that Anselm values precision and
rigor and he clearly intends to convey truth claims that he finds con-
vincing But as both Wood and Marilyn McCord Adams point out thiswork is ldquomeant to do more than communicate propositional truthsrdquo or
ldquoit is meant to help reorient the wills o its readers and help bring about
effective and volitional change in themrdquo9830941048629 Despite important differences
o style and substance we could say much the same about many other
figures (both well known and less so) as well it is very difficult to read
ar into Bonaventure Richard o St Victor Aquinas Scotus Vermigli
Perkins Arminius urretin Edwards Wesley and many others withoutunderstanding that they are obviously concerned with both intellectual
rigor and spiritual ormation
65Ibid p 983093983088 See also Marilyn McCord Adams ldquoPraying the Proslogionrdquo in Te Rationality of
Belief and the Plurality of Faith ed Tomas Senor (Ithaca NY Cornell University Press 1048625983097983097983093)
pp 10486251048627-1048627983097 and Adams ldquoElegant Necessity Prayerul Disputation Method in Cur Deus Homordquo
in Studia Anselmiana Cur Deus Homo (Rome 1048625983097983097983097) pp 10486271048630983095-9830971048630
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8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullan-invitation-to-analytic-christian-theology-by-thomas-h-mccall-excerpt 3333
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullan-invitation-to-analytic-christian-theology-by-thomas-h-mccall-excerpt 233
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullan-invitation-to-analytic-christian-theology-by-thomas-h-mccall-excerpt 333
An Invitation to
ANALYTIC
C H R I S T I A NT H E O L O G Y
Thomas H McCall
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InterVarsity Press
PO Box 983089983092983088983088 Downers Grove IL 983094983088983093983089983093-983089983092983090983094
ivpresscom
emailivpresscom
copy983090983088983089983093 by Tomas H McCall
All rights reserved No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from
InterVarsity Press
InterVarsity Pressreg is the book-publishing division of InterVarsity Christian FellowshipUSAreg a movement of
students and faculty active on campus at hundreds of universities colleges and schools of nursing in the United
States of America and a member movement of the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students For
information about local and regional activities visit intervarsityorg
All Scripture quotations unless otherwise indicated are taken from HE HOLY BIBLE NEW INERNAIONAL
VERSION reg NIV reg Copyright copy 983089983097983095983091 983089983097983095983096 983089983097983096983092 983090983088983089983089 by Biblica Inctrade Used by permission All rights reserved
worldwide
Cover design David Fassett
Interior design Beth McGill
Images Geometric abstract copy marigold_983096983096iStockphoto
Celtic knotwork copy imaconiStockphoto
ISBN 983097983095983096-983088-983096983091983088983096-983092983088983097983093-983091 (print)
ISBN 983097983095983096-983088-983096983091983088983096-983097983097983091983088-983090 (digital)
Printed in the United States of America
As a member of the Green Press Initiative InterVarsity Press is committed to protecting the environment
and to the responsible use of natural resources o learn more visit greenpressinitiativeorg
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
McCall Tomas H
An invitation to analytic Christian theology Tomas H McCall
pages cm
Includes bibliographical references and index
ISBN 983097983095983096-983088-983096983091983088983096-983092983088983097983093-983091 (pbk alk paper)
983089 TeologymdashMethodology 983090 Analysis (Philosophy) 983091 Philosophical theology I itle
BR983089983089983096M983090983092 983090983088983089983093
983090983091983088rsquo983088983092983094mdashdc983090983091
983090983088983089983093983088983091983091983092983093983089
P 983090983091 983090983090 983090983089 983090983088 983089983097 983089983096 983089983095 983089983094 983089983093 983089983092 983089983091 983089983090 983089983089 983089983088 983097 983096 983095 983094 983093 983092 983091 983090 983089
Y 983091983093 983091983092 983091983091 983091983090 983091983089 983091983088 983090983097 983090983096 983090983095 983090983094 983090983093 983090983092 983090983091 983090983090 983090983089 983090983088 983089983097 983089983096 983089983095 983089983094 983089983093
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullan-invitation-to-analytic-christian-theology-by-thomas-h-mccall-excerpt 533
Contents
Introduction 1048633
983089 What Is Analytic heology 983089983089
983090 Analytic heology and Christian Scripture 10486271048631
1048627 Analytic heology and the History o Doctrine 10486321048627
1048628 Analytic heology or the Church and the World 9830899830901048627
1048629 Analytic heology to the Glory o God 9830891048630983089
Author Index 9830891048632983089
Subject Index 98308910486321048627
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
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Introduction
983144983141 983159983145983140983141 983154983137983150983143983141 983151983142 983141983158983141983150983156983155 and publications that are loosely
gathered under the label ldquoanalytic theologyrdquo is both quite broad
and very active Proponents and practitioners range rom traditionally
minded Orthodox and Roman Catholic philosophers and theologians
through Anglican Lutheran Methodist and other tradition-sensitive
scholars to conservative evangelicals and to revisionist or ldquoprogressiverdquo
theologians In some quarters enthusiasm runs high In other sectors
o the theological (and philosophical) academy suspicion and even
hostility run deep Misunderstanding ofen accompanies the label and
questions abound But just what is this thing called ldquoanalytic theologyrdquo
What are its ldquoaccidentalrdquo eatures and what are its ldquoessentialrdquo attributes
And what are we to make o it as theology Or is it merely a technically
precise and agenda-driven subdiscipline o analytic metaphysics
Where is it going Is there some discernible direction that it willmdashor
shouldmdashtake
In this book I introduce nonspecialists to analytic theology I try to
make clear both what it isnrsquot and what it is Accordingly I discuss what
makes analytic theology analytic and I try to lay out what makes analytic
theology really theology Specifically I outline analytic theologyrsquos con-
nections to Scripture Christian tradition and culture (broadly con-ceived) and I do so by using case studies to illuminate the relationships
and the need or urther integration Here I must also coness to an
agenda I am hoping to influence the uture o analytic theology by
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
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1048625983088 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
calling the discipline to a deeper engagement with the traditional re-
sources o the theological task
I come to the work o analytic theology as someone who is by trainingand by vocation a theologian Tus I am especially grateul or the pa-
tience and graciousness o those riends and colleagues who have
genuine expertise in epistemology metaphysics and philosophy o re-
ligion (as well as the history o philosophy) I am deeply indebted to you
or whatever abilities I have as an analytic theologian and I am truly
grateul or your collegiality and encouragement I am also thankul or
those ellow theologians who have taken up the mantle o analytic the-ology and I am grateul as well to those who led the way by actually
doing it beore it was ever called by that name Oliver Crisp Mike Rea
and Billy Abraham read the manuscript and offered very helpul critique
and encouragement and the book is much improved as a result (All
remaining aults are o course entirely mine)
In addition I am grateul or the community o saints and scholars
who surround me at rinity Evangelical Divinity School (and especiallythe members o the Deerfield Dialogue Group who read part o the
manuscript) and I am indebted as well to the administration and the
board o regents or a sabbatical in the all o 10486269830881048625983092
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983089
What Is Analytic Theology
Fear of scholasticism is the mark of the false prophet
K983137983154983148 B983137983154983156983144
A B983154983145983141983142 H983145983155983156983151983154983161 983151983142 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 T983144983141983151983148983151983143983161Where we were Te revival of philosophy of religion For a good deal
o the twentieth century academic philosophymdashespecially Anglo-
American ldquoanalyticrdquo philosophymdashwas ofen taken to be hostile to tradi-
tional theistic belie in general and perhaps especially so to Christian
belie983089 Logical positivism insisted that theological claims were not only
alse but indeed meaningless and many philosophers ound it difficult
even to take theology seriously Te conclusions o A J Ayer are bothrepresentative and influential He claims that the very ldquopossibility o re-
ligious knowledgerdquo has been ldquoruled out by our treatment o metaphysicsrdquo983090
I the ldquocriterion o verifiabilityrdquo eliminates metaphysics and i theology
is only a subcategory o metaphysics then theology is obviously elimi-
natedmdashthe very possibility has been ruled out and all God-talk is literally
Epigraph Karl Barth Church Dogmatics vol I1048625 Te Doctrine of the Word of God ed F
orrance trans Geoffrey Bromiley (Edinburgh amp Clark 1048625983097983095983093) p 10486269830959830971I realize that (at least on some understandings o the term) the story o analytic theology ar
predates the modern era and indeed has ar more in common with scholasticism than it does
with either twentieth-century philosophy or modern theology More on this anon2Alred Jules Ayer Language ruth and Logic (New York Dover 10486259830979830931048626) p 10486251048625983092
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10486251048626 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
nonsensical983091 Hud Hudson says ldquoInormed that questions about the ex-
istence nature and significance o the deity were hereafer to be engaged
exclusively under the guidance o linguistic analyses o religious lan-guage and menaced with (inexplicably popular) verificationist theories
o meaning theologians were told by analytic philosophers that they had
not even achieved the minimal distinction o saying anything alse or
they had not managed to say anything at allrdquo1048628
Te response o many theologians in the late modern era to the develop-
ments in mainstream philosophy in Anglo-American circles was under-
standable they largely ignored the work o these philosophers andlooked elsewhere or intellectual resources and conversation partners
Some sought reuge in ldquoContinentalrdquo philosophy while others decried
any engagement between philosophy and theology
But the second hal o the twentieth century witnessed some re-
markable changes As Hudson notes ldquoTis most unortunate moment in
the history o analytic philosophy was merciully temporary as was its
slavish devotion to linguistic analyses verificationism and all the un-ounded suspicion o metaphysics ethics and religion that ollowed in its
wakerdquo1048629 Logical positivism couldnrsquot bear its own weight and Ayerrsquos con-
fident pronouncements are now valued more as a quaint museum artiact
o philosophical history (ldquoLook kids isnrsquot it amazing that anyone ever
said thatmdashand especially that he seemed so cocksure about itrdquo) than as
a helpul repository o philosophical insight With the collapse o posi-
tivism came a rebirth o serious metaphysicsmdashand with that collapse and
the rebirth o metaphysics came a revival o philosophy o religion983094
Where philosophical consideration o theological issues had been deemed
an utter waste o time now it was seen as an interesting area o inquiry
Serious and sustained engagement with perennial issues o religious and
theological interest was happening again and many o the philosophers
3Ibid p 10486279830934Hud Hudson Te Fall and Hypertime (Oxord Oxord University Press 10486269830881048625983092) p 9830925Ibid p 9830936For a telling o this tale see Nicholas Wolterstorff ldquoHow Philosophical Teology Became Pos-
sible Within the Analytic radition o Philosophyrdquo in Analytic Teology New Essays in the Phi-
losophy of Teology ed Oliver D Crisp and Michael C Rea (Oxord Oxord University Press
1048626983088983088983097) pp 1048625983093983093-1048630983096
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What Is Analytic heology 1048625983091
engaged in this work weremdashand aremdashcommitted Christians
Not all philosophers rejoice at these developments but it is increas-
ingly hard or them not to notice them Quentin Smith describesmdashanddecriesmdashthis development
Te secularization o mainstream academia began to quickly unravel upon
the publication o Plantingarsquos influential book on realist theism God and
Other Minds in 1048625983097983094983095 It became apparent to the philosophical proession
that this book displayed that realist theists were not outmatched by natu-
ralists in terms o the most valued standards o academic philosophy con-
ceptual precision rigor o argumentation technical erudition and an in-depth deense o an original worldview Tis book ollowed seven years
later by Plantingarsquos even more impressive book Te Nature of Necessity
made it maniest that a realist theist was writing at the highest qualitative
level o analytic philosophy on the same playing field as Carnap Russell
Gruumlnbaum and other naturalists1048631
Smith in what basically amounts to something o an alarmist ldquocall to
armsrdquo to his ellow atheists concludes that ldquoGod is not lsquodeadrsquo in aca-demia he returned to lie in the late 1048625983097983094983088rsquos and is now alive and well in
his last academic stronghold philosophy departmentsrdquo1048632
While triumphalism on the part o Christian philosophers would be
both very premature and unseemly (they remain by all measures in the
substantial minority within academic philosophy) nonetheless Smith is
right that the situation is very different than it was only a ew decades
ago Te Society o Christian Philosophers ounded in 1048625983097983095983096 as a small
group o diverse scholars who were more unified by common interests
than by shared commitment to a particular creed now has in the neigh-
borhood o a thousand members Several journalsmdashnotably Faith and
Philosophy Philosophia Christi Religious Studies Sophia Philo and the
International Journal of Philosophy of Religionmdashare devoted to issues
broadly related to the study o the philosophy o religion and Christian
philosophers are very active in these and other venues At the same time
Christian philosophers are very active in other more ldquomainstreamrdquo areas
o contemporary philosophy important recent work in metaphysics and
7Quentin Smith ldquoTe Metaphilosophy o Naturalismrdquo Philo 983092 no 1048626 (10486269830889830881048625) 10486268Ibid p 1048627
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
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1048625983092 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
epistemology in particular has been influenced by philosophers with
religious interests and well-known Christian commitments
Not surprisingly the growth o Christian involvement in philosophyhas been accompanied by increased interest in issues o perennial
concern in philosophy o religion Work on such issues had never en-
tirely disappeared o course or prominent philosophers such as Basil
Mitchell Peter Geach Austin Farrer and others were making significant
contributions well beore the current renaissance o Christian philosophy
really took off1048633 However engagement has been growing at an astounding
rate Issues surrounding religious pluralism and exclusivism problemso evil (including not only the ldquologicalrdquo problem o evil but also ldquoevi-
dentialrdquo problems) religious epistemology religious experience mir-
acles theistic arguments (particularly various versions o ontological
cosmological teleological and moral arguments) and science and re-
ligion have been explored with impressive vigor and analyzed with or-
midable rigor9830891048624 Positions have been set out and explained attacked and
deended modified and surrendered Te work in philosophy o religionhas not been cordoned off rom other more ldquomainstreamrdquo philosophical
work o the contrary in many ways it has remained vitally engaged with
9Eg Basil Mitchell Te Justification of Religious Belief (Oxord Oxord University Press 10486259830979830961048625)
Mitchell Faith and Criticism (Oxord Oxord University Press 1048625983097983097983093) Mitchell Morality Reli-
gious and Secular Te Dilemma of the raditional Conscience (Oxord Oxord University Press
10486259830979830961048630) Peter Geach God and the Soul (South Bend IN St Augustinersquos Press 10486259830971048630983097) Geach
Providence and Evil (Cambridge Cambridge University Press 1048625983097983095983095) Geach Te Virtues (Cam-
bridge Cambridge University Press 1048625983097983095983095) Geach Logic Matters (Berkeley University o Cali-ornia Press 10486259830979830951048626) Austin Farrer Te Freedom of the Will (London Black 1048625983097983093983096) Farrer Love
Almighty and Ills Unlimited An Essay on Providence and Evil (London Collins 104862598309710486301048625) Farrer
Saving Belief A Study of Essentials (London Hodder amp Stoughton 10486259830971048630983092) Farrer Faith and Spec-
ulation An Essay in Philosophical Teology (London Black 10486259830971048630983095)10Te contentsmdashand perhaps the very existencemdasho the numerous and massive ldquohandbooksrdquo and
ldquocompanionsrdquo to philosophy o religion bear weighty testimony to this act See eg William J
Wainwright ed Te Oxford Handbook of Philosophy of Religion (New York Oxord University
Press 1048626983088983088983093) Philip L Quinn and Charles aliaerro eds A Companion to Philosophy of Religion
(Oxord Blackwell 1048625983097983097983095) William E Mann ed Te Blackwell Guide to the Philosophy of Religion
(Oxord Blackwell 1048626983088983088983093) Michael L Peterson and Raymond J VanArragon eds Contemporary
Debates in Philosophy of Religion (Oxord Blackwell 1048626983088983088983092) J P Moreland and William Lane
Craig eds Te Blackwell Companion to Natural Teology (Oxord Blackwell 1048626983088983088983097) Justin Mc-
Brayer and Daniel Howard-Snyder eds Te Blackwell Companion to the Problem of Evil (Oxord
Blackwell 104862698308810486251048627) Chad Meister and Paul Copan eds Te Routledge Companion to Philosophy of
Religion 1048626nd ed (New York Routledge 104862698308810486251048627) See also the impressive series Oxord Studies in
Philosophy o Religion edited by Jon Kvanvig
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What Is Analytic heology 1048625983093
cutting-edge work in epistemology ethics and metaphysics to use the
latter as an example rom Alvin Plantingarsquos early work Te Nature of
Necessity to Brian Lefowrsquos recent contributions in God and Necessity important work in the metaphysics o modality has been deeplymdashand
some might say ldquoessentiallyrdquomdashconnected to philosophy o religion983089983089
Judging rom the interest and output analytic philosophy o religion is
not only alive and well but indeed healthy and robust
How we got here From philosophy of religion to philosophical the-
ology But or all the vigor and intellectual energy that is captured and
reflected in work on general or generic issues in philosophy o religion theinterests o Christian philosophers have not been limited to those issues
Instead Christian philosophers have been deeply interested in distinctly
Christian theological topics and they have devoted much energy to the
analysis and deense o Christian doctrine Te past ew decades have wit-
nessed important work on the doctrine o revelation (and divine speech)
the inspiration authority and interpretation o the Christian Scriptures
divine attributes (particularly simplicity necessity aseity omnipotenceomniscience eternity and reedom) divine action in creation providence
miraculous intervention theological anthropology original sin incar-
nation atonement resurrection and eschatology983089983090
Where we are Philosophical theology and analytic theology More
recently the term analytic theology has come into use Tere are o
course important orebears to this work David Kelsey Nicholas Wolt-
erstorff and others at Yale disparate figures such as William P Alston
Norman Kretzmann George Mavrodes Keith Yandell and others else-
where in the United States Paul Helm and Richard Swinburne in the
United Kingdom and Vincent Brummer and others o the Utrecht
11See Alvin Plantinga Te Nature of Necessity (Oxord Oxord University Press 1048625983097983095983092) and Brian
Lefow God and Necessity (Oxord Oxord University Press 104862698308810486251048626) See also the recent proposals
o Hugh J McCann Creation and the Sovereignty of God (Bloomington Indiana University Press
104862698308810486251048626)12Once again the prolieration o ldquoreadersrdquo ldquohandbooksrdquo and ldquocompanionsrdquo stands as evidence
o the breadth and depth o the work undertaken eg Oliver D Crisp ed A Reader in Contem-
porary Philosophical Teology (New York amp Clark 1048626983088983088983097) Michael C Rea ed Oxford Read-
ings in Philosophical Teology 1048626 vols (Oxord Oxord University Press 1048626983088983088983097) Tomas P Flint
and Michael C Rea eds Te Oxford Handbook of Philosophical Teology (Oxord Oxord Uni-
versity Press 1048626983088983088983097) Charles aliaerro and Chad Meister eds Te Cambridge Companion to
Christian Philosophical Teology (Cambridge Cambridge University Press 10486269830881048625983088)
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
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1048625983094 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
school o philosophical theology in the Netherlands Following trail-
blazers such as these and building on the recent renaissance o meta-
physics and philosophy o religion the analytic theology movement isnow growing Te publication o the volume Analytic Teology Essays
in the Philosophy of Teology edited by Oliver D Crisp and Michael C
Rea marked an important moment Te Analytic Teology Project
(sponsored and promoted by Notre Damersquos Center or Philosophy o
Religion as well the University o Innsbruck in Austria and the Shalem
Center in Jerusalem and unded by generous grants rom the John em-
pleton Foundation) with its annual Logos conerence and other activitiesthe launch o the Journal of Analytic Teology and the inauguration o
the book series Oxord Studies in Analytic Teology all lend support to
this growing movement
Te meaning o the term analytic theology can vary in common par-
lance and it is sae to say that there is no single decisively settled meaning
o the term when it is used as a label Still perhaps we can saely say that
what is common across the range o uses is this analytic theology sig-nifies a commitment to employ the conceptual tools o analytic phi-
losophy where those tools might be helpul in the work o constructive
Christian theology Scholars will naturally enough disagree among
themselves about just which o those tools are most helpul which
projects are best served by their use and other matters but on the whole
such a minimalist characterization seems sae enough William J
Abraham offers this helpul summary analytic theology ldquocan be useully
defined as ollows it is systematic theology attuned to the skills re-
sources and virtues o analytic philosophyrdquo983089983091 As such analytic theology
is a growing and energetic field at the intersections o philosophy o re-
ligion and systematic theology
W983144983137983156 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 T983144983141983151983148983151983143983161 I983155 (983151983154 S983144983151983157983148983140 B983141)
Such minimalist characterization while airly sae does not take us very
ar What more precisely is one doing when one does analytic theology
13William J Abraham ldquoSystematic Teology as Analytic Teologyrdquo in Analytic Teology New
Essays in the Philosophy of Teology ed Oliver D Crisp and Michael C Rea (Oxord Oxord
University Press 1048626983088983088983097) p 983093983092
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What Is Analytic heology 1048625983095
Just what is analytic theology Perhaps it will help first to consider what
is so analytic about analytic theology Following this we shall think
about how it is an exercise in theology Analytic theology as analytic theology As we have seen Quentin Smith
praises Plantingarsquos work or its excellence in ldquothe most valued standards o
analytic philosophy conceptual precision rigor o argumentation tech-
nical erudition and an in-depth deense o an original worldviewrdquo9830891048628 Oliver
D Crisp echoes this estimation o what counts as good work in analytic
philosophy he observes that analytic philosophy is characterized by ldquoa
logical rigour clarity and parsimony o expression coupled with attentionto a certain cluster o philosophical problemsrdquo9830891048629 Analytic theology is rel-
evantly similar he says or it ldquowill prize intellectual virtues like clarity
parsimony o expression and argumentative rigourrdquo983089983094 Michael C Rearsquos
description o analytic philosophy echoes these accounts in some ways
While recognizing that clear and sharp lines between ldquoanalyticrdquo and ldquonon-
analyticrdquo (or ldquoContinentalrdquo) philosophical approaches are neither easy to
come by nor perhaps really worth all the work he characterizes analyticapproaches to philosophy in terms o style and ambition9830891048631 Te ambitions
are generally ldquoto identiy the scope and limits o our powers to obtain
knowledge o the worldrdquo and ldquoto provide such true explanatory theories
as we can in areas o inquiry (metaphysics morals and the like) that all
outside the scope o the natural sciencesrdquo9830891048632 Rea characterizes the style as
including the ollowing prescriptions
P1048625 Write as i philosophical positions and conclusions can be adequately or-mulated in sentences that can be ormalized and logically manipulated
P1048626 Prioritize precision clarity and logical coherence
P983091 Avoid substantive (non-decorative) use o metaphor and other tropes
whose semantic content outstrips their propositional content
14Smith ldquoMetaphilosophyrdquo p 104862615Oliver D Crisp ldquoOn Analytic Teologyrdquo in Crisp and Rea Analytic Teology p 104862798309316Ibid pp 1048627983095-104862798309617Michael C Rea introduction to Crisp and Rea Analytic Teology pp 1048627-983092 See also Nick raka-
kis ldquoMeta-Philosophy o Religion Te Analytic-Continental Divide in Philosophy o Religionrdquo
Ars Disputandi 983095 (1048626983088983088983095) 1048625983095983097-1048626104862698308818Rea introduction p 983092
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1048625983096 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
P983092 Work as much as possible with well-understood primitive concepts and
concepts that can be analyzed in terms o those
P983093 reat conceptual analysis (insoar as possible) as a source o evidence9830891048633
Tis much at least is characteristic o analytic philosophy So what
about analytic theology As Rea sees things ldquoanalytic theology is just the
activity o approaching theological topics with the ambitions o an ana-
lytic philosopher and in a style that conorms to the prescriptions that
are distinctive o analytic philosophical discourse It will also involve
more or less pursuing those topics in a way that engages the literature
that is constitutive o the analytic tradition employing some o the tech-
nical jargon rom that tradition and so on But in the end it is the style
and ambitions that are most centralrdquo9830901048624
All this is helpul but perhaps a bit more explanation would be ben-
eficial Consider P1048625 Tis need not mean that all meaningul statements
in theology (or philosophy) need to be expressed ormally it should
not be taken to mean that every theological claim should be stated in
an apparatus with numbered propositions and a ormal structure
What it does mean however is that the deault setting or theologians
should be to communicate propositions that could be expressed this
way For as Rea says ldquoabsent special circumstancesrdquo things have ldquogone
very much amissrdquo i a view ldquois expressed in such a way that it has no
clear logical outcomesrdquo983090983089
Consider also P1048626 Tis need notmdashand should notmdashbe taken to mean
that logical precision and coherence are the only important criteria ora theologian and neither should it be taken to imply even that logical
precision and coherence are the most important criteria Te theologian
who is convinced that her first commitment is fidelity to the priority and
ultimacy o divine revelation should have no difficulty in assenting to P1048626
Neither urther should P1048626 be taken to imply that the same levels o
logical precision are possible with all theological topics nor yet that all
theological projects require the same levels o precision and argumentative
19Ibid pp 983093-104863020Ibid p 98309521Ibid p 983093 n 983093
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What Is Analytic heology 1048625983097
rigor Consider by way o example childrenrsquos catechetical literature
Surely this literature is theological but it neither can nor should attempt
to display the same level o logical precision or argumentative rigor assay advanced work in scholastic theology P1048626 does not clam that such
theological literature should do so or that all work in theology must
always do so
Neither should P1048626 be misunderstood with respect to claims about the
importance o ldquoclarityrdquo Rea notes that this claim can seem ironic ldquoin light
o the act that quite a lot o analytic philosophy [and we could add
some analytic theology] is very difficult even or specialists and totallyinaccessible to non-specialistsrdquo983090983090 But ldquoclearrdquo does not mean ldquoeasyrdquo In-
stead it expresses a commitment to the work o ldquospelling out hidden
assumptions scrupulously trying to lay bare whatever evidence one has
(or lacks) or the claims that one is making and on taking care to confine
onersquos vocabulary to ordinary language well-understood primitive con-
cepts and technical jargon definable in terms o theserdquo983090983091 Finally we
should note that P1048626 does not imply that everything (or everything worthtalking about) in theology will become crystal clear Te goal o analytic
theology is not (or at least need not be) the removal o all mystery in
theology o the contrary analytic philosophers o religion have long
been keenly aware o the place o mystery in theology and it may be that
at certain points an important role o the theologian is to clariy just
where the mystery really lies P1048626 does not suggest that analytic theology
will make everything ldquoclearrdquo in the sense that it makes everything ldquoeasy
and readily accessible to the nonspecialistrdquo Instead what it prioritizes is
clarity to the appropriate audiences and to the greatest possible degree
And it insists that ldquomysteryrdquo must not be conused with logical inco-
herence and it likewise insists that we do not gloriy what is clearly in-
coherent with the shroud o ldquomysteryrdquo As Alan G Padgett says theology
should ldquoseek the truth about Godrdquo and ldquothereore must shun incoherence
and irrationalityrdquo9830901048628 Where ldquosometimes lsquomysteryrsquo is evoked as an excuse
22Ibid p 983093 n 104863023Ibid24Alan G Padgett ldquoTe rinity in Teology and Philosophy Why Jerusalem Should Work with
Athensrdquo in Philosophical and Teological Essays on the rinity ed Tomas McCall and Michael
C Rea (Oxord Oxord University Press 1048626983088983088983097) p 104862710486271048626
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
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1048626983088 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
or sloppy thinking this must be anathema to any academic theology
worthy o the namerdquo For ldquoafer all the mystery o God does not end
when theology speaks clearly Te simple phrase lsquoJesus loves me this Iknow or the Bible tells me sorsquo covers vast deep mysteries that even the
angels gaze into with awe and wonderrdquo9830901048629
P983091 rules out ldquosubstantive (non-decorative) use o metaphor and other
tropes whose semantic content outstrips their propositional contentrdquo
Tis does not or at least need not mean that there is no valid or valuable
place or metaphor in theology Analytic theologians will disagree among
themselves as to howmdashand how muchmdashmetaphor is useul and legiti-mate983090983094 But the basic point is airly plain on P983091 theologians are not at
liberty to trade loosely in metaphor without ever being able to speciy
just what is meant by those metaphors Tey are not then ree to make
claims the meaning o which cannot be specified or spelled out Teolo-
gians are not licensed to trade in what Randal Rauser calls ldquounclarifiable
unclarityrdquo9830901048631 P983092 calls the analytic theologian to work with ldquowell-understood
primitive conceptsrdquo that are reasonably taken to be basic intuitive or(minimally) uncontroversial (and with concepts that can be understood
in terms o such primitive concepts) Some theologians will be quick to
raise concerns here they will worry that the very notion o ldquowell-
understood primitive conceptsrdquo may both conceal blind spots o social
location and privilege and be a Procrustean bed that restricts theological
concepts to ldquowhat we already know to be truerdquo and thus curtails the
possibility o engagement with divine revelation But once again it is
important not to misunderstand P983092 Te ldquoas much as possiblerdquo is key
here i the preunderstood concepts donrsquot do enough work then some o
them can be adjusted Others wonrsquot be so easy to adjust or discard but
this category o primitive concepts is both quite small and very basic (eg
the law o noncontradiction) Simply put there is no good reason to
25Ibid26I thank Billy Abraham or pressing this point Te ldquostandardrdquo work on metaphor in theology
remains Janet Martin Soskice Metaphor and Religious Language (Oxord Oxord University
Press 1048625983097983096983095)27Randal Rauser ldquoTeology as a Bull Sessionrdquo in Crisp and Rea Analytic Teology pp 983095983092-983095983093 See
also Harry Frankurt On Bullshit (Princeton NJ Princeton University Press 1048626983088983088983093) and Frank-
urt Bullshit and Philosophy ed Gary L Hardcastle and George A Resich (Chicago Open
Court 1048626983088983088983093)
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
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What Is Analytic heology 10486261048625
think that the notion o ldquowell-understood primitive conceptsrdquo must
unction as a Procrustean bed
Finally Rea says that P983093 calls us to ldquotreat conceptual analysis (insoaras it is possible) as a source o evidencerdquo It should be obvious that he
does not say that conceptual analysis is the only source o evidence and
there is no reason to think that it should be taken this way Neither does
he claim that conceptual analysis is the primary or ultimate source o
evidence P983093 makes an important claim but it is a rather modest one
What it insists on is this i close conceptual analysis reveals that some
theological proposition P is say internally inconsistent then thatanalysis gives us all the evidence we need to reject P No matter how
grand the claims o Prsquo s supporters in deense o the supporting evidence
for it i P is incoherent (sel-reerentially or otherwise) then it is not true
Once we have established that P is incoherent (which is a task much
harder than is sometimes supposed) we have all the reason we need to
conclude that it is wrong In addition o course conceptual analysis
might count as evidence in other and more positive ways as well Con-sider perect being theology or example here theologians analyze ldquoper-
ectionrdquo and then take deliverances o that analysis as evidence in support
o their theological conclusions
Much more could be said about what makes analytic theology truly
analytic o course While this could be expanded on and broadened
(particularly in directions that put less o a premium on precision) Rearsquos
P1048625-P983093 give us an initial sense o what it means to say that theology is
analytic theology Generally speaking analytic theology is theology that
is attuned to and committed to the ldquogoals and ambitionsrdquo o analytic
philosophy a commitment to truth wherever it may be ound clarity o
expression and rigor o argumentation Very ofen it will not hesitate to
make appropriate use o the available tools o analytic philosophy espe-
cially as these aid conceptual precision and argumentative rigor
Analytic theology as analytic theology But i echoing Smith it is the
concern with ldquoconceptual precisionrdquo and ldquorigor o argumentationrdquo that
makes analytic theology analytic then what is it that makes analytic
theology really theology Tis book develops an answer to this question
but an initial summary may help Recall that Smith talks not only about
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10486261048626 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
ldquoconceptual precisionrdquo and ldquorigor o argumentationrdquo but also about ldquotech-
nical eruditionrdquo and the ldquoin-depth deense o an original worldviewrdquo For
the analytic philosopher ldquotechnical eruditionrdquo will naturally involvemastery o the requisite field (metaphysics philosophy o mind epis-
temology etc) but it may also include competence in other related
fields (biology or philosophy o biology neurology or philosophy o
mind etc) For the analytic theologian such erudition will include com-
petence in the relevant areas o philosophical study that are necessary or
ldquoconceptual precisionrdquo and ldquorigor o argumentationrdquo But or the analytic
theologian qua theologian it must involve much more than this Forunless analytic theology is merely ldquoarmchair theologyrdquo (albeit armchair
theology done by very bright people) it will be grounded in the
Christian Scriptures it will be inormed by the great tradition o doc-
trinal development it will be ldquochristologically normedrdquo and it will be
culturally engaged As theology it will seek to articulate what we may
know o God as God has revealed himsel to us As Nicholas Wolterstorff
puts it to theologiansDo not be ersatz philosophers do not be ersatz cultural theorists do not be
ersatz anything Be genuine theologians Be sure-ooted in philosophy But
then be theologians What we need to hear rom you is how things look
when seen in light o the triune Godmdashmay his name be praisedmdashwho creates
and sustains us who redeems us and who will bring this rail and allen
though yet glorious humanity and cosmos to consummation9830901048632
Accordingly analytic theology is theology done by theologians who areldquosure-ootedrdquo in philosophy (many o whom will have extensive training
and proessional expertise there and indeed may be leaders within their
field) but it is a kind o theology nonetheless
Such a conception o theology is o course not remotely new What
we may useully reer to as ldquoanalytic theologyrdquo is very similar in many
respects to deeply traditional ways o doing theology We can see this
kind o work exemplified in the theology o the scholastics (both me-dieval and post-Reormationearly modern) So in some sense the re-
28Nicholas Wolterstorff ldquoo Teologians From One Who Cares About Teology but Is Not One
o Yourdquo Teological Education (1048626983088983088983093) 9830971048625-9830971048626
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
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What Is Analytic heology 1048626983091
birth o analytic theology may be thought o as scholasticism redivivus
As Richard Swinburnemdashsurely a pioneer o analytic theologymdashsays
ldquolarge-scale theology needs clear and rigorous argumentrdquo and it is ldquohightime or theology to returnrdquo to the standards set by Tomas Aquinas
John Duns Scotus and others9830901048633 But it is not only the ldquohigh scholasticsrdquo
who worked this way or we can also witness many o these virtues in
theologians rom the patristics to the pietists9830911048624 Many theologians in the
Christian tradition were concerned with both ldquoconceptual precisionrdquo and
ldquoargumentative rigorrdquo as well as ldquotechnical eruditionrdquo and the ldquoin-depth
deense o an original worldviewrdquoConsider what John Wesleymdashan evangelist hardly known as a ldquoscho-
lasticrdquo or an ldquoanalytic theologianrdquomdashhas to say about the importance o
acquiring the tools or ldquoconceptual precisionrdquo and ldquoargumentative rigorrdquo
Logic he says is ldquonecessary next to and in order to the knowledge o
Scripturerdquo983091983089 Despite the act that it is ldquonow quite unashionablerdquo none-
theless logic is invaluable For with it we have the possibility o ldquoappre-
hending things clearly judging truly and reasoning conclusivelyrdquo
983091983090
Andas with logic so also with metaphysics Tus Wesley will ask o clergy
Am I a tolerable master o the sciences Have I gone through the very gate o
them logic I not I am not likely to go much urther when I stumble at the
threshold Do I understand it so as to be ever the better or it o have it
always ready or use so as to apply every rule o it when occasion is almost
as naturally as I turn my hand Do I understand it at all Can I reduce an
indirect mood to a direct a hypothetic to a categorical syllogism Rather have
not my stupid indolence and laziness made me very ready to believe what the
little wits and pretty gentlemen affirm ldquothat logic is good or nothingrdquo It is
good or this at least (wherever it is understood) to make people talk less by
showing them both what is and what is not to the point and how extremely
29Richard Swinburne Te Coherence of Teism 1048626nd ed (Oxord Oxord University Press 10486259830979830971048627)
p 98309530See eg Gregory o Nyssa Against Eunomius 10486259830921048626 Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers ed Philip
Schaff series 1048626 (10486259830969830961048630ndash1048625983096983096983097 repr Peabody MA Hendrickson 1048625983097983097983092) 983093983097983096-983097983097 (Patrologia
Graeca [= Patrologiae Cursus Completus Series Graeca] ed Jacques-Paul Migne [Paris 1048625983096983093983095ndash
10486259830969830961048630] 9830929830939830921048630983088-10486301048625)31John Wesley ldquoAddress to the Clergyrdquo in Te Works of John Wesley vol 1048625983088 Letters Essays Dialogs
and Addresses (Grand Rapids Zondervan nd) p 983092983096104862732Ibid
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1048626983092 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
hard it is to prove anything Do I understand metaphysics i not the depths
o the Schoolmen the subtleties o Scotus or Aquinas yet the first rudiments
the general principles o that useul science983091983091
Consider urther what Wesley says about the importance o ldquotechnical
eruditionrdquo in theology Insisting on the importance o knowledge o the
scope o Christian Scripture as well as acility in the relevant ancient
languages he asks
Have I (1048625) such a knowledge o Scripture as becomes him who undertakes
so to explain it to others Have I a ull and clear view o the analogy o
aith which is the clue to guide me through the whole Am I acquainted with
the several parts o Scripture with all parts o the Old estament and the
New Upon the mention o any text do I know the context and the parallel
places Do I know the scope o each book and how every part tends
thereto Have I the skill to draw the natural inerences deducible rom each
text (1048626) Do I understand Greek and Hebrew Otherwise am I not at
the mercy o everyone who does understand or pretends to understand the
original For which way can I conute his pretence Do I understand the lan-
guage o the Old estament Critically At all Can I read into English one o
Davidrsquos Psalms or even the first chapter o Genesis Do I understand the
language o the New estament Am I a critical master o it Have I enough
o it even to read into English the first chapter o St Luke I not how many
years did I spend at school How many at university And what was I doing
all those years9830911048628
Wesley says similar things about the indispensability o knowledge o
the Christian tradition But the basic point should be clear important
elements o what we now call ldquoanalytic theologyrdquo have deep roots in the
broad Christian theological tradition Indeed or an evangelist like John
Wesley this is simply the kind o theology that any Christian minister
should be doing
W983144983137983156 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 T983144983141983151983148983151983143983161 I983155983150rsquo983156 M983145983155983157983150983140983141983154983155983156983137983150983140983145983150983143983155
983137983150983140 O983138983146983141983139983156983145983151983150983155
Many systematic theologians are suspicious o analytic theology Indeed
33Ibid pp 9830929830971048625-983097104862634Ibid pp 983092983097983088-9830971048625
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What Is Analytic heology 1048626983093
some are deeply suspicious Te concerns come rom several angles Here
are some o the most common9830911048629
ldquoAnalytic theology relies on a univocal account of religious languagerdquoSome theologians may worry that the current analytic discussions
proceed with an unrealistic and unhealthy naiveteacute regarding the nature
and unction o religious language For instance Stephen R Holmes
thinks that ldquoanalytic discussions o the rinity seem generally to proceed
with a remarkable confidence about the success o language in reerring
to the divinerdquo he thinks that the assumption o analytic theology ldquowould
always seem to be that language reers univocally to the divine and thecreatedrdquo Indeed he thinks that analytic theology would be ldquoimpossiblerdquo
without a commitment to univocity983091983094 More worrisome the concern may
be that analytic theologyrsquos commitment to univocity implicates it in
something that is (at least potentially) idolatrous9830911048631
A general treatment o religious language is beyond the scope o our
discussion but several observations may be helpul First it should be
noted that the case against univocity should not be merely assumed (asi some particular theological proposal could be damned by nothing
more than the charge o univocity) Nor is the case for univocity nearly
so weak as is ofen supposed o the contrary univocity has serious and
sophisticated deenders today and a case can be made that ldquothe doctrine
o univocity is true and salutaryrdquo9830911048632
Te second major point is perhaps more important or our purposes
It is this analytic theology as such requires no commitment to univocity
whatsoever Indeed many analytic theologians reject univocity in avor
35Tis section draws heavily rom my ldquoTeologians Philosophers and the Doctrine o the rinityrdquo
in McCall and Rea Philosophical and Teological Essays on the rinity pp 1048627983092983088-98309298309636Stephen R Holmes Te Quest for the rinity Te Doctrine of God in Scripture History and Mo-
dernity (Downers Grove IL IVP Academic 104862698308810486251048626) p 1048627104862637See eg Jean-Luc Marion God Without Being trans Tomas A Carlson (Chicago University
o Chicago Press 10486259830979830971048625) and John Milbank Te Word Made Strange (Oxord Blackwell 1048625983097983097983095)
See also the discussion in Daniel P Horan Postmodernity and Univocity A Critical Account of
Radical Orthodoxy and John Duns Scotus (Minneapolis Fortress 10486269830881048625983092)38Tomas Williams ldquoTe Doctrine o Univocity Is rue and Salutaryrdquo Modern Teology 10486261048625 (1048626983088983088983093)
983093983095983093-983096983093 See also William P Alston Divine Nature and Human Language Essays in Philosophical
Teology (Ithaca NY Cornell University Press 1048625983097983096983097) pp 1048625983095-10486251048625983095 and Keith E Yandell ldquoNot
Conusing Incomprehensibility and Ineffability Carl Henry on Literal Propositional Revela-
tionrdquo rinity Journal (10486269830881048625983092) 10486301048625-983095983092
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
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1048626983094 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
o other approaches (the doctrine o analogy being avored by many)
and at least one prominent philosopher o religion deends apophati-
cism9830911048633 Perhaps there is a general sense in which it is true that analytictheologians are naive about religious language Perhaps they aremdash
although I doubt this very much But even i it were true this would not
obviously make analytic theology different rom or inerior to many
other approaches to the theological task Te concernmdasheven i it were
substantiatedmdashwould give us no reason to avoid or dismiss analytic the-
ology It might give us reason to want to do it better it might motivate
analytic theologians to pay closer attention to important issues relatedto theological language But the concern itselmdasheven i substantiatedmdash
would not count against the proper exercise o analytic theology It is at
best a red herring
ldquoAnalytic theology is an exercise in natural theologyrdquo Some critics
might charge analytic theology with reliance on ldquonatural theologyrdquo Tis
observation will seem benign to other theologians some analytic theo-
logians might even take this judgment as a badge o honor But to thosetheologians o the house and lineage o Karl Barth this will be the mark
o damnation some may take natural theology to be ldquothe invention o
the Antichristrdquo as something that can serve only to reinorce idolatry
and corrupt the truth10486281048624 Other theologians might not be so hostile but
they still might worry that natural theology distracts us rom obedience
and fidelity to the reality o divine revelation So i analytic theology is
an exercise in natural theology or even relies on it it should be held at
armrsquos length i not shunned entirely
Much could be said about this cluster o issuesmdashand indeed more will
be said in the next chaptermdashbut at this point a basic conusion needs to
be cleared away Fundamentally it is simply a misunderstanding o ana-
lytic theology to think that it is an exercise in natural theology Granted
some prolific analytic theologians are heavily invested in the project o
natural theology and we can say with confidence that rumors o the
39Eg Jonathan D Jacobs ldquoTe Ineffable Inconceivable and Incomprehensible God Fundamen-
tality and Apophatic Teologyrdquo in Oxford Studies in Philosophy of Religion orthcoming40More precisely Barth says that the analogia entis (which interpreters ofen take to be the basis
o all natural theology) is the ldquoinvention o the Antichristrdquo Doctrine of the Word of God p xiii
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What Is Analytic heology 1048626983095
demise o natural theology have been greatly exaggerated1048628983089 But there is
nothing about analytic theology as suchmdashas I have described it to this
pointmdashthat relies on natural theology Te conusion o natural theologywith the analytic project is just thatmdasha conusion Whatever we should
think about natural theology philosophically however we judge the suc-
cesses (or lack thereo) o the various theistic arguments natural the-
ology simply cannot be equated with analytic theology And whatever
we should conclude theologically about natural theology we should not
conuse it with the analytic project Once again this is a red herring
ldquoAnalytic theology is naive with respect to the history of doctrinerdquoAnother concern expressed by some contemporary systematic theolo-
gians is this analytic theology all too ofen proceeds with little awareness
o the complex but important historical actors associated with the de-
velopment and ormation o Christian doctrine o understate the point
analytic theologians are sometimes criticized or their ignorance o the
history o the development o dogma and or their lack o careul study
to understand the particular intellectual (not to mention social) settingo the person(s) controversies or eras under consideration Instead so
the story goes it is all too common or analytic theologians to approach
an issue by isolating a particular text and then breaking it down to
unpack the real ldquocorerdquo o the doctrine in question And the assumption
o the analytic theologians (again so the story goes) is ofen enough that
this can be saely or appropriately done with little or no reerence to the
particular context in which the development occurred As Fred Sanders
expresses the concern ldquophilosophers sometimes seem to think o ancient
texts as cumbersome delivery systems containing ideas which it is their
job to extract rom the delivery system and do something withrdquo1048628983090 Richard
A Muller likewise argues that lack o attention to historical context
sometimes results in problematic misunderstandings o the tradition in
41Eg Richard Swinburne Te Coherence of Teism (Oxord Oxord University Press 1048625983097983095983095) and
Swinburne Te Existence of God (Oxord Oxord University Press 1048625983097983095983097 [1048626983088983088983092]) For examples
o recent work see Moreland and Craig Blackwell Companion to Natural Teology and James F
Sennett and Douglas Groothuis eds In Defense of Natural Teology A Post-Humean Assessment
(Downers Grove IL IVP Academic 1048626983088983088983093)42Fred Sanders ldquoTe State o the Doctrine o the rinity in Evangelical Teologyrdquo Southwestern
Journal of Teology 983092983095 (1048626983088983088983093) 10486251048630983097
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
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1048626983096 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
his view or instance both recent deenders and contemporary de-
tractors o the doctrine o divine simplicity commonly ldquomisinterpret the
traditional doctrinerdquo1048628983091 Robert W Jenson is more scathing he judges theanalytic enterprise to be ldquosomewhat oddly related to the Christian aith
it claims to deendrdquo and he calls the work o Richard Swinburne a ldquotruly
bizarre caserdquo10486281048628
At least this is how the story ofen goes A major underlying worry
seems to be that reading texts without proper attention to their social
location and intellectual context can cause us to misread and mis-
interpret those texts Tis strikes me as a legitimate concern and it is onethat analytic theologians would do well to hear and heed No one should
deny that it is possible to misread and misinterpret important historical
texts and it seems to me that such misreadings are ar more likely when
particular bits o the text are isolated and scrutinized apart rom the
broader literary and historical contexts Te temptation to look away
rom the context as an irrelevant distraction is real It should also be
resisted So the criticism contains an important cautionAt the same time however we should keep several additional points
in mind First the problem is not restricted to analytic theologiansmdash
constructive or systematic theologians o any stripe may be susceptible
to this temptation Indeed ironies abound on this ront Afer criticizing
analytic philosophers o religion or overlooking ldquothe essentially his-
torical character o trinitarian theologyrdquomdashand especially or missing the
important differences between the ldquoGreek (or lsquoCappadocianrsquo) Eastrdquo and
the ldquoLatin WestrdquomdashCatherine Mowry LaCugnarsquos own work has been
criticized or exaggerating those differences10486281048629 It is not as i more main-
stream nonanalytic or antianalytic theologians are immune to the temp-
tation instead so ar as I can see this is a general concern that should
serve as an important reminder that all theologians who engage with the
43Richard A Muller Post-Reformation Reformed Dogmatics Te Rise and Development of Reformed
Orthodoxy ca 1048625104862910486261048624ndashca 1048625104863110486261048629 vol 1048627 Te Divine Essence and Attributes (Grand Rapids Baker
Academic 10486269830889830881048627) p 983092104862544Robert W Jenson Systematic Teology vol 1048626 Te Works of God (Oxord Oxord University
Press 1048625983097983097983097) p 983096 n 104862798309345Catherine Mowry LaCugna ldquoPhilosophers and Teologians on the rinityrdquo Modern Teology 1048626
(10486259830979830961048630) 10486259830951048626
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What Is Analytic heology 1048626983097
Christian intellectual tradition should do so with appropriate historical
sensitivity Second there is nothingmdashat least so ar as I can seemdashthat
makes this temptation irresistible Te act that some analytic theolo-gians have been insufficiently attentive to some historical matters does
not entail either that all analytic theologians are ignorant o the tradition
or that all analytic theologians must proceed in ignorance I see no
reason to conclude that this problem must be either essential or endemic
to analytic theology Surely more progress can be made in this area but
I see no reasons to think that such progress cannot happen Finally it is
worth noting that such progress in act is being made Tere are manyhappy exceptions to the common stereotype that analytic theologians
are ldquoahistoricalrdquo in act it is sae to say that many excellent analytic
thinkers have genuine specialization in historical scholarship Indeed
many are cutting-edge contributors1048628983094
ldquoAnalytic theology is only apologetics for conservative theologyrdquo Al-
ternatively the suspicion may be that analytic theology is too closely tied
to the Christian tradition Te assumption here is that analytic theologyis nothing more than the bastion o traditionally minded Roman Catholic
(and Orthodox) theologians and philosophers along with their conser-
vative Protestant riends and the worry is that they are interested in
nothing more than finding a sae place to deend what they already know
to be true Consequently the worry goes there is next to nothing o real
interest here or revisionist theologians o various stripes and there is
little promise or genuinely constructive theology
wo observations are important here First in principle there is
nothing about analytic theology that demands either traditional sympa-
thies or conservative conclusions Neither is there anything about ana-
lytic theology (either taken along the lines o Rearsquos P1048625-P983093 or in a somewhat
more expansive way) that precludes the use o the analytic tools by say
eminist womanist or liberationist theologies
46Stellar examples include Richard Cross Duns Scotus on God (Aldershot UK Ashgate 1048626983088983088983093) Cross
Te Metaphysics of the Incarnation Tomas Aquinas to Duns Scotus (Oxord Oxord University
Press 10486269830889830881048626) Eleonore Stump Aquinas (New York Routledge 10486269830889830881048627) Jeffrey E Brower Aquinasrsquos
Ontology of the Material World Change Hylomorphism and Material Objects (Oxord Oxord
University Press 10486269830881048625983092) and J Paasch Divine Production in Late Medieval rinitarian Teology
Henry of Ghent Duns Scotus and William Ockham (Oxord Oxord University Press 104862698308810486251048626)
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
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983091983088 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
Second in point o act many criticisms o traditional doctrines
have emerged rom within analytic theology Consider this example It
is hard to think o a doctrine that is more deeply traditional or moredeeply woven into the abric o historic Christian theology than the
doctrine o divine simplicity Yet this venerable doctrine has endured
intense criticism rom analytic theologians over the past several de-
cades Alvin Plantingarsquos Does God Have a Nature raised ldquotwo diffi-
cultiesrdquo or the doctrine ldquoone substantial and the other truly
monumentalrdquo10486281048631 He argues that i God is identical with each o his
properties then God has but one property But this ldquoseems flatly in-compatible with the obvious act that God has several propertiesrdquo10486281048632 He
argues urther that i God is identical with each o his properties then
God is also a property ldquoTis view is subject to a difficulty both obvious
and overwhelming [or] i God is a property then he isnrsquot a person
but a mere abstract objectrdquo10486281048633 Many analytic theologians have joined
other criticisms to those o Plantinga and it is obvious that this doc-
trinemdashwoven deeply into the abric o traditional Christian doctrineas it ismdashis under assault rom within analytic theology We could mul-
tiply examples with ease (Te traditional doctrine o divine omni-
science stands out here) Tere are o course many sophisticated de-
enders o classical orthodoxy within analytic theology but the basic
point should be clear to reduce analytic theology to apologetics or
traditional doctrine is simply a mistake
As will become obvious in the ollowing pages I think that there is
much to be gained in the work o ldquoretrieval theologyrdquo and I see it as a
natural conversation partner and compatriot o analytic theology I want
to encourage more work at the intersection o analytic theology and
theologies o retrieval But there is nothing about analytic theology as
such that demands adherence to classical Christian theology
ldquoAnalytic theology relies on lsquosubstance metaphysicsrsquo rdquo Sometimes
theologians are suspicious o analytic theology due to its alleged reliance
on substance metaphysics Tis complaint can take various orms Some-
47Alvin Plantinga Does God Have a Nature (Milwaukee Marquette University Press 1048625983097983096983088) p 98309298309548Ibid49Ibid
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What Is Analytic heology 9830911048625
times it is claimed that the whole analytic enterprise is ldquopre-Kantianrdquo (as
in Kenneth Surinrsquos critique o David Brownrsquos work as being ldquorobustly
old-ashionedrdquo and ldquopre-Kantianrdquo)10486291048624 In other words critics complainthat analytic theology proceeds in blithemdashand perhaps willulmdashigno-
rance o the ldquoactrdquo that Kant undermined the entire project by destroying
the very possibility o doing it wo important claims seem to be in play
with this critique first that Kant did something to make analytic the-
ology impossible and second that analytic theologians are unaware o
what Kant did But both o these claims are problematic Te second is
simply mistaken and the first is vigorously contested As Nicholas Wolt-erstorff points out it is much more likely that the current generation o
analytic theologians is not so much ldquopre-Kantianrdquo as it is ldquopost-Kantianrdquo
As he puts it ldquoit really is possible to be post-Kantian Itrsquos possible to re-
cover rom Kant Te choices are not exhausted between being naively
pre-Kantian on the one hand and being a Kantian o one or another
stripe on the otherrdquo1048629983089 Tere are Wolterstorff argues philosophers who
are ully aware o Kantian ldquointerpretation-universalism and ully awareo [Kantian] metaphysical anti-realism but afer serious consideration
they have rejected these options as untenablerdquo1048629983090 So many analytic theo-
logians are well aware o Kantrsquos work (and the common claims made
about that work) but they donrsquot think that he did anything to shut down
the kind o work that they are doing As Plantinga puts it ldquothey have read
him and remain unconvincedrdquo1048629983091
But aside rom Kant analytic theology is sometimes criticized and
rejected or its reliance on ldquosubstance metaphysicsrdquo Unortunately ex-
actly what critical theologians have in their crosshairs when they talk
about substance metaphysics is ofen unclear and not closely defined
But very ofen the complaint is closely tied to a rejection o doctrines
50Kenneth Surin ldquoTe rinity and Philosophical Reflection A Study o David Brownrsquos Te Divine
rinity rdquo Modern Teology 1048626 (10486259830979830961048630) 10486261048627983097-98309298308851Nicholas Wolterstorff ldquoBetween the Pincers o Increased Diversity and Supposed Irrationalityrdquo
in God Philosophy and Academic Culture A Discussion Between Scholars in the AAR and APA
ed William J Wainwright (Atlanta Scholars Press 10486259830979830971048630) p 1048626983088 See also Wolterstorff ldquoIs It
Possible and Desirable or Teologians to Recover rom Kantrdquo Modern Teology 1048625983092 (1048625983097983097983096)
1048625-104862598309652Wolterstorff ldquoBetween the Pincersrdquo p 104862698308853Alvin Plantinga Warranted Christian Belief (Oxord Oxord University Press 1048626983088983088983088) p 1048627983088
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
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9830911048626 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
associated with ldquoclassical theismrdquo immutability impassibility time-
lessness and other doctrines are taken to be untenable and since they
are tied to substance metaphysics so much the worse or substancemetaphysics William P Alston defly analyzes this complaint and he
argues that substance metaphysics are really beside the point What he
says about substance metaphysics in discussions o the doctrine o the
rinity applies more broadly ldquoonce we get straight as to what is and is
not necessarily included in the metaphysics o substance we will see that
most twentieth-century objections to the use o substance metaphysics
are based on eatures o such ormulations that are not required bysubstance metaphysics as suchrdquo10486291048628 Perhaps there is something inherently
wrong with the use o substance metaphysics in theology and maybe this
counts against analytic theology But beore such a judgment can be
made we need more than the all-too-common generalizations and as-
sertions For beore we can conclude that analytic theology is atally
flawed due to a dependence on substance metaphysics we need to know
exactly what is meant by substance metaphysics we need to be shown just what is wrong (either philosophically or theologically) with sub-
stance metaphysics and we need to see that analytic theology really is (or
must be) committed to this kind o metaphysics Without the kind o
careul analysis and rigorous argumentation it is hard to see anything
here that might count as a orceul objection to analytic theology
ldquoAnalytic theology isnrsquot spiritually edifyingrdquo William Wood notes that
ldquomany conventional theologians remain deeply suspicious o analytic the-
ologyrdquo because o the worry that analytic theology is not spiritually edi-
ying As these theologians see matters ldquogenuine theology is in the first
instance practical aimed not at explanatory theories about God but at
ostering greater love or God and neighbor Genuine theology in short
is praxis one deeply woven together with a Christian lie o prayer virtue
and participation in the sacramentsrdquo10486291048629 Te basic concern is this when
more mainstream theologians look at analytic theology they donrsquot rec-
54William P Alston ldquoSubstance and the rinityrdquo in Te rinity An Interdisciplinary Symposium on
the rinity ed Stephen Davis Daniel Kendall SJ and Gerald OrsquoCollins SJ (Oxord Oxord
University Press 1048625983097983097983097) p 1048626983088104862555William Wood ldquoAnalytic Teology as a Way o Lierdquo Journal of Analytic Teology (10486269830881048625983092) 983092983092
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
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What Is Analytic heology 983091983091
ognize the kind o theology-as-praxis that they value Instead they see
purported explanatory theoriesmdashmere purported explanatory theories
Sometimes these explanations appear to be a very long way indeed romthe lie o aith Indeed they see ormulas such as this (selected pretty
much at random rom among many others)
P existx (Dx amp forally(Dy =gt Byx) amp x made us
Q existx(Dx amp forally(Dy =gt Byx ))1048629983094
When they encounter this kind o work some theologians donrsquot rec-
ognize it as theology at all I they are willing to recognize it as theology
they tend to worry that they donrsquot see the kind o theology that promotes
love o God and neighbor they are concerned that they donrsquot see the-
ology that is connected to the lie o aith As Wood puts it they worry
that ldquoanalytic theology is spiritually sterile and thereore not really a
orm o genuine theology at allrdquo10486291048631
I think this is an important point o criticism and it raises some very
intriguing concerns But as Wood also notes it would be a ldquomistake and
urthermore a presumptuous mistake to assume that analytic philo-
sophical theology cannot in principle be spiritually nourishingrdquo10486291048632 Tree
points stand out First it is important to realize that the temptation to
construct explanatory theories about God that are divorced rom worship
and transormation is both real and present It is also nearious10486291048633 Te
temptation besets theologians o all stripesmdashanalytic or otherwise I do
not think analytic theologians are the only theologians who ace this
temptation o the contrary idolatry is no respecter o ideologies Butsurely it is not invincible surelymdashby Godrsquos gracemdashit is not irresistible
As Wood reminds us ldquoGodrsquos love rains down on logicians too afer allrdquo9830941048624
Second there is good reason to think that analytic theology maymdash
contrary to common expectationsmdashturn out to be spiritually ediying
56Peter van Inwagen ldquoAnd Yet Tey Are Not Tree Gods but One Godrdquo in McCall and Rea
Philosophical and Teological Essays on the rinity pp 10486269830921048625 1048626983092104863057Wood ldquoAnalytic Teology as a Way o Lierdquo p 983092983092 See also Marilyn McCord Adams ldquoWhatrsquos
Wrong with the Ontotheological Errorrdquo Journal of Analytic Teology (10486269830881048625983092) 1048625-1048625104862658Wood ldquoAnalytic Teology as a Way o Lierdquo p 983092104863059See the warnings o Merold Westphal Suspicion and Faith Te Religious Uses of Modern Atheism
(New York Fordham University Press 1048625983097983097983096)60Wood ldquoAnalytic Teology as a Way o Lierdquo p 983092983095
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
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983091983092 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
Wood argues that analytic theology may be spiritually beneficial in
several ways He suggests that the ldquoconcentrated attention required to
read understand and develop very technical analytic argumentsrdquo maybe conducive to the kinds o intellectual virtues and habits o mind that
are spiritually beneficial983094983089 In addition he notes the ldquoargumentative
transparencyrdquo (what he terms the ldquoparadigmatic analytic virtuerdquo) may be
helpul in spiritual ormation983094983090 Wood readily admits that this tendency
toward argumentative rigor can also eed a orm o pride or even ldquointel-
lectual violencerdquo but he also points out that to make a ldquogood analytic
argument is to make that argument maximally easy or intellectual op-ponents to criticize or reuterdquo and this very transparency makes it much
harder to shield onesel rom criticisms but instead is a way to ldquomake
onesel intellectually vulnerablerdquo In this way it serves as a ldquocheck against
intellectual priderdquo983094983091 Moreover the pace demanded by such rigor and the
modesty o the claims that are rendered deensible have the potential to
cultivate epistemic humility Furthermore another important eature o
the analytic approach is the need to ldquoidentiy imaginatively with onersquosintellectual opponentsrdquo this also as Wood points out orces us to inhabit
a worldview that is not only oreign to our own but also sometimes
hostile In these ways Wood argues ldquoanalytic theology can become a
spiritual practice a way o seeking God and o training the mind and
the will to be open to gracerdquo9830941048628
Finally we should not neglect to notice those shining examples o
theologians or whom analytic theology indeed is closely related to
worship and spiritual nurture Indeed it would be hard not to notice
them or the tradition is rie with such theologians A great many pa-
tristic and most scholastic (both medieval and early modern) theolo-
gians count as ldquoanalytic theologiansrdquo For surely they fit our profile o
theologians who prize ldquoconceptual precision rigor o argumentation
technical erudition and an in-depth deense o an original worldviewrdquo
(and who would in many instances value P1048625-P983093) As an example con-
61Ibid p 98309398309362Ibid p 983093104863063Ibid64Ibid p 983093983096
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What Is Analytic heology 983091983093
sider Anselmrsquos Proslogion It is obvious that Anselm values precision and
rigor and he clearly intends to convey truth claims that he finds con-
vincing But as both Wood and Marilyn McCord Adams point out thiswork is ldquomeant to do more than communicate propositional truthsrdquo or
ldquoit is meant to help reorient the wills o its readers and help bring about
effective and volitional change in themrdquo9830941048629 Despite important differences
o style and substance we could say much the same about many other
figures (both well known and less so) as well it is very difficult to read
ar into Bonaventure Richard o St Victor Aquinas Scotus Vermigli
Perkins Arminius urretin Edwards Wesley and many others withoutunderstanding that they are obviously concerned with both intellectual
rigor and spiritual ormation
65Ibid p 983093983088 See also Marilyn McCord Adams ldquoPraying the Proslogionrdquo in Te Rationality of
Belief and the Plurality of Faith ed Tomas Senor (Ithaca NY Cornell University Press 1048625983097983097983093)
pp 10486251048627-1048627983097 and Adams ldquoElegant Necessity Prayerul Disputation Method in Cur Deus Homordquo
in Studia Anselmiana Cur Deus Homo (Rome 1048625983097983097983097) pp 10486271048630983095-9830971048630
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
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8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullan-invitation-to-analytic-christian-theology-by-thomas-h-mccall-excerpt 333
An Invitation to
ANALYTIC
C H R I S T I A NT H E O L O G Y
Thomas H McCall
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InterVarsity Press
PO Box 983089983092983088983088 Downers Grove IL 983094983088983093983089983093-983089983092983090983094
ivpresscom
emailivpresscom
copy983090983088983089983093 by Tomas H McCall
All rights reserved No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from
InterVarsity Press
InterVarsity Pressreg is the book-publishing division of InterVarsity Christian FellowshipUSAreg a movement of
students and faculty active on campus at hundreds of universities colleges and schools of nursing in the United
States of America and a member movement of the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students For
information about local and regional activities visit intervarsityorg
All Scripture quotations unless otherwise indicated are taken from HE HOLY BIBLE NEW INERNAIONAL
VERSION reg NIV reg Copyright copy 983089983097983095983091 983089983097983095983096 983089983097983096983092 983090983088983089983089 by Biblica Inctrade Used by permission All rights reserved
worldwide
Cover design David Fassett
Interior design Beth McGill
Images Geometric abstract copy marigold_983096983096iStockphoto
Celtic knotwork copy imaconiStockphoto
ISBN 983097983095983096-983088-983096983091983088983096-983092983088983097983093-983091 (print)
ISBN 983097983095983096-983088-983096983091983088983096-983097983097983091983088-983090 (digital)
Printed in the United States of America
As a member of the Green Press Initiative InterVarsity Press is committed to protecting the environment
and to the responsible use of natural resources o learn more visit greenpressinitiativeorg
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
McCall Tomas H
An invitation to analytic Christian theology Tomas H McCall
pages cm
Includes bibliographical references and index
ISBN 983097983095983096-983088-983096983091983088983096-983092983088983097983093-983091 (pbk alk paper)
983089 TeologymdashMethodology 983090 Analysis (Philosophy) 983091 Philosophical theology I itle
BR983089983089983096M983090983092 983090983088983089983093
983090983091983088rsquo983088983092983094mdashdc983090983091
983090983088983089983093983088983091983091983092983093983089
P 983090983091 983090983090 983090983089 983090983088 983089983097 983089983096 983089983095 983089983094 983089983093 983089983092 983089983091 983089983090 983089983089 983089983088 983097 983096 983095 983094 983093 983092 983091 983090 983089
Y 983091983093 983091983092 983091983091 983091983090 983091983089 983091983088 983090983097 983090983096 983090983095 983090983094 983090983093 983090983092 983090983091 983090983090 983090983089 983090983088 983089983097 983089983096 983089983095 983089983094 983089983093
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
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Contents
Introduction 1048633
983089 What Is Analytic heology 983089983089
983090 Analytic heology and Christian Scripture 10486271048631
1048627 Analytic heology and the History o Doctrine 10486321048627
1048628 Analytic heology or the Church and the World 9830899830901048627
1048629 Analytic heology to the Glory o God 9830891048630983089
Author Index 9830891048632983089
Subject Index 98308910486321048627
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8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
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Introduction
983144983141 983159983145983140983141 983154983137983150983143983141 983151983142 983141983158983141983150983156983155 and publications that are loosely
gathered under the label ldquoanalytic theologyrdquo is both quite broad
and very active Proponents and practitioners range rom traditionally
minded Orthodox and Roman Catholic philosophers and theologians
through Anglican Lutheran Methodist and other tradition-sensitive
scholars to conservative evangelicals and to revisionist or ldquoprogressiverdquo
theologians In some quarters enthusiasm runs high In other sectors
o the theological (and philosophical) academy suspicion and even
hostility run deep Misunderstanding ofen accompanies the label and
questions abound But just what is this thing called ldquoanalytic theologyrdquo
What are its ldquoaccidentalrdquo eatures and what are its ldquoessentialrdquo attributes
And what are we to make o it as theology Or is it merely a technically
precise and agenda-driven subdiscipline o analytic metaphysics
Where is it going Is there some discernible direction that it willmdashor
shouldmdashtake
In this book I introduce nonspecialists to analytic theology I try to
make clear both what it isnrsquot and what it is Accordingly I discuss what
makes analytic theology analytic and I try to lay out what makes analytic
theology really theology Specifically I outline analytic theologyrsquos con-
nections to Scripture Christian tradition and culture (broadly con-ceived) and I do so by using case studies to illuminate the relationships
and the need or urther integration Here I must also coness to an
agenda I am hoping to influence the uture o analytic theology by
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8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
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1048625983088 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
calling the discipline to a deeper engagement with the traditional re-
sources o the theological task
I come to the work o analytic theology as someone who is by trainingand by vocation a theologian Tus I am especially grateul or the pa-
tience and graciousness o those riends and colleagues who have
genuine expertise in epistemology metaphysics and philosophy o re-
ligion (as well as the history o philosophy) I am deeply indebted to you
or whatever abilities I have as an analytic theologian and I am truly
grateul or your collegiality and encouragement I am also thankul or
those ellow theologians who have taken up the mantle o analytic the-ology and I am grateul as well to those who led the way by actually
doing it beore it was ever called by that name Oliver Crisp Mike Rea
and Billy Abraham read the manuscript and offered very helpul critique
and encouragement and the book is much improved as a result (All
remaining aults are o course entirely mine)
In addition I am grateul or the community o saints and scholars
who surround me at rinity Evangelical Divinity School (and especiallythe members o the Deerfield Dialogue Group who read part o the
manuscript) and I am indebted as well to the administration and the
board o regents or a sabbatical in the all o 10486269830881048625983092
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983089
What Is Analytic Theology
Fear of scholasticism is the mark of the false prophet
K983137983154983148 B983137983154983156983144
A B983154983145983141983142 H983145983155983156983151983154983161 983151983142 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 T983144983141983151983148983151983143983161Where we were Te revival of philosophy of religion For a good deal
o the twentieth century academic philosophymdashespecially Anglo-
American ldquoanalyticrdquo philosophymdashwas ofen taken to be hostile to tradi-
tional theistic belie in general and perhaps especially so to Christian
belie983089 Logical positivism insisted that theological claims were not only
alse but indeed meaningless and many philosophers ound it difficult
even to take theology seriously Te conclusions o A J Ayer are bothrepresentative and influential He claims that the very ldquopossibility o re-
ligious knowledgerdquo has been ldquoruled out by our treatment o metaphysicsrdquo983090
I the ldquocriterion o verifiabilityrdquo eliminates metaphysics and i theology
is only a subcategory o metaphysics then theology is obviously elimi-
natedmdashthe very possibility has been ruled out and all God-talk is literally
Epigraph Karl Barth Church Dogmatics vol I1048625 Te Doctrine of the Word of God ed F
orrance trans Geoffrey Bromiley (Edinburgh amp Clark 1048625983097983095983093) p 10486269830959830971I realize that (at least on some understandings o the term) the story o analytic theology ar
predates the modern era and indeed has ar more in common with scholasticism than it does
with either twentieth-century philosophy or modern theology More on this anon2Alred Jules Ayer Language ruth and Logic (New York Dover 10486259830979830931048626) p 10486251048625983092
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
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10486251048626 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
nonsensical983091 Hud Hudson says ldquoInormed that questions about the ex-
istence nature and significance o the deity were hereafer to be engaged
exclusively under the guidance o linguistic analyses o religious lan-guage and menaced with (inexplicably popular) verificationist theories
o meaning theologians were told by analytic philosophers that they had
not even achieved the minimal distinction o saying anything alse or
they had not managed to say anything at allrdquo1048628
Te response o many theologians in the late modern era to the develop-
ments in mainstream philosophy in Anglo-American circles was under-
standable they largely ignored the work o these philosophers andlooked elsewhere or intellectual resources and conversation partners
Some sought reuge in ldquoContinentalrdquo philosophy while others decried
any engagement between philosophy and theology
But the second hal o the twentieth century witnessed some re-
markable changes As Hudson notes ldquoTis most unortunate moment in
the history o analytic philosophy was merciully temporary as was its
slavish devotion to linguistic analyses verificationism and all the un-ounded suspicion o metaphysics ethics and religion that ollowed in its
wakerdquo1048629 Logical positivism couldnrsquot bear its own weight and Ayerrsquos con-
fident pronouncements are now valued more as a quaint museum artiact
o philosophical history (ldquoLook kids isnrsquot it amazing that anyone ever
said thatmdashand especially that he seemed so cocksure about itrdquo) than as
a helpul repository o philosophical insight With the collapse o posi-
tivism came a rebirth o serious metaphysicsmdashand with that collapse and
the rebirth o metaphysics came a revival o philosophy o religion983094
Where philosophical consideration o theological issues had been deemed
an utter waste o time now it was seen as an interesting area o inquiry
Serious and sustained engagement with perennial issues o religious and
theological interest was happening again and many o the philosophers
3Ibid p 10486279830934Hud Hudson Te Fall and Hypertime (Oxord Oxord University Press 10486269830881048625983092) p 9830925Ibid p 9830936For a telling o this tale see Nicholas Wolterstorff ldquoHow Philosophical Teology Became Pos-
sible Within the Analytic radition o Philosophyrdquo in Analytic Teology New Essays in the Phi-
losophy of Teology ed Oliver D Crisp and Michael C Rea (Oxord Oxord University Press
1048626983088983088983097) pp 1048625983093983093-1048630983096
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
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What Is Analytic heology 1048625983091
engaged in this work weremdashand aremdashcommitted Christians
Not all philosophers rejoice at these developments but it is increas-
ingly hard or them not to notice them Quentin Smith describesmdashanddecriesmdashthis development
Te secularization o mainstream academia began to quickly unravel upon
the publication o Plantingarsquos influential book on realist theism God and
Other Minds in 1048625983097983094983095 It became apparent to the philosophical proession
that this book displayed that realist theists were not outmatched by natu-
ralists in terms o the most valued standards o academic philosophy con-
ceptual precision rigor o argumentation technical erudition and an in-depth deense o an original worldview Tis book ollowed seven years
later by Plantingarsquos even more impressive book Te Nature of Necessity
made it maniest that a realist theist was writing at the highest qualitative
level o analytic philosophy on the same playing field as Carnap Russell
Gruumlnbaum and other naturalists1048631
Smith in what basically amounts to something o an alarmist ldquocall to
armsrdquo to his ellow atheists concludes that ldquoGod is not lsquodeadrsquo in aca-demia he returned to lie in the late 1048625983097983094983088rsquos and is now alive and well in
his last academic stronghold philosophy departmentsrdquo1048632
While triumphalism on the part o Christian philosophers would be
both very premature and unseemly (they remain by all measures in the
substantial minority within academic philosophy) nonetheless Smith is
right that the situation is very different than it was only a ew decades
ago Te Society o Christian Philosophers ounded in 1048625983097983095983096 as a small
group o diverse scholars who were more unified by common interests
than by shared commitment to a particular creed now has in the neigh-
borhood o a thousand members Several journalsmdashnotably Faith and
Philosophy Philosophia Christi Religious Studies Sophia Philo and the
International Journal of Philosophy of Religionmdashare devoted to issues
broadly related to the study o the philosophy o religion and Christian
philosophers are very active in these and other venues At the same time
Christian philosophers are very active in other more ldquomainstreamrdquo areas
o contemporary philosophy important recent work in metaphysics and
7Quentin Smith ldquoTe Metaphilosophy o Naturalismrdquo Philo 983092 no 1048626 (10486269830889830881048625) 10486268Ibid p 1048627
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
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1048625983092 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
epistemology in particular has been influenced by philosophers with
religious interests and well-known Christian commitments
Not surprisingly the growth o Christian involvement in philosophyhas been accompanied by increased interest in issues o perennial
concern in philosophy o religion Work on such issues had never en-
tirely disappeared o course or prominent philosophers such as Basil
Mitchell Peter Geach Austin Farrer and others were making significant
contributions well beore the current renaissance o Christian philosophy
really took off1048633 However engagement has been growing at an astounding
rate Issues surrounding religious pluralism and exclusivism problemso evil (including not only the ldquologicalrdquo problem o evil but also ldquoevi-
dentialrdquo problems) religious epistemology religious experience mir-
acles theistic arguments (particularly various versions o ontological
cosmological teleological and moral arguments) and science and re-
ligion have been explored with impressive vigor and analyzed with or-
midable rigor9830891048624 Positions have been set out and explained attacked and
deended modified and surrendered Te work in philosophy o religionhas not been cordoned off rom other more ldquomainstreamrdquo philosophical
work o the contrary in many ways it has remained vitally engaged with
9Eg Basil Mitchell Te Justification of Religious Belief (Oxord Oxord University Press 10486259830979830961048625)
Mitchell Faith and Criticism (Oxord Oxord University Press 1048625983097983097983093) Mitchell Morality Reli-
gious and Secular Te Dilemma of the raditional Conscience (Oxord Oxord University Press
10486259830979830961048630) Peter Geach God and the Soul (South Bend IN St Augustinersquos Press 10486259830971048630983097) Geach
Providence and Evil (Cambridge Cambridge University Press 1048625983097983095983095) Geach Te Virtues (Cam-
bridge Cambridge University Press 1048625983097983095983095) Geach Logic Matters (Berkeley University o Cali-ornia Press 10486259830979830951048626) Austin Farrer Te Freedom of the Will (London Black 1048625983097983093983096) Farrer Love
Almighty and Ills Unlimited An Essay on Providence and Evil (London Collins 104862598309710486301048625) Farrer
Saving Belief A Study of Essentials (London Hodder amp Stoughton 10486259830971048630983092) Farrer Faith and Spec-
ulation An Essay in Philosophical Teology (London Black 10486259830971048630983095)10Te contentsmdashand perhaps the very existencemdasho the numerous and massive ldquohandbooksrdquo and
ldquocompanionsrdquo to philosophy o religion bear weighty testimony to this act See eg William J
Wainwright ed Te Oxford Handbook of Philosophy of Religion (New York Oxord University
Press 1048626983088983088983093) Philip L Quinn and Charles aliaerro eds A Companion to Philosophy of Religion
(Oxord Blackwell 1048625983097983097983095) William E Mann ed Te Blackwell Guide to the Philosophy of Religion
(Oxord Blackwell 1048626983088983088983093) Michael L Peterson and Raymond J VanArragon eds Contemporary
Debates in Philosophy of Religion (Oxord Blackwell 1048626983088983088983092) J P Moreland and William Lane
Craig eds Te Blackwell Companion to Natural Teology (Oxord Blackwell 1048626983088983088983097) Justin Mc-
Brayer and Daniel Howard-Snyder eds Te Blackwell Companion to the Problem of Evil (Oxord
Blackwell 104862698308810486251048627) Chad Meister and Paul Copan eds Te Routledge Companion to Philosophy of
Religion 1048626nd ed (New York Routledge 104862698308810486251048627) See also the impressive series Oxord Studies in
Philosophy o Religion edited by Jon Kvanvig
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What Is Analytic heology 1048625983093
cutting-edge work in epistemology ethics and metaphysics to use the
latter as an example rom Alvin Plantingarsquos early work Te Nature of
Necessity to Brian Lefowrsquos recent contributions in God and Necessity important work in the metaphysics o modality has been deeplymdashand
some might say ldquoessentiallyrdquomdashconnected to philosophy o religion983089983089
Judging rom the interest and output analytic philosophy o religion is
not only alive and well but indeed healthy and robust
How we got here From philosophy of religion to philosophical the-
ology But or all the vigor and intellectual energy that is captured and
reflected in work on general or generic issues in philosophy o religion theinterests o Christian philosophers have not been limited to those issues
Instead Christian philosophers have been deeply interested in distinctly
Christian theological topics and they have devoted much energy to the
analysis and deense o Christian doctrine Te past ew decades have wit-
nessed important work on the doctrine o revelation (and divine speech)
the inspiration authority and interpretation o the Christian Scriptures
divine attributes (particularly simplicity necessity aseity omnipotenceomniscience eternity and reedom) divine action in creation providence
miraculous intervention theological anthropology original sin incar-
nation atonement resurrection and eschatology983089983090
Where we are Philosophical theology and analytic theology More
recently the term analytic theology has come into use Tere are o
course important orebears to this work David Kelsey Nicholas Wolt-
erstorff and others at Yale disparate figures such as William P Alston
Norman Kretzmann George Mavrodes Keith Yandell and others else-
where in the United States Paul Helm and Richard Swinburne in the
United Kingdom and Vincent Brummer and others o the Utrecht
11See Alvin Plantinga Te Nature of Necessity (Oxord Oxord University Press 1048625983097983095983092) and Brian
Lefow God and Necessity (Oxord Oxord University Press 104862698308810486251048626) See also the recent proposals
o Hugh J McCann Creation and the Sovereignty of God (Bloomington Indiana University Press
104862698308810486251048626)12Once again the prolieration o ldquoreadersrdquo ldquohandbooksrdquo and ldquocompanionsrdquo stands as evidence
o the breadth and depth o the work undertaken eg Oliver D Crisp ed A Reader in Contem-
porary Philosophical Teology (New York amp Clark 1048626983088983088983097) Michael C Rea ed Oxford Read-
ings in Philosophical Teology 1048626 vols (Oxord Oxord University Press 1048626983088983088983097) Tomas P Flint
and Michael C Rea eds Te Oxford Handbook of Philosophical Teology (Oxord Oxord Uni-
versity Press 1048626983088983088983097) Charles aliaerro and Chad Meister eds Te Cambridge Companion to
Christian Philosophical Teology (Cambridge Cambridge University Press 10486269830881048625983088)
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
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1048625983094 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
school o philosophical theology in the Netherlands Following trail-
blazers such as these and building on the recent renaissance o meta-
physics and philosophy o religion the analytic theology movement isnow growing Te publication o the volume Analytic Teology Essays
in the Philosophy of Teology edited by Oliver D Crisp and Michael C
Rea marked an important moment Te Analytic Teology Project
(sponsored and promoted by Notre Damersquos Center or Philosophy o
Religion as well the University o Innsbruck in Austria and the Shalem
Center in Jerusalem and unded by generous grants rom the John em-
pleton Foundation) with its annual Logos conerence and other activitiesthe launch o the Journal of Analytic Teology and the inauguration o
the book series Oxord Studies in Analytic Teology all lend support to
this growing movement
Te meaning o the term analytic theology can vary in common par-
lance and it is sae to say that there is no single decisively settled meaning
o the term when it is used as a label Still perhaps we can saely say that
what is common across the range o uses is this analytic theology sig-nifies a commitment to employ the conceptual tools o analytic phi-
losophy where those tools might be helpul in the work o constructive
Christian theology Scholars will naturally enough disagree among
themselves about just which o those tools are most helpul which
projects are best served by their use and other matters but on the whole
such a minimalist characterization seems sae enough William J
Abraham offers this helpul summary analytic theology ldquocan be useully
defined as ollows it is systematic theology attuned to the skills re-
sources and virtues o analytic philosophyrdquo983089983091 As such analytic theology
is a growing and energetic field at the intersections o philosophy o re-
ligion and systematic theology
W983144983137983156 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 T983144983141983151983148983151983143983161 I983155 (983151983154 S983144983151983157983148983140 B983141)
Such minimalist characterization while airly sae does not take us very
ar What more precisely is one doing when one does analytic theology
13William J Abraham ldquoSystematic Teology as Analytic Teologyrdquo in Analytic Teology New
Essays in the Philosophy of Teology ed Oliver D Crisp and Michael C Rea (Oxord Oxord
University Press 1048626983088983088983097) p 983093983092
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What Is Analytic heology 1048625983095
Just what is analytic theology Perhaps it will help first to consider what
is so analytic about analytic theology Following this we shall think
about how it is an exercise in theology Analytic theology as analytic theology As we have seen Quentin Smith
praises Plantingarsquos work or its excellence in ldquothe most valued standards o
analytic philosophy conceptual precision rigor o argumentation tech-
nical erudition and an in-depth deense o an original worldviewrdquo9830891048628 Oliver
D Crisp echoes this estimation o what counts as good work in analytic
philosophy he observes that analytic philosophy is characterized by ldquoa
logical rigour clarity and parsimony o expression coupled with attentionto a certain cluster o philosophical problemsrdquo9830891048629 Analytic theology is rel-
evantly similar he says or it ldquowill prize intellectual virtues like clarity
parsimony o expression and argumentative rigourrdquo983089983094 Michael C Rearsquos
description o analytic philosophy echoes these accounts in some ways
While recognizing that clear and sharp lines between ldquoanalyticrdquo and ldquonon-
analyticrdquo (or ldquoContinentalrdquo) philosophical approaches are neither easy to
come by nor perhaps really worth all the work he characterizes analyticapproaches to philosophy in terms o style and ambition9830891048631 Te ambitions
are generally ldquoto identiy the scope and limits o our powers to obtain
knowledge o the worldrdquo and ldquoto provide such true explanatory theories
as we can in areas o inquiry (metaphysics morals and the like) that all
outside the scope o the natural sciencesrdquo9830891048632 Rea characterizes the style as
including the ollowing prescriptions
P1048625 Write as i philosophical positions and conclusions can be adequately or-mulated in sentences that can be ormalized and logically manipulated
P1048626 Prioritize precision clarity and logical coherence
P983091 Avoid substantive (non-decorative) use o metaphor and other tropes
whose semantic content outstrips their propositional content
14Smith ldquoMetaphilosophyrdquo p 104862615Oliver D Crisp ldquoOn Analytic Teologyrdquo in Crisp and Rea Analytic Teology p 104862798309316Ibid pp 1048627983095-104862798309617Michael C Rea introduction to Crisp and Rea Analytic Teology pp 1048627-983092 See also Nick raka-
kis ldquoMeta-Philosophy o Religion Te Analytic-Continental Divide in Philosophy o Religionrdquo
Ars Disputandi 983095 (1048626983088983088983095) 1048625983095983097-1048626104862698308818Rea introduction p 983092
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1048625983096 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
P983092 Work as much as possible with well-understood primitive concepts and
concepts that can be analyzed in terms o those
P983093 reat conceptual analysis (insoar as possible) as a source o evidence9830891048633
Tis much at least is characteristic o analytic philosophy So what
about analytic theology As Rea sees things ldquoanalytic theology is just the
activity o approaching theological topics with the ambitions o an ana-
lytic philosopher and in a style that conorms to the prescriptions that
are distinctive o analytic philosophical discourse It will also involve
more or less pursuing those topics in a way that engages the literature
that is constitutive o the analytic tradition employing some o the tech-
nical jargon rom that tradition and so on But in the end it is the style
and ambitions that are most centralrdquo9830901048624
All this is helpul but perhaps a bit more explanation would be ben-
eficial Consider P1048625 Tis need not mean that all meaningul statements
in theology (or philosophy) need to be expressed ormally it should
not be taken to mean that every theological claim should be stated in
an apparatus with numbered propositions and a ormal structure
What it does mean however is that the deault setting or theologians
should be to communicate propositions that could be expressed this
way For as Rea says ldquoabsent special circumstancesrdquo things have ldquogone
very much amissrdquo i a view ldquois expressed in such a way that it has no
clear logical outcomesrdquo983090983089
Consider also P1048626 Tis need notmdashand should notmdashbe taken to mean
that logical precision and coherence are the only important criteria ora theologian and neither should it be taken to imply even that logical
precision and coherence are the most important criteria Te theologian
who is convinced that her first commitment is fidelity to the priority and
ultimacy o divine revelation should have no difficulty in assenting to P1048626
Neither urther should P1048626 be taken to imply that the same levels o
logical precision are possible with all theological topics nor yet that all
theological projects require the same levels o precision and argumentative
19Ibid pp 983093-104863020Ibid p 98309521Ibid p 983093 n 983093
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What Is Analytic heology 1048625983097
rigor Consider by way o example childrenrsquos catechetical literature
Surely this literature is theological but it neither can nor should attempt
to display the same level o logical precision or argumentative rigor assay advanced work in scholastic theology P1048626 does not clam that such
theological literature should do so or that all work in theology must
always do so
Neither should P1048626 be misunderstood with respect to claims about the
importance o ldquoclarityrdquo Rea notes that this claim can seem ironic ldquoin light
o the act that quite a lot o analytic philosophy [and we could add
some analytic theology] is very difficult even or specialists and totallyinaccessible to non-specialistsrdquo983090983090 But ldquoclearrdquo does not mean ldquoeasyrdquo In-
stead it expresses a commitment to the work o ldquospelling out hidden
assumptions scrupulously trying to lay bare whatever evidence one has
(or lacks) or the claims that one is making and on taking care to confine
onersquos vocabulary to ordinary language well-understood primitive con-
cepts and technical jargon definable in terms o theserdquo983090983091 Finally we
should note that P1048626 does not imply that everything (or everything worthtalking about) in theology will become crystal clear Te goal o analytic
theology is not (or at least need not be) the removal o all mystery in
theology o the contrary analytic philosophers o religion have long
been keenly aware o the place o mystery in theology and it may be that
at certain points an important role o the theologian is to clariy just
where the mystery really lies P1048626 does not suggest that analytic theology
will make everything ldquoclearrdquo in the sense that it makes everything ldquoeasy
and readily accessible to the nonspecialistrdquo Instead what it prioritizes is
clarity to the appropriate audiences and to the greatest possible degree
And it insists that ldquomysteryrdquo must not be conused with logical inco-
herence and it likewise insists that we do not gloriy what is clearly in-
coherent with the shroud o ldquomysteryrdquo As Alan G Padgett says theology
should ldquoseek the truth about Godrdquo and ldquothereore must shun incoherence
and irrationalityrdquo9830901048628 Where ldquosometimes lsquomysteryrsquo is evoked as an excuse
22Ibid p 983093 n 104863023Ibid24Alan G Padgett ldquoTe rinity in Teology and Philosophy Why Jerusalem Should Work with
Athensrdquo in Philosophical and Teological Essays on the rinity ed Tomas McCall and Michael
C Rea (Oxord Oxord University Press 1048626983088983088983097) p 104862710486271048626
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1048626983088 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
or sloppy thinking this must be anathema to any academic theology
worthy o the namerdquo For ldquoafer all the mystery o God does not end
when theology speaks clearly Te simple phrase lsquoJesus loves me this Iknow or the Bible tells me sorsquo covers vast deep mysteries that even the
angels gaze into with awe and wonderrdquo9830901048629
P983091 rules out ldquosubstantive (non-decorative) use o metaphor and other
tropes whose semantic content outstrips their propositional contentrdquo
Tis does not or at least need not mean that there is no valid or valuable
place or metaphor in theology Analytic theologians will disagree among
themselves as to howmdashand how muchmdashmetaphor is useul and legiti-mate983090983094 But the basic point is airly plain on P983091 theologians are not at
liberty to trade loosely in metaphor without ever being able to speciy
just what is meant by those metaphors Tey are not then ree to make
claims the meaning o which cannot be specified or spelled out Teolo-
gians are not licensed to trade in what Randal Rauser calls ldquounclarifiable
unclarityrdquo9830901048631 P983092 calls the analytic theologian to work with ldquowell-understood
primitive conceptsrdquo that are reasonably taken to be basic intuitive or(minimally) uncontroversial (and with concepts that can be understood
in terms o such primitive concepts) Some theologians will be quick to
raise concerns here they will worry that the very notion o ldquowell-
understood primitive conceptsrdquo may both conceal blind spots o social
location and privilege and be a Procrustean bed that restricts theological
concepts to ldquowhat we already know to be truerdquo and thus curtails the
possibility o engagement with divine revelation But once again it is
important not to misunderstand P983092 Te ldquoas much as possiblerdquo is key
here i the preunderstood concepts donrsquot do enough work then some o
them can be adjusted Others wonrsquot be so easy to adjust or discard but
this category o primitive concepts is both quite small and very basic (eg
the law o noncontradiction) Simply put there is no good reason to
25Ibid26I thank Billy Abraham or pressing this point Te ldquostandardrdquo work on metaphor in theology
remains Janet Martin Soskice Metaphor and Religious Language (Oxord Oxord University
Press 1048625983097983096983095)27Randal Rauser ldquoTeology as a Bull Sessionrdquo in Crisp and Rea Analytic Teology pp 983095983092-983095983093 See
also Harry Frankurt On Bullshit (Princeton NJ Princeton University Press 1048626983088983088983093) and Frank-
urt Bullshit and Philosophy ed Gary L Hardcastle and George A Resich (Chicago Open
Court 1048626983088983088983093)
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What Is Analytic heology 10486261048625
think that the notion o ldquowell-understood primitive conceptsrdquo must
unction as a Procrustean bed
Finally Rea says that P983093 calls us to ldquotreat conceptual analysis (insoaras it is possible) as a source o evidencerdquo It should be obvious that he
does not say that conceptual analysis is the only source o evidence and
there is no reason to think that it should be taken this way Neither does
he claim that conceptual analysis is the primary or ultimate source o
evidence P983093 makes an important claim but it is a rather modest one
What it insists on is this i close conceptual analysis reveals that some
theological proposition P is say internally inconsistent then thatanalysis gives us all the evidence we need to reject P No matter how
grand the claims o Prsquo s supporters in deense o the supporting evidence
for it i P is incoherent (sel-reerentially or otherwise) then it is not true
Once we have established that P is incoherent (which is a task much
harder than is sometimes supposed) we have all the reason we need to
conclude that it is wrong In addition o course conceptual analysis
might count as evidence in other and more positive ways as well Con-sider perect being theology or example here theologians analyze ldquoper-
ectionrdquo and then take deliverances o that analysis as evidence in support
o their theological conclusions
Much more could be said about what makes analytic theology truly
analytic o course While this could be expanded on and broadened
(particularly in directions that put less o a premium on precision) Rearsquos
P1048625-P983093 give us an initial sense o what it means to say that theology is
analytic theology Generally speaking analytic theology is theology that
is attuned to and committed to the ldquogoals and ambitionsrdquo o analytic
philosophy a commitment to truth wherever it may be ound clarity o
expression and rigor o argumentation Very ofen it will not hesitate to
make appropriate use o the available tools o analytic philosophy espe-
cially as these aid conceptual precision and argumentative rigor
Analytic theology as analytic theology But i echoing Smith it is the
concern with ldquoconceptual precisionrdquo and ldquorigor o argumentationrdquo that
makes analytic theology analytic then what is it that makes analytic
theology really theology Tis book develops an answer to this question
but an initial summary may help Recall that Smith talks not only about
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
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10486261048626 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
ldquoconceptual precisionrdquo and ldquorigor o argumentationrdquo but also about ldquotech-
nical eruditionrdquo and the ldquoin-depth deense o an original worldviewrdquo For
the analytic philosopher ldquotechnical eruditionrdquo will naturally involvemastery o the requisite field (metaphysics philosophy o mind epis-
temology etc) but it may also include competence in other related
fields (biology or philosophy o biology neurology or philosophy o
mind etc) For the analytic theologian such erudition will include com-
petence in the relevant areas o philosophical study that are necessary or
ldquoconceptual precisionrdquo and ldquorigor o argumentationrdquo But or the analytic
theologian qua theologian it must involve much more than this Forunless analytic theology is merely ldquoarmchair theologyrdquo (albeit armchair
theology done by very bright people) it will be grounded in the
Christian Scriptures it will be inormed by the great tradition o doc-
trinal development it will be ldquochristologically normedrdquo and it will be
culturally engaged As theology it will seek to articulate what we may
know o God as God has revealed himsel to us As Nicholas Wolterstorff
puts it to theologiansDo not be ersatz philosophers do not be ersatz cultural theorists do not be
ersatz anything Be genuine theologians Be sure-ooted in philosophy But
then be theologians What we need to hear rom you is how things look
when seen in light o the triune Godmdashmay his name be praisedmdashwho creates
and sustains us who redeems us and who will bring this rail and allen
though yet glorious humanity and cosmos to consummation9830901048632
Accordingly analytic theology is theology done by theologians who areldquosure-ootedrdquo in philosophy (many o whom will have extensive training
and proessional expertise there and indeed may be leaders within their
field) but it is a kind o theology nonetheless
Such a conception o theology is o course not remotely new What
we may useully reer to as ldquoanalytic theologyrdquo is very similar in many
respects to deeply traditional ways o doing theology We can see this
kind o work exemplified in the theology o the scholastics (both me-dieval and post-Reormationearly modern) So in some sense the re-
28Nicholas Wolterstorff ldquoo Teologians From One Who Cares About Teology but Is Not One
o Yourdquo Teological Education (1048626983088983088983093) 9830971048625-9830971048626
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
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What Is Analytic heology 1048626983091
birth o analytic theology may be thought o as scholasticism redivivus
As Richard Swinburnemdashsurely a pioneer o analytic theologymdashsays
ldquolarge-scale theology needs clear and rigorous argumentrdquo and it is ldquohightime or theology to returnrdquo to the standards set by Tomas Aquinas
John Duns Scotus and others9830901048633 But it is not only the ldquohigh scholasticsrdquo
who worked this way or we can also witness many o these virtues in
theologians rom the patristics to the pietists9830911048624 Many theologians in the
Christian tradition were concerned with both ldquoconceptual precisionrdquo and
ldquoargumentative rigorrdquo as well as ldquotechnical eruditionrdquo and the ldquoin-depth
deense o an original worldviewrdquoConsider what John Wesleymdashan evangelist hardly known as a ldquoscho-
lasticrdquo or an ldquoanalytic theologianrdquomdashhas to say about the importance o
acquiring the tools or ldquoconceptual precisionrdquo and ldquoargumentative rigorrdquo
Logic he says is ldquonecessary next to and in order to the knowledge o
Scripturerdquo983091983089 Despite the act that it is ldquonow quite unashionablerdquo none-
theless logic is invaluable For with it we have the possibility o ldquoappre-
hending things clearly judging truly and reasoning conclusivelyrdquo
983091983090
Andas with logic so also with metaphysics Tus Wesley will ask o clergy
Am I a tolerable master o the sciences Have I gone through the very gate o
them logic I not I am not likely to go much urther when I stumble at the
threshold Do I understand it so as to be ever the better or it o have it
always ready or use so as to apply every rule o it when occasion is almost
as naturally as I turn my hand Do I understand it at all Can I reduce an
indirect mood to a direct a hypothetic to a categorical syllogism Rather have
not my stupid indolence and laziness made me very ready to believe what the
little wits and pretty gentlemen affirm ldquothat logic is good or nothingrdquo It is
good or this at least (wherever it is understood) to make people talk less by
showing them both what is and what is not to the point and how extremely
29Richard Swinburne Te Coherence of Teism 1048626nd ed (Oxord Oxord University Press 10486259830979830971048627)
p 98309530See eg Gregory o Nyssa Against Eunomius 10486259830921048626 Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers ed Philip
Schaff series 1048626 (10486259830969830961048630ndash1048625983096983096983097 repr Peabody MA Hendrickson 1048625983097983097983092) 983093983097983096-983097983097 (Patrologia
Graeca [= Patrologiae Cursus Completus Series Graeca] ed Jacques-Paul Migne [Paris 1048625983096983093983095ndash
10486259830969830961048630] 9830929830939830921048630983088-10486301048625)31John Wesley ldquoAddress to the Clergyrdquo in Te Works of John Wesley vol 1048625983088 Letters Essays Dialogs
and Addresses (Grand Rapids Zondervan nd) p 983092983096104862732Ibid
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1048626983092 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
hard it is to prove anything Do I understand metaphysics i not the depths
o the Schoolmen the subtleties o Scotus or Aquinas yet the first rudiments
the general principles o that useul science983091983091
Consider urther what Wesley says about the importance o ldquotechnical
eruditionrdquo in theology Insisting on the importance o knowledge o the
scope o Christian Scripture as well as acility in the relevant ancient
languages he asks
Have I (1048625) such a knowledge o Scripture as becomes him who undertakes
so to explain it to others Have I a ull and clear view o the analogy o
aith which is the clue to guide me through the whole Am I acquainted with
the several parts o Scripture with all parts o the Old estament and the
New Upon the mention o any text do I know the context and the parallel
places Do I know the scope o each book and how every part tends
thereto Have I the skill to draw the natural inerences deducible rom each
text (1048626) Do I understand Greek and Hebrew Otherwise am I not at
the mercy o everyone who does understand or pretends to understand the
original For which way can I conute his pretence Do I understand the lan-
guage o the Old estament Critically At all Can I read into English one o
Davidrsquos Psalms or even the first chapter o Genesis Do I understand the
language o the New estament Am I a critical master o it Have I enough
o it even to read into English the first chapter o St Luke I not how many
years did I spend at school How many at university And what was I doing
all those years9830911048628
Wesley says similar things about the indispensability o knowledge o
the Christian tradition But the basic point should be clear important
elements o what we now call ldquoanalytic theologyrdquo have deep roots in the
broad Christian theological tradition Indeed or an evangelist like John
Wesley this is simply the kind o theology that any Christian minister
should be doing
W983144983137983156 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 T983144983141983151983148983151983143983161 I983155983150rsquo983156 M983145983155983157983150983140983141983154983155983156983137983150983140983145983150983143983155
983137983150983140 O983138983146983141983139983156983145983151983150983155
Many systematic theologians are suspicious o analytic theology Indeed
33Ibid pp 9830929830971048625-983097104862634Ibid pp 983092983097983088-9830971048625
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
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What Is Analytic heology 1048626983093
some are deeply suspicious Te concerns come rom several angles Here
are some o the most common9830911048629
ldquoAnalytic theology relies on a univocal account of religious languagerdquoSome theologians may worry that the current analytic discussions
proceed with an unrealistic and unhealthy naiveteacute regarding the nature
and unction o religious language For instance Stephen R Holmes
thinks that ldquoanalytic discussions o the rinity seem generally to proceed
with a remarkable confidence about the success o language in reerring
to the divinerdquo he thinks that the assumption o analytic theology ldquowould
always seem to be that language reers univocally to the divine and thecreatedrdquo Indeed he thinks that analytic theology would be ldquoimpossiblerdquo
without a commitment to univocity983091983094 More worrisome the concern may
be that analytic theologyrsquos commitment to univocity implicates it in
something that is (at least potentially) idolatrous9830911048631
A general treatment o religious language is beyond the scope o our
discussion but several observations may be helpul First it should be
noted that the case against univocity should not be merely assumed (asi some particular theological proposal could be damned by nothing
more than the charge o univocity) Nor is the case for univocity nearly
so weak as is ofen supposed o the contrary univocity has serious and
sophisticated deenders today and a case can be made that ldquothe doctrine
o univocity is true and salutaryrdquo9830911048632
Te second major point is perhaps more important or our purposes
It is this analytic theology as such requires no commitment to univocity
whatsoever Indeed many analytic theologians reject univocity in avor
35Tis section draws heavily rom my ldquoTeologians Philosophers and the Doctrine o the rinityrdquo
in McCall and Rea Philosophical and Teological Essays on the rinity pp 1048627983092983088-98309298309636Stephen R Holmes Te Quest for the rinity Te Doctrine of God in Scripture History and Mo-
dernity (Downers Grove IL IVP Academic 104862698308810486251048626) p 1048627104862637See eg Jean-Luc Marion God Without Being trans Tomas A Carlson (Chicago University
o Chicago Press 10486259830979830971048625) and John Milbank Te Word Made Strange (Oxord Blackwell 1048625983097983097983095)
See also the discussion in Daniel P Horan Postmodernity and Univocity A Critical Account of
Radical Orthodoxy and John Duns Scotus (Minneapolis Fortress 10486269830881048625983092)38Tomas Williams ldquoTe Doctrine o Univocity Is rue and Salutaryrdquo Modern Teology 10486261048625 (1048626983088983088983093)
983093983095983093-983096983093 See also William P Alston Divine Nature and Human Language Essays in Philosophical
Teology (Ithaca NY Cornell University Press 1048625983097983096983097) pp 1048625983095-10486251048625983095 and Keith E Yandell ldquoNot
Conusing Incomprehensibility and Ineffability Carl Henry on Literal Propositional Revela-
tionrdquo rinity Journal (10486269830881048625983092) 10486301048625-983095983092
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
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1048626983094 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
o other approaches (the doctrine o analogy being avored by many)
and at least one prominent philosopher o religion deends apophati-
cism9830911048633 Perhaps there is a general sense in which it is true that analytictheologians are naive about religious language Perhaps they aremdash
although I doubt this very much But even i it were true this would not
obviously make analytic theology different rom or inerior to many
other approaches to the theological task Te concernmdasheven i it were
substantiatedmdashwould give us no reason to avoid or dismiss analytic the-
ology It might give us reason to want to do it better it might motivate
analytic theologians to pay closer attention to important issues relatedto theological language But the concern itselmdasheven i substantiatedmdash
would not count against the proper exercise o analytic theology It is at
best a red herring
ldquoAnalytic theology is an exercise in natural theologyrdquo Some critics
might charge analytic theology with reliance on ldquonatural theologyrdquo Tis
observation will seem benign to other theologians some analytic theo-
logians might even take this judgment as a badge o honor But to thosetheologians o the house and lineage o Karl Barth this will be the mark
o damnation some may take natural theology to be ldquothe invention o
the Antichristrdquo as something that can serve only to reinorce idolatry
and corrupt the truth10486281048624 Other theologians might not be so hostile but
they still might worry that natural theology distracts us rom obedience
and fidelity to the reality o divine revelation So i analytic theology is
an exercise in natural theology or even relies on it it should be held at
armrsquos length i not shunned entirely
Much could be said about this cluster o issuesmdashand indeed more will
be said in the next chaptermdashbut at this point a basic conusion needs to
be cleared away Fundamentally it is simply a misunderstanding o ana-
lytic theology to think that it is an exercise in natural theology Granted
some prolific analytic theologians are heavily invested in the project o
natural theology and we can say with confidence that rumors o the
39Eg Jonathan D Jacobs ldquoTe Ineffable Inconceivable and Incomprehensible God Fundamen-
tality and Apophatic Teologyrdquo in Oxford Studies in Philosophy of Religion orthcoming40More precisely Barth says that the analogia entis (which interpreters ofen take to be the basis
o all natural theology) is the ldquoinvention o the Antichristrdquo Doctrine of the Word of God p xiii
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What Is Analytic heology 1048626983095
demise o natural theology have been greatly exaggerated1048628983089 But there is
nothing about analytic theology as suchmdashas I have described it to this
pointmdashthat relies on natural theology Te conusion o natural theologywith the analytic project is just thatmdasha conusion Whatever we should
think about natural theology philosophically however we judge the suc-
cesses (or lack thereo) o the various theistic arguments natural the-
ology simply cannot be equated with analytic theology And whatever
we should conclude theologically about natural theology we should not
conuse it with the analytic project Once again this is a red herring
ldquoAnalytic theology is naive with respect to the history of doctrinerdquoAnother concern expressed by some contemporary systematic theolo-
gians is this analytic theology all too ofen proceeds with little awareness
o the complex but important historical actors associated with the de-
velopment and ormation o Christian doctrine o understate the point
analytic theologians are sometimes criticized or their ignorance o the
history o the development o dogma and or their lack o careul study
to understand the particular intellectual (not to mention social) settingo the person(s) controversies or eras under consideration Instead so
the story goes it is all too common or analytic theologians to approach
an issue by isolating a particular text and then breaking it down to
unpack the real ldquocorerdquo o the doctrine in question And the assumption
o the analytic theologians (again so the story goes) is ofen enough that
this can be saely or appropriately done with little or no reerence to the
particular context in which the development occurred As Fred Sanders
expresses the concern ldquophilosophers sometimes seem to think o ancient
texts as cumbersome delivery systems containing ideas which it is their
job to extract rom the delivery system and do something withrdquo1048628983090 Richard
A Muller likewise argues that lack o attention to historical context
sometimes results in problematic misunderstandings o the tradition in
41Eg Richard Swinburne Te Coherence of Teism (Oxord Oxord University Press 1048625983097983095983095) and
Swinburne Te Existence of God (Oxord Oxord University Press 1048625983097983095983097 [1048626983088983088983092]) For examples
o recent work see Moreland and Craig Blackwell Companion to Natural Teology and James F
Sennett and Douglas Groothuis eds In Defense of Natural Teology A Post-Humean Assessment
(Downers Grove IL IVP Academic 1048626983088983088983093)42Fred Sanders ldquoTe State o the Doctrine o the rinity in Evangelical Teologyrdquo Southwestern
Journal of Teology 983092983095 (1048626983088983088983093) 10486251048630983097
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
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1048626983096 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
his view or instance both recent deenders and contemporary de-
tractors o the doctrine o divine simplicity commonly ldquomisinterpret the
traditional doctrinerdquo1048628983091 Robert W Jenson is more scathing he judges theanalytic enterprise to be ldquosomewhat oddly related to the Christian aith
it claims to deendrdquo and he calls the work o Richard Swinburne a ldquotruly
bizarre caserdquo10486281048628
At least this is how the story ofen goes A major underlying worry
seems to be that reading texts without proper attention to their social
location and intellectual context can cause us to misread and mis-
interpret those texts Tis strikes me as a legitimate concern and it is onethat analytic theologians would do well to hear and heed No one should
deny that it is possible to misread and misinterpret important historical
texts and it seems to me that such misreadings are ar more likely when
particular bits o the text are isolated and scrutinized apart rom the
broader literary and historical contexts Te temptation to look away
rom the context as an irrelevant distraction is real It should also be
resisted So the criticism contains an important cautionAt the same time however we should keep several additional points
in mind First the problem is not restricted to analytic theologiansmdash
constructive or systematic theologians o any stripe may be susceptible
to this temptation Indeed ironies abound on this ront Afer criticizing
analytic philosophers o religion or overlooking ldquothe essentially his-
torical character o trinitarian theologyrdquomdashand especially or missing the
important differences between the ldquoGreek (or lsquoCappadocianrsquo) Eastrdquo and
the ldquoLatin WestrdquomdashCatherine Mowry LaCugnarsquos own work has been
criticized or exaggerating those differences10486281048629 It is not as i more main-
stream nonanalytic or antianalytic theologians are immune to the temp-
tation instead so ar as I can see this is a general concern that should
serve as an important reminder that all theologians who engage with the
43Richard A Muller Post-Reformation Reformed Dogmatics Te Rise and Development of Reformed
Orthodoxy ca 1048625104862910486261048624ndashca 1048625104863110486261048629 vol 1048627 Te Divine Essence and Attributes (Grand Rapids Baker
Academic 10486269830889830881048627) p 983092104862544Robert W Jenson Systematic Teology vol 1048626 Te Works of God (Oxord Oxord University
Press 1048625983097983097983097) p 983096 n 104862798309345Catherine Mowry LaCugna ldquoPhilosophers and Teologians on the rinityrdquo Modern Teology 1048626
(10486259830979830961048630) 10486259830951048626
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
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What Is Analytic heology 1048626983097
Christian intellectual tradition should do so with appropriate historical
sensitivity Second there is nothingmdashat least so ar as I can seemdashthat
makes this temptation irresistible Te act that some analytic theolo-gians have been insufficiently attentive to some historical matters does
not entail either that all analytic theologians are ignorant o the tradition
or that all analytic theologians must proceed in ignorance I see no
reason to conclude that this problem must be either essential or endemic
to analytic theology Surely more progress can be made in this area but
I see no reasons to think that such progress cannot happen Finally it is
worth noting that such progress in act is being made Tere are manyhappy exceptions to the common stereotype that analytic theologians
are ldquoahistoricalrdquo in act it is sae to say that many excellent analytic
thinkers have genuine specialization in historical scholarship Indeed
many are cutting-edge contributors1048628983094
ldquoAnalytic theology is only apologetics for conservative theologyrdquo Al-
ternatively the suspicion may be that analytic theology is too closely tied
to the Christian tradition Te assumption here is that analytic theologyis nothing more than the bastion o traditionally minded Roman Catholic
(and Orthodox) theologians and philosophers along with their conser-
vative Protestant riends and the worry is that they are interested in
nothing more than finding a sae place to deend what they already know
to be true Consequently the worry goes there is next to nothing o real
interest here or revisionist theologians o various stripes and there is
little promise or genuinely constructive theology
wo observations are important here First in principle there is
nothing about analytic theology that demands either traditional sympa-
thies or conservative conclusions Neither is there anything about ana-
lytic theology (either taken along the lines o Rearsquos P1048625-P983093 or in a somewhat
more expansive way) that precludes the use o the analytic tools by say
eminist womanist or liberationist theologies
46Stellar examples include Richard Cross Duns Scotus on God (Aldershot UK Ashgate 1048626983088983088983093) Cross
Te Metaphysics of the Incarnation Tomas Aquinas to Duns Scotus (Oxord Oxord University
Press 10486269830889830881048626) Eleonore Stump Aquinas (New York Routledge 10486269830889830881048627) Jeffrey E Brower Aquinasrsquos
Ontology of the Material World Change Hylomorphism and Material Objects (Oxord Oxord
University Press 10486269830881048625983092) and J Paasch Divine Production in Late Medieval rinitarian Teology
Henry of Ghent Duns Scotus and William Ockham (Oxord Oxord University Press 104862698308810486251048626)
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8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
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983091983088 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
Second in point o act many criticisms o traditional doctrines
have emerged rom within analytic theology Consider this example It
is hard to think o a doctrine that is more deeply traditional or moredeeply woven into the abric o historic Christian theology than the
doctrine o divine simplicity Yet this venerable doctrine has endured
intense criticism rom analytic theologians over the past several de-
cades Alvin Plantingarsquos Does God Have a Nature raised ldquotwo diffi-
cultiesrdquo or the doctrine ldquoone substantial and the other truly
monumentalrdquo10486281048631 He argues that i God is identical with each o his
properties then God has but one property But this ldquoseems flatly in-compatible with the obvious act that God has several propertiesrdquo10486281048632 He
argues urther that i God is identical with each o his properties then
God is also a property ldquoTis view is subject to a difficulty both obvious
and overwhelming [or] i God is a property then he isnrsquot a person
but a mere abstract objectrdquo10486281048633 Many analytic theologians have joined
other criticisms to those o Plantinga and it is obvious that this doc-
trinemdashwoven deeply into the abric o traditional Christian doctrineas it ismdashis under assault rom within analytic theology We could mul-
tiply examples with ease (Te traditional doctrine o divine omni-
science stands out here) Tere are o course many sophisticated de-
enders o classical orthodoxy within analytic theology but the basic
point should be clear to reduce analytic theology to apologetics or
traditional doctrine is simply a mistake
As will become obvious in the ollowing pages I think that there is
much to be gained in the work o ldquoretrieval theologyrdquo and I see it as a
natural conversation partner and compatriot o analytic theology I want
to encourage more work at the intersection o analytic theology and
theologies o retrieval But there is nothing about analytic theology as
such that demands adherence to classical Christian theology
ldquoAnalytic theology relies on lsquosubstance metaphysicsrsquo rdquo Sometimes
theologians are suspicious o analytic theology due to its alleged reliance
on substance metaphysics Tis complaint can take various orms Some-
47Alvin Plantinga Does God Have a Nature (Milwaukee Marquette University Press 1048625983097983096983088) p 98309298309548Ibid49Ibid
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What Is Analytic heology 9830911048625
times it is claimed that the whole analytic enterprise is ldquopre-Kantianrdquo (as
in Kenneth Surinrsquos critique o David Brownrsquos work as being ldquorobustly
old-ashionedrdquo and ldquopre-Kantianrdquo)10486291048624 In other words critics complainthat analytic theology proceeds in blithemdashand perhaps willulmdashigno-
rance o the ldquoactrdquo that Kant undermined the entire project by destroying
the very possibility o doing it wo important claims seem to be in play
with this critique first that Kant did something to make analytic the-
ology impossible and second that analytic theologians are unaware o
what Kant did But both o these claims are problematic Te second is
simply mistaken and the first is vigorously contested As Nicholas Wolt-erstorff points out it is much more likely that the current generation o
analytic theologians is not so much ldquopre-Kantianrdquo as it is ldquopost-Kantianrdquo
As he puts it ldquoit really is possible to be post-Kantian Itrsquos possible to re-
cover rom Kant Te choices are not exhausted between being naively
pre-Kantian on the one hand and being a Kantian o one or another
stripe on the otherrdquo1048629983089 Tere are Wolterstorff argues philosophers who
are ully aware o Kantian ldquointerpretation-universalism and ully awareo [Kantian] metaphysical anti-realism but afer serious consideration
they have rejected these options as untenablerdquo1048629983090 So many analytic theo-
logians are well aware o Kantrsquos work (and the common claims made
about that work) but they donrsquot think that he did anything to shut down
the kind o work that they are doing As Plantinga puts it ldquothey have read
him and remain unconvincedrdquo1048629983091
But aside rom Kant analytic theology is sometimes criticized and
rejected or its reliance on ldquosubstance metaphysicsrdquo Unortunately ex-
actly what critical theologians have in their crosshairs when they talk
about substance metaphysics is ofen unclear and not closely defined
But very ofen the complaint is closely tied to a rejection o doctrines
50Kenneth Surin ldquoTe rinity and Philosophical Reflection A Study o David Brownrsquos Te Divine
rinity rdquo Modern Teology 1048626 (10486259830979830961048630) 10486261048627983097-98309298308851Nicholas Wolterstorff ldquoBetween the Pincers o Increased Diversity and Supposed Irrationalityrdquo
in God Philosophy and Academic Culture A Discussion Between Scholars in the AAR and APA
ed William J Wainwright (Atlanta Scholars Press 10486259830979830971048630) p 1048626983088 See also Wolterstorff ldquoIs It
Possible and Desirable or Teologians to Recover rom Kantrdquo Modern Teology 1048625983092 (1048625983097983097983096)
1048625-104862598309652Wolterstorff ldquoBetween the Pincersrdquo p 104862698308853Alvin Plantinga Warranted Christian Belief (Oxord Oxord University Press 1048626983088983088983088) p 1048627983088
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullan-invitation-to-analytic-christian-theology-by-thomas-h-mccall-excerpt 2933
9830911048626 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
associated with ldquoclassical theismrdquo immutability impassibility time-
lessness and other doctrines are taken to be untenable and since they
are tied to substance metaphysics so much the worse or substancemetaphysics William P Alston defly analyzes this complaint and he
argues that substance metaphysics are really beside the point What he
says about substance metaphysics in discussions o the doctrine o the
rinity applies more broadly ldquoonce we get straight as to what is and is
not necessarily included in the metaphysics o substance we will see that
most twentieth-century objections to the use o substance metaphysics
are based on eatures o such ormulations that are not required bysubstance metaphysics as suchrdquo10486291048628 Perhaps there is something inherently
wrong with the use o substance metaphysics in theology and maybe this
counts against analytic theology But beore such a judgment can be
made we need more than the all-too-common generalizations and as-
sertions For beore we can conclude that analytic theology is atally
flawed due to a dependence on substance metaphysics we need to know
exactly what is meant by substance metaphysics we need to be shown just what is wrong (either philosophically or theologically) with sub-
stance metaphysics and we need to see that analytic theology really is (or
must be) committed to this kind o metaphysics Without the kind o
careul analysis and rigorous argumentation it is hard to see anything
here that might count as a orceul objection to analytic theology
ldquoAnalytic theology isnrsquot spiritually edifyingrdquo William Wood notes that
ldquomany conventional theologians remain deeply suspicious o analytic the-
ologyrdquo because o the worry that analytic theology is not spiritually edi-
ying As these theologians see matters ldquogenuine theology is in the first
instance practical aimed not at explanatory theories about God but at
ostering greater love or God and neighbor Genuine theology in short
is praxis one deeply woven together with a Christian lie o prayer virtue
and participation in the sacramentsrdquo10486291048629 Te basic concern is this when
more mainstream theologians look at analytic theology they donrsquot rec-
54William P Alston ldquoSubstance and the rinityrdquo in Te rinity An Interdisciplinary Symposium on
the rinity ed Stephen Davis Daniel Kendall SJ and Gerald OrsquoCollins SJ (Oxord Oxord
University Press 1048625983097983097983097) p 1048626983088104862555William Wood ldquoAnalytic Teology as a Way o Lierdquo Journal of Analytic Teology (10486269830881048625983092) 983092983092
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
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What Is Analytic heology 983091983091
ognize the kind o theology-as-praxis that they value Instead they see
purported explanatory theoriesmdashmere purported explanatory theories
Sometimes these explanations appear to be a very long way indeed romthe lie o aith Indeed they see ormulas such as this (selected pretty
much at random rom among many others)
P existx (Dx amp forally(Dy =gt Byx) amp x made us
Q existx(Dx amp forally(Dy =gt Byx ))1048629983094
When they encounter this kind o work some theologians donrsquot rec-
ognize it as theology at all I they are willing to recognize it as theology
they tend to worry that they donrsquot see the kind o theology that promotes
love o God and neighbor they are concerned that they donrsquot see the-
ology that is connected to the lie o aith As Wood puts it they worry
that ldquoanalytic theology is spiritually sterile and thereore not really a
orm o genuine theology at allrdquo10486291048631
I think this is an important point o criticism and it raises some very
intriguing concerns But as Wood also notes it would be a ldquomistake and
urthermore a presumptuous mistake to assume that analytic philo-
sophical theology cannot in principle be spiritually nourishingrdquo10486291048632 Tree
points stand out First it is important to realize that the temptation to
construct explanatory theories about God that are divorced rom worship
and transormation is both real and present It is also nearious10486291048633 Te
temptation besets theologians o all stripesmdashanalytic or otherwise I do
not think analytic theologians are the only theologians who ace this
temptation o the contrary idolatry is no respecter o ideologies Butsurely it is not invincible surelymdashby Godrsquos gracemdashit is not irresistible
As Wood reminds us ldquoGodrsquos love rains down on logicians too afer allrdquo9830941048624
Second there is good reason to think that analytic theology maymdash
contrary to common expectationsmdashturn out to be spiritually ediying
56Peter van Inwagen ldquoAnd Yet Tey Are Not Tree Gods but One Godrdquo in McCall and Rea
Philosophical and Teological Essays on the rinity pp 10486269830921048625 1048626983092104863057Wood ldquoAnalytic Teology as a Way o Lierdquo p 983092983092 See also Marilyn McCord Adams ldquoWhatrsquos
Wrong with the Ontotheological Errorrdquo Journal of Analytic Teology (10486269830881048625983092) 1048625-1048625104862658Wood ldquoAnalytic Teology as a Way o Lierdquo p 983092104863059See the warnings o Merold Westphal Suspicion and Faith Te Religious Uses of Modern Atheism
(New York Fordham University Press 1048625983097983097983096)60Wood ldquoAnalytic Teology as a Way o Lierdquo p 983092983095
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullan-invitation-to-analytic-christian-theology-by-thomas-h-mccall-excerpt 3133
983091983092 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
Wood argues that analytic theology may be spiritually beneficial in
several ways He suggests that the ldquoconcentrated attention required to
read understand and develop very technical analytic argumentsrdquo maybe conducive to the kinds o intellectual virtues and habits o mind that
are spiritually beneficial983094983089 In addition he notes the ldquoargumentative
transparencyrdquo (what he terms the ldquoparadigmatic analytic virtuerdquo) may be
helpul in spiritual ormation983094983090 Wood readily admits that this tendency
toward argumentative rigor can also eed a orm o pride or even ldquointel-
lectual violencerdquo but he also points out that to make a ldquogood analytic
argument is to make that argument maximally easy or intellectual op-ponents to criticize or reuterdquo and this very transparency makes it much
harder to shield onesel rom criticisms but instead is a way to ldquomake
onesel intellectually vulnerablerdquo In this way it serves as a ldquocheck against
intellectual priderdquo983094983091 Moreover the pace demanded by such rigor and the
modesty o the claims that are rendered deensible have the potential to
cultivate epistemic humility Furthermore another important eature o
the analytic approach is the need to ldquoidentiy imaginatively with onersquosintellectual opponentsrdquo this also as Wood points out orces us to inhabit
a worldview that is not only oreign to our own but also sometimes
hostile In these ways Wood argues ldquoanalytic theology can become a
spiritual practice a way o seeking God and o training the mind and
the will to be open to gracerdquo9830941048628
Finally we should not neglect to notice those shining examples o
theologians or whom analytic theology indeed is closely related to
worship and spiritual nurture Indeed it would be hard not to notice
them or the tradition is rie with such theologians A great many pa-
tristic and most scholastic (both medieval and early modern) theolo-
gians count as ldquoanalytic theologiansrdquo For surely they fit our profile o
theologians who prize ldquoconceptual precision rigor o argumentation
technical erudition and an in-depth deense o an original worldviewrdquo
(and who would in many instances value P1048625-P983093) As an example con-
61Ibid p 98309398309362Ibid p 983093104863063Ibid64Ibid p 983093983096
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What Is Analytic heology 983091983093
sider Anselmrsquos Proslogion It is obvious that Anselm values precision and
rigor and he clearly intends to convey truth claims that he finds con-
vincing But as both Wood and Marilyn McCord Adams point out thiswork is ldquomeant to do more than communicate propositional truthsrdquo or
ldquoit is meant to help reorient the wills o its readers and help bring about
effective and volitional change in themrdquo9830941048629 Despite important differences
o style and substance we could say much the same about many other
figures (both well known and less so) as well it is very difficult to read
ar into Bonaventure Richard o St Victor Aquinas Scotus Vermigli
Perkins Arminius urretin Edwards Wesley and many others withoutunderstanding that they are obviously concerned with both intellectual
rigor and spiritual ormation
65Ibid p 983093983088 See also Marilyn McCord Adams ldquoPraying the Proslogionrdquo in Te Rationality of
Belief and the Plurality of Faith ed Tomas Senor (Ithaca NY Cornell University Press 1048625983097983097983093)
pp 10486251048627-1048627983097 and Adams ldquoElegant Necessity Prayerul Disputation Method in Cur Deus Homordquo
in Studia Anselmiana Cur Deus Homo (Rome 1048625983097983097983097) pp 10486271048630983095-9830971048630
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InterVarsity Press
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ivpresscom
emailivpresscom
copy983090983088983089983093 by Tomas H McCall
All rights reserved No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from
InterVarsity Press
InterVarsity Pressreg is the book-publishing division of InterVarsity Christian FellowshipUSAreg a movement of
students and faculty active on campus at hundreds of universities colleges and schools of nursing in the United
States of America and a member movement of the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students For
information about local and regional activities visit intervarsityorg
All Scripture quotations unless otherwise indicated are taken from HE HOLY BIBLE NEW INERNAIONAL
VERSION reg NIV reg Copyright copy 983089983097983095983091 983089983097983095983096 983089983097983096983092 983090983088983089983089 by Biblica Inctrade Used by permission All rights reserved
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Interior design Beth McGill
Images Geometric abstract copy marigold_983096983096iStockphoto
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ISBN 983097983095983096-983088-983096983091983088983096-983092983088983097983093-983091 (print)
ISBN 983097983095983096-983088-983096983091983088983096-983097983097983091983088-983090 (digital)
Printed in the United States of America
As a member of the Green Press Initiative InterVarsity Press is committed to protecting the environment
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
McCall Tomas H
An invitation to analytic Christian theology Tomas H McCall
pages cm
Includes bibliographical references and index
ISBN 983097983095983096-983088-983096983091983088983096-983092983088983097983093-983091 (pbk alk paper)
983089 TeologymdashMethodology 983090 Analysis (Philosophy) 983091 Philosophical theology I itle
BR983089983089983096M983090983092 983090983088983089983093
983090983091983088rsquo983088983092983094mdashdc983090983091
983090983088983089983093983088983091983091983092983093983089
P 983090983091 983090983090 983090983089 983090983088 983089983097 983089983096 983089983095 983089983094 983089983093 983089983092 983089983091 983089983090 983089983089 983089983088 983097 983096 983095 983094 983093 983092 983091 983090 983089
Y 983091983093 983091983092 983091983091 983091983090 983091983089 983091983088 983090983097 983090983096 983090983095 983090983094 983090983093 983090983092 983090983091 983090983090 983090983089 983090983088 983089983097 983089983096 983089983095 983089983094 983089983093
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullan-invitation-to-analytic-christian-theology-by-thomas-h-mccall-excerpt 533
Contents
Introduction 1048633
983089 What Is Analytic heology 983089983089
983090 Analytic heology and Christian Scripture 10486271048631
1048627 Analytic heology and the History o Doctrine 10486321048627
1048628 Analytic heology or the Church and the World 9830899830901048627
1048629 Analytic heology to the Glory o God 9830891048630983089
Author Index 9830891048632983089
Subject Index 98308910486321048627
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Introduction
983144983141 983159983145983140983141 983154983137983150983143983141 983151983142 983141983158983141983150983156983155 and publications that are loosely
gathered under the label ldquoanalytic theologyrdquo is both quite broad
and very active Proponents and practitioners range rom traditionally
minded Orthodox and Roman Catholic philosophers and theologians
through Anglican Lutheran Methodist and other tradition-sensitive
scholars to conservative evangelicals and to revisionist or ldquoprogressiverdquo
theologians In some quarters enthusiasm runs high In other sectors
o the theological (and philosophical) academy suspicion and even
hostility run deep Misunderstanding ofen accompanies the label and
questions abound But just what is this thing called ldquoanalytic theologyrdquo
What are its ldquoaccidentalrdquo eatures and what are its ldquoessentialrdquo attributes
And what are we to make o it as theology Or is it merely a technically
precise and agenda-driven subdiscipline o analytic metaphysics
Where is it going Is there some discernible direction that it willmdashor
shouldmdashtake
In this book I introduce nonspecialists to analytic theology I try to
make clear both what it isnrsquot and what it is Accordingly I discuss what
makes analytic theology analytic and I try to lay out what makes analytic
theology really theology Specifically I outline analytic theologyrsquos con-
nections to Scripture Christian tradition and culture (broadly con-ceived) and I do so by using case studies to illuminate the relationships
and the need or urther integration Here I must also coness to an
agenda I am hoping to influence the uture o analytic theology by
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
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1048625983088 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
calling the discipline to a deeper engagement with the traditional re-
sources o the theological task
I come to the work o analytic theology as someone who is by trainingand by vocation a theologian Tus I am especially grateul or the pa-
tience and graciousness o those riends and colleagues who have
genuine expertise in epistemology metaphysics and philosophy o re-
ligion (as well as the history o philosophy) I am deeply indebted to you
or whatever abilities I have as an analytic theologian and I am truly
grateul or your collegiality and encouragement I am also thankul or
those ellow theologians who have taken up the mantle o analytic the-ology and I am grateul as well to those who led the way by actually
doing it beore it was ever called by that name Oliver Crisp Mike Rea
and Billy Abraham read the manuscript and offered very helpul critique
and encouragement and the book is much improved as a result (All
remaining aults are o course entirely mine)
In addition I am grateul or the community o saints and scholars
who surround me at rinity Evangelical Divinity School (and especiallythe members o the Deerfield Dialogue Group who read part o the
manuscript) and I am indebted as well to the administration and the
board o regents or a sabbatical in the all o 10486269830881048625983092
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8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
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983089
What Is Analytic Theology
Fear of scholasticism is the mark of the false prophet
K983137983154983148 B983137983154983156983144
A B983154983145983141983142 H983145983155983156983151983154983161 983151983142 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 T983144983141983151983148983151983143983161Where we were Te revival of philosophy of religion For a good deal
o the twentieth century academic philosophymdashespecially Anglo-
American ldquoanalyticrdquo philosophymdashwas ofen taken to be hostile to tradi-
tional theistic belie in general and perhaps especially so to Christian
belie983089 Logical positivism insisted that theological claims were not only
alse but indeed meaningless and many philosophers ound it difficult
even to take theology seriously Te conclusions o A J Ayer are bothrepresentative and influential He claims that the very ldquopossibility o re-
ligious knowledgerdquo has been ldquoruled out by our treatment o metaphysicsrdquo983090
I the ldquocriterion o verifiabilityrdquo eliminates metaphysics and i theology
is only a subcategory o metaphysics then theology is obviously elimi-
natedmdashthe very possibility has been ruled out and all God-talk is literally
Epigraph Karl Barth Church Dogmatics vol I1048625 Te Doctrine of the Word of God ed F
orrance trans Geoffrey Bromiley (Edinburgh amp Clark 1048625983097983095983093) p 10486269830959830971I realize that (at least on some understandings o the term) the story o analytic theology ar
predates the modern era and indeed has ar more in common with scholasticism than it does
with either twentieth-century philosophy or modern theology More on this anon2Alred Jules Ayer Language ruth and Logic (New York Dover 10486259830979830931048626) p 10486251048625983092
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
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10486251048626 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
nonsensical983091 Hud Hudson says ldquoInormed that questions about the ex-
istence nature and significance o the deity were hereafer to be engaged
exclusively under the guidance o linguistic analyses o religious lan-guage and menaced with (inexplicably popular) verificationist theories
o meaning theologians were told by analytic philosophers that they had
not even achieved the minimal distinction o saying anything alse or
they had not managed to say anything at allrdquo1048628
Te response o many theologians in the late modern era to the develop-
ments in mainstream philosophy in Anglo-American circles was under-
standable they largely ignored the work o these philosophers andlooked elsewhere or intellectual resources and conversation partners
Some sought reuge in ldquoContinentalrdquo philosophy while others decried
any engagement between philosophy and theology
But the second hal o the twentieth century witnessed some re-
markable changes As Hudson notes ldquoTis most unortunate moment in
the history o analytic philosophy was merciully temporary as was its
slavish devotion to linguistic analyses verificationism and all the un-ounded suspicion o metaphysics ethics and religion that ollowed in its
wakerdquo1048629 Logical positivism couldnrsquot bear its own weight and Ayerrsquos con-
fident pronouncements are now valued more as a quaint museum artiact
o philosophical history (ldquoLook kids isnrsquot it amazing that anyone ever
said thatmdashand especially that he seemed so cocksure about itrdquo) than as
a helpul repository o philosophical insight With the collapse o posi-
tivism came a rebirth o serious metaphysicsmdashand with that collapse and
the rebirth o metaphysics came a revival o philosophy o religion983094
Where philosophical consideration o theological issues had been deemed
an utter waste o time now it was seen as an interesting area o inquiry
Serious and sustained engagement with perennial issues o religious and
theological interest was happening again and many o the philosophers
3Ibid p 10486279830934Hud Hudson Te Fall and Hypertime (Oxord Oxord University Press 10486269830881048625983092) p 9830925Ibid p 9830936For a telling o this tale see Nicholas Wolterstorff ldquoHow Philosophical Teology Became Pos-
sible Within the Analytic radition o Philosophyrdquo in Analytic Teology New Essays in the Phi-
losophy of Teology ed Oliver D Crisp and Michael C Rea (Oxord Oxord University Press
1048626983088983088983097) pp 1048625983093983093-1048630983096
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
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What Is Analytic heology 1048625983091
engaged in this work weremdashand aremdashcommitted Christians
Not all philosophers rejoice at these developments but it is increas-
ingly hard or them not to notice them Quentin Smith describesmdashanddecriesmdashthis development
Te secularization o mainstream academia began to quickly unravel upon
the publication o Plantingarsquos influential book on realist theism God and
Other Minds in 1048625983097983094983095 It became apparent to the philosophical proession
that this book displayed that realist theists were not outmatched by natu-
ralists in terms o the most valued standards o academic philosophy con-
ceptual precision rigor o argumentation technical erudition and an in-depth deense o an original worldview Tis book ollowed seven years
later by Plantingarsquos even more impressive book Te Nature of Necessity
made it maniest that a realist theist was writing at the highest qualitative
level o analytic philosophy on the same playing field as Carnap Russell
Gruumlnbaum and other naturalists1048631
Smith in what basically amounts to something o an alarmist ldquocall to
armsrdquo to his ellow atheists concludes that ldquoGod is not lsquodeadrsquo in aca-demia he returned to lie in the late 1048625983097983094983088rsquos and is now alive and well in
his last academic stronghold philosophy departmentsrdquo1048632
While triumphalism on the part o Christian philosophers would be
both very premature and unseemly (they remain by all measures in the
substantial minority within academic philosophy) nonetheless Smith is
right that the situation is very different than it was only a ew decades
ago Te Society o Christian Philosophers ounded in 1048625983097983095983096 as a small
group o diverse scholars who were more unified by common interests
than by shared commitment to a particular creed now has in the neigh-
borhood o a thousand members Several journalsmdashnotably Faith and
Philosophy Philosophia Christi Religious Studies Sophia Philo and the
International Journal of Philosophy of Religionmdashare devoted to issues
broadly related to the study o the philosophy o religion and Christian
philosophers are very active in these and other venues At the same time
Christian philosophers are very active in other more ldquomainstreamrdquo areas
o contemporary philosophy important recent work in metaphysics and
7Quentin Smith ldquoTe Metaphilosophy o Naturalismrdquo Philo 983092 no 1048626 (10486269830889830881048625) 10486268Ibid p 1048627
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
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1048625983092 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
epistemology in particular has been influenced by philosophers with
religious interests and well-known Christian commitments
Not surprisingly the growth o Christian involvement in philosophyhas been accompanied by increased interest in issues o perennial
concern in philosophy o religion Work on such issues had never en-
tirely disappeared o course or prominent philosophers such as Basil
Mitchell Peter Geach Austin Farrer and others were making significant
contributions well beore the current renaissance o Christian philosophy
really took off1048633 However engagement has been growing at an astounding
rate Issues surrounding religious pluralism and exclusivism problemso evil (including not only the ldquologicalrdquo problem o evil but also ldquoevi-
dentialrdquo problems) religious epistemology religious experience mir-
acles theistic arguments (particularly various versions o ontological
cosmological teleological and moral arguments) and science and re-
ligion have been explored with impressive vigor and analyzed with or-
midable rigor9830891048624 Positions have been set out and explained attacked and
deended modified and surrendered Te work in philosophy o religionhas not been cordoned off rom other more ldquomainstreamrdquo philosophical
work o the contrary in many ways it has remained vitally engaged with
9Eg Basil Mitchell Te Justification of Religious Belief (Oxord Oxord University Press 10486259830979830961048625)
Mitchell Faith and Criticism (Oxord Oxord University Press 1048625983097983097983093) Mitchell Morality Reli-
gious and Secular Te Dilemma of the raditional Conscience (Oxord Oxord University Press
10486259830979830961048630) Peter Geach God and the Soul (South Bend IN St Augustinersquos Press 10486259830971048630983097) Geach
Providence and Evil (Cambridge Cambridge University Press 1048625983097983095983095) Geach Te Virtues (Cam-
bridge Cambridge University Press 1048625983097983095983095) Geach Logic Matters (Berkeley University o Cali-ornia Press 10486259830979830951048626) Austin Farrer Te Freedom of the Will (London Black 1048625983097983093983096) Farrer Love
Almighty and Ills Unlimited An Essay on Providence and Evil (London Collins 104862598309710486301048625) Farrer
Saving Belief A Study of Essentials (London Hodder amp Stoughton 10486259830971048630983092) Farrer Faith and Spec-
ulation An Essay in Philosophical Teology (London Black 10486259830971048630983095)10Te contentsmdashand perhaps the very existencemdasho the numerous and massive ldquohandbooksrdquo and
ldquocompanionsrdquo to philosophy o religion bear weighty testimony to this act See eg William J
Wainwright ed Te Oxford Handbook of Philosophy of Religion (New York Oxord University
Press 1048626983088983088983093) Philip L Quinn and Charles aliaerro eds A Companion to Philosophy of Religion
(Oxord Blackwell 1048625983097983097983095) William E Mann ed Te Blackwell Guide to the Philosophy of Religion
(Oxord Blackwell 1048626983088983088983093) Michael L Peterson and Raymond J VanArragon eds Contemporary
Debates in Philosophy of Religion (Oxord Blackwell 1048626983088983088983092) J P Moreland and William Lane
Craig eds Te Blackwell Companion to Natural Teology (Oxord Blackwell 1048626983088983088983097) Justin Mc-
Brayer and Daniel Howard-Snyder eds Te Blackwell Companion to the Problem of Evil (Oxord
Blackwell 104862698308810486251048627) Chad Meister and Paul Copan eds Te Routledge Companion to Philosophy of
Religion 1048626nd ed (New York Routledge 104862698308810486251048627) See also the impressive series Oxord Studies in
Philosophy o Religion edited by Jon Kvanvig
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What Is Analytic heology 1048625983093
cutting-edge work in epistemology ethics and metaphysics to use the
latter as an example rom Alvin Plantingarsquos early work Te Nature of
Necessity to Brian Lefowrsquos recent contributions in God and Necessity important work in the metaphysics o modality has been deeplymdashand
some might say ldquoessentiallyrdquomdashconnected to philosophy o religion983089983089
Judging rom the interest and output analytic philosophy o religion is
not only alive and well but indeed healthy and robust
How we got here From philosophy of religion to philosophical the-
ology But or all the vigor and intellectual energy that is captured and
reflected in work on general or generic issues in philosophy o religion theinterests o Christian philosophers have not been limited to those issues
Instead Christian philosophers have been deeply interested in distinctly
Christian theological topics and they have devoted much energy to the
analysis and deense o Christian doctrine Te past ew decades have wit-
nessed important work on the doctrine o revelation (and divine speech)
the inspiration authority and interpretation o the Christian Scriptures
divine attributes (particularly simplicity necessity aseity omnipotenceomniscience eternity and reedom) divine action in creation providence
miraculous intervention theological anthropology original sin incar-
nation atonement resurrection and eschatology983089983090
Where we are Philosophical theology and analytic theology More
recently the term analytic theology has come into use Tere are o
course important orebears to this work David Kelsey Nicholas Wolt-
erstorff and others at Yale disparate figures such as William P Alston
Norman Kretzmann George Mavrodes Keith Yandell and others else-
where in the United States Paul Helm and Richard Swinburne in the
United Kingdom and Vincent Brummer and others o the Utrecht
11See Alvin Plantinga Te Nature of Necessity (Oxord Oxord University Press 1048625983097983095983092) and Brian
Lefow God and Necessity (Oxord Oxord University Press 104862698308810486251048626) See also the recent proposals
o Hugh J McCann Creation and the Sovereignty of God (Bloomington Indiana University Press
104862698308810486251048626)12Once again the prolieration o ldquoreadersrdquo ldquohandbooksrdquo and ldquocompanionsrdquo stands as evidence
o the breadth and depth o the work undertaken eg Oliver D Crisp ed A Reader in Contem-
porary Philosophical Teology (New York amp Clark 1048626983088983088983097) Michael C Rea ed Oxford Read-
ings in Philosophical Teology 1048626 vols (Oxord Oxord University Press 1048626983088983088983097) Tomas P Flint
and Michael C Rea eds Te Oxford Handbook of Philosophical Teology (Oxord Oxord Uni-
versity Press 1048626983088983088983097) Charles aliaerro and Chad Meister eds Te Cambridge Companion to
Christian Philosophical Teology (Cambridge Cambridge University Press 10486269830881048625983088)
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
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1048625983094 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
school o philosophical theology in the Netherlands Following trail-
blazers such as these and building on the recent renaissance o meta-
physics and philosophy o religion the analytic theology movement isnow growing Te publication o the volume Analytic Teology Essays
in the Philosophy of Teology edited by Oliver D Crisp and Michael C
Rea marked an important moment Te Analytic Teology Project
(sponsored and promoted by Notre Damersquos Center or Philosophy o
Religion as well the University o Innsbruck in Austria and the Shalem
Center in Jerusalem and unded by generous grants rom the John em-
pleton Foundation) with its annual Logos conerence and other activitiesthe launch o the Journal of Analytic Teology and the inauguration o
the book series Oxord Studies in Analytic Teology all lend support to
this growing movement
Te meaning o the term analytic theology can vary in common par-
lance and it is sae to say that there is no single decisively settled meaning
o the term when it is used as a label Still perhaps we can saely say that
what is common across the range o uses is this analytic theology sig-nifies a commitment to employ the conceptual tools o analytic phi-
losophy where those tools might be helpul in the work o constructive
Christian theology Scholars will naturally enough disagree among
themselves about just which o those tools are most helpul which
projects are best served by their use and other matters but on the whole
such a minimalist characterization seems sae enough William J
Abraham offers this helpul summary analytic theology ldquocan be useully
defined as ollows it is systematic theology attuned to the skills re-
sources and virtues o analytic philosophyrdquo983089983091 As such analytic theology
is a growing and energetic field at the intersections o philosophy o re-
ligion and systematic theology
W983144983137983156 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 T983144983141983151983148983151983143983161 I983155 (983151983154 S983144983151983157983148983140 B983141)
Such minimalist characterization while airly sae does not take us very
ar What more precisely is one doing when one does analytic theology
13William J Abraham ldquoSystematic Teology as Analytic Teologyrdquo in Analytic Teology New
Essays in the Philosophy of Teology ed Oliver D Crisp and Michael C Rea (Oxord Oxord
University Press 1048626983088983088983097) p 983093983092
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What Is Analytic heology 1048625983095
Just what is analytic theology Perhaps it will help first to consider what
is so analytic about analytic theology Following this we shall think
about how it is an exercise in theology Analytic theology as analytic theology As we have seen Quentin Smith
praises Plantingarsquos work or its excellence in ldquothe most valued standards o
analytic philosophy conceptual precision rigor o argumentation tech-
nical erudition and an in-depth deense o an original worldviewrdquo9830891048628 Oliver
D Crisp echoes this estimation o what counts as good work in analytic
philosophy he observes that analytic philosophy is characterized by ldquoa
logical rigour clarity and parsimony o expression coupled with attentionto a certain cluster o philosophical problemsrdquo9830891048629 Analytic theology is rel-
evantly similar he says or it ldquowill prize intellectual virtues like clarity
parsimony o expression and argumentative rigourrdquo983089983094 Michael C Rearsquos
description o analytic philosophy echoes these accounts in some ways
While recognizing that clear and sharp lines between ldquoanalyticrdquo and ldquonon-
analyticrdquo (or ldquoContinentalrdquo) philosophical approaches are neither easy to
come by nor perhaps really worth all the work he characterizes analyticapproaches to philosophy in terms o style and ambition9830891048631 Te ambitions
are generally ldquoto identiy the scope and limits o our powers to obtain
knowledge o the worldrdquo and ldquoto provide such true explanatory theories
as we can in areas o inquiry (metaphysics morals and the like) that all
outside the scope o the natural sciencesrdquo9830891048632 Rea characterizes the style as
including the ollowing prescriptions
P1048625 Write as i philosophical positions and conclusions can be adequately or-mulated in sentences that can be ormalized and logically manipulated
P1048626 Prioritize precision clarity and logical coherence
P983091 Avoid substantive (non-decorative) use o metaphor and other tropes
whose semantic content outstrips their propositional content
14Smith ldquoMetaphilosophyrdquo p 104862615Oliver D Crisp ldquoOn Analytic Teologyrdquo in Crisp and Rea Analytic Teology p 104862798309316Ibid pp 1048627983095-104862798309617Michael C Rea introduction to Crisp and Rea Analytic Teology pp 1048627-983092 See also Nick raka-
kis ldquoMeta-Philosophy o Religion Te Analytic-Continental Divide in Philosophy o Religionrdquo
Ars Disputandi 983095 (1048626983088983088983095) 1048625983095983097-1048626104862698308818Rea introduction p 983092
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1048625983096 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
P983092 Work as much as possible with well-understood primitive concepts and
concepts that can be analyzed in terms o those
P983093 reat conceptual analysis (insoar as possible) as a source o evidence9830891048633
Tis much at least is characteristic o analytic philosophy So what
about analytic theology As Rea sees things ldquoanalytic theology is just the
activity o approaching theological topics with the ambitions o an ana-
lytic philosopher and in a style that conorms to the prescriptions that
are distinctive o analytic philosophical discourse It will also involve
more or less pursuing those topics in a way that engages the literature
that is constitutive o the analytic tradition employing some o the tech-
nical jargon rom that tradition and so on But in the end it is the style
and ambitions that are most centralrdquo9830901048624
All this is helpul but perhaps a bit more explanation would be ben-
eficial Consider P1048625 Tis need not mean that all meaningul statements
in theology (or philosophy) need to be expressed ormally it should
not be taken to mean that every theological claim should be stated in
an apparatus with numbered propositions and a ormal structure
What it does mean however is that the deault setting or theologians
should be to communicate propositions that could be expressed this
way For as Rea says ldquoabsent special circumstancesrdquo things have ldquogone
very much amissrdquo i a view ldquois expressed in such a way that it has no
clear logical outcomesrdquo983090983089
Consider also P1048626 Tis need notmdashand should notmdashbe taken to mean
that logical precision and coherence are the only important criteria ora theologian and neither should it be taken to imply even that logical
precision and coherence are the most important criteria Te theologian
who is convinced that her first commitment is fidelity to the priority and
ultimacy o divine revelation should have no difficulty in assenting to P1048626
Neither urther should P1048626 be taken to imply that the same levels o
logical precision are possible with all theological topics nor yet that all
theological projects require the same levels o precision and argumentative
19Ibid pp 983093-104863020Ibid p 98309521Ibid p 983093 n 983093
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What Is Analytic heology 1048625983097
rigor Consider by way o example childrenrsquos catechetical literature
Surely this literature is theological but it neither can nor should attempt
to display the same level o logical precision or argumentative rigor assay advanced work in scholastic theology P1048626 does not clam that such
theological literature should do so or that all work in theology must
always do so
Neither should P1048626 be misunderstood with respect to claims about the
importance o ldquoclarityrdquo Rea notes that this claim can seem ironic ldquoin light
o the act that quite a lot o analytic philosophy [and we could add
some analytic theology] is very difficult even or specialists and totallyinaccessible to non-specialistsrdquo983090983090 But ldquoclearrdquo does not mean ldquoeasyrdquo In-
stead it expresses a commitment to the work o ldquospelling out hidden
assumptions scrupulously trying to lay bare whatever evidence one has
(or lacks) or the claims that one is making and on taking care to confine
onersquos vocabulary to ordinary language well-understood primitive con-
cepts and technical jargon definable in terms o theserdquo983090983091 Finally we
should note that P1048626 does not imply that everything (or everything worthtalking about) in theology will become crystal clear Te goal o analytic
theology is not (or at least need not be) the removal o all mystery in
theology o the contrary analytic philosophers o religion have long
been keenly aware o the place o mystery in theology and it may be that
at certain points an important role o the theologian is to clariy just
where the mystery really lies P1048626 does not suggest that analytic theology
will make everything ldquoclearrdquo in the sense that it makes everything ldquoeasy
and readily accessible to the nonspecialistrdquo Instead what it prioritizes is
clarity to the appropriate audiences and to the greatest possible degree
And it insists that ldquomysteryrdquo must not be conused with logical inco-
herence and it likewise insists that we do not gloriy what is clearly in-
coherent with the shroud o ldquomysteryrdquo As Alan G Padgett says theology
should ldquoseek the truth about Godrdquo and ldquothereore must shun incoherence
and irrationalityrdquo9830901048628 Where ldquosometimes lsquomysteryrsquo is evoked as an excuse
22Ibid p 983093 n 104863023Ibid24Alan G Padgett ldquoTe rinity in Teology and Philosophy Why Jerusalem Should Work with
Athensrdquo in Philosophical and Teological Essays on the rinity ed Tomas McCall and Michael
C Rea (Oxord Oxord University Press 1048626983088983088983097) p 104862710486271048626
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
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1048626983088 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
or sloppy thinking this must be anathema to any academic theology
worthy o the namerdquo For ldquoafer all the mystery o God does not end
when theology speaks clearly Te simple phrase lsquoJesus loves me this Iknow or the Bible tells me sorsquo covers vast deep mysteries that even the
angels gaze into with awe and wonderrdquo9830901048629
P983091 rules out ldquosubstantive (non-decorative) use o metaphor and other
tropes whose semantic content outstrips their propositional contentrdquo
Tis does not or at least need not mean that there is no valid or valuable
place or metaphor in theology Analytic theologians will disagree among
themselves as to howmdashand how muchmdashmetaphor is useul and legiti-mate983090983094 But the basic point is airly plain on P983091 theologians are not at
liberty to trade loosely in metaphor without ever being able to speciy
just what is meant by those metaphors Tey are not then ree to make
claims the meaning o which cannot be specified or spelled out Teolo-
gians are not licensed to trade in what Randal Rauser calls ldquounclarifiable
unclarityrdquo9830901048631 P983092 calls the analytic theologian to work with ldquowell-understood
primitive conceptsrdquo that are reasonably taken to be basic intuitive or(minimally) uncontroversial (and with concepts that can be understood
in terms o such primitive concepts) Some theologians will be quick to
raise concerns here they will worry that the very notion o ldquowell-
understood primitive conceptsrdquo may both conceal blind spots o social
location and privilege and be a Procrustean bed that restricts theological
concepts to ldquowhat we already know to be truerdquo and thus curtails the
possibility o engagement with divine revelation But once again it is
important not to misunderstand P983092 Te ldquoas much as possiblerdquo is key
here i the preunderstood concepts donrsquot do enough work then some o
them can be adjusted Others wonrsquot be so easy to adjust or discard but
this category o primitive concepts is both quite small and very basic (eg
the law o noncontradiction) Simply put there is no good reason to
25Ibid26I thank Billy Abraham or pressing this point Te ldquostandardrdquo work on metaphor in theology
remains Janet Martin Soskice Metaphor and Religious Language (Oxord Oxord University
Press 1048625983097983096983095)27Randal Rauser ldquoTeology as a Bull Sessionrdquo in Crisp and Rea Analytic Teology pp 983095983092-983095983093 See
also Harry Frankurt On Bullshit (Princeton NJ Princeton University Press 1048626983088983088983093) and Frank-
urt Bullshit and Philosophy ed Gary L Hardcastle and George A Resich (Chicago Open
Court 1048626983088983088983093)
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What Is Analytic heology 10486261048625
think that the notion o ldquowell-understood primitive conceptsrdquo must
unction as a Procrustean bed
Finally Rea says that P983093 calls us to ldquotreat conceptual analysis (insoaras it is possible) as a source o evidencerdquo It should be obvious that he
does not say that conceptual analysis is the only source o evidence and
there is no reason to think that it should be taken this way Neither does
he claim that conceptual analysis is the primary or ultimate source o
evidence P983093 makes an important claim but it is a rather modest one
What it insists on is this i close conceptual analysis reveals that some
theological proposition P is say internally inconsistent then thatanalysis gives us all the evidence we need to reject P No matter how
grand the claims o Prsquo s supporters in deense o the supporting evidence
for it i P is incoherent (sel-reerentially or otherwise) then it is not true
Once we have established that P is incoherent (which is a task much
harder than is sometimes supposed) we have all the reason we need to
conclude that it is wrong In addition o course conceptual analysis
might count as evidence in other and more positive ways as well Con-sider perect being theology or example here theologians analyze ldquoper-
ectionrdquo and then take deliverances o that analysis as evidence in support
o their theological conclusions
Much more could be said about what makes analytic theology truly
analytic o course While this could be expanded on and broadened
(particularly in directions that put less o a premium on precision) Rearsquos
P1048625-P983093 give us an initial sense o what it means to say that theology is
analytic theology Generally speaking analytic theology is theology that
is attuned to and committed to the ldquogoals and ambitionsrdquo o analytic
philosophy a commitment to truth wherever it may be ound clarity o
expression and rigor o argumentation Very ofen it will not hesitate to
make appropriate use o the available tools o analytic philosophy espe-
cially as these aid conceptual precision and argumentative rigor
Analytic theology as analytic theology But i echoing Smith it is the
concern with ldquoconceptual precisionrdquo and ldquorigor o argumentationrdquo that
makes analytic theology analytic then what is it that makes analytic
theology really theology Tis book develops an answer to this question
but an initial summary may help Recall that Smith talks not only about
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10486261048626 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
ldquoconceptual precisionrdquo and ldquorigor o argumentationrdquo but also about ldquotech-
nical eruditionrdquo and the ldquoin-depth deense o an original worldviewrdquo For
the analytic philosopher ldquotechnical eruditionrdquo will naturally involvemastery o the requisite field (metaphysics philosophy o mind epis-
temology etc) but it may also include competence in other related
fields (biology or philosophy o biology neurology or philosophy o
mind etc) For the analytic theologian such erudition will include com-
petence in the relevant areas o philosophical study that are necessary or
ldquoconceptual precisionrdquo and ldquorigor o argumentationrdquo But or the analytic
theologian qua theologian it must involve much more than this Forunless analytic theology is merely ldquoarmchair theologyrdquo (albeit armchair
theology done by very bright people) it will be grounded in the
Christian Scriptures it will be inormed by the great tradition o doc-
trinal development it will be ldquochristologically normedrdquo and it will be
culturally engaged As theology it will seek to articulate what we may
know o God as God has revealed himsel to us As Nicholas Wolterstorff
puts it to theologiansDo not be ersatz philosophers do not be ersatz cultural theorists do not be
ersatz anything Be genuine theologians Be sure-ooted in philosophy But
then be theologians What we need to hear rom you is how things look
when seen in light o the triune Godmdashmay his name be praisedmdashwho creates
and sustains us who redeems us and who will bring this rail and allen
though yet glorious humanity and cosmos to consummation9830901048632
Accordingly analytic theology is theology done by theologians who areldquosure-ootedrdquo in philosophy (many o whom will have extensive training
and proessional expertise there and indeed may be leaders within their
field) but it is a kind o theology nonetheless
Such a conception o theology is o course not remotely new What
we may useully reer to as ldquoanalytic theologyrdquo is very similar in many
respects to deeply traditional ways o doing theology We can see this
kind o work exemplified in the theology o the scholastics (both me-dieval and post-Reormationearly modern) So in some sense the re-
28Nicholas Wolterstorff ldquoo Teologians From One Who Cares About Teology but Is Not One
o Yourdquo Teological Education (1048626983088983088983093) 9830971048625-9830971048626
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What Is Analytic heology 1048626983091
birth o analytic theology may be thought o as scholasticism redivivus
As Richard Swinburnemdashsurely a pioneer o analytic theologymdashsays
ldquolarge-scale theology needs clear and rigorous argumentrdquo and it is ldquohightime or theology to returnrdquo to the standards set by Tomas Aquinas
John Duns Scotus and others9830901048633 But it is not only the ldquohigh scholasticsrdquo
who worked this way or we can also witness many o these virtues in
theologians rom the patristics to the pietists9830911048624 Many theologians in the
Christian tradition were concerned with both ldquoconceptual precisionrdquo and
ldquoargumentative rigorrdquo as well as ldquotechnical eruditionrdquo and the ldquoin-depth
deense o an original worldviewrdquoConsider what John Wesleymdashan evangelist hardly known as a ldquoscho-
lasticrdquo or an ldquoanalytic theologianrdquomdashhas to say about the importance o
acquiring the tools or ldquoconceptual precisionrdquo and ldquoargumentative rigorrdquo
Logic he says is ldquonecessary next to and in order to the knowledge o
Scripturerdquo983091983089 Despite the act that it is ldquonow quite unashionablerdquo none-
theless logic is invaluable For with it we have the possibility o ldquoappre-
hending things clearly judging truly and reasoning conclusivelyrdquo
983091983090
Andas with logic so also with metaphysics Tus Wesley will ask o clergy
Am I a tolerable master o the sciences Have I gone through the very gate o
them logic I not I am not likely to go much urther when I stumble at the
threshold Do I understand it so as to be ever the better or it o have it
always ready or use so as to apply every rule o it when occasion is almost
as naturally as I turn my hand Do I understand it at all Can I reduce an
indirect mood to a direct a hypothetic to a categorical syllogism Rather have
not my stupid indolence and laziness made me very ready to believe what the
little wits and pretty gentlemen affirm ldquothat logic is good or nothingrdquo It is
good or this at least (wherever it is understood) to make people talk less by
showing them both what is and what is not to the point and how extremely
29Richard Swinburne Te Coherence of Teism 1048626nd ed (Oxord Oxord University Press 10486259830979830971048627)
p 98309530See eg Gregory o Nyssa Against Eunomius 10486259830921048626 Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers ed Philip
Schaff series 1048626 (10486259830969830961048630ndash1048625983096983096983097 repr Peabody MA Hendrickson 1048625983097983097983092) 983093983097983096-983097983097 (Patrologia
Graeca [= Patrologiae Cursus Completus Series Graeca] ed Jacques-Paul Migne [Paris 1048625983096983093983095ndash
10486259830969830961048630] 9830929830939830921048630983088-10486301048625)31John Wesley ldquoAddress to the Clergyrdquo in Te Works of John Wesley vol 1048625983088 Letters Essays Dialogs
and Addresses (Grand Rapids Zondervan nd) p 983092983096104862732Ibid
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1048626983092 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
hard it is to prove anything Do I understand metaphysics i not the depths
o the Schoolmen the subtleties o Scotus or Aquinas yet the first rudiments
the general principles o that useul science983091983091
Consider urther what Wesley says about the importance o ldquotechnical
eruditionrdquo in theology Insisting on the importance o knowledge o the
scope o Christian Scripture as well as acility in the relevant ancient
languages he asks
Have I (1048625) such a knowledge o Scripture as becomes him who undertakes
so to explain it to others Have I a ull and clear view o the analogy o
aith which is the clue to guide me through the whole Am I acquainted with
the several parts o Scripture with all parts o the Old estament and the
New Upon the mention o any text do I know the context and the parallel
places Do I know the scope o each book and how every part tends
thereto Have I the skill to draw the natural inerences deducible rom each
text (1048626) Do I understand Greek and Hebrew Otherwise am I not at
the mercy o everyone who does understand or pretends to understand the
original For which way can I conute his pretence Do I understand the lan-
guage o the Old estament Critically At all Can I read into English one o
Davidrsquos Psalms or even the first chapter o Genesis Do I understand the
language o the New estament Am I a critical master o it Have I enough
o it even to read into English the first chapter o St Luke I not how many
years did I spend at school How many at university And what was I doing
all those years9830911048628
Wesley says similar things about the indispensability o knowledge o
the Christian tradition But the basic point should be clear important
elements o what we now call ldquoanalytic theologyrdquo have deep roots in the
broad Christian theological tradition Indeed or an evangelist like John
Wesley this is simply the kind o theology that any Christian minister
should be doing
W983144983137983156 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 T983144983141983151983148983151983143983161 I983155983150rsquo983156 M983145983155983157983150983140983141983154983155983156983137983150983140983145983150983143983155
983137983150983140 O983138983146983141983139983156983145983151983150983155
Many systematic theologians are suspicious o analytic theology Indeed
33Ibid pp 9830929830971048625-983097104862634Ibid pp 983092983097983088-9830971048625
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What Is Analytic heology 1048626983093
some are deeply suspicious Te concerns come rom several angles Here
are some o the most common9830911048629
ldquoAnalytic theology relies on a univocal account of religious languagerdquoSome theologians may worry that the current analytic discussions
proceed with an unrealistic and unhealthy naiveteacute regarding the nature
and unction o religious language For instance Stephen R Holmes
thinks that ldquoanalytic discussions o the rinity seem generally to proceed
with a remarkable confidence about the success o language in reerring
to the divinerdquo he thinks that the assumption o analytic theology ldquowould
always seem to be that language reers univocally to the divine and thecreatedrdquo Indeed he thinks that analytic theology would be ldquoimpossiblerdquo
without a commitment to univocity983091983094 More worrisome the concern may
be that analytic theologyrsquos commitment to univocity implicates it in
something that is (at least potentially) idolatrous9830911048631
A general treatment o religious language is beyond the scope o our
discussion but several observations may be helpul First it should be
noted that the case against univocity should not be merely assumed (asi some particular theological proposal could be damned by nothing
more than the charge o univocity) Nor is the case for univocity nearly
so weak as is ofen supposed o the contrary univocity has serious and
sophisticated deenders today and a case can be made that ldquothe doctrine
o univocity is true and salutaryrdquo9830911048632
Te second major point is perhaps more important or our purposes
It is this analytic theology as such requires no commitment to univocity
whatsoever Indeed many analytic theologians reject univocity in avor
35Tis section draws heavily rom my ldquoTeologians Philosophers and the Doctrine o the rinityrdquo
in McCall and Rea Philosophical and Teological Essays on the rinity pp 1048627983092983088-98309298309636Stephen R Holmes Te Quest for the rinity Te Doctrine of God in Scripture History and Mo-
dernity (Downers Grove IL IVP Academic 104862698308810486251048626) p 1048627104862637See eg Jean-Luc Marion God Without Being trans Tomas A Carlson (Chicago University
o Chicago Press 10486259830979830971048625) and John Milbank Te Word Made Strange (Oxord Blackwell 1048625983097983097983095)
See also the discussion in Daniel P Horan Postmodernity and Univocity A Critical Account of
Radical Orthodoxy and John Duns Scotus (Minneapolis Fortress 10486269830881048625983092)38Tomas Williams ldquoTe Doctrine o Univocity Is rue and Salutaryrdquo Modern Teology 10486261048625 (1048626983088983088983093)
983093983095983093-983096983093 See also William P Alston Divine Nature and Human Language Essays in Philosophical
Teology (Ithaca NY Cornell University Press 1048625983097983096983097) pp 1048625983095-10486251048625983095 and Keith E Yandell ldquoNot
Conusing Incomprehensibility and Ineffability Carl Henry on Literal Propositional Revela-
tionrdquo rinity Journal (10486269830881048625983092) 10486301048625-983095983092
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
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1048626983094 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
o other approaches (the doctrine o analogy being avored by many)
and at least one prominent philosopher o religion deends apophati-
cism9830911048633 Perhaps there is a general sense in which it is true that analytictheologians are naive about religious language Perhaps they aremdash
although I doubt this very much But even i it were true this would not
obviously make analytic theology different rom or inerior to many
other approaches to the theological task Te concernmdasheven i it were
substantiatedmdashwould give us no reason to avoid or dismiss analytic the-
ology It might give us reason to want to do it better it might motivate
analytic theologians to pay closer attention to important issues relatedto theological language But the concern itselmdasheven i substantiatedmdash
would not count against the proper exercise o analytic theology It is at
best a red herring
ldquoAnalytic theology is an exercise in natural theologyrdquo Some critics
might charge analytic theology with reliance on ldquonatural theologyrdquo Tis
observation will seem benign to other theologians some analytic theo-
logians might even take this judgment as a badge o honor But to thosetheologians o the house and lineage o Karl Barth this will be the mark
o damnation some may take natural theology to be ldquothe invention o
the Antichristrdquo as something that can serve only to reinorce idolatry
and corrupt the truth10486281048624 Other theologians might not be so hostile but
they still might worry that natural theology distracts us rom obedience
and fidelity to the reality o divine revelation So i analytic theology is
an exercise in natural theology or even relies on it it should be held at
armrsquos length i not shunned entirely
Much could be said about this cluster o issuesmdashand indeed more will
be said in the next chaptermdashbut at this point a basic conusion needs to
be cleared away Fundamentally it is simply a misunderstanding o ana-
lytic theology to think that it is an exercise in natural theology Granted
some prolific analytic theologians are heavily invested in the project o
natural theology and we can say with confidence that rumors o the
39Eg Jonathan D Jacobs ldquoTe Ineffable Inconceivable and Incomprehensible God Fundamen-
tality and Apophatic Teologyrdquo in Oxford Studies in Philosophy of Religion orthcoming40More precisely Barth says that the analogia entis (which interpreters ofen take to be the basis
o all natural theology) is the ldquoinvention o the Antichristrdquo Doctrine of the Word of God p xiii
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8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
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What Is Analytic heology 1048626983095
demise o natural theology have been greatly exaggerated1048628983089 But there is
nothing about analytic theology as suchmdashas I have described it to this
pointmdashthat relies on natural theology Te conusion o natural theologywith the analytic project is just thatmdasha conusion Whatever we should
think about natural theology philosophically however we judge the suc-
cesses (or lack thereo) o the various theistic arguments natural the-
ology simply cannot be equated with analytic theology And whatever
we should conclude theologically about natural theology we should not
conuse it with the analytic project Once again this is a red herring
ldquoAnalytic theology is naive with respect to the history of doctrinerdquoAnother concern expressed by some contemporary systematic theolo-
gians is this analytic theology all too ofen proceeds with little awareness
o the complex but important historical actors associated with the de-
velopment and ormation o Christian doctrine o understate the point
analytic theologians are sometimes criticized or their ignorance o the
history o the development o dogma and or their lack o careul study
to understand the particular intellectual (not to mention social) settingo the person(s) controversies or eras under consideration Instead so
the story goes it is all too common or analytic theologians to approach
an issue by isolating a particular text and then breaking it down to
unpack the real ldquocorerdquo o the doctrine in question And the assumption
o the analytic theologians (again so the story goes) is ofen enough that
this can be saely or appropriately done with little or no reerence to the
particular context in which the development occurred As Fred Sanders
expresses the concern ldquophilosophers sometimes seem to think o ancient
texts as cumbersome delivery systems containing ideas which it is their
job to extract rom the delivery system and do something withrdquo1048628983090 Richard
A Muller likewise argues that lack o attention to historical context
sometimes results in problematic misunderstandings o the tradition in
41Eg Richard Swinburne Te Coherence of Teism (Oxord Oxord University Press 1048625983097983095983095) and
Swinburne Te Existence of God (Oxord Oxord University Press 1048625983097983095983097 [1048626983088983088983092]) For examples
o recent work see Moreland and Craig Blackwell Companion to Natural Teology and James F
Sennett and Douglas Groothuis eds In Defense of Natural Teology A Post-Humean Assessment
(Downers Grove IL IVP Academic 1048626983088983088983093)42Fred Sanders ldquoTe State o the Doctrine o the rinity in Evangelical Teologyrdquo Southwestern
Journal of Teology 983092983095 (1048626983088983088983093) 10486251048630983097
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
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1048626983096 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
his view or instance both recent deenders and contemporary de-
tractors o the doctrine o divine simplicity commonly ldquomisinterpret the
traditional doctrinerdquo1048628983091 Robert W Jenson is more scathing he judges theanalytic enterprise to be ldquosomewhat oddly related to the Christian aith
it claims to deendrdquo and he calls the work o Richard Swinburne a ldquotruly
bizarre caserdquo10486281048628
At least this is how the story ofen goes A major underlying worry
seems to be that reading texts without proper attention to their social
location and intellectual context can cause us to misread and mis-
interpret those texts Tis strikes me as a legitimate concern and it is onethat analytic theologians would do well to hear and heed No one should
deny that it is possible to misread and misinterpret important historical
texts and it seems to me that such misreadings are ar more likely when
particular bits o the text are isolated and scrutinized apart rom the
broader literary and historical contexts Te temptation to look away
rom the context as an irrelevant distraction is real It should also be
resisted So the criticism contains an important cautionAt the same time however we should keep several additional points
in mind First the problem is not restricted to analytic theologiansmdash
constructive or systematic theologians o any stripe may be susceptible
to this temptation Indeed ironies abound on this ront Afer criticizing
analytic philosophers o religion or overlooking ldquothe essentially his-
torical character o trinitarian theologyrdquomdashand especially or missing the
important differences between the ldquoGreek (or lsquoCappadocianrsquo) Eastrdquo and
the ldquoLatin WestrdquomdashCatherine Mowry LaCugnarsquos own work has been
criticized or exaggerating those differences10486281048629 It is not as i more main-
stream nonanalytic or antianalytic theologians are immune to the temp-
tation instead so ar as I can see this is a general concern that should
serve as an important reminder that all theologians who engage with the
43Richard A Muller Post-Reformation Reformed Dogmatics Te Rise and Development of Reformed
Orthodoxy ca 1048625104862910486261048624ndashca 1048625104863110486261048629 vol 1048627 Te Divine Essence and Attributes (Grand Rapids Baker
Academic 10486269830889830881048627) p 983092104862544Robert W Jenson Systematic Teology vol 1048626 Te Works of God (Oxord Oxord University
Press 1048625983097983097983097) p 983096 n 104862798309345Catherine Mowry LaCugna ldquoPhilosophers and Teologians on the rinityrdquo Modern Teology 1048626
(10486259830979830961048630) 10486259830951048626
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
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What Is Analytic heology 1048626983097
Christian intellectual tradition should do so with appropriate historical
sensitivity Second there is nothingmdashat least so ar as I can seemdashthat
makes this temptation irresistible Te act that some analytic theolo-gians have been insufficiently attentive to some historical matters does
not entail either that all analytic theologians are ignorant o the tradition
or that all analytic theologians must proceed in ignorance I see no
reason to conclude that this problem must be either essential or endemic
to analytic theology Surely more progress can be made in this area but
I see no reasons to think that such progress cannot happen Finally it is
worth noting that such progress in act is being made Tere are manyhappy exceptions to the common stereotype that analytic theologians
are ldquoahistoricalrdquo in act it is sae to say that many excellent analytic
thinkers have genuine specialization in historical scholarship Indeed
many are cutting-edge contributors1048628983094
ldquoAnalytic theology is only apologetics for conservative theologyrdquo Al-
ternatively the suspicion may be that analytic theology is too closely tied
to the Christian tradition Te assumption here is that analytic theologyis nothing more than the bastion o traditionally minded Roman Catholic
(and Orthodox) theologians and philosophers along with their conser-
vative Protestant riends and the worry is that they are interested in
nothing more than finding a sae place to deend what they already know
to be true Consequently the worry goes there is next to nothing o real
interest here or revisionist theologians o various stripes and there is
little promise or genuinely constructive theology
wo observations are important here First in principle there is
nothing about analytic theology that demands either traditional sympa-
thies or conservative conclusions Neither is there anything about ana-
lytic theology (either taken along the lines o Rearsquos P1048625-P983093 or in a somewhat
more expansive way) that precludes the use o the analytic tools by say
eminist womanist or liberationist theologies
46Stellar examples include Richard Cross Duns Scotus on God (Aldershot UK Ashgate 1048626983088983088983093) Cross
Te Metaphysics of the Incarnation Tomas Aquinas to Duns Scotus (Oxord Oxord University
Press 10486269830889830881048626) Eleonore Stump Aquinas (New York Routledge 10486269830889830881048627) Jeffrey E Brower Aquinasrsquos
Ontology of the Material World Change Hylomorphism and Material Objects (Oxord Oxord
University Press 10486269830881048625983092) and J Paasch Divine Production in Late Medieval rinitarian Teology
Henry of Ghent Duns Scotus and William Ockham (Oxord Oxord University Press 104862698308810486251048626)
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullan-invitation-to-analytic-christian-theology-by-thomas-h-mccall-excerpt 2733
983091983088 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
Second in point o act many criticisms o traditional doctrines
have emerged rom within analytic theology Consider this example It
is hard to think o a doctrine that is more deeply traditional or moredeeply woven into the abric o historic Christian theology than the
doctrine o divine simplicity Yet this venerable doctrine has endured
intense criticism rom analytic theologians over the past several de-
cades Alvin Plantingarsquos Does God Have a Nature raised ldquotwo diffi-
cultiesrdquo or the doctrine ldquoone substantial and the other truly
monumentalrdquo10486281048631 He argues that i God is identical with each o his
properties then God has but one property But this ldquoseems flatly in-compatible with the obvious act that God has several propertiesrdquo10486281048632 He
argues urther that i God is identical with each o his properties then
God is also a property ldquoTis view is subject to a difficulty both obvious
and overwhelming [or] i God is a property then he isnrsquot a person
but a mere abstract objectrdquo10486281048633 Many analytic theologians have joined
other criticisms to those o Plantinga and it is obvious that this doc-
trinemdashwoven deeply into the abric o traditional Christian doctrineas it ismdashis under assault rom within analytic theology We could mul-
tiply examples with ease (Te traditional doctrine o divine omni-
science stands out here) Tere are o course many sophisticated de-
enders o classical orthodoxy within analytic theology but the basic
point should be clear to reduce analytic theology to apologetics or
traditional doctrine is simply a mistake
As will become obvious in the ollowing pages I think that there is
much to be gained in the work o ldquoretrieval theologyrdquo and I see it as a
natural conversation partner and compatriot o analytic theology I want
to encourage more work at the intersection o analytic theology and
theologies o retrieval But there is nothing about analytic theology as
such that demands adherence to classical Christian theology
ldquoAnalytic theology relies on lsquosubstance metaphysicsrsquo rdquo Sometimes
theologians are suspicious o analytic theology due to its alleged reliance
on substance metaphysics Tis complaint can take various orms Some-
47Alvin Plantinga Does God Have a Nature (Milwaukee Marquette University Press 1048625983097983096983088) p 98309298309548Ibid49Ibid
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What Is Analytic heology 9830911048625
times it is claimed that the whole analytic enterprise is ldquopre-Kantianrdquo (as
in Kenneth Surinrsquos critique o David Brownrsquos work as being ldquorobustly
old-ashionedrdquo and ldquopre-Kantianrdquo)10486291048624 In other words critics complainthat analytic theology proceeds in blithemdashand perhaps willulmdashigno-
rance o the ldquoactrdquo that Kant undermined the entire project by destroying
the very possibility o doing it wo important claims seem to be in play
with this critique first that Kant did something to make analytic the-
ology impossible and second that analytic theologians are unaware o
what Kant did But both o these claims are problematic Te second is
simply mistaken and the first is vigorously contested As Nicholas Wolt-erstorff points out it is much more likely that the current generation o
analytic theologians is not so much ldquopre-Kantianrdquo as it is ldquopost-Kantianrdquo
As he puts it ldquoit really is possible to be post-Kantian Itrsquos possible to re-
cover rom Kant Te choices are not exhausted between being naively
pre-Kantian on the one hand and being a Kantian o one or another
stripe on the otherrdquo1048629983089 Tere are Wolterstorff argues philosophers who
are ully aware o Kantian ldquointerpretation-universalism and ully awareo [Kantian] metaphysical anti-realism but afer serious consideration
they have rejected these options as untenablerdquo1048629983090 So many analytic theo-
logians are well aware o Kantrsquos work (and the common claims made
about that work) but they donrsquot think that he did anything to shut down
the kind o work that they are doing As Plantinga puts it ldquothey have read
him and remain unconvincedrdquo1048629983091
But aside rom Kant analytic theology is sometimes criticized and
rejected or its reliance on ldquosubstance metaphysicsrdquo Unortunately ex-
actly what critical theologians have in their crosshairs when they talk
about substance metaphysics is ofen unclear and not closely defined
But very ofen the complaint is closely tied to a rejection o doctrines
50Kenneth Surin ldquoTe rinity and Philosophical Reflection A Study o David Brownrsquos Te Divine
rinity rdquo Modern Teology 1048626 (10486259830979830961048630) 10486261048627983097-98309298308851Nicholas Wolterstorff ldquoBetween the Pincers o Increased Diversity and Supposed Irrationalityrdquo
in God Philosophy and Academic Culture A Discussion Between Scholars in the AAR and APA
ed William J Wainwright (Atlanta Scholars Press 10486259830979830971048630) p 1048626983088 See also Wolterstorff ldquoIs It
Possible and Desirable or Teologians to Recover rom Kantrdquo Modern Teology 1048625983092 (1048625983097983097983096)
1048625-104862598309652Wolterstorff ldquoBetween the Pincersrdquo p 104862698308853Alvin Plantinga Warranted Christian Belief (Oxord Oxord University Press 1048626983088983088983088) p 1048627983088
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
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9830911048626 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
associated with ldquoclassical theismrdquo immutability impassibility time-
lessness and other doctrines are taken to be untenable and since they
are tied to substance metaphysics so much the worse or substancemetaphysics William P Alston defly analyzes this complaint and he
argues that substance metaphysics are really beside the point What he
says about substance metaphysics in discussions o the doctrine o the
rinity applies more broadly ldquoonce we get straight as to what is and is
not necessarily included in the metaphysics o substance we will see that
most twentieth-century objections to the use o substance metaphysics
are based on eatures o such ormulations that are not required bysubstance metaphysics as suchrdquo10486291048628 Perhaps there is something inherently
wrong with the use o substance metaphysics in theology and maybe this
counts against analytic theology But beore such a judgment can be
made we need more than the all-too-common generalizations and as-
sertions For beore we can conclude that analytic theology is atally
flawed due to a dependence on substance metaphysics we need to know
exactly what is meant by substance metaphysics we need to be shown just what is wrong (either philosophically or theologically) with sub-
stance metaphysics and we need to see that analytic theology really is (or
must be) committed to this kind o metaphysics Without the kind o
careul analysis and rigorous argumentation it is hard to see anything
here that might count as a orceul objection to analytic theology
ldquoAnalytic theology isnrsquot spiritually edifyingrdquo William Wood notes that
ldquomany conventional theologians remain deeply suspicious o analytic the-
ologyrdquo because o the worry that analytic theology is not spiritually edi-
ying As these theologians see matters ldquogenuine theology is in the first
instance practical aimed not at explanatory theories about God but at
ostering greater love or God and neighbor Genuine theology in short
is praxis one deeply woven together with a Christian lie o prayer virtue
and participation in the sacramentsrdquo10486291048629 Te basic concern is this when
more mainstream theologians look at analytic theology they donrsquot rec-
54William P Alston ldquoSubstance and the rinityrdquo in Te rinity An Interdisciplinary Symposium on
the rinity ed Stephen Davis Daniel Kendall SJ and Gerald OrsquoCollins SJ (Oxord Oxord
University Press 1048625983097983097983097) p 1048626983088104862555William Wood ldquoAnalytic Teology as a Way o Lierdquo Journal of Analytic Teology (10486269830881048625983092) 983092983092
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
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What Is Analytic heology 983091983091
ognize the kind o theology-as-praxis that they value Instead they see
purported explanatory theoriesmdashmere purported explanatory theories
Sometimes these explanations appear to be a very long way indeed romthe lie o aith Indeed they see ormulas such as this (selected pretty
much at random rom among many others)
P existx (Dx amp forally(Dy =gt Byx) amp x made us
Q existx(Dx amp forally(Dy =gt Byx ))1048629983094
When they encounter this kind o work some theologians donrsquot rec-
ognize it as theology at all I they are willing to recognize it as theology
they tend to worry that they donrsquot see the kind o theology that promotes
love o God and neighbor they are concerned that they donrsquot see the-
ology that is connected to the lie o aith As Wood puts it they worry
that ldquoanalytic theology is spiritually sterile and thereore not really a
orm o genuine theology at allrdquo10486291048631
I think this is an important point o criticism and it raises some very
intriguing concerns But as Wood also notes it would be a ldquomistake and
urthermore a presumptuous mistake to assume that analytic philo-
sophical theology cannot in principle be spiritually nourishingrdquo10486291048632 Tree
points stand out First it is important to realize that the temptation to
construct explanatory theories about God that are divorced rom worship
and transormation is both real and present It is also nearious10486291048633 Te
temptation besets theologians o all stripesmdashanalytic or otherwise I do
not think analytic theologians are the only theologians who ace this
temptation o the contrary idolatry is no respecter o ideologies Butsurely it is not invincible surelymdashby Godrsquos gracemdashit is not irresistible
As Wood reminds us ldquoGodrsquos love rains down on logicians too afer allrdquo9830941048624
Second there is good reason to think that analytic theology maymdash
contrary to common expectationsmdashturn out to be spiritually ediying
56Peter van Inwagen ldquoAnd Yet Tey Are Not Tree Gods but One Godrdquo in McCall and Rea
Philosophical and Teological Essays on the rinity pp 10486269830921048625 1048626983092104863057Wood ldquoAnalytic Teology as a Way o Lierdquo p 983092983092 See also Marilyn McCord Adams ldquoWhatrsquos
Wrong with the Ontotheological Errorrdquo Journal of Analytic Teology (10486269830881048625983092) 1048625-1048625104862658Wood ldquoAnalytic Teology as a Way o Lierdquo p 983092104863059See the warnings o Merold Westphal Suspicion and Faith Te Religious Uses of Modern Atheism
(New York Fordham University Press 1048625983097983097983096)60Wood ldquoAnalytic Teology as a Way o Lierdquo p 983092983095
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
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983091983092 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
Wood argues that analytic theology may be spiritually beneficial in
several ways He suggests that the ldquoconcentrated attention required to
read understand and develop very technical analytic argumentsrdquo maybe conducive to the kinds o intellectual virtues and habits o mind that
are spiritually beneficial983094983089 In addition he notes the ldquoargumentative
transparencyrdquo (what he terms the ldquoparadigmatic analytic virtuerdquo) may be
helpul in spiritual ormation983094983090 Wood readily admits that this tendency
toward argumentative rigor can also eed a orm o pride or even ldquointel-
lectual violencerdquo but he also points out that to make a ldquogood analytic
argument is to make that argument maximally easy or intellectual op-ponents to criticize or reuterdquo and this very transparency makes it much
harder to shield onesel rom criticisms but instead is a way to ldquomake
onesel intellectually vulnerablerdquo In this way it serves as a ldquocheck against
intellectual priderdquo983094983091 Moreover the pace demanded by such rigor and the
modesty o the claims that are rendered deensible have the potential to
cultivate epistemic humility Furthermore another important eature o
the analytic approach is the need to ldquoidentiy imaginatively with onersquosintellectual opponentsrdquo this also as Wood points out orces us to inhabit
a worldview that is not only oreign to our own but also sometimes
hostile In these ways Wood argues ldquoanalytic theology can become a
spiritual practice a way o seeking God and o training the mind and
the will to be open to gracerdquo9830941048628
Finally we should not neglect to notice those shining examples o
theologians or whom analytic theology indeed is closely related to
worship and spiritual nurture Indeed it would be hard not to notice
them or the tradition is rie with such theologians A great many pa-
tristic and most scholastic (both medieval and early modern) theolo-
gians count as ldquoanalytic theologiansrdquo For surely they fit our profile o
theologians who prize ldquoconceptual precision rigor o argumentation
technical erudition and an in-depth deense o an original worldviewrdquo
(and who would in many instances value P1048625-P983093) As an example con-
61Ibid p 98309398309362Ibid p 983093104863063Ibid64Ibid p 983093983096
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What Is Analytic heology 983091983093
sider Anselmrsquos Proslogion It is obvious that Anselm values precision and
rigor and he clearly intends to convey truth claims that he finds con-
vincing But as both Wood and Marilyn McCord Adams point out thiswork is ldquomeant to do more than communicate propositional truthsrdquo or
ldquoit is meant to help reorient the wills o its readers and help bring about
effective and volitional change in themrdquo9830941048629 Despite important differences
o style and substance we could say much the same about many other
figures (both well known and less so) as well it is very difficult to read
ar into Bonaventure Richard o St Victor Aquinas Scotus Vermigli
Perkins Arminius urretin Edwards Wesley and many others withoutunderstanding that they are obviously concerned with both intellectual
rigor and spiritual ormation
65Ibid p 983093983088 See also Marilyn McCord Adams ldquoPraying the Proslogionrdquo in Te Rationality of
Belief and the Plurality of Faith ed Tomas Senor (Ithaca NY Cornell University Press 1048625983097983097983093)
pp 10486251048627-1048627983097 and Adams ldquoElegant Necessity Prayerul Disputation Method in Cur Deus Homordquo
in Studia Anselmiana Cur Deus Homo (Rome 1048625983097983097983097) pp 10486271048630983095-9830971048630
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8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
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8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullan-invitation-to-analytic-christian-theology-by-thomas-h-mccall-excerpt 533
Contents
Introduction 1048633
983089 What Is Analytic heology 983089983089
983090 Analytic heology and Christian Scripture 10486271048631
1048627 Analytic heology and the History o Doctrine 10486321048627
1048628 Analytic heology or the Church and the World 9830899830901048627
1048629 Analytic heology to the Glory o God 9830891048630983089
Author Index 9830891048632983089
Subject Index 98308910486321048627
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Introduction
983144983141 983159983145983140983141 983154983137983150983143983141 983151983142 983141983158983141983150983156983155 and publications that are loosely
gathered under the label ldquoanalytic theologyrdquo is both quite broad
and very active Proponents and practitioners range rom traditionally
minded Orthodox and Roman Catholic philosophers and theologians
through Anglican Lutheran Methodist and other tradition-sensitive
scholars to conservative evangelicals and to revisionist or ldquoprogressiverdquo
theologians In some quarters enthusiasm runs high In other sectors
o the theological (and philosophical) academy suspicion and even
hostility run deep Misunderstanding ofen accompanies the label and
questions abound But just what is this thing called ldquoanalytic theologyrdquo
What are its ldquoaccidentalrdquo eatures and what are its ldquoessentialrdquo attributes
And what are we to make o it as theology Or is it merely a technically
precise and agenda-driven subdiscipline o analytic metaphysics
Where is it going Is there some discernible direction that it willmdashor
shouldmdashtake
In this book I introduce nonspecialists to analytic theology I try to
make clear both what it isnrsquot and what it is Accordingly I discuss what
makes analytic theology analytic and I try to lay out what makes analytic
theology really theology Specifically I outline analytic theologyrsquos con-
nections to Scripture Christian tradition and culture (broadly con-ceived) and I do so by using case studies to illuminate the relationships
and the need or urther integration Here I must also coness to an
agenda I am hoping to influence the uture o analytic theology by
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8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
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1048625983088 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
calling the discipline to a deeper engagement with the traditional re-
sources o the theological task
I come to the work o analytic theology as someone who is by trainingand by vocation a theologian Tus I am especially grateul or the pa-
tience and graciousness o those riends and colleagues who have
genuine expertise in epistemology metaphysics and philosophy o re-
ligion (as well as the history o philosophy) I am deeply indebted to you
or whatever abilities I have as an analytic theologian and I am truly
grateul or your collegiality and encouragement I am also thankul or
those ellow theologians who have taken up the mantle o analytic the-ology and I am grateul as well to those who led the way by actually
doing it beore it was ever called by that name Oliver Crisp Mike Rea
and Billy Abraham read the manuscript and offered very helpul critique
and encouragement and the book is much improved as a result (All
remaining aults are o course entirely mine)
In addition I am grateul or the community o saints and scholars
who surround me at rinity Evangelical Divinity School (and especiallythe members o the Deerfield Dialogue Group who read part o the
manuscript) and I am indebted as well to the administration and the
board o regents or a sabbatical in the all o 10486269830881048625983092
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983089
What Is Analytic Theology
Fear of scholasticism is the mark of the false prophet
K983137983154983148 B983137983154983156983144
A B983154983145983141983142 H983145983155983156983151983154983161 983151983142 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 T983144983141983151983148983151983143983161Where we were Te revival of philosophy of religion For a good deal
o the twentieth century academic philosophymdashespecially Anglo-
American ldquoanalyticrdquo philosophymdashwas ofen taken to be hostile to tradi-
tional theistic belie in general and perhaps especially so to Christian
belie983089 Logical positivism insisted that theological claims were not only
alse but indeed meaningless and many philosophers ound it difficult
even to take theology seriously Te conclusions o A J Ayer are bothrepresentative and influential He claims that the very ldquopossibility o re-
ligious knowledgerdquo has been ldquoruled out by our treatment o metaphysicsrdquo983090
I the ldquocriterion o verifiabilityrdquo eliminates metaphysics and i theology
is only a subcategory o metaphysics then theology is obviously elimi-
natedmdashthe very possibility has been ruled out and all God-talk is literally
Epigraph Karl Barth Church Dogmatics vol I1048625 Te Doctrine of the Word of God ed F
orrance trans Geoffrey Bromiley (Edinburgh amp Clark 1048625983097983095983093) p 10486269830959830971I realize that (at least on some understandings o the term) the story o analytic theology ar
predates the modern era and indeed has ar more in common with scholasticism than it does
with either twentieth-century philosophy or modern theology More on this anon2Alred Jules Ayer Language ruth and Logic (New York Dover 10486259830979830931048626) p 10486251048625983092
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10486251048626 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
nonsensical983091 Hud Hudson says ldquoInormed that questions about the ex-
istence nature and significance o the deity were hereafer to be engaged
exclusively under the guidance o linguistic analyses o religious lan-guage and menaced with (inexplicably popular) verificationist theories
o meaning theologians were told by analytic philosophers that they had
not even achieved the minimal distinction o saying anything alse or
they had not managed to say anything at allrdquo1048628
Te response o many theologians in the late modern era to the develop-
ments in mainstream philosophy in Anglo-American circles was under-
standable they largely ignored the work o these philosophers andlooked elsewhere or intellectual resources and conversation partners
Some sought reuge in ldquoContinentalrdquo philosophy while others decried
any engagement between philosophy and theology
But the second hal o the twentieth century witnessed some re-
markable changes As Hudson notes ldquoTis most unortunate moment in
the history o analytic philosophy was merciully temporary as was its
slavish devotion to linguistic analyses verificationism and all the un-ounded suspicion o metaphysics ethics and religion that ollowed in its
wakerdquo1048629 Logical positivism couldnrsquot bear its own weight and Ayerrsquos con-
fident pronouncements are now valued more as a quaint museum artiact
o philosophical history (ldquoLook kids isnrsquot it amazing that anyone ever
said thatmdashand especially that he seemed so cocksure about itrdquo) than as
a helpul repository o philosophical insight With the collapse o posi-
tivism came a rebirth o serious metaphysicsmdashand with that collapse and
the rebirth o metaphysics came a revival o philosophy o religion983094
Where philosophical consideration o theological issues had been deemed
an utter waste o time now it was seen as an interesting area o inquiry
Serious and sustained engagement with perennial issues o religious and
theological interest was happening again and many o the philosophers
3Ibid p 10486279830934Hud Hudson Te Fall and Hypertime (Oxord Oxord University Press 10486269830881048625983092) p 9830925Ibid p 9830936For a telling o this tale see Nicholas Wolterstorff ldquoHow Philosophical Teology Became Pos-
sible Within the Analytic radition o Philosophyrdquo in Analytic Teology New Essays in the Phi-
losophy of Teology ed Oliver D Crisp and Michael C Rea (Oxord Oxord University Press
1048626983088983088983097) pp 1048625983093983093-1048630983096
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
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What Is Analytic heology 1048625983091
engaged in this work weremdashand aremdashcommitted Christians
Not all philosophers rejoice at these developments but it is increas-
ingly hard or them not to notice them Quentin Smith describesmdashanddecriesmdashthis development
Te secularization o mainstream academia began to quickly unravel upon
the publication o Plantingarsquos influential book on realist theism God and
Other Minds in 1048625983097983094983095 It became apparent to the philosophical proession
that this book displayed that realist theists were not outmatched by natu-
ralists in terms o the most valued standards o academic philosophy con-
ceptual precision rigor o argumentation technical erudition and an in-depth deense o an original worldview Tis book ollowed seven years
later by Plantingarsquos even more impressive book Te Nature of Necessity
made it maniest that a realist theist was writing at the highest qualitative
level o analytic philosophy on the same playing field as Carnap Russell
Gruumlnbaum and other naturalists1048631
Smith in what basically amounts to something o an alarmist ldquocall to
armsrdquo to his ellow atheists concludes that ldquoGod is not lsquodeadrsquo in aca-demia he returned to lie in the late 1048625983097983094983088rsquos and is now alive and well in
his last academic stronghold philosophy departmentsrdquo1048632
While triumphalism on the part o Christian philosophers would be
both very premature and unseemly (they remain by all measures in the
substantial minority within academic philosophy) nonetheless Smith is
right that the situation is very different than it was only a ew decades
ago Te Society o Christian Philosophers ounded in 1048625983097983095983096 as a small
group o diverse scholars who were more unified by common interests
than by shared commitment to a particular creed now has in the neigh-
borhood o a thousand members Several journalsmdashnotably Faith and
Philosophy Philosophia Christi Religious Studies Sophia Philo and the
International Journal of Philosophy of Religionmdashare devoted to issues
broadly related to the study o the philosophy o religion and Christian
philosophers are very active in these and other venues At the same time
Christian philosophers are very active in other more ldquomainstreamrdquo areas
o contemporary philosophy important recent work in metaphysics and
7Quentin Smith ldquoTe Metaphilosophy o Naturalismrdquo Philo 983092 no 1048626 (10486269830889830881048625) 10486268Ibid p 1048627
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
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1048625983092 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
epistemology in particular has been influenced by philosophers with
religious interests and well-known Christian commitments
Not surprisingly the growth o Christian involvement in philosophyhas been accompanied by increased interest in issues o perennial
concern in philosophy o religion Work on such issues had never en-
tirely disappeared o course or prominent philosophers such as Basil
Mitchell Peter Geach Austin Farrer and others were making significant
contributions well beore the current renaissance o Christian philosophy
really took off1048633 However engagement has been growing at an astounding
rate Issues surrounding religious pluralism and exclusivism problemso evil (including not only the ldquologicalrdquo problem o evil but also ldquoevi-
dentialrdquo problems) religious epistemology religious experience mir-
acles theistic arguments (particularly various versions o ontological
cosmological teleological and moral arguments) and science and re-
ligion have been explored with impressive vigor and analyzed with or-
midable rigor9830891048624 Positions have been set out and explained attacked and
deended modified and surrendered Te work in philosophy o religionhas not been cordoned off rom other more ldquomainstreamrdquo philosophical
work o the contrary in many ways it has remained vitally engaged with
9Eg Basil Mitchell Te Justification of Religious Belief (Oxord Oxord University Press 10486259830979830961048625)
Mitchell Faith and Criticism (Oxord Oxord University Press 1048625983097983097983093) Mitchell Morality Reli-
gious and Secular Te Dilemma of the raditional Conscience (Oxord Oxord University Press
10486259830979830961048630) Peter Geach God and the Soul (South Bend IN St Augustinersquos Press 10486259830971048630983097) Geach
Providence and Evil (Cambridge Cambridge University Press 1048625983097983095983095) Geach Te Virtues (Cam-
bridge Cambridge University Press 1048625983097983095983095) Geach Logic Matters (Berkeley University o Cali-ornia Press 10486259830979830951048626) Austin Farrer Te Freedom of the Will (London Black 1048625983097983093983096) Farrer Love
Almighty and Ills Unlimited An Essay on Providence and Evil (London Collins 104862598309710486301048625) Farrer
Saving Belief A Study of Essentials (London Hodder amp Stoughton 10486259830971048630983092) Farrer Faith and Spec-
ulation An Essay in Philosophical Teology (London Black 10486259830971048630983095)10Te contentsmdashand perhaps the very existencemdasho the numerous and massive ldquohandbooksrdquo and
ldquocompanionsrdquo to philosophy o religion bear weighty testimony to this act See eg William J
Wainwright ed Te Oxford Handbook of Philosophy of Religion (New York Oxord University
Press 1048626983088983088983093) Philip L Quinn and Charles aliaerro eds A Companion to Philosophy of Religion
(Oxord Blackwell 1048625983097983097983095) William E Mann ed Te Blackwell Guide to the Philosophy of Religion
(Oxord Blackwell 1048626983088983088983093) Michael L Peterson and Raymond J VanArragon eds Contemporary
Debates in Philosophy of Religion (Oxord Blackwell 1048626983088983088983092) J P Moreland and William Lane
Craig eds Te Blackwell Companion to Natural Teology (Oxord Blackwell 1048626983088983088983097) Justin Mc-
Brayer and Daniel Howard-Snyder eds Te Blackwell Companion to the Problem of Evil (Oxord
Blackwell 104862698308810486251048627) Chad Meister and Paul Copan eds Te Routledge Companion to Philosophy of
Religion 1048626nd ed (New York Routledge 104862698308810486251048627) See also the impressive series Oxord Studies in
Philosophy o Religion edited by Jon Kvanvig
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What Is Analytic heology 1048625983093
cutting-edge work in epistemology ethics and metaphysics to use the
latter as an example rom Alvin Plantingarsquos early work Te Nature of
Necessity to Brian Lefowrsquos recent contributions in God and Necessity important work in the metaphysics o modality has been deeplymdashand
some might say ldquoessentiallyrdquomdashconnected to philosophy o religion983089983089
Judging rom the interest and output analytic philosophy o religion is
not only alive and well but indeed healthy and robust
How we got here From philosophy of religion to philosophical the-
ology But or all the vigor and intellectual energy that is captured and
reflected in work on general or generic issues in philosophy o religion theinterests o Christian philosophers have not been limited to those issues
Instead Christian philosophers have been deeply interested in distinctly
Christian theological topics and they have devoted much energy to the
analysis and deense o Christian doctrine Te past ew decades have wit-
nessed important work on the doctrine o revelation (and divine speech)
the inspiration authority and interpretation o the Christian Scriptures
divine attributes (particularly simplicity necessity aseity omnipotenceomniscience eternity and reedom) divine action in creation providence
miraculous intervention theological anthropology original sin incar-
nation atonement resurrection and eschatology983089983090
Where we are Philosophical theology and analytic theology More
recently the term analytic theology has come into use Tere are o
course important orebears to this work David Kelsey Nicholas Wolt-
erstorff and others at Yale disparate figures such as William P Alston
Norman Kretzmann George Mavrodes Keith Yandell and others else-
where in the United States Paul Helm and Richard Swinburne in the
United Kingdom and Vincent Brummer and others o the Utrecht
11See Alvin Plantinga Te Nature of Necessity (Oxord Oxord University Press 1048625983097983095983092) and Brian
Lefow God and Necessity (Oxord Oxord University Press 104862698308810486251048626) See also the recent proposals
o Hugh J McCann Creation and the Sovereignty of God (Bloomington Indiana University Press
104862698308810486251048626)12Once again the prolieration o ldquoreadersrdquo ldquohandbooksrdquo and ldquocompanionsrdquo stands as evidence
o the breadth and depth o the work undertaken eg Oliver D Crisp ed A Reader in Contem-
porary Philosophical Teology (New York amp Clark 1048626983088983088983097) Michael C Rea ed Oxford Read-
ings in Philosophical Teology 1048626 vols (Oxord Oxord University Press 1048626983088983088983097) Tomas P Flint
and Michael C Rea eds Te Oxford Handbook of Philosophical Teology (Oxord Oxord Uni-
versity Press 1048626983088983088983097) Charles aliaerro and Chad Meister eds Te Cambridge Companion to
Christian Philosophical Teology (Cambridge Cambridge University Press 10486269830881048625983088)
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
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1048625983094 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
school o philosophical theology in the Netherlands Following trail-
blazers such as these and building on the recent renaissance o meta-
physics and philosophy o religion the analytic theology movement isnow growing Te publication o the volume Analytic Teology Essays
in the Philosophy of Teology edited by Oliver D Crisp and Michael C
Rea marked an important moment Te Analytic Teology Project
(sponsored and promoted by Notre Damersquos Center or Philosophy o
Religion as well the University o Innsbruck in Austria and the Shalem
Center in Jerusalem and unded by generous grants rom the John em-
pleton Foundation) with its annual Logos conerence and other activitiesthe launch o the Journal of Analytic Teology and the inauguration o
the book series Oxord Studies in Analytic Teology all lend support to
this growing movement
Te meaning o the term analytic theology can vary in common par-
lance and it is sae to say that there is no single decisively settled meaning
o the term when it is used as a label Still perhaps we can saely say that
what is common across the range o uses is this analytic theology sig-nifies a commitment to employ the conceptual tools o analytic phi-
losophy where those tools might be helpul in the work o constructive
Christian theology Scholars will naturally enough disagree among
themselves about just which o those tools are most helpul which
projects are best served by their use and other matters but on the whole
such a minimalist characterization seems sae enough William J
Abraham offers this helpul summary analytic theology ldquocan be useully
defined as ollows it is systematic theology attuned to the skills re-
sources and virtues o analytic philosophyrdquo983089983091 As such analytic theology
is a growing and energetic field at the intersections o philosophy o re-
ligion and systematic theology
W983144983137983156 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 T983144983141983151983148983151983143983161 I983155 (983151983154 S983144983151983157983148983140 B983141)
Such minimalist characterization while airly sae does not take us very
ar What more precisely is one doing when one does analytic theology
13William J Abraham ldquoSystematic Teology as Analytic Teologyrdquo in Analytic Teology New
Essays in the Philosophy of Teology ed Oliver D Crisp and Michael C Rea (Oxord Oxord
University Press 1048626983088983088983097) p 983093983092
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What Is Analytic heology 1048625983095
Just what is analytic theology Perhaps it will help first to consider what
is so analytic about analytic theology Following this we shall think
about how it is an exercise in theology Analytic theology as analytic theology As we have seen Quentin Smith
praises Plantingarsquos work or its excellence in ldquothe most valued standards o
analytic philosophy conceptual precision rigor o argumentation tech-
nical erudition and an in-depth deense o an original worldviewrdquo9830891048628 Oliver
D Crisp echoes this estimation o what counts as good work in analytic
philosophy he observes that analytic philosophy is characterized by ldquoa
logical rigour clarity and parsimony o expression coupled with attentionto a certain cluster o philosophical problemsrdquo9830891048629 Analytic theology is rel-
evantly similar he says or it ldquowill prize intellectual virtues like clarity
parsimony o expression and argumentative rigourrdquo983089983094 Michael C Rearsquos
description o analytic philosophy echoes these accounts in some ways
While recognizing that clear and sharp lines between ldquoanalyticrdquo and ldquonon-
analyticrdquo (or ldquoContinentalrdquo) philosophical approaches are neither easy to
come by nor perhaps really worth all the work he characterizes analyticapproaches to philosophy in terms o style and ambition9830891048631 Te ambitions
are generally ldquoto identiy the scope and limits o our powers to obtain
knowledge o the worldrdquo and ldquoto provide such true explanatory theories
as we can in areas o inquiry (metaphysics morals and the like) that all
outside the scope o the natural sciencesrdquo9830891048632 Rea characterizes the style as
including the ollowing prescriptions
P1048625 Write as i philosophical positions and conclusions can be adequately or-mulated in sentences that can be ormalized and logically manipulated
P1048626 Prioritize precision clarity and logical coherence
P983091 Avoid substantive (non-decorative) use o metaphor and other tropes
whose semantic content outstrips their propositional content
14Smith ldquoMetaphilosophyrdquo p 104862615Oliver D Crisp ldquoOn Analytic Teologyrdquo in Crisp and Rea Analytic Teology p 104862798309316Ibid pp 1048627983095-104862798309617Michael C Rea introduction to Crisp and Rea Analytic Teology pp 1048627-983092 See also Nick raka-
kis ldquoMeta-Philosophy o Religion Te Analytic-Continental Divide in Philosophy o Religionrdquo
Ars Disputandi 983095 (1048626983088983088983095) 1048625983095983097-1048626104862698308818Rea introduction p 983092
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1048625983096 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
P983092 Work as much as possible with well-understood primitive concepts and
concepts that can be analyzed in terms o those
P983093 reat conceptual analysis (insoar as possible) as a source o evidence9830891048633
Tis much at least is characteristic o analytic philosophy So what
about analytic theology As Rea sees things ldquoanalytic theology is just the
activity o approaching theological topics with the ambitions o an ana-
lytic philosopher and in a style that conorms to the prescriptions that
are distinctive o analytic philosophical discourse It will also involve
more or less pursuing those topics in a way that engages the literature
that is constitutive o the analytic tradition employing some o the tech-
nical jargon rom that tradition and so on But in the end it is the style
and ambitions that are most centralrdquo9830901048624
All this is helpul but perhaps a bit more explanation would be ben-
eficial Consider P1048625 Tis need not mean that all meaningul statements
in theology (or philosophy) need to be expressed ormally it should
not be taken to mean that every theological claim should be stated in
an apparatus with numbered propositions and a ormal structure
What it does mean however is that the deault setting or theologians
should be to communicate propositions that could be expressed this
way For as Rea says ldquoabsent special circumstancesrdquo things have ldquogone
very much amissrdquo i a view ldquois expressed in such a way that it has no
clear logical outcomesrdquo983090983089
Consider also P1048626 Tis need notmdashand should notmdashbe taken to mean
that logical precision and coherence are the only important criteria ora theologian and neither should it be taken to imply even that logical
precision and coherence are the most important criteria Te theologian
who is convinced that her first commitment is fidelity to the priority and
ultimacy o divine revelation should have no difficulty in assenting to P1048626
Neither urther should P1048626 be taken to imply that the same levels o
logical precision are possible with all theological topics nor yet that all
theological projects require the same levels o precision and argumentative
19Ibid pp 983093-104863020Ibid p 98309521Ibid p 983093 n 983093
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What Is Analytic heology 1048625983097
rigor Consider by way o example childrenrsquos catechetical literature
Surely this literature is theological but it neither can nor should attempt
to display the same level o logical precision or argumentative rigor assay advanced work in scholastic theology P1048626 does not clam that such
theological literature should do so or that all work in theology must
always do so
Neither should P1048626 be misunderstood with respect to claims about the
importance o ldquoclarityrdquo Rea notes that this claim can seem ironic ldquoin light
o the act that quite a lot o analytic philosophy [and we could add
some analytic theology] is very difficult even or specialists and totallyinaccessible to non-specialistsrdquo983090983090 But ldquoclearrdquo does not mean ldquoeasyrdquo In-
stead it expresses a commitment to the work o ldquospelling out hidden
assumptions scrupulously trying to lay bare whatever evidence one has
(or lacks) or the claims that one is making and on taking care to confine
onersquos vocabulary to ordinary language well-understood primitive con-
cepts and technical jargon definable in terms o theserdquo983090983091 Finally we
should note that P1048626 does not imply that everything (or everything worthtalking about) in theology will become crystal clear Te goal o analytic
theology is not (or at least need not be) the removal o all mystery in
theology o the contrary analytic philosophers o religion have long
been keenly aware o the place o mystery in theology and it may be that
at certain points an important role o the theologian is to clariy just
where the mystery really lies P1048626 does not suggest that analytic theology
will make everything ldquoclearrdquo in the sense that it makes everything ldquoeasy
and readily accessible to the nonspecialistrdquo Instead what it prioritizes is
clarity to the appropriate audiences and to the greatest possible degree
And it insists that ldquomysteryrdquo must not be conused with logical inco-
herence and it likewise insists that we do not gloriy what is clearly in-
coherent with the shroud o ldquomysteryrdquo As Alan G Padgett says theology
should ldquoseek the truth about Godrdquo and ldquothereore must shun incoherence
and irrationalityrdquo9830901048628 Where ldquosometimes lsquomysteryrsquo is evoked as an excuse
22Ibid p 983093 n 104863023Ibid24Alan G Padgett ldquoTe rinity in Teology and Philosophy Why Jerusalem Should Work with
Athensrdquo in Philosophical and Teological Essays on the rinity ed Tomas McCall and Michael
C Rea (Oxord Oxord University Press 1048626983088983088983097) p 104862710486271048626
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
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1048626983088 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
or sloppy thinking this must be anathema to any academic theology
worthy o the namerdquo For ldquoafer all the mystery o God does not end
when theology speaks clearly Te simple phrase lsquoJesus loves me this Iknow or the Bible tells me sorsquo covers vast deep mysteries that even the
angels gaze into with awe and wonderrdquo9830901048629
P983091 rules out ldquosubstantive (non-decorative) use o metaphor and other
tropes whose semantic content outstrips their propositional contentrdquo
Tis does not or at least need not mean that there is no valid or valuable
place or metaphor in theology Analytic theologians will disagree among
themselves as to howmdashand how muchmdashmetaphor is useul and legiti-mate983090983094 But the basic point is airly plain on P983091 theologians are not at
liberty to trade loosely in metaphor without ever being able to speciy
just what is meant by those metaphors Tey are not then ree to make
claims the meaning o which cannot be specified or spelled out Teolo-
gians are not licensed to trade in what Randal Rauser calls ldquounclarifiable
unclarityrdquo9830901048631 P983092 calls the analytic theologian to work with ldquowell-understood
primitive conceptsrdquo that are reasonably taken to be basic intuitive or(minimally) uncontroversial (and with concepts that can be understood
in terms o such primitive concepts) Some theologians will be quick to
raise concerns here they will worry that the very notion o ldquowell-
understood primitive conceptsrdquo may both conceal blind spots o social
location and privilege and be a Procrustean bed that restricts theological
concepts to ldquowhat we already know to be truerdquo and thus curtails the
possibility o engagement with divine revelation But once again it is
important not to misunderstand P983092 Te ldquoas much as possiblerdquo is key
here i the preunderstood concepts donrsquot do enough work then some o
them can be adjusted Others wonrsquot be so easy to adjust or discard but
this category o primitive concepts is both quite small and very basic (eg
the law o noncontradiction) Simply put there is no good reason to
25Ibid26I thank Billy Abraham or pressing this point Te ldquostandardrdquo work on metaphor in theology
remains Janet Martin Soskice Metaphor and Religious Language (Oxord Oxord University
Press 1048625983097983096983095)27Randal Rauser ldquoTeology as a Bull Sessionrdquo in Crisp and Rea Analytic Teology pp 983095983092-983095983093 See
also Harry Frankurt On Bullshit (Princeton NJ Princeton University Press 1048626983088983088983093) and Frank-
urt Bullshit and Philosophy ed Gary L Hardcastle and George A Resich (Chicago Open
Court 1048626983088983088983093)
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
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What Is Analytic heology 10486261048625
think that the notion o ldquowell-understood primitive conceptsrdquo must
unction as a Procrustean bed
Finally Rea says that P983093 calls us to ldquotreat conceptual analysis (insoaras it is possible) as a source o evidencerdquo It should be obvious that he
does not say that conceptual analysis is the only source o evidence and
there is no reason to think that it should be taken this way Neither does
he claim that conceptual analysis is the primary or ultimate source o
evidence P983093 makes an important claim but it is a rather modest one
What it insists on is this i close conceptual analysis reveals that some
theological proposition P is say internally inconsistent then thatanalysis gives us all the evidence we need to reject P No matter how
grand the claims o Prsquo s supporters in deense o the supporting evidence
for it i P is incoherent (sel-reerentially or otherwise) then it is not true
Once we have established that P is incoherent (which is a task much
harder than is sometimes supposed) we have all the reason we need to
conclude that it is wrong In addition o course conceptual analysis
might count as evidence in other and more positive ways as well Con-sider perect being theology or example here theologians analyze ldquoper-
ectionrdquo and then take deliverances o that analysis as evidence in support
o their theological conclusions
Much more could be said about what makes analytic theology truly
analytic o course While this could be expanded on and broadened
(particularly in directions that put less o a premium on precision) Rearsquos
P1048625-P983093 give us an initial sense o what it means to say that theology is
analytic theology Generally speaking analytic theology is theology that
is attuned to and committed to the ldquogoals and ambitionsrdquo o analytic
philosophy a commitment to truth wherever it may be ound clarity o
expression and rigor o argumentation Very ofen it will not hesitate to
make appropriate use o the available tools o analytic philosophy espe-
cially as these aid conceptual precision and argumentative rigor
Analytic theology as analytic theology But i echoing Smith it is the
concern with ldquoconceptual precisionrdquo and ldquorigor o argumentationrdquo that
makes analytic theology analytic then what is it that makes analytic
theology really theology Tis book develops an answer to this question
but an initial summary may help Recall that Smith talks not only about
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10486261048626 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
ldquoconceptual precisionrdquo and ldquorigor o argumentationrdquo but also about ldquotech-
nical eruditionrdquo and the ldquoin-depth deense o an original worldviewrdquo For
the analytic philosopher ldquotechnical eruditionrdquo will naturally involvemastery o the requisite field (metaphysics philosophy o mind epis-
temology etc) but it may also include competence in other related
fields (biology or philosophy o biology neurology or philosophy o
mind etc) For the analytic theologian such erudition will include com-
petence in the relevant areas o philosophical study that are necessary or
ldquoconceptual precisionrdquo and ldquorigor o argumentationrdquo But or the analytic
theologian qua theologian it must involve much more than this Forunless analytic theology is merely ldquoarmchair theologyrdquo (albeit armchair
theology done by very bright people) it will be grounded in the
Christian Scriptures it will be inormed by the great tradition o doc-
trinal development it will be ldquochristologically normedrdquo and it will be
culturally engaged As theology it will seek to articulate what we may
know o God as God has revealed himsel to us As Nicholas Wolterstorff
puts it to theologiansDo not be ersatz philosophers do not be ersatz cultural theorists do not be
ersatz anything Be genuine theologians Be sure-ooted in philosophy But
then be theologians What we need to hear rom you is how things look
when seen in light o the triune Godmdashmay his name be praisedmdashwho creates
and sustains us who redeems us and who will bring this rail and allen
though yet glorious humanity and cosmos to consummation9830901048632
Accordingly analytic theology is theology done by theologians who areldquosure-ootedrdquo in philosophy (many o whom will have extensive training
and proessional expertise there and indeed may be leaders within their
field) but it is a kind o theology nonetheless
Such a conception o theology is o course not remotely new What
we may useully reer to as ldquoanalytic theologyrdquo is very similar in many
respects to deeply traditional ways o doing theology We can see this
kind o work exemplified in the theology o the scholastics (both me-dieval and post-Reormationearly modern) So in some sense the re-
28Nicholas Wolterstorff ldquoo Teologians From One Who Cares About Teology but Is Not One
o Yourdquo Teological Education (1048626983088983088983093) 9830971048625-9830971048626
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
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What Is Analytic heology 1048626983091
birth o analytic theology may be thought o as scholasticism redivivus
As Richard Swinburnemdashsurely a pioneer o analytic theologymdashsays
ldquolarge-scale theology needs clear and rigorous argumentrdquo and it is ldquohightime or theology to returnrdquo to the standards set by Tomas Aquinas
John Duns Scotus and others9830901048633 But it is not only the ldquohigh scholasticsrdquo
who worked this way or we can also witness many o these virtues in
theologians rom the patristics to the pietists9830911048624 Many theologians in the
Christian tradition were concerned with both ldquoconceptual precisionrdquo and
ldquoargumentative rigorrdquo as well as ldquotechnical eruditionrdquo and the ldquoin-depth
deense o an original worldviewrdquoConsider what John Wesleymdashan evangelist hardly known as a ldquoscho-
lasticrdquo or an ldquoanalytic theologianrdquomdashhas to say about the importance o
acquiring the tools or ldquoconceptual precisionrdquo and ldquoargumentative rigorrdquo
Logic he says is ldquonecessary next to and in order to the knowledge o
Scripturerdquo983091983089 Despite the act that it is ldquonow quite unashionablerdquo none-
theless logic is invaluable For with it we have the possibility o ldquoappre-
hending things clearly judging truly and reasoning conclusivelyrdquo
983091983090
Andas with logic so also with metaphysics Tus Wesley will ask o clergy
Am I a tolerable master o the sciences Have I gone through the very gate o
them logic I not I am not likely to go much urther when I stumble at the
threshold Do I understand it so as to be ever the better or it o have it
always ready or use so as to apply every rule o it when occasion is almost
as naturally as I turn my hand Do I understand it at all Can I reduce an
indirect mood to a direct a hypothetic to a categorical syllogism Rather have
not my stupid indolence and laziness made me very ready to believe what the
little wits and pretty gentlemen affirm ldquothat logic is good or nothingrdquo It is
good or this at least (wherever it is understood) to make people talk less by
showing them both what is and what is not to the point and how extremely
29Richard Swinburne Te Coherence of Teism 1048626nd ed (Oxord Oxord University Press 10486259830979830971048627)
p 98309530See eg Gregory o Nyssa Against Eunomius 10486259830921048626 Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers ed Philip
Schaff series 1048626 (10486259830969830961048630ndash1048625983096983096983097 repr Peabody MA Hendrickson 1048625983097983097983092) 983093983097983096-983097983097 (Patrologia
Graeca [= Patrologiae Cursus Completus Series Graeca] ed Jacques-Paul Migne [Paris 1048625983096983093983095ndash
10486259830969830961048630] 9830929830939830921048630983088-10486301048625)31John Wesley ldquoAddress to the Clergyrdquo in Te Works of John Wesley vol 1048625983088 Letters Essays Dialogs
and Addresses (Grand Rapids Zondervan nd) p 983092983096104862732Ibid
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1048626983092 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
hard it is to prove anything Do I understand metaphysics i not the depths
o the Schoolmen the subtleties o Scotus or Aquinas yet the first rudiments
the general principles o that useul science983091983091
Consider urther what Wesley says about the importance o ldquotechnical
eruditionrdquo in theology Insisting on the importance o knowledge o the
scope o Christian Scripture as well as acility in the relevant ancient
languages he asks
Have I (1048625) such a knowledge o Scripture as becomes him who undertakes
so to explain it to others Have I a ull and clear view o the analogy o
aith which is the clue to guide me through the whole Am I acquainted with
the several parts o Scripture with all parts o the Old estament and the
New Upon the mention o any text do I know the context and the parallel
places Do I know the scope o each book and how every part tends
thereto Have I the skill to draw the natural inerences deducible rom each
text (1048626) Do I understand Greek and Hebrew Otherwise am I not at
the mercy o everyone who does understand or pretends to understand the
original For which way can I conute his pretence Do I understand the lan-
guage o the Old estament Critically At all Can I read into English one o
Davidrsquos Psalms or even the first chapter o Genesis Do I understand the
language o the New estament Am I a critical master o it Have I enough
o it even to read into English the first chapter o St Luke I not how many
years did I spend at school How many at university And what was I doing
all those years9830911048628
Wesley says similar things about the indispensability o knowledge o
the Christian tradition But the basic point should be clear important
elements o what we now call ldquoanalytic theologyrdquo have deep roots in the
broad Christian theological tradition Indeed or an evangelist like John
Wesley this is simply the kind o theology that any Christian minister
should be doing
W983144983137983156 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 T983144983141983151983148983151983143983161 I983155983150rsquo983156 M983145983155983157983150983140983141983154983155983156983137983150983140983145983150983143983155
983137983150983140 O983138983146983141983139983156983145983151983150983155
Many systematic theologians are suspicious o analytic theology Indeed
33Ibid pp 9830929830971048625-983097104862634Ibid pp 983092983097983088-9830971048625
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What Is Analytic heology 1048626983093
some are deeply suspicious Te concerns come rom several angles Here
are some o the most common9830911048629
ldquoAnalytic theology relies on a univocal account of religious languagerdquoSome theologians may worry that the current analytic discussions
proceed with an unrealistic and unhealthy naiveteacute regarding the nature
and unction o religious language For instance Stephen R Holmes
thinks that ldquoanalytic discussions o the rinity seem generally to proceed
with a remarkable confidence about the success o language in reerring
to the divinerdquo he thinks that the assumption o analytic theology ldquowould
always seem to be that language reers univocally to the divine and thecreatedrdquo Indeed he thinks that analytic theology would be ldquoimpossiblerdquo
without a commitment to univocity983091983094 More worrisome the concern may
be that analytic theologyrsquos commitment to univocity implicates it in
something that is (at least potentially) idolatrous9830911048631
A general treatment o religious language is beyond the scope o our
discussion but several observations may be helpul First it should be
noted that the case against univocity should not be merely assumed (asi some particular theological proposal could be damned by nothing
more than the charge o univocity) Nor is the case for univocity nearly
so weak as is ofen supposed o the contrary univocity has serious and
sophisticated deenders today and a case can be made that ldquothe doctrine
o univocity is true and salutaryrdquo9830911048632
Te second major point is perhaps more important or our purposes
It is this analytic theology as such requires no commitment to univocity
whatsoever Indeed many analytic theologians reject univocity in avor
35Tis section draws heavily rom my ldquoTeologians Philosophers and the Doctrine o the rinityrdquo
in McCall and Rea Philosophical and Teological Essays on the rinity pp 1048627983092983088-98309298309636Stephen R Holmes Te Quest for the rinity Te Doctrine of God in Scripture History and Mo-
dernity (Downers Grove IL IVP Academic 104862698308810486251048626) p 1048627104862637See eg Jean-Luc Marion God Without Being trans Tomas A Carlson (Chicago University
o Chicago Press 10486259830979830971048625) and John Milbank Te Word Made Strange (Oxord Blackwell 1048625983097983097983095)
See also the discussion in Daniel P Horan Postmodernity and Univocity A Critical Account of
Radical Orthodoxy and John Duns Scotus (Minneapolis Fortress 10486269830881048625983092)38Tomas Williams ldquoTe Doctrine o Univocity Is rue and Salutaryrdquo Modern Teology 10486261048625 (1048626983088983088983093)
983093983095983093-983096983093 See also William P Alston Divine Nature and Human Language Essays in Philosophical
Teology (Ithaca NY Cornell University Press 1048625983097983096983097) pp 1048625983095-10486251048625983095 and Keith E Yandell ldquoNot
Conusing Incomprehensibility and Ineffability Carl Henry on Literal Propositional Revela-
tionrdquo rinity Journal (10486269830881048625983092) 10486301048625-983095983092
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullan-invitation-to-analytic-christian-theology-by-thomas-h-mccall-excerpt 2333
1048626983094 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
o other approaches (the doctrine o analogy being avored by many)
and at least one prominent philosopher o religion deends apophati-
cism9830911048633 Perhaps there is a general sense in which it is true that analytictheologians are naive about religious language Perhaps they aremdash
although I doubt this very much But even i it were true this would not
obviously make analytic theology different rom or inerior to many
other approaches to the theological task Te concernmdasheven i it were
substantiatedmdashwould give us no reason to avoid or dismiss analytic the-
ology It might give us reason to want to do it better it might motivate
analytic theologians to pay closer attention to important issues relatedto theological language But the concern itselmdasheven i substantiatedmdash
would not count against the proper exercise o analytic theology It is at
best a red herring
ldquoAnalytic theology is an exercise in natural theologyrdquo Some critics
might charge analytic theology with reliance on ldquonatural theologyrdquo Tis
observation will seem benign to other theologians some analytic theo-
logians might even take this judgment as a badge o honor But to thosetheologians o the house and lineage o Karl Barth this will be the mark
o damnation some may take natural theology to be ldquothe invention o
the Antichristrdquo as something that can serve only to reinorce idolatry
and corrupt the truth10486281048624 Other theologians might not be so hostile but
they still might worry that natural theology distracts us rom obedience
and fidelity to the reality o divine revelation So i analytic theology is
an exercise in natural theology or even relies on it it should be held at
armrsquos length i not shunned entirely
Much could be said about this cluster o issuesmdashand indeed more will
be said in the next chaptermdashbut at this point a basic conusion needs to
be cleared away Fundamentally it is simply a misunderstanding o ana-
lytic theology to think that it is an exercise in natural theology Granted
some prolific analytic theologians are heavily invested in the project o
natural theology and we can say with confidence that rumors o the
39Eg Jonathan D Jacobs ldquoTe Ineffable Inconceivable and Incomprehensible God Fundamen-
tality and Apophatic Teologyrdquo in Oxford Studies in Philosophy of Religion orthcoming40More precisely Barth says that the analogia entis (which interpreters ofen take to be the basis
o all natural theology) is the ldquoinvention o the Antichristrdquo Doctrine of the Word of God p xiii
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What Is Analytic heology 1048626983095
demise o natural theology have been greatly exaggerated1048628983089 But there is
nothing about analytic theology as suchmdashas I have described it to this
pointmdashthat relies on natural theology Te conusion o natural theologywith the analytic project is just thatmdasha conusion Whatever we should
think about natural theology philosophically however we judge the suc-
cesses (or lack thereo) o the various theistic arguments natural the-
ology simply cannot be equated with analytic theology And whatever
we should conclude theologically about natural theology we should not
conuse it with the analytic project Once again this is a red herring
ldquoAnalytic theology is naive with respect to the history of doctrinerdquoAnother concern expressed by some contemporary systematic theolo-
gians is this analytic theology all too ofen proceeds with little awareness
o the complex but important historical actors associated with the de-
velopment and ormation o Christian doctrine o understate the point
analytic theologians are sometimes criticized or their ignorance o the
history o the development o dogma and or their lack o careul study
to understand the particular intellectual (not to mention social) settingo the person(s) controversies or eras under consideration Instead so
the story goes it is all too common or analytic theologians to approach
an issue by isolating a particular text and then breaking it down to
unpack the real ldquocorerdquo o the doctrine in question And the assumption
o the analytic theologians (again so the story goes) is ofen enough that
this can be saely or appropriately done with little or no reerence to the
particular context in which the development occurred As Fred Sanders
expresses the concern ldquophilosophers sometimes seem to think o ancient
texts as cumbersome delivery systems containing ideas which it is their
job to extract rom the delivery system and do something withrdquo1048628983090 Richard
A Muller likewise argues that lack o attention to historical context
sometimes results in problematic misunderstandings o the tradition in
41Eg Richard Swinburne Te Coherence of Teism (Oxord Oxord University Press 1048625983097983095983095) and
Swinburne Te Existence of God (Oxord Oxord University Press 1048625983097983095983097 [1048626983088983088983092]) For examples
o recent work see Moreland and Craig Blackwell Companion to Natural Teology and James F
Sennett and Douglas Groothuis eds In Defense of Natural Teology A Post-Humean Assessment
(Downers Grove IL IVP Academic 1048626983088983088983093)42Fred Sanders ldquoTe State o the Doctrine o the rinity in Evangelical Teologyrdquo Southwestern
Journal of Teology 983092983095 (1048626983088983088983093) 10486251048630983097
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullan-invitation-to-analytic-christian-theology-by-thomas-h-mccall-excerpt 2533
1048626983096 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
his view or instance both recent deenders and contemporary de-
tractors o the doctrine o divine simplicity commonly ldquomisinterpret the
traditional doctrinerdquo1048628983091 Robert W Jenson is more scathing he judges theanalytic enterprise to be ldquosomewhat oddly related to the Christian aith
it claims to deendrdquo and he calls the work o Richard Swinburne a ldquotruly
bizarre caserdquo10486281048628
At least this is how the story ofen goes A major underlying worry
seems to be that reading texts without proper attention to their social
location and intellectual context can cause us to misread and mis-
interpret those texts Tis strikes me as a legitimate concern and it is onethat analytic theologians would do well to hear and heed No one should
deny that it is possible to misread and misinterpret important historical
texts and it seems to me that such misreadings are ar more likely when
particular bits o the text are isolated and scrutinized apart rom the
broader literary and historical contexts Te temptation to look away
rom the context as an irrelevant distraction is real It should also be
resisted So the criticism contains an important cautionAt the same time however we should keep several additional points
in mind First the problem is not restricted to analytic theologiansmdash
constructive or systematic theologians o any stripe may be susceptible
to this temptation Indeed ironies abound on this ront Afer criticizing
analytic philosophers o religion or overlooking ldquothe essentially his-
torical character o trinitarian theologyrdquomdashand especially or missing the
important differences between the ldquoGreek (or lsquoCappadocianrsquo) Eastrdquo and
the ldquoLatin WestrdquomdashCatherine Mowry LaCugnarsquos own work has been
criticized or exaggerating those differences10486281048629 It is not as i more main-
stream nonanalytic or antianalytic theologians are immune to the temp-
tation instead so ar as I can see this is a general concern that should
serve as an important reminder that all theologians who engage with the
43Richard A Muller Post-Reformation Reformed Dogmatics Te Rise and Development of Reformed
Orthodoxy ca 1048625104862910486261048624ndashca 1048625104863110486261048629 vol 1048627 Te Divine Essence and Attributes (Grand Rapids Baker
Academic 10486269830889830881048627) p 983092104862544Robert W Jenson Systematic Teology vol 1048626 Te Works of God (Oxord Oxord University
Press 1048625983097983097983097) p 983096 n 104862798309345Catherine Mowry LaCugna ldquoPhilosophers and Teologians on the rinityrdquo Modern Teology 1048626
(10486259830979830961048630) 10486259830951048626
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What Is Analytic heology 1048626983097
Christian intellectual tradition should do so with appropriate historical
sensitivity Second there is nothingmdashat least so ar as I can seemdashthat
makes this temptation irresistible Te act that some analytic theolo-gians have been insufficiently attentive to some historical matters does
not entail either that all analytic theologians are ignorant o the tradition
or that all analytic theologians must proceed in ignorance I see no
reason to conclude that this problem must be either essential or endemic
to analytic theology Surely more progress can be made in this area but
I see no reasons to think that such progress cannot happen Finally it is
worth noting that such progress in act is being made Tere are manyhappy exceptions to the common stereotype that analytic theologians
are ldquoahistoricalrdquo in act it is sae to say that many excellent analytic
thinkers have genuine specialization in historical scholarship Indeed
many are cutting-edge contributors1048628983094
ldquoAnalytic theology is only apologetics for conservative theologyrdquo Al-
ternatively the suspicion may be that analytic theology is too closely tied
to the Christian tradition Te assumption here is that analytic theologyis nothing more than the bastion o traditionally minded Roman Catholic
(and Orthodox) theologians and philosophers along with their conser-
vative Protestant riends and the worry is that they are interested in
nothing more than finding a sae place to deend what they already know
to be true Consequently the worry goes there is next to nothing o real
interest here or revisionist theologians o various stripes and there is
little promise or genuinely constructive theology
wo observations are important here First in principle there is
nothing about analytic theology that demands either traditional sympa-
thies or conservative conclusions Neither is there anything about ana-
lytic theology (either taken along the lines o Rearsquos P1048625-P983093 or in a somewhat
more expansive way) that precludes the use o the analytic tools by say
eminist womanist or liberationist theologies
46Stellar examples include Richard Cross Duns Scotus on God (Aldershot UK Ashgate 1048626983088983088983093) Cross
Te Metaphysics of the Incarnation Tomas Aquinas to Duns Scotus (Oxord Oxord University
Press 10486269830889830881048626) Eleonore Stump Aquinas (New York Routledge 10486269830889830881048627) Jeffrey E Brower Aquinasrsquos
Ontology of the Material World Change Hylomorphism and Material Objects (Oxord Oxord
University Press 10486269830881048625983092) and J Paasch Divine Production in Late Medieval rinitarian Teology
Henry of Ghent Duns Scotus and William Ockham (Oxord Oxord University Press 104862698308810486251048626)
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
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983091983088 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
Second in point o act many criticisms o traditional doctrines
have emerged rom within analytic theology Consider this example It
is hard to think o a doctrine that is more deeply traditional or moredeeply woven into the abric o historic Christian theology than the
doctrine o divine simplicity Yet this venerable doctrine has endured
intense criticism rom analytic theologians over the past several de-
cades Alvin Plantingarsquos Does God Have a Nature raised ldquotwo diffi-
cultiesrdquo or the doctrine ldquoone substantial and the other truly
monumentalrdquo10486281048631 He argues that i God is identical with each o his
properties then God has but one property But this ldquoseems flatly in-compatible with the obvious act that God has several propertiesrdquo10486281048632 He
argues urther that i God is identical with each o his properties then
God is also a property ldquoTis view is subject to a difficulty both obvious
and overwhelming [or] i God is a property then he isnrsquot a person
but a mere abstract objectrdquo10486281048633 Many analytic theologians have joined
other criticisms to those o Plantinga and it is obvious that this doc-
trinemdashwoven deeply into the abric o traditional Christian doctrineas it ismdashis under assault rom within analytic theology We could mul-
tiply examples with ease (Te traditional doctrine o divine omni-
science stands out here) Tere are o course many sophisticated de-
enders o classical orthodoxy within analytic theology but the basic
point should be clear to reduce analytic theology to apologetics or
traditional doctrine is simply a mistake
As will become obvious in the ollowing pages I think that there is
much to be gained in the work o ldquoretrieval theologyrdquo and I see it as a
natural conversation partner and compatriot o analytic theology I want
to encourage more work at the intersection o analytic theology and
theologies o retrieval But there is nothing about analytic theology as
such that demands adherence to classical Christian theology
ldquoAnalytic theology relies on lsquosubstance metaphysicsrsquo rdquo Sometimes
theologians are suspicious o analytic theology due to its alleged reliance
on substance metaphysics Tis complaint can take various orms Some-
47Alvin Plantinga Does God Have a Nature (Milwaukee Marquette University Press 1048625983097983096983088) p 98309298309548Ibid49Ibid
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What Is Analytic heology 9830911048625
times it is claimed that the whole analytic enterprise is ldquopre-Kantianrdquo (as
in Kenneth Surinrsquos critique o David Brownrsquos work as being ldquorobustly
old-ashionedrdquo and ldquopre-Kantianrdquo)10486291048624 In other words critics complainthat analytic theology proceeds in blithemdashand perhaps willulmdashigno-
rance o the ldquoactrdquo that Kant undermined the entire project by destroying
the very possibility o doing it wo important claims seem to be in play
with this critique first that Kant did something to make analytic the-
ology impossible and second that analytic theologians are unaware o
what Kant did But both o these claims are problematic Te second is
simply mistaken and the first is vigorously contested As Nicholas Wolt-erstorff points out it is much more likely that the current generation o
analytic theologians is not so much ldquopre-Kantianrdquo as it is ldquopost-Kantianrdquo
As he puts it ldquoit really is possible to be post-Kantian Itrsquos possible to re-
cover rom Kant Te choices are not exhausted between being naively
pre-Kantian on the one hand and being a Kantian o one or another
stripe on the otherrdquo1048629983089 Tere are Wolterstorff argues philosophers who
are ully aware o Kantian ldquointerpretation-universalism and ully awareo [Kantian] metaphysical anti-realism but afer serious consideration
they have rejected these options as untenablerdquo1048629983090 So many analytic theo-
logians are well aware o Kantrsquos work (and the common claims made
about that work) but they donrsquot think that he did anything to shut down
the kind o work that they are doing As Plantinga puts it ldquothey have read
him and remain unconvincedrdquo1048629983091
But aside rom Kant analytic theology is sometimes criticized and
rejected or its reliance on ldquosubstance metaphysicsrdquo Unortunately ex-
actly what critical theologians have in their crosshairs when they talk
about substance metaphysics is ofen unclear and not closely defined
But very ofen the complaint is closely tied to a rejection o doctrines
50Kenneth Surin ldquoTe rinity and Philosophical Reflection A Study o David Brownrsquos Te Divine
rinity rdquo Modern Teology 1048626 (10486259830979830961048630) 10486261048627983097-98309298308851Nicholas Wolterstorff ldquoBetween the Pincers o Increased Diversity and Supposed Irrationalityrdquo
in God Philosophy and Academic Culture A Discussion Between Scholars in the AAR and APA
ed William J Wainwright (Atlanta Scholars Press 10486259830979830971048630) p 1048626983088 See also Wolterstorff ldquoIs It
Possible and Desirable or Teologians to Recover rom Kantrdquo Modern Teology 1048625983092 (1048625983097983097983096)
1048625-104862598309652Wolterstorff ldquoBetween the Pincersrdquo p 104862698308853Alvin Plantinga Warranted Christian Belief (Oxord Oxord University Press 1048626983088983088983088) p 1048627983088
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
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9830911048626 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
associated with ldquoclassical theismrdquo immutability impassibility time-
lessness and other doctrines are taken to be untenable and since they
are tied to substance metaphysics so much the worse or substancemetaphysics William P Alston defly analyzes this complaint and he
argues that substance metaphysics are really beside the point What he
says about substance metaphysics in discussions o the doctrine o the
rinity applies more broadly ldquoonce we get straight as to what is and is
not necessarily included in the metaphysics o substance we will see that
most twentieth-century objections to the use o substance metaphysics
are based on eatures o such ormulations that are not required bysubstance metaphysics as suchrdquo10486291048628 Perhaps there is something inherently
wrong with the use o substance metaphysics in theology and maybe this
counts against analytic theology But beore such a judgment can be
made we need more than the all-too-common generalizations and as-
sertions For beore we can conclude that analytic theology is atally
flawed due to a dependence on substance metaphysics we need to know
exactly what is meant by substance metaphysics we need to be shown just what is wrong (either philosophically or theologically) with sub-
stance metaphysics and we need to see that analytic theology really is (or
must be) committed to this kind o metaphysics Without the kind o
careul analysis and rigorous argumentation it is hard to see anything
here that might count as a orceul objection to analytic theology
ldquoAnalytic theology isnrsquot spiritually edifyingrdquo William Wood notes that
ldquomany conventional theologians remain deeply suspicious o analytic the-
ologyrdquo because o the worry that analytic theology is not spiritually edi-
ying As these theologians see matters ldquogenuine theology is in the first
instance practical aimed not at explanatory theories about God but at
ostering greater love or God and neighbor Genuine theology in short
is praxis one deeply woven together with a Christian lie o prayer virtue
and participation in the sacramentsrdquo10486291048629 Te basic concern is this when
more mainstream theologians look at analytic theology they donrsquot rec-
54William P Alston ldquoSubstance and the rinityrdquo in Te rinity An Interdisciplinary Symposium on
the rinity ed Stephen Davis Daniel Kendall SJ and Gerald OrsquoCollins SJ (Oxord Oxord
University Press 1048625983097983097983097) p 1048626983088104862555William Wood ldquoAnalytic Teology as a Way o Lierdquo Journal of Analytic Teology (10486269830881048625983092) 983092983092
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
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What Is Analytic heology 983091983091
ognize the kind o theology-as-praxis that they value Instead they see
purported explanatory theoriesmdashmere purported explanatory theories
Sometimes these explanations appear to be a very long way indeed romthe lie o aith Indeed they see ormulas such as this (selected pretty
much at random rom among many others)
P existx (Dx amp forally(Dy =gt Byx) amp x made us
Q existx(Dx amp forally(Dy =gt Byx ))1048629983094
When they encounter this kind o work some theologians donrsquot rec-
ognize it as theology at all I they are willing to recognize it as theology
they tend to worry that they donrsquot see the kind o theology that promotes
love o God and neighbor they are concerned that they donrsquot see the-
ology that is connected to the lie o aith As Wood puts it they worry
that ldquoanalytic theology is spiritually sterile and thereore not really a
orm o genuine theology at allrdquo10486291048631
I think this is an important point o criticism and it raises some very
intriguing concerns But as Wood also notes it would be a ldquomistake and
urthermore a presumptuous mistake to assume that analytic philo-
sophical theology cannot in principle be spiritually nourishingrdquo10486291048632 Tree
points stand out First it is important to realize that the temptation to
construct explanatory theories about God that are divorced rom worship
and transormation is both real and present It is also nearious10486291048633 Te
temptation besets theologians o all stripesmdashanalytic or otherwise I do
not think analytic theologians are the only theologians who ace this
temptation o the contrary idolatry is no respecter o ideologies Butsurely it is not invincible surelymdashby Godrsquos gracemdashit is not irresistible
As Wood reminds us ldquoGodrsquos love rains down on logicians too afer allrdquo9830941048624
Second there is good reason to think that analytic theology maymdash
contrary to common expectationsmdashturn out to be spiritually ediying
56Peter van Inwagen ldquoAnd Yet Tey Are Not Tree Gods but One Godrdquo in McCall and Rea
Philosophical and Teological Essays on the rinity pp 10486269830921048625 1048626983092104863057Wood ldquoAnalytic Teology as a Way o Lierdquo p 983092983092 See also Marilyn McCord Adams ldquoWhatrsquos
Wrong with the Ontotheological Errorrdquo Journal of Analytic Teology (10486269830881048625983092) 1048625-1048625104862658Wood ldquoAnalytic Teology as a Way o Lierdquo p 983092104863059See the warnings o Merold Westphal Suspicion and Faith Te Religious Uses of Modern Atheism
(New York Fordham University Press 1048625983097983097983096)60Wood ldquoAnalytic Teology as a Way o Lierdquo p 983092983095
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
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983091983092 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
Wood argues that analytic theology may be spiritually beneficial in
several ways He suggests that the ldquoconcentrated attention required to
read understand and develop very technical analytic argumentsrdquo maybe conducive to the kinds o intellectual virtues and habits o mind that
are spiritually beneficial983094983089 In addition he notes the ldquoargumentative
transparencyrdquo (what he terms the ldquoparadigmatic analytic virtuerdquo) may be
helpul in spiritual ormation983094983090 Wood readily admits that this tendency
toward argumentative rigor can also eed a orm o pride or even ldquointel-
lectual violencerdquo but he also points out that to make a ldquogood analytic
argument is to make that argument maximally easy or intellectual op-ponents to criticize or reuterdquo and this very transparency makes it much
harder to shield onesel rom criticisms but instead is a way to ldquomake
onesel intellectually vulnerablerdquo In this way it serves as a ldquocheck against
intellectual priderdquo983094983091 Moreover the pace demanded by such rigor and the
modesty o the claims that are rendered deensible have the potential to
cultivate epistemic humility Furthermore another important eature o
the analytic approach is the need to ldquoidentiy imaginatively with onersquosintellectual opponentsrdquo this also as Wood points out orces us to inhabit
a worldview that is not only oreign to our own but also sometimes
hostile In these ways Wood argues ldquoanalytic theology can become a
spiritual practice a way o seeking God and o training the mind and
the will to be open to gracerdquo9830941048628
Finally we should not neglect to notice those shining examples o
theologians or whom analytic theology indeed is closely related to
worship and spiritual nurture Indeed it would be hard not to notice
them or the tradition is rie with such theologians A great many pa-
tristic and most scholastic (both medieval and early modern) theolo-
gians count as ldquoanalytic theologiansrdquo For surely they fit our profile o
theologians who prize ldquoconceptual precision rigor o argumentation
technical erudition and an in-depth deense o an original worldviewrdquo
(and who would in many instances value P1048625-P983093) As an example con-
61Ibid p 98309398309362Ibid p 983093104863063Ibid64Ibid p 983093983096
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What Is Analytic heology 983091983093
sider Anselmrsquos Proslogion It is obvious that Anselm values precision and
rigor and he clearly intends to convey truth claims that he finds con-
vincing But as both Wood and Marilyn McCord Adams point out thiswork is ldquomeant to do more than communicate propositional truthsrdquo or
ldquoit is meant to help reorient the wills o its readers and help bring about
effective and volitional change in themrdquo9830941048629 Despite important differences
o style and substance we could say much the same about many other
figures (both well known and less so) as well it is very difficult to read
ar into Bonaventure Richard o St Victor Aquinas Scotus Vermigli
Perkins Arminius urretin Edwards Wesley and many others withoutunderstanding that they are obviously concerned with both intellectual
rigor and spiritual ormation
65Ibid p 983093983088 See also Marilyn McCord Adams ldquoPraying the Proslogionrdquo in Te Rationality of
Belief and the Plurality of Faith ed Tomas Senor (Ithaca NY Cornell University Press 1048625983097983097983093)
pp 10486251048627-1048627983097 and Adams ldquoElegant Necessity Prayerul Disputation Method in Cur Deus Homordquo
in Studia Anselmiana Cur Deus Homo (Rome 1048625983097983097983097) pp 10486271048630983095-9830971048630
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8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
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Introduction
983144983141 983159983145983140983141 983154983137983150983143983141 983151983142 983141983158983141983150983156983155 and publications that are loosely
gathered under the label ldquoanalytic theologyrdquo is both quite broad
and very active Proponents and practitioners range rom traditionally
minded Orthodox and Roman Catholic philosophers and theologians
through Anglican Lutheran Methodist and other tradition-sensitive
scholars to conservative evangelicals and to revisionist or ldquoprogressiverdquo
theologians In some quarters enthusiasm runs high In other sectors
o the theological (and philosophical) academy suspicion and even
hostility run deep Misunderstanding ofen accompanies the label and
questions abound But just what is this thing called ldquoanalytic theologyrdquo
What are its ldquoaccidentalrdquo eatures and what are its ldquoessentialrdquo attributes
And what are we to make o it as theology Or is it merely a technically
precise and agenda-driven subdiscipline o analytic metaphysics
Where is it going Is there some discernible direction that it willmdashor
shouldmdashtake
In this book I introduce nonspecialists to analytic theology I try to
make clear both what it isnrsquot and what it is Accordingly I discuss what
makes analytic theology analytic and I try to lay out what makes analytic
theology really theology Specifically I outline analytic theologyrsquos con-
nections to Scripture Christian tradition and culture (broadly con-ceived) and I do so by using case studies to illuminate the relationships
and the need or urther integration Here I must also coness to an
agenda I am hoping to influence the uture o analytic theology by
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1048625983088 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
calling the discipline to a deeper engagement with the traditional re-
sources o the theological task
I come to the work o analytic theology as someone who is by trainingand by vocation a theologian Tus I am especially grateul or the pa-
tience and graciousness o those riends and colleagues who have
genuine expertise in epistemology metaphysics and philosophy o re-
ligion (as well as the history o philosophy) I am deeply indebted to you
or whatever abilities I have as an analytic theologian and I am truly
grateul or your collegiality and encouragement I am also thankul or
those ellow theologians who have taken up the mantle o analytic the-ology and I am grateul as well to those who led the way by actually
doing it beore it was ever called by that name Oliver Crisp Mike Rea
and Billy Abraham read the manuscript and offered very helpul critique
and encouragement and the book is much improved as a result (All
remaining aults are o course entirely mine)
In addition I am grateul or the community o saints and scholars
who surround me at rinity Evangelical Divinity School (and especiallythe members o the Deerfield Dialogue Group who read part o the
manuscript) and I am indebted as well to the administration and the
board o regents or a sabbatical in the all o 10486269830881048625983092
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983089
What Is Analytic Theology
Fear of scholasticism is the mark of the false prophet
K983137983154983148 B983137983154983156983144
A B983154983145983141983142 H983145983155983156983151983154983161 983151983142 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 T983144983141983151983148983151983143983161Where we were Te revival of philosophy of religion For a good deal
o the twentieth century academic philosophymdashespecially Anglo-
American ldquoanalyticrdquo philosophymdashwas ofen taken to be hostile to tradi-
tional theistic belie in general and perhaps especially so to Christian
belie983089 Logical positivism insisted that theological claims were not only
alse but indeed meaningless and many philosophers ound it difficult
even to take theology seriously Te conclusions o A J Ayer are bothrepresentative and influential He claims that the very ldquopossibility o re-
ligious knowledgerdquo has been ldquoruled out by our treatment o metaphysicsrdquo983090
I the ldquocriterion o verifiabilityrdquo eliminates metaphysics and i theology
is only a subcategory o metaphysics then theology is obviously elimi-
natedmdashthe very possibility has been ruled out and all God-talk is literally
Epigraph Karl Barth Church Dogmatics vol I1048625 Te Doctrine of the Word of God ed F
orrance trans Geoffrey Bromiley (Edinburgh amp Clark 1048625983097983095983093) p 10486269830959830971I realize that (at least on some understandings o the term) the story o analytic theology ar
predates the modern era and indeed has ar more in common with scholasticism than it does
with either twentieth-century philosophy or modern theology More on this anon2Alred Jules Ayer Language ruth and Logic (New York Dover 10486259830979830931048626) p 10486251048625983092
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10486251048626 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
nonsensical983091 Hud Hudson says ldquoInormed that questions about the ex-
istence nature and significance o the deity were hereafer to be engaged
exclusively under the guidance o linguistic analyses o religious lan-guage and menaced with (inexplicably popular) verificationist theories
o meaning theologians were told by analytic philosophers that they had
not even achieved the minimal distinction o saying anything alse or
they had not managed to say anything at allrdquo1048628
Te response o many theologians in the late modern era to the develop-
ments in mainstream philosophy in Anglo-American circles was under-
standable they largely ignored the work o these philosophers andlooked elsewhere or intellectual resources and conversation partners
Some sought reuge in ldquoContinentalrdquo philosophy while others decried
any engagement between philosophy and theology
But the second hal o the twentieth century witnessed some re-
markable changes As Hudson notes ldquoTis most unortunate moment in
the history o analytic philosophy was merciully temporary as was its
slavish devotion to linguistic analyses verificationism and all the un-ounded suspicion o metaphysics ethics and religion that ollowed in its
wakerdquo1048629 Logical positivism couldnrsquot bear its own weight and Ayerrsquos con-
fident pronouncements are now valued more as a quaint museum artiact
o philosophical history (ldquoLook kids isnrsquot it amazing that anyone ever
said thatmdashand especially that he seemed so cocksure about itrdquo) than as
a helpul repository o philosophical insight With the collapse o posi-
tivism came a rebirth o serious metaphysicsmdashand with that collapse and
the rebirth o metaphysics came a revival o philosophy o religion983094
Where philosophical consideration o theological issues had been deemed
an utter waste o time now it was seen as an interesting area o inquiry
Serious and sustained engagement with perennial issues o religious and
theological interest was happening again and many o the philosophers
3Ibid p 10486279830934Hud Hudson Te Fall and Hypertime (Oxord Oxord University Press 10486269830881048625983092) p 9830925Ibid p 9830936For a telling o this tale see Nicholas Wolterstorff ldquoHow Philosophical Teology Became Pos-
sible Within the Analytic radition o Philosophyrdquo in Analytic Teology New Essays in the Phi-
losophy of Teology ed Oliver D Crisp and Michael C Rea (Oxord Oxord University Press
1048626983088983088983097) pp 1048625983093983093-1048630983096
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What Is Analytic heology 1048625983091
engaged in this work weremdashand aremdashcommitted Christians
Not all philosophers rejoice at these developments but it is increas-
ingly hard or them not to notice them Quentin Smith describesmdashanddecriesmdashthis development
Te secularization o mainstream academia began to quickly unravel upon
the publication o Plantingarsquos influential book on realist theism God and
Other Minds in 1048625983097983094983095 It became apparent to the philosophical proession
that this book displayed that realist theists were not outmatched by natu-
ralists in terms o the most valued standards o academic philosophy con-
ceptual precision rigor o argumentation technical erudition and an in-depth deense o an original worldview Tis book ollowed seven years
later by Plantingarsquos even more impressive book Te Nature of Necessity
made it maniest that a realist theist was writing at the highest qualitative
level o analytic philosophy on the same playing field as Carnap Russell
Gruumlnbaum and other naturalists1048631
Smith in what basically amounts to something o an alarmist ldquocall to
armsrdquo to his ellow atheists concludes that ldquoGod is not lsquodeadrsquo in aca-demia he returned to lie in the late 1048625983097983094983088rsquos and is now alive and well in
his last academic stronghold philosophy departmentsrdquo1048632
While triumphalism on the part o Christian philosophers would be
both very premature and unseemly (they remain by all measures in the
substantial minority within academic philosophy) nonetheless Smith is
right that the situation is very different than it was only a ew decades
ago Te Society o Christian Philosophers ounded in 1048625983097983095983096 as a small
group o diverse scholars who were more unified by common interests
than by shared commitment to a particular creed now has in the neigh-
borhood o a thousand members Several journalsmdashnotably Faith and
Philosophy Philosophia Christi Religious Studies Sophia Philo and the
International Journal of Philosophy of Religionmdashare devoted to issues
broadly related to the study o the philosophy o religion and Christian
philosophers are very active in these and other venues At the same time
Christian philosophers are very active in other more ldquomainstreamrdquo areas
o contemporary philosophy important recent work in metaphysics and
7Quentin Smith ldquoTe Metaphilosophy o Naturalismrdquo Philo 983092 no 1048626 (10486269830889830881048625) 10486268Ibid p 1048627
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1048625983092 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
epistemology in particular has been influenced by philosophers with
religious interests and well-known Christian commitments
Not surprisingly the growth o Christian involvement in philosophyhas been accompanied by increased interest in issues o perennial
concern in philosophy o religion Work on such issues had never en-
tirely disappeared o course or prominent philosophers such as Basil
Mitchell Peter Geach Austin Farrer and others were making significant
contributions well beore the current renaissance o Christian philosophy
really took off1048633 However engagement has been growing at an astounding
rate Issues surrounding religious pluralism and exclusivism problemso evil (including not only the ldquologicalrdquo problem o evil but also ldquoevi-
dentialrdquo problems) religious epistemology religious experience mir-
acles theistic arguments (particularly various versions o ontological
cosmological teleological and moral arguments) and science and re-
ligion have been explored with impressive vigor and analyzed with or-
midable rigor9830891048624 Positions have been set out and explained attacked and
deended modified and surrendered Te work in philosophy o religionhas not been cordoned off rom other more ldquomainstreamrdquo philosophical
work o the contrary in many ways it has remained vitally engaged with
9Eg Basil Mitchell Te Justification of Religious Belief (Oxord Oxord University Press 10486259830979830961048625)
Mitchell Faith and Criticism (Oxord Oxord University Press 1048625983097983097983093) Mitchell Morality Reli-
gious and Secular Te Dilemma of the raditional Conscience (Oxord Oxord University Press
10486259830979830961048630) Peter Geach God and the Soul (South Bend IN St Augustinersquos Press 10486259830971048630983097) Geach
Providence and Evil (Cambridge Cambridge University Press 1048625983097983095983095) Geach Te Virtues (Cam-
bridge Cambridge University Press 1048625983097983095983095) Geach Logic Matters (Berkeley University o Cali-ornia Press 10486259830979830951048626) Austin Farrer Te Freedom of the Will (London Black 1048625983097983093983096) Farrer Love
Almighty and Ills Unlimited An Essay on Providence and Evil (London Collins 104862598309710486301048625) Farrer
Saving Belief A Study of Essentials (London Hodder amp Stoughton 10486259830971048630983092) Farrer Faith and Spec-
ulation An Essay in Philosophical Teology (London Black 10486259830971048630983095)10Te contentsmdashand perhaps the very existencemdasho the numerous and massive ldquohandbooksrdquo and
ldquocompanionsrdquo to philosophy o religion bear weighty testimony to this act See eg William J
Wainwright ed Te Oxford Handbook of Philosophy of Religion (New York Oxord University
Press 1048626983088983088983093) Philip L Quinn and Charles aliaerro eds A Companion to Philosophy of Religion
(Oxord Blackwell 1048625983097983097983095) William E Mann ed Te Blackwell Guide to the Philosophy of Religion
(Oxord Blackwell 1048626983088983088983093) Michael L Peterson and Raymond J VanArragon eds Contemporary
Debates in Philosophy of Religion (Oxord Blackwell 1048626983088983088983092) J P Moreland and William Lane
Craig eds Te Blackwell Companion to Natural Teology (Oxord Blackwell 1048626983088983088983097) Justin Mc-
Brayer and Daniel Howard-Snyder eds Te Blackwell Companion to the Problem of Evil (Oxord
Blackwell 104862698308810486251048627) Chad Meister and Paul Copan eds Te Routledge Companion to Philosophy of
Religion 1048626nd ed (New York Routledge 104862698308810486251048627) See also the impressive series Oxord Studies in
Philosophy o Religion edited by Jon Kvanvig
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What Is Analytic heology 1048625983093
cutting-edge work in epistemology ethics and metaphysics to use the
latter as an example rom Alvin Plantingarsquos early work Te Nature of
Necessity to Brian Lefowrsquos recent contributions in God and Necessity important work in the metaphysics o modality has been deeplymdashand
some might say ldquoessentiallyrdquomdashconnected to philosophy o religion983089983089
Judging rom the interest and output analytic philosophy o religion is
not only alive and well but indeed healthy and robust
How we got here From philosophy of religion to philosophical the-
ology But or all the vigor and intellectual energy that is captured and
reflected in work on general or generic issues in philosophy o religion theinterests o Christian philosophers have not been limited to those issues
Instead Christian philosophers have been deeply interested in distinctly
Christian theological topics and they have devoted much energy to the
analysis and deense o Christian doctrine Te past ew decades have wit-
nessed important work on the doctrine o revelation (and divine speech)
the inspiration authority and interpretation o the Christian Scriptures
divine attributes (particularly simplicity necessity aseity omnipotenceomniscience eternity and reedom) divine action in creation providence
miraculous intervention theological anthropology original sin incar-
nation atonement resurrection and eschatology983089983090
Where we are Philosophical theology and analytic theology More
recently the term analytic theology has come into use Tere are o
course important orebears to this work David Kelsey Nicholas Wolt-
erstorff and others at Yale disparate figures such as William P Alston
Norman Kretzmann George Mavrodes Keith Yandell and others else-
where in the United States Paul Helm and Richard Swinburne in the
United Kingdom and Vincent Brummer and others o the Utrecht
11See Alvin Plantinga Te Nature of Necessity (Oxord Oxord University Press 1048625983097983095983092) and Brian
Lefow God and Necessity (Oxord Oxord University Press 104862698308810486251048626) See also the recent proposals
o Hugh J McCann Creation and the Sovereignty of God (Bloomington Indiana University Press
104862698308810486251048626)12Once again the prolieration o ldquoreadersrdquo ldquohandbooksrdquo and ldquocompanionsrdquo stands as evidence
o the breadth and depth o the work undertaken eg Oliver D Crisp ed A Reader in Contem-
porary Philosophical Teology (New York amp Clark 1048626983088983088983097) Michael C Rea ed Oxford Read-
ings in Philosophical Teology 1048626 vols (Oxord Oxord University Press 1048626983088983088983097) Tomas P Flint
and Michael C Rea eds Te Oxford Handbook of Philosophical Teology (Oxord Oxord Uni-
versity Press 1048626983088983088983097) Charles aliaerro and Chad Meister eds Te Cambridge Companion to
Christian Philosophical Teology (Cambridge Cambridge University Press 10486269830881048625983088)
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
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1048625983094 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
school o philosophical theology in the Netherlands Following trail-
blazers such as these and building on the recent renaissance o meta-
physics and philosophy o religion the analytic theology movement isnow growing Te publication o the volume Analytic Teology Essays
in the Philosophy of Teology edited by Oliver D Crisp and Michael C
Rea marked an important moment Te Analytic Teology Project
(sponsored and promoted by Notre Damersquos Center or Philosophy o
Religion as well the University o Innsbruck in Austria and the Shalem
Center in Jerusalem and unded by generous grants rom the John em-
pleton Foundation) with its annual Logos conerence and other activitiesthe launch o the Journal of Analytic Teology and the inauguration o
the book series Oxord Studies in Analytic Teology all lend support to
this growing movement
Te meaning o the term analytic theology can vary in common par-
lance and it is sae to say that there is no single decisively settled meaning
o the term when it is used as a label Still perhaps we can saely say that
what is common across the range o uses is this analytic theology sig-nifies a commitment to employ the conceptual tools o analytic phi-
losophy where those tools might be helpul in the work o constructive
Christian theology Scholars will naturally enough disagree among
themselves about just which o those tools are most helpul which
projects are best served by their use and other matters but on the whole
such a minimalist characterization seems sae enough William J
Abraham offers this helpul summary analytic theology ldquocan be useully
defined as ollows it is systematic theology attuned to the skills re-
sources and virtues o analytic philosophyrdquo983089983091 As such analytic theology
is a growing and energetic field at the intersections o philosophy o re-
ligion and systematic theology
W983144983137983156 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 T983144983141983151983148983151983143983161 I983155 (983151983154 S983144983151983157983148983140 B983141)
Such minimalist characterization while airly sae does not take us very
ar What more precisely is one doing when one does analytic theology
13William J Abraham ldquoSystematic Teology as Analytic Teologyrdquo in Analytic Teology New
Essays in the Philosophy of Teology ed Oliver D Crisp and Michael C Rea (Oxord Oxord
University Press 1048626983088983088983097) p 983093983092
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
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What Is Analytic heology 1048625983095
Just what is analytic theology Perhaps it will help first to consider what
is so analytic about analytic theology Following this we shall think
about how it is an exercise in theology Analytic theology as analytic theology As we have seen Quentin Smith
praises Plantingarsquos work or its excellence in ldquothe most valued standards o
analytic philosophy conceptual precision rigor o argumentation tech-
nical erudition and an in-depth deense o an original worldviewrdquo9830891048628 Oliver
D Crisp echoes this estimation o what counts as good work in analytic
philosophy he observes that analytic philosophy is characterized by ldquoa
logical rigour clarity and parsimony o expression coupled with attentionto a certain cluster o philosophical problemsrdquo9830891048629 Analytic theology is rel-
evantly similar he says or it ldquowill prize intellectual virtues like clarity
parsimony o expression and argumentative rigourrdquo983089983094 Michael C Rearsquos
description o analytic philosophy echoes these accounts in some ways
While recognizing that clear and sharp lines between ldquoanalyticrdquo and ldquonon-
analyticrdquo (or ldquoContinentalrdquo) philosophical approaches are neither easy to
come by nor perhaps really worth all the work he characterizes analyticapproaches to philosophy in terms o style and ambition9830891048631 Te ambitions
are generally ldquoto identiy the scope and limits o our powers to obtain
knowledge o the worldrdquo and ldquoto provide such true explanatory theories
as we can in areas o inquiry (metaphysics morals and the like) that all
outside the scope o the natural sciencesrdquo9830891048632 Rea characterizes the style as
including the ollowing prescriptions
P1048625 Write as i philosophical positions and conclusions can be adequately or-mulated in sentences that can be ormalized and logically manipulated
P1048626 Prioritize precision clarity and logical coherence
P983091 Avoid substantive (non-decorative) use o metaphor and other tropes
whose semantic content outstrips their propositional content
14Smith ldquoMetaphilosophyrdquo p 104862615Oliver D Crisp ldquoOn Analytic Teologyrdquo in Crisp and Rea Analytic Teology p 104862798309316Ibid pp 1048627983095-104862798309617Michael C Rea introduction to Crisp and Rea Analytic Teology pp 1048627-983092 See also Nick raka-
kis ldquoMeta-Philosophy o Religion Te Analytic-Continental Divide in Philosophy o Religionrdquo
Ars Disputandi 983095 (1048626983088983088983095) 1048625983095983097-1048626104862698308818Rea introduction p 983092
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
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1048625983096 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
P983092 Work as much as possible with well-understood primitive concepts and
concepts that can be analyzed in terms o those
P983093 reat conceptual analysis (insoar as possible) as a source o evidence9830891048633
Tis much at least is characteristic o analytic philosophy So what
about analytic theology As Rea sees things ldquoanalytic theology is just the
activity o approaching theological topics with the ambitions o an ana-
lytic philosopher and in a style that conorms to the prescriptions that
are distinctive o analytic philosophical discourse It will also involve
more or less pursuing those topics in a way that engages the literature
that is constitutive o the analytic tradition employing some o the tech-
nical jargon rom that tradition and so on But in the end it is the style
and ambitions that are most centralrdquo9830901048624
All this is helpul but perhaps a bit more explanation would be ben-
eficial Consider P1048625 Tis need not mean that all meaningul statements
in theology (or philosophy) need to be expressed ormally it should
not be taken to mean that every theological claim should be stated in
an apparatus with numbered propositions and a ormal structure
What it does mean however is that the deault setting or theologians
should be to communicate propositions that could be expressed this
way For as Rea says ldquoabsent special circumstancesrdquo things have ldquogone
very much amissrdquo i a view ldquois expressed in such a way that it has no
clear logical outcomesrdquo983090983089
Consider also P1048626 Tis need notmdashand should notmdashbe taken to mean
that logical precision and coherence are the only important criteria ora theologian and neither should it be taken to imply even that logical
precision and coherence are the most important criteria Te theologian
who is convinced that her first commitment is fidelity to the priority and
ultimacy o divine revelation should have no difficulty in assenting to P1048626
Neither urther should P1048626 be taken to imply that the same levels o
logical precision are possible with all theological topics nor yet that all
theological projects require the same levels o precision and argumentative
19Ibid pp 983093-104863020Ibid p 98309521Ibid p 983093 n 983093
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What Is Analytic heology 1048625983097
rigor Consider by way o example childrenrsquos catechetical literature
Surely this literature is theological but it neither can nor should attempt
to display the same level o logical precision or argumentative rigor assay advanced work in scholastic theology P1048626 does not clam that such
theological literature should do so or that all work in theology must
always do so
Neither should P1048626 be misunderstood with respect to claims about the
importance o ldquoclarityrdquo Rea notes that this claim can seem ironic ldquoin light
o the act that quite a lot o analytic philosophy [and we could add
some analytic theology] is very difficult even or specialists and totallyinaccessible to non-specialistsrdquo983090983090 But ldquoclearrdquo does not mean ldquoeasyrdquo In-
stead it expresses a commitment to the work o ldquospelling out hidden
assumptions scrupulously trying to lay bare whatever evidence one has
(or lacks) or the claims that one is making and on taking care to confine
onersquos vocabulary to ordinary language well-understood primitive con-
cepts and technical jargon definable in terms o theserdquo983090983091 Finally we
should note that P1048626 does not imply that everything (or everything worthtalking about) in theology will become crystal clear Te goal o analytic
theology is not (or at least need not be) the removal o all mystery in
theology o the contrary analytic philosophers o religion have long
been keenly aware o the place o mystery in theology and it may be that
at certain points an important role o the theologian is to clariy just
where the mystery really lies P1048626 does not suggest that analytic theology
will make everything ldquoclearrdquo in the sense that it makes everything ldquoeasy
and readily accessible to the nonspecialistrdquo Instead what it prioritizes is
clarity to the appropriate audiences and to the greatest possible degree
And it insists that ldquomysteryrdquo must not be conused with logical inco-
herence and it likewise insists that we do not gloriy what is clearly in-
coherent with the shroud o ldquomysteryrdquo As Alan G Padgett says theology
should ldquoseek the truth about Godrdquo and ldquothereore must shun incoherence
and irrationalityrdquo9830901048628 Where ldquosometimes lsquomysteryrsquo is evoked as an excuse
22Ibid p 983093 n 104863023Ibid24Alan G Padgett ldquoTe rinity in Teology and Philosophy Why Jerusalem Should Work with
Athensrdquo in Philosophical and Teological Essays on the rinity ed Tomas McCall and Michael
C Rea (Oxord Oxord University Press 1048626983088983088983097) p 104862710486271048626
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
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1048626983088 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
or sloppy thinking this must be anathema to any academic theology
worthy o the namerdquo For ldquoafer all the mystery o God does not end
when theology speaks clearly Te simple phrase lsquoJesus loves me this Iknow or the Bible tells me sorsquo covers vast deep mysteries that even the
angels gaze into with awe and wonderrdquo9830901048629
P983091 rules out ldquosubstantive (non-decorative) use o metaphor and other
tropes whose semantic content outstrips their propositional contentrdquo
Tis does not or at least need not mean that there is no valid or valuable
place or metaphor in theology Analytic theologians will disagree among
themselves as to howmdashand how muchmdashmetaphor is useul and legiti-mate983090983094 But the basic point is airly plain on P983091 theologians are not at
liberty to trade loosely in metaphor without ever being able to speciy
just what is meant by those metaphors Tey are not then ree to make
claims the meaning o which cannot be specified or spelled out Teolo-
gians are not licensed to trade in what Randal Rauser calls ldquounclarifiable
unclarityrdquo9830901048631 P983092 calls the analytic theologian to work with ldquowell-understood
primitive conceptsrdquo that are reasonably taken to be basic intuitive or(minimally) uncontroversial (and with concepts that can be understood
in terms o such primitive concepts) Some theologians will be quick to
raise concerns here they will worry that the very notion o ldquowell-
understood primitive conceptsrdquo may both conceal blind spots o social
location and privilege and be a Procrustean bed that restricts theological
concepts to ldquowhat we already know to be truerdquo and thus curtails the
possibility o engagement with divine revelation But once again it is
important not to misunderstand P983092 Te ldquoas much as possiblerdquo is key
here i the preunderstood concepts donrsquot do enough work then some o
them can be adjusted Others wonrsquot be so easy to adjust or discard but
this category o primitive concepts is both quite small and very basic (eg
the law o noncontradiction) Simply put there is no good reason to
25Ibid26I thank Billy Abraham or pressing this point Te ldquostandardrdquo work on metaphor in theology
remains Janet Martin Soskice Metaphor and Religious Language (Oxord Oxord University
Press 1048625983097983096983095)27Randal Rauser ldquoTeology as a Bull Sessionrdquo in Crisp and Rea Analytic Teology pp 983095983092-983095983093 See
also Harry Frankurt On Bullshit (Princeton NJ Princeton University Press 1048626983088983088983093) and Frank-
urt Bullshit and Philosophy ed Gary L Hardcastle and George A Resich (Chicago Open
Court 1048626983088983088983093)
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What Is Analytic heology 10486261048625
think that the notion o ldquowell-understood primitive conceptsrdquo must
unction as a Procrustean bed
Finally Rea says that P983093 calls us to ldquotreat conceptual analysis (insoaras it is possible) as a source o evidencerdquo It should be obvious that he
does not say that conceptual analysis is the only source o evidence and
there is no reason to think that it should be taken this way Neither does
he claim that conceptual analysis is the primary or ultimate source o
evidence P983093 makes an important claim but it is a rather modest one
What it insists on is this i close conceptual analysis reveals that some
theological proposition P is say internally inconsistent then thatanalysis gives us all the evidence we need to reject P No matter how
grand the claims o Prsquo s supporters in deense o the supporting evidence
for it i P is incoherent (sel-reerentially or otherwise) then it is not true
Once we have established that P is incoherent (which is a task much
harder than is sometimes supposed) we have all the reason we need to
conclude that it is wrong In addition o course conceptual analysis
might count as evidence in other and more positive ways as well Con-sider perect being theology or example here theologians analyze ldquoper-
ectionrdquo and then take deliverances o that analysis as evidence in support
o their theological conclusions
Much more could be said about what makes analytic theology truly
analytic o course While this could be expanded on and broadened
(particularly in directions that put less o a premium on precision) Rearsquos
P1048625-P983093 give us an initial sense o what it means to say that theology is
analytic theology Generally speaking analytic theology is theology that
is attuned to and committed to the ldquogoals and ambitionsrdquo o analytic
philosophy a commitment to truth wherever it may be ound clarity o
expression and rigor o argumentation Very ofen it will not hesitate to
make appropriate use o the available tools o analytic philosophy espe-
cially as these aid conceptual precision and argumentative rigor
Analytic theology as analytic theology But i echoing Smith it is the
concern with ldquoconceptual precisionrdquo and ldquorigor o argumentationrdquo that
makes analytic theology analytic then what is it that makes analytic
theology really theology Tis book develops an answer to this question
but an initial summary may help Recall that Smith talks not only about
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10486261048626 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
ldquoconceptual precisionrdquo and ldquorigor o argumentationrdquo but also about ldquotech-
nical eruditionrdquo and the ldquoin-depth deense o an original worldviewrdquo For
the analytic philosopher ldquotechnical eruditionrdquo will naturally involvemastery o the requisite field (metaphysics philosophy o mind epis-
temology etc) but it may also include competence in other related
fields (biology or philosophy o biology neurology or philosophy o
mind etc) For the analytic theologian such erudition will include com-
petence in the relevant areas o philosophical study that are necessary or
ldquoconceptual precisionrdquo and ldquorigor o argumentationrdquo But or the analytic
theologian qua theologian it must involve much more than this Forunless analytic theology is merely ldquoarmchair theologyrdquo (albeit armchair
theology done by very bright people) it will be grounded in the
Christian Scriptures it will be inormed by the great tradition o doc-
trinal development it will be ldquochristologically normedrdquo and it will be
culturally engaged As theology it will seek to articulate what we may
know o God as God has revealed himsel to us As Nicholas Wolterstorff
puts it to theologiansDo not be ersatz philosophers do not be ersatz cultural theorists do not be
ersatz anything Be genuine theologians Be sure-ooted in philosophy But
then be theologians What we need to hear rom you is how things look
when seen in light o the triune Godmdashmay his name be praisedmdashwho creates
and sustains us who redeems us and who will bring this rail and allen
though yet glorious humanity and cosmos to consummation9830901048632
Accordingly analytic theology is theology done by theologians who areldquosure-ootedrdquo in philosophy (many o whom will have extensive training
and proessional expertise there and indeed may be leaders within their
field) but it is a kind o theology nonetheless
Such a conception o theology is o course not remotely new What
we may useully reer to as ldquoanalytic theologyrdquo is very similar in many
respects to deeply traditional ways o doing theology We can see this
kind o work exemplified in the theology o the scholastics (both me-dieval and post-Reormationearly modern) So in some sense the re-
28Nicholas Wolterstorff ldquoo Teologians From One Who Cares About Teology but Is Not One
o Yourdquo Teological Education (1048626983088983088983093) 9830971048625-9830971048626
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
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What Is Analytic heology 1048626983091
birth o analytic theology may be thought o as scholasticism redivivus
As Richard Swinburnemdashsurely a pioneer o analytic theologymdashsays
ldquolarge-scale theology needs clear and rigorous argumentrdquo and it is ldquohightime or theology to returnrdquo to the standards set by Tomas Aquinas
John Duns Scotus and others9830901048633 But it is not only the ldquohigh scholasticsrdquo
who worked this way or we can also witness many o these virtues in
theologians rom the patristics to the pietists9830911048624 Many theologians in the
Christian tradition were concerned with both ldquoconceptual precisionrdquo and
ldquoargumentative rigorrdquo as well as ldquotechnical eruditionrdquo and the ldquoin-depth
deense o an original worldviewrdquoConsider what John Wesleymdashan evangelist hardly known as a ldquoscho-
lasticrdquo or an ldquoanalytic theologianrdquomdashhas to say about the importance o
acquiring the tools or ldquoconceptual precisionrdquo and ldquoargumentative rigorrdquo
Logic he says is ldquonecessary next to and in order to the knowledge o
Scripturerdquo983091983089 Despite the act that it is ldquonow quite unashionablerdquo none-
theless logic is invaluable For with it we have the possibility o ldquoappre-
hending things clearly judging truly and reasoning conclusivelyrdquo
983091983090
Andas with logic so also with metaphysics Tus Wesley will ask o clergy
Am I a tolerable master o the sciences Have I gone through the very gate o
them logic I not I am not likely to go much urther when I stumble at the
threshold Do I understand it so as to be ever the better or it o have it
always ready or use so as to apply every rule o it when occasion is almost
as naturally as I turn my hand Do I understand it at all Can I reduce an
indirect mood to a direct a hypothetic to a categorical syllogism Rather have
not my stupid indolence and laziness made me very ready to believe what the
little wits and pretty gentlemen affirm ldquothat logic is good or nothingrdquo It is
good or this at least (wherever it is understood) to make people talk less by
showing them both what is and what is not to the point and how extremely
29Richard Swinburne Te Coherence of Teism 1048626nd ed (Oxord Oxord University Press 10486259830979830971048627)
p 98309530See eg Gregory o Nyssa Against Eunomius 10486259830921048626 Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers ed Philip
Schaff series 1048626 (10486259830969830961048630ndash1048625983096983096983097 repr Peabody MA Hendrickson 1048625983097983097983092) 983093983097983096-983097983097 (Patrologia
Graeca [= Patrologiae Cursus Completus Series Graeca] ed Jacques-Paul Migne [Paris 1048625983096983093983095ndash
10486259830969830961048630] 9830929830939830921048630983088-10486301048625)31John Wesley ldquoAddress to the Clergyrdquo in Te Works of John Wesley vol 1048625983088 Letters Essays Dialogs
and Addresses (Grand Rapids Zondervan nd) p 983092983096104862732Ibid
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8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullan-invitation-to-analytic-christian-theology-by-thomas-h-mccall-excerpt 2133
1048626983092 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
hard it is to prove anything Do I understand metaphysics i not the depths
o the Schoolmen the subtleties o Scotus or Aquinas yet the first rudiments
the general principles o that useul science983091983091
Consider urther what Wesley says about the importance o ldquotechnical
eruditionrdquo in theology Insisting on the importance o knowledge o the
scope o Christian Scripture as well as acility in the relevant ancient
languages he asks
Have I (1048625) such a knowledge o Scripture as becomes him who undertakes
so to explain it to others Have I a ull and clear view o the analogy o
aith which is the clue to guide me through the whole Am I acquainted with
the several parts o Scripture with all parts o the Old estament and the
New Upon the mention o any text do I know the context and the parallel
places Do I know the scope o each book and how every part tends
thereto Have I the skill to draw the natural inerences deducible rom each
text (1048626) Do I understand Greek and Hebrew Otherwise am I not at
the mercy o everyone who does understand or pretends to understand the
original For which way can I conute his pretence Do I understand the lan-
guage o the Old estament Critically At all Can I read into English one o
Davidrsquos Psalms or even the first chapter o Genesis Do I understand the
language o the New estament Am I a critical master o it Have I enough
o it even to read into English the first chapter o St Luke I not how many
years did I spend at school How many at university And what was I doing
all those years9830911048628
Wesley says similar things about the indispensability o knowledge o
the Christian tradition But the basic point should be clear important
elements o what we now call ldquoanalytic theologyrdquo have deep roots in the
broad Christian theological tradition Indeed or an evangelist like John
Wesley this is simply the kind o theology that any Christian minister
should be doing
W983144983137983156 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 T983144983141983151983148983151983143983161 I983155983150rsquo983156 M983145983155983157983150983140983141983154983155983156983137983150983140983145983150983143983155
983137983150983140 O983138983146983141983139983156983145983151983150983155
Many systematic theologians are suspicious o analytic theology Indeed
33Ibid pp 9830929830971048625-983097104862634Ibid pp 983092983097983088-9830971048625
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What Is Analytic heology 1048626983093
some are deeply suspicious Te concerns come rom several angles Here
are some o the most common9830911048629
ldquoAnalytic theology relies on a univocal account of religious languagerdquoSome theologians may worry that the current analytic discussions
proceed with an unrealistic and unhealthy naiveteacute regarding the nature
and unction o religious language For instance Stephen R Holmes
thinks that ldquoanalytic discussions o the rinity seem generally to proceed
with a remarkable confidence about the success o language in reerring
to the divinerdquo he thinks that the assumption o analytic theology ldquowould
always seem to be that language reers univocally to the divine and thecreatedrdquo Indeed he thinks that analytic theology would be ldquoimpossiblerdquo
without a commitment to univocity983091983094 More worrisome the concern may
be that analytic theologyrsquos commitment to univocity implicates it in
something that is (at least potentially) idolatrous9830911048631
A general treatment o religious language is beyond the scope o our
discussion but several observations may be helpul First it should be
noted that the case against univocity should not be merely assumed (asi some particular theological proposal could be damned by nothing
more than the charge o univocity) Nor is the case for univocity nearly
so weak as is ofen supposed o the contrary univocity has serious and
sophisticated deenders today and a case can be made that ldquothe doctrine
o univocity is true and salutaryrdquo9830911048632
Te second major point is perhaps more important or our purposes
It is this analytic theology as such requires no commitment to univocity
whatsoever Indeed many analytic theologians reject univocity in avor
35Tis section draws heavily rom my ldquoTeologians Philosophers and the Doctrine o the rinityrdquo
in McCall and Rea Philosophical and Teological Essays on the rinity pp 1048627983092983088-98309298309636Stephen R Holmes Te Quest for the rinity Te Doctrine of God in Scripture History and Mo-
dernity (Downers Grove IL IVP Academic 104862698308810486251048626) p 1048627104862637See eg Jean-Luc Marion God Without Being trans Tomas A Carlson (Chicago University
o Chicago Press 10486259830979830971048625) and John Milbank Te Word Made Strange (Oxord Blackwell 1048625983097983097983095)
See also the discussion in Daniel P Horan Postmodernity and Univocity A Critical Account of
Radical Orthodoxy and John Duns Scotus (Minneapolis Fortress 10486269830881048625983092)38Tomas Williams ldquoTe Doctrine o Univocity Is rue and Salutaryrdquo Modern Teology 10486261048625 (1048626983088983088983093)
983093983095983093-983096983093 See also William P Alston Divine Nature and Human Language Essays in Philosophical
Teology (Ithaca NY Cornell University Press 1048625983097983096983097) pp 1048625983095-10486251048625983095 and Keith E Yandell ldquoNot
Conusing Incomprehensibility and Ineffability Carl Henry on Literal Propositional Revela-
tionrdquo rinity Journal (10486269830881048625983092) 10486301048625-983095983092
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
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1048626983094 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
o other approaches (the doctrine o analogy being avored by many)
and at least one prominent philosopher o religion deends apophati-
cism9830911048633 Perhaps there is a general sense in which it is true that analytictheologians are naive about religious language Perhaps they aremdash
although I doubt this very much But even i it were true this would not
obviously make analytic theology different rom or inerior to many
other approaches to the theological task Te concernmdasheven i it were
substantiatedmdashwould give us no reason to avoid or dismiss analytic the-
ology It might give us reason to want to do it better it might motivate
analytic theologians to pay closer attention to important issues relatedto theological language But the concern itselmdasheven i substantiatedmdash
would not count against the proper exercise o analytic theology It is at
best a red herring
ldquoAnalytic theology is an exercise in natural theologyrdquo Some critics
might charge analytic theology with reliance on ldquonatural theologyrdquo Tis
observation will seem benign to other theologians some analytic theo-
logians might even take this judgment as a badge o honor But to thosetheologians o the house and lineage o Karl Barth this will be the mark
o damnation some may take natural theology to be ldquothe invention o
the Antichristrdquo as something that can serve only to reinorce idolatry
and corrupt the truth10486281048624 Other theologians might not be so hostile but
they still might worry that natural theology distracts us rom obedience
and fidelity to the reality o divine revelation So i analytic theology is
an exercise in natural theology or even relies on it it should be held at
armrsquos length i not shunned entirely
Much could be said about this cluster o issuesmdashand indeed more will
be said in the next chaptermdashbut at this point a basic conusion needs to
be cleared away Fundamentally it is simply a misunderstanding o ana-
lytic theology to think that it is an exercise in natural theology Granted
some prolific analytic theologians are heavily invested in the project o
natural theology and we can say with confidence that rumors o the
39Eg Jonathan D Jacobs ldquoTe Ineffable Inconceivable and Incomprehensible God Fundamen-
tality and Apophatic Teologyrdquo in Oxford Studies in Philosophy of Religion orthcoming40More precisely Barth says that the analogia entis (which interpreters ofen take to be the basis
o all natural theology) is the ldquoinvention o the Antichristrdquo Doctrine of the Word of God p xiii
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
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What Is Analytic heology 1048626983095
demise o natural theology have been greatly exaggerated1048628983089 But there is
nothing about analytic theology as suchmdashas I have described it to this
pointmdashthat relies on natural theology Te conusion o natural theologywith the analytic project is just thatmdasha conusion Whatever we should
think about natural theology philosophically however we judge the suc-
cesses (or lack thereo) o the various theistic arguments natural the-
ology simply cannot be equated with analytic theology And whatever
we should conclude theologically about natural theology we should not
conuse it with the analytic project Once again this is a red herring
ldquoAnalytic theology is naive with respect to the history of doctrinerdquoAnother concern expressed by some contemporary systematic theolo-
gians is this analytic theology all too ofen proceeds with little awareness
o the complex but important historical actors associated with the de-
velopment and ormation o Christian doctrine o understate the point
analytic theologians are sometimes criticized or their ignorance o the
history o the development o dogma and or their lack o careul study
to understand the particular intellectual (not to mention social) settingo the person(s) controversies or eras under consideration Instead so
the story goes it is all too common or analytic theologians to approach
an issue by isolating a particular text and then breaking it down to
unpack the real ldquocorerdquo o the doctrine in question And the assumption
o the analytic theologians (again so the story goes) is ofen enough that
this can be saely or appropriately done with little or no reerence to the
particular context in which the development occurred As Fred Sanders
expresses the concern ldquophilosophers sometimes seem to think o ancient
texts as cumbersome delivery systems containing ideas which it is their
job to extract rom the delivery system and do something withrdquo1048628983090 Richard
A Muller likewise argues that lack o attention to historical context
sometimes results in problematic misunderstandings o the tradition in
41Eg Richard Swinburne Te Coherence of Teism (Oxord Oxord University Press 1048625983097983095983095) and
Swinburne Te Existence of God (Oxord Oxord University Press 1048625983097983095983097 [1048626983088983088983092]) For examples
o recent work see Moreland and Craig Blackwell Companion to Natural Teology and James F
Sennett and Douglas Groothuis eds In Defense of Natural Teology A Post-Humean Assessment
(Downers Grove IL IVP Academic 1048626983088983088983093)42Fred Sanders ldquoTe State o the Doctrine o the rinity in Evangelical Teologyrdquo Southwestern
Journal of Teology 983092983095 (1048626983088983088983093) 10486251048630983097
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
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1048626983096 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
his view or instance both recent deenders and contemporary de-
tractors o the doctrine o divine simplicity commonly ldquomisinterpret the
traditional doctrinerdquo1048628983091 Robert W Jenson is more scathing he judges theanalytic enterprise to be ldquosomewhat oddly related to the Christian aith
it claims to deendrdquo and he calls the work o Richard Swinburne a ldquotruly
bizarre caserdquo10486281048628
At least this is how the story ofen goes A major underlying worry
seems to be that reading texts without proper attention to their social
location and intellectual context can cause us to misread and mis-
interpret those texts Tis strikes me as a legitimate concern and it is onethat analytic theologians would do well to hear and heed No one should
deny that it is possible to misread and misinterpret important historical
texts and it seems to me that such misreadings are ar more likely when
particular bits o the text are isolated and scrutinized apart rom the
broader literary and historical contexts Te temptation to look away
rom the context as an irrelevant distraction is real It should also be
resisted So the criticism contains an important cautionAt the same time however we should keep several additional points
in mind First the problem is not restricted to analytic theologiansmdash
constructive or systematic theologians o any stripe may be susceptible
to this temptation Indeed ironies abound on this ront Afer criticizing
analytic philosophers o religion or overlooking ldquothe essentially his-
torical character o trinitarian theologyrdquomdashand especially or missing the
important differences between the ldquoGreek (or lsquoCappadocianrsquo) Eastrdquo and
the ldquoLatin WestrdquomdashCatherine Mowry LaCugnarsquos own work has been
criticized or exaggerating those differences10486281048629 It is not as i more main-
stream nonanalytic or antianalytic theologians are immune to the temp-
tation instead so ar as I can see this is a general concern that should
serve as an important reminder that all theologians who engage with the
43Richard A Muller Post-Reformation Reformed Dogmatics Te Rise and Development of Reformed
Orthodoxy ca 1048625104862910486261048624ndashca 1048625104863110486261048629 vol 1048627 Te Divine Essence and Attributes (Grand Rapids Baker
Academic 10486269830889830881048627) p 983092104862544Robert W Jenson Systematic Teology vol 1048626 Te Works of God (Oxord Oxord University
Press 1048625983097983097983097) p 983096 n 104862798309345Catherine Mowry LaCugna ldquoPhilosophers and Teologians on the rinityrdquo Modern Teology 1048626
(10486259830979830961048630) 10486259830951048626
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
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What Is Analytic heology 1048626983097
Christian intellectual tradition should do so with appropriate historical
sensitivity Second there is nothingmdashat least so ar as I can seemdashthat
makes this temptation irresistible Te act that some analytic theolo-gians have been insufficiently attentive to some historical matters does
not entail either that all analytic theologians are ignorant o the tradition
or that all analytic theologians must proceed in ignorance I see no
reason to conclude that this problem must be either essential or endemic
to analytic theology Surely more progress can be made in this area but
I see no reasons to think that such progress cannot happen Finally it is
worth noting that such progress in act is being made Tere are manyhappy exceptions to the common stereotype that analytic theologians
are ldquoahistoricalrdquo in act it is sae to say that many excellent analytic
thinkers have genuine specialization in historical scholarship Indeed
many are cutting-edge contributors1048628983094
ldquoAnalytic theology is only apologetics for conservative theologyrdquo Al-
ternatively the suspicion may be that analytic theology is too closely tied
to the Christian tradition Te assumption here is that analytic theologyis nothing more than the bastion o traditionally minded Roman Catholic
(and Orthodox) theologians and philosophers along with their conser-
vative Protestant riends and the worry is that they are interested in
nothing more than finding a sae place to deend what they already know
to be true Consequently the worry goes there is next to nothing o real
interest here or revisionist theologians o various stripes and there is
little promise or genuinely constructive theology
wo observations are important here First in principle there is
nothing about analytic theology that demands either traditional sympa-
thies or conservative conclusions Neither is there anything about ana-
lytic theology (either taken along the lines o Rearsquos P1048625-P983093 or in a somewhat
more expansive way) that precludes the use o the analytic tools by say
eminist womanist or liberationist theologies
46Stellar examples include Richard Cross Duns Scotus on God (Aldershot UK Ashgate 1048626983088983088983093) Cross
Te Metaphysics of the Incarnation Tomas Aquinas to Duns Scotus (Oxord Oxord University
Press 10486269830889830881048626) Eleonore Stump Aquinas (New York Routledge 10486269830889830881048627) Jeffrey E Brower Aquinasrsquos
Ontology of the Material World Change Hylomorphism and Material Objects (Oxord Oxord
University Press 10486269830881048625983092) and J Paasch Divine Production in Late Medieval rinitarian Teology
Henry of Ghent Duns Scotus and William Ockham (Oxord Oxord University Press 104862698308810486251048626)
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
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983091983088 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
Second in point o act many criticisms o traditional doctrines
have emerged rom within analytic theology Consider this example It
is hard to think o a doctrine that is more deeply traditional or moredeeply woven into the abric o historic Christian theology than the
doctrine o divine simplicity Yet this venerable doctrine has endured
intense criticism rom analytic theologians over the past several de-
cades Alvin Plantingarsquos Does God Have a Nature raised ldquotwo diffi-
cultiesrdquo or the doctrine ldquoone substantial and the other truly
monumentalrdquo10486281048631 He argues that i God is identical with each o his
properties then God has but one property But this ldquoseems flatly in-compatible with the obvious act that God has several propertiesrdquo10486281048632 He
argues urther that i God is identical with each o his properties then
God is also a property ldquoTis view is subject to a difficulty both obvious
and overwhelming [or] i God is a property then he isnrsquot a person
but a mere abstract objectrdquo10486281048633 Many analytic theologians have joined
other criticisms to those o Plantinga and it is obvious that this doc-
trinemdashwoven deeply into the abric o traditional Christian doctrineas it ismdashis under assault rom within analytic theology We could mul-
tiply examples with ease (Te traditional doctrine o divine omni-
science stands out here) Tere are o course many sophisticated de-
enders o classical orthodoxy within analytic theology but the basic
point should be clear to reduce analytic theology to apologetics or
traditional doctrine is simply a mistake
As will become obvious in the ollowing pages I think that there is
much to be gained in the work o ldquoretrieval theologyrdquo and I see it as a
natural conversation partner and compatriot o analytic theology I want
to encourage more work at the intersection o analytic theology and
theologies o retrieval But there is nothing about analytic theology as
such that demands adherence to classical Christian theology
ldquoAnalytic theology relies on lsquosubstance metaphysicsrsquo rdquo Sometimes
theologians are suspicious o analytic theology due to its alleged reliance
on substance metaphysics Tis complaint can take various orms Some-
47Alvin Plantinga Does God Have a Nature (Milwaukee Marquette University Press 1048625983097983096983088) p 98309298309548Ibid49Ibid
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What Is Analytic heology 9830911048625
times it is claimed that the whole analytic enterprise is ldquopre-Kantianrdquo (as
in Kenneth Surinrsquos critique o David Brownrsquos work as being ldquorobustly
old-ashionedrdquo and ldquopre-Kantianrdquo)10486291048624 In other words critics complainthat analytic theology proceeds in blithemdashand perhaps willulmdashigno-
rance o the ldquoactrdquo that Kant undermined the entire project by destroying
the very possibility o doing it wo important claims seem to be in play
with this critique first that Kant did something to make analytic the-
ology impossible and second that analytic theologians are unaware o
what Kant did But both o these claims are problematic Te second is
simply mistaken and the first is vigorously contested As Nicholas Wolt-erstorff points out it is much more likely that the current generation o
analytic theologians is not so much ldquopre-Kantianrdquo as it is ldquopost-Kantianrdquo
As he puts it ldquoit really is possible to be post-Kantian Itrsquos possible to re-
cover rom Kant Te choices are not exhausted between being naively
pre-Kantian on the one hand and being a Kantian o one or another
stripe on the otherrdquo1048629983089 Tere are Wolterstorff argues philosophers who
are ully aware o Kantian ldquointerpretation-universalism and ully awareo [Kantian] metaphysical anti-realism but afer serious consideration
they have rejected these options as untenablerdquo1048629983090 So many analytic theo-
logians are well aware o Kantrsquos work (and the common claims made
about that work) but they donrsquot think that he did anything to shut down
the kind o work that they are doing As Plantinga puts it ldquothey have read
him and remain unconvincedrdquo1048629983091
But aside rom Kant analytic theology is sometimes criticized and
rejected or its reliance on ldquosubstance metaphysicsrdquo Unortunately ex-
actly what critical theologians have in their crosshairs when they talk
about substance metaphysics is ofen unclear and not closely defined
But very ofen the complaint is closely tied to a rejection o doctrines
50Kenneth Surin ldquoTe rinity and Philosophical Reflection A Study o David Brownrsquos Te Divine
rinity rdquo Modern Teology 1048626 (10486259830979830961048630) 10486261048627983097-98309298308851Nicholas Wolterstorff ldquoBetween the Pincers o Increased Diversity and Supposed Irrationalityrdquo
in God Philosophy and Academic Culture A Discussion Between Scholars in the AAR and APA
ed William J Wainwright (Atlanta Scholars Press 10486259830979830971048630) p 1048626983088 See also Wolterstorff ldquoIs It
Possible and Desirable or Teologians to Recover rom Kantrdquo Modern Teology 1048625983092 (1048625983097983097983096)
1048625-104862598309652Wolterstorff ldquoBetween the Pincersrdquo p 104862698308853Alvin Plantinga Warranted Christian Belief (Oxord Oxord University Press 1048626983088983088983088) p 1048627983088
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
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9830911048626 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
associated with ldquoclassical theismrdquo immutability impassibility time-
lessness and other doctrines are taken to be untenable and since they
are tied to substance metaphysics so much the worse or substancemetaphysics William P Alston defly analyzes this complaint and he
argues that substance metaphysics are really beside the point What he
says about substance metaphysics in discussions o the doctrine o the
rinity applies more broadly ldquoonce we get straight as to what is and is
not necessarily included in the metaphysics o substance we will see that
most twentieth-century objections to the use o substance metaphysics
are based on eatures o such ormulations that are not required bysubstance metaphysics as suchrdquo10486291048628 Perhaps there is something inherently
wrong with the use o substance metaphysics in theology and maybe this
counts against analytic theology But beore such a judgment can be
made we need more than the all-too-common generalizations and as-
sertions For beore we can conclude that analytic theology is atally
flawed due to a dependence on substance metaphysics we need to know
exactly what is meant by substance metaphysics we need to be shown just what is wrong (either philosophically or theologically) with sub-
stance metaphysics and we need to see that analytic theology really is (or
must be) committed to this kind o metaphysics Without the kind o
careul analysis and rigorous argumentation it is hard to see anything
here that might count as a orceul objection to analytic theology
ldquoAnalytic theology isnrsquot spiritually edifyingrdquo William Wood notes that
ldquomany conventional theologians remain deeply suspicious o analytic the-
ologyrdquo because o the worry that analytic theology is not spiritually edi-
ying As these theologians see matters ldquogenuine theology is in the first
instance practical aimed not at explanatory theories about God but at
ostering greater love or God and neighbor Genuine theology in short
is praxis one deeply woven together with a Christian lie o prayer virtue
and participation in the sacramentsrdquo10486291048629 Te basic concern is this when
more mainstream theologians look at analytic theology they donrsquot rec-
54William P Alston ldquoSubstance and the rinityrdquo in Te rinity An Interdisciplinary Symposium on
the rinity ed Stephen Davis Daniel Kendall SJ and Gerald OrsquoCollins SJ (Oxord Oxord
University Press 1048625983097983097983097) p 1048626983088104862555William Wood ldquoAnalytic Teology as a Way o Lierdquo Journal of Analytic Teology (10486269830881048625983092) 983092983092
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What Is Analytic heology 983091983091
ognize the kind o theology-as-praxis that they value Instead they see
purported explanatory theoriesmdashmere purported explanatory theories
Sometimes these explanations appear to be a very long way indeed romthe lie o aith Indeed they see ormulas such as this (selected pretty
much at random rom among many others)
P existx (Dx amp forally(Dy =gt Byx) amp x made us
Q existx(Dx amp forally(Dy =gt Byx ))1048629983094
When they encounter this kind o work some theologians donrsquot rec-
ognize it as theology at all I they are willing to recognize it as theology
they tend to worry that they donrsquot see the kind o theology that promotes
love o God and neighbor they are concerned that they donrsquot see the-
ology that is connected to the lie o aith As Wood puts it they worry
that ldquoanalytic theology is spiritually sterile and thereore not really a
orm o genuine theology at allrdquo10486291048631
I think this is an important point o criticism and it raises some very
intriguing concerns But as Wood also notes it would be a ldquomistake and
urthermore a presumptuous mistake to assume that analytic philo-
sophical theology cannot in principle be spiritually nourishingrdquo10486291048632 Tree
points stand out First it is important to realize that the temptation to
construct explanatory theories about God that are divorced rom worship
and transormation is both real and present It is also nearious10486291048633 Te
temptation besets theologians o all stripesmdashanalytic or otherwise I do
not think analytic theologians are the only theologians who ace this
temptation o the contrary idolatry is no respecter o ideologies Butsurely it is not invincible surelymdashby Godrsquos gracemdashit is not irresistible
As Wood reminds us ldquoGodrsquos love rains down on logicians too afer allrdquo9830941048624
Second there is good reason to think that analytic theology maymdash
contrary to common expectationsmdashturn out to be spiritually ediying
56Peter van Inwagen ldquoAnd Yet Tey Are Not Tree Gods but One Godrdquo in McCall and Rea
Philosophical and Teological Essays on the rinity pp 10486269830921048625 1048626983092104863057Wood ldquoAnalytic Teology as a Way o Lierdquo p 983092983092 See also Marilyn McCord Adams ldquoWhatrsquos
Wrong with the Ontotheological Errorrdquo Journal of Analytic Teology (10486269830881048625983092) 1048625-1048625104862658Wood ldquoAnalytic Teology as a Way o Lierdquo p 983092104863059See the warnings o Merold Westphal Suspicion and Faith Te Religious Uses of Modern Atheism
(New York Fordham University Press 1048625983097983097983096)60Wood ldquoAnalytic Teology as a Way o Lierdquo p 983092983095
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
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983091983092 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
Wood argues that analytic theology may be spiritually beneficial in
several ways He suggests that the ldquoconcentrated attention required to
read understand and develop very technical analytic argumentsrdquo maybe conducive to the kinds o intellectual virtues and habits o mind that
are spiritually beneficial983094983089 In addition he notes the ldquoargumentative
transparencyrdquo (what he terms the ldquoparadigmatic analytic virtuerdquo) may be
helpul in spiritual ormation983094983090 Wood readily admits that this tendency
toward argumentative rigor can also eed a orm o pride or even ldquointel-
lectual violencerdquo but he also points out that to make a ldquogood analytic
argument is to make that argument maximally easy or intellectual op-ponents to criticize or reuterdquo and this very transparency makes it much
harder to shield onesel rom criticisms but instead is a way to ldquomake
onesel intellectually vulnerablerdquo In this way it serves as a ldquocheck against
intellectual priderdquo983094983091 Moreover the pace demanded by such rigor and the
modesty o the claims that are rendered deensible have the potential to
cultivate epistemic humility Furthermore another important eature o
the analytic approach is the need to ldquoidentiy imaginatively with onersquosintellectual opponentsrdquo this also as Wood points out orces us to inhabit
a worldview that is not only oreign to our own but also sometimes
hostile In these ways Wood argues ldquoanalytic theology can become a
spiritual practice a way o seeking God and o training the mind and
the will to be open to gracerdquo9830941048628
Finally we should not neglect to notice those shining examples o
theologians or whom analytic theology indeed is closely related to
worship and spiritual nurture Indeed it would be hard not to notice
them or the tradition is rie with such theologians A great many pa-
tristic and most scholastic (both medieval and early modern) theolo-
gians count as ldquoanalytic theologiansrdquo For surely they fit our profile o
theologians who prize ldquoconceptual precision rigor o argumentation
technical erudition and an in-depth deense o an original worldviewrdquo
(and who would in many instances value P1048625-P983093) As an example con-
61Ibid p 98309398309362Ibid p 983093104863063Ibid64Ibid p 983093983096
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What Is Analytic heology 983091983093
sider Anselmrsquos Proslogion It is obvious that Anselm values precision and
rigor and he clearly intends to convey truth claims that he finds con-
vincing But as both Wood and Marilyn McCord Adams point out thiswork is ldquomeant to do more than communicate propositional truthsrdquo or
ldquoit is meant to help reorient the wills o its readers and help bring about
effective and volitional change in themrdquo9830941048629 Despite important differences
o style and substance we could say much the same about many other
figures (both well known and less so) as well it is very difficult to read
ar into Bonaventure Richard o St Victor Aquinas Scotus Vermigli
Perkins Arminius urretin Edwards Wesley and many others withoutunderstanding that they are obviously concerned with both intellectual
rigor and spiritual ormation
65Ibid p 983093983088 See also Marilyn McCord Adams ldquoPraying the Proslogionrdquo in Te Rationality of
Belief and the Plurality of Faith ed Tomas Senor (Ithaca NY Cornell University Press 1048625983097983097983093)
pp 10486251048627-1048627983097 and Adams ldquoElegant Necessity Prayerul Disputation Method in Cur Deus Homordquo
in Studia Anselmiana Cur Deus Homo (Rome 1048625983097983097983097) pp 10486271048630983095-9830971048630
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8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullan-invitation-to-analytic-christian-theology-by-thomas-h-mccall-excerpt 733
1048625983088 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
calling the discipline to a deeper engagement with the traditional re-
sources o the theological task
I come to the work o analytic theology as someone who is by trainingand by vocation a theologian Tus I am especially grateul or the pa-
tience and graciousness o those riends and colleagues who have
genuine expertise in epistemology metaphysics and philosophy o re-
ligion (as well as the history o philosophy) I am deeply indebted to you
or whatever abilities I have as an analytic theologian and I am truly
grateul or your collegiality and encouragement I am also thankul or
those ellow theologians who have taken up the mantle o analytic the-ology and I am grateul as well to those who led the way by actually
doing it beore it was ever called by that name Oliver Crisp Mike Rea
and Billy Abraham read the manuscript and offered very helpul critique
and encouragement and the book is much improved as a result (All
remaining aults are o course entirely mine)
In addition I am grateul or the community o saints and scholars
who surround me at rinity Evangelical Divinity School (and especiallythe members o the Deerfield Dialogue Group who read part o the
manuscript) and I am indebted as well to the administration and the
board o regents or a sabbatical in the all o 10486269830881048625983092
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983089
What Is Analytic Theology
Fear of scholasticism is the mark of the false prophet
K983137983154983148 B983137983154983156983144
A B983154983145983141983142 H983145983155983156983151983154983161 983151983142 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 T983144983141983151983148983151983143983161Where we were Te revival of philosophy of religion For a good deal
o the twentieth century academic philosophymdashespecially Anglo-
American ldquoanalyticrdquo philosophymdashwas ofen taken to be hostile to tradi-
tional theistic belie in general and perhaps especially so to Christian
belie983089 Logical positivism insisted that theological claims were not only
alse but indeed meaningless and many philosophers ound it difficult
even to take theology seriously Te conclusions o A J Ayer are bothrepresentative and influential He claims that the very ldquopossibility o re-
ligious knowledgerdquo has been ldquoruled out by our treatment o metaphysicsrdquo983090
I the ldquocriterion o verifiabilityrdquo eliminates metaphysics and i theology
is only a subcategory o metaphysics then theology is obviously elimi-
natedmdashthe very possibility has been ruled out and all God-talk is literally
Epigraph Karl Barth Church Dogmatics vol I1048625 Te Doctrine of the Word of God ed F
orrance trans Geoffrey Bromiley (Edinburgh amp Clark 1048625983097983095983093) p 10486269830959830971I realize that (at least on some understandings o the term) the story o analytic theology ar
predates the modern era and indeed has ar more in common with scholasticism than it does
with either twentieth-century philosophy or modern theology More on this anon2Alred Jules Ayer Language ruth and Logic (New York Dover 10486259830979830931048626) p 10486251048625983092
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10486251048626 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
nonsensical983091 Hud Hudson says ldquoInormed that questions about the ex-
istence nature and significance o the deity were hereafer to be engaged
exclusively under the guidance o linguistic analyses o religious lan-guage and menaced with (inexplicably popular) verificationist theories
o meaning theologians were told by analytic philosophers that they had
not even achieved the minimal distinction o saying anything alse or
they had not managed to say anything at allrdquo1048628
Te response o many theologians in the late modern era to the develop-
ments in mainstream philosophy in Anglo-American circles was under-
standable they largely ignored the work o these philosophers andlooked elsewhere or intellectual resources and conversation partners
Some sought reuge in ldquoContinentalrdquo philosophy while others decried
any engagement between philosophy and theology
But the second hal o the twentieth century witnessed some re-
markable changes As Hudson notes ldquoTis most unortunate moment in
the history o analytic philosophy was merciully temporary as was its
slavish devotion to linguistic analyses verificationism and all the un-ounded suspicion o metaphysics ethics and religion that ollowed in its
wakerdquo1048629 Logical positivism couldnrsquot bear its own weight and Ayerrsquos con-
fident pronouncements are now valued more as a quaint museum artiact
o philosophical history (ldquoLook kids isnrsquot it amazing that anyone ever
said thatmdashand especially that he seemed so cocksure about itrdquo) than as
a helpul repository o philosophical insight With the collapse o posi-
tivism came a rebirth o serious metaphysicsmdashand with that collapse and
the rebirth o metaphysics came a revival o philosophy o religion983094
Where philosophical consideration o theological issues had been deemed
an utter waste o time now it was seen as an interesting area o inquiry
Serious and sustained engagement with perennial issues o religious and
theological interest was happening again and many o the philosophers
3Ibid p 10486279830934Hud Hudson Te Fall and Hypertime (Oxord Oxord University Press 10486269830881048625983092) p 9830925Ibid p 9830936For a telling o this tale see Nicholas Wolterstorff ldquoHow Philosophical Teology Became Pos-
sible Within the Analytic radition o Philosophyrdquo in Analytic Teology New Essays in the Phi-
losophy of Teology ed Oliver D Crisp and Michael C Rea (Oxord Oxord University Press
1048626983088983088983097) pp 1048625983093983093-1048630983096
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What Is Analytic heology 1048625983091
engaged in this work weremdashand aremdashcommitted Christians
Not all philosophers rejoice at these developments but it is increas-
ingly hard or them not to notice them Quentin Smith describesmdashanddecriesmdashthis development
Te secularization o mainstream academia began to quickly unravel upon
the publication o Plantingarsquos influential book on realist theism God and
Other Minds in 1048625983097983094983095 It became apparent to the philosophical proession
that this book displayed that realist theists were not outmatched by natu-
ralists in terms o the most valued standards o academic philosophy con-
ceptual precision rigor o argumentation technical erudition and an in-depth deense o an original worldview Tis book ollowed seven years
later by Plantingarsquos even more impressive book Te Nature of Necessity
made it maniest that a realist theist was writing at the highest qualitative
level o analytic philosophy on the same playing field as Carnap Russell
Gruumlnbaum and other naturalists1048631
Smith in what basically amounts to something o an alarmist ldquocall to
armsrdquo to his ellow atheists concludes that ldquoGod is not lsquodeadrsquo in aca-demia he returned to lie in the late 1048625983097983094983088rsquos and is now alive and well in
his last academic stronghold philosophy departmentsrdquo1048632
While triumphalism on the part o Christian philosophers would be
both very premature and unseemly (they remain by all measures in the
substantial minority within academic philosophy) nonetheless Smith is
right that the situation is very different than it was only a ew decades
ago Te Society o Christian Philosophers ounded in 1048625983097983095983096 as a small
group o diverse scholars who were more unified by common interests
than by shared commitment to a particular creed now has in the neigh-
borhood o a thousand members Several journalsmdashnotably Faith and
Philosophy Philosophia Christi Religious Studies Sophia Philo and the
International Journal of Philosophy of Religionmdashare devoted to issues
broadly related to the study o the philosophy o religion and Christian
philosophers are very active in these and other venues At the same time
Christian philosophers are very active in other more ldquomainstreamrdquo areas
o contemporary philosophy important recent work in metaphysics and
7Quentin Smith ldquoTe Metaphilosophy o Naturalismrdquo Philo 983092 no 1048626 (10486269830889830881048625) 10486268Ibid p 1048627
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1048625983092 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
epistemology in particular has been influenced by philosophers with
religious interests and well-known Christian commitments
Not surprisingly the growth o Christian involvement in philosophyhas been accompanied by increased interest in issues o perennial
concern in philosophy o religion Work on such issues had never en-
tirely disappeared o course or prominent philosophers such as Basil
Mitchell Peter Geach Austin Farrer and others were making significant
contributions well beore the current renaissance o Christian philosophy
really took off1048633 However engagement has been growing at an astounding
rate Issues surrounding religious pluralism and exclusivism problemso evil (including not only the ldquologicalrdquo problem o evil but also ldquoevi-
dentialrdquo problems) religious epistemology religious experience mir-
acles theistic arguments (particularly various versions o ontological
cosmological teleological and moral arguments) and science and re-
ligion have been explored with impressive vigor and analyzed with or-
midable rigor9830891048624 Positions have been set out and explained attacked and
deended modified and surrendered Te work in philosophy o religionhas not been cordoned off rom other more ldquomainstreamrdquo philosophical
work o the contrary in many ways it has remained vitally engaged with
9Eg Basil Mitchell Te Justification of Religious Belief (Oxord Oxord University Press 10486259830979830961048625)
Mitchell Faith and Criticism (Oxord Oxord University Press 1048625983097983097983093) Mitchell Morality Reli-
gious and Secular Te Dilemma of the raditional Conscience (Oxord Oxord University Press
10486259830979830961048630) Peter Geach God and the Soul (South Bend IN St Augustinersquos Press 10486259830971048630983097) Geach
Providence and Evil (Cambridge Cambridge University Press 1048625983097983095983095) Geach Te Virtues (Cam-
bridge Cambridge University Press 1048625983097983095983095) Geach Logic Matters (Berkeley University o Cali-ornia Press 10486259830979830951048626) Austin Farrer Te Freedom of the Will (London Black 1048625983097983093983096) Farrer Love
Almighty and Ills Unlimited An Essay on Providence and Evil (London Collins 104862598309710486301048625) Farrer
Saving Belief A Study of Essentials (London Hodder amp Stoughton 10486259830971048630983092) Farrer Faith and Spec-
ulation An Essay in Philosophical Teology (London Black 10486259830971048630983095)10Te contentsmdashand perhaps the very existencemdasho the numerous and massive ldquohandbooksrdquo and
ldquocompanionsrdquo to philosophy o religion bear weighty testimony to this act See eg William J
Wainwright ed Te Oxford Handbook of Philosophy of Religion (New York Oxord University
Press 1048626983088983088983093) Philip L Quinn and Charles aliaerro eds A Companion to Philosophy of Religion
(Oxord Blackwell 1048625983097983097983095) William E Mann ed Te Blackwell Guide to the Philosophy of Religion
(Oxord Blackwell 1048626983088983088983093) Michael L Peterson and Raymond J VanArragon eds Contemporary
Debates in Philosophy of Religion (Oxord Blackwell 1048626983088983088983092) J P Moreland and William Lane
Craig eds Te Blackwell Companion to Natural Teology (Oxord Blackwell 1048626983088983088983097) Justin Mc-
Brayer and Daniel Howard-Snyder eds Te Blackwell Companion to the Problem of Evil (Oxord
Blackwell 104862698308810486251048627) Chad Meister and Paul Copan eds Te Routledge Companion to Philosophy of
Religion 1048626nd ed (New York Routledge 104862698308810486251048627) See also the impressive series Oxord Studies in
Philosophy o Religion edited by Jon Kvanvig
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What Is Analytic heology 1048625983093
cutting-edge work in epistemology ethics and metaphysics to use the
latter as an example rom Alvin Plantingarsquos early work Te Nature of
Necessity to Brian Lefowrsquos recent contributions in God and Necessity important work in the metaphysics o modality has been deeplymdashand
some might say ldquoessentiallyrdquomdashconnected to philosophy o religion983089983089
Judging rom the interest and output analytic philosophy o religion is
not only alive and well but indeed healthy and robust
How we got here From philosophy of religion to philosophical the-
ology But or all the vigor and intellectual energy that is captured and
reflected in work on general or generic issues in philosophy o religion theinterests o Christian philosophers have not been limited to those issues
Instead Christian philosophers have been deeply interested in distinctly
Christian theological topics and they have devoted much energy to the
analysis and deense o Christian doctrine Te past ew decades have wit-
nessed important work on the doctrine o revelation (and divine speech)
the inspiration authority and interpretation o the Christian Scriptures
divine attributes (particularly simplicity necessity aseity omnipotenceomniscience eternity and reedom) divine action in creation providence
miraculous intervention theological anthropology original sin incar-
nation atonement resurrection and eschatology983089983090
Where we are Philosophical theology and analytic theology More
recently the term analytic theology has come into use Tere are o
course important orebears to this work David Kelsey Nicholas Wolt-
erstorff and others at Yale disparate figures such as William P Alston
Norman Kretzmann George Mavrodes Keith Yandell and others else-
where in the United States Paul Helm and Richard Swinburne in the
United Kingdom and Vincent Brummer and others o the Utrecht
11See Alvin Plantinga Te Nature of Necessity (Oxord Oxord University Press 1048625983097983095983092) and Brian
Lefow God and Necessity (Oxord Oxord University Press 104862698308810486251048626) See also the recent proposals
o Hugh J McCann Creation and the Sovereignty of God (Bloomington Indiana University Press
104862698308810486251048626)12Once again the prolieration o ldquoreadersrdquo ldquohandbooksrdquo and ldquocompanionsrdquo stands as evidence
o the breadth and depth o the work undertaken eg Oliver D Crisp ed A Reader in Contem-
porary Philosophical Teology (New York amp Clark 1048626983088983088983097) Michael C Rea ed Oxford Read-
ings in Philosophical Teology 1048626 vols (Oxord Oxord University Press 1048626983088983088983097) Tomas P Flint
and Michael C Rea eds Te Oxford Handbook of Philosophical Teology (Oxord Oxord Uni-
versity Press 1048626983088983088983097) Charles aliaerro and Chad Meister eds Te Cambridge Companion to
Christian Philosophical Teology (Cambridge Cambridge University Press 10486269830881048625983088)
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
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1048625983094 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
school o philosophical theology in the Netherlands Following trail-
blazers such as these and building on the recent renaissance o meta-
physics and philosophy o religion the analytic theology movement isnow growing Te publication o the volume Analytic Teology Essays
in the Philosophy of Teology edited by Oliver D Crisp and Michael C
Rea marked an important moment Te Analytic Teology Project
(sponsored and promoted by Notre Damersquos Center or Philosophy o
Religion as well the University o Innsbruck in Austria and the Shalem
Center in Jerusalem and unded by generous grants rom the John em-
pleton Foundation) with its annual Logos conerence and other activitiesthe launch o the Journal of Analytic Teology and the inauguration o
the book series Oxord Studies in Analytic Teology all lend support to
this growing movement
Te meaning o the term analytic theology can vary in common par-
lance and it is sae to say that there is no single decisively settled meaning
o the term when it is used as a label Still perhaps we can saely say that
what is common across the range o uses is this analytic theology sig-nifies a commitment to employ the conceptual tools o analytic phi-
losophy where those tools might be helpul in the work o constructive
Christian theology Scholars will naturally enough disagree among
themselves about just which o those tools are most helpul which
projects are best served by their use and other matters but on the whole
such a minimalist characterization seems sae enough William J
Abraham offers this helpul summary analytic theology ldquocan be useully
defined as ollows it is systematic theology attuned to the skills re-
sources and virtues o analytic philosophyrdquo983089983091 As such analytic theology
is a growing and energetic field at the intersections o philosophy o re-
ligion and systematic theology
W983144983137983156 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 T983144983141983151983148983151983143983161 I983155 (983151983154 S983144983151983157983148983140 B983141)
Such minimalist characterization while airly sae does not take us very
ar What more precisely is one doing when one does analytic theology
13William J Abraham ldquoSystematic Teology as Analytic Teologyrdquo in Analytic Teology New
Essays in the Philosophy of Teology ed Oliver D Crisp and Michael C Rea (Oxord Oxord
University Press 1048626983088983088983097) p 983093983092
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What Is Analytic heology 1048625983095
Just what is analytic theology Perhaps it will help first to consider what
is so analytic about analytic theology Following this we shall think
about how it is an exercise in theology Analytic theology as analytic theology As we have seen Quentin Smith
praises Plantingarsquos work or its excellence in ldquothe most valued standards o
analytic philosophy conceptual precision rigor o argumentation tech-
nical erudition and an in-depth deense o an original worldviewrdquo9830891048628 Oliver
D Crisp echoes this estimation o what counts as good work in analytic
philosophy he observes that analytic philosophy is characterized by ldquoa
logical rigour clarity and parsimony o expression coupled with attentionto a certain cluster o philosophical problemsrdquo9830891048629 Analytic theology is rel-
evantly similar he says or it ldquowill prize intellectual virtues like clarity
parsimony o expression and argumentative rigourrdquo983089983094 Michael C Rearsquos
description o analytic philosophy echoes these accounts in some ways
While recognizing that clear and sharp lines between ldquoanalyticrdquo and ldquonon-
analyticrdquo (or ldquoContinentalrdquo) philosophical approaches are neither easy to
come by nor perhaps really worth all the work he characterizes analyticapproaches to philosophy in terms o style and ambition9830891048631 Te ambitions
are generally ldquoto identiy the scope and limits o our powers to obtain
knowledge o the worldrdquo and ldquoto provide such true explanatory theories
as we can in areas o inquiry (metaphysics morals and the like) that all
outside the scope o the natural sciencesrdquo9830891048632 Rea characterizes the style as
including the ollowing prescriptions
P1048625 Write as i philosophical positions and conclusions can be adequately or-mulated in sentences that can be ormalized and logically manipulated
P1048626 Prioritize precision clarity and logical coherence
P983091 Avoid substantive (non-decorative) use o metaphor and other tropes
whose semantic content outstrips their propositional content
14Smith ldquoMetaphilosophyrdquo p 104862615Oliver D Crisp ldquoOn Analytic Teologyrdquo in Crisp and Rea Analytic Teology p 104862798309316Ibid pp 1048627983095-104862798309617Michael C Rea introduction to Crisp and Rea Analytic Teology pp 1048627-983092 See also Nick raka-
kis ldquoMeta-Philosophy o Religion Te Analytic-Continental Divide in Philosophy o Religionrdquo
Ars Disputandi 983095 (1048626983088983088983095) 1048625983095983097-1048626104862698308818Rea introduction p 983092
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1048625983096 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
P983092 Work as much as possible with well-understood primitive concepts and
concepts that can be analyzed in terms o those
P983093 reat conceptual analysis (insoar as possible) as a source o evidence9830891048633
Tis much at least is characteristic o analytic philosophy So what
about analytic theology As Rea sees things ldquoanalytic theology is just the
activity o approaching theological topics with the ambitions o an ana-
lytic philosopher and in a style that conorms to the prescriptions that
are distinctive o analytic philosophical discourse It will also involve
more or less pursuing those topics in a way that engages the literature
that is constitutive o the analytic tradition employing some o the tech-
nical jargon rom that tradition and so on But in the end it is the style
and ambitions that are most centralrdquo9830901048624
All this is helpul but perhaps a bit more explanation would be ben-
eficial Consider P1048625 Tis need not mean that all meaningul statements
in theology (or philosophy) need to be expressed ormally it should
not be taken to mean that every theological claim should be stated in
an apparatus with numbered propositions and a ormal structure
What it does mean however is that the deault setting or theologians
should be to communicate propositions that could be expressed this
way For as Rea says ldquoabsent special circumstancesrdquo things have ldquogone
very much amissrdquo i a view ldquois expressed in such a way that it has no
clear logical outcomesrdquo983090983089
Consider also P1048626 Tis need notmdashand should notmdashbe taken to mean
that logical precision and coherence are the only important criteria ora theologian and neither should it be taken to imply even that logical
precision and coherence are the most important criteria Te theologian
who is convinced that her first commitment is fidelity to the priority and
ultimacy o divine revelation should have no difficulty in assenting to P1048626
Neither urther should P1048626 be taken to imply that the same levels o
logical precision are possible with all theological topics nor yet that all
theological projects require the same levels o precision and argumentative
19Ibid pp 983093-104863020Ibid p 98309521Ibid p 983093 n 983093
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What Is Analytic heology 1048625983097
rigor Consider by way o example childrenrsquos catechetical literature
Surely this literature is theological but it neither can nor should attempt
to display the same level o logical precision or argumentative rigor assay advanced work in scholastic theology P1048626 does not clam that such
theological literature should do so or that all work in theology must
always do so
Neither should P1048626 be misunderstood with respect to claims about the
importance o ldquoclarityrdquo Rea notes that this claim can seem ironic ldquoin light
o the act that quite a lot o analytic philosophy [and we could add
some analytic theology] is very difficult even or specialists and totallyinaccessible to non-specialistsrdquo983090983090 But ldquoclearrdquo does not mean ldquoeasyrdquo In-
stead it expresses a commitment to the work o ldquospelling out hidden
assumptions scrupulously trying to lay bare whatever evidence one has
(or lacks) or the claims that one is making and on taking care to confine
onersquos vocabulary to ordinary language well-understood primitive con-
cepts and technical jargon definable in terms o theserdquo983090983091 Finally we
should note that P1048626 does not imply that everything (or everything worthtalking about) in theology will become crystal clear Te goal o analytic
theology is not (or at least need not be) the removal o all mystery in
theology o the contrary analytic philosophers o religion have long
been keenly aware o the place o mystery in theology and it may be that
at certain points an important role o the theologian is to clariy just
where the mystery really lies P1048626 does not suggest that analytic theology
will make everything ldquoclearrdquo in the sense that it makes everything ldquoeasy
and readily accessible to the nonspecialistrdquo Instead what it prioritizes is
clarity to the appropriate audiences and to the greatest possible degree
And it insists that ldquomysteryrdquo must not be conused with logical inco-
herence and it likewise insists that we do not gloriy what is clearly in-
coherent with the shroud o ldquomysteryrdquo As Alan G Padgett says theology
should ldquoseek the truth about Godrdquo and ldquothereore must shun incoherence
and irrationalityrdquo9830901048628 Where ldquosometimes lsquomysteryrsquo is evoked as an excuse
22Ibid p 983093 n 104863023Ibid24Alan G Padgett ldquoTe rinity in Teology and Philosophy Why Jerusalem Should Work with
Athensrdquo in Philosophical and Teological Essays on the rinity ed Tomas McCall and Michael
C Rea (Oxord Oxord University Press 1048626983088983088983097) p 104862710486271048626
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
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1048626983088 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
or sloppy thinking this must be anathema to any academic theology
worthy o the namerdquo For ldquoafer all the mystery o God does not end
when theology speaks clearly Te simple phrase lsquoJesus loves me this Iknow or the Bible tells me sorsquo covers vast deep mysteries that even the
angels gaze into with awe and wonderrdquo9830901048629
P983091 rules out ldquosubstantive (non-decorative) use o metaphor and other
tropes whose semantic content outstrips their propositional contentrdquo
Tis does not or at least need not mean that there is no valid or valuable
place or metaphor in theology Analytic theologians will disagree among
themselves as to howmdashand how muchmdashmetaphor is useul and legiti-mate983090983094 But the basic point is airly plain on P983091 theologians are not at
liberty to trade loosely in metaphor without ever being able to speciy
just what is meant by those metaphors Tey are not then ree to make
claims the meaning o which cannot be specified or spelled out Teolo-
gians are not licensed to trade in what Randal Rauser calls ldquounclarifiable
unclarityrdquo9830901048631 P983092 calls the analytic theologian to work with ldquowell-understood
primitive conceptsrdquo that are reasonably taken to be basic intuitive or(minimally) uncontroversial (and with concepts that can be understood
in terms o such primitive concepts) Some theologians will be quick to
raise concerns here they will worry that the very notion o ldquowell-
understood primitive conceptsrdquo may both conceal blind spots o social
location and privilege and be a Procrustean bed that restricts theological
concepts to ldquowhat we already know to be truerdquo and thus curtails the
possibility o engagement with divine revelation But once again it is
important not to misunderstand P983092 Te ldquoas much as possiblerdquo is key
here i the preunderstood concepts donrsquot do enough work then some o
them can be adjusted Others wonrsquot be so easy to adjust or discard but
this category o primitive concepts is both quite small and very basic (eg
the law o noncontradiction) Simply put there is no good reason to
25Ibid26I thank Billy Abraham or pressing this point Te ldquostandardrdquo work on metaphor in theology
remains Janet Martin Soskice Metaphor and Religious Language (Oxord Oxord University
Press 1048625983097983096983095)27Randal Rauser ldquoTeology as a Bull Sessionrdquo in Crisp and Rea Analytic Teology pp 983095983092-983095983093 See
also Harry Frankurt On Bullshit (Princeton NJ Princeton University Press 1048626983088983088983093) and Frank-
urt Bullshit and Philosophy ed Gary L Hardcastle and George A Resich (Chicago Open
Court 1048626983088983088983093)
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
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What Is Analytic heology 10486261048625
think that the notion o ldquowell-understood primitive conceptsrdquo must
unction as a Procrustean bed
Finally Rea says that P983093 calls us to ldquotreat conceptual analysis (insoaras it is possible) as a source o evidencerdquo It should be obvious that he
does not say that conceptual analysis is the only source o evidence and
there is no reason to think that it should be taken this way Neither does
he claim that conceptual analysis is the primary or ultimate source o
evidence P983093 makes an important claim but it is a rather modest one
What it insists on is this i close conceptual analysis reveals that some
theological proposition P is say internally inconsistent then thatanalysis gives us all the evidence we need to reject P No matter how
grand the claims o Prsquo s supporters in deense o the supporting evidence
for it i P is incoherent (sel-reerentially or otherwise) then it is not true
Once we have established that P is incoherent (which is a task much
harder than is sometimes supposed) we have all the reason we need to
conclude that it is wrong In addition o course conceptual analysis
might count as evidence in other and more positive ways as well Con-sider perect being theology or example here theologians analyze ldquoper-
ectionrdquo and then take deliverances o that analysis as evidence in support
o their theological conclusions
Much more could be said about what makes analytic theology truly
analytic o course While this could be expanded on and broadened
(particularly in directions that put less o a premium on precision) Rearsquos
P1048625-P983093 give us an initial sense o what it means to say that theology is
analytic theology Generally speaking analytic theology is theology that
is attuned to and committed to the ldquogoals and ambitionsrdquo o analytic
philosophy a commitment to truth wherever it may be ound clarity o
expression and rigor o argumentation Very ofen it will not hesitate to
make appropriate use o the available tools o analytic philosophy espe-
cially as these aid conceptual precision and argumentative rigor
Analytic theology as analytic theology But i echoing Smith it is the
concern with ldquoconceptual precisionrdquo and ldquorigor o argumentationrdquo that
makes analytic theology analytic then what is it that makes analytic
theology really theology Tis book develops an answer to this question
but an initial summary may help Recall that Smith talks not only about
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10486261048626 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
ldquoconceptual precisionrdquo and ldquorigor o argumentationrdquo but also about ldquotech-
nical eruditionrdquo and the ldquoin-depth deense o an original worldviewrdquo For
the analytic philosopher ldquotechnical eruditionrdquo will naturally involvemastery o the requisite field (metaphysics philosophy o mind epis-
temology etc) but it may also include competence in other related
fields (biology or philosophy o biology neurology or philosophy o
mind etc) For the analytic theologian such erudition will include com-
petence in the relevant areas o philosophical study that are necessary or
ldquoconceptual precisionrdquo and ldquorigor o argumentationrdquo But or the analytic
theologian qua theologian it must involve much more than this Forunless analytic theology is merely ldquoarmchair theologyrdquo (albeit armchair
theology done by very bright people) it will be grounded in the
Christian Scriptures it will be inormed by the great tradition o doc-
trinal development it will be ldquochristologically normedrdquo and it will be
culturally engaged As theology it will seek to articulate what we may
know o God as God has revealed himsel to us As Nicholas Wolterstorff
puts it to theologiansDo not be ersatz philosophers do not be ersatz cultural theorists do not be
ersatz anything Be genuine theologians Be sure-ooted in philosophy But
then be theologians What we need to hear rom you is how things look
when seen in light o the triune Godmdashmay his name be praisedmdashwho creates
and sustains us who redeems us and who will bring this rail and allen
though yet glorious humanity and cosmos to consummation9830901048632
Accordingly analytic theology is theology done by theologians who areldquosure-ootedrdquo in philosophy (many o whom will have extensive training
and proessional expertise there and indeed may be leaders within their
field) but it is a kind o theology nonetheless
Such a conception o theology is o course not remotely new What
we may useully reer to as ldquoanalytic theologyrdquo is very similar in many
respects to deeply traditional ways o doing theology We can see this
kind o work exemplified in the theology o the scholastics (both me-dieval and post-Reormationearly modern) So in some sense the re-
28Nicholas Wolterstorff ldquoo Teologians From One Who Cares About Teology but Is Not One
o Yourdquo Teological Education (1048626983088983088983093) 9830971048625-9830971048626
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
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What Is Analytic heology 1048626983091
birth o analytic theology may be thought o as scholasticism redivivus
As Richard Swinburnemdashsurely a pioneer o analytic theologymdashsays
ldquolarge-scale theology needs clear and rigorous argumentrdquo and it is ldquohightime or theology to returnrdquo to the standards set by Tomas Aquinas
John Duns Scotus and others9830901048633 But it is not only the ldquohigh scholasticsrdquo
who worked this way or we can also witness many o these virtues in
theologians rom the patristics to the pietists9830911048624 Many theologians in the
Christian tradition were concerned with both ldquoconceptual precisionrdquo and
ldquoargumentative rigorrdquo as well as ldquotechnical eruditionrdquo and the ldquoin-depth
deense o an original worldviewrdquoConsider what John Wesleymdashan evangelist hardly known as a ldquoscho-
lasticrdquo or an ldquoanalytic theologianrdquomdashhas to say about the importance o
acquiring the tools or ldquoconceptual precisionrdquo and ldquoargumentative rigorrdquo
Logic he says is ldquonecessary next to and in order to the knowledge o
Scripturerdquo983091983089 Despite the act that it is ldquonow quite unashionablerdquo none-
theless logic is invaluable For with it we have the possibility o ldquoappre-
hending things clearly judging truly and reasoning conclusivelyrdquo
983091983090
Andas with logic so also with metaphysics Tus Wesley will ask o clergy
Am I a tolerable master o the sciences Have I gone through the very gate o
them logic I not I am not likely to go much urther when I stumble at the
threshold Do I understand it so as to be ever the better or it o have it
always ready or use so as to apply every rule o it when occasion is almost
as naturally as I turn my hand Do I understand it at all Can I reduce an
indirect mood to a direct a hypothetic to a categorical syllogism Rather have
not my stupid indolence and laziness made me very ready to believe what the
little wits and pretty gentlemen affirm ldquothat logic is good or nothingrdquo It is
good or this at least (wherever it is understood) to make people talk less by
showing them both what is and what is not to the point and how extremely
29Richard Swinburne Te Coherence of Teism 1048626nd ed (Oxord Oxord University Press 10486259830979830971048627)
p 98309530See eg Gregory o Nyssa Against Eunomius 10486259830921048626 Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers ed Philip
Schaff series 1048626 (10486259830969830961048630ndash1048625983096983096983097 repr Peabody MA Hendrickson 1048625983097983097983092) 983093983097983096-983097983097 (Patrologia
Graeca [= Patrologiae Cursus Completus Series Graeca] ed Jacques-Paul Migne [Paris 1048625983096983093983095ndash
10486259830969830961048630] 9830929830939830921048630983088-10486301048625)31John Wesley ldquoAddress to the Clergyrdquo in Te Works of John Wesley vol 1048625983088 Letters Essays Dialogs
and Addresses (Grand Rapids Zondervan nd) p 983092983096104862732Ibid
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8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
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1048626983092 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
hard it is to prove anything Do I understand metaphysics i not the depths
o the Schoolmen the subtleties o Scotus or Aquinas yet the first rudiments
the general principles o that useul science983091983091
Consider urther what Wesley says about the importance o ldquotechnical
eruditionrdquo in theology Insisting on the importance o knowledge o the
scope o Christian Scripture as well as acility in the relevant ancient
languages he asks
Have I (1048625) such a knowledge o Scripture as becomes him who undertakes
so to explain it to others Have I a ull and clear view o the analogy o
aith which is the clue to guide me through the whole Am I acquainted with
the several parts o Scripture with all parts o the Old estament and the
New Upon the mention o any text do I know the context and the parallel
places Do I know the scope o each book and how every part tends
thereto Have I the skill to draw the natural inerences deducible rom each
text (1048626) Do I understand Greek and Hebrew Otherwise am I not at
the mercy o everyone who does understand or pretends to understand the
original For which way can I conute his pretence Do I understand the lan-
guage o the Old estament Critically At all Can I read into English one o
Davidrsquos Psalms or even the first chapter o Genesis Do I understand the
language o the New estament Am I a critical master o it Have I enough
o it even to read into English the first chapter o St Luke I not how many
years did I spend at school How many at university And what was I doing
all those years9830911048628
Wesley says similar things about the indispensability o knowledge o
the Christian tradition But the basic point should be clear important
elements o what we now call ldquoanalytic theologyrdquo have deep roots in the
broad Christian theological tradition Indeed or an evangelist like John
Wesley this is simply the kind o theology that any Christian minister
should be doing
W983144983137983156 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 T983144983141983151983148983151983143983161 I983155983150rsquo983156 M983145983155983157983150983140983141983154983155983156983137983150983140983145983150983143983155
983137983150983140 O983138983146983141983139983156983145983151983150983155
Many systematic theologians are suspicious o analytic theology Indeed
33Ibid pp 9830929830971048625-983097104862634Ibid pp 983092983097983088-9830971048625
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What Is Analytic heology 1048626983093
some are deeply suspicious Te concerns come rom several angles Here
are some o the most common9830911048629
ldquoAnalytic theology relies on a univocal account of religious languagerdquoSome theologians may worry that the current analytic discussions
proceed with an unrealistic and unhealthy naiveteacute regarding the nature
and unction o religious language For instance Stephen R Holmes
thinks that ldquoanalytic discussions o the rinity seem generally to proceed
with a remarkable confidence about the success o language in reerring
to the divinerdquo he thinks that the assumption o analytic theology ldquowould
always seem to be that language reers univocally to the divine and thecreatedrdquo Indeed he thinks that analytic theology would be ldquoimpossiblerdquo
without a commitment to univocity983091983094 More worrisome the concern may
be that analytic theologyrsquos commitment to univocity implicates it in
something that is (at least potentially) idolatrous9830911048631
A general treatment o religious language is beyond the scope o our
discussion but several observations may be helpul First it should be
noted that the case against univocity should not be merely assumed (asi some particular theological proposal could be damned by nothing
more than the charge o univocity) Nor is the case for univocity nearly
so weak as is ofen supposed o the contrary univocity has serious and
sophisticated deenders today and a case can be made that ldquothe doctrine
o univocity is true and salutaryrdquo9830911048632
Te second major point is perhaps more important or our purposes
It is this analytic theology as such requires no commitment to univocity
whatsoever Indeed many analytic theologians reject univocity in avor
35Tis section draws heavily rom my ldquoTeologians Philosophers and the Doctrine o the rinityrdquo
in McCall and Rea Philosophical and Teological Essays on the rinity pp 1048627983092983088-98309298309636Stephen R Holmes Te Quest for the rinity Te Doctrine of God in Scripture History and Mo-
dernity (Downers Grove IL IVP Academic 104862698308810486251048626) p 1048627104862637See eg Jean-Luc Marion God Without Being trans Tomas A Carlson (Chicago University
o Chicago Press 10486259830979830971048625) and John Milbank Te Word Made Strange (Oxord Blackwell 1048625983097983097983095)
See also the discussion in Daniel P Horan Postmodernity and Univocity A Critical Account of
Radical Orthodoxy and John Duns Scotus (Minneapolis Fortress 10486269830881048625983092)38Tomas Williams ldquoTe Doctrine o Univocity Is rue and Salutaryrdquo Modern Teology 10486261048625 (1048626983088983088983093)
983093983095983093-983096983093 See also William P Alston Divine Nature and Human Language Essays in Philosophical
Teology (Ithaca NY Cornell University Press 1048625983097983096983097) pp 1048625983095-10486251048625983095 and Keith E Yandell ldquoNot
Conusing Incomprehensibility and Ineffability Carl Henry on Literal Propositional Revela-
tionrdquo rinity Journal (10486269830881048625983092) 10486301048625-983095983092
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
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1048626983094 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
o other approaches (the doctrine o analogy being avored by many)
and at least one prominent philosopher o religion deends apophati-
cism9830911048633 Perhaps there is a general sense in which it is true that analytictheologians are naive about religious language Perhaps they aremdash
although I doubt this very much But even i it were true this would not
obviously make analytic theology different rom or inerior to many
other approaches to the theological task Te concernmdasheven i it were
substantiatedmdashwould give us no reason to avoid or dismiss analytic the-
ology It might give us reason to want to do it better it might motivate
analytic theologians to pay closer attention to important issues relatedto theological language But the concern itselmdasheven i substantiatedmdash
would not count against the proper exercise o analytic theology It is at
best a red herring
ldquoAnalytic theology is an exercise in natural theologyrdquo Some critics
might charge analytic theology with reliance on ldquonatural theologyrdquo Tis
observation will seem benign to other theologians some analytic theo-
logians might even take this judgment as a badge o honor But to thosetheologians o the house and lineage o Karl Barth this will be the mark
o damnation some may take natural theology to be ldquothe invention o
the Antichristrdquo as something that can serve only to reinorce idolatry
and corrupt the truth10486281048624 Other theologians might not be so hostile but
they still might worry that natural theology distracts us rom obedience
and fidelity to the reality o divine revelation So i analytic theology is
an exercise in natural theology or even relies on it it should be held at
armrsquos length i not shunned entirely
Much could be said about this cluster o issuesmdashand indeed more will
be said in the next chaptermdashbut at this point a basic conusion needs to
be cleared away Fundamentally it is simply a misunderstanding o ana-
lytic theology to think that it is an exercise in natural theology Granted
some prolific analytic theologians are heavily invested in the project o
natural theology and we can say with confidence that rumors o the
39Eg Jonathan D Jacobs ldquoTe Ineffable Inconceivable and Incomprehensible God Fundamen-
tality and Apophatic Teologyrdquo in Oxford Studies in Philosophy of Religion orthcoming40More precisely Barth says that the analogia entis (which interpreters ofen take to be the basis
o all natural theology) is the ldquoinvention o the Antichristrdquo Doctrine of the Word of God p xiii
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What Is Analytic heology 1048626983095
demise o natural theology have been greatly exaggerated1048628983089 But there is
nothing about analytic theology as suchmdashas I have described it to this
pointmdashthat relies on natural theology Te conusion o natural theologywith the analytic project is just thatmdasha conusion Whatever we should
think about natural theology philosophically however we judge the suc-
cesses (or lack thereo) o the various theistic arguments natural the-
ology simply cannot be equated with analytic theology And whatever
we should conclude theologically about natural theology we should not
conuse it with the analytic project Once again this is a red herring
ldquoAnalytic theology is naive with respect to the history of doctrinerdquoAnother concern expressed by some contemporary systematic theolo-
gians is this analytic theology all too ofen proceeds with little awareness
o the complex but important historical actors associated with the de-
velopment and ormation o Christian doctrine o understate the point
analytic theologians are sometimes criticized or their ignorance o the
history o the development o dogma and or their lack o careul study
to understand the particular intellectual (not to mention social) settingo the person(s) controversies or eras under consideration Instead so
the story goes it is all too common or analytic theologians to approach
an issue by isolating a particular text and then breaking it down to
unpack the real ldquocorerdquo o the doctrine in question And the assumption
o the analytic theologians (again so the story goes) is ofen enough that
this can be saely or appropriately done with little or no reerence to the
particular context in which the development occurred As Fred Sanders
expresses the concern ldquophilosophers sometimes seem to think o ancient
texts as cumbersome delivery systems containing ideas which it is their
job to extract rom the delivery system and do something withrdquo1048628983090 Richard
A Muller likewise argues that lack o attention to historical context
sometimes results in problematic misunderstandings o the tradition in
41Eg Richard Swinburne Te Coherence of Teism (Oxord Oxord University Press 1048625983097983095983095) and
Swinburne Te Existence of God (Oxord Oxord University Press 1048625983097983095983097 [1048626983088983088983092]) For examples
o recent work see Moreland and Craig Blackwell Companion to Natural Teology and James F
Sennett and Douglas Groothuis eds In Defense of Natural Teology A Post-Humean Assessment
(Downers Grove IL IVP Academic 1048626983088983088983093)42Fred Sanders ldquoTe State o the Doctrine o the rinity in Evangelical Teologyrdquo Southwestern
Journal of Teology 983092983095 (1048626983088983088983093) 10486251048630983097
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
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1048626983096 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
his view or instance both recent deenders and contemporary de-
tractors o the doctrine o divine simplicity commonly ldquomisinterpret the
traditional doctrinerdquo1048628983091 Robert W Jenson is more scathing he judges theanalytic enterprise to be ldquosomewhat oddly related to the Christian aith
it claims to deendrdquo and he calls the work o Richard Swinburne a ldquotruly
bizarre caserdquo10486281048628
At least this is how the story ofen goes A major underlying worry
seems to be that reading texts without proper attention to their social
location and intellectual context can cause us to misread and mis-
interpret those texts Tis strikes me as a legitimate concern and it is onethat analytic theologians would do well to hear and heed No one should
deny that it is possible to misread and misinterpret important historical
texts and it seems to me that such misreadings are ar more likely when
particular bits o the text are isolated and scrutinized apart rom the
broader literary and historical contexts Te temptation to look away
rom the context as an irrelevant distraction is real It should also be
resisted So the criticism contains an important cautionAt the same time however we should keep several additional points
in mind First the problem is not restricted to analytic theologiansmdash
constructive or systematic theologians o any stripe may be susceptible
to this temptation Indeed ironies abound on this ront Afer criticizing
analytic philosophers o religion or overlooking ldquothe essentially his-
torical character o trinitarian theologyrdquomdashand especially or missing the
important differences between the ldquoGreek (or lsquoCappadocianrsquo) Eastrdquo and
the ldquoLatin WestrdquomdashCatherine Mowry LaCugnarsquos own work has been
criticized or exaggerating those differences10486281048629 It is not as i more main-
stream nonanalytic or antianalytic theologians are immune to the temp-
tation instead so ar as I can see this is a general concern that should
serve as an important reminder that all theologians who engage with the
43Richard A Muller Post-Reformation Reformed Dogmatics Te Rise and Development of Reformed
Orthodoxy ca 1048625104862910486261048624ndashca 1048625104863110486261048629 vol 1048627 Te Divine Essence and Attributes (Grand Rapids Baker
Academic 10486269830889830881048627) p 983092104862544Robert W Jenson Systematic Teology vol 1048626 Te Works of God (Oxord Oxord University
Press 1048625983097983097983097) p 983096 n 104862798309345Catherine Mowry LaCugna ldquoPhilosophers and Teologians on the rinityrdquo Modern Teology 1048626
(10486259830979830961048630) 10486259830951048626
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What Is Analytic heology 1048626983097
Christian intellectual tradition should do so with appropriate historical
sensitivity Second there is nothingmdashat least so ar as I can seemdashthat
makes this temptation irresistible Te act that some analytic theolo-gians have been insufficiently attentive to some historical matters does
not entail either that all analytic theologians are ignorant o the tradition
or that all analytic theologians must proceed in ignorance I see no
reason to conclude that this problem must be either essential or endemic
to analytic theology Surely more progress can be made in this area but
I see no reasons to think that such progress cannot happen Finally it is
worth noting that such progress in act is being made Tere are manyhappy exceptions to the common stereotype that analytic theologians
are ldquoahistoricalrdquo in act it is sae to say that many excellent analytic
thinkers have genuine specialization in historical scholarship Indeed
many are cutting-edge contributors1048628983094
ldquoAnalytic theology is only apologetics for conservative theologyrdquo Al-
ternatively the suspicion may be that analytic theology is too closely tied
to the Christian tradition Te assumption here is that analytic theologyis nothing more than the bastion o traditionally minded Roman Catholic
(and Orthodox) theologians and philosophers along with their conser-
vative Protestant riends and the worry is that they are interested in
nothing more than finding a sae place to deend what they already know
to be true Consequently the worry goes there is next to nothing o real
interest here or revisionist theologians o various stripes and there is
little promise or genuinely constructive theology
wo observations are important here First in principle there is
nothing about analytic theology that demands either traditional sympa-
thies or conservative conclusions Neither is there anything about ana-
lytic theology (either taken along the lines o Rearsquos P1048625-P983093 or in a somewhat
more expansive way) that precludes the use o the analytic tools by say
eminist womanist or liberationist theologies
46Stellar examples include Richard Cross Duns Scotus on God (Aldershot UK Ashgate 1048626983088983088983093) Cross
Te Metaphysics of the Incarnation Tomas Aquinas to Duns Scotus (Oxord Oxord University
Press 10486269830889830881048626) Eleonore Stump Aquinas (New York Routledge 10486269830889830881048627) Jeffrey E Brower Aquinasrsquos
Ontology of the Material World Change Hylomorphism and Material Objects (Oxord Oxord
University Press 10486269830881048625983092) and J Paasch Divine Production in Late Medieval rinitarian Teology
Henry of Ghent Duns Scotus and William Ockham (Oxord Oxord University Press 104862698308810486251048626)
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
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983091983088 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
Second in point o act many criticisms o traditional doctrines
have emerged rom within analytic theology Consider this example It
is hard to think o a doctrine that is more deeply traditional or moredeeply woven into the abric o historic Christian theology than the
doctrine o divine simplicity Yet this venerable doctrine has endured
intense criticism rom analytic theologians over the past several de-
cades Alvin Plantingarsquos Does God Have a Nature raised ldquotwo diffi-
cultiesrdquo or the doctrine ldquoone substantial and the other truly
monumentalrdquo10486281048631 He argues that i God is identical with each o his
properties then God has but one property But this ldquoseems flatly in-compatible with the obvious act that God has several propertiesrdquo10486281048632 He
argues urther that i God is identical with each o his properties then
God is also a property ldquoTis view is subject to a difficulty both obvious
and overwhelming [or] i God is a property then he isnrsquot a person
but a mere abstract objectrdquo10486281048633 Many analytic theologians have joined
other criticisms to those o Plantinga and it is obvious that this doc-
trinemdashwoven deeply into the abric o traditional Christian doctrineas it ismdashis under assault rom within analytic theology We could mul-
tiply examples with ease (Te traditional doctrine o divine omni-
science stands out here) Tere are o course many sophisticated de-
enders o classical orthodoxy within analytic theology but the basic
point should be clear to reduce analytic theology to apologetics or
traditional doctrine is simply a mistake
As will become obvious in the ollowing pages I think that there is
much to be gained in the work o ldquoretrieval theologyrdquo and I see it as a
natural conversation partner and compatriot o analytic theology I want
to encourage more work at the intersection o analytic theology and
theologies o retrieval But there is nothing about analytic theology as
such that demands adherence to classical Christian theology
ldquoAnalytic theology relies on lsquosubstance metaphysicsrsquo rdquo Sometimes
theologians are suspicious o analytic theology due to its alleged reliance
on substance metaphysics Tis complaint can take various orms Some-
47Alvin Plantinga Does God Have a Nature (Milwaukee Marquette University Press 1048625983097983096983088) p 98309298309548Ibid49Ibid
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8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
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What Is Analytic heology 9830911048625
times it is claimed that the whole analytic enterprise is ldquopre-Kantianrdquo (as
in Kenneth Surinrsquos critique o David Brownrsquos work as being ldquorobustly
old-ashionedrdquo and ldquopre-Kantianrdquo)10486291048624 In other words critics complainthat analytic theology proceeds in blithemdashand perhaps willulmdashigno-
rance o the ldquoactrdquo that Kant undermined the entire project by destroying
the very possibility o doing it wo important claims seem to be in play
with this critique first that Kant did something to make analytic the-
ology impossible and second that analytic theologians are unaware o
what Kant did But both o these claims are problematic Te second is
simply mistaken and the first is vigorously contested As Nicholas Wolt-erstorff points out it is much more likely that the current generation o
analytic theologians is not so much ldquopre-Kantianrdquo as it is ldquopost-Kantianrdquo
As he puts it ldquoit really is possible to be post-Kantian Itrsquos possible to re-
cover rom Kant Te choices are not exhausted between being naively
pre-Kantian on the one hand and being a Kantian o one or another
stripe on the otherrdquo1048629983089 Tere are Wolterstorff argues philosophers who
are ully aware o Kantian ldquointerpretation-universalism and ully awareo [Kantian] metaphysical anti-realism but afer serious consideration
they have rejected these options as untenablerdquo1048629983090 So many analytic theo-
logians are well aware o Kantrsquos work (and the common claims made
about that work) but they donrsquot think that he did anything to shut down
the kind o work that they are doing As Plantinga puts it ldquothey have read
him and remain unconvincedrdquo1048629983091
But aside rom Kant analytic theology is sometimes criticized and
rejected or its reliance on ldquosubstance metaphysicsrdquo Unortunately ex-
actly what critical theologians have in their crosshairs when they talk
about substance metaphysics is ofen unclear and not closely defined
But very ofen the complaint is closely tied to a rejection o doctrines
50Kenneth Surin ldquoTe rinity and Philosophical Reflection A Study o David Brownrsquos Te Divine
rinity rdquo Modern Teology 1048626 (10486259830979830961048630) 10486261048627983097-98309298308851Nicholas Wolterstorff ldquoBetween the Pincers o Increased Diversity and Supposed Irrationalityrdquo
in God Philosophy and Academic Culture A Discussion Between Scholars in the AAR and APA
ed William J Wainwright (Atlanta Scholars Press 10486259830979830971048630) p 1048626983088 See also Wolterstorff ldquoIs It
Possible and Desirable or Teologians to Recover rom Kantrdquo Modern Teology 1048625983092 (1048625983097983097983096)
1048625-104862598309652Wolterstorff ldquoBetween the Pincersrdquo p 104862698308853Alvin Plantinga Warranted Christian Belief (Oxord Oxord University Press 1048626983088983088983088) p 1048627983088
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
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9830911048626 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
associated with ldquoclassical theismrdquo immutability impassibility time-
lessness and other doctrines are taken to be untenable and since they
are tied to substance metaphysics so much the worse or substancemetaphysics William P Alston defly analyzes this complaint and he
argues that substance metaphysics are really beside the point What he
says about substance metaphysics in discussions o the doctrine o the
rinity applies more broadly ldquoonce we get straight as to what is and is
not necessarily included in the metaphysics o substance we will see that
most twentieth-century objections to the use o substance metaphysics
are based on eatures o such ormulations that are not required bysubstance metaphysics as suchrdquo10486291048628 Perhaps there is something inherently
wrong with the use o substance metaphysics in theology and maybe this
counts against analytic theology But beore such a judgment can be
made we need more than the all-too-common generalizations and as-
sertions For beore we can conclude that analytic theology is atally
flawed due to a dependence on substance metaphysics we need to know
exactly what is meant by substance metaphysics we need to be shown just what is wrong (either philosophically or theologically) with sub-
stance metaphysics and we need to see that analytic theology really is (or
must be) committed to this kind o metaphysics Without the kind o
careul analysis and rigorous argumentation it is hard to see anything
here that might count as a orceul objection to analytic theology
ldquoAnalytic theology isnrsquot spiritually edifyingrdquo William Wood notes that
ldquomany conventional theologians remain deeply suspicious o analytic the-
ologyrdquo because o the worry that analytic theology is not spiritually edi-
ying As these theologians see matters ldquogenuine theology is in the first
instance practical aimed not at explanatory theories about God but at
ostering greater love or God and neighbor Genuine theology in short
is praxis one deeply woven together with a Christian lie o prayer virtue
and participation in the sacramentsrdquo10486291048629 Te basic concern is this when
more mainstream theologians look at analytic theology they donrsquot rec-
54William P Alston ldquoSubstance and the rinityrdquo in Te rinity An Interdisciplinary Symposium on
the rinity ed Stephen Davis Daniel Kendall SJ and Gerald OrsquoCollins SJ (Oxord Oxord
University Press 1048625983097983097983097) p 1048626983088104862555William Wood ldquoAnalytic Teology as a Way o Lierdquo Journal of Analytic Teology (10486269830881048625983092) 983092983092
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
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What Is Analytic heology 983091983091
ognize the kind o theology-as-praxis that they value Instead they see
purported explanatory theoriesmdashmere purported explanatory theories
Sometimes these explanations appear to be a very long way indeed romthe lie o aith Indeed they see ormulas such as this (selected pretty
much at random rom among many others)
P existx (Dx amp forally(Dy =gt Byx) amp x made us
Q existx(Dx amp forally(Dy =gt Byx ))1048629983094
When they encounter this kind o work some theologians donrsquot rec-
ognize it as theology at all I they are willing to recognize it as theology
they tend to worry that they donrsquot see the kind o theology that promotes
love o God and neighbor they are concerned that they donrsquot see the-
ology that is connected to the lie o aith As Wood puts it they worry
that ldquoanalytic theology is spiritually sterile and thereore not really a
orm o genuine theology at allrdquo10486291048631
I think this is an important point o criticism and it raises some very
intriguing concerns But as Wood also notes it would be a ldquomistake and
urthermore a presumptuous mistake to assume that analytic philo-
sophical theology cannot in principle be spiritually nourishingrdquo10486291048632 Tree
points stand out First it is important to realize that the temptation to
construct explanatory theories about God that are divorced rom worship
and transormation is both real and present It is also nearious10486291048633 Te
temptation besets theologians o all stripesmdashanalytic or otherwise I do
not think analytic theologians are the only theologians who ace this
temptation o the contrary idolatry is no respecter o ideologies Butsurely it is not invincible surelymdashby Godrsquos gracemdashit is not irresistible
As Wood reminds us ldquoGodrsquos love rains down on logicians too afer allrdquo9830941048624
Second there is good reason to think that analytic theology maymdash
contrary to common expectationsmdashturn out to be spiritually ediying
56Peter van Inwagen ldquoAnd Yet Tey Are Not Tree Gods but One Godrdquo in McCall and Rea
Philosophical and Teological Essays on the rinity pp 10486269830921048625 1048626983092104863057Wood ldquoAnalytic Teology as a Way o Lierdquo p 983092983092 See also Marilyn McCord Adams ldquoWhatrsquos
Wrong with the Ontotheological Errorrdquo Journal of Analytic Teology (10486269830881048625983092) 1048625-1048625104862658Wood ldquoAnalytic Teology as a Way o Lierdquo p 983092104863059See the warnings o Merold Westphal Suspicion and Faith Te Religious Uses of Modern Atheism
(New York Fordham University Press 1048625983097983097983096)60Wood ldquoAnalytic Teology as a Way o Lierdquo p 983092983095
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
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983091983092 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
Wood argues that analytic theology may be spiritually beneficial in
several ways He suggests that the ldquoconcentrated attention required to
read understand and develop very technical analytic argumentsrdquo maybe conducive to the kinds o intellectual virtues and habits o mind that
are spiritually beneficial983094983089 In addition he notes the ldquoargumentative
transparencyrdquo (what he terms the ldquoparadigmatic analytic virtuerdquo) may be
helpul in spiritual ormation983094983090 Wood readily admits that this tendency
toward argumentative rigor can also eed a orm o pride or even ldquointel-
lectual violencerdquo but he also points out that to make a ldquogood analytic
argument is to make that argument maximally easy or intellectual op-ponents to criticize or reuterdquo and this very transparency makes it much
harder to shield onesel rom criticisms but instead is a way to ldquomake
onesel intellectually vulnerablerdquo In this way it serves as a ldquocheck against
intellectual priderdquo983094983091 Moreover the pace demanded by such rigor and the
modesty o the claims that are rendered deensible have the potential to
cultivate epistemic humility Furthermore another important eature o
the analytic approach is the need to ldquoidentiy imaginatively with onersquosintellectual opponentsrdquo this also as Wood points out orces us to inhabit
a worldview that is not only oreign to our own but also sometimes
hostile In these ways Wood argues ldquoanalytic theology can become a
spiritual practice a way o seeking God and o training the mind and
the will to be open to gracerdquo9830941048628
Finally we should not neglect to notice those shining examples o
theologians or whom analytic theology indeed is closely related to
worship and spiritual nurture Indeed it would be hard not to notice
them or the tradition is rie with such theologians A great many pa-
tristic and most scholastic (both medieval and early modern) theolo-
gians count as ldquoanalytic theologiansrdquo For surely they fit our profile o
theologians who prize ldquoconceptual precision rigor o argumentation
technical erudition and an in-depth deense o an original worldviewrdquo
(and who would in many instances value P1048625-P983093) As an example con-
61Ibid p 98309398309362Ibid p 983093104863063Ibid64Ibid p 983093983096
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What Is Analytic heology 983091983093
sider Anselmrsquos Proslogion It is obvious that Anselm values precision and
rigor and he clearly intends to convey truth claims that he finds con-
vincing But as both Wood and Marilyn McCord Adams point out thiswork is ldquomeant to do more than communicate propositional truthsrdquo or
ldquoit is meant to help reorient the wills o its readers and help bring about
effective and volitional change in themrdquo9830941048629 Despite important differences
o style and substance we could say much the same about many other
figures (both well known and less so) as well it is very difficult to read
ar into Bonaventure Richard o St Victor Aquinas Scotus Vermigli
Perkins Arminius urretin Edwards Wesley and many others withoutunderstanding that they are obviously concerned with both intellectual
rigor and spiritual ormation
65Ibid p 983093983088 See also Marilyn McCord Adams ldquoPraying the Proslogionrdquo in Te Rationality of
Belief and the Plurality of Faith ed Tomas Senor (Ithaca NY Cornell University Press 1048625983097983097983093)
pp 10486251048627-1048627983097 and Adams ldquoElegant Necessity Prayerul Disputation Method in Cur Deus Homordquo
in Studia Anselmiana Cur Deus Homo (Rome 1048625983097983097983097) pp 10486271048630983095-9830971048630
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983089
What Is Analytic Theology
Fear of scholasticism is the mark of the false prophet
K983137983154983148 B983137983154983156983144
A B983154983145983141983142 H983145983155983156983151983154983161 983151983142 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 T983144983141983151983148983151983143983161Where we were Te revival of philosophy of religion For a good deal
o the twentieth century academic philosophymdashespecially Anglo-
American ldquoanalyticrdquo philosophymdashwas ofen taken to be hostile to tradi-
tional theistic belie in general and perhaps especially so to Christian
belie983089 Logical positivism insisted that theological claims were not only
alse but indeed meaningless and many philosophers ound it difficult
even to take theology seriously Te conclusions o A J Ayer are bothrepresentative and influential He claims that the very ldquopossibility o re-
ligious knowledgerdquo has been ldquoruled out by our treatment o metaphysicsrdquo983090
I the ldquocriterion o verifiabilityrdquo eliminates metaphysics and i theology
is only a subcategory o metaphysics then theology is obviously elimi-
natedmdashthe very possibility has been ruled out and all God-talk is literally
Epigraph Karl Barth Church Dogmatics vol I1048625 Te Doctrine of the Word of God ed F
orrance trans Geoffrey Bromiley (Edinburgh amp Clark 1048625983097983095983093) p 10486269830959830971I realize that (at least on some understandings o the term) the story o analytic theology ar
predates the modern era and indeed has ar more in common with scholasticism than it does
with either twentieth-century philosophy or modern theology More on this anon2Alred Jules Ayer Language ruth and Logic (New York Dover 10486259830979830931048626) p 10486251048625983092
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10486251048626 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
nonsensical983091 Hud Hudson says ldquoInormed that questions about the ex-
istence nature and significance o the deity were hereafer to be engaged
exclusively under the guidance o linguistic analyses o religious lan-guage and menaced with (inexplicably popular) verificationist theories
o meaning theologians were told by analytic philosophers that they had
not even achieved the minimal distinction o saying anything alse or
they had not managed to say anything at allrdquo1048628
Te response o many theologians in the late modern era to the develop-
ments in mainstream philosophy in Anglo-American circles was under-
standable they largely ignored the work o these philosophers andlooked elsewhere or intellectual resources and conversation partners
Some sought reuge in ldquoContinentalrdquo philosophy while others decried
any engagement between philosophy and theology
But the second hal o the twentieth century witnessed some re-
markable changes As Hudson notes ldquoTis most unortunate moment in
the history o analytic philosophy was merciully temporary as was its
slavish devotion to linguistic analyses verificationism and all the un-ounded suspicion o metaphysics ethics and religion that ollowed in its
wakerdquo1048629 Logical positivism couldnrsquot bear its own weight and Ayerrsquos con-
fident pronouncements are now valued more as a quaint museum artiact
o philosophical history (ldquoLook kids isnrsquot it amazing that anyone ever
said thatmdashand especially that he seemed so cocksure about itrdquo) than as
a helpul repository o philosophical insight With the collapse o posi-
tivism came a rebirth o serious metaphysicsmdashand with that collapse and
the rebirth o metaphysics came a revival o philosophy o religion983094
Where philosophical consideration o theological issues had been deemed
an utter waste o time now it was seen as an interesting area o inquiry
Serious and sustained engagement with perennial issues o religious and
theological interest was happening again and many o the philosophers
3Ibid p 10486279830934Hud Hudson Te Fall and Hypertime (Oxord Oxord University Press 10486269830881048625983092) p 9830925Ibid p 9830936For a telling o this tale see Nicholas Wolterstorff ldquoHow Philosophical Teology Became Pos-
sible Within the Analytic radition o Philosophyrdquo in Analytic Teology New Essays in the Phi-
losophy of Teology ed Oliver D Crisp and Michael C Rea (Oxord Oxord University Press
1048626983088983088983097) pp 1048625983093983093-1048630983096
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What Is Analytic heology 1048625983091
engaged in this work weremdashand aremdashcommitted Christians
Not all philosophers rejoice at these developments but it is increas-
ingly hard or them not to notice them Quentin Smith describesmdashanddecriesmdashthis development
Te secularization o mainstream academia began to quickly unravel upon
the publication o Plantingarsquos influential book on realist theism God and
Other Minds in 1048625983097983094983095 It became apparent to the philosophical proession
that this book displayed that realist theists were not outmatched by natu-
ralists in terms o the most valued standards o academic philosophy con-
ceptual precision rigor o argumentation technical erudition and an in-depth deense o an original worldview Tis book ollowed seven years
later by Plantingarsquos even more impressive book Te Nature of Necessity
made it maniest that a realist theist was writing at the highest qualitative
level o analytic philosophy on the same playing field as Carnap Russell
Gruumlnbaum and other naturalists1048631
Smith in what basically amounts to something o an alarmist ldquocall to
armsrdquo to his ellow atheists concludes that ldquoGod is not lsquodeadrsquo in aca-demia he returned to lie in the late 1048625983097983094983088rsquos and is now alive and well in
his last academic stronghold philosophy departmentsrdquo1048632
While triumphalism on the part o Christian philosophers would be
both very premature and unseemly (they remain by all measures in the
substantial minority within academic philosophy) nonetheless Smith is
right that the situation is very different than it was only a ew decades
ago Te Society o Christian Philosophers ounded in 1048625983097983095983096 as a small
group o diverse scholars who were more unified by common interests
than by shared commitment to a particular creed now has in the neigh-
borhood o a thousand members Several journalsmdashnotably Faith and
Philosophy Philosophia Christi Religious Studies Sophia Philo and the
International Journal of Philosophy of Religionmdashare devoted to issues
broadly related to the study o the philosophy o religion and Christian
philosophers are very active in these and other venues At the same time
Christian philosophers are very active in other more ldquomainstreamrdquo areas
o contemporary philosophy important recent work in metaphysics and
7Quentin Smith ldquoTe Metaphilosophy o Naturalismrdquo Philo 983092 no 1048626 (10486269830889830881048625) 10486268Ibid p 1048627
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1048625983092 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
epistemology in particular has been influenced by philosophers with
religious interests and well-known Christian commitments
Not surprisingly the growth o Christian involvement in philosophyhas been accompanied by increased interest in issues o perennial
concern in philosophy o religion Work on such issues had never en-
tirely disappeared o course or prominent philosophers such as Basil
Mitchell Peter Geach Austin Farrer and others were making significant
contributions well beore the current renaissance o Christian philosophy
really took off1048633 However engagement has been growing at an astounding
rate Issues surrounding religious pluralism and exclusivism problemso evil (including not only the ldquologicalrdquo problem o evil but also ldquoevi-
dentialrdquo problems) religious epistemology religious experience mir-
acles theistic arguments (particularly various versions o ontological
cosmological teleological and moral arguments) and science and re-
ligion have been explored with impressive vigor and analyzed with or-
midable rigor9830891048624 Positions have been set out and explained attacked and
deended modified and surrendered Te work in philosophy o religionhas not been cordoned off rom other more ldquomainstreamrdquo philosophical
work o the contrary in many ways it has remained vitally engaged with
9Eg Basil Mitchell Te Justification of Religious Belief (Oxord Oxord University Press 10486259830979830961048625)
Mitchell Faith and Criticism (Oxord Oxord University Press 1048625983097983097983093) Mitchell Morality Reli-
gious and Secular Te Dilemma of the raditional Conscience (Oxord Oxord University Press
10486259830979830961048630) Peter Geach God and the Soul (South Bend IN St Augustinersquos Press 10486259830971048630983097) Geach
Providence and Evil (Cambridge Cambridge University Press 1048625983097983095983095) Geach Te Virtues (Cam-
bridge Cambridge University Press 1048625983097983095983095) Geach Logic Matters (Berkeley University o Cali-ornia Press 10486259830979830951048626) Austin Farrer Te Freedom of the Will (London Black 1048625983097983093983096) Farrer Love
Almighty and Ills Unlimited An Essay on Providence and Evil (London Collins 104862598309710486301048625) Farrer
Saving Belief A Study of Essentials (London Hodder amp Stoughton 10486259830971048630983092) Farrer Faith and Spec-
ulation An Essay in Philosophical Teology (London Black 10486259830971048630983095)10Te contentsmdashand perhaps the very existencemdasho the numerous and massive ldquohandbooksrdquo and
ldquocompanionsrdquo to philosophy o religion bear weighty testimony to this act See eg William J
Wainwright ed Te Oxford Handbook of Philosophy of Religion (New York Oxord University
Press 1048626983088983088983093) Philip L Quinn and Charles aliaerro eds A Companion to Philosophy of Religion
(Oxord Blackwell 1048625983097983097983095) William E Mann ed Te Blackwell Guide to the Philosophy of Religion
(Oxord Blackwell 1048626983088983088983093) Michael L Peterson and Raymond J VanArragon eds Contemporary
Debates in Philosophy of Religion (Oxord Blackwell 1048626983088983088983092) J P Moreland and William Lane
Craig eds Te Blackwell Companion to Natural Teology (Oxord Blackwell 1048626983088983088983097) Justin Mc-
Brayer and Daniel Howard-Snyder eds Te Blackwell Companion to the Problem of Evil (Oxord
Blackwell 104862698308810486251048627) Chad Meister and Paul Copan eds Te Routledge Companion to Philosophy of
Religion 1048626nd ed (New York Routledge 104862698308810486251048627) See also the impressive series Oxord Studies in
Philosophy o Religion edited by Jon Kvanvig
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What Is Analytic heology 1048625983093
cutting-edge work in epistemology ethics and metaphysics to use the
latter as an example rom Alvin Plantingarsquos early work Te Nature of
Necessity to Brian Lefowrsquos recent contributions in God and Necessity important work in the metaphysics o modality has been deeplymdashand
some might say ldquoessentiallyrdquomdashconnected to philosophy o religion983089983089
Judging rom the interest and output analytic philosophy o religion is
not only alive and well but indeed healthy and robust
How we got here From philosophy of religion to philosophical the-
ology But or all the vigor and intellectual energy that is captured and
reflected in work on general or generic issues in philosophy o religion theinterests o Christian philosophers have not been limited to those issues
Instead Christian philosophers have been deeply interested in distinctly
Christian theological topics and they have devoted much energy to the
analysis and deense o Christian doctrine Te past ew decades have wit-
nessed important work on the doctrine o revelation (and divine speech)
the inspiration authority and interpretation o the Christian Scriptures
divine attributes (particularly simplicity necessity aseity omnipotenceomniscience eternity and reedom) divine action in creation providence
miraculous intervention theological anthropology original sin incar-
nation atonement resurrection and eschatology983089983090
Where we are Philosophical theology and analytic theology More
recently the term analytic theology has come into use Tere are o
course important orebears to this work David Kelsey Nicholas Wolt-
erstorff and others at Yale disparate figures such as William P Alston
Norman Kretzmann George Mavrodes Keith Yandell and others else-
where in the United States Paul Helm and Richard Swinburne in the
United Kingdom and Vincent Brummer and others o the Utrecht
11See Alvin Plantinga Te Nature of Necessity (Oxord Oxord University Press 1048625983097983095983092) and Brian
Lefow God and Necessity (Oxord Oxord University Press 104862698308810486251048626) See also the recent proposals
o Hugh J McCann Creation and the Sovereignty of God (Bloomington Indiana University Press
104862698308810486251048626)12Once again the prolieration o ldquoreadersrdquo ldquohandbooksrdquo and ldquocompanionsrdquo stands as evidence
o the breadth and depth o the work undertaken eg Oliver D Crisp ed A Reader in Contem-
porary Philosophical Teology (New York amp Clark 1048626983088983088983097) Michael C Rea ed Oxford Read-
ings in Philosophical Teology 1048626 vols (Oxord Oxord University Press 1048626983088983088983097) Tomas P Flint
and Michael C Rea eds Te Oxford Handbook of Philosophical Teology (Oxord Oxord Uni-
versity Press 1048626983088983088983097) Charles aliaerro and Chad Meister eds Te Cambridge Companion to
Christian Philosophical Teology (Cambridge Cambridge University Press 10486269830881048625983088)
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1048625983094 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
school o philosophical theology in the Netherlands Following trail-
blazers such as these and building on the recent renaissance o meta-
physics and philosophy o religion the analytic theology movement isnow growing Te publication o the volume Analytic Teology Essays
in the Philosophy of Teology edited by Oliver D Crisp and Michael C
Rea marked an important moment Te Analytic Teology Project
(sponsored and promoted by Notre Damersquos Center or Philosophy o
Religion as well the University o Innsbruck in Austria and the Shalem
Center in Jerusalem and unded by generous grants rom the John em-
pleton Foundation) with its annual Logos conerence and other activitiesthe launch o the Journal of Analytic Teology and the inauguration o
the book series Oxord Studies in Analytic Teology all lend support to
this growing movement
Te meaning o the term analytic theology can vary in common par-
lance and it is sae to say that there is no single decisively settled meaning
o the term when it is used as a label Still perhaps we can saely say that
what is common across the range o uses is this analytic theology sig-nifies a commitment to employ the conceptual tools o analytic phi-
losophy where those tools might be helpul in the work o constructive
Christian theology Scholars will naturally enough disagree among
themselves about just which o those tools are most helpul which
projects are best served by their use and other matters but on the whole
such a minimalist characterization seems sae enough William J
Abraham offers this helpul summary analytic theology ldquocan be useully
defined as ollows it is systematic theology attuned to the skills re-
sources and virtues o analytic philosophyrdquo983089983091 As such analytic theology
is a growing and energetic field at the intersections o philosophy o re-
ligion and systematic theology
W983144983137983156 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 T983144983141983151983148983151983143983161 I983155 (983151983154 S983144983151983157983148983140 B983141)
Such minimalist characterization while airly sae does not take us very
ar What more precisely is one doing when one does analytic theology
13William J Abraham ldquoSystematic Teology as Analytic Teologyrdquo in Analytic Teology New
Essays in the Philosophy of Teology ed Oliver D Crisp and Michael C Rea (Oxord Oxord
University Press 1048626983088983088983097) p 983093983092
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
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What Is Analytic heology 1048625983095
Just what is analytic theology Perhaps it will help first to consider what
is so analytic about analytic theology Following this we shall think
about how it is an exercise in theology Analytic theology as analytic theology As we have seen Quentin Smith
praises Plantingarsquos work or its excellence in ldquothe most valued standards o
analytic philosophy conceptual precision rigor o argumentation tech-
nical erudition and an in-depth deense o an original worldviewrdquo9830891048628 Oliver
D Crisp echoes this estimation o what counts as good work in analytic
philosophy he observes that analytic philosophy is characterized by ldquoa
logical rigour clarity and parsimony o expression coupled with attentionto a certain cluster o philosophical problemsrdquo9830891048629 Analytic theology is rel-
evantly similar he says or it ldquowill prize intellectual virtues like clarity
parsimony o expression and argumentative rigourrdquo983089983094 Michael C Rearsquos
description o analytic philosophy echoes these accounts in some ways
While recognizing that clear and sharp lines between ldquoanalyticrdquo and ldquonon-
analyticrdquo (or ldquoContinentalrdquo) philosophical approaches are neither easy to
come by nor perhaps really worth all the work he characterizes analyticapproaches to philosophy in terms o style and ambition9830891048631 Te ambitions
are generally ldquoto identiy the scope and limits o our powers to obtain
knowledge o the worldrdquo and ldquoto provide such true explanatory theories
as we can in areas o inquiry (metaphysics morals and the like) that all
outside the scope o the natural sciencesrdquo9830891048632 Rea characterizes the style as
including the ollowing prescriptions
P1048625 Write as i philosophical positions and conclusions can be adequately or-mulated in sentences that can be ormalized and logically manipulated
P1048626 Prioritize precision clarity and logical coherence
P983091 Avoid substantive (non-decorative) use o metaphor and other tropes
whose semantic content outstrips their propositional content
14Smith ldquoMetaphilosophyrdquo p 104862615Oliver D Crisp ldquoOn Analytic Teologyrdquo in Crisp and Rea Analytic Teology p 104862798309316Ibid pp 1048627983095-104862798309617Michael C Rea introduction to Crisp and Rea Analytic Teology pp 1048627-983092 See also Nick raka-
kis ldquoMeta-Philosophy o Religion Te Analytic-Continental Divide in Philosophy o Religionrdquo
Ars Disputandi 983095 (1048626983088983088983095) 1048625983095983097-1048626104862698308818Rea introduction p 983092
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
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1048625983096 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
P983092 Work as much as possible with well-understood primitive concepts and
concepts that can be analyzed in terms o those
P983093 reat conceptual analysis (insoar as possible) as a source o evidence9830891048633
Tis much at least is characteristic o analytic philosophy So what
about analytic theology As Rea sees things ldquoanalytic theology is just the
activity o approaching theological topics with the ambitions o an ana-
lytic philosopher and in a style that conorms to the prescriptions that
are distinctive o analytic philosophical discourse It will also involve
more or less pursuing those topics in a way that engages the literature
that is constitutive o the analytic tradition employing some o the tech-
nical jargon rom that tradition and so on But in the end it is the style
and ambitions that are most centralrdquo9830901048624
All this is helpul but perhaps a bit more explanation would be ben-
eficial Consider P1048625 Tis need not mean that all meaningul statements
in theology (or philosophy) need to be expressed ormally it should
not be taken to mean that every theological claim should be stated in
an apparatus with numbered propositions and a ormal structure
What it does mean however is that the deault setting or theologians
should be to communicate propositions that could be expressed this
way For as Rea says ldquoabsent special circumstancesrdquo things have ldquogone
very much amissrdquo i a view ldquois expressed in such a way that it has no
clear logical outcomesrdquo983090983089
Consider also P1048626 Tis need notmdashand should notmdashbe taken to mean
that logical precision and coherence are the only important criteria ora theologian and neither should it be taken to imply even that logical
precision and coherence are the most important criteria Te theologian
who is convinced that her first commitment is fidelity to the priority and
ultimacy o divine revelation should have no difficulty in assenting to P1048626
Neither urther should P1048626 be taken to imply that the same levels o
logical precision are possible with all theological topics nor yet that all
theological projects require the same levels o precision and argumentative
19Ibid pp 983093-104863020Ibid p 98309521Ibid p 983093 n 983093
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What Is Analytic heology 1048625983097
rigor Consider by way o example childrenrsquos catechetical literature
Surely this literature is theological but it neither can nor should attempt
to display the same level o logical precision or argumentative rigor assay advanced work in scholastic theology P1048626 does not clam that such
theological literature should do so or that all work in theology must
always do so
Neither should P1048626 be misunderstood with respect to claims about the
importance o ldquoclarityrdquo Rea notes that this claim can seem ironic ldquoin light
o the act that quite a lot o analytic philosophy [and we could add
some analytic theology] is very difficult even or specialists and totallyinaccessible to non-specialistsrdquo983090983090 But ldquoclearrdquo does not mean ldquoeasyrdquo In-
stead it expresses a commitment to the work o ldquospelling out hidden
assumptions scrupulously trying to lay bare whatever evidence one has
(or lacks) or the claims that one is making and on taking care to confine
onersquos vocabulary to ordinary language well-understood primitive con-
cepts and technical jargon definable in terms o theserdquo983090983091 Finally we
should note that P1048626 does not imply that everything (or everything worthtalking about) in theology will become crystal clear Te goal o analytic
theology is not (or at least need not be) the removal o all mystery in
theology o the contrary analytic philosophers o religion have long
been keenly aware o the place o mystery in theology and it may be that
at certain points an important role o the theologian is to clariy just
where the mystery really lies P1048626 does not suggest that analytic theology
will make everything ldquoclearrdquo in the sense that it makes everything ldquoeasy
and readily accessible to the nonspecialistrdquo Instead what it prioritizes is
clarity to the appropriate audiences and to the greatest possible degree
And it insists that ldquomysteryrdquo must not be conused with logical inco-
herence and it likewise insists that we do not gloriy what is clearly in-
coherent with the shroud o ldquomysteryrdquo As Alan G Padgett says theology
should ldquoseek the truth about Godrdquo and ldquothereore must shun incoherence
and irrationalityrdquo9830901048628 Where ldquosometimes lsquomysteryrsquo is evoked as an excuse
22Ibid p 983093 n 104863023Ibid24Alan G Padgett ldquoTe rinity in Teology and Philosophy Why Jerusalem Should Work with
Athensrdquo in Philosophical and Teological Essays on the rinity ed Tomas McCall and Michael
C Rea (Oxord Oxord University Press 1048626983088983088983097) p 104862710486271048626
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
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1048626983088 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
or sloppy thinking this must be anathema to any academic theology
worthy o the namerdquo For ldquoafer all the mystery o God does not end
when theology speaks clearly Te simple phrase lsquoJesus loves me this Iknow or the Bible tells me sorsquo covers vast deep mysteries that even the
angels gaze into with awe and wonderrdquo9830901048629
P983091 rules out ldquosubstantive (non-decorative) use o metaphor and other
tropes whose semantic content outstrips their propositional contentrdquo
Tis does not or at least need not mean that there is no valid or valuable
place or metaphor in theology Analytic theologians will disagree among
themselves as to howmdashand how muchmdashmetaphor is useul and legiti-mate983090983094 But the basic point is airly plain on P983091 theologians are not at
liberty to trade loosely in metaphor without ever being able to speciy
just what is meant by those metaphors Tey are not then ree to make
claims the meaning o which cannot be specified or spelled out Teolo-
gians are not licensed to trade in what Randal Rauser calls ldquounclarifiable
unclarityrdquo9830901048631 P983092 calls the analytic theologian to work with ldquowell-understood
primitive conceptsrdquo that are reasonably taken to be basic intuitive or(minimally) uncontroversial (and with concepts that can be understood
in terms o such primitive concepts) Some theologians will be quick to
raise concerns here they will worry that the very notion o ldquowell-
understood primitive conceptsrdquo may both conceal blind spots o social
location and privilege and be a Procrustean bed that restricts theological
concepts to ldquowhat we already know to be truerdquo and thus curtails the
possibility o engagement with divine revelation But once again it is
important not to misunderstand P983092 Te ldquoas much as possiblerdquo is key
here i the preunderstood concepts donrsquot do enough work then some o
them can be adjusted Others wonrsquot be so easy to adjust or discard but
this category o primitive concepts is both quite small and very basic (eg
the law o noncontradiction) Simply put there is no good reason to
25Ibid26I thank Billy Abraham or pressing this point Te ldquostandardrdquo work on metaphor in theology
remains Janet Martin Soskice Metaphor and Religious Language (Oxord Oxord University
Press 1048625983097983096983095)27Randal Rauser ldquoTeology as a Bull Sessionrdquo in Crisp and Rea Analytic Teology pp 983095983092-983095983093 See
also Harry Frankurt On Bullshit (Princeton NJ Princeton University Press 1048626983088983088983093) and Frank-
urt Bullshit and Philosophy ed Gary L Hardcastle and George A Resich (Chicago Open
Court 1048626983088983088983093)
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
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What Is Analytic heology 10486261048625
think that the notion o ldquowell-understood primitive conceptsrdquo must
unction as a Procrustean bed
Finally Rea says that P983093 calls us to ldquotreat conceptual analysis (insoaras it is possible) as a source o evidencerdquo It should be obvious that he
does not say that conceptual analysis is the only source o evidence and
there is no reason to think that it should be taken this way Neither does
he claim that conceptual analysis is the primary or ultimate source o
evidence P983093 makes an important claim but it is a rather modest one
What it insists on is this i close conceptual analysis reveals that some
theological proposition P is say internally inconsistent then thatanalysis gives us all the evidence we need to reject P No matter how
grand the claims o Prsquo s supporters in deense o the supporting evidence
for it i P is incoherent (sel-reerentially or otherwise) then it is not true
Once we have established that P is incoherent (which is a task much
harder than is sometimes supposed) we have all the reason we need to
conclude that it is wrong In addition o course conceptual analysis
might count as evidence in other and more positive ways as well Con-sider perect being theology or example here theologians analyze ldquoper-
ectionrdquo and then take deliverances o that analysis as evidence in support
o their theological conclusions
Much more could be said about what makes analytic theology truly
analytic o course While this could be expanded on and broadened
(particularly in directions that put less o a premium on precision) Rearsquos
P1048625-P983093 give us an initial sense o what it means to say that theology is
analytic theology Generally speaking analytic theology is theology that
is attuned to and committed to the ldquogoals and ambitionsrdquo o analytic
philosophy a commitment to truth wherever it may be ound clarity o
expression and rigor o argumentation Very ofen it will not hesitate to
make appropriate use o the available tools o analytic philosophy espe-
cially as these aid conceptual precision and argumentative rigor
Analytic theology as analytic theology But i echoing Smith it is the
concern with ldquoconceptual precisionrdquo and ldquorigor o argumentationrdquo that
makes analytic theology analytic then what is it that makes analytic
theology really theology Tis book develops an answer to this question
but an initial summary may help Recall that Smith talks not only about
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10486261048626 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
ldquoconceptual precisionrdquo and ldquorigor o argumentationrdquo but also about ldquotech-
nical eruditionrdquo and the ldquoin-depth deense o an original worldviewrdquo For
the analytic philosopher ldquotechnical eruditionrdquo will naturally involvemastery o the requisite field (metaphysics philosophy o mind epis-
temology etc) but it may also include competence in other related
fields (biology or philosophy o biology neurology or philosophy o
mind etc) For the analytic theologian such erudition will include com-
petence in the relevant areas o philosophical study that are necessary or
ldquoconceptual precisionrdquo and ldquorigor o argumentationrdquo But or the analytic
theologian qua theologian it must involve much more than this Forunless analytic theology is merely ldquoarmchair theologyrdquo (albeit armchair
theology done by very bright people) it will be grounded in the
Christian Scriptures it will be inormed by the great tradition o doc-
trinal development it will be ldquochristologically normedrdquo and it will be
culturally engaged As theology it will seek to articulate what we may
know o God as God has revealed himsel to us As Nicholas Wolterstorff
puts it to theologiansDo not be ersatz philosophers do not be ersatz cultural theorists do not be
ersatz anything Be genuine theologians Be sure-ooted in philosophy But
then be theologians What we need to hear rom you is how things look
when seen in light o the triune Godmdashmay his name be praisedmdashwho creates
and sustains us who redeems us and who will bring this rail and allen
though yet glorious humanity and cosmos to consummation9830901048632
Accordingly analytic theology is theology done by theologians who areldquosure-ootedrdquo in philosophy (many o whom will have extensive training
and proessional expertise there and indeed may be leaders within their
field) but it is a kind o theology nonetheless
Such a conception o theology is o course not remotely new What
we may useully reer to as ldquoanalytic theologyrdquo is very similar in many
respects to deeply traditional ways o doing theology We can see this
kind o work exemplified in the theology o the scholastics (both me-dieval and post-Reormationearly modern) So in some sense the re-
28Nicholas Wolterstorff ldquoo Teologians From One Who Cares About Teology but Is Not One
o Yourdquo Teological Education (1048626983088983088983093) 9830971048625-9830971048626
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
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What Is Analytic heology 1048626983091
birth o analytic theology may be thought o as scholasticism redivivus
As Richard Swinburnemdashsurely a pioneer o analytic theologymdashsays
ldquolarge-scale theology needs clear and rigorous argumentrdquo and it is ldquohightime or theology to returnrdquo to the standards set by Tomas Aquinas
John Duns Scotus and others9830901048633 But it is not only the ldquohigh scholasticsrdquo
who worked this way or we can also witness many o these virtues in
theologians rom the patristics to the pietists9830911048624 Many theologians in the
Christian tradition were concerned with both ldquoconceptual precisionrdquo and
ldquoargumentative rigorrdquo as well as ldquotechnical eruditionrdquo and the ldquoin-depth
deense o an original worldviewrdquoConsider what John Wesleymdashan evangelist hardly known as a ldquoscho-
lasticrdquo or an ldquoanalytic theologianrdquomdashhas to say about the importance o
acquiring the tools or ldquoconceptual precisionrdquo and ldquoargumentative rigorrdquo
Logic he says is ldquonecessary next to and in order to the knowledge o
Scripturerdquo983091983089 Despite the act that it is ldquonow quite unashionablerdquo none-
theless logic is invaluable For with it we have the possibility o ldquoappre-
hending things clearly judging truly and reasoning conclusivelyrdquo
983091983090
Andas with logic so also with metaphysics Tus Wesley will ask o clergy
Am I a tolerable master o the sciences Have I gone through the very gate o
them logic I not I am not likely to go much urther when I stumble at the
threshold Do I understand it so as to be ever the better or it o have it
always ready or use so as to apply every rule o it when occasion is almost
as naturally as I turn my hand Do I understand it at all Can I reduce an
indirect mood to a direct a hypothetic to a categorical syllogism Rather have
not my stupid indolence and laziness made me very ready to believe what the
little wits and pretty gentlemen affirm ldquothat logic is good or nothingrdquo It is
good or this at least (wherever it is understood) to make people talk less by
showing them both what is and what is not to the point and how extremely
29Richard Swinburne Te Coherence of Teism 1048626nd ed (Oxord Oxord University Press 10486259830979830971048627)
p 98309530See eg Gregory o Nyssa Against Eunomius 10486259830921048626 Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers ed Philip
Schaff series 1048626 (10486259830969830961048630ndash1048625983096983096983097 repr Peabody MA Hendrickson 1048625983097983097983092) 983093983097983096-983097983097 (Patrologia
Graeca [= Patrologiae Cursus Completus Series Graeca] ed Jacques-Paul Migne [Paris 1048625983096983093983095ndash
10486259830969830961048630] 9830929830939830921048630983088-10486301048625)31John Wesley ldquoAddress to the Clergyrdquo in Te Works of John Wesley vol 1048625983088 Letters Essays Dialogs
and Addresses (Grand Rapids Zondervan nd) p 983092983096104862732Ibid
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1048626983092 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
hard it is to prove anything Do I understand metaphysics i not the depths
o the Schoolmen the subtleties o Scotus or Aquinas yet the first rudiments
the general principles o that useul science983091983091
Consider urther what Wesley says about the importance o ldquotechnical
eruditionrdquo in theology Insisting on the importance o knowledge o the
scope o Christian Scripture as well as acility in the relevant ancient
languages he asks
Have I (1048625) such a knowledge o Scripture as becomes him who undertakes
so to explain it to others Have I a ull and clear view o the analogy o
aith which is the clue to guide me through the whole Am I acquainted with
the several parts o Scripture with all parts o the Old estament and the
New Upon the mention o any text do I know the context and the parallel
places Do I know the scope o each book and how every part tends
thereto Have I the skill to draw the natural inerences deducible rom each
text (1048626) Do I understand Greek and Hebrew Otherwise am I not at
the mercy o everyone who does understand or pretends to understand the
original For which way can I conute his pretence Do I understand the lan-
guage o the Old estament Critically At all Can I read into English one o
Davidrsquos Psalms or even the first chapter o Genesis Do I understand the
language o the New estament Am I a critical master o it Have I enough
o it even to read into English the first chapter o St Luke I not how many
years did I spend at school How many at university And what was I doing
all those years9830911048628
Wesley says similar things about the indispensability o knowledge o
the Christian tradition But the basic point should be clear important
elements o what we now call ldquoanalytic theologyrdquo have deep roots in the
broad Christian theological tradition Indeed or an evangelist like John
Wesley this is simply the kind o theology that any Christian minister
should be doing
W983144983137983156 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 T983144983141983151983148983151983143983161 I983155983150rsquo983156 M983145983155983157983150983140983141983154983155983156983137983150983140983145983150983143983155
983137983150983140 O983138983146983141983139983156983145983151983150983155
Many systematic theologians are suspicious o analytic theology Indeed
33Ibid pp 9830929830971048625-983097104862634Ibid pp 983092983097983088-9830971048625
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What Is Analytic heology 1048626983093
some are deeply suspicious Te concerns come rom several angles Here
are some o the most common9830911048629
ldquoAnalytic theology relies on a univocal account of religious languagerdquoSome theologians may worry that the current analytic discussions
proceed with an unrealistic and unhealthy naiveteacute regarding the nature
and unction o religious language For instance Stephen R Holmes
thinks that ldquoanalytic discussions o the rinity seem generally to proceed
with a remarkable confidence about the success o language in reerring
to the divinerdquo he thinks that the assumption o analytic theology ldquowould
always seem to be that language reers univocally to the divine and thecreatedrdquo Indeed he thinks that analytic theology would be ldquoimpossiblerdquo
without a commitment to univocity983091983094 More worrisome the concern may
be that analytic theologyrsquos commitment to univocity implicates it in
something that is (at least potentially) idolatrous9830911048631
A general treatment o religious language is beyond the scope o our
discussion but several observations may be helpul First it should be
noted that the case against univocity should not be merely assumed (asi some particular theological proposal could be damned by nothing
more than the charge o univocity) Nor is the case for univocity nearly
so weak as is ofen supposed o the contrary univocity has serious and
sophisticated deenders today and a case can be made that ldquothe doctrine
o univocity is true and salutaryrdquo9830911048632
Te second major point is perhaps more important or our purposes
It is this analytic theology as such requires no commitment to univocity
whatsoever Indeed many analytic theologians reject univocity in avor
35Tis section draws heavily rom my ldquoTeologians Philosophers and the Doctrine o the rinityrdquo
in McCall and Rea Philosophical and Teological Essays on the rinity pp 1048627983092983088-98309298309636Stephen R Holmes Te Quest for the rinity Te Doctrine of God in Scripture History and Mo-
dernity (Downers Grove IL IVP Academic 104862698308810486251048626) p 1048627104862637See eg Jean-Luc Marion God Without Being trans Tomas A Carlson (Chicago University
o Chicago Press 10486259830979830971048625) and John Milbank Te Word Made Strange (Oxord Blackwell 1048625983097983097983095)
See also the discussion in Daniel P Horan Postmodernity and Univocity A Critical Account of
Radical Orthodoxy and John Duns Scotus (Minneapolis Fortress 10486269830881048625983092)38Tomas Williams ldquoTe Doctrine o Univocity Is rue and Salutaryrdquo Modern Teology 10486261048625 (1048626983088983088983093)
983093983095983093-983096983093 See also William P Alston Divine Nature and Human Language Essays in Philosophical
Teology (Ithaca NY Cornell University Press 1048625983097983096983097) pp 1048625983095-10486251048625983095 and Keith E Yandell ldquoNot
Conusing Incomprehensibility and Ineffability Carl Henry on Literal Propositional Revela-
tionrdquo rinity Journal (10486269830881048625983092) 10486301048625-983095983092
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
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1048626983094 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
o other approaches (the doctrine o analogy being avored by many)
and at least one prominent philosopher o religion deends apophati-
cism9830911048633 Perhaps there is a general sense in which it is true that analytictheologians are naive about religious language Perhaps they aremdash
although I doubt this very much But even i it were true this would not
obviously make analytic theology different rom or inerior to many
other approaches to the theological task Te concernmdasheven i it were
substantiatedmdashwould give us no reason to avoid or dismiss analytic the-
ology It might give us reason to want to do it better it might motivate
analytic theologians to pay closer attention to important issues relatedto theological language But the concern itselmdasheven i substantiatedmdash
would not count against the proper exercise o analytic theology It is at
best a red herring
ldquoAnalytic theology is an exercise in natural theologyrdquo Some critics
might charge analytic theology with reliance on ldquonatural theologyrdquo Tis
observation will seem benign to other theologians some analytic theo-
logians might even take this judgment as a badge o honor But to thosetheologians o the house and lineage o Karl Barth this will be the mark
o damnation some may take natural theology to be ldquothe invention o
the Antichristrdquo as something that can serve only to reinorce idolatry
and corrupt the truth10486281048624 Other theologians might not be so hostile but
they still might worry that natural theology distracts us rom obedience
and fidelity to the reality o divine revelation So i analytic theology is
an exercise in natural theology or even relies on it it should be held at
armrsquos length i not shunned entirely
Much could be said about this cluster o issuesmdashand indeed more will
be said in the next chaptermdashbut at this point a basic conusion needs to
be cleared away Fundamentally it is simply a misunderstanding o ana-
lytic theology to think that it is an exercise in natural theology Granted
some prolific analytic theologians are heavily invested in the project o
natural theology and we can say with confidence that rumors o the
39Eg Jonathan D Jacobs ldquoTe Ineffable Inconceivable and Incomprehensible God Fundamen-
tality and Apophatic Teologyrdquo in Oxford Studies in Philosophy of Religion orthcoming40More precisely Barth says that the analogia entis (which interpreters ofen take to be the basis
o all natural theology) is the ldquoinvention o the Antichristrdquo Doctrine of the Word of God p xiii
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
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What Is Analytic heology 1048626983095
demise o natural theology have been greatly exaggerated1048628983089 But there is
nothing about analytic theology as suchmdashas I have described it to this
pointmdashthat relies on natural theology Te conusion o natural theologywith the analytic project is just thatmdasha conusion Whatever we should
think about natural theology philosophically however we judge the suc-
cesses (or lack thereo) o the various theistic arguments natural the-
ology simply cannot be equated with analytic theology And whatever
we should conclude theologically about natural theology we should not
conuse it with the analytic project Once again this is a red herring
ldquoAnalytic theology is naive with respect to the history of doctrinerdquoAnother concern expressed by some contemporary systematic theolo-
gians is this analytic theology all too ofen proceeds with little awareness
o the complex but important historical actors associated with the de-
velopment and ormation o Christian doctrine o understate the point
analytic theologians are sometimes criticized or their ignorance o the
history o the development o dogma and or their lack o careul study
to understand the particular intellectual (not to mention social) settingo the person(s) controversies or eras under consideration Instead so
the story goes it is all too common or analytic theologians to approach
an issue by isolating a particular text and then breaking it down to
unpack the real ldquocorerdquo o the doctrine in question And the assumption
o the analytic theologians (again so the story goes) is ofen enough that
this can be saely or appropriately done with little or no reerence to the
particular context in which the development occurred As Fred Sanders
expresses the concern ldquophilosophers sometimes seem to think o ancient
texts as cumbersome delivery systems containing ideas which it is their
job to extract rom the delivery system and do something withrdquo1048628983090 Richard
A Muller likewise argues that lack o attention to historical context
sometimes results in problematic misunderstandings o the tradition in
41Eg Richard Swinburne Te Coherence of Teism (Oxord Oxord University Press 1048625983097983095983095) and
Swinburne Te Existence of God (Oxord Oxord University Press 1048625983097983095983097 [1048626983088983088983092]) For examples
o recent work see Moreland and Craig Blackwell Companion to Natural Teology and James F
Sennett and Douglas Groothuis eds In Defense of Natural Teology A Post-Humean Assessment
(Downers Grove IL IVP Academic 1048626983088983088983093)42Fred Sanders ldquoTe State o the Doctrine o the rinity in Evangelical Teologyrdquo Southwestern
Journal of Teology 983092983095 (1048626983088983088983093) 10486251048630983097
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
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1048626983096 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
his view or instance both recent deenders and contemporary de-
tractors o the doctrine o divine simplicity commonly ldquomisinterpret the
traditional doctrinerdquo1048628983091 Robert W Jenson is more scathing he judges theanalytic enterprise to be ldquosomewhat oddly related to the Christian aith
it claims to deendrdquo and he calls the work o Richard Swinburne a ldquotruly
bizarre caserdquo10486281048628
At least this is how the story ofen goes A major underlying worry
seems to be that reading texts without proper attention to their social
location and intellectual context can cause us to misread and mis-
interpret those texts Tis strikes me as a legitimate concern and it is onethat analytic theologians would do well to hear and heed No one should
deny that it is possible to misread and misinterpret important historical
texts and it seems to me that such misreadings are ar more likely when
particular bits o the text are isolated and scrutinized apart rom the
broader literary and historical contexts Te temptation to look away
rom the context as an irrelevant distraction is real It should also be
resisted So the criticism contains an important cautionAt the same time however we should keep several additional points
in mind First the problem is not restricted to analytic theologiansmdash
constructive or systematic theologians o any stripe may be susceptible
to this temptation Indeed ironies abound on this ront Afer criticizing
analytic philosophers o religion or overlooking ldquothe essentially his-
torical character o trinitarian theologyrdquomdashand especially or missing the
important differences between the ldquoGreek (or lsquoCappadocianrsquo) Eastrdquo and
the ldquoLatin WestrdquomdashCatherine Mowry LaCugnarsquos own work has been
criticized or exaggerating those differences10486281048629 It is not as i more main-
stream nonanalytic or antianalytic theologians are immune to the temp-
tation instead so ar as I can see this is a general concern that should
serve as an important reminder that all theologians who engage with the
43Richard A Muller Post-Reformation Reformed Dogmatics Te Rise and Development of Reformed
Orthodoxy ca 1048625104862910486261048624ndashca 1048625104863110486261048629 vol 1048627 Te Divine Essence and Attributes (Grand Rapids Baker
Academic 10486269830889830881048627) p 983092104862544Robert W Jenson Systematic Teology vol 1048626 Te Works of God (Oxord Oxord University
Press 1048625983097983097983097) p 983096 n 104862798309345Catherine Mowry LaCugna ldquoPhilosophers and Teologians on the rinityrdquo Modern Teology 1048626
(10486259830979830961048630) 10486259830951048626
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
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What Is Analytic heology 1048626983097
Christian intellectual tradition should do so with appropriate historical
sensitivity Second there is nothingmdashat least so ar as I can seemdashthat
makes this temptation irresistible Te act that some analytic theolo-gians have been insufficiently attentive to some historical matters does
not entail either that all analytic theologians are ignorant o the tradition
or that all analytic theologians must proceed in ignorance I see no
reason to conclude that this problem must be either essential or endemic
to analytic theology Surely more progress can be made in this area but
I see no reasons to think that such progress cannot happen Finally it is
worth noting that such progress in act is being made Tere are manyhappy exceptions to the common stereotype that analytic theologians
are ldquoahistoricalrdquo in act it is sae to say that many excellent analytic
thinkers have genuine specialization in historical scholarship Indeed
many are cutting-edge contributors1048628983094
ldquoAnalytic theology is only apologetics for conservative theologyrdquo Al-
ternatively the suspicion may be that analytic theology is too closely tied
to the Christian tradition Te assumption here is that analytic theologyis nothing more than the bastion o traditionally minded Roman Catholic
(and Orthodox) theologians and philosophers along with their conser-
vative Protestant riends and the worry is that they are interested in
nothing more than finding a sae place to deend what they already know
to be true Consequently the worry goes there is next to nothing o real
interest here or revisionist theologians o various stripes and there is
little promise or genuinely constructive theology
wo observations are important here First in principle there is
nothing about analytic theology that demands either traditional sympa-
thies or conservative conclusions Neither is there anything about ana-
lytic theology (either taken along the lines o Rearsquos P1048625-P983093 or in a somewhat
more expansive way) that precludes the use o the analytic tools by say
eminist womanist or liberationist theologies
46Stellar examples include Richard Cross Duns Scotus on God (Aldershot UK Ashgate 1048626983088983088983093) Cross
Te Metaphysics of the Incarnation Tomas Aquinas to Duns Scotus (Oxord Oxord University
Press 10486269830889830881048626) Eleonore Stump Aquinas (New York Routledge 10486269830889830881048627) Jeffrey E Brower Aquinasrsquos
Ontology of the Material World Change Hylomorphism and Material Objects (Oxord Oxord
University Press 10486269830881048625983092) and J Paasch Divine Production in Late Medieval rinitarian Teology
Henry of Ghent Duns Scotus and William Ockham (Oxord Oxord University Press 104862698308810486251048626)
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullan-invitation-to-analytic-christian-theology-by-thomas-h-mccall-excerpt 2733
983091983088 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
Second in point o act many criticisms o traditional doctrines
have emerged rom within analytic theology Consider this example It
is hard to think o a doctrine that is more deeply traditional or moredeeply woven into the abric o historic Christian theology than the
doctrine o divine simplicity Yet this venerable doctrine has endured
intense criticism rom analytic theologians over the past several de-
cades Alvin Plantingarsquos Does God Have a Nature raised ldquotwo diffi-
cultiesrdquo or the doctrine ldquoone substantial and the other truly
monumentalrdquo10486281048631 He argues that i God is identical with each o his
properties then God has but one property But this ldquoseems flatly in-compatible with the obvious act that God has several propertiesrdquo10486281048632 He
argues urther that i God is identical with each o his properties then
God is also a property ldquoTis view is subject to a difficulty both obvious
and overwhelming [or] i God is a property then he isnrsquot a person
but a mere abstract objectrdquo10486281048633 Many analytic theologians have joined
other criticisms to those o Plantinga and it is obvious that this doc-
trinemdashwoven deeply into the abric o traditional Christian doctrineas it ismdashis under assault rom within analytic theology We could mul-
tiply examples with ease (Te traditional doctrine o divine omni-
science stands out here) Tere are o course many sophisticated de-
enders o classical orthodoxy within analytic theology but the basic
point should be clear to reduce analytic theology to apologetics or
traditional doctrine is simply a mistake
As will become obvious in the ollowing pages I think that there is
much to be gained in the work o ldquoretrieval theologyrdquo and I see it as a
natural conversation partner and compatriot o analytic theology I want
to encourage more work at the intersection o analytic theology and
theologies o retrieval But there is nothing about analytic theology as
such that demands adherence to classical Christian theology
ldquoAnalytic theology relies on lsquosubstance metaphysicsrsquo rdquo Sometimes
theologians are suspicious o analytic theology due to its alleged reliance
on substance metaphysics Tis complaint can take various orms Some-
47Alvin Plantinga Does God Have a Nature (Milwaukee Marquette University Press 1048625983097983096983088) p 98309298309548Ibid49Ibid
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What Is Analytic heology 9830911048625
times it is claimed that the whole analytic enterprise is ldquopre-Kantianrdquo (as
in Kenneth Surinrsquos critique o David Brownrsquos work as being ldquorobustly
old-ashionedrdquo and ldquopre-Kantianrdquo)10486291048624 In other words critics complainthat analytic theology proceeds in blithemdashand perhaps willulmdashigno-
rance o the ldquoactrdquo that Kant undermined the entire project by destroying
the very possibility o doing it wo important claims seem to be in play
with this critique first that Kant did something to make analytic the-
ology impossible and second that analytic theologians are unaware o
what Kant did But both o these claims are problematic Te second is
simply mistaken and the first is vigorously contested As Nicholas Wolt-erstorff points out it is much more likely that the current generation o
analytic theologians is not so much ldquopre-Kantianrdquo as it is ldquopost-Kantianrdquo
As he puts it ldquoit really is possible to be post-Kantian Itrsquos possible to re-
cover rom Kant Te choices are not exhausted between being naively
pre-Kantian on the one hand and being a Kantian o one or another
stripe on the otherrdquo1048629983089 Tere are Wolterstorff argues philosophers who
are ully aware o Kantian ldquointerpretation-universalism and ully awareo [Kantian] metaphysical anti-realism but afer serious consideration
they have rejected these options as untenablerdquo1048629983090 So many analytic theo-
logians are well aware o Kantrsquos work (and the common claims made
about that work) but they donrsquot think that he did anything to shut down
the kind o work that they are doing As Plantinga puts it ldquothey have read
him and remain unconvincedrdquo1048629983091
But aside rom Kant analytic theology is sometimes criticized and
rejected or its reliance on ldquosubstance metaphysicsrdquo Unortunately ex-
actly what critical theologians have in their crosshairs when they talk
about substance metaphysics is ofen unclear and not closely defined
But very ofen the complaint is closely tied to a rejection o doctrines
50Kenneth Surin ldquoTe rinity and Philosophical Reflection A Study o David Brownrsquos Te Divine
rinity rdquo Modern Teology 1048626 (10486259830979830961048630) 10486261048627983097-98309298308851Nicholas Wolterstorff ldquoBetween the Pincers o Increased Diversity and Supposed Irrationalityrdquo
in God Philosophy and Academic Culture A Discussion Between Scholars in the AAR and APA
ed William J Wainwright (Atlanta Scholars Press 10486259830979830971048630) p 1048626983088 See also Wolterstorff ldquoIs It
Possible and Desirable or Teologians to Recover rom Kantrdquo Modern Teology 1048625983092 (1048625983097983097983096)
1048625-104862598309652Wolterstorff ldquoBetween the Pincersrdquo p 104862698308853Alvin Plantinga Warranted Christian Belief (Oxord Oxord University Press 1048626983088983088983088) p 1048627983088
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
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9830911048626 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
associated with ldquoclassical theismrdquo immutability impassibility time-
lessness and other doctrines are taken to be untenable and since they
are tied to substance metaphysics so much the worse or substancemetaphysics William P Alston defly analyzes this complaint and he
argues that substance metaphysics are really beside the point What he
says about substance metaphysics in discussions o the doctrine o the
rinity applies more broadly ldquoonce we get straight as to what is and is
not necessarily included in the metaphysics o substance we will see that
most twentieth-century objections to the use o substance metaphysics
are based on eatures o such ormulations that are not required bysubstance metaphysics as suchrdquo10486291048628 Perhaps there is something inherently
wrong with the use o substance metaphysics in theology and maybe this
counts against analytic theology But beore such a judgment can be
made we need more than the all-too-common generalizations and as-
sertions For beore we can conclude that analytic theology is atally
flawed due to a dependence on substance metaphysics we need to know
exactly what is meant by substance metaphysics we need to be shown just what is wrong (either philosophically or theologically) with sub-
stance metaphysics and we need to see that analytic theology really is (or
must be) committed to this kind o metaphysics Without the kind o
careul analysis and rigorous argumentation it is hard to see anything
here that might count as a orceul objection to analytic theology
ldquoAnalytic theology isnrsquot spiritually edifyingrdquo William Wood notes that
ldquomany conventional theologians remain deeply suspicious o analytic the-
ologyrdquo because o the worry that analytic theology is not spiritually edi-
ying As these theologians see matters ldquogenuine theology is in the first
instance practical aimed not at explanatory theories about God but at
ostering greater love or God and neighbor Genuine theology in short
is praxis one deeply woven together with a Christian lie o prayer virtue
and participation in the sacramentsrdquo10486291048629 Te basic concern is this when
more mainstream theologians look at analytic theology they donrsquot rec-
54William P Alston ldquoSubstance and the rinityrdquo in Te rinity An Interdisciplinary Symposium on
the rinity ed Stephen Davis Daniel Kendall SJ and Gerald OrsquoCollins SJ (Oxord Oxord
University Press 1048625983097983097983097) p 1048626983088104862555William Wood ldquoAnalytic Teology as a Way o Lierdquo Journal of Analytic Teology (10486269830881048625983092) 983092983092
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What Is Analytic heology 983091983091
ognize the kind o theology-as-praxis that they value Instead they see
purported explanatory theoriesmdashmere purported explanatory theories
Sometimes these explanations appear to be a very long way indeed romthe lie o aith Indeed they see ormulas such as this (selected pretty
much at random rom among many others)
P existx (Dx amp forally(Dy =gt Byx) amp x made us
Q existx(Dx amp forally(Dy =gt Byx ))1048629983094
When they encounter this kind o work some theologians donrsquot rec-
ognize it as theology at all I they are willing to recognize it as theology
they tend to worry that they donrsquot see the kind o theology that promotes
love o God and neighbor they are concerned that they donrsquot see the-
ology that is connected to the lie o aith As Wood puts it they worry
that ldquoanalytic theology is spiritually sterile and thereore not really a
orm o genuine theology at allrdquo10486291048631
I think this is an important point o criticism and it raises some very
intriguing concerns But as Wood also notes it would be a ldquomistake and
urthermore a presumptuous mistake to assume that analytic philo-
sophical theology cannot in principle be spiritually nourishingrdquo10486291048632 Tree
points stand out First it is important to realize that the temptation to
construct explanatory theories about God that are divorced rom worship
and transormation is both real and present It is also nearious10486291048633 Te
temptation besets theologians o all stripesmdashanalytic or otherwise I do
not think analytic theologians are the only theologians who ace this
temptation o the contrary idolatry is no respecter o ideologies Butsurely it is not invincible surelymdashby Godrsquos gracemdashit is not irresistible
As Wood reminds us ldquoGodrsquos love rains down on logicians too afer allrdquo9830941048624
Second there is good reason to think that analytic theology maymdash
contrary to common expectationsmdashturn out to be spiritually ediying
56Peter van Inwagen ldquoAnd Yet Tey Are Not Tree Gods but One Godrdquo in McCall and Rea
Philosophical and Teological Essays on the rinity pp 10486269830921048625 1048626983092104863057Wood ldquoAnalytic Teology as a Way o Lierdquo p 983092983092 See also Marilyn McCord Adams ldquoWhatrsquos
Wrong with the Ontotheological Errorrdquo Journal of Analytic Teology (10486269830881048625983092) 1048625-1048625104862658Wood ldquoAnalytic Teology as a Way o Lierdquo p 983092104863059See the warnings o Merold Westphal Suspicion and Faith Te Religious Uses of Modern Atheism
(New York Fordham University Press 1048625983097983097983096)60Wood ldquoAnalytic Teology as a Way o Lierdquo p 983092983095
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983091983092 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
Wood argues that analytic theology may be spiritually beneficial in
several ways He suggests that the ldquoconcentrated attention required to
read understand and develop very technical analytic argumentsrdquo maybe conducive to the kinds o intellectual virtues and habits o mind that
are spiritually beneficial983094983089 In addition he notes the ldquoargumentative
transparencyrdquo (what he terms the ldquoparadigmatic analytic virtuerdquo) may be
helpul in spiritual ormation983094983090 Wood readily admits that this tendency
toward argumentative rigor can also eed a orm o pride or even ldquointel-
lectual violencerdquo but he also points out that to make a ldquogood analytic
argument is to make that argument maximally easy or intellectual op-ponents to criticize or reuterdquo and this very transparency makes it much
harder to shield onesel rom criticisms but instead is a way to ldquomake
onesel intellectually vulnerablerdquo In this way it serves as a ldquocheck against
intellectual priderdquo983094983091 Moreover the pace demanded by such rigor and the
modesty o the claims that are rendered deensible have the potential to
cultivate epistemic humility Furthermore another important eature o
the analytic approach is the need to ldquoidentiy imaginatively with onersquosintellectual opponentsrdquo this also as Wood points out orces us to inhabit
a worldview that is not only oreign to our own but also sometimes
hostile In these ways Wood argues ldquoanalytic theology can become a
spiritual practice a way o seeking God and o training the mind and
the will to be open to gracerdquo9830941048628
Finally we should not neglect to notice those shining examples o
theologians or whom analytic theology indeed is closely related to
worship and spiritual nurture Indeed it would be hard not to notice
them or the tradition is rie with such theologians A great many pa-
tristic and most scholastic (both medieval and early modern) theolo-
gians count as ldquoanalytic theologiansrdquo For surely they fit our profile o
theologians who prize ldquoconceptual precision rigor o argumentation
technical erudition and an in-depth deense o an original worldviewrdquo
(and who would in many instances value P1048625-P983093) As an example con-
61Ibid p 98309398309362Ibid p 983093104863063Ibid64Ibid p 983093983096
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What Is Analytic heology 983091983093
sider Anselmrsquos Proslogion It is obvious that Anselm values precision and
rigor and he clearly intends to convey truth claims that he finds con-
vincing But as both Wood and Marilyn McCord Adams point out thiswork is ldquomeant to do more than communicate propositional truthsrdquo or
ldquoit is meant to help reorient the wills o its readers and help bring about
effective and volitional change in themrdquo9830941048629 Despite important differences
o style and substance we could say much the same about many other
figures (both well known and less so) as well it is very difficult to read
ar into Bonaventure Richard o St Victor Aquinas Scotus Vermigli
Perkins Arminius urretin Edwards Wesley and many others withoutunderstanding that they are obviously concerned with both intellectual
rigor and spiritual ormation
65Ibid p 983093983088 See also Marilyn McCord Adams ldquoPraying the Proslogionrdquo in Te Rationality of
Belief and the Plurality of Faith ed Tomas Senor (Ithaca NY Cornell University Press 1048625983097983097983093)
pp 10486251048627-1048627983097 and Adams ldquoElegant Necessity Prayerul Disputation Method in Cur Deus Homordquo
in Studia Anselmiana Cur Deus Homo (Rome 1048625983097983097983097) pp 10486271048630983095-9830971048630
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8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullan-invitation-to-analytic-christian-theology-by-thomas-h-mccall-excerpt 933
10486251048626 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
nonsensical983091 Hud Hudson says ldquoInormed that questions about the ex-
istence nature and significance o the deity were hereafer to be engaged
exclusively under the guidance o linguistic analyses o religious lan-guage and menaced with (inexplicably popular) verificationist theories
o meaning theologians were told by analytic philosophers that they had
not even achieved the minimal distinction o saying anything alse or
they had not managed to say anything at allrdquo1048628
Te response o many theologians in the late modern era to the develop-
ments in mainstream philosophy in Anglo-American circles was under-
standable they largely ignored the work o these philosophers andlooked elsewhere or intellectual resources and conversation partners
Some sought reuge in ldquoContinentalrdquo philosophy while others decried
any engagement between philosophy and theology
But the second hal o the twentieth century witnessed some re-
markable changes As Hudson notes ldquoTis most unortunate moment in
the history o analytic philosophy was merciully temporary as was its
slavish devotion to linguistic analyses verificationism and all the un-ounded suspicion o metaphysics ethics and religion that ollowed in its
wakerdquo1048629 Logical positivism couldnrsquot bear its own weight and Ayerrsquos con-
fident pronouncements are now valued more as a quaint museum artiact
o philosophical history (ldquoLook kids isnrsquot it amazing that anyone ever
said thatmdashand especially that he seemed so cocksure about itrdquo) than as
a helpul repository o philosophical insight With the collapse o posi-
tivism came a rebirth o serious metaphysicsmdashand with that collapse and
the rebirth o metaphysics came a revival o philosophy o religion983094
Where philosophical consideration o theological issues had been deemed
an utter waste o time now it was seen as an interesting area o inquiry
Serious and sustained engagement with perennial issues o religious and
theological interest was happening again and many o the philosophers
3Ibid p 10486279830934Hud Hudson Te Fall and Hypertime (Oxord Oxord University Press 10486269830881048625983092) p 9830925Ibid p 9830936For a telling o this tale see Nicholas Wolterstorff ldquoHow Philosophical Teology Became Pos-
sible Within the Analytic radition o Philosophyrdquo in Analytic Teology New Essays in the Phi-
losophy of Teology ed Oliver D Crisp and Michael C Rea (Oxord Oxord University Press
1048626983088983088983097) pp 1048625983093983093-1048630983096
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What Is Analytic heology 1048625983091
engaged in this work weremdashand aremdashcommitted Christians
Not all philosophers rejoice at these developments but it is increas-
ingly hard or them not to notice them Quentin Smith describesmdashanddecriesmdashthis development
Te secularization o mainstream academia began to quickly unravel upon
the publication o Plantingarsquos influential book on realist theism God and
Other Minds in 1048625983097983094983095 It became apparent to the philosophical proession
that this book displayed that realist theists were not outmatched by natu-
ralists in terms o the most valued standards o academic philosophy con-
ceptual precision rigor o argumentation technical erudition and an in-depth deense o an original worldview Tis book ollowed seven years
later by Plantingarsquos even more impressive book Te Nature of Necessity
made it maniest that a realist theist was writing at the highest qualitative
level o analytic philosophy on the same playing field as Carnap Russell
Gruumlnbaum and other naturalists1048631
Smith in what basically amounts to something o an alarmist ldquocall to
armsrdquo to his ellow atheists concludes that ldquoGod is not lsquodeadrsquo in aca-demia he returned to lie in the late 1048625983097983094983088rsquos and is now alive and well in
his last academic stronghold philosophy departmentsrdquo1048632
While triumphalism on the part o Christian philosophers would be
both very premature and unseemly (they remain by all measures in the
substantial minority within academic philosophy) nonetheless Smith is
right that the situation is very different than it was only a ew decades
ago Te Society o Christian Philosophers ounded in 1048625983097983095983096 as a small
group o diverse scholars who were more unified by common interests
than by shared commitment to a particular creed now has in the neigh-
borhood o a thousand members Several journalsmdashnotably Faith and
Philosophy Philosophia Christi Religious Studies Sophia Philo and the
International Journal of Philosophy of Religionmdashare devoted to issues
broadly related to the study o the philosophy o religion and Christian
philosophers are very active in these and other venues At the same time
Christian philosophers are very active in other more ldquomainstreamrdquo areas
o contemporary philosophy important recent work in metaphysics and
7Quentin Smith ldquoTe Metaphilosophy o Naturalismrdquo Philo 983092 no 1048626 (10486269830889830881048625) 10486268Ibid p 1048627
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
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1048625983092 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
epistemology in particular has been influenced by philosophers with
religious interests and well-known Christian commitments
Not surprisingly the growth o Christian involvement in philosophyhas been accompanied by increased interest in issues o perennial
concern in philosophy o religion Work on such issues had never en-
tirely disappeared o course or prominent philosophers such as Basil
Mitchell Peter Geach Austin Farrer and others were making significant
contributions well beore the current renaissance o Christian philosophy
really took off1048633 However engagement has been growing at an astounding
rate Issues surrounding religious pluralism and exclusivism problemso evil (including not only the ldquologicalrdquo problem o evil but also ldquoevi-
dentialrdquo problems) religious epistemology religious experience mir-
acles theistic arguments (particularly various versions o ontological
cosmological teleological and moral arguments) and science and re-
ligion have been explored with impressive vigor and analyzed with or-
midable rigor9830891048624 Positions have been set out and explained attacked and
deended modified and surrendered Te work in philosophy o religionhas not been cordoned off rom other more ldquomainstreamrdquo philosophical
work o the contrary in many ways it has remained vitally engaged with
9Eg Basil Mitchell Te Justification of Religious Belief (Oxord Oxord University Press 10486259830979830961048625)
Mitchell Faith and Criticism (Oxord Oxord University Press 1048625983097983097983093) Mitchell Morality Reli-
gious and Secular Te Dilemma of the raditional Conscience (Oxord Oxord University Press
10486259830979830961048630) Peter Geach God and the Soul (South Bend IN St Augustinersquos Press 10486259830971048630983097) Geach
Providence and Evil (Cambridge Cambridge University Press 1048625983097983095983095) Geach Te Virtues (Cam-
bridge Cambridge University Press 1048625983097983095983095) Geach Logic Matters (Berkeley University o Cali-ornia Press 10486259830979830951048626) Austin Farrer Te Freedom of the Will (London Black 1048625983097983093983096) Farrer Love
Almighty and Ills Unlimited An Essay on Providence and Evil (London Collins 104862598309710486301048625) Farrer
Saving Belief A Study of Essentials (London Hodder amp Stoughton 10486259830971048630983092) Farrer Faith and Spec-
ulation An Essay in Philosophical Teology (London Black 10486259830971048630983095)10Te contentsmdashand perhaps the very existencemdasho the numerous and massive ldquohandbooksrdquo and
ldquocompanionsrdquo to philosophy o religion bear weighty testimony to this act See eg William J
Wainwright ed Te Oxford Handbook of Philosophy of Religion (New York Oxord University
Press 1048626983088983088983093) Philip L Quinn and Charles aliaerro eds A Companion to Philosophy of Religion
(Oxord Blackwell 1048625983097983097983095) William E Mann ed Te Blackwell Guide to the Philosophy of Religion
(Oxord Blackwell 1048626983088983088983093) Michael L Peterson and Raymond J VanArragon eds Contemporary
Debates in Philosophy of Religion (Oxord Blackwell 1048626983088983088983092) J P Moreland and William Lane
Craig eds Te Blackwell Companion to Natural Teology (Oxord Blackwell 1048626983088983088983097) Justin Mc-
Brayer and Daniel Howard-Snyder eds Te Blackwell Companion to the Problem of Evil (Oxord
Blackwell 104862698308810486251048627) Chad Meister and Paul Copan eds Te Routledge Companion to Philosophy of
Religion 1048626nd ed (New York Routledge 104862698308810486251048627) See also the impressive series Oxord Studies in
Philosophy o Religion edited by Jon Kvanvig
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What Is Analytic heology 1048625983093
cutting-edge work in epistemology ethics and metaphysics to use the
latter as an example rom Alvin Plantingarsquos early work Te Nature of
Necessity to Brian Lefowrsquos recent contributions in God and Necessity important work in the metaphysics o modality has been deeplymdashand
some might say ldquoessentiallyrdquomdashconnected to philosophy o religion983089983089
Judging rom the interest and output analytic philosophy o religion is
not only alive and well but indeed healthy and robust
How we got here From philosophy of religion to philosophical the-
ology But or all the vigor and intellectual energy that is captured and
reflected in work on general or generic issues in philosophy o religion theinterests o Christian philosophers have not been limited to those issues
Instead Christian philosophers have been deeply interested in distinctly
Christian theological topics and they have devoted much energy to the
analysis and deense o Christian doctrine Te past ew decades have wit-
nessed important work on the doctrine o revelation (and divine speech)
the inspiration authority and interpretation o the Christian Scriptures
divine attributes (particularly simplicity necessity aseity omnipotenceomniscience eternity and reedom) divine action in creation providence
miraculous intervention theological anthropology original sin incar-
nation atonement resurrection and eschatology983089983090
Where we are Philosophical theology and analytic theology More
recently the term analytic theology has come into use Tere are o
course important orebears to this work David Kelsey Nicholas Wolt-
erstorff and others at Yale disparate figures such as William P Alston
Norman Kretzmann George Mavrodes Keith Yandell and others else-
where in the United States Paul Helm and Richard Swinburne in the
United Kingdom and Vincent Brummer and others o the Utrecht
11See Alvin Plantinga Te Nature of Necessity (Oxord Oxord University Press 1048625983097983095983092) and Brian
Lefow God and Necessity (Oxord Oxord University Press 104862698308810486251048626) See also the recent proposals
o Hugh J McCann Creation and the Sovereignty of God (Bloomington Indiana University Press
104862698308810486251048626)12Once again the prolieration o ldquoreadersrdquo ldquohandbooksrdquo and ldquocompanionsrdquo stands as evidence
o the breadth and depth o the work undertaken eg Oliver D Crisp ed A Reader in Contem-
porary Philosophical Teology (New York amp Clark 1048626983088983088983097) Michael C Rea ed Oxford Read-
ings in Philosophical Teology 1048626 vols (Oxord Oxord University Press 1048626983088983088983097) Tomas P Flint
and Michael C Rea eds Te Oxford Handbook of Philosophical Teology (Oxord Oxord Uni-
versity Press 1048626983088983088983097) Charles aliaerro and Chad Meister eds Te Cambridge Companion to
Christian Philosophical Teology (Cambridge Cambridge University Press 10486269830881048625983088)
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
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1048625983094 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
school o philosophical theology in the Netherlands Following trail-
blazers such as these and building on the recent renaissance o meta-
physics and philosophy o religion the analytic theology movement isnow growing Te publication o the volume Analytic Teology Essays
in the Philosophy of Teology edited by Oliver D Crisp and Michael C
Rea marked an important moment Te Analytic Teology Project
(sponsored and promoted by Notre Damersquos Center or Philosophy o
Religion as well the University o Innsbruck in Austria and the Shalem
Center in Jerusalem and unded by generous grants rom the John em-
pleton Foundation) with its annual Logos conerence and other activitiesthe launch o the Journal of Analytic Teology and the inauguration o
the book series Oxord Studies in Analytic Teology all lend support to
this growing movement
Te meaning o the term analytic theology can vary in common par-
lance and it is sae to say that there is no single decisively settled meaning
o the term when it is used as a label Still perhaps we can saely say that
what is common across the range o uses is this analytic theology sig-nifies a commitment to employ the conceptual tools o analytic phi-
losophy where those tools might be helpul in the work o constructive
Christian theology Scholars will naturally enough disagree among
themselves about just which o those tools are most helpul which
projects are best served by their use and other matters but on the whole
such a minimalist characterization seems sae enough William J
Abraham offers this helpul summary analytic theology ldquocan be useully
defined as ollows it is systematic theology attuned to the skills re-
sources and virtues o analytic philosophyrdquo983089983091 As such analytic theology
is a growing and energetic field at the intersections o philosophy o re-
ligion and systematic theology
W983144983137983156 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 T983144983141983151983148983151983143983161 I983155 (983151983154 S983144983151983157983148983140 B983141)
Such minimalist characterization while airly sae does not take us very
ar What more precisely is one doing when one does analytic theology
13William J Abraham ldquoSystematic Teology as Analytic Teologyrdquo in Analytic Teology New
Essays in the Philosophy of Teology ed Oliver D Crisp and Michael C Rea (Oxord Oxord
University Press 1048626983088983088983097) p 983093983092
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
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What Is Analytic heology 1048625983095
Just what is analytic theology Perhaps it will help first to consider what
is so analytic about analytic theology Following this we shall think
about how it is an exercise in theology Analytic theology as analytic theology As we have seen Quentin Smith
praises Plantingarsquos work or its excellence in ldquothe most valued standards o
analytic philosophy conceptual precision rigor o argumentation tech-
nical erudition and an in-depth deense o an original worldviewrdquo9830891048628 Oliver
D Crisp echoes this estimation o what counts as good work in analytic
philosophy he observes that analytic philosophy is characterized by ldquoa
logical rigour clarity and parsimony o expression coupled with attentionto a certain cluster o philosophical problemsrdquo9830891048629 Analytic theology is rel-
evantly similar he says or it ldquowill prize intellectual virtues like clarity
parsimony o expression and argumentative rigourrdquo983089983094 Michael C Rearsquos
description o analytic philosophy echoes these accounts in some ways
While recognizing that clear and sharp lines between ldquoanalyticrdquo and ldquonon-
analyticrdquo (or ldquoContinentalrdquo) philosophical approaches are neither easy to
come by nor perhaps really worth all the work he characterizes analyticapproaches to philosophy in terms o style and ambition9830891048631 Te ambitions
are generally ldquoto identiy the scope and limits o our powers to obtain
knowledge o the worldrdquo and ldquoto provide such true explanatory theories
as we can in areas o inquiry (metaphysics morals and the like) that all
outside the scope o the natural sciencesrdquo9830891048632 Rea characterizes the style as
including the ollowing prescriptions
P1048625 Write as i philosophical positions and conclusions can be adequately or-mulated in sentences that can be ormalized and logically manipulated
P1048626 Prioritize precision clarity and logical coherence
P983091 Avoid substantive (non-decorative) use o metaphor and other tropes
whose semantic content outstrips their propositional content
14Smith ldquoMetaphilosophyrdquo p 104862615Oliver D Crisp ldquoOn Analytic Teologyrdquo in Crisp and Rea Analytic Teology p 104862798309316Ibid pp 1048627983095-104862798309617Michael C Rea introduction to Crisp and Rea Analytic Teology pp 1048627-983092 See also Nick raka-
kis ldquoMeta-Philosophy o Religion Te Analytic-Continental Divide in Philosophy o Religionrdquo
Ars Disputandi 983095 (1048626983088983088983095) 1048625983095983097-1048626104862698308818Rea introduction p 983092
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
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1048625983096 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
P983092 Work as much as possible with well-understood primitive concepts and
concepts that can be analyzed in terms o those
P983093 reat conceptual analysis (insoar as possible) as a source o evidence9830891048633
Tis much at least is characteristic o analytic philosophy So what
about analytic theology As Rea sees things ldquoanalytic theology is just the
activity o approaching theological topics with the ambitions o an ana-
lytic philosopher and in a style that conorms to the prescriptions that
are distinctive o analytic philosophical discourse It will also involve
more or less pursuing those topics in a way that engages the literature
that is constitutive o the analytic tradition employing some o the tech-
nical jargon rom that tradition and so on But in the end it is the style
and ambitions that are most centralrdquo9830901048624
All this is helpul but perhaps a bit more explanation would be ben-
eficial Consider P1048625 Tis need not mean that all meaningul statements
in theology (or philosophy) need to be expressed ormally it should
not be taken to mean that every theological claim should be stated in
an apparatus with numbered propositions and a ormal structure
What it does mean however is that the deault setting or theologians
should be to communicate propositions that could be expressed this
way For as Rea says ldquoabsent special circumstancesrdquo things have ldquogone
very much amissrdquo i a view ldquois expressed in such a way that it has no
clear logical outcomesrdquo983090983089
Consider also P1048626 Tis need notmdashand should notmdashbe taken to mean
that logical precision and coherence are the only important criteria ora theologian and neither should it be taken to imply even that logical
precision and coherence are the most important criteria Te theologian
who is convinced that her first commitment is fidelity to the priority and
ultimacy o divine revelation should have no difficulty in assenting to P1048626
Neither urther should P1048626 be taken to imply that the same levels o
logical precision are possible with all theological topics nor yet that all
theological projects require the same levels o precision and argumentative
19Ibid pp 983093-104863020Ibid p 98309521Ibid p 983093 n 983093
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What Is Analytic heology 1048625983097
rigor Consider by way o example childrenrsquos catechetical literature
Surely this literature is theological but it neither can nor should attempt
to display the same level o logical precision or argumentative rigor assay advanced work in scholastic theology P1048626 does not clam that such
theological literature should do so or that all work in theology must
always do so
Neither should P1048626 be misunderstood with respect to claims about the
importance o ldquoclarityrdquo Rea notes that this claim can seem ironic ldquoin light
o the act that quite a lot o analytic philosophy [and we could add
some analytic theology] is very difficult even or specialists and totallyinaccessible to non-specialistsrdquo983090983090 But ldquoclearrdquo does not mean ldquoeasyrdquo In-
stead it expresses a commitment to the work o ldquospelling out hidden
assumptions scrupulously trying to lay bare whatever evidence one has
(or lacks) or the claims that one is making and on taking care to confine
onersquos vocabulary to ordinary language well-understood primitive con-
cepts and technical jargon definable in terms o theserdquo983090983091 Finally we
should note that P1048626 does not imply that everything (or everything worthtalking about) in theology will become crystal clear Te goal o analytic
theology is not (or at least need not be) the removal o all mystery in
theology o the contrary analytic philosophers o religion have long
been keenly aware o the place o mystery in theology and it may be that
at certain points an important role o the theologian is to clariy just
where the mystery really lies P1048626 does not suggest that analytic theology
will make everything ldquoclearrdquo in the sense that it makes everything ldquoeasy
and readily accessible to the nonspecialistrdquo Instead what it prioritizes is
clarity to the appropriate audiences and to the greatest possible degree
And it insists that ldquomysteryrdquo must not be conused with logical inco-
herence and it likewise insists that we do not gloriy what is clearly in-
coherent with the shroud o ldquomysteryrdquo As Alan G Padgett says theology
should ldquoseek the truth about Godrdquo and ldquothereore must shun incoherence
and irrationalityrdquo9830901048628 Where ldquosometimes lsquomysteryrsquo is evoked as an excuse
22Ibid p 983093 n 104863023Ibid24Alan G Padgett ldquoTe rinity in Teology and Philosophy Why Jerusalem Should Work with
Athensrdquo in Philosophical and Teological Essays on the rinity ed Tomas McCall and Michael
C Rea (Oxord Oxord University Press 1048626983088983088983097) p 104862710486271048626
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1048626983088 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
or sloppy thinking this must be anathema to any academic theology
worthy o the namerdquo For ldquoafer all the mystery o God does not end
when theology speaks clearly Te simple phrase lsquoJesus loves me this Iknow or the Bible tells me sorsquo covers vast deep mysteries that even the
angels gaze into with awe and wonderrdquo9830901048629
P983091 rules out ldquosubstantive (non-decorative) use o metaphor and other
tropes whose semantic content outstrips their propositional contentrdquo
Tis does not or at least need not mean that there is no valid or valuable
place or metaphor in theology Analytic theologians will disagree among
themselves as to howmdashand how muchmdashmetaphor is useul and legiti-mate983090983094 But the basic point is airly plain on P983091 theologians are not at
liberty to trade loosely in metaphor without ever being able to speciy
just what is meant by those metaphors Tey are not then ree to make
claims the meaning o which cannot be specified or spelled out Teolo-
gians are not licensed to trade in what Randal Rauser calls ldquounclarifiable
unclarityrdquo9830901048631 P983092 calls the analytic theologian to work with ldquowell-understood
primitive conceptsrdquo that are reasonably taken to be basic intuitive or(minimally) uncontroversial (and with concepts that can be understood
in terms o such primitive concepts) Some theologians will be quick to
raise concerns here they will worry that the very notion o ldquowell-
understood primitive conceptsrdquo may both conceal blind spots o social
location and privilege and be a Procrustean bed that restricts theological
concepts to ldquowhat we already know to be truerdquo and thus curtails the
possibility o engagement with divine revelation But once again it is
important not to misunderstand P983092 Te ldquoas much as possiblerdquo is key
here i the preunderstood concepts donrsquot do enough work then some o
them can be adjusted Others wonrsquot be so easy to adjust or discard but
this category o primitive concepts is both quite small and very basic (eg
the law o noncontradiction) Simply put there is no good reason to
25Ibid26I thank Billy Abraham or pressing this point Te ldquostandardrdquo work on metaphor in theology
remains Janet Martin Soskice Metaphor and Religious Language (Oxord Oxord University
Press 1048625983097983096983095)27Randal Rauser ldquoTeology as a Bull Sessionrdquo in Crisp and Rea Analytic Teology pp 983095983092-983095983093 See
also Harry Frankurt On Bullshit (Princeton NJ Princeton University Press 1048626983088983088983093) and Frank-
urt Bullshit and Philosophy ed Gary L Hardcastle and George A Resich (Chicago Open
Court 1048626983088983088983093)
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What Is Analytic heology 10486261048625
think that the notion o ldquowell-understood primitive conceptsrdquo must
unction as a Procrustean bed
Finally Rea says that P983093 calls us to ldquotreat conceptual analysis (insoaras it is possible) as a source o evidencerdquo It should be obvious that he
does not say that conceptual analysis is the only source o evidence and
there is no reason to think that it should be taken this way Neither does
he claim that conceptual analysis is the primary or ultimate source o
evidence P983093 makes an important claim but it is a rather modest one
What it insists on is this i close conceptual analysis reveals that some
theological proposition P is say internally inconsistent then thatanalysis gives us all the evidence we need to reject P No matter how
grand the claims o Prsquo s supporters in deense o the supporting evidence
for it i P is incoherent (sel-reerentially or otherwise) then it is not true
Once we have established that P is incoherent (which is a task much
harder than is sometimes supposed) we have all the reason we need to
conclude that it is wrong In addition o course conceptual analysis
might count as evidence in other and more positive ways as well Con-sider perect being theology or example here theologians analyze ldquoper-
ectionrdquo and then take deliverances o that analysis as evidence in support
o their theological conclusions
Much more could be said about what makes analytic theology truly
analytic o course While this could be expanded on and broadened
(particularly in directions that put less o a premium on precision) Rearsquos
P1048625-P983093 give us an initial sense o what it means to say that theology is
analytic theology Generally speaking analytic theology is theology that
is attuned to and committed to the ldquogoals and ambitionsrdquo o analytic
philosophy a commitment to truth wherever it may be ound clarity o
expression and rigor o argumentation Very ofen it will not hesitate to
make appropriate use o the available tools o analytic philosophy espe-
cially as these aid conceptual precision and argumentative rigor
Analytic theology as analytic theology But i echoing Smith it is the
concern with ldquoconceptual precisionrdquo and ldquorigor o argumentationrdquo that
makes analytic theology analytic then what is it that makes analytic
theology really theology Tis book develops an answer to this question
but an initial summary may help Recall that Smith talks not only about
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
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10486261048626 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
ldquoconceptual precisionrdquo and ldquorigor o argumentationrdquo but also about ldquotech-
nical eruditionrdquo and the ldquoin-depth deense o an original worldviewrdquo For
the analytic philosopher ldquotechnical eruditionrdquo will naturally involvemastery o the requisite field (metaphysics philosophy o mind epis-
temology etc) but it may also include competence in other related
fields (biology or philosophy o biology neurology or philosophy o
mind etc) For the analytic theologian such erudition will include com-
petence in the relevant areas o philosophical study that are necessary or
ldquoconceptual precisionrdquo and ldquorigor o argumentationrdquo But or the analytic
theologian qua theologian it must involve much more than this Forunless analytic theology is merely ldquoarmchair theologyrdquo (albeit armchair
theology done by very bright people) it will be grounded in the
Christian Scriptures it will be inormed by the great tradition o doc-
trinal development it will be ldquochristologically normedrdquo and it will be
culturally engaged As theology it will seek to articulate what we may
know o God as God has revealed himsel to us As Nicholas Wolterstorff
puts it to theologiansDo not be ersatz philosophers do not be ersatz cultural theorists do not be
ersatz anything Be genuine theologians Be sure-ooted in philosophy But
then be theologians What we need to hear rom you is how things look
when seen in light o the triune Godmdashmay his name be praisedmdashwho creates
and sustains us who redeems us and who will bring this rail and allen
though yet glorious humanity and cosmos to consummation9830901048632
Accordingly analytic theology is theology done by theologians who areldquosure-ootedrdquo in philosophy (many o whom will have extensive training
and proessional expertise there and indeed may be leaders within their
field) but it is a kind o theology nonetheless
Such a conception o theology is o course not remotely new What
we may useully reer to as ldquoanalytic theologyrdquo is very similar in many
respects to deeply traditional ways o doing theology We can see this
kind o work exemplified in the theology o the scholastics (both me-dieval and post-Reormationearly modern) So in some sense the re-
28Nicholas Wolterstorff ldquoo Teologians From One Who Cares About Teology but Is Not One
o Yourdquo Teological Education (1048626983088983088983093) 9830971048625-9830971048626
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
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What Is Analytic heology 1048626983091
birth o analytic theology may be thought o as scholasticism redivivus
As Richard Swinburnemdashsurely a pioneer o analytic theologymdashsays
ldquolarge-scale theology needs clear and rigorous argumentrdquo and it is ldquohightime or theology to returnrdquo to the standards set by Tomas Aquinas
John Duns Scotus and others9830901048633 But it is not only the ldquohigh scholasticsrdquo
who worked this way or we can also witness many o these virtues in
theologians rom the patristics to the pietists9830911048624 Many theologians in the
Christian tradition were concerned with both ldquoconceptual precisionrdquo and
ldquoargumentative rigorrdquo as well as ldquotechnical eruditionrdquo and the ldquoin-depth
deense o an original worldviewrdquoConsider what John Wesleymdashan evangelist hardly known as a ldquoscho-
lasticrdquo or an ldquoanalytic theologianrdquomdashhas to say about the importance o
acquiring the tools or ldquoconceptual precisionrdquo and ldquoargumentative rigorrdquo
Logic he says is ldquonecessary next to and in order to the knowledge o
Scripturerdquo983091983089 Despite the act that it is ldquonow quite unashionablerdquo none-
theless logic is invaluable For with it we have the possibility o ldquoappre-
hending things clearly judging truly and reasoning conclusivelyrdquo
983091983090
Andas with logic so also with metaphysics Tus Wesley will ask o clergy
Am I a tolerable master o the sciences Have I gone through the very gate o
them logic I not I am not likely to go much urther when I stumble at the
threshold Do I understand it so as to be ever the better or it o have it
always ready or use so as to apply every rule o it when occasion is almost
as naturally as I turn my hand Do I understand it at all Can I reduce an
indirect mood to a direct a hypothetic to a categorical syllogism Rather have
not my stupid indolence and laziness made me very ready to believe what the
little wits and pretty gentlemen affirm ldquothat logic is good or nothingrdquo It is
good or this at least (wherever it is understood) to make people talk less by
showing them both what is and what is not to the point and how extremely
29Richard Swinburne Te Coherence of Teism 1048626nd ed (Oxord Oxord University Press 10486259830979830971048627)
p 98309530See eg Gregory o Nyssa Against Eunomius 10486259830921048626 Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers ed Philip
Schaff series 1048626 (10486259830969830961048630ndash1048625983096983096983097 repr Peabody MA Hendrickson 1048625983097983097983092) 983093983097983096-983097983097 (Patrologia
Graeca [= Patrologiae Cursus Completus Series Graeca] ed Jacques-Paul Migne [Paris 1048625983096983093983095ndash
10486259830969830961048630] 9830929830939830921048630983088-10486301048625)31John Wesley ldquoAddress to the Clergyrdquo in Te Works of John Wesley vol 1048625983088 Letters Essays Dialogs
and Addresses (Grand Rapids Zondervan nd) p 983092983096104862732Ibid
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1048626983092 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
hard it is to prove anything Do I understand metaphysics i not the depths
o the Schoolmen the subtleties o Scotus or Aquinas yet the first rudiments
the general principles o that useul science983091983091
Consider urther what Wesley says about the importance o ldquotechnical
eruditionrdquo in theology Insisting on the importance o knowledge o the
scope o Christian Scripture as well as acility in the relevant ancient
languages he asks
Have I (1048625) such a knowledge o Scripture as becomes him who undertakes
so to explain it to others Have I a ull and clear view o the analogy o
aith which is the clue to guide me through the whole Am I acquainted with
the several parts o Scripture with all parts o the Old estament and the
New Upon the mention o any text do I know the context and the parallel
places Do I know the scope o each book and how every part tends
thereto Have I the skill to draw the natural inerences deducible rom each
text (1048626) Do I understand Greek and Hebrew Otherwise am I not at
the mercy o everyone who does understand or pretends to understand the
original For which way can I conute his pretence Do I understand the lan-
guage o the Old estament Critically At all Can I read into English one o
Davidrsquos Psalms or even the first chapter o Genesis Do I understand the
language o the New estament Am I a critical master o it Have I enough
o it even to read into English the first chapter o St Luke I not how many
years did I spend at school How many at university And what was I doing
all those years9830911048628
Wesley says similar things about the indispensability o knowledge o
the Christian tradition But the basic point should be clear important
elements o what we now call ldquoanalytic theologyrdquo have deep roots in the
broad Christian theological tradition Indeed or an evangelist like John
Wesley this is simply the kind o theology that any Christian minister
should be doing
W983144983137983156 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 T983144983141983151983148983151983143983161 I983155983150rsquo983156 M983145983155983157983150983140983141983154983155983156983137983150983140983145983150983143983155
983137983150983140 O983138983146983141983139983156983145983151983150983155
Many systematic theologians are suspicious o analytic theology Indeed
33Ibid pp 9830929830971048625-983097104862634Ibid pp 983092983097983088-9830971048625
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What Is Analytic heology 1048626983093
some are deeply suspicious Te concerns come rom several angles Here
are some o the most common9830911048629
ldquoAnalytic theology relies on a univocal account of religious languagerdquoSome theologians may worry that the current analytic discussions
proceed with an unrealistic and unhealthy naiveteacute regarding the nature
and unction o religious language For instance Stephen R Holmes
thinks that ldquoanalytic discussions o the rinity seem generally to proceed
with a remarkable confidence about the success o language in reerring
to the divinerdquo he thinks that the assumption o analytic theology ldquowould
always seem to be that language reers univocally to the divine and thecreatedrdquo Indeed he thinks that analytic theology would be ldquoimpossiblerdquo
without a commitment to univocity983091983094 More worrisome the concern may
be that analytic theologyrsquos commitment to univocity implicates it in
something that is (at least potentially) idolatrous9830911048631
A general treatment o religious language is beyond the scope o our
discussion but several observations may be helpul First it should be
noted that the case against univocity should not be merely assumed (asi some particular theological proposal could be damned by nothing
more than the charge o univocity) Nor is the case for univocity nearly
so weak as is ofen supposed o the contrary univocity has serious and
sophisticated deenders today and a case can be made that ldquothe doctrine
o univocity is true and salutaryrdquo9830911048632
Te second major point is perhaps more important or our purposes
It is this analytic theology as such requires no commitment to univocity
whatsoever Indeed many analytic theologians reject univocity in avor
35Tis section draws heavily rom my ldquoTeologians Philosophers and the Doctrine o the rinityrdquo
in McCall and Rea Philosophical and Teological Essays on the rinity pp 1048627983092983088-98309298309636Stephen R Holmes Te Quest for the rinity Te Doctrine of God in Scripture History and Mo-
dernity (Downers Grove IL IVP Academic 104862698308810486251048626) p 1048627104862637See eg Jean-Luc Marion God Without Being trans Tomas A Carlson (Chicago University
o Chicago Press 10486259830979830971048625) and John Milbank Te Word Made Strange (Oxord Blackwell 1048625983097983097983095)
See also the discussion in Daniel P Horan Postmodernity and Univocity A Critical Account of
Radical Orthodoxy and John Duns Scotus (Minneapolis Fortress 10486269830881048625983092)38Tomas Williams ldquoTe Doctrine o Univocity Is rue and Salutaryrdquo Modern Teology 10486261048625 (1048626983088983088983093)
983093983095983093-983096983093 See also William P Alston Divine Nature and Human Language Essays in Philosophical
Teology (Ithaca NY Cornell University Press 1048625983097983096983097) pp 1048625983095-10486251048625983095 and Keith E Yandell ldquoNot
Conusing Incomprehensibility and Ineffability Carl Henry on Literal Propositional Revela-
tionrdquo rinity Journal (10486269830881048625983092) 10486301048625-983095983092
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
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1048626983094 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
o other approaches (the doctrine o analogy being avored by many)
and at least one prominent philosopher o religion deends apophati-
cism9830911048633 Perhaps there is a general sense in which it is true that analytictheologians are naive about religious language Perhaps they aremdash
although I doubt this very much But even i it were true this would not
obviously make analytic theology different rom or inerior to many
other approaches to the theological task Te concernmdasheven i it were
substantiatedmdashwould give us no reason to avoid or dismiss analytic the-
ology It might give us reason to want to do it better it might motivate
analytic theologians to pay closer attention to important issues relatedto theological language But the concern itselmdasheven i substantiatedmdash
would not count against the proper exercise o analytic theology It is at
best a red herring
ldquoAnalytic theology is an exercise in natural theologyrdquo Some critics
might charge analytic theology with reliance on ldquonatural theologyrdquo Tis
observation will seem benign to other theologians some analytic theo-
logians might even take this judgment as a badge o honor But to thosetheologians o the house and lineage o Karl Barth this will be the mark
o damnation some may take natural theology to be ldquothe invention o
the Antichristrdquo as something that can serve only to reinorce idolatry
and corrupt the truth10486281048624 Other theologians might not be so hostile but
they still might worry that natural theology distracts us rom obedience
and fidelity to the reality o divine revelation So i analytic theology is
an exercise in natural theology or even relies on it it should be held at
armrsquos length i not shunned entirely
Much could be said about this cluster o issuesmdashand indeed more will
be said in the next chaptermdashbut at this point a basic conusion needs to
be cleared away Fundamentally it is simply a misunderstanding o ana-
lytic theology to think that it is an exercise in natural theology Granted
some prolific analytic theologians are heavily invested in the project o
natural theology and we can say with confidence that rumors o the
39Eg Jonathan D Jacobs ldquoTe Ineffable Inconceivable and Incomprehensible God Fundamen-
tality and Apophatic Teologyrdquo in Oxford Studies in Philosophy of Religion orthcoming40More precisely Barth says that the analogia entis (which interpreters ofen take to be the basis
o all natural theology) is the ldquoinvention o the Antichristrdquo Doctrine of the Word of God p xiii
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What Is Analytic heology 1048626983095
demise o natural theology have been greatly exaggerated1048628983089 But there is
nothing about analytic theology as suchmdashas I have described it to this
pointmdashthat relies on natural theology Te conusion o natural theologywith the analytic project is just thatmdasha conusion Whatever we should
think about natural theology philosophically however we judge the suc-
cesses (or lack thereo) o the various theistic arguments natural the-
ology simply cannot be equated with analytic theology And whatever
we should conclude theologically about natural theology we should not
conuse it with the analytic project Once again this is a red herring
ldquoAnalytic theology is naive with respect to the history of doctrinerdquoAnother concern expressed by some contemporary systematic theolo-
gians is this analytic theology all too ofen proceeds with little awareness
o the complex but important historical actors associated with the de-
velopment and ormation o Christian doctrine o understate the point
analytic theologians are sometimes criticized or their ignorance o the
history o the development o dogma and or their lack o careul study
to understand the particular intellectual (not to mention social) settingo the person(s) controversies or eras under consideration Instead so
the story goes it is all too common or analytic theologians to approach
an issue by isolating a particular text and then breaking it down to
unpack the real ldquocorerdquo o the doctrine in question And the assumption
o the analytic theologians (again so the story goes) is ofen enough that
this can be saely or appropriately done with little or no reerence to the
particular context in which the development occurred As Fred Sanders
expresses the concern ldquophilosophers sometimes seem to think o ancient
texts as cumbersome delivery systems containing ideas which it is their
job to extract rom the delivery system and do something withrdquo1048628983090 Richard
A Muller likewise argues that lack o attention to historical context
sometimes results in problematic misunderstandings o the tradition in
41Eg Richard Swinburne Te Coherence of Teism (Oxord Oxord University Press 1048625983097983095983095) and
Swinburne Te Existence of God (Oxord Oxord University Press 1048625983097983095983097 [1048626983088983088983092]) For examples
o recent work see Moreland and Craig Blackwell Companion to Natural Teology and James F
Sennett and Douglas Groothuis eds In Defense of Natural Teology A Post-Humean Assessment
(Downers Grove IL IVP Academic 1048626983088983088983093)42Fred Sanders ldquoTe State o the Doctrine o the rinity in Evangelical Teologyrdquo Southwestern
Journal of Teology 983092983095 (1048626983088983088983093) 10486251048630983097
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
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1048626983096 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
his view or instance both recent deenders and contemporary de-
tractors o the doctrine o divine simplicity commonly ldquomisinterpret the
traditional doctrinerdquo1048628983091 Robert W Jenson is more scathing he judges theanalytic enterprise to be ldquosomewhat oddly related to the Christian aith
it claims to deendrdquo and he calls the work o Richard Swinburne a ldquotruly
bizarre caserdquo10486281048628
At least this is how the story ofen goes A major underlying worry
seems to be that reading texts without proper attention to their social
location and intellectual context can cause us to misread and mis-
interpret those texts Tis strikes me as a legitimate concern and it is onethat analytic theologians would do well to hear and heed No one should
deny that it is possible to misread and misinterpret important historical
texts and it seems to me that such misreadings are ar more likely when
particular bits o the text are isolated and scrutinized apart rom the
broader literary and historical contexts Te temptation to look away
rom the context as an irrelevant distraction is real It should also be
resisted So the criticism contains an important cautionAt the same time however we should keep several additional points
in mind First the problem is not restricted to analytic theologiansmdash
constructive or systematic theologians o any stripe may be susceptible
to this temptation Indeed ironies abound on this ront Afer criticizing
analytic philosophers o religion or overlooking ldquothe essentially his-
torical character o trinitarian theologyrdquomdashand especially or missing the
important differences between the ldquoGreek (or lsquoCappadocianrsquo) Eastrdquo and
the ldquoLatin WestrdquomdashCatherine Mowry LaCugnarsquos own work has been
criticized or exaggerating those differences10486281048629 It is not as i more main-
stream nonanalytic or antianalytic theologians are immune to the temp-
tation instead so ar as I can see this is a general concern that should
serve as an important reminder that all theologians who engage with the
43Richard A Muller Post-Reformation Reformed Dogmatics Te Rise and Development of Reformed
Orthodoxy ca 1048625104862910486261048624ndashca 1048625104863110486261048629 vol 1048627 Te Divine Essence and Attributes (Grand Rapids Baker
Academic 10486269830889830881048627) p 983092104862544Robert W Jenson Systematic Teology vol 1048626 Te Works of God (Oxord Oxord University
Press 1048625983097983097983097) p 983096 n 104862798309345Catherine Mowry LaCugna ldquoPhilosophers and Teologians on the rinityrdquo Modern Teology 1048626
(10486259830979830961048630) 10486259830951048626
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What Is Analytic heology 1048626983097
Christian intellectual tradition should do so with appropriate historical
sensitivity Second there is nothingmdashat least so ar as I can seemdashthat
makes this temptation irresistible Te act that some analytic theolo-gians have been insufficiently attentive to some historical matters does
not entail either that all analytic theologians are ignorant o the tradition
or that all analytic theologians must proceed in ignorance I see no
reason to conclude that this problem must be either essential or endemic
to analytic theology Surely more progress can be made in this area but
I see no reasons to think that such progress cannot happen Finally it is
worth noting that such progress in act is being made Tere are manyhappy exceptions to the common stereotype that analytic theologians
are ldquoahistoricalrdquo in act it is sae to say that many excellent analytic
thinkers have genuine specialization in historical scholarship Indeed
many are cutting-edge contributors1048628983094
ldquoAnalytic theology is only apologetics for conservative theologyrdquo Al-
ternatively the suspicion may be that analytic theology is too closely tied
to the Christian tradition Te assumption here is that analytic theologyis nothing more than the bastion o traditionally minded Roman Catholic
(and Orthodox) theologians and philosophers along with their conser-
vative Protestant riends and the worry is that they are interested in
nothing more than finding a sae place to deend what they already know
to be true Consequently the worry goes there is next to nothing o real
interest here or revisionist theologians o various stripes and there is
little promise or genuinely constructive theology
wo observations are important here First in principle there is
nothing about analytic theology that demands either traditional sympa-
thies or conservative conclusions Neither is there anything about ana-
lytic theology (either taken along the lines o Rearsquos P1048625-P983093 or in a somewhat
more expansive way) that precludes the use o the analytic tools by say
eminist womanist or liberationist theologies
46Stellar examples include Richard Cross Duns Scotus on God (Aldershot UK Ashgate 1048626983088983088983093) Cross
Te Metaphysics of the Incarnation Tomas Aquinas to Duns Scotus (Oxord Oxord University
Press 10486269830889830881048626) Eleonore Stump Aquinas (New York Routledge 10486269830889830881048627) Jeffrey E Brower Aquinasrsquos
Ontology of the Material World Change Hylomorphism and Material Objects (Oxord Oxord
University Press 10486269830881048625983092) and J Paasch Divine Production in Late Medieval rinitarian Teology
Henry of Ghent Duns Scotus and William Ockham (Oxord Oxord University Press 104862698308810486251048626)
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httpslidepdfcomreaderfullan-invitation-to-analytic-christian-theology-by-thomas-h-mccall-excerpt 2733
983091983088 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
Second in point o act many criticisms o traditional doctrines
have emerged rom within analytic theology Consider this example It
is hard to think o a doctrine that is more deeply traditional or moredeeply woven into the abric o historic Christian theology than the
doctrine o divine simplicity Yet this venerable doctrine has endured
intense criticism rom analytic theologians over the past several de-
cades Alvin Plantingarsquos Does God Have a Nature raised ldquotwo diffi-
cultiesrdquo or the doctrine ldquoone substantial and the other truly
monumentalrdquo10486281048631 He argues that i God is identical with each o his
properties then God has but one property But this ldquoseems flatly in-compatible with the obvious act that God has several propertiesrdquo10486281048632 He
argues urther that i God is identical with each o his properties then
God is also a property ldquoTis view is subject to a difficulty both obvious
and overwhelming [or] i God is a property then he isnrsquot a person
but a mere abstract objectrdquo10486281048633 Many analytic theologians have joined
other criticisms to those o Plantinga and it is obvious that this doc-
trinemdashwoven deeply into the abric o traditional Christian doctrineas it ismdashis under assault rom within analytic theology We could mul-
tiply examples with ease (Te traditional doctrine o divine omni-
science stands out here) Tere are o course many sophisticated de-
enders o classical orthodoxy within analytic theology but the basic
point should be clear to reduce analytic theology to apologetics or
traditional doctrine is simply a mistake
As will become obvious in the ollowing pages I think that there is
much to be gained in the work o ldquoretrieval theologyrdquo and I see it as a
natural conversation partner and compatriot o analytic theology I want
to encourage more work at the intersection o analytic theology and
theologies o retrieval But there is nothing about analytic theology as
such that demands adherence to classical Christian theology
ldquoAnalytic theology relies on lsquosubstance metaphysicsrsquo rdquo Sometimes
theologians are suspicious o analytic theology due to its alleged reliance
on substance metaphysics Tis complaint can take various orms Some-
47Alvin Plantinga Does God Have a Nature (Milwaukee Marquette University Press 1048625983097983096983088) p 98309298309548Ibid49Ibid
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What Is Analytic heology 9830911048625
times it is claimed that the whole analytic enterprise is ldquopre-Kantianrdquo (as
in Kenneth Surinrsquos critique o David Brownrsquos work as being ldquorobustly
old-ashionedrdquo and ldquopre-Kantianrdquo)10486291048624 In other words critics complainthat analytic theology proceeds in blithemdashand perhaps willulmdashigno-
rance o the ldquoactrdquo that Kant undermined the entire project by destroying
the very possibility o doing it wo important claims seem to be in play
with this critique first that Kant did something to make analytic the-
ology impossible and second that analytic theologians are unaware o
what Kant did But both o these claims are problematic Te second is
simply mistaken and the first is vigorously contested As Nicholas Wolt-erstorff points out it is much more likely that the current generation o
analytic theologians is not so much ldquopre-Kantianrdquo as it is ldquopost-Kantianrdquo
As he puts it ldquoit really is possible to be post-Kantian Itrsquos possible to re-
cover rom Kant Te choices are not exhausted between being naively
pre-Kantian on the one hand and being a Kantian o one or another
stripe on the otherrdquo1048629983089 Tere are Wolterstorff argues philosophers who
are ully aware o Kantian ldquointerpretation-universalism and ully awareo [Kantian] metaphysical anti-realism but afer serious consideration
they have rejected these options as untenablerdquo1048629983090 So many analytic theo-
logians are well aware o Kantrsquos work (and the common claims made
about that work) but they donrsquot think that he did anything to shut down
the kind o work that they are doing As Plantinga puts it ldquothey have read
him and remain unconvincedrdquo1048629983091
But aside rom Kant analytic theology is sometimes criticized and
rejected or its reliance on ldquosubstance metaphysicsrdquo Unortunately ex-
actly what critical theologians have in their crosshairs when they talk
about substance metaphysics is ofen unclear and not closely defined
But very ofen the complaint is closely tied to a rejection o doctrines
50Kenneth Surin ldquoTe rinity and Philosophical Reflection A Study o David Brownrsquos Te Divine
rinity rdquo Modern Teology 1048626 (10486259830979830961048630) 10486261048627983097-98309298308851Nicholas Wolterstorff ldquoBetween the Pincers o Increased Diversity and Supposed Irrationalityrdquo
in God Philosophy and Academic Culture A Discussion Between Scholars in the AAR and APA
ed William J Wainwright (Atlanta Scholars Press 10486259830979830971048630) p 1048626983088 See also Wolterstorff ldquoIs It
Possible and Desirable or Teologians to Recover rom Kantrdquo Modern Teology 1048625983092 (1048625983097983097983096)
1048625-104862598309652Wolterstorff ldquoBetween the Pincersrdquo p 104862698308853Alvin Plantinga Warranted Christian Belief (Oxord Oxord University Press 1048626983088983088983088) p 1048627983088
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
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9830911048626 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
associated with ldquoclassical theismrdquo immutability impassibility time-
lessness and other doctrines are taken to be untenable and since they
are tied to substance metaphysics so much the worse or substancemetaphysics William P Alston defly analyzes this complaint and he
argues that substance metaphysics are really beside the point What he
says about substance metaphysics in discussions o the doctrine o the
rinity applies more broadly ldquoonce we get straight as to what is and is
not necessarily included in the metaphysics o substance we will see that
most twentieth-century objections to the use o substance metaphysics
are based on eatures o such ormulations that are not required bysubstance metaphysics as suchrdquo10486291048628 Perhaps there is something inherently
wrong with the use o substance metaphysics in theology and maybe this
counts against analytic theology But beore such a judgment can be
made we need more than the all-too-common generalizations and as-
sertions For beore we can conclude that analytic theology is atally
flawed due to a dependence on substance metaphysics we need to know
exactly what is meant by substance metaphysics we need to be shown just what is wrong (either philosophically or theologically) with sub-
stance metaphysics and we need to see that analytic theology really is (or
must be) committed to this kind o metaphysics Without the kind o
careul analysis and rigorous argumentation it is hard to see anything
here that might count as a orceul objection to analytic theology
ldquoAnalytic theology isnrsquot spiritually edifyingrdquo William Wood notes that
ldquomany conventional theologians remain deeply suspicious o analytic the-
ologyrdquo because o the worry that analytic theology is not spiritually edi-
ying As these theologians see matters ldquogenuine theology is in the first
instance practical aimed not at explanatory theories about God but at
ostering greater love or God and neighbor Genuine theology in short
is praxis one deeply woven together with a Christian lie o prayer virtue
and participation in the sacramentsrdquo10486291048629 Te basic concern is this when
more mainstream theologians look at analytic theology they donrsquot rec-
54William P Alston ldquoSubstance and the rinityrdquo in Te rinity An Interdisciplinary Symposium on
the rinity ed Stephen Davis Daniel Kendall SJ and Gerald OrsquoCollins SJ (Oxord Oxord
University Press 1048625983097983097983097) p 1048626983088104862555William Wood ldquoAnalytic Teology as a Way o Lierdquo Journal of Analytic Teology (10486269830881048625983092) 983092983092
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What Is Analytic heology 983091983091
ognize the kind o theology-as-praxis that they value Instead they see
purported explanatory theoriesmdashmere purported explanatory theories
Sometimes these explanations appear to be a very long way indeed romthe lie o aith Indeed they see ormulas such as this (selected pretty
much at random rom among many others)
P existx (Dx amp forally(Dy =gt Byx) amp x made us
Q existx(Dx amp forally(Dy =gt Byx ))1048629983094
When they encounter this kind o work some theologians donrsquot rec-
ognize it as theology at all I they are willing to recognize it as theology
they tend to worry that they donrsquot see the kind o theology that promotes
love o God and neighbor they are concerned that they donrsquot see the-
ology that is connected to the lie o aith As Wood puts it they worry
that ldquoanalytic theology is spiritually sterile and thereore not really a
orm o genuine theology at allrdquo10486291048631
I think this is an important point o criticism and it raises some very
intriguing concerns But as Wood also notes it would be a ldquomistake and
urthermore a presumptuous mistake to assume that analytic philo-
sophical theology cannot in principle be spiritually nourishingrdquo10486291048632 Tree
points stand out First it is important to realize that the temptation to
construct explanatory theories about God that are divorced rom worship
and transormation is both real and present It is also nearious10486291048633 Te
temptation besets theologians o all stripesmdashanalytic or otherwise I do
not think analytic theologians are the only theologians who ace this
temptation o the contrary idolatry is no respecter o ideologies Butsurely it is not invincible surelymdashby Godrsquos gracemdashit is not irresistible
As Wood reminds us ldquoGodrsquos love rains down on logicians too afer allrdquo9830941048624
Second there is good reason to think that analytic theology maymdash
contrary to common expectationsmdashturn out to be spiritually ediying
56Peter van Inwagen ldquoAnd Yet Tey Are Not Tree Gods but One Godrdquo in McCall and Rea
Philosophical and Teological Essays on the rinity pp 10486269830921048625 1048626983092104863057Wood ldquoAnalytic Teology as a Way o Lierdquo p 983092983092 See also Marilyn McCord Adams ldquoWhatrsquos
Wrong with the Ontotheological Errorrdquo Journal of Analytic Teology (10486269830881048625983092) 1048625-1048625104862658Wood ldquoAnalytic Teology as a Way o Lierdquo p 983092104863059See the warnings o Merold Westphal Suspicion and Faith Te Religious Uses of Modern Atheism
(New York Fordham University Press 1048625983097983097983096)60Wood ldquoAnalytic Teology as a Way o Lierdquo p 983092983095
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
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983091983092 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
Wood argues that analytic theology may be spiritually beneficial in
several ways He suggests that the ldquoconcentrated attention required to
read understand and develop very technical analytic argumentsrdquo maybe conducive to the kinds o intellectual virtues and habits o mind that
are spiritually beneficial983094983089 In addition he notes the ldquoargumentative
transparencyrdquo (what he terms the ldquoparadigmatic analytic virtuerdquo) may be
helpul in spiritual ormation983094983090 Wood readily admits that this tendency
toward argumentative rigor can also eed a orm o pride or even ldquointel-
lectual violencerdquo but he also points out that to make a ldquogood analytic
argument is to make that argument maximally easy or intellectual op-ponents to criticize or reuterdquo and this very transparency makes it much
harder to shield onesel rom criticisms but instead is a way to ldquomake
onesel intellectually vulnerablerdquo In this way it serves as a ldquocheck against
intellectual priderdquo983094983091 Moreover the pace demanded by such rigor and the
modesty o the claims that are rendered deensible have the potential to
cultivate epistemic humility Furthermore another important eature o
the analytic approach is the need to ldquoidentiy imaginatively with onersquosintellectual opponentsrdquo this also as Wood points out orces us to inhabit
a worldview that is not only oreign to our own but also sometimes
hostile In these ways Wood argues ldquoanalytic theology can become a
spiritual practice a way o seeking God and o training the mind and
the will to be open to gracerdquo9830941048628
Finally we should not neglect to notice those shining examples o
theologians or whom analytic theology indeed is closely related to
worship and spiritual nurture Indeed it would be hard not to notice
them or the tradition is rie with such theologians A great many pa-
tristic and most scholastic (both medieval and early modern) theolo-
gians count as ldquoanalytic theologiansrdquo For surely they fit our profile o
theologians who prize ldquoconceptual precision rigor o argumentation
technical erudition and an in-depth deense o an original worldviewrdquo
(and who would in many instances value P1048625-P983093) As an example con-
61Ibid p 98309398309362Ibid p 983093104863063Ibid64Ibid p 983093983096
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What Is Analytic heology 983091983093
sider Anselmrsquos Proslogion It is obvious that Anselm values precision and
rigor and he clearly intends to convey truth claims that he finds con-
vincing But as both Wood and Marilyn McCord Adams point out thiswork is ldquomeant to do more than communicate propositional truthsrdquo or
ldquoit is meant to help reorient the wills o its readers and help bring about
effective and volitional change in themrdquo9830941048629 Despite important differences
o style and substance we could say much the same about many other
figures (both well known and less so) as well it is very difficult to read
ar into Bonaventure Richard o St Victor Aquinas Scotus Vermigli
Perkins Arminius urretin Edwards Wesley and many others withoutunderstanding that they are obviously concerned with both intellectual
rigor and spiritual ormation
65Ibid p 983093983088 See also Marilyn McCord Adams ldquoPraying the Proslogionrdquo in Te Rationality of
Belief and the Plurality of Faith ed Tomas Senor (Ithaca NY Cornell University Press 1048625983097983097983093)
pp 10486251048627-1048627983097 and Adams ldquoElegant Necessity Prayerul Disputation Method in Cur Deus Homordquo
in Studia Anselmiana Cur Deus Homo (Rome 1048625983097983097983097) pp 10486271048630983095-9830971048630
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
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8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
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What Is Analytic heology 1048625983091
engaged in this work weremdashand aremdashcommitted Christians
Not all philosophers rejoice at these developments but it is increas-
ingly hard or them not to notice them Quentin Smith describesmdashanddecriesmdashthis development
Te secularization o mainstream academia began to quickly unravel upon
the publication o Plantingarsquos influential book on realist theism God and
Other Minds in 1048625983097983094983095 It became apparent to the philosophical proession
that this book displayed that realist theists were not outmatched by natu-
ralists in terms o the most valued standards o academic philosophy con-
ceptual precision rigor o argumentation technical erudition and an in-depth deense o an original worldview Tis book ollowed seven years
later by Plantingarsquos even more impressive book Te Nature of Necessity
made it maniest that a realist theist was writing at the highest qualitative
level o analytic philosophy on the same playing field as Carnap Russell
Gruumlnbaum and other naturalists1048631
Smith in what basically amounts to something o an alarmist ldquocall to
armsrdquo to his ellow atheists concludes that ldquoGod is not lsquodeadrsquo in aca-demia he returned to lie in the late 1048625983097983094983088rsquos and is now alive and well in
his last academic stronghold philosophy departmentsrdquo1048632
While triumphalism on the part o Christian philosophers would be
both very premature and unseemly (they remain by all measures in the
substantial minority within academic philosophy) nonetheless Smith is
right that the situation is very different than it was only a ew decades
ago Te Society o Christian Philosophers ounded in 1048625983097983095983096 as a small
group o diverse scholars who were more unified by common interests
than by shared commitment to a particular creed now has in the neigh-
borhood o a thousand members Several journalsmdashnotably Faith and
Philosophy Philosophia Christi Religious Studies Sophia Philo and the
International Journal of Philosophy of Religionmdashare devoted to issues
broadly related to the study o the philosophy o religion and Christian
philosophers are very active in these and other venues At the same time
Christian philosophers are very active in other more ldquomainstreamrdquo areas
o contemporary philosophy important recent work in metaphysics and
7Quentin Smith ldquoTe Metaphilosophy o Naturalismrdquo Philo 983092 no 1048626 (10486269830889830881048625) 10486268Ibid p 1048627
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
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1048625983092 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
epistemology in particular has been influenced by philosophers with
religious interests and well-known Christian commitments
Not surprisingly the growth o Christian involvement in philosophyhas been accompanied by increased interest in issues o perennial
concern in philosophy o religion Work on such issues had never en-
tirely disappeared o course or prominent philosophers such as Basil
Mitchell Peter Geach Austin Farrer and others were making significant
contributions well beore the current renaissance o Christian philosophy
really took off1048633 However engagement has been growing at an astounding
rate Issues surrounding religious pluralism and exclusivism problemso evil (including not only the ldquologicalrdquo problem o evil but also ldquoevi-
dentialrdquo problems) religious epistemology religious experience mir-
acles theistic arguments (particularly various versions o ontological
cosmological teleological and moral arguments) and science and re-
ligion have been explored with impressive vigor and analyzed with or-
midable rigor9830891048624 Positions have been set out and explained attacked and
deended modified and surrendered Te work in philosophy o religionhas not been cordoned off rom other more ldquomainstreamrdquo philosophical
work o the contrary in many ways it has remained vitally engaged with
9Eg Basil Mitchell Te Justification of Religious Belief (Oxord Oxord University Press 10486259830979830961048625)
Mitchell Faith and Criticism (Oxord Oxord University Press 1048625983097983097983093) Mitchell Morality Reli-
gious and Secular Te Dilemma of the raditional Conscience (Oxord Oxord University Press
10486259830979830961048630) Peter Geach God and the Soul (South Bend IN St Augustinersquos Press 10486259830971048630983097) Geach
Providence and Evil (Cambridge Cambridge University Press 1048625983097983095983095) Geach Te Virtues (Cam-
bridge Cambridge University Press 1048625983097983095983095) Geach Logic Matters (Berkeley University o Cali-ornia Press 10486259830979830951048626) Austin Farrer Te Freedom of the Will (London Black 1048625983097983093983096) Farrer Love
Almighty and Ills Unlimited An Essay on Providence and Evil (London Collins 104862598309710486301048625) Farrer
Saving Belief A Study of Essentials (London Hodder amp Stoughton 10486259830971048630983092) Farrer Faith and Spec-
ulation An Essay in Philosophical Teology (London Black 10486259830971048630983095)10Te contentsmdashand perhaps the very existencemdasho the numerous and massive ldquohandbooksrdquo and
ldquocompanionsrdquo to philosophy o religion bear weighty testimony to this act See eg William J
Wainwright ed Te Oxford Handbook of Philosophy of Religion (New York Oxord University
Press 1048626983088983088983093) Philip L Quinn and Charles aliaerro eds A Companion to Philosophy of Religion
(Oxord Blackwell 1048625983097983097983095) William E Mann ed Te Blackwell Guide to the Philosophy of Religion
(Oxord Blackwell 1048626983088983088983093) Michael L Peterson and Raymond J VanArragon eds Contemporary
Debates in Philosophy of Religion (Oxord Blackwell 1048626983088983088983092) J P Moreland and William Lane
Craig eds Te Blackwell Companion to Natural Teology (Oxord Blackwell 1048626983088983088983097) Justin Mc-
Brayer and Daniel Howard-Snyder eds Te Blackwell Companion to the Problem of Evil (Oxord
Blackwell 104862698308810486251048627) Chad Meister and Paul Copan eds Te Routledge Companion to Philosophy of
Religion 1048626nd ed (New York Routledge 104862698308810486251048627) See also the impressive series Oxord Studies in
Philosophy o Religion edited by Jon Kvanvig
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What Is Analytic heology 1048625983093
cutting-edge work in epistemology ethics and metaphysics to use the
latter as an example rom Alvin Plantingarsquos early work Te Nature of
Necessity to Brian Lefowrsquos recent contributions in God and Necessity important work in the metaphysics o modality has been deeplymdashand
some might say ldquoessentiallyrdquomdashconnected to philosophy o religion983089983089
Judging rom the interest and output analytic philosophy o religion is
not only alive and well but indeed healthy and robust
How we got here From philosophy of religion to philosophical the-
ology But or all the vigor and intellectual energy that is captured and
reflected in work on general or generic issues in philosophy o religion theinterests o Christian philosophers have not been limited to those issues
Instead Christian philosophers have been deeply interested in distinctly
Christian theological topics and they have devoted much energy to the
analysis and deense o Christian doctrine Te past ew decades have wit-
nessed important work on the doctrine o revelation (and divine speech)
the inspiration authority and interpretation o the Christian Scriptures
divine attributes (particularly simplicity necessity aseity omnipotenceomniscience eternity and reedom) divine action in creation providence
miraculous intervention theological anthropology original sin incar-
nation atonement resurrection and eschatology983089983090
Where we are Philosophical theology and analytic theology More
recently the term analytic theology has come into use Tere are o
course important orebears to this work David Kelsey Nicholas Wolt-
erstorff and others at Yale disparate figures such as William P Alston
Norman Kretzmann George Mavrodes Keith Yandell and others else-
where in the United States Paul Helm and Richard Swinburne in the
United Kingdom and Vincent Brummer and others o the Utrecht
11See Alvin Plantinga Te Nature of Necessity (Oxord Oxord University Press 1048625983097983095983092) and Brian
Lefow God and Necessity (Oxord Oxord University Press 104862698308810486251048626) See also the recent proposals
o Hugh J McCann Creation and the Sovereignty of God (Bloomington Indiana University Press
104862698308810486251048626)12Once again the prolieration o ldquoreadersrdquo ldquohandbooksrdquo and ldquocompanionsrdquo stands as evidence
o the breadth and depth o the work undertaken eg Oliver D Crisp ed A Reader in Contem-
porary Philosophical Teology (New York amp Clark 1048626983088983088983097) Michael C Rea ed Oxford Read-
ings in Philosophical Teology 1048626 vols (Oxord Oxord University Press 1048626983088983088983097) Tomas P Flint
and Michael C Rea eds Te Oxford Handbook of Philosophical Teology (Oxord Oxord Uni-
versity Press 1048626983088983088983097) Charles aliaerro and Chad Meister eds Te Cambridge Companion to
Christian Philosophical Teology (Cambridge Cambridge University Press 10486269830881048625983088)
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
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1048625983094 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
school o philosophical theology in the Netherlands Following trail-
blazers such as these and building on the recent renaissance o meta-
physics and philosophy o religion the analytic theology movement isnow growing Te publication o the volume Analytic Teology Essays
in the Philosophy of Teology edited by Oliver D Crisp and Michael C
Rea marked an important moment Te Analytic Teology Project
(sponsored and promoted by Notre Damersquos Center or Philosophy o
Religion as well the University o Innsbruck in Austria and the Shalem
Center in Jerusalem and unded by generous grants rom the John em-
pleton Foundation) with its annual Logos conerence and other activitiesthe launch o the Journal of Analytic Teology and the inauguration o
the book series Oxord Studies in Analytic Teology all lend support to
this growing movement
Te meaning o the term analytic theology can vary in common par-
lance and it is sae to say that there is no single decisively settled meaning
o the term when it is used as a label Still perhaps we can saely say that
what is common across the range o uses is this analytic theology sig-nifies a commitment to employ the conceptual tools o analytic phi-
losophy where those tools might be helpul in the work o constructive
Christian theology Scholars will naturally enough disagree among
themselves about just which o those tools are most helpul which
projects are best served by their use and other matters but on the whole
such a minimalist characterization seems sae enough William J
Abraham offers this helpul summary analytic theology ldquocan be useully
defined as ollows it is systematic theology attuned to the skills re-
sources and virtues o analytic philosophyrdquo983089983091 As such analytic theology
is a growing and energetic field at the intersections o philosophy o re-
ligion and systematic theology
W983144983137983156 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 T983144983141983151983148983151983143983161 I983155 (983151983154 S983144983151983157983148983140 B983141)
Such minimalist characterization while airly sae does not take us very
ar What more precisely is one doing when one does analytic theology
13William J Abraham ldquoSystematic Teology as Analytic Teologyrdquo in Analytic Teology New
Essays in the Philosophy of Teology ed Oliver D Crisp and Michael C Rea (Oxord Oxord
University Press 1048626983088983088983097) p 983093983092
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What Is Analytic heology 1048625983095
Just what is analytic theology Perhaps it will help first to consider what
is so analytic about analytic theology Following this we shall think
about how it is an exercise in theology Analytic theology as analytic theology As we have seen Quentin Smith
praises Plantingarsquos work or its excellence in ldquothe most valued standards o
analytic philosophy conceptual precision rigor o argumentation tech-
nical erudition and an in-depth deense o an original worldviewrdquo9830891048628 Oliver
D Crisp echoes this estimation o what counts as good work in analytic
philosophy he observes that analytic philosophy is characterized by ldquoa
logical rigour clarity and parsimony o expression coupled with attentionto a certain cluster o philosophical problemsrdquo9830891048629 Analytic theology is rel-
evantly similar he says or it ldquowill prize intellectual virtues like clarity
parsimony o expression and argumentative rigourrdquo983089983094 Michael C Rearsquos
description o analytic philosophy echoes these accounts in some ways
While recognizing that clear and sharp lines between ldquoanalyticrdquo and ldquonon-
analyticrdquo (or ldquoContinentalrdquo) philosophical approaches are neither easy to
come by nor perhaps really worth all the work he characterizes analyticapproaches to philosophy in terms o style and ambition9830891048631 Te ambitions
are generally ldquoto identiy the scope and limits o our powers to obtain
knowledge o the worldrdquo and ldquoto provide such true explanatory theories
as we can in areas o inquiry (metaphysics morals and the like) that all
outside the scope o the natural sciencesrdquo9830891048632 Rea characterizes the style as
including the ollowing prescriptions
P1048625 Write as i philosophical positions and conclusions can be adequately or-mulated in sentences that can be ormalized and logically manipulated
P1048626 Prioritize precision clarity and logical coherence
P983091 Avoid substantive (non-decorative) use o metaphor and other tropes
whose semantic content outstrips their propositional content
14Smith ldquoMetaphilosophyrdquo p 104862615Oliver D Crisp ldquoOn Analytic Teologyrdquo in Crisp and Rea Analytic Teology p 104862798309316Ibid pp 1048627983095-104862798309617Michael C Rea introduction to Crisp and Rea Analytic Teology pp 1048627-983092 See also Nick raka-
kis ldquoMeta-Philosophy o Religion Te Analytic-Continental Divide in Philosophy o Religionrdquo
Ars Disputandi 983095 (1048626983088983088983095) 1048625983095983097-1048626104862698308818Rea introduction p 983092
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
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1048625983096 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
P983092 Work as much as possible with well-understood primitive concepts and
concepts that can be analyzed in terms o those
P983093 reat conceptual analysis (insoar as possible) as a source o evidence9830891048633
Tis much at least is characteristic o analytic philosophy So what
about analytic theology As Rea sees things ldquoanalytic theology is just the
activity o approaching theological topics with the ambitions o an ana-
lytic philosopher and in a style that conorms to the prescriptions that
are distinctive o analytic philosophical discourse It will also involve
more or less pursuing those topics in a way that engages the literature
that is constitutive o the analytic tradition employing some o the tech-
nical jargon rom that tradition and so on But in the end it is the style
and ambitions that are most centralrdquo9830901048624
All this is helpul but perhaps a bit more explanation would be ben-
eficial Consider P1048625 Tis need not mean that all meaningul statements
in theology (or philosophy) need to be expressed ormally it should
not be taken to mean that every theological claim should be stated in
an apparatus with numbered propositions and a ormal structure
What it does mean however is that the deault setting or theologians
should be to communicate propositions that could be expressed this
way For as Rea says ldquoabsent special circumstancesrdquo things have ldquogone
very much amissrdquo i a view ldquois expressed in such a way that it has no
clear logical outcomesrdquo983090983089
Consider also P1048626 Tis need notmdashand should notmdashbe taken to mean
that logical precision and coherence are the only important criteria ora theologian and neither should it be taken to imply even that logical
precision and coherence are the most important criteria Te theologian
who is convinced that her first commitment is fidelity to the priority and
ultimacy o divine revelation should have no difficulty in assenting to P1048626
Neither urther should P1048626 be taken to imply that the same levels o
logical precision are possible with all theological topics nor yet that all
theological projects require the same levels o precision and argumentative
19Ibid pp 983093-104863020Ibid p 98309521Ibid p 983093 n 983093
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What Is Analytic heology 1048625983097
rigor Consider by way o example childrenrsquos catechetical literature
Surely this literature is theological but it neither can nor should attempt
to display the same level o logical precision or argumentative rigor assay advanced work in scholastic theology P1048626 does not clam that such
theological literature should do so or that all work in theology must
always do so
Neither should P1048626 be misunderstood with respect to claims about the
importance o ldquoclarityrdquo Rea notes that this claim can seem ironic ldquoin light
o the act that quite a lot o analytic philosophy [and we could add
some analytic theology] is very difficult even or specialists and totallyinaccessible to non-specialistsrdquo983090983090 But ldquoclearrdquo does not mean ldquoeasyrdquo In-
stead it expresses a commitment to the work o ldquospelling out hidden
assumptions scrupulously trying to lay bare whatever evidence one has
(or lacks) or the claims that one is making and on taking care to confine
onersquos vocabulary to ordinary language well-understood primitive con-
cepts and technical jargon definable in terms o theserdquo983090983091 Finally we
should note that P1048626 does not imply that everything (or everything worthtalking about) in theology will become crystal clear Te goal o analytic
theology is not (or at least need not be) the removal o all mystery in
theology o the contrary analytic philosophers o religion have long
been keenly aware o the place o mystery in theology and it may be that
at certain points an important role o the theologian is to clariy just
where the mystery really lies P1048626 does not suggest that analytic theology
will make everything ldquoclearrdquo in the sense that it makes everything ldquoeasy
and readily accessible to the nonspecialistrdquo Instead what it prioritizes is
clarity to the appropriate audiences and to the greatest possible degree
And it insists that ldquomysteryrdquo must not be conused with logical inco-
herence and it likewise insists that we do not gloriy what is clearly in-
coherent with the shroud o ldquomysteryrdquo As Alan G Padgett says theology
should ldquoseek the truth about Godrdquo and ldquothereore must shun incoherence
and irrationalityrdquo9830901048628 Where ldquosometimes lsquomysteryrsquo is evoked as an excuse
22Ibid p 983093 n 104863023Ibid24Alan G Padgett ldquoTe rinity in Teology and Philosophy Why Jerusalem Should Work with
Athensrdquo in Philosophical and Teological Essays on the rinity ed Tomas McCall and Michael
C Rea (Oxord Oxord University Press 1048626983088983088983097) p 104862710486271048626
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
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1048626983088 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
or sloppy thinking this must be anathema to any academic theology
worthy o the namerdquo For ldquoafer all the mystery o God does not end
when theology speaks clearly Te simple phrase lsquoJesus loves me this Iknow or the Bible tells me sorsquo covers vast deep mysteries that even the
angels gaze into with awe and wonderrdquo9830901048629
P983091 rules out ldquosubstantive (non-decorative) use o metaphor and other
tropes whose semantic content outstrips their propositional contentrdquo
Tis does not or at least need not mean that there is no valid or valuable
place or metaphor in theology Analytic theologians will disagree among
themselves as to howmdashand how muchmdashmetaphor is useul and legiti-mate983090983094 But the basic point is airly plain on P983091 theologians are not at
liberty to trade loosely in metaphor without ever being able to speciy
just what is meant by those metaphors Tey are not then ree to make
claims the meaning o which cannot be specified or spelled out Teolo-
gians are not licensed to trade in what Randal Rauser calls ldquounclarifiable
unclarityrdquo9830901048631 P983092 calls the analytic theologian to work with ldquowell-understood
primitive conceptsrdquo that are reasonably taken to be basic intuitive or(minimally) uncontroversial (and with concepts that can be understood
in terms o such primitive concepts) Some theologians will be quick to
raise concerns here they will worry that the very notion o ldquowell-
understood primitive conceptsrdquo may both conceal blind spots o social
location and privilege and be a Procrustean bed that restricts theological
concepts to ldquowhat we already know to be truerdquo and thus curtails the
possibility o engagement with divine revelation But once again it is
important not to misunderstand P983092 Te ldquoas much as possiblerdquo is key
here i the preunderstood concepts donrsquot do enough work then some o
them can be adjusted Others wonrsquot be so easy to adjust or discard but
this category o primitive concepts is both quite small and very basic (eg
the law o noncontradiction) Simply put there is no good reason to
25Ibid26I thank Billy Abraham or pressing this point Te ldquostandardrdquo work on metaphor in theology
remains Janet Martin Soskice Metaphor and Religious Language (Oxord Oxord University
Press 1048625983097983096983095)27Randal Rauser ldquoTeology as a Bull Sessionrdquo in Crisp and Rea Analytic Teology pp 983095983092-983095983093 See
also Harry Frankurt On Bullshit (Princeton NJ Princeton University Press 1048626983088983088983093) and Frank-
urt Bullshit and Philosophy ed Gary L Hardcastle and George A Resich (Chicago Open
Court 1048626983088983088983093)
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
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What Is Analytic heology 10486261048625
think that the notion o ldquowell-understood primitive conceptsrdquo must
unction as a Procrustean bed
Finally Rea says that P983093 calls us to ldquotreat conceptual analysis (insoaras it is possible) as a source o evidencerdquo It should be obvious that he
does not say that conceptual analysis is the only source o evidence and
there is no reason to think that it should be taken this way Neither does
he claim that conceptual analysis is the primary or ultimate source o
evidence P983093 makes an important claim but it is a rather modest one
What it insists on is this i close conceptual analysis reveals that some
theological proposition P is say internally inconsistent then thatanalysis gives us all the evidence we need to reject P No matter how
grand the claims o Prsquo s supporters in deense o the supporting evidence
for it i P is incoherent (sel-reerentially or otherwise) then it is not true
Once we have established that P is incoherent (which is a task much
harder than is sometimes supposed) we have all the reason we need to
conclude that it is wrong In addition o course conceptual analysis
might count as evidence in other and more positive ways as well Con-sider perect being theology or example here theologians analyze ldquoper-
ectionrdquo and then take deliverances o that analysis as evidence in support
o their theological conclusions
Much more could be said about what makes analytic theology truly
analytic o course While this could be expanded on and broadened
(particularly in directions that put less o a premium on precision) Rearsquos
P1048625-P983093 give us an initial sense o what it means to say that theology is
analytic theology Generally speaking analytic theology is theology that
is attuned to and committed to the ldquogoals and ambitionsrdquo o analytic
philosophy a commitment to truth wherever it may be ound clarity o
expression and rigor o argumentation Very ofen it will not hesitate to
make appropriate use o the available tools o analytic philosophy espe-
cially as these aid conceptual precision and argumentative rigor
Analytic theology as analytic theology But i echoing Smith it is the
concern with ldquoconceptual precisionrdquo and ldquorigor o argumentationrdquo that
makes analytic theology analytic then what is it that makes analytic
theology really theology Tis book develops an answer to this question
but an initial summary may help Recall that Smith talks not only about
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10486261048626 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
ldquoconceptual precisionrdquo and ldquorigor o argumentationrdquo but also about ldquotech-
nical eruditionrdquo and the ldquoin-depth deense o an original worldviewrdquo For
the analytic philosopher ldquotechnical eruditionrdquo will naturally involvemastery o the requisite field (metaphysics philosophy o mind epis-
temology etc) but it may also include competence in other related
fields (biology or philosophy o biology neurology or philosophy o
mind etc) For the analytic theologian such erudition will include com-
petence in the relevant areas o philosophical study that are necessary or
ldquoconceptual precisionrdquo and ldquorigor o argumentationrdquo But or the analytic
theologian qua theologian it must involve much more than this Forunless analytic theology is merely ldquoarmchair theologyrdquo (albeit armchair
theology done by very bright people) it will be grounded in the
Christian Scriptures it will be inormed by the great tradition o doc-
trinal development it will be ldquochristologically normedrdquo and it will be
culturally engaged As theology it will seek to articulate what we may
know o God as God has revealed himsel to us As Nicholas Wolterstorff
puts it to theologiansDo not be ersatz philosophers do not be ersatz cultural theorists do not be
ersatz anything Be genuine theologians Be sure-ooted in philosophy But
then be theologians What we need to hear rom you is how things look
when seen in light o the triune Godmdashmay his name be praisedmdashwho creates
and sustains us who redeems us and who will bring this rail and allen
though yet glorious humanity and cosmos to consummation9830901048632
Accordingly analytic theology is theology done by theologians who areldquosure-ootedrdquo in philosophy (many o whom will have extensive training
and proessional expertise there and indeed may be leaders within their
field) but it is a kind o theology nonetheless
Such a conception o theology is o course not remotely new What
we may useully reer to as ldquoanalytic theologyrdquo is very similar in many
respects to deeply traditional ways o doing theology We can see this
kind o work exemplified in the theology o the scholastics (both me-dieval and post-Reormationearly modern) So in some sense the re-
28Nicholas Wolterstorff ldquoo Teologians From One Who Cares About Teology but Is Not One
o Yourdquo Teological Education (1048626983088983088983093) 9830971048625-9830971048626
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
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What Is Analytic heology 1048626983091
birth o analytic theology may be thought o as scholasticism redivivus
As Richard Swinburnemdashsurely a pioneer o analytic theologymdashsays
ldquolarge-scale theology needs clear and rigorous argumentrdquo and it is ldquohightime or theology to returnrdquo to the standards set by Tomas Aquinas
John Duns Scotus and others9830901048633 But it is not only the ldquohigh scholasticsrdquo
who worked this way or we can also witness many o these virtues in
theologians rom the patristics to the pietists9830911048624 Many theologians in the
Christian tradition were concerned with both ldquoconceptual precisionrdquo and
ldquoargumentative rigorrdquo as well as ldquotechnical eruditionrdquo and the ldquoin-depth
deense o an original worldviewrdquoConsider what John Wesleymdashan evangelist hardly known as a ldquoscho-
lasticrdquo or an ldquoanalytic theologianrdquomdashhas to say about the importance o
acquiring the tools or ldquoconceptual precisionrdquo and ldquoargumentative rigorrdquo
Logic he says is ldquonecessary next to and in order to the knowledge o
Scripturerdquo983091983089 Despite the act that it is ldquonow quite unashionablerdquo none-
theless logic is invaluable For with it we have the possibility o ldquoappre-
hending things clearly judging truly and reasoning conclusivelyrdquo
983091983090
Andas with logic so also with metaphysics Tus Wesley will ask o clergy
Am I a tolerable master o the sciences Have I gone through the very gate o
them logic I not I am not likely to go much urther when I stumble at the
threshold Do I understand it so as to be ever the better or it o have it
always ready or use so as to apply every rule o it when occasion is almost
as naturally as I turn my hand Do I understand it at all Can I reduce an
indirect mood to a direct a hypothetic to a categorical syllogism Rather have
not my stupid indolence and laziness made me very ready to believe what the
little wits and pretty gentlemen affirm ldquothat logic is good or nothingrdquo It is
good or this at least (wherever it is understood) to make people talk less by
showing them both what is and what is not to the point and how extremely
29Richard Swinburne Te Coherence of Teism 1048626nd ed (Oxord Oxord University Press 10486259830979830971048627)
p 98309530See eg Gregory o Nyssa Against Eunomius 10486259830921048626 Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers ed Philip
Schaff series 1048626 (10486259830969830961048630ndash1048625983096983096983097 repr Peabody MA Hendrickson 1048625983097983097983092) 983093983097983096-983097983097 (Patrologia
Graeca [= Patrologiae Cursus Completus Series Graeca] ed Jacques-Paul Migne [Paris 1048625983096983093983095ndash
10486259830969830961048630] 9830929830939830921048630983088-10486301048625)31John Wesley ldquoAddress to the Clergyrdquo in Te Works of John Wesley vol 1048625983088 Letters Essays Dialogs
and Addresses (Grand Rapids Zondervan nd) p 983092983096104862732Ibid
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httpslidepdfcomreaderfullan-invitation-to-analytic-christian-theology-by-thomas-h-mccall-excerpt 2133
1048626983092 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
hard it is to prove anything Do I understand metaphysics i not the depths
o the Schoolmen the subtleties o Scotus or Aquinas yet the first rudiments
the general principles o that useul science983091983091
Consider urther what Wesley says about the importance o ldquotechnical
eruditionrdquo in theology Insisting on the importance o knowledge o the
scope o Christian Scripture as well as acility in the relevant ancient
languages he asks
Have I (1048625) such a knowledge o Scripture as becomes him who undertakes
so to explain it to others Have I a ull and clear view o the analogy o
aith which is the clue to guide me through the whole Am I acquainted with
the several parts o Scripture with all parts o the Old estament and the
New Upon the mention o any text do I know the context and the parallel
places Do I know the scope o each book and how every part tends
thereto Have I the skill to draw the natural inerences deducible rom each
text (1048626) Do I understand Greek and Hebrew Otherwise am I not at
the mercy o everyone who does understand or pretends to understand the
original For which way can I conute his pretence Do I understand the lan-
guage o the Old estament Critically At all Can I read into English one o
Davidrsquos Psalms or even the first chapter o Genesis Do I understand the
language o the New estament Am I a critical master o it Have I enough
o it even to read into English the first chapter o St Luke I not how many
years did I spend at school How many at university And what was I doing
all those years9830911048628
Wesley says similar things about the indispensability o knowledge o
the Christian tradition But the basic point should be clear important
elements o what we now call ldquoanalytic theologyrdquo have deep roots in the
broad Christian theological tradition Indeed or an evangelist like John
Wesley this is simply the kind o theology that any Christian minister
should be doing
W983144983137983156 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 T983144983141983151983148983151983143983161 I983155983150rsquo983156 M983145983155983157983150983140983141983154983155983156983137983150983140983145983150983143983155
983137983150983140 O983138983146983141983139983156983145983151983150983155
Many systematic theologians are suspicious o analytic theology Indeed
33Ibid pp 9830929830971048625-983097104862634Ibid pp 983092983097983088-9830971048625
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What Is Analytic heology 1048626983093
some are deeply suspicious Te concerns come rom several angles Here
are some o the most common9830911048629
ldquoAnalytic theology relies on a univocal account of religious languagerdquoSome theologians may worry that the current analytic discussions
proceed with an unrealistic and unhealthy naiveteacute regarding the nature
and unction o religious language For instance Stephen R Holmes
thinks that ldquoanalytic discussions o the rinity seem generally to proceed
with a remarkable confidence about the success o language in reerring
to the divinerdquo he thinks that the assumption o analytic theology ldquowould
always seem to be that language reers univocally to the divine and thecreatedrdquo Indeed he thinks that analytic theology would be ldquoimpossiblerdquo
without a commitment to univocity983091983094 More worrisome the concern may
be that analytic theologyrsquos commitment to univocity implicates it in
something that is (at least potentially) idolatrous9830911048631
A general treatment o religious language is beyond the scope o our
discussion but several observations may be helpul First it should be
noted that the case against univocity should not be merely assumed (asi some particular theological proposal could be damned by nothing
more than the charge o univocity) Nor is the case for univocity nearly
so weak as is ofen supposed o the contrary univocity has serious and
sophisticated deenders today and a case can be made that ldquothe doctrine
o univocity is true and salutaryrdquo9830911048632
Te second major point is perhaps more important or our purposes
It is this analytic theology as such requires no commitment to univocity
whatsoever Indeed many analytic theologians reject univocity in avor
35Tis section draws heavily rom my ldquoTeologians Philosophers and the Doctrine o the rinityrdquo
in McCall and Rea Philosophical and Teological Essays on the rinity pp 1048627983092983088-98309298309636Stephen R Holmes Te Quest for the rinity Te Doctrine of God in Scripture History and Mo-
dernity (Downers Grove IL IVP Academic 104862698308810486251048626) p 1048627104862637See eg Jean-Luc Marion God Without Being trans Tomas A Carlson (Chicago University
o Chicago Press 10486259830979830971048625) and John Milbank Te Word Made Strange (Oxord Blackwell 1048625983097983097983095)
See also the discussion in Daniel P Horan Postmodernity and Univocity A Critical Account of
Radical Orthodoxy and John Duns Scotus (Minneapolis Fortress 10486269830881048625983092)38Tomas Williams ldquoTe Doctrine o Univocity Is rue and Salutaryrdquo Modern Teology 10486261048625 (1048626983088983088983093)
983093983095983093-983096983093 See also William P Alston Divine Nature and Human Language Essays in Philosophical
Teology (Ithaca NY Cornell University Press 1048625983097983096983097) pp 1048625983095-10486251048625983095 and Keith E Yandell ldquoNot
Conusing Incomprehensibility and Ineffability Carl Henry on Literal Propositional Revela-
tionrdquo rinity Journal (10486269830881048625983092) 10486301048625-983095983092
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
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1048626983094 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
o other approaches (the doctrine o analogy being avored by many)
and at least one prominent philosopher o religion deends apophati-
cism9830911048633 Perhaps there is a general sense in which it is true that analytictheologians are naive about religious language Perhaps they aremdash
although I doubt this very much But even i it were true this would not
obviously make analytic theology different rom or inerior to many
other approaches to the theological task Te concernmdasheven i it were
substantiatedmdashwould give us no reason to avoid or dismiss analytic the-
ology It might give us reason to want to do it better it might motivate
analytic theologians to pay closer attention to important issues relatedto theological language But the concern itselmdasheven i substantiatedmdash
would not count against the proper exercise o analytic theology It is at
best a red herring
ldquoAnalytic theology is an exercise in natural theologyrdquo Some critics
might charge analytic theology with reliance on ldquonatural theologyrdquo Tis
observation will seem benign to other theologians some analytic theo-
logians might even take this judgment as a badge o honor But to thosetheologians o the house and lineage o Karl Barth this will be the mark
o damnation some may take natural theology to be ldquothe invention o
the Antichristrdquo as something that can serve only to reinorce idolatry
and corrupt the truth10486281048624 Other theologians might not be so hostile but
they still might worry that natural theology distracts us rom obedience
and fidelity to the reality o divine revelation So i analytic theology is
an exercise in natural theology or even relies on it it should be held at
armrsquos length i not shunned entirely
Much could be said about this cluster o issuesmdashand indeed more will
be said in the next chaptermdashbut at this point a basic conusion needs to
be cleared away Fundamentally it is simply a misunderstanding o ana-
lytic theology to think that it is an exercise in natural theology Granted
some prolific analytic theologians are heavily invested in the project o
natural theology and we can say with confidence that rumors o the
39Eg Jonathan D Jacobs ldquoTe Ineffable Inconceivable and Incomprehensible God Fundamen-
tality and Apophatic Teologyrdquo in Oxford Studies in Philosophy of Religion orthcoming40More precisely Barth says that the analogia entis (which interpreters ofen take to be the basis
o all natural theology) is the ldquoinvention o the Antichristrdquo Doctrine of the Word of God p xiii
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What Is Analytic heology 1048626983095
demise o natural theology have been greatly exaggerated1048628983089 But there is
nothing about analytic theology as suchmdashas I have described it to this
pointmdashthat relies on natural theology Te conusion o natural theologywith the analytic project is just thatmdasha conusion Whatever we should
think about natural theology philosophically however we judge the suc-
cesses (or lack thereo) o the various theistic arguments natural the-
ology simply cannot be equated with analytic theology And whatever
we should conclude theologically about natural theology we should not
conuse it with the analytic project Once again this is a red herring
ldquoAnalytic theology is naive with respect to the history of doctrinerdquoAnother concern expressed by some contemporary systematic theolo-
gians is this analytic theology all too ofen proceeds with little awareness
o the complex but important historical actors associated with the de-
velopment and ormation o Christian doctrine o understate the point
analytic theologians are sometimes criticized or their ignorance o the
history o the development o dogma and or their lack o careul study
to understand the particular intellectual (not to mention social) settingo the person(s) controversies or eras under consideration Instead so
the story goes it is all too common or analytic theologians to approach
an issue by isolating a particular text and then breaking it down to
unpack the real ldquocorerdquo o the doctrine in question And the assumption
o the analytic theologians (again so the story goes) is ofen enough that
this can be saely or appropriately done with little or no reerence to the
particular context in which the development occurred As Fred Sanders
expresses the concern ldquophilosophers sometimes seem to think o ancient
texts as cumbersome delivery systems containing ideas which it is their
job to extract rom the delivery system and do something withrdquo1048628983090 Richard
A Muller likewise argues that lack o attention to historical context
sometimes results in problematic misunderstandings o the tradition in
41Eg Richard Swinburne Te Coherence of Teism (Oxord Oxord University Press 1048625983097983095983095) and
Swinburne Te Existence of God (Oxord Oxord University Press 1048625983097983095983097 [1048626983088983088983092]) For examples
o recent work see Moreland and Craig Blackwell Companion to Natural Teology and James F
Sennett and Douglas Groothuis eds In Defense of Natural Teology A Post-Humean Assessment
(Downers Grove IL IVP Academic 1048626983088983088983093)42Fred Sanders ldquoTe State o the Doctrine o the rinity in Evangelical Teologyrdquo Southwestern
Journal of Teology 983092983095 (1048626983088983088983093) 10486251048630983097
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullan-invitation-to-analytic-christian-theology-by-thomas-h-mccall-excerpt 2533
1048626983096 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
his view or instance both recent deenders and contemporary de-
tractors o the doctrine o divine simplicity commonly ldquomisinterpret the
traditional doctrinerdquo1048628983091 Robert W Jenson is more scathing he judges theanalytic enterprise to be ldquosomewhat oddly related to the Christian aith
it claims to deendrdquo and he calls the work o Richard Swinburne a ldquotruly
bizarre caserdquo10486281048628
At least this is how the story ofen goes A major underlying worry
seems to be that reading texts without proper attention to their social
location and intellectual context can cause us to misread and mis-
interpret those texts Tis strikes me as a legitimate concern and it is onethat analytic theologians would do well to hear and heed No one should
deny that it is possible to misread and misinterpret important historical
texts and it seems to me that such misreadings are ar more likely when
particular bits o the text are isolated and scrutinized apart rom the
broader literary and historical contexts Te temptation to look away
rom the context as an irrelevant distraction is real It should also be
resisted So the criticism contains an important cautionAt the same time however we should keep several additional points
in mind First the problem is not restricted to analytic theologiansmdash
constructive or systematic theologians o any stripe may be susceptible
to this temptation Indeed ironies abound on this ront Afer criticizing
analytic philosophers o religion or overlooking ldquothe essentially his-
torical character o trinitarian theologyrdquomdashand especially or missing the
important differences between the ldquoGreek (or lsquoCappadocianrsquo) Eastrdquo and
the ldquoLatin WestrdquomdashCatherine Mowry LaCugnarsquos own work has been
criticized or exaggerating those differences10486281048629 It is not as i more main-
stream nonanalytic or antianalytic theologians are immune to the temp-
tation instead so ar as I can see this is a general concern that should
serve as an important reminder that all theologians who engage with the
43Richard A Muller Post-Reformation Reformed Dogmatics Te Rise and Development of Reformed
Orthodoxy ca 1048625104862910486261048624ndashca 1048625104863110486261048629 vol 1048627 Te Divine Essence and Attributes (Grand Rapids Baker
Academic 10486269830889830881048627) p 983092104862544Robert W Jenson Systematic Teology vol 1048626 Te Works of God (Oxord Oxord University
Press 1048625983097983097983097) p 983096 n 104862798309345Catherine Mowry LaCugna ldquoPhilosophers and Teologians on the rinityrdquo Modern Teology 1048626
(10486259830979830961048630) 10486259830951048626
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
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What Is Analytic heology 1048626983097
Christian intellectual tradition should do so with appropriate historical
sensitivity Second there is nothingmdashat least so ar as I can seemdashthat
makes this temptation irresistible Te act that some analytic theolo-gians have been insufficiently attentive to some historical matters does
not entail either that all analytic theologians are ignorant o the tradition
or that all analytic theologians must proceed in ignorance I see no
reason to conclude that this problem must be either essential or endemic
to analytic theology Surely more progress can be made in this area but
I see no reasons to think that such progress cannot happen Finally it is
worth noting that such progress in act is being made Tere are manyhappy exceptions to the common stereotype that analytic theologians
are ldquoahistoricalrdquo in act it is sae to say that many excellent analytic
thinkers have genuine specialization in historical scholarship Indeed
many are cutting-edge contributors1048628983094
ldquoAnalytic theology is only apologetics for conservative theologyrdquo Al-
ternatively the suspicion may be that analytic theology is too closely tied
to the Christian tradition Te assumption here is that analytic theologyis nothing more than the bastion o traditionally minded Roman Catholic
(and Orthodox) theologians and philosophers along with their conser-
vative Protestant riends and the worry is that they are interested in
nothing more than finding a sae place to deend what they already know
to be true Consequently the worry goes there is next to nothing o real
interest here or revisionist theologians o various stripes and there is
little promise or genuinely constructive theology
wo observations are important here First in principle there is
nothing about analytic theology that demands either traditional sympa-
thies or conservative conclusions Neither is there anything about ana-
lytic theology (either taken along the lines o Rearsquos P1048625-P983093 or in a somewhat
more expansive way) that precludes the use o the analytic tools by say
eminist womanist or liberationist theologies
46Stellar examples include Richard Cross Duns Scotus on God (Aldershot UK Ashgate 1048626983088983088983093) Cross
Te Metaphysics of the Incarnation Tomas Aquinas to Duns Scotus (Oxord Oxord University
Press 10486269830889830881048626) Eleonore Stump Aquinas (New York Routledge 10486269830889830881048627) Jeffrey E Brower Aquinasrsquos
Ontology of the Material World Change Hylomorphism and Material Objects (Oxord Oxord
University Press 10486269830881048625983092) and J Paasch Divine Production in Late Medieval rinitarian Teology
Henry of Ghent Duns Scotus and William Ockham (Oxord Oxord University Press 104862698308810486251048626)
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
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983091983088 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
Second in point o act many criticisms o traditional doctrines
have emerged rom within analytic theology Consider this example It
is hard to think o a doctrine that is more deeply traditional or moredeeply woven into the abric o historic Christian theology than the
doctrine o divine simplicity Yet this venerable doctrine has endured
intense criticism rom analytic theologians over the past several de-
cades Alvin Plantingarsquos Does God Have a Nature raised ldquotwo diffi-
cultiesrdquo or the doctrine ldquoone substantial and the other truly
monumentalrdquo10486281048631 He argues that i God is identical with each o his
properties then God has but one property But this ldquoseems flatly in-compatible with the obvious act that God has several propertiesrdquo10486281048632 He
argues urther that i God is identical with each o his properties then
God is also a property ldquoTis view is subject to a difficulty both obvious
and overwhelming [or] i God is a property then he isnrsquot a person
but a mere abstract objectrdquo10486281048633 Many analytic theologians have joined
other criticisms to those o Plantinga and it is obvious that this doc-
trinemdashwoven deeply into the abric o traditional Christian doctrineas it ismdashis under assault rom within analytic theology We could mul-
tiply examples with ease (Te traditional doctrine o divine omni-
science stands out here) Tere are o course many sophisticated de-
enders o classical orthodoxy within analytic theology but the basic
point should be clear to reduce analytic theology to apologetics or
traditional doctrine is simply a mistake
As will become obvious in the ollowing pages I think that there is
much to be gained in the work o ldquoretrieval theologyrdquo and I see it as a
natural conversation partner and compatriot o analytic theology I want
to encourage more work at the intersection o analytic theology and
theologies o retrieval But there is nothing about analytic theology as
such that demands adherence to classical Christian theology
ldquoAnalytic theology relies on lsquosubstance metaphysicsrsquo rdquo Sometimes
theologians are suspicious o analytic theology due to its alleged reliance
on substance metaphysics Tis complaint can take various orms Some-
47Alvin Plantinga Does God Have a Nature (Milwaukee Marquette University Press 1048625983097983096983088) p 98309298309548Ibid49Ibid
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What Is Analytic heology 9830911048625
times it is claimed that the whole analytic enterprise is ldquopre-Kantianrdquo (as
in Kenneth Surinrsquos critique o David Brownrsquos work as being ldquorobustly
old-ashionedrdquo and ldquopre-Kantianrdquo)10486291048624 In other words critics complainthat analytic theology proceeds in blithemdashand perhaps willulmdashigno-
rance o the ldquoactrdquo that Kant undermined the entire project by destroying
the very possibility o doing it wo important claims seem to be in play
with this critique first that Kant did something to make analytic the-
ology impossible and second that analytic theologians are unaware o
what Kant did But both o these claims are problematic Te second is
simply mistaken and the first is vigorously contested As Nicholas Wolt-erstorff points out it is much more likely that the current generation o
analytic theologians is not so much ldquopre-Kantianrdquo as it is ldquopost-Kantianrdquo
As he puts it ldquoit really is possible to be post-Kantian Itrsquos possible to re-
cover rom Kant Te choices are not exhausted between being naively
pre-Kantian on the one hand and being a Kantian o one or another
stripe on the otherrdquo1048629983089 Tere are Wolterstorff argues philosophers who
are ully aware o Kantian ldquointerpretation-universalism and ully awareo [Kantian] metaphysical anti-realism but afer serious consideration
they have rejected these options as untenablerdquo1048629983090 So many analytic theo-
logians are well aware o Kantrsquos work (and the common claims made
about that work) but they donrsquot think that he did anything to shut down
the kind o work that they are doing As Plantinga puts it ldquothey have read
him and remain unconvincedrdquo1048629983091
But aside rom Kant analytic theology is sometimes criticized and
rejected or its reliance on ldquosubstance metaphysicsrdquo Unortunately ex-
actly what critical theologians have in their crosshairs when they talk
about substance metaphysics is ofen unclear and not closely defined
But very ofen the complaint is closely tied to a rejection o doctrines
50Kenneth Surin ldquoTe rinity and Philosophical Reflection A Study o David Brownrsquos Te Divine
rinity rdquo Modern Teology 1048626 (10486259830979830961048630) 10486261048627983097-98309298308851Nicholas Wolterstorff ldquoBetween the Pincers o Increased Diversity and Supposed Irrationalityrdquo
in God Philosophy and Academic Culture A Discussion Between Scholars in the AAR and APA
ed William J Wainwright (Atlanta Scholars Press 10486259830979830971048630) p 1048626983088 See also Wolterstorff ldquoIs It
Possible and Desirable or Teologians to Recover rom Kantrdquo Modern Teology 1048625983092 (1048625983097983097983096)
1048625-104862598309652Wolterstorff ldquoBetween the Pincersrdquo p 104862698308853Alvin Plantinga Warranted Christian Belief (Oxord Oxord University Press 1048626983088983088983088) p 1048627983088
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
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9830911048626 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
associated with ldquoclassical theismrdquo immutability impassibility time-
lessness and other doctrines are taken to be untenable and since they
are tied to substance metaphysics so much the worse or substancemetaphysics William P Alston defly analyzes this complaint and he
argues that substance metaphysics are really beside the point What he
says about substance metaphysics in discussions o the doctrine o the
rinity applies more broadly ldquoonce we get straight as to what is and is
not necessarily included in the metaphysics o substance we will see that
most twentieth-century objections to the use o substance metaphysics
are based on eatures o such ormulations that are not required bysubstance metaphysics as suchrdquo10486291048628 Perhaps there is something inherently
wrong with the use o substance metaphysics in theology and maybe this
counts against analytic theology But beore such a judgment can be
made we need more than the all-too-common generalizations and as-
sertions For beore we can conclude that analytic theology is atally
flawed due to a dependence on substance metaphysics we need to know
exactly what is meant by substance metaphysics we need to be shown just what is wrong (either philosophically or theologically) with sub-
stance metaphysics and we need to see that analytic theology really is (or
must be) committed to this kind o metaphysics Without the kind o
careul analysis and rigorous argumentation it is hard to see anything
here that might count as a orceul objection to analytic theology
ldquoAnalytic theology isnrsquot spiritually edifyingrdquo William Wood notes that
ldquomany conventional theologians remain deeply suspicious o analytic the-
ologyrdquo because o the worry that analytic theology is not spiritually edi-
ying As these theologians see matters ldquogenuine theology is in the first
instance practical aimed not at explanatory theories about God but at
ostering greater love or God and neighbor Genuine theology in short
is praxis one deeply woven together with a Christian lie o prayer virtue
and participation in the sacramentsrdquo10486291048629 Te basic concern is this when
more mainstream theologians look at analytic theology they donrsquot rec-
54William P Alston ldquoSubstance and the rinityrdquo in Te rinity An Interdisciplinary Symposium on
the rinity ed Stephen Davis Daniel Kendall SJ and Gerald OrsquoCollins SJ (Oxord Oxord
University Press 1048625983097983097983097) p 1048626983088104862555William Wood ldquoAnalytic Teology as a Way o Lierdquo Journal of Analytic Teology (10486269830881048625983092) 983092983092
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
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What Is Analytic heology 983091983091
ognize the kind o theology-as-praxis that they value Instead they see
purported explanatory theoriesmdashmere purported explanatory theories
Sometimes these explanations appear to be a very long way indeed romthe lie o aith Indeed they see ormulas such as this (selected pretty
much at random rom among many others)
P existx (Dx amp forally(Dy =gt Byx) amp x made us
Q existx(Dx amp forally(Dy =gt Byx ))1048629983094
When they encounter this kind o work some theologians donrsquot rec-
ognize it as theology at all I they are willing to recognize it as theology
they tend to worry that they donrsquot see the kind o theology that promotes
love o God and neighbor they are concerned that they donrsquot see the-
ology that is connected to the lie o aith As Wood puts it they worry
that ldquoanalytic theology is spiritually sterile and thereore not really a
orm o genuine theology at allrdquo10486291048631
I think this is an important point o criticism and it raises some very
intriguing concerns But as Wood also notes it would be a ldquomistake and
urthermore a presumptuous mistake to assume that analytic philo-
sophical theology cannot in principle be spiritually nourishingrdquo10486291048632 Tree
points stand out First it is important to realize that the temptation to
construct explanatory theories about God that are divorced rom worship
and transormation is both real and present It is also nearious10486291048633 Te
temptation besets theologians o all stripesmdashanalytic or otherwise I do
not think analytic theologians are the only theologians who ace this
temptation o the contrary idolatry is no respecter o ideologies Butsurely it is not invincible surelymdashby Godrsquos gracemdashit is not irresistible
As Wood reminds us ldquoGodrsquos love rains down on logicians too afer allrdquo9830941048624
Second there is good reason to think that analytic theology maymdash
contrary to common expectationsmdashturn out to be spiritually ediying
56Peter van Inwagen ldquoAnd Yet Tey Are Not Tree Gods but One Godrdquo in McCall and Rea
Philosophical and Teological Essays on the rinity pp 10486269830921048625 1048626983092104863057Wood ldquoAnalytic Teology as a Way o Lierdquo p 983092983092 See also Marilyn McCord Adams ldquoWhatrsquos
Wrong with the Ontotheological Errorrdquo Journal of Analytic Teology (10486269830881048625983092) 1048625-1048625104862658Wood ldquoAnalytic Teology as a Way o Lierdquo p 983092104863059See the warnings o Merold Westphal Suspicion and Faith Te Religious Uses of Modern Atheism
(New York Fordham University Press 1048625983097983097983096)60Wood ldquoAnalytic Teology as a Way o Lierdquo p 983092983095
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
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983091983092 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
Wood argues that analytic theology may be spiritually beneficial in
several ways He suggests that the ldquoconcentrated attention required to
read understand and develop very technical analytic argumentsrdquo maybe conducive to the kinds o intellectual virtues and habits o mind that
are spiritually beneficial983094983089 In addition he notes the ldquoargumentative
transparencyrdquo (what he terms the ldquoparadigmatic analytic virtuerdquo) may be
helpul in spiritual ormation983094983090 Wood readily admits that this tendency
toward argumentative rigor can also eed a orm o pride or even ldquointel-
lectual violencerdquo but he also points out that to make a ldquogood analytic
argument is to make that argument maximally easy or intellectual op-ponents to criticize or reuterdquo and this very transparency makes it much
harder to shield onesel rom criticisms but instead is a way to ldquomake
onesel intellectually vulnerablerdquo In this way it serves as a ldquocheck against
intellectual priderdquo983094983091 Moreover the pace demanded by such rigor and the
modesty o the claims that are rendered deensible have the potential to
cultivate epistemic humility Furthermore another important eature o
the analytic approach is the need to ldquoidentiy imaginatively with onersquosintellectual opponentsrdquo this also as Wood points out orces us to inhabit
a worldview that is not only oreign to our own but also sometimes
hostile In these ways Wood argues ldquoanalytic theology can become a
spiritual practice a way o seeking God and o training the mind and
the will to be open to gracerdquo9830941048628
Finally we should not neglect to notice those shining examples o
theologians or whom analytic theology indeed is closely related to
worship and spiritual nurture Indeed it would be hard not to notice
them or the tradition is rie with such theologians A great many pa-
tristic and most scholastic (both medieval and early modern) theolo-
gians count as ldquoanalytic theologiansrdquo For surely they fit our profile o
theologians who prize ldquoconceptual precision rigor o argumentation
technical erudition and an in-depth deense o an original worldviewrdquo
(and who would in many instances value P1048625-P983093) As an example con-
61Ibid p 98309398309362Ibid p 983093104863063Ibid64Ibid p 983093983096
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What Is Analytic heology 983091983093
sider Anselmrsquos Proslogion It is obvious that Anselm values precision and
rigor and he clearly intends to convey truth claims that he finds con-
vincing But as both Wood and Marilyn McCord Adams point out thiswork is ldquomeant to do more than communicate propositional truthsrdquo or
ldquoit is meant to help reorient the wills o its readers and help bring about
effective and volitional change in themrdquo9830941048629 Despite important differences
o style and substance we could say much the same about many other
figures (both well known and less so) as well it is very difficult to read
ar into Bonaventure Richard o St Victor Aquinas Scotus Vermigli
Perkins Arminius urretin Edwards Wesley and many others withoutunderstanding that they are obviously concerned with both intellectual
rigor and spiritual ormation
65Ibid p 983093983088 See also Marilyn McCord Adams ldquoPraying the Proslogionrdquo in Te Rationality of
Belief and the Plurality of Faith ed Tomas Senor (Ithaca NY Cornell University Press 1048625983097983097983093)
pp 10486251048627-1048627983097 and Adams ldquoElegant Necessity Prayerul Disputation Method in Cur Deus Homordquo
in Studia Anselmiana Cur Deus Homo (Rome 1048625983097983097983097) pp 10486271048630983095-9830971048630
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8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullan-invitation-to-analytic-christian-theology-by-thomas-h-mccall-excerpt 1133
1048625983092 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
epistemology in particular has been influenced by philosophers with
religious interests and well-known Christian commitments
Not surprisingly the growth o Christian involvement in philosophyhas been accompanied by increased interest in issues o perennial
concern in philosophy o religion Work on such issues had never en-
tirely disappeared o course or prominent philosophers such as Basil
Mitchell Peter Geach Austin Farrer and others were making significant
contributions well beore the current renaissance o Christian philosophy
really took off1048633 However engagement has been growing at an astounding
rate Issues surrounding religious pluralism and exclusivism problemso evil (including not only the ldquologicalrdquo problem o evil but also ldquoevi-
dentialrdquo problems) religious epistemology religious experience mir-
acles theistic arguments (particularly various versions o ontological
cosmological teleological and moral arguments) and science and re-
ligion have been explored with impressive vigor and analyzed with or-
midable rigor9830891048624 Positions have been set out and explained attacked and
deended modified and surrendered Te work in philosophy o religionhas not been cordoned off rom other more ldquomainstreamrdquo philosophical
work o the contrary in many ways it has remained vitally engaged with
9Eg Basil Mitchell Te Justification of Religious Belief (Oxord Oxord University Press 10486259830979830961048625)
Mitchell Faith and Criticism (Oxord Oxord University Press 1048625983097983097983093) Mitchell Morality Reli-
gious and Secular Te Dilemma of the raditional Conscience (Oxord Oxord University Press
10486259830979830961048630) Peter Geach God and the Soul (South Bend IN St Augustinersquos Press 10486259830971048630983097) Geach
Providence and Evil (Cambridge Cambridge University Press 1048625983097983095983095) Geach Te Virtues (Cam-
bridge Cambridge University Press 1048625983097983095983095) Geach Logic Matters (Berkeley University o Cali-ornia Press 10486259830979830951048626) Austin Farrer Te Freedom of the Will (London Black 1048625983097983093983096) Farrer Love
Almighty and Ills Unlimited An Essay on Providence and Evil (London Collins 104862598309710486301048625) Farrer
Saving Belief A Study of Essentials (London Hodder amp Stoughton 10486259830971048630983092) Farrer Faith and Spec-
ulation An Essay in Philosophical Teology (London Black 10486259830971048630983095)10Te contentsmdashand perhaps the very existencemdasho the numerous and massive ldquohandbooksrdquo and
ldquocompanionsrdquo to philosophy o religion bear weighty testimony to this act See eg William J
Wainwright ed Te Oxford Handbook of Philosophy of Religion (New York Oxord University
Press 1048626983088983088983093) Philip L Quinn and Charles aliaerro eds A Companion to Philosophy of Religion
(Oxord Blackwell 1048625983097983097983095) William E Mann ed Te Blackwell Guide to the Philosophy of Religion
(Oxord Blackwell 1048626983088983088983093) Michael L Peterson and Raymond J VanArragon eds Contemporary
Debates in Philosophy of Religion (Oxord Blackwell 1048626983088983088983092) J P Moreland and William Lane
Craig eds Te Blackwell Companion to Natural Teology (Oxord Blackwell 1048626983088983088983097) Justin Mc-
Brayer and Daniel Howard-Snyder eds Te Blackwell Companion to the Problem of Evil (Oxord
Blackwell 104862698308810486251048627) Chad Meister and Paul Copan eds Te Routledge Companion to Philosophy of
Religion 1048626nd ed (New York Routledge 104862698308810486251048627) See also the impressive series Oxord Studies in
Philosophy o Religion edited by Jon Kvanvig
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What Is Analytic heology 1048625983093
cutting-edge work in epistemology ethics and metaphysics to use the
latter as an example rom Alvin Plantingarsquos early work Te Nature of
Necessity to Brian Lefowrsquos recent contributions in God and Necessity important work in the metaphysics o modality has been deeplymdashand
some might say ldquoessentiallyrdquomdashconnected to philosophy o religion983089983089
Judging rom the interest and output analytic philosophy o religion is
not only alive and well but indeed healthy and robust
How we got here From philosophy of religion to philosophical the-
ology But or all the vigor and intellectual energy that is captured and
reflected in work on general or generic issues in philosophy o religion theinterests o Christian philosophers have not been limited to those issues
Instead Christian philosophers have been deeply interested in distinctly
Christian theological topics and they have devoted much energy to the
analysis and deense o Christian doctrine Te past ew decades have wit-
nessed important work on the doctrine o revelation (and divine speech)
the inspiration authority and interpretation o the Christian Scriptures
divine attributes (particularly simplicity necessity aseity omnipotenceomniscience eternity and reedom) divine action in creation providence
miraculous intervention theological anthropology original sin incar-
nation atonement resurrection and eschatology983089983090
Where we are Philosophical theology and analytic theology More
recently the term analytic theology has come into use Tere are o
course important orebears to this work David Kelsey Nicholas Wolt-
erstorff and others at Yale disparate figures such as William P Alston
Norman Kretzmann George Mavrodes Keith Yandell and others else-
where in the United States Paul Helm and Richard Swinburne in the
United Kingdom and Vincent Brummer and others o the Utrecht
11See Alvin Plantinga Te Nature of Necessity (Oxord Oxord University Press 1048625983097983095983092) and Brian
Lefow God and Necessity (Oxord Oxord University Press 104862698308810486251048626) See also the recent proposals
o Hugh J McCann Creation and the Sovereignty of God (Bloomington Indiana University Press
104862698308810486251048626)12Once again the prolieration o ldquoreadersrdquo ldquohandbooksrdquo and ldquocompanionsrdquo stands as evidence
o the breadth and depth o the work undertaken eg Oliver D Crisp ed A Reader in Contem-
porary Philosophical Teology (New York amp Clark 1048626983088983088983097) Michael C Rea ed Oxford Read-
ings in Philosophical Teology 1048626 vols (Oxord Oxord University Press 1048626983088983088983097) Tomas P Flint
and Michael C Rea eds Te Oxford Handbook of Philosophical Teology (Oxord Oxord Uni-
versity Press 1048626983088983088983097) Charles aliaerro and Chad Meister eds Te Cambridge Companion to
Christian Philosophical Teology (Cambridge Cambridge University Press 10486269830881048625983088)
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
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1048625983094 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
school o philosophical theology in the Netherlands Following trail-
blazers such as these and building on the recent renaissance o meta-
physics and philosophy o religion the analytic theology movement isnow growing Te publication o the volume Analytic Teology Essays
in the Philosophy of Teology edited by Oliver D Crisp and Michael C
Rea marked an important moment Te Analytic Teology Project
(sponsored and promoted by Notre Damersquos Center or Philosophy o
Religion as well the University o Innsbruck in Austria and the Shalem
Center in Jerusalem and unded by generous grants rom the John em-
pleton Foundation) with its annual Logos conerence and other activitiesthe launch o the Journal of Analytic Teology and the inauguration o
the book series Oxord Studies in Analytic Teology all lend support to
this growing movement
Te meaning o the term analytic theology can vary in common par-
lance and it is sae to say that there is no single decisively settled meaning
o the term when it is used as a label Still perhaps we can saely say that
what is common across the range o uses is this analytic theology sig-nifies a commitment to employ the conceptual tools o analytic phi-
losophy where those tools might be helpul in the work o constructive
Christian theology Scholars will naturally enough disagree among
themselves about just which o those tools are most helpul which
projects are best served by their use and other matters but on the whole
such a minimalist characterization seems sae enough William J
Abraham offers this helpul summary analytic theology ldquocan be useully
defined as ollows it is systematic theology attuned to the skills re-
sources and virtues o analytic philosophyrdquo983089983091 As such analytic theology
is a growing and energetic field at the intersections o philosophy o re-
ligion and systematic theology
W983144983137983156 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 T983144983141983151983148983151983143983161 I983155 (983151983154 S983144983151983157983148983140 B983141)
Such minimalist characterization while airly sae does not take us very
ar What more precisely is one doing when one does analytic theology
13William J Abraham ldquoSystematic Teology as Analytic Teologyrdquo in Analytic Teology New
Essays in the Philosophy of Teology ed Oliver D Crisp and Michael C Rea (Oxord Oxord
University Press 1048626983088983088983097) p 983093983092
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What Is Analytic heology 1048625983095
Just what is analytic theology Perhaps it will help first to consider what
is so analytic about analytic theology Following this we shall think
about how it is an exercise in theology Analytic theology as analytic theology As we have seen Quentin Smith
praises Plantingarsquos work or its excellence in ldquothe most valued standards o
analytic philosophy conceptual precision rigor o argumentation tech-
nical erudition and an in-depth deense o an original worldviewrdquo9830891048628 Oliver
D Crisp echoes this estimation o what counts as good work in analytic
philosophy he observes that analytic philosophy is characterized by ldquoa
logical rigour clarity and parsimony o expression coupled with attentionto a certain cluster o philosophical problemsrdquo9830891048629 Analytic theology is rel-
evantly similar he says or it ldquowill prize intellectual virtues like clarity
parsimony o expression and argumentative rigourrdquo983089983094 Michael C Rearsquos
description o analytic philosophy echoes these accounts in some ways
While recognizing that clear and sharp lines between ldquoanalyticrdquo and ldquonon-
analyticrdquo (or ldquoContinentalrdquo) philosophical approaches are neither easy to
come by nor perhaps really worth all the work he characterizes analyticapproaches to philosophy in terms o style and ambition9830891048631 Te ambitions
are generally ldquoto identiy the scope and limits o our powers to obtain
knowledge o the worldrdquo and ldquoto provide such true explanatory theories
as we can in areas o inquiry (metaphysics morals and the like) that all
outside the scope o the natural sciencesrdquo9830891048632 Rea characterizes the style as
including the ollowing prescriptions
P1048625 Write as i philosophical positions and conclusions can be adequately or-mulated in sentences that can be ormalized and logically manipulated
P1048626 Prioritize precision clarity and logical coherence
P983091 Avoid substantive (non-decorative) use o metaphor and other tropes
whose semantic content outstrips their propositional content
14Smith ldquoMetaphilosophyrdquo p 104862615Oliver D Crisp ldquoOn Analytic Teologyrdquo in Crisp and Rea Analytic Teology p 104862798309316Ibid pp 1048627983095-104862798309617Michael C Rea introduction to Crisp and Rea Analytic Teology pp 1048627-983092 See also Nick raka-
kis ldquoMeta-Philosophy o Religion Te Analytic-Continental Divide in Philosophy o Religionrdquo
Ars Disputandi 983095 (1048626983088983088983095) 1048625983095983097-1048626104862698308818Rea introduction p 983092
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
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1048625983096 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
P983092 Work as much as possible with well-understood primitive concepts and
concepts that can be analyzed in terms o those
P983093 reat conceptual analysis (insoar as possible) as a source o evidence9830891048633
Tis much at least is characteristic o analytic philosophy So what
about analytic theology As Rea sees things ldquoanalytic theology is just the
activity o approaching theological topics with the ambitions o an ana-
lytic philosopher and in a style that conorms to the prescriptions that
are distinctive o analytic philosophical discourse It will also involve
more or less pursuing those topics in a way that engages the literature
that is constitutive o the analytic tradition employing some o the tech-
nical jargon rom that tradition and so on But in the end it is the style
and ambitions that are most centralrdquo9830901048624
All this is helpul but perhaps a bit more explanation would be ben-
eficial Consider P1048625 Tis need not mean that all meaningul statements
in theology (or philosophy) need to be expressed ormally it should
not be taken to mean that every theological claim should be stated in
an apparatus with numbered propositions and a ormal structure
What it does mean however is that the deault setting or theologians
should be to communicate propositions that could be expressed this
way For as Rea says ldquoabsent special circumstancesrdquo things have ldquogone
very much amissrdquo i a view ldquois expressed in such a way that it has no
clear logical outcomesrdquo983090983089
Consider also P1048626 Tis need notmdashand should notmdashbe taken to mean
that logical precision and coherence are the only important criteria ora theologian and neither should it be taken to imply even that logical
precision and coherence are the most important criteria Te theologian
who is convinced that her first commitment is fidelity to the priority and
ultimacy o divine revelation should have no difficulty in assenting to P1048626
Neither urther should P1048626 be taken to imply that the same levels o
logical precision are possible with all theological topics nor yet that all
theological projects require the same levels o precision and argumentative
19Ibid pp 983093-104863020Ibid p 98309521Ibid p 983093 n 983093
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
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What Is Analytic heology 1048625983097
rigor Consider by way o example childrenrsquos catechetical literature
Surely this literature is theological but it neither can nor should attempt
to display the same level o logical precision or argumentative rigor assay advanced work in scholastic theology P1048626 does not clam that such
theological literature should do so or that all work in theology must
always do so
Neither should P1048626 be misunderstood with respect to claims about the
importance o ldquoclarityrdquo Rea notes that this claim can seem ironic ldquoin light
o the act that quite a lot o analytic philosophy [and we could add
some analytic theology] is very difficult even or specialists and totallyinaccessible to non-specialistsrdquo983090983090 But ldquoclearrdquo does not mean ldquoeasyrdquo In-
stead it expresses a commitment to the work o ldquospelling out hidden
assumptions scrupulously trying to lay bare whatever evidence one has
(or lacks) or the claims that one is making and on taking care to confine
onersquos vocabulary to ordinary language well-understood primitive con-
cepts and technical jargon definable in terms o theserdquo983090983091 Finally we
should note that P1048626 does not imply that everything (or everything worthtalking about) in theology will become crystal clear Te goal o analytic
theology is not (or at least need not be) the removal o all mystery in
theology o the contrary analytic philosophers o religion have long
been keenly aware o the place o mystery in theology and it may be that
at certain points an important role o the theologian is to clariy just
where the mystery really lies P1048626 does not suggest that analytic theology
will make everything ldquoclearrdquo in the sense that it makes everything ldquoeasy
and readily accessible to the nonspecialistrdquo Instead what it prioritizes is
clarity to the appropriate audiences and to the greatest possible degree
And it insists that ldquomysteryrdquo must not be conused with logical inco-
herence and it likewise insists that we do not gloriy what is clearly in-
coherent with the shroud o ldquomysteryrdquo As Alan G Padgett says theology
should ldquoseek the truth about Godrdquo and ldquothereore must shun incoherence
and irrationalityrdquo9830901048628 Where ldquosometimes lsquomysteryrsquo is evoked as an excuse
22Ibid p 983093 n 104863023Ibid24Alan G Padgett ldquoTe rinity in Teology and Philosophy Why Jerusalem Should Work with
Athensrdquo in Philosophical and Teological Essays on the rinity ed Tomas McCall and Michael
C Rea (Oxord Oxord University Press 1048626983088983088983097) p 104862710486271048626
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
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1048626983088 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
or sloppy thinking this must be anathema to any academic theology
worthy o the namerdquo For ldquoafer all the mystery o God does not end
when theology speaks clearly Te simple phrase lsquoJesus loves me this Iknow or the Bible tells me sorsquo covers vast deep mysteries that even the
angels gaze into with awe and wonderrdquo9830901048629
P983091 rules out ldquosubstantive (non-decorative) use o metaphor and other
tropes whose semantic content outstrips their propositional contentrdquo
Tis does not or at least need not mean that there is no valid or valuable
place or metaphor in theology Analytic theologians will disagree among
themselves as to howmdashand how muchmdashmetaphor is useul and legiti-mate983090983094 But the basic point is airly plain on P983091 theologians are not at
liberty to trade loosely in metaphor without ever being able to speciy
just what is meant by those metaphors Tey are not then ree to make
claims the meaning o which cannot be specified or spelled out Teolo-
gians are not licensed to trade in what Randal Rauser calls ldquounclarifiable
unclarityrdquo9830901048631 P983092 calls the analytic theologian to work with ldquowell-understood
primitive conceptsrdquo that are reasonably taken to be basic intuitive or(minimally) uncontroversial (and with concepts that can be understood
in terms o such primitive concepts) Some theologians will be quick to
raise concerns here they will worry that the very notion o ldquowell-
understood primitive conceptsrdquo may both conceal blind spots o social
location and privilege and be a Procrustean bed that restricts theological
concepts to ldquowhat we already know to be truerdquo and thus curtails the
possibility o engagement with divine revelation But once again it is
important not to misunderstand P983092 Te ldquoas much as possiblerdquo is key
here i the preunderstood concepts donrsquot do enough work then some o
them can be adjusted Others wonrsquot be so easy to adjust or discard but
this category o primitive concepts is both quite small and very basic (eg
the law o noncontradiction) Simply put there is no good reason to
25Ibid26I thank Billy Abraham or pressing this point Te ldquostandardrdquo work on metaphor in theology
remains Janet Martin Soskice Metaphor and Religious Language (Oxord Oxord University
Press 1048625983097983096983095)27Randal Rauser ldquoTeology as a Bull Sessionrdquo in Crisp and Rea Analytic Teology pp 983095983092-983095983093 See
also Harry Frankurt On Bullshit (Princeton NJ Princeton University Press 1048626983088983088983093) and Frank-
urt Bullshit and Philosophy ed Gary L Hardcastle and George A Resich (Chicago Open
Court 1048626983088983088983093)
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
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What Is Analytic heology 10486261048625
think that the notion o ldquowell-understood primitive conceptsrdquo must
unction as a Procrustean bed
Finally Rea says that P983093 calls us to ldquotreat conceptual analysis (insoaras it is possible) as a source o evidencerdquo It should be obvious that he
does not say that conceptual analysis is the only source o evidence and
there is no reason to think that it should be taken this way Neither does
he claim that conceptual analysis is the primary or ultimate source o
evidence P983093 makes an important claim but it is a rather modest one
What it insists on is this i close conceptual analysis reveals that some
theological proposition P is say internally inconsistent then thatanalysis gives us all the evidence we need to reject P No matter how
grand the claims o Prsquo s supporters in deense o the supporting evidence
for it i P is incoherent (sel-reerentially or otherwise) then it is not true
Once we have established that P is incoherent (which is a task much
harder than is sometimes supposed) we have all the reason we need to
conclude that it is wrong In addition o course conceptual analysis
might count as evidence in other and more positive ways as well Con-sider perect being theology or example here theologians analyze ldquoper-
ectionrdquo and then take deliverances o that analysis as evidence in support
o their theological conclusions
Much more could be said about what makes analytic theology truly
analytic o course While this could be expanded on and broadened
(particularly in directions that put less o a premium on precision) Rearsquos
P1048625-P983093 give us an initial sense o what it means to say that theology is
analytic theology Generally speaking analytic theology is theology that
is attuned to and committed to the ldquogoals and ambitionsrdquo o analytic
philosophy a commitment to truth wherever it may be ound clarity o
expression and rigor o argumentation Very ofen it will not hesitate to
make appropriate use o the available tools o analytic philosophy espe-
cially as these aid conceptual precision and argumentative rigor
Analytic theology as analytic theology But i echoing Smith it is the
concern with ldquoconceptual precisionrdquo and ldquorigor o argumentationrdquo that
makes analytic theology analytic then what is it that makes analytic
theology really theology Tis book develops an answer to this question
but an initial summary may help Recall that Smith talks not only about
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
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httpslidepdfcomreaderfullan-invitation-to-analytic-christian-theology-by-thomas-h-mccall-excerpt 1933
10486261048626 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
ldquoconceptual precisionrdquo and ldquorigor o argumentationrdquo but also about ldquotech-
nical eruditionrdquo and the ldquoin-depth deense o an original worldviewrdquo For
the analytic philosopher ldquotechnical eruditionrdquo will naturally involvemastery o the requisite field (metaphysics philosophy o mind epis-
temology etc) but it may also include competence in other related
fields (biology or philosophy o biology neurology or philosophy o
mind etc) For the analytic theologian such erudition will include com-
petence in the relevant areas o philosophical study that are necessary or
ldquoconceptual precisionrdquo and ldquorigor o argumentationrdquo But or the analytic
theologian qua theologian it must involve much more than this Forunless analytic theology is merely ldquoarmchair theologyrdquo (albeit armchair
theology done by very bright people) it will be grounded in the
Christian Scriptures it will be inormed by the great tradition o doc-
trinal development it will be ldquochristologically normedrdquo and it will be
culturally engaged As theology it will seek to articulate what we may
know o God as God has revealed himsel to us As Nicholas Wolterstorff
puts it to theologiansDo not be ersatz philosophers do not be ersatz cultural theorists do not be
ersatz anything Be genuine theologians Be sure-ooted in philosophy But
then be theologians What we need to hear rom you is how things look
when seen in light o the triune Godmdashmay his name be praisedmdashwho creates
and sustains us who redeems us and who will bring this rail and allen
though yet glorious humanity and cosmos to consummation9830901048632
Accordingly analytic theology is theology done by theologians who areldquosure-ootedrdquo in philosophy (many o whom will have extensive training
and proessional expertise there and indeed may be leaders within their
field) but it is a kind o theology nonetheless
Such a conception o theology is o course not remotely new What
we may useully reer to as ldquoanalytic theologyrdquo is very similar in many
respects to deeply traditional ways o doing theology We can see this
kind o work exemplified in the theology o the scholastics (both me-dieval and post-Reormationearly modern) So in some sense the re-
28Nicholas Wolterstorff ldquoo Teologians From One Who Cares About Teology but Is Not One
o Yourdquo Teological Education (1048626983088983088983093) 9830971048625-9830971048626
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
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What Is Analytic heology 1048626983091
birth o analytic theology may be thought o as scholasticism redivivus
As Richard Swinburnemdashsurely a pioneer o analytic theologymdashsays
ldquolarge-scale theology needs clear and rigorous argumentrdquo and it is ldquohightime or theology to returnrdquo to the standards set by Tomas Aquinas
John Duns Scotus and others9830901048633 But it is not only the ldquohigh scholasticsrdquo
who worked this way or we can also witness many o these virtues in
theologians rom the patristics to the pietists9830911048624 Many theologians in the
Christian tradition were concerned with both ldquoconceptual precisionrdquo and
ldquoargumentative rigorrdquo as well as ldquotechnical eruditionrdquo and the ldquoin-depth
deense o an original worldviewrdquoConsider what John Wesleymdashan evangelist hardly known as a ldquoscho-
lasticrdquo or an ldquoanalytic theologianrdquomdashhas to say about the importance o
acquiring the tools or ldquoconceptual precisionrdquo and ldquoargumentative rigorrdquo
Logic he says is ldquonecessary next to and in order to the knowledge o
Scripturerdquo983091983089 Despite the act that it is ldquonow quite unashionablerdquo none-
theless logic is invaluable For with it we have the possibility o ldquoappre-
hending things clearly judging truly and reasoning conclusivelyrdquo
983091983090
Andas with logic so also with metaphysics Tus Wesley will ask o clergy
Am I a tolerable master o the sciences Have I gone through the very gate o
them logic I not I am not likely to go much urther when I stumble at the
threshold Do I understand it so as to be ever the better or it o have it
always ready or use so as to apply every rule o it when occasion is almost
as naturally as I turn my hand Do I understand it at all Can I reduce an
indirect mood to a direct a hypothetic to a categorical syllogism Rather have
not my stupid indolence and laziness made me very ready to believe what the
little wits and pretty gentlemen affirm ldquothat logic is good or nothingrdquo It is
good or this at least (wherever it is understood) to make people talk less by
showing them both what is and what is not to the point and how extremely
29Richard Swinburne Te Coherence of Teism 1048626nd ed (Oxord Oxord University Press 10486259830979830971048627)
p 98309530See eg Gregory o Nyssa Against Eunomius 10486259830921048626 Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers ed Philip
Schaff series 1048626 (10486259830969830961048630ndash1048625983096983096983097 repr Peabody MA Hendrickson 1048625983097983097983092) 983093983097983096-983097983097 (Patrologia
Graeca [= Patrologiae Cursus Completus Series Graeca] ed Jacques-Paul Migne [Paris 1048625983096983093983095ndash
10486259830969830961048630] 9830929830939830921048630983088-10486301048625)31John Wesley ldquoAddress to the Clergyrdquo in Te Works of John Wesley vol 1048625983088 Letters Essays Dialogs
and Addresses (Grand Rapids Zondervan nd) p 983092983096104862732Ibid
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httpslidepdfcomreaderfullan-invitation-to-analytic-christian-theology-by-thomas-h-mccall-excerpt 2133
1048626983092 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
hard it is to prove anything Do I understand metaphysics i not the depths
o the Schoolmen the subtleties o Scotus or Aquinas yet the first rudiments
the general principles o that useul science983091983091
Consider urther what Wesley says about the importance o ldquotechnical
eruditionrdquo in theology Insisting on the importance o knowledge o the
scope o Christian Scripture as well as acility in the relevant ancient
languages he asks
Have I (1048625) such a knowledge o Scripture as becomes him who undertakes
so to explain it to others Have I a ull and clear view o the analogy o
aith which is the clue to guide me through the whole Am I acquainted with
the several parts o Scripture with all parts o the Old estament and the
New Upon the mention o any text do I know the context and the parallel
places Do I know the scope o each book and how every part tends
thereto Have I the skill to draw the natural inerences deducible rom each
text (1048626) Do I understand Greek and Hebrew Otherwise am I not at
the mercy o everyone who does understand or pretends to understand the
original For which way can I conute his pretence Do I understand the lan-
guage o the Old estament Critically At all Can I read into English one o
Davidrsquos Psalms or even the first chapter o Genesis Do I understand the
language o the New estament Am I a critical master o it Have I enough
o it even to read into English the first chapter o St Luke I not how many
years did I spend at school How many at university And what was I doing
all those years9830911048628
Wesley says similar things about the indispensability o knowledge o
the Christian tradition But the basic point should be clear important
elements o what we now call ldquoanalytic theologyrdquo have deep roots in the
broad Christian theological tradition Indeed or an evangelist like John
Wesley this is simply the kind o theology that any Christian minister
should be doing
W983144983137983156 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 T983144983141983151983148983151983143983161 I983155983150rsquo983156 M983145983155983157983150983140983141983154983155983156983137983150983140983145983150983143983155
983137983150983140 O983138983146983141983139983156983145983151983150983155
Many systematic theologians are suspicious o analytic theology Indeed
33Ibid pp 9830929830971048625-983097104862634Ibid pp 983092983097983088-9830971048625
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What Is Analytic heology 1048626983093
some are deeply suspicious Te concerns come rom several angles Here
are some o the most common9830911048629
ldquoAnalytic theology relies on a univocal account of religious languagerdquoSome theologians may worry that the current analytic discussions
proceed with an unrealistic and unhealthy naiveteacute regarding the nature
and unction o religious language For instance Stephen R Holmes
thinks that ldquoanalytic discussions o the rinity seem generally to proceed
with a remarkable confidence about the success o language in reerring
to the divinerdquo he thinks that the assumption o analytic theology ldquowould
always seem to be that language reers univocally to the divine and thecreatedrdquo Indeed he thinks that analytic theology would be ldquoimpossiblerdquo
without a commitment to univocity983091983094 More worrisome the concern may
be that analytic theologyrsquos commitment to univocity implicates it in
something that is (at least potentially) idolatrous9830911048631
A general treatment o religious language is beyond the scope o our
discussion but several observations may be helpul First it should be
noted that the case against univocity should not be merely assumed (asi some particular theological proposal could be damned by nothing
more than the charge o univocity) Nor is the case for univocity nearly
so weak as is ofen supposed o the contrary univocity has serious and
sophisticated deenders today and a case can be made that ldquothe doctrine
o univocity is true and salutaryrdquo9830911048632
Te second major point is perhaps more important or our purposes
It is this analytic theology as such requires no commitment to univocity
whatsoever Indeed many analytic theologians reject univocity in avor
35Tis section draws heavily rom my ldquoTeologians Philosophers and the Doctrine o the rinityrdquo
in McCall and Rea Philosophical and Teological Essays on the rinity pp 1048627983092983088-98309298309636Stephen R Holmes Te Quest for the rinity Te Doctrine of God in Scripture History and Mo-
dernity (Downers Grove IL IVP Academic 104862698308810486251048626) p 1048627104862637See eg Jean-Luc Marion God Without Being trans Tomas A Carlson (Chicago University
o Chicago Press 10486259830979830971048625) and John Milbank Te Word Made Strange (Oxord Blackwell 1048625983097983097983095)
See also the discussion in Daniel P Horan Postmodernity and Univocity A Critical Account of
Radical Orthodoxy and John Duns Scotus (Minneapolis Fortress 10486269830881048625983092)38Tomas Williams ldquoTe Doctrine o Univocity Is rue and Salutaryrdquo Modern Teology 10486261048625 (1048626983088983088983093)
983093983095983093-983096983093 See also William P Alston Divine Nature and Human Language Essays in Philosophical
Teology (Ithaca NY Cornell University Press 1048625983097983096983097) pp 1048625983095-10486251048625983095 and Keith E Yandell ldquoNot
Conusing Incomprehensibility and Ineffability Carl Henry on Literal Propositional Revela-
tionrdquo rinity Journal (10486269830881048625983092) 10486301048625-983095983092
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httpslidepdfcomreaderfullan-invitation-to-analytic-christian-theology-by-thomas-h-mccall-excerpt 2333
1048626983094 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
o other approaches (the doctrine o analogy being avored by many)
and at least one prominent philosopher o religion deends apophati-
cism9830911048633 Perhaps there is a general sense in which it is true that analytictheologians are naive about religious language Perhaps they aremdash
although I doubt this very much But even i it were true this would not
obviously make analytic theology different rom or inerior to many
other approaches to the theological task Te concernmdasheven i it were
substantiatedmdashwould give us no reason to avoid or dismiss analytic the-
ology It might give us reason to want to do it better it might motivate
analytic theologians to pay closer attention to important issues relatedto theological language But the concern itselmdasheven i substantiatedmdash
would not count against the proper exercise o analytic theology It is at
best a red herring
ldquoAnalytic theology is an exercise in natural theologyrdquo Some critics
might charge analytic theology with reliance on ldquonatural theologyrdquo Tis
observation will seem benign to other theologians some analytic theo-
logians might even take this judgment as a badge o honor But to thosetheologians o the house and lineage o Karl Barth this will be the mark
o damnation some may take natural theology to be ldquothe invention o
the Antichristrdquo as something that can serve only to reinorce idolatry
and corrupt the truth10486281048624 Other theologians might not be so hostile but
they still might worry that natural theology distracts us rom obedience
and fidelity to the reality o divine revelation So i analytic theology is
an exercise in natural theology or even relies on it it should be held at
armrsquos length i not shunned entirely
Much could be said about this cluster o issuesmdashand indeed more will
be said in the next chaptermdashbut at this point a basic conusion needs to
be cleared away Fundamentally it is simply a misunderstanding o ana-
lytic theology to think that it is an exercise in natural theology Granted
some prolific analytic theologians are heavily invested in the project o
natural theology and we can say with confidence that rumors o the
39Eg Jonathan D Jacobs ldquoTe Ineffable Inconceivable and Incomprehensible God Fundamen-
tality and Apophatic Teologyrdquo in Oxford Studies in Philosophy of Religion orthcoming40More precisely Barth says that the analogia entis (which interpreters ofen take to be the basis
o all natural theology) is the ldquoinvention o the Antichristrdquo Doctrine of the Word of God p xiii
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8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
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What Is Analytic heology 1048626983095
demise o natural theology have been greatly exaggerated1048628983089 But there is
nothing about analytic theology as suchmdashas I have described it to this
pointmdashthat relies on natural theology Te conusion o natural theologywith the analytic project is just thatmdasha conusion Whatever we should
think about natural theology philosophically however we judge the suc-
cesses (or lack thereo) o the various theistic arguments natural the-
ology simply cannot be equated with analytic theology And whatever
we should conclude theologically about natural theology we should not
conuse it with the analytic project Once again this is a red herring
ldquoAnalytic theology is naive with respect to the history of doctrinerdquoAnother concern expressed by some contemporary systematic theolo-
gians is this analytic theology all too ofen proceeds with little awareness
o the complex but important historical actors associated with the de-
velopment and ormation o Christian doctrine o understate the point
analytic theologians are sometimes criticized or their ignorance o the
history o the development o dogma and or their lack o careul study
to understand the particular intellectual (not to mention social) settingo the person(s) controversies or eras under consideration Instead so
the story goes it is all too common or analytic theologians to approach
an issue by isolating a particular text and then breaking it down to
unpack the real ldquocorerdquo o the doctrine in question And the assumption
o the analytic theologians (again so the story goes) is ofen enough that
this can be saely or appropriately done with little or no reerence to the
particular context in which the development occurred As Fred Sanders
expresses the concern ldquophilosophers sometimes seem to think o ancient
texts as cumbersome delivery systems containing ideas which it is their
job to extract rom the delivery system and do something withrdquo1048628983090 Richard
A Muller likewise argues that lack o attention to historical context
sometimes results in problematic misunderstandings o the tradition in
41Eg Richard Swinburne Te Coherence of Teism (Oxord Oxord University Press 1048625983097983095983095) and
Swinburne Te Existence of God (Oxord Oxord University Press 1048625983097983095983097 [1048626983088983088983092]) For examples
o recent work see Moreland and Craig Blackwell Companion to Natural Teology and James F
Sennett and Douglas Groothuis eds In Defense of Natural Teology A Post-Humean Assessment
(Downers Grove IL IVP Academic 1048626983088983088983093)42Fred Sanders ldquoTe State o the Doctrine o the rinity in Evangelical Teologyrdquo Southwestern
Journal of Teology 983092983095 (1048626983088983088983093) 10486251048630983097
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
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1048626983096 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
his view or instance both recent deenders and contemporary de-
tractors o the doctrine o divine simplicity commonly ldquomisinterpret the
traditional doctrinerdquo1048628983091 Robert W Jenson is more scathing he judges theanalytic enterprise to be ldquosomewhat oddly related to the Christian aith
it claims to deendrdquo and he calls the work o Richard Swinburne a ldquotruly
bizarre caserdquo10486281048628
At least this is how the story ofen goes A major underlying worry
seems to be that reading texts without proper attention to their social
location and intellectual context can cause us to misread and mis-
interpret those texts Tis strikes me as a legitimate concern and it is onethat analytic theologians would do well to hear and heed No one should
deny that it is possible to misread and misinterpret important historical
texts and it seems to me that such misreadings are ar more likely when
particular bits o the text are isolated and scrutinized apart rom the
broader literary and historical contexts Te temptation to look away
rom the context as an irrelevant distraction is real It should also be
resisted So the criticism contains an important cautionAt the same time however we should keep several additional points
in mind First the problem is not restricted to analytic theologiansmdash
constructive or systematic theologians o any stripe may be susceptible
to this temptation Indeed ironies abound on this ront Afer criticizing
analytic philosophers o religion or overlooking ldquothe essentially his-
torical character o trinitarian theologyrdquomdashand especially or missing the
important differences between the ldquoGreek (or lsquoCappadocianrsquo) Eastrdquo and
the ldquoLatin WestrdquomdashCatherine Mowry LaCugnarsquos own work has been
criticized or exaggerating those differences10486281048629 It is not as i more main-
stream nonanalytic or antianalytic theologians are immune to the temp-
tation instead so ar as I can see this is a general concern that should
serve as an important reminder that all theologians who engage with the
43Richard A Muller Post-Reformation Reformed Dogmatics Te Rise and Development of Reformed
Orthodoxy ca 1048625104862910486261048624ndashca 1048625104863110486261048629 vol 1048627 Te Divine Essence and Attributes (Grand Rapids Baker
Academic 10486269830889830881048627) p 983092104862544Robert W Jenson Systematic Teology vol 1048626 Te Works of God (Oxord Oxord University
Press 1048625983097983097983097) p 983096 n 104862798309345Catherine Mowry LaCugna ldquoPhilosophers and Teologians on the rinityrdquo Modern Teology 1048626
(10486259830979830961048630) 10486259830951048626
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullan-invitation-to-analytic-christian-theology-by-thomas-h-mccall-excerpt 2633
What Is Analytic heology 1048626983097
Christian intellectual tradition should do so with appropriate historical
sensitivity Second there is nothingmdashat least so ar as I can seemdashthat
makes this temptation irresistible Te act that some analytic theolo-gians have been insufficiently attentive to some historical matters does
not entail either that all analytic theologians are ignorant o the tradition
or that all analytic theologians must proceed in ignorance I see no
reason to conclude that this problem must be either essential or endemic
to analytic theology Surely more progress can be made in this area but
I see no reasons to think that such progress cannot happen Finally it is
worth noting that such progress in act is being made Tere are manyhappy exceptions to the common stereotype that analytic theologians
are ldquoahistoricalrdquo in act it is sae to say that many excellent analytic
thinkers have genuine specialization in historical scholarship Indeed
many are cutting-edge contributors1048628983094
ldquoAnalytic theology is only apologetics for conservative theologyrdquo Al-
ternatively the suspicion may be that analytic theology is too closely tied
to the Christian tradition Te assumption here is that analytic theologyis nothing more than the bastion o traditionally minded Roman Catholic
(and Orthodox) theologians and philosophers along with their conser-
vative Protestant riends and the worry is that they are interested in
nothing more than finding a sae place to deend what they already know
to be true Consequently the worry goes there is next to nothing o real
interest here or revisionist theologians o various stripes and there is
little promise or genuinely constructive theology
wo observations are important here First in principle there is
nothing about analytic theology that demands either traditional sympa-
thies or conservative conclusions Neither is there anything about ana-
lytic theology (either taken along the lines o Rearsquos P1048625-P983093 or in a somewhat
more expansive way) that precludes the use o the analytic tools by say
eminist womanist or liberationist theologies
46Stellar examples include Richard Cross Duns Scotus on God (Aldershot UK Ashgate 1048626983088983088983093) Cross
Te Metaphysics of the Incarnation Tomas Aquinas to Duns Scotus (Oxord Oxord University
Press 10486269830889830881048626) Eleonore Stump Aquinas (New York Routledge 10486269830889830881048627) Jeffrey E Brower Aquinasrsquos
Ontology of the Material World Change Hylomorphism and Material Objects (Oxord Oxord
University Press 10486269830881048625983092) and J Paasch Divine Production in Late Medieval rinitarian Teology
Henry of Ghent Duns Scotus and William Ockham (Oxord Oxord University Press 104862698308810486251048626)
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
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983091983088 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
Second in point o act many criticisms o traditional doctrines
have emerged rom within analytic theology Consider this example It
is hard to think o a doctrine that is more deeply traditional or moredeeply woven into the abric o historic Christian theology than the
doctrine o divine simplicity Yet this venerable doctrine has endured
intense criticism rom analytic theologians over the past several de-
cades Alvin Plantingarsquos Does God Have a Nature raised ldquotwo diffi-
cultiesrdquo or the doctrine ldquoone substantial and the other truly
monumentalrdquo10486281048631 He argues that i God is identical with each o his
properties then God has but one property But this ldquoseems flatly in-compatible with the obvious act that God has several propertiesrdquo10486281048632 He
argues urther that i God is identical with each o his properties then
God is also a property ldquoTis view is subject to a difficulty both obvious
and overwhelming [or] i God is a property then he isnrsquot a person
but a mere abstract objectrdquo10486281048633 Many analytic theologians have joined
other criticisms to those o Plantinga and it is obvious that this doc-
trinemdashwoven deeply into the abric o traditional Christian doctrineas it ismdashis under assault rom within analytic theology We could mul-
tiply examples with ease (Te traditional doctrine o divine omni-
science stands out here) Tere are o course many sophisticated de-
enders o classical orthodoxy within analytic theology but the basic
point should be clear to reduce analytic theology to apologetics or
traditional doctrine is simply a mistake
As will become obvious in the ollowing pages I think that there is
much to be gained in the work o ldquoretrieval theologyrdquo and I see it as a
natural conversation partner and compatriot o analytic theology I want
to encourage more work at the intersection o analytic theology and
theologies o retrieval But there is nothing about analytic theology as
such that demands adherence to classical Christian theology
ldquoAnalytic theology relies on lsquosubstance metaphysicsrsquo rdquo Sometimes
theologians are suspicious o analytic theology due to its alleged reliance
on substance metaphysics Tis complaint can take various orms Some-
47Alvin Plantinga Does God Have a Nature (Milwaukee Marquette University Press 1048625983097983096983088) p 98309298309548Ibid49Ibid
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What Is Analytic heology 9830911048625
times it is claimed that the whole analytic enterprise is ldquopre-Kantianrdquo (as
in Kenneth Surinrsquos critique o David Brownrsquos work as being ldquorobustly
old-ashionedrdquo and ldquopre-Kantianrdquo)10486291048624 In other words critics complainthat analytic theology proceeds in blithemdashand perhaps willulmdashigno-
rance o the ldquoactrdquo that Kant undermined the entire project by destroying
the very possibility o doing it wo important claims seem to be in play
with this critique first that Kant did something to make analytic the-
ology impossible and second that analytic theologians are unaware o
what Kant did But both o these claims are problematic Te second is
simply mistaken and the first is vigorously contested As Nicholas Wolt-erstorff points out it is much more likely that the current generation o
analytic theologians is not so much ldquopre-Kantianrdquo as it is ldquopost-Kantianrdquo
As he puts it ldquoit really is possible to be post-Kantian Itrsquos possible to re-
cover rom Kant Te choices are not exhausted between being naively
pre-Kantian on the one hand and being a Kantian o one or another
stripe on the otherrdquo1048629983089 Tere are Wolterstorff argues philosophers who
are ully aware o Kantian ldquointerpretation-universalism and ully awareo [Kantian] metaphysical anti-realism but afer serious consideration
they have rejected these options as untenablerdquo1048629983090 So many analytic theo-
logians are well aware o Kantrsquos work (and the common claims made
about that work) but they donrsquot think that he did anything to shut down
the kind o work that they are doing As Plantinga puts it ldquothey have read
him and remain unconvincedrdquo1048629983091
But aside rom Kant analytic theology is sometimes criticized and
rejected or its reliance on ldquosubstance metaphysicsrdquo Unortunately ex-
actly what critical theologians have in their crosshairs when they talk
about substance metaphysics is ofen unclear and not closely defined
But very ofen the complaint is closely tied to a rejection o doctrines
50Kenneth Surin ldquoTe rinity and Philosophical Reflection A Study o David Brownrsquos Te Divine
rinity rdquo Modern Teology 1048626 (10486259830979830961048630) 10486261048627983097-98309298308851Nicholas Wolterstorff ldquoBetween the Pincers o Increased Diversity and Supposed Irrationalityrdquo
in God Philosophy and Academic Culture A Discussion Between Scholars in the AAR and APA
ed William J Wainwright (Atlanta Scholars Press 10486259830979830971048630) p 1048626983088 See also Wolterstorff ldquoIs It
Possible and Desirable or Teologians to Recover rom Kantrdquo Modern Teology 1048625983092 (1048625983097983097983096)
1048625-104862598309652Wolterstorff ldquoBetween the Pincersrdquo p 104862698308853Alvin Plantinga Warranted Christian Belief (Oxord Oxord University Press 1048626983088983088983088) p 1048627983088
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
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9830911048626 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
associated with ldquoclassical theismrdquo immutability impassibility time-
lessness and other doctrines are taken to be untenable and since they
are tied to substance metaphysics so much the worse or substancemetaphysics William P Alston defly analyzes this complaint and he
argues that substance metaphysics are really beside the point What he
says about substance metaphysics in discussions o the doctrine o the
rinity applies more broadly ldquoonce we get straight as to what is and is
not necessarily included in the metaphysics o substance we will see that
most twentieth-century objections to the use o substance metaphysics
are based on eatures o such ormulations that are not required bysubstance metaphysics as suchrdquo10486291048628 Perhaps there is something inherently
wrong with the use o substance metaphysics in theology and maybe this
counts against analytic theology But beore such a judgment can be
made we need more than the all-too-common generalizations and as-
sertions For beore we can conclude that analytic theology is atally
flawed due to a dependence on substance metaphysics we need to know
exactly what is meant by substance metaphysics we need to be shown just what is wrong (either philosophically or theologically) with sub-
stance metaphysics and we need to see that analytic theology really is (or
must be) committed to this kind o metaphysics Without the kind o
careul analysis and rigorous argumentation it is hard to see anything
here that might count as a orceul objection to analytic theology
ldquoAnalytic theology isnrsquot spiritually edifyingrdquo William Wood notes that
ldquomany conventional theologians remain deeply suspicious o analytic the-
ologyrdquo because o the worry that analytic theology is not spiritually edi-
ying As these theologians see matters ldquogenuine theology is in the first
instance practical aimed not at explanatory theories about God but at
ostering greater love or God and neighbor Genuine theology in short
is praxis one deeply woven together with a Christian lie o prayer virtue
and participation in the sacramentsrdquo10486291048629 Te basic concern is this when
more mainstream theologians look at analytic theology they donrsquot rec-
54William P Alston ldquoSubstance and the rinityrdquo in Te rinity An Interdisciplinary Symposium on
the rinity ed Stephen Davis Daniel Kendall SJ and Gerald OrsquoCollins SJ (Oxord Oxord
University Press 1048625983097983097983097) p 1048626983088104862555William Wood ldquoAnalytic Teology as a Way o Lierdquo Journal of Analytic Teology (10486269830881048625983092) 983092983092
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
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What Is Analytic heology 983091983091
ognize the kind o theology-as-praxis that they value Instead they see
purported explanatory theoriesmdashmere purported explanatory theories
Sometimes these explanations appear to be a very long way indeed romthe lie o aith Indeed they see ormulas such as this (selected pretty
much at random rom among many others)
P existx (Dx amp forally(Dy =gt Byx) amp x made us
Q existx(Dx amp forally(Dy =gt Byx ))1048629983094
When they encounter this kind o work some theologians donrsquot rec-
ognize it as theology at all I they are willing to recognize it as theology
they tend to worry that they donrsquot see the kind o theology that promotes
love o God and neighbor they are concerned that they donrsquot see the-
ology that is connected to the lie o aith As Wood puts it they worry
that ldquoanalytic theology is spiritually sterile and thereore not really a
orm o genuine theology at allrdquo10486291048631
I think this is an important point o criticism and it raises some very
intriguing concerns But as Wood also notes it would be a ldquomistake and
urthermore a presumptuous mistake to assume that analytic philo-
sophical theology cannot in principle be spiritually nourishingrdquo10486291048632 Tree
points stand out First it is important to realize that the temptation to
construct explanatory theories about God that are divorced rom worship
and transormation is both real and present It is also nearious10486291048633 Te
temptation besets theologians o all stripesmdashanalytic or otherwise I do
not think analytic theologians are the only theologians who ace this
temptation o the contrary idolatry is no respecter o ideologies Butsurely it is not invincible surelymdashby Godrsquos gracemdashit is not irresistible
As Wood reminds us ldquoGodrsquos love rains down on logicians too afer allrdquo9830941048624
Second there is good reason to think that analytic theology maymdash
contrary to common expectationsmdashturn out to be spiritually ediying
56Peter van Inwagen ldquoAnd Yet Tey Are Not Tree Gods but One Godrdquo in McCall and Rea
Philosophical and Teological Essays on the rinity pp 10486269830921048625 1048626983092104863057Wood ldquoAnalytic Teology as a Way o Lierdquo p 983092983092 See also Marilyn McCord Adams ldquoWhatrsquos
Wrong with the Ontotheological Errorrdquo Journal of Analytic Teology (10486269830881048625983092) 1048625-1048625104862658Wood ldquoAnalytic Teology as a Way o Lierdquo p 983092104863059See the warnings o Merold Westphal Suspicion and Faith Te Religious Uses of Modern Atheism
(New York Fordham University Press 1048625983097983097983096)60Wood ldquoAnalytic Teology as a Way o Lierdquo p 983092983095
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
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983091983092 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
Wood argues that analytic theology may be spiritually beneficial in
several ways He suggests that the ldquoconcentrated attention required to
read understand and develop very technical analytic argumentsrdquo maybe conducive to the kinds o intellectual virtues and habits o mind that
are spiritually beneficial983094983089 In addition he notes the ldquoargumentative
transparencyrdquo (what he terms the ldquoparadigmatic analytic virtuerdquo) may be
helpul in spiritual ormation983094983090 Wood readily admits that this tendency
toward argumentative rigor can also eed a orm o pride or even ldquointel-
lectual violencerdquo but he also points out that to make a ldquogood analytic
argument is to make that argument maximally easy or intellectual op-ponents to criticize or reuterdquo and this very transparency makes it much
harder to shield onesel rom criticisms but instead is a way to ldquomake
onesel intellectually vulnerablerdquo In this way it serves as a ldquocheck against
intellectual priderdquo983094983091 Moreover the pace demanded by such rigor and the
modesty o the claims that are rendered deensible have the potential to
cultivate epistemic humility Furthermore another important eature o
the analytic approach is the need to ldquoidentiy imaginatively with onersquosintellectual opponentsrdquo this also as Wood points out orces us to inhabit
a worldview that is not only oreign to our own but also sometimes
hostile In these ways Wood argues ldquoanalytic theology can become a
spiritual practice a way o seeking God and o training the mind and
the will to be open to gracerdquo9830941048628
Finally we should not neglect to notice those shining examples o
theologians or whom analytic theology indeed is closely related to
worship and spiritual nurture Indeed it would be hard not to notice
them or the tradition is rie with such theologians A great many pa-
tristic and most scholastic (both medieval and early modern) theolo-
gians count as ldquoanalytic theologiansrdquo For surely they fit our profile o
theologians who prize ldquoconceptual precision rigor o argumentation
technical erudition and an in-depth deense o an original worldviewrdquo
(and who would in many instances value P1048625-P983093) As an example con-
61Ibid p 98309398309362Ibid p 983093104863063Ibid64Ibid p 983093983096
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What Is Analytic heology 983091983093
sider Anselmrsquos Proslogion It is obvious that Anselm values precision and
rigor and he clearly intends to convey truth claims that he finds con-
vincing But as both Wood and Marilyn McCord Adams point out thiswork is ldquomeant to do more than communicate propositional truthsrdquo or
ldquoit is meant to help reorient the wills o its readers and help bring about
effective and volitional change in themrdquo9830941048629 Despite important differences
o style and substance we could say much the same about many other
figures (both well known and less so) as well it is very difficult to read
ar into Bonaventure Richard o St Victor Aquinas Scotus Vermigli
Perkins Arminius urretin Edwards Wesley and many others withoutunderstanding that they are obviously concerned with both intellectual
rigor and spiritual ormation
65Ibid p 983093983088 See also Marilyn McCord Adams ldquoPraying the Proslogionrdquo in Te Rationality of
Belief and the Plurality of Faith ed Tomas Senor (Ithaca NY Cornell University Press 1048625983097983097983093)
pp 10486251048627-1048627983097 and Adams ldquoElegant Necessity Prayerul Disputation Method in Cur Deus Homordquo
in Studia Anselmiana Cur Deus Homo (Rome 1048625983097983097983097) pp 10486271048630983095-9830971048630
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
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8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
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What Is Analytic heology 1048625983093
cutting-edge work in epistemology ethics and metaphysics to use the
latter as an example rom Alvin Plantingarsquos early work Te Nature of
Necessity to Brian Lefowrsquos recent contributions in God and Necessity important work in the metaphysics o modality has been deeplymdashand
some might say ldquoessentiallyrdquomdashconnected to philosophy o religion983089983089
Judging rom the interest and output analytic philosophy o religion is
not only alive and well but indeed healthy and robust
How we got here From philosophy of religion to philosophical the-
ology But or all the vigor and intellectual energy that is captured and
reflected in work on general or generic issues in philosophy o religion theinterests o Christian philosophers have not been limited to those issues
Instead Christian philosophers have been deeply interested in distinctly
Christian theological topics and they have devoted much energy to the
analysis and deense o Christian doctrine Te past ew decades have wit-
nessed important work on the doctrine o revelation (and divine speech)
the inspiration authority and interpretation o the Christian Scriptures
divine attributes (particularly simplicity necessity aseity omnipotenceomniscience eternity and reedom) divine action in creation providence
miraculous intervention theological anthropology original sin incar-
nation atonement resurrection and eschatology983089983090
Where we are Philosophical theology and analytic theology More
recently the term analytic theology has come into use Tere are o
course important orebears to this work David Kelsey Nicholas Wolt-
erstorff and others at Yale disparate figures such as William P Alston
Norman Kretzmann George Mavrodes Keith Yandell and others else-
where in the United States Paul Helm and Richard Swinburne in the
United Kingdom and Vincent Brummer and others o the Utrecht
11See Alvin Plantinga Te Nature of Necessity (Oxord Oxord University Press 1048625983097983095983092) and Brian
Lefow God and Necessity (Oxord Oxord University Press 104862698308810486251048626) See also the recent proposals
o Hugh J McCann Creation and the Sovereignty of God (Bloomington Indiana University Press
104862698308810486251048626)12Once again the prolieration o ldquoreadersrdquo ldquohandbooksrdquo and ldquocompanionsrdquo stands as evidence
o the breadth and depth o the work undertaken eg Oliver D Crisp ed A Reader in Contem-
porary Philosophical Teology (New York amp Clark 1048626983088983088983097) Michael C Rea ed Oxford Read-
ings in Philosophical Teology 1048626 vols (Oxord Oxord University Press 1048626983088983088983097) Tomas P Flint
and Michael C Rea eds Te Oxford Handbook of Philosophical Teology (Oxord Oxord Uni-
versity Press 1048626983088983088983097) Charles aliaerro and Chad Meister eds Te Cambridge Companion to
Christian Philosophical Teology (Cambridge Cambridge University Press 10486269830881048625983088)
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
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1048625983094 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
school o philosophical theology in the Netherlands Following trail-
blazers such as these and building on the recent renaissance o meta-
physics and philosophy o religion the analytic theology movement isnow growing Te publication o the volume Analytic Teology Essays
in the Philosophy of Teology edited by Oliver D Crisp and Michael C
Rea marked an important moment Te Analytic Teology Project
(sponsored and promoted by Notre Damersquos Center or Philosophy o
Religion as well the University o Innsbruck in Austria and the Shalem
Center in Jerusalem and unded by generous grants rom the John em-
pleton Foundation) with its annual Logos conerence and other activitiesthe launch o the Journal of Analytic Teology and the inauguration o
the book series Oxord Studies in Analytic Teology all lend support to
this growing movement
Te meaning o the term analytic theology can vary in common par-
lance and it is sae to say that there is no single decisively settled meaning
o the term when it is used as a label Still perhaps we can saely say that
what is common across the range o uses is this analytic theology sig-nifies a commitment to employ the conceptual tools o analytic phi-
losophy where those tools might be helpul in the work o constructive
Christian theology Scholars will naturally enough disagree among
themselves about just which o those tools are most helpul which
projects are best served by their use and other matters but on the whole
such a minimalist characterization seems sae enough William J
Abraham offers this helpul summary analytic theology ldquocan be useully
defined as ollows it is systematic theology attuned to the skills re-
sources and virtues o analytic philosophyrdquo983089983091 As such analytic theology
is a growing and energetic field at the intersections o philosophy o re-
ligion and systematic theology
W983144983137983156 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 T983144983141983151983148983151983143983161 I983155 (983151983154 S983144983151983157983148983140 B983141)
Such minimalist characterization while airly sae does not take us very
ar What more precisely is one doing when one does analytic theology
13William J Abraham ldquoSystematic Teology as Analytic Teologyrdquo in Analytic Teology New
Essays in the Philosophy of Teology ed Oliver D Crisp and Michael C Rea (Oxord Oxord
University Press 1048626983088983088983097) p 983093983092
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What Is Analytic heology 1048625983095
Just what is analytic theology Perhaps it will help first to consider what
is so analytic about analytic theology Following this we shall think
about how it is an exercise in theology Analytic theology as analytic theology As we have seen Quentin Smith
praises Plantingarsquos work or its excellence in ldquothe most valued standards o
analytic philosophy conceptual precision rigor o argumentation tech-
nical erudition and an in-depth deense o an original worldviewrdquo9830891048628 Oliver
D Crisp echoes this estimation o what counts as good work in analytic
philosophy he observes that analytic philosophy is characterized by ldquoa
logical rigour clarity and parsimony o expression coupled with attentionto a certain cluster o philosophical problemsrdquo9830891048629 Analytic theology is rel-
evantly similar he says or it ldquowill prize intellectual virtues like clarity
parsimony o expression and argumentative rigourrdquo983089983094 Michael C Rearsquos
description o analytic philosophy echoes these accounts in some ways
While recognizing that clear and sharp lines between ldquoanalyticrdquo and ldquonon-
analyticrdquo (or ldquoContinentalrdquo) philosophical approaches are neither easy to
come by nor perhaps really worth all the work he characterizes analyticapproaches to philosophy in terms o style and ambition9830891048631 Te ambitions
are generally ldquoto identiy the scope and limits o our powers to obtain
knowledge o the worldrdquo and ldquoto provide such true explanatory theories
as we can in areas o inquiry (metaphysics morals and the like) that all
outside the scope o the natural sciencesrdquo9830891048632 Rea characterizes the style as
including the ollowing prescriptions
P1048625 Write as i philosophical positions and conclusions can be adequately or-mulated in sentences that can be ormalized and logically manipulated
P1048626 Prioritize precision clarity and logical coherence
P983091 Avoid substantive (non-decorative) use o metaphor and other tropes
whose semantic content outstrips their propositional content
14Smith ldquoMetaphilosophyrdquo p 104862615Oliver D Crisp ldquoOn Analytic Teologyrdquo in Crisp and Rea Analytic Teology p 104862798309316Ibid pp 1048627983095-104862798309617Michael C Rea introduction to Crisp and Rea Analytic Teology pp 1048627-983092 See also Nick raka-
kis ldquoMeta-Philosophy o Religion Te Analytic-Continental Divide in Philosophy o Religionrdquo
Ars Disputandi 983095 (1048626983088983088983095) 1048625983095983097-1048626104862698308818Rea introduction p 983092
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1048625983096 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
P983092 Work as much as possible with well-understood primitive concepts and
concepts that can be analyzed in terms o those
P983093 reat conceptual analysis (insoar as possible) as a source o evidence9830891048633
Tis much at least is characteristic o analytic philosophy So what
about analytic theology As Rea sees things ldquoanalytic theology is just the
activity o approaching theological topics with the ambitions o an ana-
lytic philosopher and in a style that conorms to the prescriptions that
are distinctive o analytic philosophical discourse It will also involve
more or less pursuing those topics in a way that engages the literature
that is constitutive o the analytic tradition employing some o the tech-
nical jargon rom that tradition and so on But in the end it is the style
and ambitions that are most centralrdquo9830901048624
All this is helpul but perhaps a bit more explanation would be ben-
eficial Consider P1048625 Tis need not mean that all meaningul statements
in theology (or philosophy) need to be expressed ormally it should
not be taken to mean that every theological claim should be stated in
an apparatus with numbered propositions and a ormal structure
What it does mean however is that the deault setting or theologians
should be to communicate propositions that could be expressed this
way For as Rea says ldquoabsent special circumstancesrdquo things have ldquogone
very much amissrdquo i a view ldquois expressed in such a way that it has no
clear logical outcomesrdquo983090983089
Consider also P1048626 Tis need notmdashand should notmdashbe taken to mean
that logical precision and coherence are the only important criteria ora theologian and neither should it be taken to imply even that logical
precision and coherence are the most important criteria Te theologian
who is convinced that her first commitment is fidelity to the priority and
ultimacy o divine revelation should have no difficulty in assenting to P1048626
Neither urther should P1048626 be taken to imply that the same levels o
logical precision are possible with all theological topics nor yet that all
theological projects require the same levels o precision and argumentative
19Ibid pp 983093-104863020Ibid p 98309521Ibid p 983093 n 983093
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
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What Is Analytic heology 1048625983097
rigor Consider by way o example childrenrsquos catechetical literature
Surely this literature is theological but it neither can nor should attempt
to display the same level o logical precision or argumentative rigor assay advanced work in scholastic theology P1048626 does not clam that such
theological literature should do so or that all work in theology must
always do so
Neither should P1048626 be misunderstood with respect to claims about the
importance o ldquoclarityrdquo Rea notes that this claim can seem ironic ldquoin light
o the act that quite a lot o analytic philosophy [and we could add
some analytic theology] is very difficult even or specialists and totallyinaccessible to non-specialistsrdquo983090983090 But ldquoclearrdquo does not mean ldquoeasyrdquo In-
stead it expresses a commitment to the work o ldquospelling out hidden
assumptions scrupulously trying to lay bare whatever evidence one has
(or lacks) or the claims that one is making and on taking care to confine
onersquos vocabulary to ordinary language well-understood primitive con-
cepts and technical jargon definable in terms o theserdquo983090983091 Finally we
should note that P1048626 does not imply that everything (or everything worthtalking about) in theology will become crystal clear Te goal o analytic
theology is not (or at least need not be) the removal o all mystery in
theology o the contrary analytic philosophers o religion have long
been keenly aware o the place o mystery in theology and it may be that
at certain points an important role o the theologian is to clariy just
where the mystery really lies P1048626 does not suggest that analytic theology
will make everything ldquoclearrdquo in the sense that it makes everything ldquoeasy
and readily accessible to the nonspecialistrdquo Instead what it prioritizes is
clarity to the appropriate audiences and to the greatest possible degree
And it insists that ldquomysteryrdquo must not be conused with logical inco-
herence and it likewise insists that we do not gloriy what is clearly in-
coherent with the shroud o ldquomysteryrdquo As Alan G Padgett says theology
should ldquoseek the truth about Godrdquo and ldquothereore must shun incoherence
and irrationalityrdquo9830901048628 Where ldquosometimes lsquomysteryrsquo is evoked as an excuse
22Ibid p 983093 n 104863023Ibid24Alan G Padgett ldquoTe rinity in Teology and Philosophy Why Jerusalem Should Work with
Athensrdquo in Philosophical and Teological Essays on the rinity ed Tomas McCall and Michael
C Rea (Oxord Oxord University Press 1048626983088983088983097) p 104862710486271048626
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
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1048626983088 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
or sloppy thinking this must be anathema to any academic theology
worthy o the namerdquo For ldquoafer all the mystery o God does not end
when theology speaks clearly Te simple phrase lsquoJesus loves me this Iknow or the Bible tells me sorsquo covers vast deep mysteries that even the
angels gaze into with awe and wonderrdquo9830901048629
P983091 rules out ldquosubstantive (non-decorative) use o metaphor and other
tropes whose semantic content outstrips their propositional contentrdquo
Tis does not or at least need not mean that there is no valid or valuable
place or metaphor in theology Analytic theologians will disagree among
themselves as to howmdashand how muchmdashmetaphor is useul and legiti-mate983090983094 But the basic point is airly plain on P983091 theologians are not at
liberty to trade loosely in metaphor without ever being able to speciy
just what is meant by those metaphors Tey are not then ree to make
claims the meaning o which cannot be specified or spelled out Teolo-
gians are not licensed to trade in what Randal Rauser calls ldquounclarifiable
unclarityrdquo9830901048631 P983092 calls the analytic theologian to work with ldquowell-understood
primitive conceptsrdquo that are reasonably taken to be basic intuitive or(minimally) uncontroversial (and with concepts that can be understood
in terms o such primitive concepts) Some theologians will be quick to
raise concerns here they will worry that the very notion o ldquowell-
understood primitive conceptsrdquo may both conceal blind spots o social
location and privilege and be a Procrustean bed that restricts theological
concepts to ldquowhat we already know to be truerdquo and thus curtails the
possibility o engagement with divine revelation But once again it is
important not to misunderstand P983092 Te ldquoas much as possiblerdquo is key
here i the preunderstood concepts donrsquot do enough work then some o
them can be adjusted Others wonrsquot be so easy to adjust or discard but
this category o primitive concepts is both quite small and very basic (eg
the law o noncontradiction) Simply put there is no good reason to
25Ibid26I thank Billy Abraham or pressing this point Te ldquostandardrdquo work on metaphor in theology
remains Janet Martin Soskice Metaphor and Religious Language (Oxord Oxord University
Press 1048625983097983096983095)27Randal Rauser ldquoTeology as a Bull Sessionrdquo in Crisp and Rea Analytic Teology pp 983095983092-983095983093 See
also Harry Frankurt On Bullshit (Princeton NJ Princeton University Press 1048626983088983088983093) and Frank-
urt Bullshit and Philosophy ed Gary L Hardcastle and George A Resich (Chicago Open
Court 1048626983088983088983093)
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
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What Is Analytic heology 10486261048625
think that the notion o ldquowell-understood primitive conceptsrdquo must
unction as a Procrustean bed
Finally Rea says that P983093 calls us to ldquotreat conceptual analysis (insoaras it is possible) as a source o evidencerdquo It should be obvious that he
does not say that conceptual analysis is the only source o evidence and
there is no reason to think that it should be taken this way Neither does
he claim that conceptual analysis is the primary or ultimate source o
evidence P983093 makes an important claim but it is a rather modest one
What it insists on is this i close conceptual analysis reveals that some
theological proposition P is say internally inconsistent then thatanalysis gives us all the evidence we need to reject P No matter how
grand the claims o Prsquo s supporters in deense o the supporting evidence
for it i P is incoherent (sel-reerentially or otherwise) then it is not true
Once we have established that P is incoherent (which is a task much
harder than is sometimes supposed) we have all the reason we need to
conclude that it is wrong In addition o course conceptual analysis
might count as evidence in other and more positive ways as well Con-sider perect being theology or example here theologians analyze ldquoper-
ectionrdquo and then take deliverances o that analysis as evidence in support
o their theological conclusions
Much more could be said about what makes analytic theology truly
analytic o course While this could be expanded on and broadened
(particularly in directions that put less o a premium on precision) Rearsquos
P1048625-P983093 give us an initial sense o what it means to say that theology is
analytic theology Generally speaking analytic theology is theology that
is attuned to and committed to the ldquogoals and ambitionsrdquo o analytic
philosophy a commitment to truth wherever it may be ound clarity o
expression and rigor o argumentation Very ofen it will not hesitate to
make appropriate use o the available tools o analytic philosophy espe-
cially as these aid conceptual precision and argumentative rigor
Analytic theology as analytic theology But i echoing Smith it is the
concern with ldquoconceptual precisionrdquo and ldquorigor o argumentationrdquo that
makes analytic theology analytic then what is it that makes analytic
theology really theology Tis book develops an answer to this question
but an initial summary may help Recall that Smith talks not only about
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
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httpslidepdfcomreaderfullan-invitation-to-analytic-christian-theology-by-thomas-h-mccall-excerpt 1933
10486261048626 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
ldquoconceptual precisionrdquo and ldquorigor o argumentationrdquo but also about ldquotech-
nical eruditionrdquo and the ldquoin-depth deense o an original worldviewrdquo For
the analytic philosopher ldquotechnical eruditionrdquo will naturally involvemastery o the requisite field (metaphysics philosophy o mind epis-
temology etc) but it may also include competence in other related
fields (biology or philosophy o biology neurology or philosophy o
mind etc) For the analytic theologian such erudition will include com-
petence in the relevant areas o philosophical study that are necessary or
ldquoconceptual precisionrdquo and ldquorigor o argumentationrdquo But or the analytic
theologian qua theologian it must involve much more than this Forunless analytic theology is merely ldquoarmchair theologyrdquo (albeit armchair
theology done by very bright people) it will be grounded in the
Christian Scriptures it will be inormed by the great tradition o doc-
trinal development it will be ldquochristologically normedrdquo and it will be
culturally engaged As theology it will seek to articulate what we may
know o God as God has revealed himsel to us As Nicholas Wolterstorff
puts it to theologiansDo not be ersatz philosophers do not be ersatz cultural theorists do not be
ersatz anything Be genuine theologians Be sure-ooted in philosophy But
then be theologians What we need to hear rom you is how things look
when seen in light o the triune Godmdashmay his name be praisedmdashwho creates
and sustains us who redeems us and who will bring this rail and allen
though yet glorious humanity and cosmos to consummation9830901048632
Accordingly analytic theology is theology done by theologians who areldquosure-ootedrdquo in philosophy (many o whom will have extensive training
and proessional expertise there and indeed may be leaders within their
field) but it is a kind o theology nonetheless
Such a conception o theology is o course not remotely new What
we may useully reer to as ldquoanalytic theologyrdquo is very similar in many
respects to deeply traditional ways o doing theology We can see this
kind o work exemplified in the theology o the scholastics (both me-dieval and post-Reormationearly modern) So in some sense the re-
28Nicholas Wolterstorff ldquoo Teologians From One Who Cares About Teology but Is Not One
o Yourdquo Teological Education (1048626983088983088983093) 9830971048625-9830971048626
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
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What Is Analytic heology 1048626983091
birth o analytic theology may be thought o as scholasticism redivivus
As Richard Swinburnemdashsurely a pioneer o analytic theologymdashsays
ldquolarge-scale theology needs clear and rigorous argumentrdquo and it is ldquohightime or theology to returnrdquo to the standards set by Tomas Aquinas
John Duns Scotus and others9830901048633 But it is not only the ldquohigh scholasticsrdquo
who worked this way or we can also witness many o these virtues in
theologians rom the patristics to the pietists9830911048624 Many theologians in the
Christian tradition were concerned with both ldquoconceptual precisionrdquo and
ldquoargumentative rigorrdquo as well as ldquotechnical eruditionrdquo and the ldquoin-depth
deense o an original worldviewrdquoConsider what John Wesleymdashan evangelist hardly known as a ldquoscho-
lasticrdquo or an ldquoanalytic theologianrdquomdashhas to say about the importance o
acquiring the tools or ldquoconceptual precisionrdquo and ldquoargumentative rigorrdquo
Logic he says is ldquonecessary next to and in order to the knowledge o
Scripturerdquo983091983089 Despite the act that it is ldquonow quite unashionablerdquo none-
theless logic is invaluable For with it we have the possibility o ldquoappre-
hending things clearly judging truly and reasoning conclusivelyrdquo
983091983090
Andas with logic so also with metaphysics Tus Wesley will ask o clergy
Am I a tolerable master o the sciences Have I gone through the very gate o
them logic I not I am not likely to go much urther when I stumble at the
threshold Do I understand it so as to be ever the better or it o have it
always ready or use so as to apply every rule o it when occasion is almost
as naturally as I turn my hand Do I understand it at all Can I reduce an
indirect mood to a direct a hypothetic to a categorical syllogism Rather have
not my stupid indolence and laziness made me very ready to believe what the
little wits and pretty gentlemen affirm ldquothat logic is good or nothingrdquo It is
good or this at least (wherever it is understood) to make people talk less by
showing them both what is and what is not to the point and how extremely
29Richard Swinburne Te Coherence of Teism 1048626nd ed (Oxord Oxord University Press 10486259830979830971048627)
p 98309530See eg Gregory o Nyssa Against Eunomius 10486259830921048626 Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers ed Philip
Schaff series 1048626 (10486259830969830961048630ndash1048625983096983096983097 repr Peabody MA Hendrickson 1048625983097983097983092) 983093983097983096-983097983097 (Patrologia
Graeca [= Patrologiae Cursus Completus Series Graeca] ed Jacques-Paul Migne [Paris 1048625983096983093983095ndash
10486259830969830961048630] 9830929830939830921048630983088-10486301048625)31John Wesley ldquoAddress to the Clergyrdquo in Te Works of John Wesley vol 1048625983088 Letters Essays Dialogs
and Addresses (Grand Rapids Zondervan nd) p 983092983096104862732Ibid
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1048626983092 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
hard it is to prove anything Do I understand metaphysics i not the depths
o the Schoolmen the subtleties o Scotus or Aquinas yet the first rudiments
the general principles o that useul science983091983091
Consider urther what Wesley says about the importance o ldquotechnical
eruditionrdquo in theology Insisting on the importance o knowledge o the
scope o Christian Scripture as well as acility in the relevant ancient
languages he asks
Have I (1048625) such a knowledge o Scripture as becomes him who undertakes
so to explain it to others Have I a ull and clear view o the analogy o
aith which is the clue to guide me through the whole Am I acquainted with
the several parts o Scripture with all parts o the Old estament and the
New Upon the mention o any text do I know the context and the parallel
places Do I know the scope o each book and how every part tends
thereto Have I the skill to draw the natural inerences deducible rom each
text (1048626) Do I understand Greek and Hebrew Otherwise am I not at
the mercy o everyone who does understand or pretends to understand the
original For which way can I conute his pretence Do I understand the lan-
guage o the Old estament Critically At all Can I read into English one o
Davidrsquos Psalms or even the first chapter o Genesis Do I understand the
language o the New estament Am I a critical master o it Have I enough
o it even to read into English the first chapter o St Luke I not how many
years did I spend at school How many at university And what was I doing
all those years9830911048628
Wesley says similar things about the indispensability o knowledge o
the Christian tradition But the basic point should be clear important
elements o what we now call ldquoanalytic theologyrdquo have deep roots in the
broad Christian theological tradition Indeed or an evangelist like John
Wesley this is simply the kind o theology that any Christian minister
should be doing
W983144983137983156 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 T983144983141983151983148983151983143983161 I983155983150rsquo983156 M983145983155983157983150983140983141983154983155983156983137983150983140983145983150983143983155
983137983150983140 O983138983146983141983139983156983145983151983150983155
Many systematic theologians are suspicious o analytic theology Indeed
33Ibid pp 9830929830971048625-983097104862634Ibid pp 983092983097983088-9830971048625
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What Is Analytic heology 1048626983093
some are deeply suspicious Te concerns come rom several angles Here
are some o the most common9830911048629
ldquoAnalytic theology relies on a univocal account of religious languagerdquoSome theologians may worry that the current analytic discussions
proceed with an unrealistic and unhealthy naiveteacute regarding the nature
and unction o religious language For instance Stephen R Holmes
thinks that ldquoanalytic discussions o the rinity seem generally to proceed
with a remarkable confidence about the success o language in reerring
to the divinerdquo he thinks that the assumption o analytic theology ldquowould
always seem to be that language reers univocally to the divine and thecreatedrdquo Indeed he thinks that analytic theology would be ldquoimpossiblerdquo
without a commitment to univocity983091983094 More worrisome the concern may
be that analytic theologyrsquos commitment to univocity implicates it in
something that is (at least potentially) idolatrous9830911048631
A general treatment o religious language is beyond the scope o our
discussion but several observations may be helpul First it should be
noted that the case against univocity should not be merely assumed (asi some particular theological proposal could be damned by nothing
more than the charge o univocity) Nor is the case for univocity nearly
so weak as is ofen supposed o the contrary univocity has serious and
sophisticated deenders today and a case can be made that ldquothe doctrine
o univocity is true and salutaryrdquo9830911048632
Te second major point is perhaps more important or our purposes
It is this analytic theology as such requires no commitment to univocity
whatsoever Indeed many analytic theologians reject univocity in avor
35Tis section draws heavily rom my ldquoTeologians Philosophers and the Doctrine o the rinityrdquo
in McCall and Rea Philosophical and Teological Essays on the rinity pp 1048627983092983088-98309298309636Stephen R Holmes Te Quest for the rinity Te Doctrine of God in Scripture History and Mo-
dernity (Downers Grove IL IVP Academic 104862698308810486251048626) p 1048627104862637See eg Jean-Luc Marion God Without Being trans Tomas A Carlson (Chicago University
o Chicago Press 10486259830979830971048625) and John Milbank Te Word Made Strange (Oxord Blackwell 1048625983097983097983095)
See also the discussion in Daniel P Horan Postmodernity and Univocity A Critical Account of
Radical Orthodoxy and John Duns Scotus (Minneapolis Fortress 10486269830881048625983092)38Tomas Williams ldquoTe Doctrine o Univocity Is rue and Salutaryrdquo Modern Teology 10486261048625 (1048626983088983088983093)
983093983095983093-983096983093 See also William P Alston Divine Nature and Human Language Essays in Philosophical
Teology (Ithaca NY Cornell University Press 1048625983097983096983097) pp 1048625983095-10486251048625983095 and Keith E Yandell ldquoNot
Conusing Incomprehensibility and Ineffability Carl Henry on Literal Propositional Revela-
tionrdquo rinity Journal (10486269830881048625983092) 10486301048625-983095983092
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8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullan-invitation-to-analytic-christian-theology-by-thomas-h-mccall-excerpt 2333
1048626983094 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
o other approaches (the doctrine o analogy being avored by many)
and at least one prominent philosopher o religion deends apophati-
cism9830911048633 Perhaps there is a general sense in which it is true that analytictheologians are naive about religious language Perhaps they aremdash
although I doubt this very much But even i it were true this would not
obviously make analytic theology different rom or inerior to many
other approaches to the theological task Te concernmdasheven i it were
substantiatedmdashwould give us no reason to avoid or dismiss analytic the-
ology It might give us reason to want to do it better it might motivate
analytic theologians to pay closer attention to important issues relatedto theological language But the concern itselmdasheven i substantiatedmdash
would not count against the proper exercise o analytic theology It is at
best a red herring
ldquoAnalytic theology is an exercise in natural theologyrdquo Some critics
might charge analytic theology with reliance on ldquonatural theologyrdquo Tis
observation will seem benign to other theologians some analytic theo-
logians might even take this judgment as a badge o honor But to thosetheologians o the house and lineage o Karl Barth this will be the mark
o damnation some may take natural theology to be ldquothe invention o
the Antichristrdquo as something that can serve only to reinorce idolatry
and corrupt the truth10486281048624 Other theologians might not be so hostile but
they still might worry that natural theology distracts us rom obedience
and fidelity to the reality o divine revelation So i analytic theology is
an exercise in natural theology or even relies on it it should be held at
armrsquos length i not shunned entirely
Much could be said about this cluster o issuesmdashand indeed more will
be said in the next chaptermdashbut at this point a basic conusion needs to
be cleared away Fundamentally it is simply a misunderstanding o ana-
lytic theology to think that it is an exercise in natural theology Granted
some prolific analytic theologians are heavily invested in the project o
natural theology and we can say with confidence that rumors o the
39Eg Jonathan D Jacobs ldquoTe Ineffable Inconceivable and Incomprehensible God Fundamen-
tality and Apophatic Teologyrdquo in Oxford Studies in Philosophy of Religion orthcoming40More precisely Barth says that the analogia entis (which interpreters ofen take to be the basis
o all natural theology) is the ldquoinvention o the Antichristrdquo Doctrine of the Word of God p xiii
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What Is Analytic heology 1048626983095
demise o natural theology have been greatly exaggerated1048628983089 But there is
nothing about analytic theology as suchmdashas I have described it to this
pointmdashthat relies on natural theology Te conusion o natural theologywith the analytic project is just thatmdasha conusion Whatever we should
think about natural theology philosophically however we judge the suc-
cesses (or lack thereo) o the various theistic arguments natural the-
ology simply cannot be equated with analytic theology And whatever
we should conclude theologically about natural theology we should not
conuse it with the analytic project Once again this is a red herring
ldquoAnalytic theology is naive with respect to the history of doctrinerdquoAnother concern expressed by some contemporary systematic theolo-
gians is this analytic theology all too ofen proceeds with little awareness
o the complex but important historical actors associated with the de-
velopment and ormation o Christian doctrine o understate the point
analytic theologians are sometimes criticized or their ignorance o the
history o the development o dogma and or their lack o careul study
to understand the particular intellectual (not to mention social) settingo the person(s) controversies or eras under consideration Instead so
the story goes it is all too common or analytic theologians to approach
an issue by isolating a particular text and then breaking it down to
unpack the real ldquocorerdquo o the doctrine in question And the assumption
o the analytic theologians (again so the story goes) is ofen enough that
this can be saely or appropriately done with little or no reerence to the
particular context in which the development occurred As Fred Sanders
expresses the concern ldquophilosophers sometimes seem to think o ancient
texts as cumbersome delivery systems containing ideas which it is their
job to extract rom the delivery system and do something withrdquo1048628983090 Richard
A Muller likewise argues that lack o attention to historical context
sometimes results in problematic misunderstandings o the tradition in
41Eg Richard Swinburne Te Coherence of Teism (Oxord Oxord University Press 1048625983097983095983095) and
Swinburne Te Existence of God (Oxord Oxord University Press 1048625983097983095983097 [1048626983088983088983092]) For examples
o recent work see Moreland and Craig Blackwell Companion to Natural Teology and James F
Sennett and Douglas Groothuis eds In Defense of Natural Teology A Post-Humean Assessment
(Downers Grove IL IVP Academic 1048626983088983088983093)42Fred Sanders ldquoTe State o the Doctrine o the rinity in Evangelical Teologyrdquo Southwestern
Journal of Teology 983092983095 (1048626983088983088983093) 10486251048630983097
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
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1048626983096 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
his view or instance both recent deenders and contemporary de-
tractors o the doctrine o divine simplicity commonly ldquomisinterpret the
traditional doctrinerdquo1048628983091 Robert W Jenson is more scathing he judges theanalytic enterprise to be ldquosomewhat oddly related to the Christian aith
it claims to deendrdquo and he calls the work o Richard Swinburne a ldquotruly
bizarre caserdquo10486281048628
At least this is how the story ofen goes A major underlying worry
seems to be that reading texts without proper attention to their social
location and intellectual context can cause us to misread and mis-
interpret those texts Tis strikes me as a legitimate concern and it is onethat analytic theologians would do well to hear and heed No one should
deny that it is possible to misread and misinterpret important historical
texts and it seems to me that such misreadings are ar more likely when
particular bits o the text are isolated and scrutinized apart rom the
broader literary and historical contexts Te temptation to look away
rom the context as an irrelevant distraction is real It should also be
resisted So the criticism contains an important cautionAt the same time however we should keep several additional points
in mind First the problem is not restricted to analytic theologiansmdash
constructive or systematic theologians o any stripe may be susceptible
to this temptation Indeed ironies abound on this ront Afer criticizing
analytic philosophers o religion or overlooking ldquothe essentially his-
torical character o trinitarian theologyrdquomdashand especially or missing the
important differences between the ldquoGreek (or lsquoCappadocianrsquo) Eastrdquo and
the ldquoLatin WestrdquomdashCatherine Mowry LaCugnarsquos own work has been
criticized or exaggerating those differences10486281048629 It is not as i more main-
stream nonanalytic or antianalytic theologians are immune to the temp-
tation instead so ar as I can see this is a general concern that should
serve as an important reminder that all theologians who engage with the
43Richard A Muller Post-Reformation Reformed Dogmatics Te Rise and Development of Reformed
Orthodoxy ca 1048625104862910486261048624ndashca 1048625104863110486261048629 vol 1048627 Te Divine Essence and Attributes (Grand Rapids Baker
Academic 10486269830889830881048627) p 983092104862544Robert W Jenson Systematic Teology vol 1048626 Te Works of God (Oxord Oxord University
Press 1048625983097983097983097) p 983096 n 104862798309345Catherine Mowry LaCugna ldquoPhilosophers and Teologians on the rinityrdquo Modern Teology 1048626
(10486259830979830961048630) 10486259830951048626
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
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What Is Analytic heology 1048626983097
Christian intellectual tradition should do so with appropriate historical
sensitivity Second there is nothingmdashat least so ar as I can seemdashthat
makes this temptation irresistible Te act that some analytic theolo-gians have been insufficiently attentive to some historical matters does
not entail either that all analytic theologians are ignorant o the tradition
or that all analytic theologians must proceed in ignorance I see no
reason to conclude that this problem must be either essential or endemic
to analytic theology Surely more progress can be made in this area but
I see no reasons to think that such progress cannot happen Finally it is
worth noting that such progress in act is being made Tere are manyhappy exceptions to the common stereotype that analytic theologians
are ldquoahistoricalrdquo in act it is sae to say that many excellent analytic
thinkers have genuine specialization in historical scholarship Indeed
many are cutting-edge contributors1048628983094
ldquoAnalytic theology is only apologetics for conservative theologyrdquo Al-
ternatively the suspicion may be that analytic theology is too closely tied
to the Christian tradition Te assumption here is that analytic theologyis nothing more than the bastion o traditionally minded Roman Catholic
(and Orthodox) theologians and philosophers along with their conser-
vative Protestant riends and the worry is that they are interested in
nothing more than finding a sae place to deend what they already know
to be true Consequently the worry goes there is next to nothing o real
interest here or revisionist theologians o various stripes and there is
little promise or genuinely constructive theology
wo observations are important here First in principle there is
nothing about analytic theology that demands either traditional sympa-
thies or conservative conclusions Neither is there anything about ana-
lytic theology (either taken along the lines o Rearsquos P1048625-P983093 or in a somewhat
more expansive way) that precludes the use o the analytic tools by say
eminist womanist or liberationist theologies
46Stellar examples include Richard Cross Duns Scotus on God (Aldershot UK Ashgate 1048626983088983088983093) Cross
Te Metaphysics of the Incarnation Tomas Aquinas to Duns Scotus (Oxord Oxord University
Press 10486269830889830881048626) Eleonore Stump Aquinas (New York Routledge 10486269830889830881048627) Jeffrey E Brower Aquinasrsquos
Ontology of the Material World Change Hylomorphism and Material Objects (Oxord Oxord
University Press 10486269830881048625983092) and J Paasch Divine Production in Late Medieval rinitarian Teology
Henry of Ghent Duns Scotus and William Ockham (Oxord Oxord University Press 104862698308810486251048626)
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
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983091983088 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
Second in point o act many criticisms o traditional doctrines
have emerged rom within analytic theology Consider this example It
is hard to think o a doctrine that is more deeply traditional or moredeeply woven into the abric o historic Christian theology than the
doctrine o divine simplicity Yet this venerable doctrine has endured
intense criticism rom analytic theologians over the past several de-
cades Alvin Plantingarsquos Does God Have a Nature raised ldquotwo diffi-
cultiesrdquo or the doctrine ldquoone substantial and the other truly
monumentalrdquo10486281048631 He argues that i God is identical with each o his
properties then God has but one property But this ldquoseems flatly in-compatible with the obvious act that God has several propertiesrdquo10486281048632 He
argues urther that i God is identical with each o his properties then
God is also a property ldquoTis view is subject to a difficulty both obvious
and overwhelming [or] i God is a property then he isnrsquot a person
but a mere abstract objectrdquo10486281048633 Many analytic theologians have joined
other criticisms to those o Plantinga and it is obvious that this doc-
trinemdashwoven deeply into the abric o traditional Christian doctrineas it ismdashis under assault rom within analytic theology We could mul-
tiply examples with ease (Te traditional doctrine o divine omni-
science stands out here) Tere are o course many sophisticated de-
enders o classical orthodoxy within analytic theology but the basic
point should be clear to reduce analytic theology to apologetics or
traditional doctrine is simply a mistake
As will become obvious in the ollowing pages I think that there is
much to be gained in the work o ldquoretrieval theologyrdquo and I see it as a
natural conversation partner and compatriot o analytic theology I want
to encourage more work at the intersection o analytic theology and
theologies o retrieval But there is nothing about analytic theology as
such that demands adherence to classical Christian theology
ldquoAnalytic theology relies on lsquosubstance metaphysicsrsquo rdquo Sometimes
theologians are suspicious o analytic theology due to its alleged reliance
on substance metaphysics Tis complaint can take various orms Some-
47Alvin Plantinga Does God Have a Nature (Milwaukee Marquette University Press 1048625983097983096983088) p 98309298309548Ibid49Ibid
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What Is Analytic heology 9830911048625
times it is claimed that the whole analytic enterprise is ldquopre-Kantianrdquo (as
in Kenneth Surinrsquos critique o David Brownrsquos work as being ldquorobustly
old-ashionedrdquo and ldquopre-Kantianrdquo)10486291048624 In other words critics complainthat analytic theology proceeds in blithemdashand perhaps willulmdashigno-
rance o the ldquoactrdquo that Kant undermined the entire project by destroying
the very possibility o doing it wo important claims seem to be in play
with this critique first that Kant did something to make analytic the-
ology impossible and second that analytic theologians are unaware o
what Kant did But both o these claims are problematic Te second is
simply mistaken and the first is vigorously contested As Nicholas Wolt-erstorff points out it is much more likely that the current generation o
analytic theologians is not so much ldquopre-Kantianrdquo as it is ldquopost-Kantianrdquo
As he puts it ldquoit really is possible to be post-Kantian Itrsquos possible to re-
cover rom Kant Te choices are not exhausted between being naively
pre-Kantian on the one hand and being a Kantian o one or another
stripe on the otherrdquo1048629983089 Tere are Wolterstorff argues philosophers who
are ully aware o Kantian ldquointerpretation-universalism and ully awareo [Kantian] metaphysical anti-realism but afer serious consideration
they have rejected these options as untenablerdquo1048629983090 So many analytic theo-
logians are well aware o Kantrsquos work (and the common claims made
about that work) but they donrsquot think that he did anything to shut down
the kind o work that they are doing As Plantinga puts it ldquothey have read
him and remain unconvincedrdquo1048629983091
But aside rom Kant analytic theology is sometimes criticized and
rejected or its reliance on ldquosubstance metaphysicsrdquo Unortunately ex-
actly what critical theologians have in their crosshairs when they talk
about substance metaphysics is ofen unclear and not closely defined
But very ofen the complaint is closely tied to a rejection o doctrines
50Kenneth Surin ldquoTe rinity and Philosophical Reflection A Study o David Brownrsquos Te Divine
rinity rdquo Modern Teology 1048626 (10486259830979830961048630) 10486261048627983097-98309298308851Nicholas Wolterstorff ldquoBetween the Pincers o Increased Diversity and Supposed Irrationalityrdquo
in God Philosophy and Academic Culture A Discussion Between Scholars in the AAR and APA
ed William J Wainwright (Atlanta Scholars Press 10486259830979830971048630) p 1048626983088 See also Wolterstorff ldquoIs It
Possible and Desirable or Teologians to Recover rom Kantrdquo Modern Teology 1048625983092 (1048625983097983097983096)
1048625-104862598309652Wolterstorff ldquoBetween the Pincersrdquo p 104862698308853Alvin Plantinga Warranted Christian Belief (Oxord Oxord University Press 1048626983088983088983088) p 1048627983088
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
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9830911048626 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
associated with ldquoclassical theismrdquo immutability impassibility time-
lessness and other doctrines are taken to be untenable and since they
are tied to substance metaphysics so much the worse or substancemetaphysics William P Alston defly analyzes this complaint and he
argues that substance metaphysics are really beside the point What he
says about substance metaphysics in discussions o the doctrine o the
rinity applies more broadly ldquoonce we get straight as to what is and is
not necessarily included in the metaphysics o substance we will see that
most twentieth-century objections to the use o substance metaphysics
are based on eatures o such ormulations that are not required bysubstance metaphysics as suchrdquo10486291048628 Perhaps there is something inherently
wrong with the use o substance metaphysics in theology and maybe this
counts against analytic theology But beore such a judgment can be
made we need more than the all-too-common generalizations and as-
sertions For beore we can conclude that analytic theology is atally
flawed due to a dependence on substance metaphysics we need to know
exactly what is meant by substance metaphysics we need to be shown just what is wrong (either philosophically or theologically) with sub-
stance metaphysics and we need to see that analytic theology really is (or
must be) committed to this kind o metaphysics Without the kind o
careul analysis and rigorous argumentation it is hard to see anything
here that might count as a orceul objection to analytic theology
ldquoAnalytic theology isnrsquot spiritually edifyingrdquo William Wood notes that
ldquomany conventional theologians remain deeply suspicious o analytic the-
ologyrdquo because o the worry that analytic theology is not spiritually edi-
ying As these theologians see matters ldquogenuine theology is in the first
instance practical aimed not at explanatory theories about God but at
ostering greater love or God and neighbor Genuine theology in short
is praxis one deeply woven together with a Christian lie o prayer virtue
and participation in the sacramentsrdquo10486291048629 Te basic concern is this when
more mainstream theologians look at analytic theology they donrsquot rec-
54William P Alston ldquoSubstance and the rinityrdquo in Te rinity An Interdisciplinary Symposium on
the rinity ed Stephen Davis Daniel Kendall SJ and Gerald OrsquoCollins SJ (Oxord Oxord
University Press 1048625983097983097983097) p 1048626983088104862555William Wood ldquoAnalytic Teology as a Way o Lierdquo Journal of Analytic Teology (10486269830881048625983092) 983092983092
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
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What Is Analytic heology 983091983091
ognize the kind o theology-as-praxis that they value Instead they see
purported explanatory theoriesmdashmere purported explanatory theories
Sometimes these explanations appear to be a very long way indeed romthe lie o aith Indeed they see ormulas such as this (selected pretty
much at random rom among many others)
P existx (Dx amp forally(Dy =gt Byx) amp x made us
Q existx(Dx amp forally(Dy =gt Byx ))1048629983094
When they encounter this kind o work some theologians donrsquot rec-
ognize it as theology at all I they are willing to recognize it as theology
they tend to worry that they donrsquot see the kind o theology that promotes
love o God and neighbor they are concerned that they donrsquot see the-
ology that is connected to the lie o aith As Wood puts it they worry
that ldquoanalytic theology is spiritually sterile and thereore not really a
orm o genuine theology at allrdquo10486291048631
I think this is an important point o criticism and it raises some very
intriguing concerns But as Wood also notes it would be a ldquomistake and
urthermore a presumptuous mistake to assume that analytic philo-
sophical theology cannot in principle be spiritually nourishingrdquo10486291048632 Tree
points stand out First it is important to realize that the temptation to
construct explanatory theories about God that are divorced rom worship
and transormation is both real and present It is also nearious10486291048633 Te
temptation besets theologians o all stripesmdashanalytic or otherwise I do
not think analytic theologians are the only theologians who ace this
temptation o the contrary idolatry is no respecter o ideologies Butsurely it is not invincible surelymdashby Godrsquos gracemdashit is not irresistible
As Wood reminds us ldquoGodrsquos love rains down on logicians too afer allrdquo9830941048624
Second there is good reason to think that analytic theology maymdash
contrary to common expectationsmdashturn out to be spiritually ediying
56Peter van Inwagen ldquoAnd Yet Tey Are Not Tree Gods but One Godrdquo in McCall and Rea
Philosophical and Teological Essays on the rinity pp 10486269830921048625 1048626983092104863057Wood ldquoAnalytic Teology as a Way o Lierdquo p 983092983092 See also Marilyn McCord Adams ldquoWhatrsquos
Wrong with the Ontotheological Errorrdquo Journal of Analytic Teology (10486269830881048625983092) 1048625-1048625104862658Wood ldquoAnalytic Teology as a Way o Lierdquo p 983092104863059See the warnings o Merold Westphal Suspicion and Faith Te Religious Uses of Modern Atheism
(New York Fordham University Press 1048625983097983097983096)60Wood ldquoAnalytic Teology as a Way o Lierdquo p 983092983095
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
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983091983092 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
Wood argues that analytic theology may be spiritually beneficial in
several ways He suggests that the ldquoconcentrated attention required to
read understand and develop very technical analytic argumentsrdquo maybe conducive to the kinds o intellectual virtues and habits o mind that
are spiritually beneficial983094983089 In addition he notes the ldquoargumentative
transparencyrdquo (what he terms the ldquoparadigmatic analytic virtuerdquo) may be
helpul in spiritual ormation983094983090 Wood readily admits that this tendency
toward argumentative rigor can also eed a orm o pride or even ldquointel-
lectual violencerdquo but he also points out that to make a ldquogood analytic
argument is to make that argument maximally easy or intellectual op-ponents to criticize or reuterdquo and this very transparency makes it much
harder to shield onesel rom criticisms but instead is a way to ldquomake
onesel intellectually vulnerablerdquo In this way it serves as a ldquocheck against
intellectual priderdquo983094983091 Moreover the pace demanded by such rigor and the
modesty o the claims that are rendered deensible have the potential to
cultivate epistemic humility Furthermore another important eature o
the analytic approach is the need to ldquoidentiy imaginatively with onersquosintellectual opponentsrdquo this also as Wood points out orces us to inhabit
a worldview that is not only oreign to our own but also sometimes
hostile In these ways Wood argues ldquoanalytic theology can become a
spiritual practice a way o seeking God and o training the mind and
the will to be open to gracerdquo9830941048628
Finally we should not neglect to notice those shining examples o
theologians or whom analytic theology indeed is closely related to
worship and spiritual nurture Indeed it would be hard not to notice
them or the tradition is rie with such theologians A great many pa-
tristic and most scholastic (both medieval and early modern) theolo-
gians count as ldquoanalytic theologiansrdquo For surely they fit our profile o
theologians who prize ldquoconceptual precision rigor o argumentation
technical erudition and an in-depth deense o an original worldviewrdquo
(and who would in many instances value P1048625-P983093) As an example con-
61Ibid p 98309398309362Ibid p 983093104863063Ibid64Ibid p 983093983096
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What Is Analytic heology 983091983093
sider Anselmrsquos Proslogion It is obvious that Anselm values precision and
rigor and he clearly intends to convey truth claims that he finds con-
vincing But as both Wood and Marilyn McCord Adams point out thiswork is ldquomeant to do more than communicate propositional truthsrdquo or
ldquoit is meant to help reorient the wills o its readers and help bring about
effective and volitional change in themrdquo9830941048629 Despite important differences
o style and substance we could say much the same about many other
figures (both well known and less so) as well it is very difficult to read
ar into Bonaventure Richard o St Victor Aquinas Scotus Vermigli
Perkins Arminius urretin Edwards Wesley and many others withoutunderstanding that they are obviously concerned with both intellectual
rigor and spiritual ormation
65Ibid p 983093983088 See also Marilyn McCord Adams ldquoPraying the Proslogionrdquo in Te Rationality of
Belief and the Plurality of Faith ed Tomas Senor (Ithaca NY Cornell University Press 1048625983097983097983093)
pp 10486251048627-1048627983097 and Adams ldquoElegant Necessity Prayerul Disputation Method in Cur Deus Homordquo
in Studia Anselmiana Cur Deus Homo (Rome 1048625983097983097983097) pp 10486271048630983095-9830971048630
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8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
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8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullan-invitation-to-analytic-christian-theology-by-thomas-h-mccall-excerpt 1333
1048625983094 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
school o philosophical theology in the Netherlands Following trail-
blazers such as these and building on the recent renaissance o meta-
physics and philosophy o religion the analytic theology movement isnow growing Te publication o the volume Analytic Teology Essays
in the Philosophy of Teology edited by Oliver D Crisp and Michael C
Rea marked an important moment Te Analytic Teology Project
(sponsored and promoted by Notre Damersquos Center or Philosophy o
Religion as well the University o Innsbruck in Austria and the Shalem
Center in Jerusalem and unded by generous grants rom the John em-
pleton Foundation) with its annual Logos conerence and other activitiesthe launch o the Journal of Analytic Teology and the inauguration o
the book series Oxord Studies in Analytic Teology all lend support to
this growing movement
Te meaning o the term analytic theology can vary in common par-
lance and it is sae to say that there is no single decisively settled meaning
o the term when it is used as a label Still perhaps we can saely say that
what is common across the range o uses is this analytic theology sig-nifies a commitment to employ the conceptual tools o analytic phi-
losophy where those tools might be helpul in the work o constructive
Christian theology Scholars will naturally enough disagree among
themselves about just which o those tools are most helpul which
projects are best served by their use and other matters but on the whole
such a minimalist characterization seems sae enough William J
Abraham offers this helpul summary analytic theology ldquocan be useully
defined as ollows it is systematic theology attuned to the skills re-
sources and virtues o analytic philosophyrdquo983089983091 As such analytic theology
is a growing and energetic field at the intersections o philosophy o re-
ligion and systematic theology
W983144983137983156 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 T983144983141983151983148983151983143983161 I983155 (983151983154 S983144983151983157983148983140 B983141)
Such minimalist characterization while airly sae does not take us very
ar What more precisely is one doing when one does analytic theology
13William J Abraham ldquoSystematic Teology as Analytic Teologyrdquo in Analytic Teology New
Essays in the Philosophy of Teology ed Oliver D Crisp and Michael C Rea (Oxord Oxord
University Press 1048626983088983088983097) p 983093983092
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What Is Analytic heology 1048625983095
Just what is analytic theology Perhaps it will help first to consider what
is so analytic about analytic theology Following this we shall think
about how it is an exercise in theology Analytic theology as analytic theology As we have seen Quentin Smith
praises Plantingarsquos work or its excellence in ldquothe most valued standards o
analytic philosophy conceptual precision rigor o argumentation tech-
nical erudition and an in-depth deense o an original worldviewrdquo9830891048628 Oliver
D Crisp echoes this estimation o what counts as good work in analytic
philosophy he observes that analytic philosophy is characterized by ldquoa
logical rigour clarity and parsimony o expression coupled with attentionto a certain cluster o philosophical problemsrdquo9830891048629 Analytic theology is rel-
evantly similar he says or it ldquowill prize intellectual virtues like clarity
parsimony o expression and argumentative rigourrdquo983089983094 Michael C Rearsquos
description o analytic philosophy echoes these accounts in some ways
While recognizing that clear and sharp lines between ldquoanalyticrdquo and ldquonon-
analyticrdquo (or ldquoContinentalrdquo) philosophical approaches are neither easy to
come by nor perhaps really worth all the work he characterizes analyticapproaches to philosophy in terms o style and ambition9830891048631 Te ambitions
are generally ldquoto identiy the scope and limits o our powers to obtain
knowledge o the worldrdquo and ldquoto provide such true explanatory theories
as we can in areas o inquiry (metaphysics morals and the like) that all
outside the scope o the natural sciencesrdquo9830891048632 Rea characterizes the style as
including the ollowing prescriptions
P1048625 Write as i philosophical positions and conclusions can be adequately or-mulated in sentences that can be ormalized and logically manipulated
P1048626 Prioritize precision clarity and logical coherence
P983091 Avoid substantive (non-decorative) use o metaphor and other tropes
whose semantic content outstrips their propositional content
14Smith ldquoMetaphilosophyrdquo p 104862615Oliver D Crisp ldquoOn Analytic Teologyrdquo in Crisp and Rea Analytic Teology p 104862798309316Ibid pp 1048627983095-104862798309617Michael C Rea introduction to Crisp and Rea Analytic Teology pp 1048627-983092 See also Nick raka-
kis ldquoMeta-Philosophy o Religion Te Analytic-Continental Divide in Philosophy o Religionrdquo
Ars Disputandi 983095 (1048626983088983088983095) 1048625983095983097-1048626104862698308818Rea introduction p 983092
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
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1048625983096 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
P983092 Work as much as possible with well-understood primitive concepts and
concepts that can be analyzed in terms o those
P983093 reat conceptual analysis (insoar as possible) as a source o evidence9830891048633
Tis much at least is characteristic o analytic philosophy So what
about analytic theology As Rea sees things ldquoanalytic theology is just the
activity o approaching theological topics with the ambitions o an ana-
lytic philosopher and in a style that conorms to the prescriptions that
are distinctive o analytic philosophical discourse It will also involve
more or less pursuing those topics in a way that engages the literature
that is constitutive o the analytic tradition employing some o the tech-
nical jargon rom that tradition and so on But in the end it is the style
and ambitions that are most centralrdquo9830901048624
All this is helpul but perhaps a bit more explanation would be ben-
eficial Consider P1048625 Tis need not mean that all meaningul statements
in theology (or philosophy) need to be expressed ormally it should
not be taken to mean that every theological claim should be stated in
an apparatus with numbered propositions and a ormal structure
What it does mean however is that the deault setting or theologians
should be to communicate propositions that could be expressed this
way For as Rea says ldquoabsent special circumstancesrdquo things have ldquogone
very much amissrdquo i a view ldquois expressed in such a way that it has no
clear logical outcomesrdquo983090983089
Consider also P1048626 Tis need notmdashand should notmdashbe taken to mean
that logical precision and coherence are the only important criteria ora theologian and neither should it be taken to imply even that logical
precision and coherence are the most important criteria Te theologian
who is convinced that her first commitment is fidelity to the priority and
ultimacy o divine revelation should have no difficulty in assenting to P1048626
Neither urther should P1048626 be taken to imply that the same levels o
logical precision are possible with all theological topics nor yet that all
theological projects require the same levels o precision and argumentative
19Ibid pp 983093-104863020Ibid p 98309521Ibid p 983093 n 983093
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What Is Analytic heology 1048625983097
rigor Consider by way o example childrenrsquos catechetical literature
Surely this literature is theological but it neither can nor should attempt
to display the same level o logical precision or argumentative rigor assay advanced work in scholastic theology P1048626 does not clam that such
theological literature should do so or that all work in theology must
always do so
Neither should P1048626 be misunderstood with respect to claims about the
importance o ldquoclarityrdquo Rea notes that this claim can seem ironic ldquoin light
o the act that quite a lot o analytic philosophy [and we could add
some analytic theology] is very difficult even or specialists and totallyinaccessible to non-specialistsrdquo983090983090 But ldquoclearrdquo does not mean ldquoeasyrdquo In-
stead it expresses a commitment to the work o ldquospelling out hidden
assumptions scrupulously trying to lay bare whatever evidence one has
(or lacks) or the claims that one is making and on taking care to confine
onersquos vocabulary to ordinary language well-understood primitive con-
cepts and technical jargon definable in terms o theserdquo983090983091 Finally we
should note that P1048626 does not imply that everything (or everything worthtalking about) in theology will become crystal clear Te goal o analytic
theology is not (or at least need not be) the removal o all mystery in
theology o the contrary analytic philosophers o religion have long
been keenly aware o the place o mystery in theology and it may be that
at certain points an important role o the theologian is to clariy just
where the mystery really lies P1048626 does not suggest that analytic theology
will make everything ldquoclearrdquo in the sense that it makes everything ldquoeasy
and readily accessible to the nonspecialistrdquo Instead what it prioritizes is
clarity to the appropriate audiences and to the greatest possible degree
And it insists that ldquomysteryrdquo must not be conused with logical inco-
herence and it likewise insists that we do not gloriy what is clearly in-
coherent with the shroud o ldquomysteryrdquo As Alan G Padgett says theology
should ldquoseek the truth about Godrdquo and ldquothereore must shun incoherence
and irrationalityrdquo9830901048628 Where ldquosometimes lsquomysteryrsquo is evoked as an excuse
22Ibid p 983093 n 104863023Ibid24Alan G Padgett ldquoTe rinity in Teology and Philosophy Why Jerusalem Should Work with
Athensrdquo in Philosophical and Teological Essays on the rinity ed Tomas McCall and Michael
C Rea (Oxord Oxord University Press 1048626983088983088983097) p 104862710486271048626
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
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1048626983088 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
or sloppy thinking this must be anathema to any academic theology
worthy o the namerdquo For ldquoafer all the mystery o God does not end
when theology speaks clearly Te simple phrase lsquoJesus loves me this Iknow or the Bible tells me sorsquo covers vast deep mysteries that even the
angels gaze into with awe and wonderrdquo9830901048629
P983091 rules out ldquosubstantive (non-decorative) use o metaphor and other
tropes whose semantic content outstrips their propositional contentrdquo
Tis does not or at least need not mean that there is no valid or valuable
place or metaphor in theology Analytic theologians will disagree among
themselves as to howmdashand how muchmdashmetaphor is useul and legiti-mate983090983094 But the basic point is airly plain on P983091 theologians are not at
liberty to trade loosely in metaphor without ever being able to speciy
just what is meant by those metaphors Tey are not then ree to make
claims the meaning o which cannot be specified or spelled out Teolo-
gians are not licensed to trade in what Randal Rauser calls ldquounclarifiable
unclarityrdquo9830901048631 P983092 calls the analytic theologian to work with ldquowell-understood
primitive conceptsrdquo that are reasonably taken to be basic intuitive or(minimally) uncontroversial (and with concepts that can be understood
in terms o such primitive concepts) Some theologians will be quick to
raise concerns here they will worry that the very notion o ldquowell-
understood primitive conceptsrdquo may both conceal blind spots o social
location and privilege and be a Procrustean bed that restricts theological
concepts to ldquowhat we already know to be truerdquo and thus curtails the
possibility o engagement with divine revelation But once again it is
important not to misunderstand P983092 Te ldquoas much as possiblerdquo is key
here i the preunderstood concepts donrsquot do enough work then some o
them can be adjusted Others wonrsquot be so easy to adjust or discard but
this category o primitive concepts is both quite small and very basic (eg
the law o noncontradiction) Simply put there is no good reason to
25Ibid26I thank Billy Abraham or pressing this point Te ldquostandardrdquo work on metaphor in theology
remains Janet Martin Soskice Metaphor and Religious Language (Oxord Oxord University
Press 1048625983097983096983095)27Randal Rauser ldquoTeology as a Bull Sessionrdquo in Crisp and Rea Analytic Teology pp 983095983092-983095983093 See
also Harry Frankurt On Bullshit (Princeton NJ Princeton University Press 1048626983088983088983093) and Frank-
urt Bullshit and Philosophy ed Gary L Hardcastle and George A Resich (Chicago Open
Court 1048626983088983088983093)
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
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What Is Analytic heology 10486261048625
think that the notion o ldquowell-understood primitive conceptsrdquo must
unction as a Procrustean bed
Finally Rea says that P983093 calls us to ldquotreat conceptual analysis (insoaras it is possible) as a source o evidencerdquo It should be obvious that he
does not say that conceptual analysis is the only source o evidence and
there is no reason to think that it should be taken this way Neither does
he claim that conceptual analysis is the primary or ultimate source o
evidence P983093 makes an important claim but it is a rather modest one
What it insists on is this i close conceptual analysis reveals that some
theological proposition P is say internally inconsistent then thatanalysis gives us all the evidence we need to reject P No matter how
grand the claims o Prsquo s supporters in deense o the supporting evidence
for it i P is incoherent (sel-reerentially or otherwise) then it is not true
Once we have established that P is incoherent (which is a task much
harder than is sometimes supposed) we have all the reason we need to
conclude that it is wrong In addition o course conceptual analysis
might count as evidence in other and more positive ways as well Con-sider perect being theology or example here theologians analyze ldquoper-
ectionrdquo and then take deliverances o that analysis as evidence in support
o their theological conclusions
Much more could be said about what makes analytic theology truly
analytic o course While this could be expanded on and broadened
(particularly in directions that put less o a premium on precision) Rearsquos
P1048625-P983093 give us an initial sense o what it means to say that theology is
analytic theology Generally speaking analytic theology is theology that
is attuned to and committed to the ldquogoals and ambitionsrdquo o analytic
philosophy a commitment to truth wherever it may be ound clarity o
expression and rigor o argumentation Very ofen it will not hesitate to
make appropriate use o the available tools o analytic philosophy espe-
cially as these aid conceptual precision and argumentative rigor
Analytic theology as analytic theology But i echoing Smith it is the
concern with ldquoconceptual precisionrdquo and ldquorigor o argumentationrdquo that
makes analytic theology analytic then what is it that makes analytic
theology really theology Tis book develops an answer to this question
but an initial summary may help Recall that Smith talks not only about
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
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httpslidepdfcomreaderfullan-invitation-to-analytic-christian-theology-by-thomas-h-mccall-excerpt 1933
10486261048626 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
ldquoconceptual precisionrdquo and ldquorigor o argumentationrdquo but also about ldquotech-
nical eruditionrdquo and the ldquoin-depth deense o an original worldviewrdquo For
the analytic philosopher ldquotechnical eruditionrdquo will naturally involvemastery o the requisite field (metaphysics philosophy o mind epis-
temology etc) but it may also include competence in other related
fields (biology or philosophy o biology neurology or philosophy o
mind etc) For the analytic theologian such erudition will include com-
petence in the relevant areas o philosophical study that are necessary or
ldquoconceptual precisionrdquo and ldquorigor o argumentationrdquo But or the analytic
theologian qua theologian it must involve much more than this Forunless analytic theology is merely ldquoarmchair theologyrdquo (albeit armchair
theology done by very bright people) it will be grounded in the
Christian Scriptures it will be inormed by the great tradition o doc-
trinal development it will be ldquochristologically normedrdquo and it will be
culturally engaged As theology it will seek to articulate what we may
know o God as God has revealed himsel to us As Nicholas Wolterstorff
puts it to theologiansDo not be ersatz philosophers do not be ersatz cultural theorists do not be
ersatz anything Be genuine theologians Be sure-ooted in philosophy But
then be theologians What we need to hear rom you is how things look
when seen in light o the triune Godmdashmay his name be praisedmdashwho creates
and sustains us who redeems us and who will bring this rail and allen
though yet glorious humanity and cosmos to consummation9830901048632
Accordingly analytic theology is theology done by theologians who areldquosure-ootedrdquo in philosophy (many o whom will have extensive training
and proessional expertise there and indeed may be leaders within their
field) but it is a kind o theology nonetheless
Such a conception o theology is o course not remotely new What
we may useully reer to as ldquoanalytic theologyrdquo is very similar in many
respects to deeply traditional ways o doing theology We can see this
kind o work exemplified in the theology o the scholastics (both me-dieval and post-Reormationearly modern) So in some sense the re-
28Nicholas Wolterstorff ldquoo Teologians From One Who Cares About Teology but Is Not One
o Yourdquo Teological Education (1048626983088983088983093) 9830971048625-9830971048626
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
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What Is Analytic heology 1048626983091
birth o analytic theology may be thought o as scholasticism redivivus
As Richard Swinburnemdashsurely a pioneer o analytic theologymdashsays
ldquolarge-scale theology needs clear and rigorous argumentrdquo and it is ldquohightime or theology to returnrdquo to the standards set by Tomas Aquinas
John Duns Scotus and others9830901048633 But it is not only the ldquohigh scholasticsrdquo
who worked this way or we can also witness many o these virtues in
theologians rom the patristics to the pietists9830911048624 Many theologians in the
Christian tradition were concerned with both ldquoconceptual precisionrdquo and
ldquoargumentative rigorrdquo as well as ldquotechnical eruditionrdquo and the ldquoin-depth
deense o an original worldviewrdquoConsider what John Wesleymdashan evangelist hardly known as a ldquoscho-
lasticrdquo or an ldquoanalytic theologianrdquomdashhas to say about the importance o
acquiring the tools or ldquoconceptual precisionrdquo and ldquoargumentative rigorrdquo
Logic he says is ldquonecessary next to and in order to the knowledge o
Scripturerdquo983091983089 Despite the act that it is ldquonow quite unashionablerdquo none-
theless logic is invaluable For with it we have the possibility o ldquoappre-
hending things clearly judging truly and reasoning conclusivelyrdquo
983091983090
Andas with logic so also with metaphysics Tus Wesley will ask o clergy
Am I a tolerable master o the sciences Have I gone through the very gate o
them logic I not I am not likely to go much urther when I stumble at the
threshold Do I understand it so as to be ever the better or it o have it
always ready or use so as to apply every rule o it when occasion is almost
as naturally as I turn my hand Do I understand it at all Can I reduce an
indirect mood to a direct a hypothetic to a categorical syllogism Rather have
not my stupid indolence and laziness made me very ready to believe what the
little wits and pretty gentlemen affirm ldquothat logic is good or nothingrdquo It is
good or this at least (wherever it is understood) to make people talk less by
showing them both what is and what is not to the point and how extremely
29Richard Swinburne Te Coherence of Teism 1048626nd ed (Oxord Oxord University Press 10486259830979830971048627)
p 98309530See eg Gregory o Nyssa Against Eunomius 10486259830921048626 Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers ed Philip
Schaff series 1048626 (10486259830969830961048630ndash1048625983096983096983097 repr Peabody MA Hendrickson 1048625983097983097983092) 983093983097983096-983097983097 (Patrologia
Graeca [= Patrologiae Cursus Completus Series Graeca] ed Jacques-Paul Migne [Paris 1048625983096983093983095ndash
10486259830969830961048630] 9830929830939830921048630983088-10486301048625)31John Wesley ldquoAddress to the Clergyrdquo in Te Works of John Wesley vol 1048625983088 Letters Essays Dialogs
and Addresses (Grand Rapids Zondervan nd) p 983092983096104862732Ibid
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httpslidepdfcomreaderfullan-invitation-to-analytic-christian-theology-by-thomas-h-mccall-excerpt 2133
1048626983092 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
hard it is to prove anything Do I understand metaphysics i not the depths
o the Schoolmen the subtleties o Scotus or Aquinas yet the first rudiments
the general principles o that useul science983091983091
Consider urther what Wesley says about the importance o ldquotechnical
eruditionrdquo in theology Insisting on the importance o knowledge o the
scope o Christian Scripture as well as acility in the relevant ancient
languages he asks
Have I (1048625) such a knowledge o Scripture as becomes him who undertakes
so to explain it to others Have I a ull and clear view o the analogy o
aith which is the clue to guide me through the whole Am I acquainted with
the several parts o Scripture with all parts o the Old estament and the
New Upon the mention o any text do I know the context and the parallel
places Do I know the scope o each book and how every part tends
thereto Have I the skill to draw the natural inerences deducible rom each
text (1048626) Do I understand Greek and Hebrew Otherwise am I not at
the mercy o everyone who does understand or pretends to understand the
original For which way can I conute his pretence Do I understand the lan-
guage o the Old estament Critically At all Can I read into English one o
Davidrsquos Psalms or even the first chapter o Genesis Do I understand the
language o the New estament Am I a critical master o it Have I enough
o it even to read into English the first chapter o St Luke I not how many
years did I spend at school How many at university And what was I doing
all those years9830911048628
Wesley says similar things about the indispensability o knowledge o
the Christian tradition But the basic point should be clear important
elements o what we now call ldquoanalytic theologyrdquo have deep roots in the
broad Christian theological tradition Indeed or an evangelist like John
Wesley this is simply the kind o theology that any Christian minister
should be doing
W983144983137983156 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 T983144983141983151983148983151983143983161 I983155983150rsquo983156 M983145983155983157983150983140983141983154983155983156983137983150983140983145983150983143983155
983137983150983140 O983138983146983141983139983156983145983151983150983155
Many systematic theologians are suspicious o analytic theology Indeed
33Ibid pp 9830929830971048625-983097104862634Ibid pp 983092983097983088-9830971048625
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What Is Analytic heology 1048626983093
some are deeply suspicious Te concerns come rom several angles Here
are some o the most common9830911048629
ldquoAnalytic theology relies on a univocal account of religious languagerdquoSome theologians may worry that the current analytic discussions
proceed with an unrealistic and unhealthy naiveteacute regarding the nature
and unction o religious language For instance Stephen R Holmes
thinks that ldquoanalytic discussions o the rinity seem generally to proceed
with a remarkable confidence about the success o language in reerring
to the divinerdquo he thinks that the assumption o analytic theology ldquowould
always seem to be that language reers univocally to the divine and thecreatedrdquo Indeed he thinks that analytic theology would be ldquoimpossiblerdquo
without a commitment to univocity983091983094 More worrisome the concern may
be that analytic theologyrsquos commitment to univocity implicates it in
something that is (at least potentially) idolatrous9830911048631
A general treatment o religious language is beyond the scope o our
discussion but several observations may be helpul First it should be
noted that the case against univocity should not be merely assumed (asi some particular theological proposal could be damned by nothing
more than the charge o univocity) Nor is the case for univocity nearly
so weak as is ofen supposed o the contrary univocity has serious and
sophisticated deenders today and a case can be made that ldquothe doctrine
o univocity is true and salutaryrdquo9830911048632
Te second major point is perhaps more important or our purposes
It is this analytic theology as such requires no commitment to univocity
whatsoever Indeed many analytic theologians reject univocity in avor
35Tis section draws heavily rom my ldquoTeologians Philosophers and the Doctrine o the rinityrdquo
in McCall and Rea Philosophical and Teological Essays on the rinity pp 1048627983092983088-98309298309636Stephen R Holmes Te Quest for the rinity Te Doctrine of God in Scripture History and Mo-
dernity (Downers Grove IL IVP Academic 104862698308810486251048626) p 1048627104862637See eg Jean-Luc Marion God Without Being trans Tomas A Carlson (Chicago University
o Chicago Press 10486259830979830971048625) and John Milbank Te Word Made Strange (Oxord Blackwell 1048625983097983097983095)
See also the discussion in Daniel P Horan Postmodernity and Univocity A Critical Account of
Radical Orthodoxy and John Duns Scotus (Minneapolis Fortress 10486269830881048625983092)38Tomas Williams ldquoTe Doctrine o Univocity Is rue and Salutaryrdquo Modern Teology 10486261048625 (1048626983088983088983093)
983093983095983093-983096983093 See also William P Alston Divine Nature and Human Language Essays in Philosophical
Teology (Ithaca NY Cornell University Press 1048625983097983096983097) pp 1048625983095-10486251048625983095 and Keith E Yandell ldquoNot
Conusing Incomprehensibility and Ineffability Carl Henry on Literal Propositional Revela-
tionrdquo rinity Journal (10486269830881048625983092) 10486301048625-983095983092
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8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullan-invitation-to-analytic-christian-theology-by-thomas-h-mccall-excerpt 2333
1048626983094 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
o other approaches (the doctrine o analogy being avored by many)
and at least one prominent philosopher o religion deends apophati-
cism9830911048633 Perhaps there is a general sense in which it is true that analytictheologians are naive about religious language Perhaps they aremdash
although I doubt this very much But even i it were true this would not
obviously make analytic theology different rom or inerior to many
other approaches to the theological task Te concernmdasheven i it were
substantiatedmdashwould give us no reason to avoid or dismiss analytic the-
ology It might give us reason to want to do it better it might motivate
analytic theologians to pay closer attention to important issues relatedto theological language But the concern itselmdasheven i substantiatedmdash
would not count against the proper exercise o analytic theology It is at
best a red herring
ldquoAnalytic theology is an exercise in natural theologyrdquo Some critics
might charge analytic theology with reliance on ldquonatural theologyrdquo Tis
observation will seem benign to other theologians some analytic theo-
logians might even take this judgment as a badge o honor But to thosetheologians o the house and lineage o Karl Barth this will be the mark
o damnation some may take natural theology to be ldquothe invention o
the Antichristrdquo as something that can serve only to reinorce idolatry
and corrupt the truth10486281048624 Other theologians might not be so hostile but
they still might worry that natural theology distracts us rom obedience
and fidelity to the reality o divine revelation So i analytic theology is
an exercise in natural theology or even relies on it it should be held at
armrsquos length i not shunned entirely
Much could be said about this cluster o issuesmdashand indeed more will
be said in the next chaptermdashbut at this point a basic conusion needs to
be cleared away Fundamentally it is simply a misunderstanding o ana-
lytic theology to think that it is an exercise in natural theology Granted
some prolific analytic theologians are heavily invested in the project o
natural theology and we can say with confidence that rumors o the
39Eg Jonathan D Jacobs ldquoTe Ineffable Inconceivable and Incomprehensible God Fundamen-
tality and Apophatic Teologyrdquo in Oxford Studies in Philosophy of Religion orthcoming40More precisely Barth says that the analogia entis (which interpreters ofen take to be the basis
o all natural theology) is the ldquoinvention o the Antichristrdquo Doctrine of the Word of God p xiii
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What Is Analytic heology 1048626983095
demise o natural theology have been greatly exaggerated1048628983089 But there is
nothing about analytic theology as suchmdashas I have described it to this
pointmdashthat relies on natural theology Te conusion o natural theologywith the analytic project is just thatmdasha conusion Whatever we should
think about natural theology philosophically however we judge the suc-
cesses (or lack thereo) o the various theistic arguments natural the-
ology simply cannot be equated with analytic theology And whatever
we should conclude theologically about natural theology we should not
conuse it with the analytic project Once again this is a red herring
ldquoAnalytic theology is naive with respect to the history of doctrinerdquoAnother concern expressed by some contemporary systematic theolo-
gians is this analytic theology all too ofen proceeds with little awareness
o the complex but important historical actors associated with the de-
velopment and ormation o Christian doctrine o understate the point
analytic theologians are sometimes criticized or their ignorance o the
history o the development o dogma and or their lack o careul study
to understand the particular intellectual (not to mention social) settingo the person(s) controversies or eras under consideration Instead so
the story goes it is all too common or analytic theologians to approach
an issue by isolating a particular text and then breaking it down to
unpack the real ldquocorerdquo o the doctrine in question And the assumption
o the analytic theologians (again so the story goes) is ofen enough that
this can be saely or appropriately done with little or no reerence to the
particular context in which the development occurred As Fred Sanders
expresses the concern ldquophilosophers sometimes seem to think o ancient
texts as cumbersome delivery systems containing ideas which it is their
job to extract rom the delivery system and do something withrdquo1048628983090 Richard
A Muller likewise argues that lack o attention to historical context
sometimes results in problematic misunderstandings o the tradition in
41Eg Richard Swinburne Te Coherence of Teism (Oxord Oxord University Press 1048625983097983095983095) and
Swinburne Te Existence of God (Oxord Oxord University Press 1048625983097983095983097 [1048626983088983088983092]) For examples
o recent work see Moreland and Craig Blackwell Companion to Natural Teology and James F
Sennett and Douglas Groothuis eds In Defense of Natural Teology A Post-Humean Assessment
(Downers Grove IL IVP Academic 1048626983088983088983093)42Fred Sanders ldquoTe State o the Doctrine o the rinity in Evangelical Teologyrdquo Southwestern
Journal of Teology 983092983095 (1048626983088983088983093) 10486251048630983097
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullan-invitation-to-analytic-christian-theology-by-thomas-h-mccall-excerpt 2533
1048626983096 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
his view or instance both recent deenders and contemporary de-
tractors o the doctrine o divine simplicity commonly ldquomisinterpret the
traditional doctrinerdquo1048628983091 Robert W Jenson is more scathing he judges theanalytic enterprise to be ldquosomewhat oddly related to the Christian aith
it claims to deendrdquo and he calls the work o Richard Swinburne a ldquotruly
bizarre caserdquo10486281048628
At least this is how the story ofen goes A major underlying worry
seems to be that reading texts without proper attention to their social
location and intellectual context can cause us to misread and mis-
interpret those texts Tis strikes me as a legitimate concern and it is onethat analytic theologians would do well to hear and heed No one should
deny that it is possible to misread and misinterpret important historical
texts and it seems to me that such misreadings are ar more likely when
particular bits o the text are isolated and scrutinized apart rom the
broader literary and historical contexts Te temptation to look away
rom the context as an irrelevant distraction is real It should also be
resisted So the criticism contains an important cautionAt the same time however we should keep several additional points
in mind First the problem is not restricted to analytic theologiansmdash
constructive or systematic theologians o any stripe may be susceptible
to this temptation Indeed ironies abound on this ront Afer criticizing
analytic philosophers o religion or overlooking ldquothe essentially his-
torical character o trinitarian theologyrdquomdashand especially or missing the
important differences between the ldquoGreek (or lsquoCappadocianrsquo) Eastrdquo and
the ldquoLatin WestrdquomdashCatherine Mowry LaCugnarsquos own work has been
criticized or exaggerating those differences10486281048629 It is not as i more main-
stream nonanalytic or antianalytic theologians are immune to the temp-
tation instead so ar as I can see this is a general concern that should
serve as an important reminder that all theologians who engage with the
43Richard A Muller Post-Reformation Reformed Dogmatics Te Rise and Development of Reformed
Orthodoxy ca 1048625104862910486261048624ndashca 1048625104863110486261048629 vol 1048627 Te Divine Essence and Attributes (Grand Rapids Baker
Academic 10486269830889830881048627) p 983092104862544Robert W Jenson Systematic Teology vol 1048626 Te Works of God (Oxord Oxord University
Press 1048625983097983097983097) p 983096 n 104862798309345Catherine Mowry LaCugna ldquoPhilosophers and Teologians on the rinityrdquo Modern Teology 1048626
(10486259830979830961048630) 10486259830951048626
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
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What Is Analytic heology 1048626983097
Christian intellectual tradition should do so with appropriate historical
sensitivity Second there is nothingmdashat least so ar as I can seemdashthat
makes this temptation irresistible Te act that some analytic theolo-gians have been insufficiently attentive to some historical matters does
not entail either that all analytic theologians are ignorant o the tradition
or that all analytic theologians must proceed in ignorance I see no
reason to conclude that this problem must be either essential or endemic
to analytic theology Surely more progress can be made in this area but
I see no reasons to think that such progress cannot happen Finally it is
worth noting that such progress in act is being made Tere are manyhappy exceptions to the common stereotype that analytic theologians
are ldquoahistoricalrdquo in act it is sae to say that many excellent analytic
thinkers have genuine specialization in historical scholarship Indeed
many are cutting-edge contributors1048628983094
ldquoAnalytic theology is only apologetics for conservative theologyrdquo Al-
ternatively the suspicion may be that analytic theology is too closely tied
to the Christian tradition Te assumption here is that analytic theologyis nothing more than the bastion o traditionally minded Roman Catholic
(and Orthodox) theologians and philosophers along with their conser-
vative Protestant riends and the worry is that they are interested in
nothing more than finding a sae place to deend what they already know
to be true Consequently the worry goes there is next to nothing o real
interest here or revisionist theologians o various stripes and there is
little promise or genuinely constructive theology
wo observations are important here First in principle there is
nothing about analytic theology that demands either traditional sympa-
thies or conservative conclusions Neither is there anything about ana-
lytic theology (either taken along the lines o Rearsquos P1048625-P983093 or in a somewhat
more expansive way) that precludes the use o the analytic tools by say
eminist womanist or liberationist theologies
46Stellar examples include Richard Cross Duns Scotus on God (Aldershot UK Ashgate 1048626983088983088983093) Cross
Te Metaphysics of the Incarnation Tomas Aquinas to Duns Scotus (Oxord Oxord University
Press 10486269830889830881048626) Eleonore Stump Aquinas (New York Routledge 10486269830889830881048627) Jeffrey E Brower Aquinasrsquos
Ontology of the Material World Change Hylomorphism and Material Objects (Oxord Oxord
University Press 10486269830881048625983092) and J Paasch Divine Production in Late Medieval rinitarian Teology
Henry of Ghent Duns Scotus and William Ockham (Oxord Oxord University Press 104862698308810486251048626)
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullan-invitation-to-analytic-christian-theology-by-thomas-h-mccall-excerpt 2733
983091983088 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
Second in point o act many criticisms o traditional doctrines
have emerged rom within analytic theology Consider this example It
is hard to think o a doctrine that is more deeply traditional or moredeeply woven into the abric o historic Christian theology than the
doctrine o divine simplicity Yet this venerable doctrine has endured
intense criticism rom analytic theologians over the past several de-
cades Alvin Plantingarsquos Does God Have a Nature raised ldquotwo diffi-
cultiesrdquo or the doctrine ldquoone substantial and the other truly
monumentalrdquo10486281048631 He argues that i God is identical with each o his
properties then God has but one property But this ldquoseems flatly in-compatible with the obvious act that God has several propertiesrdquo10486281048632 He
argues urther that i God is identical with each o his properties then
God is also a property ldquoTis view is subject to a difficulty both obvious
and overwhelming [or] i God is a property then he isnrsquot a person
but a mere abstract objectrdquo10486281048633 Many analytic theologians have joined
other criticisms to those o Plantinga and it is obvious that this doc-
trinemdashwoven deeply into the abric o traditional Christian doctrineas it ismdashis under assault rom within analytic theology We could mul-
tiply examples with ease (Te traditional doctrine o divine omni-
science stands out here) Tere are o course many sophisticated de-
enders o classical orthodoxy within analytic theology but the basic
point should be clear to reduce analytic theology to apologetics or
traditional doctrine is simply a mistake
As will become obvious in the ollowing pages I think that there is
much to be gained in the work o ldquoretrieval theologyrdquo and I see it as a
natural conversation partner and compatriot o analytic theology I want
to encourage more work at the intersection o analytic theology and
theologies o retrieval But there is nothing about analytic theology as
such that demands adherence to classical Christian theology
ldquoAnalytic theology relies on lsquosubstance metaphysicsrsquo rdquo Sometimes
theologians are suspicious o analytic theology due to its alleged reliance
on substance metaphysics Tis complaint can take various orms Some-
47Alvin Plantinga Does God Have a Nature (Milwaukee Marquette University Press 1048625983097983096983088) p 98309298309548Ibid49Ibid
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What Is Analytic heology 9830911048625
times it is claimed that the whole analytic enterprise is ldquopre-Kantianrdquo (as
in Kenneth Surinrsquos critique o David Brownrsquos work as being ldquorobustly
old-ashionedrdquo and ldquopre-Kantianrdquo)10486291048624 In other words critics complainthat analytic theology proceeds in blithemdashand perhaps willulmdashigno-
rance o the ldquoactrdquo that Kant undermined the entire project by destroying
the very possibility o doing it wo important claims seem to be in play
with this critique first that Kant did something to make analytic the-
ology impossible and second that analytic theologians are unaware o
what Kant did But both o these claims are problematic Te second is
simply mistaken and the first is vigorously contested As Nicholas Wolt-erstorff points out it is much more likely that the current generation o
analytic theologians is not so much ldquopre-Kantianrdquo as it is ldquopost-Kantianrdquo
As he puts it ldquoit really is possible to be post-Kantian Itrsquos possible to re-
cover rom Kant Te choices are not exhausted between being naively
pre-Kantian on the one hand and being a Kantian o one or another
stripe on the otherrdquo1048629983089 Tere are Wolterstorff argues philosophers who
are ully aware o Kantian ldquointerpretation-universalism and ully awareo [Kantian] metaphysical anti-realism but afer serious consideration
they have rejected these options as untenablerdquo1048629983090 So many analytic theo-
logians are well aware o Kantrsquos work (and the common claims made
about that work) but they donrsquot think that he did anything to shut down
the kind o work that they are doing As Plantinga puts it ldquothey have read
him and remain unconvincedrdquo1048629983091
But aside rom Kant analytic theology is sometimes criticized and
rejected or its reliance on ldquosubstance metaphysicsrdquo Unortunately ex-
actly what critical theologians have in their crosshairs when they talk
about substance metaphysics is ofen unclear and not closely defined
But very ofen the complaint is closely tied to a rejection o doctrines
50Kenneth Surin ldquoTe rinity and Philosophical Reflection A Study o David Brownrsquos Te Divine
rinity rdquo Modern Teology 1048626 (10486259830979830961048630) 10486261048627983097-98309298308851Nicholas Wolterstorff ldquoBetween the Pincers o Increased Diversity and Supposed Irrationalityrdquo
in God Philosophy and Academic Culture A Discussion Between Scholars in the AAR and APA
ed William J Wainwright (Atlanta Scholars Press 10486259830979830971048630) p 1048626983088 See also Wolterstorff ldquoIs It
Possible and Desirable or Teologians to Recover rom Kantrdquo Modern Teology 1048625983092 (1048625983097983097983096)
1048625-104862598309652Wolterstorff ldquoBetween the Pincersrdquo p 104862698308853Alvin Plantinga Warranted Christian Belief (Oxord Oxord University Press 1048626983088983088983088) p 1048627983088
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
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9830911048626 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
associated with ldquoclassical theismrdquo immutability impassibility time-
lessness and other doctrines are taken to be untenable and since they
are tied to substance metaphysics so much the worse or substancemetaphysics William P Alston defly analyzes this complaint and he
argues that substance metaphysics are really beside the point What he
says about substance metaphysics in discussions o the doctrine o the
rinity applies more broadly ldquoonce we get straight as to what is and is
not necessarily included in the metaphysics o substance we will see that
most twentieth-century objections to the use o substance metaphysics
are based on eatures o such ormulations that are not required bysubstance metaphysics as suchrdquo10486291048628 Perhaps there is something inherently
wrong with the use o substance metaphysics in theology and maybe this
counts against analytic theology But beore such a judgment can be
made we need more than the all-too-common generalizations and as-
sertions For beore we can conclude that analytic theology is atally
flawed due to a dependence on substance metaphysics we need to know
exactly what is meant by substance metaphysics we need to be shown just what is wrong (either philosophically or theologically) with sub-
stance metaphysics and we need to see that analytic theology really is (or
must be) committed to this kind o metaphysics Without the kind o
careul analysis and rigorous argumentation it is hard to see anything
here that might count as a orceul objection to analytic theology
ldquoAnalytic theology isnrsquot spiritually edifyingrdquo William Wood notes that
ldquomany conventional theologians remain deeply suspicious o analytic the-
ologyrdquo because o the worry that analytic theology is not spiritually edi-
ying As these theologians see matters ldquogenuine theology is in the first
instance practical aimed not at explanatory theories about God but at
ostering greater love or God and neighbor Genuine theology in short
is praxis one deeply woven together with a Christian lie o prayer virtue
and participation in the sacramentsrdquo10486291048629 Te basic concern is this when
more mainstream theologians look at analytic theology they donrsquot rec-
54William P Alston ldquoSubstance and the rinityrdquo in Te rinity An Interdisciplinary Symposium on
the rinity ed Stephen Davis Daniel Kendall SJ and Gerald OrsquoCollins SJ (Oxord Oxord
University Press 1048625983097983097983097) p 1048626983088104862555William Wood ldquoAnalytic Teology as a Way o Lierdquo Journal of Analytic Teology (10486269830881048625983092) 983092983092
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
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What Is Analytic heology 983091983091
ognize the kind o theology-as-praxis that they value Instead they see
purported explanatory theoriesmdashmere purported explanatory theories
Sometimes these explanations appear to be a very long way indeed romthe lie o aith Indeed they see ormulas such as this (selected pretty
much at random rom among many others)
P existx (Dx amp forally(Dy =gt Byx) amp x made us
Q existx(Dx amp forally(Dy =gt Byx ))1048629983094
When they encounter this kind o work some theologians donrsquot rec-
ognize it as theology at all I they are willing to recognize it as theology
they tend to worry that they donrsquot see the kind o theology that promotes
love o God and neighbor they are concerned that they donrsquot see the-
ology that is connected to the lie o aith As Wood puts it they worry
that ldquoanalytic theology is spiritually sterile and thereore not really a
orm o genuine theology at allrdquo10486291048631
I think this is an important point o criticism and it raises some very
intriguing concerns But as Wood also notes it would be a ldquomistake and
urthermore a presumptuous mistake to assume that analytic philo-
sophical theology cannot in principle be spiritually nourishingrdquo10486291048632 Tree
points stand out First it is important to realize that the temptation to
construct explanatory theories about God that are divorced rom worship
and transormation is both real and present It is also nearious10486291048633 Te
temptation besets theologians o all stripesmdashanalytic or otherwise I do
not think analytic theologians are the only theologians who ace this
temptation o the contrary idolatry is no respecter o ideologies Butsurely it is not invincible surelymdashby Godrsquos gracemdashit is not irresistible
As Wood reminds us ldquoGodrsquos love rains down on logicians too afer allrdquo9830941048624
Second there is good reason to think that analytic theology maymdash
contrary to common expectationsmdashturn out to be spiritually ediying
56Peter van Inwagen ldquoAnd Yet Tey Are Not Tree Gods but One Godrdquo in McCall and Rea
Philosophical and Teological Essays on the rinity pp 10486269830921048625 1048626983092104863057Wood ldquoAnalytic Teology as a Way o Lierdquo p 983092983092 See also Marilyn McCord Adams ldquoWhatrsquos
Wrong with the Ontotheological Errorrdquo Journal of Analytic Teology (10486269830881048625983092) 1048625-1048625104862658Wood ldquoAnalytic Teology as a Way o Lierdquo p 983092104863059See the warnings o Merold Westphal Suspicion and Faith Te Religious Uses of Modern Atheism
(New York Fordham University Press 1048625983097983097983096)60Wood ldquoAnalytic Teology as a Way o Lierdquo p 983092983095
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
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983091983092 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
Wood argues that analytic theology may be spiritually beneficial in
several ways He suggests that the ldquoconcentrated attention required to
read understand and develop very technical analytic argumentsrdquo maybe conducive to the kinds o intellectual virtues and habits o mind that
are spiritually beneficial983094983089 In addition he notes the ldquoargumentative
transparencyrdquo (what he terms the ldquoparadigmatic analytic virtuerdquo) may be
helpul in spiritual ormation983094983090 Wood readily admits that this tendency
toward argumentative rigor can also eed a orm o pride or even ldquointel-
lectual violencerdquo but he also points out that to make a ldquogood analytic
argument is to make that argument maximally easy or intellectual op-ponents to criticize or reuterdquo and this very transparency makes it much
harder to shield onesel rom criticisms but instead is a way to ldquomake
onesel intellectually vulnerablerdquo In this way it serves as a ldquocheck against
intellectual priderdquo983094983091 Moreover the pace demanded by such rigor and the
modesty o the claims that are rendered deensible have the potential to
cultivate epistemic humility Furthermore another important eature o
the analytic approach is the need to ldquoidentiy imaginatively with onersquosintellectual opponentsrdquo this also as Wood points out orces us to inhabit
a worldview that is not only oreign to our own but also sometimes
hostile In these ways Wood argues ldquoanalytic theology can become a
spiritual practice a way o seeking God and o training the mind and
the will to be open to gracerdquo9830941048628
Finally we should not neglect to notice those shining examples o
theologians or whom analytic theology indeed is closely related to
worship and spiritual nurture Indeed it would be hard not to notice
them or the tradition is rie with such theologians A great many pa-
tristic and most scholastic (both medieval and early modern) theolo-
gians count as ldquoanalytic theologiansrdquo For surely they fit our profile o
theologians who prize ldquoconceptual precision rigor o argumentation
technical erudition and an in-depth deense o an original worldviewrdquo
(and who would in many instances value P1048625-P983093) As an example con-
61Ibid p 98309398309362Ibid p 983093104863063Ibid64Ibid p 983093983096
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What Is Analytic heology 983091983093
sider Anselmrsquos Proslogion It is obvious that Anselm values precision and
rigor and he clearly intends to convey truth claims that he finds con-
vincing But as both Wood and Marilyn McCord Adams point out thiswork is ldquomeant to do more than communicate propositional truthsrdquo or
ldquoit is meant to help reorient the wills o its readers and help bring about
effective and volitional change in themrdquo9830941048629 Despite important differences
o style and substance we could say much the same about many other
figures (both well known and less so) as well it is very difficult to read
ar into Bonaventure Richard o St Victor Aquinas Scotus Vermigli
Perkins Arminius urretin Edwards Wesley and many others withoutunderstanding that they are obviously concerned with both intellectual
rigor and spiritual ormation
65Ibid p 983093983088 See also Marilyn McCord Adams ldquoPraying the Proslogionrdquo in Te Rationality of
Belief and the Plurality of Faith ed Tomas Senor (Ithaca NY Cornell University Press 1048625983097983097983093)
pp 10486251048627-1048627983097 and Adams ldquoElegant Necessity Prayerul Disputation Method in Cur Deus Homordquo
in Studia Anselmiana Cur Deus Homo (Rome 1048625983097983097983097) pp 10486271048630983095-9830971048630
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What Is Analytic heology 1048625983095
Just what is analytic theology Perhaps it will help first to consider what
is so analytic about analytic theology Following this we shall think
about how it is an exercise in theology Analytic theology as analytic theology As we have seen Quentin Smith
praises Plantingarsquos work or its excellence in ldquothe most valued standards o
analytic philosophy conceptual precision rigor o argumentation tech-
nical erudition and an in-depth deense o an original worldviewrdquo9830891048628 Oliver
D Crisp echoes this estimation o what counts as good work in analytic
philosophy he observes that analytic philosophy is characterized by ldquoa
logical rigour clarity and parsimony o expression coupled with attentionto a certain cluster o philosophical problemsrdquo9830891048629 Analytic theology is rel-
evantly similar he says or it ldquowill prize intellectual virtues like clarity
parsimony o expression and argumentative rigourrdquo983089983094 Michael C Rearsquos
description o analytic philosophy echoes these accounts in some ways
While recognizing that clear and sharp lines between ldquoanalyticrdquo and ldquonon-
analyticrdquo (or ldquoContinentalrdquo) philosophical approaches are neither easy to
come by nor perhaps really worth all the work he characterizes analyticapproaches to philosophy in terms o style and ambition9830891048631 Te ambitions
are generally ldquoto identiy the scope and limits o our powers to obtain
knowledge o the worldrdquo and ldquoto provide such true explanatory theories
as we can in areas o inquiry (metaphysics morals and the like) that all
outside the scope o the natural sciencesrdquo9830891048632 Rea characterizes the style as
including the ollowing prescriptions
P1048625 Write as i philosophical positions and conclusions can be adequately or-mulated in sentences that can be ormalized and logically manipulated
P1048626 Prioritize precision clarity and logical coherence
P983091 Avoid substantive (non-decorative) use o metaphor and other tropes
whose semantic content outstrips their propositional content
14Smith ldquoMetaphilosophyrdquo p 104862615Oliver D Crisp ldquoOn Analytic Teologyrdquo in Crisp and Rea Analytic Teology p 104862798309316Ibid pp 1048627983095-104862798309617Michael C Rea introduction to Crisp and Rea Analytic Teology pp 1048627-983092 See also Nick raka-
kis ldquoMeta-Philosophy o Religion Te Analytic-Continental Divide in Philosophy o Religionrdquo
Ars Disputandi 983095 (1048626983088983088983095) 1048625983095983097-1048626104862698308818Rea introduction p 983092
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1048625983096 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
P983092 Work as much as possible with well-understood primitive concepts and
concepts that can be analyzed in terms o those
P983093 reat conceptual analysis (insoar as possible) as a source o evidence9830891048633
Tis much at least is characteristic o analytic philosophy So what
about analytic theology As Rea sees things ldquoanalytic theology is just the
activity o approaching theological topics with the ambitions o an ana-
lytic philosopher and in a style that conorms to the prescriptions that
are distinctive o analytic philosophical discourse It will also involve
more or less pursuing those topics in a way that engages the literature
that is constitutive o the analytic tradition employing some o the tech-
nical jargon rom that tradition and so on But in the end it is the style
and ambitions that are most centralrdquo9830901048624
All this is helpul but perhaps a bit more explanation would be ben-
eficial Consider P1048625 Tis need not mean that all meaningul statements
in theology (or philosophy) need to be expressed ormally it should
not be taken to mean that every theological claim should be stated in
an apparatus with numbered propositions and a ormal structure
What it does mean however is that the deault setting or theologians
should be to communicate propositions that could be expressed this
way For as Rea says ldquoabsent special circumstancesrdquo things have ldquogone
very much amissrdquo i a view ldquois expressed in such a way that it has no
clear logical outcomesrdquo983090983089
Consider also P1048626 Tis need notmdashand should notmdashbe taken to mean
that logical precision and coherence are the only important criteria ora theologian and neither should it be taken to imply even that logical
precision and coherence are the most important criteria Te theologian
who is convinced that her first commitment is fidelity to the priority and
ultimacy o divine revelation should have no difficulty in assenting to P1048626
Neither urther should P1048626 be taken to imply that the same levels o
logical precision are possible with all theological topics nor yet that all
theological projects require the same levels o precision and argumentative
19Ibid pp 983093-104863020Ibid p 98309521Ibid p 983093 n 983093
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What Is Analytic heology 1048625983097
rigor Consider by way o example childrenrsquos catechetical literature
Surely this literature is theological but it neither can nor should attempt
to display the same level o logical precision or argumentative rigor assay advanced work in scholastic theology P1048626 does not clam that such
theological literature should do so or that all work in theology must
always do so
Neither should P1048626 be misunderstood with respect to claims about the
importance o ldquoclarityrdquo Rea notes that this claim can seem ironic ldquoin light
o the act that quite a lot o analytic philosophy [and we could add
some analytic theology] is very difficult even or specialists and totallyinaccessible to non-specialistsrdquo983090983090 But ldquoclearrdquo does not mean ldquoeasyrdquo In-
stead it expresses a commitment to the work o ldquospelling out hidden
assumptions scrupulously trying to lay bare whatever evidence one has
(or lacks) or the claims that one is making and on taking care to confine
onersquos vocabulary to ordinary language well-understood primitive con-
cepts and technical jargon definable in terms o theserdquo983090983091 Finally we
should note that P1048626 does not imply that everything (or everything worthtalking about) in theology will become crystal clear Te goal o analytic
theology is not (or at least need not be) the removal o all mystery in
theology o the contrary analytic philosophers o religion have long
been keenly aware o the place o mystery in theology and it may be that
at certain points an important role o the theologian is to clariy just
where the mystery really lies P1048626 does not suggest that analytic theology
will make everything ldquoclearrdquo in the sense that it makes everything ldquoeasy
and readily accessible to the nonspecialistrdquo Instead what it prioritizes is
clarity to the appropriate audiences and to the greatest possible degree
And it insists that ldquomysteryrdquo must not be conused with logical inco-
herence and it likewise insists that we do not gloriy what is clearly in-
coherent with the shroud o ldquomysteryrdquo As Alan G Padgett says theology
should ldquoseek the truth about Godrdquo and ldquothereore must shun incoherence
and irrationalityrdquo9830901048628 Where ldquosometimes lsquomysteryrsquo is evoked as an excuse
22Ibid p 983093 n 104863023Ibid24Alan G Padgett ldquoTe rinity in Teology and Philosophy Why Jerusalem Should Work with
Athensrdquo in Philosophical and Teological Essays on the rinity ed Tomas McCall and Michael
C Rea (Oxord Oxord University Press 1048626983088983088983097) p 104862710486271048626
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
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1048626983088 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
or sloppy thinking this must be anathema to any academic theology
worthy o the namerdquo For ldquoafer all the mystery o God does not end
when theology speaks clearly Te simple phrase lsquoJesus loves me this Iknow or the Bible tells me sorsquo covers vast deep mysteries that even the
angels gaze into with awe and wonderrdquo9830901048629
P983091 rules out ldquosubstantive (non-decorative) use o metaphor and other
tropes whose semantic content outstrips their propositional contentrdquo
Tis does not or at least need not mean that there is no valid or valuable
place or metaphor in theology Analytic theologians will disagree among
themselves as to howmdashand how muchmdashmetaphor is useul and legiti-mate983090983094 But the basic point is airly plain on P983091 theologians are not at
liberty to trade loosely in metaphor without ever being able to speciy
just what is meant by those metaphors Tey are not then ree to make
claims the meaning o which cannot be specified or spelled out Teolo-
gians are not licensed to trade in what Randal Rauser calls ldquounclarifiable
unclarityrdquo9830901048631 P983092 calls the analytic theologian to work with ldquowell-understood
primitive conceptsrdquo that are reasonably taken to be basic intuitive or(minimally) uncontroversial (and with concepts that can be understood
in terms o such primitive concepts) Some theologians will be quick to
raise concerns here they will worry that the very notion o ldquowell-
understood primitive conceptsrdquo may both conceal blind spots o social
location and privilege and be a Procrustean bed that restricts theological
concepts to ldquowhat we already know to be truerdquo and thus curtails the
possibility o engagement with divine revelation But once again it is
important not to misunderstand P983092 Te ldquoas much as possiblerdquo is key
here i the preunderstood concepts donrsquot do enough work then some o
them can be adjusted Others wonrsquot be so easy to adjust or discard but
this category o primitive concepts is both quite small and very basic (eg
the law o noncontradiction) Simply put there is no good reason to
25Ibid26I thank Billy Abraham or pressing this point Te ldquostandardrdquo work on metaphor in theology
remains Janet Martin Soskice Metaphor and Religious Language (Oxord Oxord University
Press 1048625983097983096983095)27Randal Rauser ldquoTeology as a Bull Sessionrdquo in Crisp and Rea Analytic Teology pp 983095983092-983095983093 See
also Harry Frankurt On Bullshit (Princeton NJ Princeton University Press 1048626983088983088983093) and Frank-
urt Bullshit and Philosophy ed Gary L Hardcastle and George A Resich (Chicago Open
Court 1048626983088983088983093)
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
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What Is Analytic heology 10486261048625
think that the notion o ldquowell-understood primitive conceptsrdquo must
unction as a Procrustean bed
Finally Rea says that P983093 calls us to ldquotreat conceptual analysis (insoaras it is possible) as a source o evidencerdquo It should be obvious that he
does not say that conceptual analysis is the only source o evidence and
there is no reason to think that it should be taken this way Neither does
he claim that conceptual analysis is the primary or ultimate source o
evidence P983093 makes an important claim but it is a rather modest one
What it insists on is this i close conceptual analysis reveals that some
theological proposition P is say internally inconsistent then thatanalysis gives us all the evidence we need to reject P No matter how
grand the claims o Prsquo s supporters in deense o the supporting evidence
for it i P is incoherent (sel-reerentially or otherwise) then it is not true
Once we have established that P is incoherent (which is a task much
harder than is sometimes supposed) we have all the reason we need to
conclude that it is wrong In addition o course conceptual analysis
might count as evidence in other and more positive ways as well Con-sider perect being theology or example here theologians analyze ldquoper-
ectionrdquo and then take deliverances o that analysis as evidence in support
o their theological conclusions
Much more could be said about what makes analytic theology truly
analytic o course While this could be expanded on and broadened
(particularly in directions that put less o a premium on precision) Rearsquos
P1048625-P983093 give us an initial sense o what it means to say that theology is
analytic theology Generally speaking analytic theology is theology that
is attuned to and committed to the ldquogoals and ambitionsrdquo o analytic
philosophy a commitment to truth wherever it may be ound clarity o
expression and rigor o argumentation Very ofen it will not hesitate to
make appropriate use o the available tools o analytic philosophy espe-
cially as these aid conceptual precision and argumentative rigor
Analytic theology as analytic theology But i echoing Smith it is the
concern with ldquoconceptual precisionrdquo and ldquorigor o argumentationrdquo that
makes analytic theology analytic then what is it that makes analytic
theology really theology Tis book develops an answer to this question
but an initial summary may help Recall that Smith talks not only about
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10486261048626 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
ldquoconceptual precisionrdquo and ldquorigor o argumentationrdquo but also about ldquotech-
nical eruditionrdquo and the ldquoin-depth deense o an original worldviewrdquo For
the analytic philosopher ldquotechnical eruditionrdquo will naturally involvemastery o the requisite field (metaphysics philosophy o mind epis-
temology etc) but it may also include competence in other related
fields (biology or philosophy o biology neurology or philosophy o
mind etc) For the analytic theologian such erudition will include com-
petence in the relevant areas o philosophical study that are necessary or
ldquoconceptual precisionrdquo and ldquorigor o argumentationrdquo But or the analytic
theologian qua theologian it must involve much more than this Forunless analytic theology is merely ldquoarmchair theologyrdquo (albeit armchair
theology done by very bright people) it will be grounded in the
Christian Scriptures it will be inormed by the great tradition o doc-
trinal development it will be ldquochristologically normedrdquo and it will be
culturally engaged As theology it will seek to articulate what we may
know o God as God has revealed himsel to us As Nicholas Wolterstorff
puts it to theologiansDo not be ersatz philosophers do not be ersatz cultural theorists do not be
ersatz anything Be genuine theologians Be sure-ooted in philosophy But
then be theologians What we need to hear rom you is how things look
when seen in light o the triune Godmdashmay his name be praisedmdashwho creates
and sustains us who redeems us and who will bring this rail and allen
though yet glorious humanity and cosmos to consummation9830901048632
Accordingly analytic theology is theology done by theologians who areldquosure-ootedrdquo in philosophy (many o whom will have extensive training
and proessional expertise there and indeed may be leaders within their
field) but it is a kind o theology nonetheless
Such a conception o theology is o course not remotely new What
we may useully reer to as ldquoanalytic theologyrdquo is very similar in many
respects to deeply traditional ways o doing theology We can see this
kind o work exemplified in the theology o the scholastics (both me-dieval and post-Reormationearly modern) So in some sense the re-
28Nicholas Wolterstorff ldquoo Teologians From One Who Cares About Teology but Is Not One
o Yourdquo Teological Education (1048626983088983088983093) 9830971048625-9830971048626
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
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What Is Analytic heology 1048626983091
birth o analytic theology may be thought o as scholasticism redivivus
As Richard Swinburnemdashsurely a pioneer o analytic theologymdashsays
ldquolarge-scale theology needs clear and rigorous argumentrdquo and it is ldquohightime or theology to returnrdquo to the standards set by Tomas Aquinas
John Duns Scotus and others9830901048633 But it is not only the ldquohigh scholasticsrdquo
who worked this way or we can also witness many o these virtues in
theologians rom the patristics to the pietists9830911048624 Many theologians in the
Christian tradition were concerned with both ldquoconceptual precisionrdquo and
ldquoargumentative rigorrdquo as well as ldquotechnical eruditionrdquo and the ldquoin-depth
deense o an original worldviewrdquoConsider what John Wesleymdashan evangelist hardly known as a ldquoscho-
lasticrdquo or an ldquoanalytic theologianrdquomdashhas to say about the importance o
acquiring the tools or ldquoconceptual precisionrdquo and ldquoargumentative rigorrdquo
Logic he says is ldquonecessary next to and in order to the knowledge o
Scripturerdquo983091983089 Despite the act that it is ldquonow quite unashionablerdquo none-
theless logic is invaluable For with it we have the possibility o ldquoappre-
hending things clearly judging truly and reasoning conclusivelyrdquo
983091983090
Andas with logic so also with metaphysics Tus Wesley will ask o clergy
Am I a tolerable master o the sciences Have I gone through the very gate o
them logic I not I am not likely to go much urther when I stumble at the
threshold Do I understand it so as to be ever the better or it o have it
always ready or use so as to apply every rule o it when occasion is almost
as naturally as I turn my hand Do I understand it at all Can I reduce an
indirect mood to a direct a hypothetic to a categorical syllogism Rather have
not my stupid indolence and laziness made me very ready to believe what the
little wits and pretty gentlemen affirm ldquothat logic is good or nothingrdquo It is
good or this at least (wherever it is understood) to make people talk less by
showing them both what is and what is not to the point and how extremely
29Richard Swinburne Te Coherence of Teism 1048626nd ed (Oxord Oxord University Press 10486259830979830971048627)
p 98309530See eg Gregory o Nyssa Against Eunomius 10486259830921048626 Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers ed Philip
Schaff series 1048626 (10486259830969830961048630ndash1048625983096983096983097 repr Peabody MA Hendrickson 1048625983097983097983092) 983093983097983096-983097983097 (Patrologia
Graeca [= Patrologiae Cursus Completus Series Graeca] ed Jacques-Paul Migne [Paris 1048625983096983093983095ndash
10486259830969830961048630] 9830929830939830921048630983088-10486301048625)31John Wesley ldquoAddress to the Clergyrdquo in Te Works of John Wesley vol 1048625983088 Letters Essays Dialogs
and Addresses (Grand Rapids Zondervan nd) p 983092983096104862732Ibid
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8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullan-invitation-to-analytic-christian-theology-by-thomas-h-mccall-excerpt 2133
1048626983092 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
hard it is to prove anything Do I understand metaphysics i not the depths
o the Schoolmen the subtleties o Scotus or Aquinas yet the first rudiments
the general principles o that useul science983091983091
Consider urther what Wesley says about the importance o ldquotechnical
eruditionrdquo in theology Insisting on the importance o knowledge o the
scope o Christian Scripture as well as acility in the relevant ancient
languages he asks
Have I (1048625) such a knowledge o Scripture as becomes him who undertakes
so to explain it to others Have I a ull and clear view o the analogy o
aith which is the clue to guide me through the whole Am I acquainted with
the several parts o Scripture with all parts o the Old estament and the
New Upon the mention o any text do I know the context and the parallel
places Do I know the scope o each book and how every part tends
thereto Have I the skill to draw the natural inerences deducible rom each
text (1048626) Do I understand Greek and Hebrew Otherwise am I not at
the mercy o everyone who does understand or pretends to understand the
original For which way can I conute his pretence Do I understand the lan-
guage o the Old estament Critically At all Can I read into English one o
Davidrsquos Psalms or even the first chapter o Genesis Do I understand the
language o the New estament Am I a critical master o it Have I enough
o it even to read into English the first chapter o St Luke I not how many
years did I spend at school How many at university And what was I doing
all those years9830911048628
Wesley says similar things about the indispensability o knowledge o
the Christian tradition But the basic point should be clear important
elements o what we now call ldquoanalytic theologyrdquo have deep roots in the
broad Christian theological tradition Indeed or an evangelist like John
Wesley this is simply the kind o theology that any Christian minister
should be doing
W983144983137983156 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 T983144983141983151983148983151983143983161 I983155983150rsquo983156 M983145983155983157983150983140983141983154983155983156983137983150983140983145983150983143983155
983137983150983140 O983138983146983141983139983156983145983151983150983155
Many systematic theologians are suspicious o analytic theology Indeed
33Ibid pp 9830929830971048625-983097104862634Ibid pp 983092983097983088-9830971048625
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What Is Analytic heology 1048626983093
some are deeply suspicious Te concerns come rom several angles Here
are some o the most common9830911048629
ldquoAnalytic theology relies on a univocal account of religious languagerdquoSome theologians may worry that the current analytic discussions
proceed with an unrealistic and unhealthy naiveteacute regarding the nature
and unction o religious language For instance Stephen R Holmes
thinks that ldquoanalytic discussions o the rinity seem generally to proceed
with a remarkable confidence about the success o language in reerring
to the divinerdquo he thinks that the assumption o analytic theology ldquowould
always seem to be that language reers univocally to the divine and thecreatedrdquo Indeed he thinks that analytic theology would be ldquoimpossiblerdquo
without a commitment to univocity983091983094 More worrisome the concern may
be that analytic theologyrsquos commitment to univocity implicates it in
something that is (at least potentially) idolatrous9830911048631
A general treatment o religious language is beyond the scope o our
discussion but several observations may be helpul First it should be
noted that the case against univocity should not be merely assumed (asi some particular theological proposal could be damned by nothing
more than the charge o univocity) Nor is the case for univocity nearly
so weak as is ofen supposed o the contrary univocity has serious and
sophisticated deenders today and a case can be made that ldquothe doctrine
o univocity is true and salutaryrdquo9830911048632
Te second major point is perhaps more important or our purposes
It is this analytic theology as such requires no commitment to univocity
whatsoever Indeed many analytic theologians reject univocity in avor
35Tis section draws heavily rom my ldquoTeologians Philosophers and the Doctrine o the rinityrdquo
in McCall and Rea Philosophical and Teological Essays on the rinity pp 1048627983092983088-98309298309636Stephen R Holmes Te Quest for the rinity Te Doctrine of God in Scripture History and Mo-
dernity (Downers Grove IL IVP Academic 104862698308810486251048626) p 1048627104862637See eg Jean-Luc Marion God Without Being trans Tomas A Carlson (Chicago University
o Chicago Press 10486259830979830971048625) and John Milbank Te Word Made Strange (Oxord Blackwell 1048625983097983097983095)
See also the discussion in Daniel P Horan Postmodernity and Univocity A Critical Account of
Radical Orthodoxy and John Duns Scotus (Minneapolis Fortress 10486269830881048625983092)38Tomas Williams ldquoTe Doctrine o Univocity Is rue and Salutaryrdquo Modern Teology 10486261048625 (1048626983088983088983093)
983093983095983093-983096983093 See also William P Alston Divine Nature and Human Language Essays in Philosophical
Teology (Ithaca NY Cornell University Press 1048625983097983096983097) pp 1048625983095-10486251048625983095 and Keith E Yandell ldquoNot
Conusing Incomprehensibility and Ineffability Carl Henry on Literal Propositional Revela-
tionrdquo rinity Journal (10486269830881048625983092) 10486301048625-983095983092
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullan-invitation-to-analytic-christian-theology-by-thomas-h-mccall-excerpt 2333
1048626983094 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
o other approaches (the doctrine o analogy being avored by many)
and at least one prominent philosopher o religion deends apophati-
cism9830911048633 Perhaps there is a general sense in which it is true that analytictheologians are naive about religious language Perhaps they aremdash
although I doubt this very much But even i it were true this would not
obviously make analytic theology different rom or inerior to many
other approaches to the theological task Te concernmdasheven i it were
substantiatedmdashwould give us no reason to avoid or dismiss analytic the-
ology It might give us reason to want to do it better it might motivate
analytic theologians to pay closer attention to important issues relatedto theological language But the concern itselmdasheven i substantiatedmdash
would not count against the proper exercise o analytic theology It is at
best a red herring
ldquoAnalytic theology is an exercise in natural theologyrdquo Some critics
might charge analytic theology with reliance on ldquonatural theologyrdquo Tis
observation will seem benign to other theologians some analytic theo-
logians might even take this judgment as a badge o honor But to thosetheologians o the house and lineage o Karl Barth this will be the mark
o damnation some may take natural theology to be ldquothe invention o
the Antichristrdquo as something that can serve only to reinorce idolatry
and corrupt the truth10486281048624 Other theologians might not be so hostile but
they still might worry that natural theology distracts us rom obedience
and fidelity to the reality o divine revelation So i analytic theology is
an exercise in natural theology or even relies on it it should be held at
armrsquos length i not shunned entirely
Much could be said about this cluster o issuesmdashand indeed more will
be said in the next chaptermdashbut at this point a basic conusion needs to
be cleared away Fundamentally it is simply a misunderstanding o ana-
lytic theology to think that it is an exercise in natural theology Granted
some prolific analytic theologians are heavily invested in the project o
natural theology and we can say with confidence that rumors o the
39Eg Jonathan D Jacobs ldquoTe Ineffable Inconceivable and Incomprehensible God Fundamen-
tality and Apophatic Teologyrdquo in Oxford Studies in Philosophy of Religion orthcoming40More precisely Barth says that the analogia entis (which interpreters ofen take to be the basis
o all natural theology) is the ldquoinvention o the Antichristrdquo Doctrine of the Word of God p xiii
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What Is Analytic heology 1048626983095
demise o natural theology have been greatly exaggerated1048628983089 But there is
nothing about analytic theology as suchmdashas I have described it to this
pointmdashthat relies on natural theology Te conusion o natural theologywith the analytic project is just thatmdasha conusion Whatever we should
think about natural theology philosophically however we judge the suc-
cesses (or lack thereo) o the various theistic arguments natural the-
ology simply cannot be equated with analytic theology And whatever
we should conclude theologically about natural theology we should not
conuse it with the analytic project Once again this is a red herring
ldquoAnalytic theology is naive with respect to the history of doctrinerdquoAnother concern expressed by some contemporary systematic theolo-
gians is this analytic theology all too ofen proceeds with little awareness
o the complex but important historical actors associated with the de-
velopment and ormation o Christian doctrine o understate the point
analytic theologians are sometimes criticized or their ignorance o the
history o the development o dogma and or their lack o careul study
to understand the particular intellectual (not to mention social) settingo the person(s) controversies or eras under consideration Instead so
the story goes it is all too common or analytic theologians to approach
an issue by isolating a particular text and then breaking it down to
unpack the real ldquocorerdquo o the doctrine in question And the assumption
o the analytic theologians (again so the story goes) is ofen enough that
this can be saely or appropriately done with little or no reerence to the
particular context in which the development occurred As Fred Sanders
expresses the concern ldquophilosophers sometimes seem to think o ancient
texts as cumbersome delivery systems containing ideas which it is their
job to extract rom the delivery system and do something withrdquo1048628983090 Richard
A Muller likewise argues that lack o attention to historical context
sometimes results in problematic misunderstandings o the tradition in
41Eg Richard Swinburne Te Coherence of Teism (Oxord Oxord University Press 1048625983097983095983095) and
Swinburne Te Existence of God (Oxord Oxord University Press 1048625983097983095983097 [1048626983088983088983092]) For examples
o recent work see Moreland and Craig Blackwell Companion to Natural Teology and James F
Sennett and Douglas Groothuis eds In Defense of Natural Teology A Post-Humean Assessment
(Downers Grove IL IVP Academic 1048626983088983088983093)42Fred Sanders ldquoTe State o the Doctrine o the rinity in Evangelical Teologyrdquo Southwestern
Journal of Teology 983092983095 (1048626983088983088983093) 10486251048630983097
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
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httpslidepdfcomreaderfullan-invitation-to-analytic-christian-theology-by-thomas-h-mccall-excerpt 2533
1048626983096 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
his view or instance both recent deenders and contemporary de-
tractors o the doctrine o divine simplicity commonly ldquomisinterpret the
traditional doctrinerdquo1048628983091 Robert W Jenson is more scathing he judges theanalytic enterprise to be ldquosomewhat oddly related to the Christian aith
it claims to deendrdquo and he calls the work o Richard Swinburne a ldquotruly
bizarre caserdquo10486281048628
At least this is how the story ofen goes A major underlying worry
seems to be that reading texts without proper attention to their social
location and intellectual context can cause us to misread and mis-
interpret those texts Tis strikes me as a legitimate concern and it is onethat analytic theologians would do well to hear and heed No one should
deny that it is possible to misread and misinterpret important historical
texts and it seems to me that such misreadings are ar more likely when
particular bits o the text are isolated and scrutinized apart rom the
broader literary and historical contexts Te temptation to look away
rom the context as an irrelevant distraction is real It should also be
resisted So the criticism contains an important cautionAt the same time however we should keep several additional points
in mind First the problem is not restricted to analytic theologiansmdash
constructive or systematic theologians o any stripe may be susceptible
to this temptation Indeed ironies abound on this ront Afer criticizing
analytic philosophers o religion or overlooking ldquothe essentially his-
torical character o trinitarian theologyrdquomdashand especially or missing the
important differences between the ldquoGreek (or lsquoCappadocianrsquo) Eastrdquo and
the ldquoLatin WestrdquomdashCatherine Mowry LaCugnarsquos own work has been
criticized or exaggerating those differences10486281048629 It is not as i more main-
stream nonanalytic or antianalytic theologians are immune to the temp-
tation instead so ar as I can see this is a general concern that should
serve as an important reminder that all theologians who engage with the
43Richard A Muller Post-Reformation Reformed Dogmatics Te Rise and Development of Reformed
Orthodoxy ca 1048625104862910486261048624ndashca 1048625104863110486261048629 vol 1048627 Te Divine Essence and Attributes (Grand Rapids Baker
Academic 10486269830889830881048627) p 983092104862544Robert W Jenson Systematic Teology vol 1048626 Te Works of God (Oxord Oxord University
Press 1048625983097983097983097) p 983096 n 104862798309345Catherine Mowry LaCugna ldquoPhilosophers and Teologians on the rinityrdquo Modern Teology 1048626
(10486259830979830961048630) 10486259830951048626
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
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What Is Analytic heology 1048626983097
Christian intellectual tradition should do so with appropriate historical
sensitivity Second there is nothingmdashat least so ar as I can seemdashthat
makes this temptation irresistible Te act that some analytic theolo-gians have been insufficiently attentive to some historical matters does
not entail either that all analytic theologians are ignorant o the tradition
or that all analytic theologians must proceed in ignorance I see no
reason to conclude that this problem must be either essential or endemic
to analytic theology Surely more progress can be made in this area but
I see no reasons to think that such progress cannot happen Finally it is
worth noting that such progress in act is being made Tere are manyhappy exceptions to the common stereotype that analytic theologians
are ldquoahistoricalrdquo in act it is sae to say that many excellent analytic
thinkers have genuine specialization in historical scholarship Indeed
many are cutting-edge contributors1048628983094
ldquoAnalytic theology is only apologetics for conservative theologyrdquo Al-
ternatively the suspicion may be that analytic theology is too closely tied
to the Christian tradition Te assumption here is that analytic theologyis nothing more than the bastion o traditionally minded Roman Catholic
(and Orthodox) theologians and philosophers along with their conser-
vative Protestant riends and the worry is that they are interested in
nothing more than finding a sae place to deend what they already know
to be true Consequently the worry goes there is next to nothing o real
interest here or revisionist theologians o various stripes and there is
little promise or genuinely constructive theology
wo observations are important here First in principle there is
nothing about analytic theology that demands either traditional sympa-
thies or conservative conclusions Neither is there anything about ana-
lytic theology (either taken along the lines o Rearsquos P1048625-P983093 or in a somewhat
more expansive way) that precludes the use o the analytic tools by say
eminist womanist or liberationist theologies
46Stellar examples include Richard Cross Duns Scotus on God (Aldershot UK Ashgate 1048626983088983088983093) Cross
Te Metaphysics of the Incarnation Tomas Aquinas to Duns Scotus (Oxord Oxord University
Press 10486269830889830881048626) Eleonore Stump Aquinas (New York Routledge 10486269830889830881048627) Jeffrey E Brower Aquinasrsquos
Ontology of the Material World Change Hylomorphism and Material Objects (Oxord Oxord
University Press 10486269830881048625983092) and J Paasch Divine Production in Late Medieval rinitarian Teology
Henry of Ghent Duns Scotus and William Ockham (Oxord Oxord University Press 104862698308810486251048626)
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
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983091983088 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
Second in point o act many criticisms o traditional doctrines
have emerged rom within analytic theology Consider this example It
is hard to think o a doctrine that is more deeply traditional or moredeeply woven into the abric o historic Christian theology than the
doctrine o divine simplicity Yet this venerable doctrine has endured
intense criticism rom analytic theologians over the past several de-
cades Alvin Plantingarsquos Does God Have a Nature raised ldquotwo diffi-
cultiesrdquo or the doctrine ldquoone substantial and the other truly
monumentalrdquo10486281048631 He argues that i God is identical with each o his
properties then God has but one property But this ldquoseems flatly in-compatible with the obvious act that God has several propertiesrdquo10486281048632 He
argues urther that i God is identical with each o his properties then
God is also a property ldquoTis view is subject to a difficulty both obvious
and overwhelming [or] i God is a property then he isnrsquot a person
but a mere abstract objectrdquo10486281048633 Many analytic theologians have joined
other criticisms to those o Plantinga and it is obvious that this doc-
trinemdashwoven deeply into the abric o traditional Christian doctrineas it ismdashis under assault rom within analytic theology We could mul-
tiply examples with ease (Te traditional doctrine o divine omni-
science stands out here) Tere are o course many sophisticated de-
enders o classical orthodoxy within analytic theology but the basic
point should be clear to reduce analytic theology to apologetics or
traditional doctrine is simply a mistake
As will become obvious in the ollowing pages I think that there is
much to be gained in the work o ldquoretrieval theologyrdquo and I see it as a
natural conversation partner and compatriot o analytic theology I want
to encourage more work at the intersection o analytic theology and
theologies o retrieval But there is nothing about analytic theology as
such that demands adherence to classical Christian theology
ldquoAnalytic theology relies on lsquosubstance metaphysicsrsquo rdquo Sometimes
theologians are suspicious o analytic theology due to its alleged reliance
on substance metaphysics Tis complaint can take various orms Some-
47Alvin Plantinga Does God Have a Nature (Milwaukee Marquette University Press 1048625983097983096983088) p 98309298309548Ibid49Ibid
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What Is Analytic heology 9830911048625
times it is claimed that the whole analytic enterprise is ldquopre-Kantianrdquo (as
in Kenneth Surinrsquos critique o David Brownrsquos work as being ldquorobustly
old-ashionedrdquo and ldquopre-Kantianrdquo)10486291048624 In other words critics complainthat analytic theology proceeds in blithemdashand perhaps willulmdashigno-
rance o the ldquoactrdquo that Kant undermined the entire project by destroying
the very possibility o doing it wo important claims seem to be in play
with this critique first that Kant did something to make analytic the-
ology impossible and second that analytic theologians are unaware o
what Kant did But both o these claims are problematic Te second is
simply mistaken and the first is vigorously contested As Nicholas Wolt-erstorff points out it is much more likely that the current generation o
analytic theologians is not so much ldquopre-Kantianrdquo as it is ldquopost-Kantianrdquo
As he puts it ldquoit really is possible to be post-Kantian Itrsquos possible to re-
cover rom Kant Te choices are not exhausted between being naively
pre-Kantian on the one hand and being a Kantian o one or another
stripe on the otherrdquo1048629983089 Tere are Wolterstorff argues philosophers who
are ully aware o Kantian ldquointerpretation-universalism and ully awareo [Kantian] metaphysical anti-realism but afer serious consideration
they have rejected these options as untenablerdquo1048629983090 So many analytic theo-
logians are well aware o Kantrsquos work (and the common claims made
about that work) but they donrsquot think that he did anything to shut down
the kind o work that they are doing As Plantinga puts it ldquothey have read
him and remain unconvincedrdquo1048629983091
But aside rom Kant analytic theology is sometimes criticized and
rejected or its reliance on ldquosubstance metaphysicsrdquo Unortunately ex-
actly what critical theologians have in their crosshairs when they talk
about substance metaphysics is ofen unclear and not closely defined
But very ofen the complaint is closely tied to a rejection o doctrines
50Kenneth Surin ldquoTe rinity and Philosophical Reflection A Study o David Brownrsquos Te Divine
rinity rdquo Modern Teology 1048626 (10486259830979830961048630) 10486261048627983097-98309298308851Nicholas Wolterstorff ldquoBetween the Pincers o Increased Diversity and Supposed Irrationalityrdquo
in God Philosophy and Academic Culture A Discussion Between Scholars in the AAR and APA
ed William J Wainwright (Atlanta Scholars Press 10486259830979830971048630) p 1048626983088 See also Wolterstorff ldquoIs It
Possible and Desirable or Teologians to Recover rom Kantrdquo Modern Teology 1048625983092 (1048625983097983097983096)
1048625-104862598309652Wolterstorff ldquoBetween the Pincersrdquo p 104862698308853Alvin Plantinga Warranted Christian Belief (Oxord Oxord University Press 1048626983088983088983088) p 1048627983088
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
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9830911048626 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
associated with ldquoclassical theismrdquo immutability impassibility time-
lessness and other doctrines are taken to be untenable and since they
are tied to substance metaphysics so much the worse or substancemetaphysics William P Alston defly analyzes this complaint and he
argues that substance metaphysics are really beside the point What he
says about substance metaphysics in discussions o the doctrine o the
rinity applies more broadly ldquoonce we get straight as to what is and is
not necessarily included in the metaphysics o substance we will see that
most twentieth-century objections to the use o substance metaphysics
are based on eatures o such ormulations that are not required bysubstance metaphysics as suchrdquo10486291048628 Perhaps there is something inherently
wrong with the use o substance metaphysics in theology and maybe this
counts against analytic theology But beore such a judgment can be
made we need more than the all-too-common generalizations and as-
sertions For beore we can conclude that analytic theology is atally
flawed due to a dependence on substance metaphysics we need to know
exactly what is meant by substance metaphysics we need to be shown just what is wrong (either philosophically or theologically) with sub-
stance metaphysics and we need to see that analytic theology really is (or
must be) committed to this kind o metaphysics Without the kind o
careul analysis and rigorous argumentation it is hard to see anything
here that might count as a orceul objection to analytic theology
ldquoAnalytic theology isnrsquot spiritually edifyingrdquo William Wood notes that
ldquomany conventional theologians remain deeply suspicious o analytic the-
ologyrdquo because o the worry that analytic theology is not spiritually edi-
ying As these theologians see matters ldquogenuine theology is in the first
instance practical aimed not at explanatory theories about God but at
ostering greater love or God and neighbor Genuine theology in short
is praxis one deeply woven together with a Christian lie o prayer virtue
and participation in the sacramentsrdquo10486291048629 Te basic concern is this when
more mainstream theologians look at analytic theology they donrsquot rec-
54William P Alston ldquoSubstance and the rinityrdquo in Te rinity An Interdisciplinary Symposium on
the rinity ed Stephen Davis Daniel Kendall SJ and Gerald OrsquoCollins SJ (Oxord Oxord
University Press 1048625983097983097983097) p 1048626983088104862555William Wood ldquoAnalytic Teology as a Way o Lierdquo Journal of Analytic Teology (10486269830881048625983092) 983092983092
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
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What Is Analytic heology 983091983091
ognize the kind o theology-as-praxis that they value Instead they see
purported explanatory theoriesmdashmere purported explanatory theories
Sometimes these explanations appear to be a very long way indeed romthe lie o aith Indeed they see ormulas such as this (selected pretty
much at random rom among many others)
P existx (Dx amp forally(Dy =gt Byx) amp x made us
Q existx(Dx amp forally(Dy =gt Byx ))1048629983094
When they encounter this kind o work some theologians donrsquot rec-
ognize it as theology at all I they are willing to recognize it as theology
they tend to worry that they donrsquot see the kind o theology that promotes
love o God and neighbor they are concerned that they donrsquot see the-
ology that is connected to the lie o aith As Wood puts it they worry
that ldquoanalytic theology is spiritually sterile and thereore not really a
orm o genuine theology at allrdquo10486291048631
I think this is an important point o criticism and it raises some very
intriguing concerns But as Wood also notes it would be a ldquomistake and
urthermore a presumptuous mistake to assume that analytic philo-
sophical theology cannot in principle be spiritually nourishingrdquo10486291048632 Tree
points stand out First it is important to realize that the temptation to
construct explanatory theories about God that are divorced rom worship
and transormation is both real and present It is also nearious10486291048633 Te
temptation besets theologians o all stripesmdashanalytic or otherwise I do
not think analytic theologians are the only theologians who ace this
temptation o the contrary idolatry is no respecter o ideologies Butsurely it is not invincible surelymdashby Godrsquos gracemdashit is not irresistible
As Wood reminds us ldquoGodrsquos love rains down on logicians too afer allrdquo9830941048624
Second there is good reason to think that analytic theology maymdash
contrary to common expectationsmdashturn out to be spiritually ediying
56Peter van Inwagen ldquoAnd Yet Tey Are Not Tree Gods but One Godrdquo in McCall and Rea
Philosophical and Teological Essays on the rinity pp 10486269830921048625 1048626983092104863057Wood ldquoAnalytic Teology as a Way o Lierdquo p 983092983092 See also Marilyn McCord Adams ldquoWhatrsquos
Wrong with the Ontotheological Errorrdquo Journal of Analytic Teology (10486269830881048625983092) 1048625-1048625104862658Wood ldquoAnalytic Teology as a Way o Lierdquo p 983092104863059See the warnings o Merold Westphal Suspicion and Faith Te Religious Uses of Modern Atheism
(New York Fordham University Press 1048625983097983097983096)60Wood ldquoAnalytic Teology as a Way o Lierdquo p 983092983095
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
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983091983092 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
Wood argues that analytic theology may be spiritually beneficial in
several ways He suggests that the ldquoconcentrated attention required to
read understand and develop very technical analytic argumentsrdquo maybe conducive to the kinds o intellectual virtues and habits o mind that
are spiritually beneficial983094983089 In addition he notes the ldquoargumentative
transparencyrdquo (what he terms the ldquoparadigmatic analytic virtuerdquo) may be
helpul in spiritual ormation983094983090 Wood readily admits that this tendency
toward argumentative rigor can also eed a orm o pride or even ldquointel-
lectual violencerdquo but he also points out that to make a ldquogood analytic
argument is to make that argument maximally easy or intellectual op-ponents to criticize or reuterdquo and this very transparency makes it much
harder to shield onesel rom criticisms but instead is a way to ldquomake
onesel intellectually vulnerablerdquo In this way it serves as a ldquocheck against
intellectual priderdquo983094983091 Moreover the pace demanded by such rigor and the
modesty o the claims that are rendered deensible have the potential to
cultivate epistemic humility Furthermore another important eature o
the analytic approach is the need to ldquoidentiy imaginatively with onersquosintellectual opponentsrdquo this also as Wood points out orces us to inhabit
a worldview that is not only oreign to our own but also sometimes
hostile In these ways Wood argues ldquoanalytic theology can become a
spiritual practice a way o seeking God and o training the mind and
the will to be open to gracerdquo9830941048628
Finally we should not neglect to notice those shining examples o
theologians or whom analytic theology indeed is closely related to
worship and spiritual nurture Indeed it would be hard not to notice
them or the tradition is rie with such theologians A great many pa-
tristic and most scholastic (both medieval and early modern) theolo-
gians count as ldquoanalytic theologiansrdquo For surely they fit our profile o
theologians who prize ldquoconceptual precision rigor o argumentation
technical erudition and an in-depth deense o an original worldviewrdquo
(and who would in many instances value P1048625-P983093) As an example con-
61Ibid p 98309398309362Ibid p 983093104863063Ibid64Ibid p 983093983096
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What Is Analytic heology 983091983093
sider Anselmrsquos Proslogion It is obvious that Anselm values precision and
rigor and he clearly intends to convey truth claims that he finds con-
vincing But as both Wood and Marilyn McCord Adams point out thiswork is ldquomeant to do more than communicate propositional truthsrdquo or
ldquoit is meant to help reorient the wills o its readers and help bring about
effective and volitional change in themrdquo9830941048629 Despite important differences
o style and substance we could say much the same about many other
figures (both well known and less so) as well it is very difficult to read
ar into Bonaventure Richard o St Victor Aquinas Scotus Vermigli
Perkins Arminius urretin Edwards Wesley and many others withoutunderstanding that they are obviously concerned with both intellectual
rigor and spiritual ormation
65Ibid p 983093983088 See also Marilyn McCord Adams ldquoPraying the Proslogionrdquo in Te Rationality of
Belief and the Plurality of Faith ed Tomas Senor (Ithaca NY Cornell University Press 1048625983097983097983093)
pp 10486251048627-1048627983097 and Adams ldquoElegant Necessity Prayerul Disputation Method in Cur Deus Homordquo
in Studia Anselmiana Cur Deus Homo (Rome 1048625983097983097983097) pp 10486271048630983095-9830971048630
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
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8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullan-invitation-to-analytic-christian-theology-by-thomas-h-mccall-excerpt 1533
1048625983096 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
P983092 Work as much as possible with well-understood primitive concepts and
concepts that can be analyzed in terms o those
P983093 reat conceptual analysis (insoar as possible) as a source o evidence9830891048633
Tis much at least is characteristic o analytic philosophy So what
about analytic theology As Rea sees things ldquoanalytic theology is just the
activity o approaching theological topics with the ambitions o an ana-
lytic philosopher and in a style that conorms to the prescriptions that
are distinctive o analytic philosophical discourse It will also involve
more or less pursuing those topics in a way that engages the literature
that is constitutive o the analytic tradition employing some o the tech-
nical jargon rom that tradition and so on But in the end it is the style
and ambitions that are most centralrdquo9830901048624
All this is helpul but perhaps a bit more explanation would be ben-
eficial Consider P1048625 Tis need not mean that all meaningul statements
in theology (or philosophy) need to be expressed ormally it should
not be taken to mean that every theological claim should be stated in
an apparatus with numbered propositions and a ormal structure
What it does mean however is that the deault setting or theologians
should be to communicate propositions that could be expressed this
way For as Rea says ldquoabsent special circumstancesrdquo things have ldquogone
very much amissrdquo i a view ldquois expressed in such a way that it has no
clear logical outcomesrdquo983090983089
Consider also P1048626 Tis need notmdashand should notmdashbe taken to mean
that logical precision and coherence are the only important criteria ora theologian and neither should it be taken to imply even that logical
precision and coherence are the most important criteria Te theologian
who is convinced that her first commitment is fidelity to the priority and
ultimacy o divine revelation should have no difficulty in assenting to P1048626
Neither urther should P1048626 be taken to imply that the same levels o
logical precision are possible with all theological topics nor yet that all
theological projects require the same levels o precision and argumentative
19Ibid pp 983093-104863020Ibid p 98309521Ibid p 983093 n 983093
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What Is Analytic heology 1048625983097
rigor Consider by way o example childrenrsquos catechetical literature
Surely this literature is theological but it neither can nor should attempt
to display the same level o logical precision or argumentative rigor assay advanced work in scholastic theology P1048626 does not clam that such
theological literature should do so or that all work in theology must
always do so
Neither should P1048626 be misunderstood with respect to claims about the
importance o ldquoclarityrdquo Rea notes that this claim can seem ironic ldquoin light
o the act that quite a lot o analytic philosophy [and we could add
some analytic theology] is very difficult even or specialists and totallyinaccessible to non-specialistsrdquo983090983090 But ldquoclearrdquo does not mean ldquoeasyrdquo In-
stead it expresses a commitment to the work o ldquospelling out hidden
assumptions scrupulously trying to lay bare whatever evidence one has
(or lacks) or the claims that one is making and on taking care to confine
onersquos vocabulary to ordinary language well-understood primitive con-
cepts and technical jargon definable in terms o theserdquo983090983091 Finally we
should note that P1048626 does not imply that everything (or everything worthtalking about) in theology will become crystal clear Te goal o analytic
theology is not (or at least need not be) the removal o all mystery in
theology o the contrary analytic philosophers o religion have long
been keenly aware o the place o mystery in theology and it may be that
at certain points an important role o the theologian is to clariy just
where the mystery really lies P1048626 does not suggest that analytic theology
will make everything ldquoclearrdquo in the sense that it makes everything ldquoeasy
and readily accessible to the nonspecialistrdquo Instead what it prioritizes is
clarity to the appropriate audiences and to the greatest possible degree
And it insists that ldquomysteryrdquo must not be conused with logical inco-
herence and it likewise insists that we do not gloriy what is clearly in-
coherent with the shroud o ldquomysteryrdquo As Alan G Padgett says theology
should ldquoseek the truth about Godrdquo and ldquothereore must shun incoherence
and irrationalityrdquo9830901048628 Where ldquosometimes lsquomysteryrsquo is evoked as an excuse
22Ibid p 983093 n 104863023Ibid24Alan G Padgett ldquoTe rinity in Teology and Philosophy Why Jerusalem Should Work with
Athensrdquo in Philosophical and Teological Essays on the rinity ed Tomas McCall and Michael
C Rea (Oxord Oxord University Press 1048626983088983088983097) p 104862710486271048626
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
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1048626983088 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
or sloppy thinking this must be anathema to any academic theology
worthy o the namerdquo For ldquoafer all the mystery o God does not end
when theology speaks clearly Te simple phrase lsquoJesus loves me this Iknow or the Bible tells me sorsquo covers vast deep mysteries that even the
angels gaze into with awe and wonderrdquo9830901048629
P983091 rules out ldquosubstantive (non-decorative) use o metaphor and other
tropes whose semantic content outstrips their propositional contentrdquo
Tis does not or at least need not mean that there is no valid or valuable
place or metaphor in theology Analytic theologians will disagree among
themselves as to howmdashand how muchmdashmetaphor is useul and legiti-mate983090983094 But the basic point is airly plain on P983091 theologians are not at
liberty to trade loosely in metaphor without ever being able to speciy
just what is meant by those metaphors Tey are not then ree to make
claims the meaning o which cannot be specified or spelled out Teolo-
gians are not licensed to trade in what Randal Rauser calls ldquounclarifiable
unclarityrdquo9830901048631 P983092 calls the analytic theologian to work with ldquowell-understood
primitive conceptsrdquo that are reasonably taken to be basic intuitive or(minimally) uncontroversial (and with concepts that can be understood
in terms o such primitive concepts) Some theologians will be quick to
raise concerns here they will worry that the very notion o ldquowell-
understood primitive conceptsrdquo may both conceal blind spots o social
location and privilege and be a Procrustean bed that restricts theological
concepts to ldquowhat we already know to be truerdquo and thus curtails the
possibility o engagement with divine revelation But once again it is
important not to misunderstand P983092 Te ldquoas much as possiblerdquo is key
here i the preunderstood concepts donrsquot do enough work then some o
them can be adjusted Others wonrsquot be so easy to adjust or discard but
this category o primitive concepts is both quite small and very basic (eg
the law o noncontradiction) Simply put there is no good reason to
25Ibid26I thank Billy Abraham or pressing this point Te ldquostandardrdquo work on metaphor in theology
remains Janet Martin Soskice Metaphor and Religious Language (Oxord Oxord University
Press 1048625983097983096983095)27Randal Rauser ldquoTeology as a Bull Sessionrdquo in Crisp and Rea Analytic Teology pp 983095983092-983095983093 See
also Harry Frankurt On Bullshit (Princeton NJ Princeton University Press 1048626983088983088983093) and Frank-
urt Bullshit and Philosophy ed Gary L Hardcastle and George A Resich (Chicago Open
Court 1048626983088983088983093)
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
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What Is Analytic heology 10486261048625
think that the notion o ldquowell-understood primitive conceptsrdquo must
unction as a Procrustean bed
Finally Rea says that P983093 calls us to ldquotreat conceptual analysis (insoaras it is possible) as a source o evidencerdquo It should be obvious that he
does not say that conceptual analysis is the only source o evidence and
there is no reason to think that it should be taken this way Neither does
he claim that conceptual analysis is the primary or ultimate source o
evidence P983093 makes an important claim but it is a rather modest one
What it insists on is this i close conceptual analysis reveals that some
theological proposition P is say internally inconsistent then thatanalysis gives us all the evidence we need to reject P No matter how
grand the claims o Prsquo s supporters in deense o the supporting evidence
for it i P is incoherent (sel-reerentially or otherwise) then it is not true
Once we have established that P is incoherent (which is a task much
harder than is sometimes supposed) we have all the reason we need to
conclude that it is wrong In addition o course conceptual analysis
might count as evidence in other and more positive ways as well Con-sider perect being theology or example here theologians analyze ldquoper-
ectionrdquo and then take deliverances o that analysis as evidence in support
o their theological conclusions
Much more could be said about what makes analytic theology truly
analytic o course While this could be expanded on and broadened
(particularly in directions that put less o a premium on precision) Rearsquos
P1048625-P983093 give us an initial sense o what it means to say that theology is
analytic theology Generally speaking analytic theology is theology that
is attuned to and committed to the ldquogoals and ambitionsrdquo o analytic
philosophy a commitment to truth wherever it may be ound clarity o
expression and rigor o argumentation Very ofen it will not hesitate to
make appropriate use o the available tools o analytic philosophy espe-
cially as these aid conceptual precision and argumentative rigor
Analytic theology as analytic theology But i echoing Smith it is the
concern with ldquoconceptual precisionrdquo and ldquorigor o argumentationrdquo that
makes analytic theology analytic then what is it that makes analytic
theology really theology Tis book develops an answer to this question
but an initial summary may help Recall that Smith talks not only about
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
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10486261048626 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
ldquoconceptual precisionrdquo and ldquorigor o argumentationrdquo but also about ldquotech-
nical eruditionrdquo and the ldquoin-depth deense o an original worldviewrdquo For
the analytic philosopher ldquotechnical eruditionrdquo will naturally involvemastery o the requisite field (metaphysics philosophy o mind epis-
temology etc) but it may also include competence in other related
fields (biology or philosophy o biology neurology or philosophy o
mind etc) For the analytic theologian such erudition will include com-
petence in the relevant areas o philosophical study that are necessary or
ldquoconceptual precisionrdquo and ldquorigor o argumentationrdquo But or the analytic
theologian qua theologian it must involve much more than this Forunless analytic theology is merely ldquoarmchair theologyrdquo (albeit armchair
theology done by very bright people) it will be grounded in the
Christian Scriptures it will be inormed by the great tradition o doc-
trinal development it will be ldquochristologically normedrdquo and it will be
culturally engaged As theology it will seek to articulate what we may
know o God as God has revealed himsel to us As Nicholas Wolterstorff
puts it to theologiansDo not be ersatz philosophers do not be ersatz cultural theorists do not be
ersatz anything Be genuine theologians Be sure-ooted in philosophy But
then be theologians What we need to hear rom you is how things look
when seen in light o the triune Godmdashmay his name be praisedmdashwho creates
and sustains us who redeems us and who will bring this rail and allen
though yet glorious humanity and cosmos to consummation9830901048632
Accordingly analytic theology is theology done by theologians who areldquosure-ootedrdquo in philosophy (many o whom will have extensive training
and proessional expertise there and indeed may be leaders within their
field) but it is a kind o theology nonetheless
Such a conception o theology is o course not remotely new What
we may useully reer to as ldquoanalytic theologyrdquo is very similar in many
respects to deeply traditional ways o doing theology We can see this
kind o work exemplified in the theology o the scholastics (both me-dieval and post-Reormationearly modern) So in some sense the re-
28Nicholas Wolterstorff ldquoo Teologians From One Who Cares About Teology but Is Not One
o Yourdquo Teological Education (1048626983088983088983093) 9830971048625-9830971048626
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
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What Is Analytic heology 1048626983091
birth o analytic theology may be thought o as scholasticism redivivus
As Richard Swinburnemdashsurely a pioneer o analytic theologymdashsays
ldquolarge-scale theology needs clear and rigorous argumentrdquo and it is ldquohightime or theology to returnrdquo to the standards set by Tomas Aquinas
John Duns Scotus and others9830901048633 But it is not only the ldquohigh scholasticsrdquo
who worked this way or we can also witness many o these virtues in
theologians rom the patristics to the pietists9830911048624 Many theologians in the
Christian tradition were concerned with both ldquoconceptual precisionrdquo and
ldquoargumentative rigorrdquo as well as ldquotechnical eruditionrdquo and the ldquoin-depth
deense o an original worldviewrdquoConsider what John Wesleymdashan evangelist hardly known as a ldquoscho-
lasticrdquo or an ldquoanalytic theologianrdquomdashhas to say about the importance o
acquiring the tools or ldquoconceptual precisionrdquo and ldquoargumentative rigorrdquo
Logic he says is ldquonecessary next to and in order to the knowledge o
Scripturerdquo983091983089 Despite the act that it is ldquonow quite unashionablerdquo none-
theless logic is invaluable For with it we have the possibility o ldquoappre-
hending things clearly judging truly and reasoning conclusivelyrdquo
983091983090
Andas with logic so also with metaphysics Tus Wesley will ask o clergy
Am I a tolerable master o the sciences Have I gone through the very gate o
them logic I not I am not likely to go much urther when I stumble at the
threshold Do I understand it so as to be ever the better or it o have it
always ready or use so as to apply every rule o it when occasion is almost
as naturally as I turn my hand Do I understand it at all Can I reduce an
indirect mood to a direct a hypothetic to a categorical syllogism Rather have
not my stupid indolence and laziness made me very ready to believe what the
little wits and pretty gentlemen affirm ldquothat logic is good or nothingrdquo It is
good or this at least (wherever it is understood) to make people talk less by
showing them both what is and what is not to the point and how extremely
29Richard Swinburne Te Coherence of Teism 1048626nd ed (Oxord Oxord University Press 10486259830979830971048627)
p 98309530See eg Gregory o Nyssa Against Eunomius 10486259830921048626 Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers ed Philip
Schaff series 1048626 (10486259830969830961048630ndash1048625983096983096983097 repr Peabody MA Hendrickson 1048625983097983097983092) 983093983097983096-983097983097 (Patrologia
Graeca [= Patrologiae Cursus Completus Series Graeca] ed Jacques-Paul Migne [Paris 1048625983096983093983095ndash
10486259830969830961048630] 9830929830939830921048630983088-10486301048625)31John Wesley ldquoAddress to the Clergyrdquo in Te Works of John Wesley vol 1048625983088 Letters Essays Dialogs
and Addresses (Grand Rapids Zondervan nd) p 983092983096104862732Ibid
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1048626983092 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
hard it is to prove anything Do I understand metaphysics i not the depths
o the Schoolmen the subtleties o Scotus or Aquinas yet the first rudiments
the general principles o that useul science983091983091
Consider urther what Wesley says about the importance o ldquotechnical
eruditionrdquo in theology Insisting on the importance o knowledge o the
scope o Christian Scripture as well as acility in the relevant ancient
languages he asks
Have I (1048625) such a knowledge o Scripture as becomes him who undertakes
so to explain it to others Have I a ull and clear view o the analogy o
aith which is the clue to guide me through the whole Am I acquainted with
the several parts o Scripture with all parts o the Old estament and the
New Upon the mention o any text do I know the context and the parallel
places Do I know the scope o each book and how every part tends
thereto Have I the skill to draw the natural inerences deducible rom each
text (1048626) Do I understand Greek and Hebrew Otherwise am I not at
the mercy o everyone who does understand or pretends to understand the
original For which way can I conute his pretence Do I understand the lan-
guage o the Old estament Critically At all Can I read into English one o
Davidrsquos Psalms or even the first chapter o Genesis Do I understand the
language o the New estament Am I a critical master o it Have I enough
o it even to read into English the first chapter o St Luke I not how many
years did I spend at school How many at university And what was I doing
all those years9830911048628
Wesley says similar things about the indispensability o knowledge o
the Christian tradition But the basic point should be clear important
elements o what we now call ldquoanalytic theologyrdquo have deep roots in the
broad Christian theological tradition Indeed or an evangelist like John
Wesley this is simply the kind o theology that any Christian minister
should be doing
W983144983137983156 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 T983144983141983151983148983151983143983161 I983155983150rsquo983156 M983145983155983157983150983140983141983154983155983156983137983150983140983145983150983143983155
983137983150983140 O983138983146983141983139983156983145983151983150983155
Many systematic theologians are suspicious o analytic theology Indeed
33Ibid pp 9830929830971048625-983097104862634Ibid pp 983092983097983088-9830971048625
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What Is Analytic heology 1048626983093
some are deeply suspicious Te concerns come rom several angles Here
are some o the most common9830911048629
ldquoAnalytic theology relies on a univocal account of religious languagerdquoSome theologians may worry that the current analytic discussions
proceed with an unrealistic and unhealthy naiveteacute regarding the nature
and unction o religious language For instance Stephen R Holmes
thinks that ldquoanalytic discussions o the rinity seem generally to proceed
with a remarkable confidence about the success o language in reerring
to the divinerdquo he thinks that the assumption o analytic theology ldquowould
always seem to be that language reers univocally to the divine and thecreatedrdquo Indeed he thinks that analytic theology would be ldquoimpossiblerdquo
without a commitment to univocity983091983094 More worrisome the concern may
be that analytic theologyrsquos commitment to univocity implicates it in
something that is (at least potentially) idolatrous9830911048631
A general treatment o religious language is beyond the scope o our
discussion but several observations may be helpul First it should be
noted that the case against univocity should not be merely assumed (asi some particular theological proposal could be damned by nothing
more than the charge o univocity) Nor is the case for univocity nearly
so weak as is ofen supposed o the contrary univocity has serious and
sophisticated deenders today and a case can be made that ldquothe doctrine
o univocity is true and salutaryrdquo9830911048632
Te second major point is perhaps more important or our purposes
It is this analytic theology as such requires no commitment to univocity
whatsoever Indeed many analytic theologians reject univocity in avor
35Tis section draws heavily rom my ldquoTeologians Philosophers and the Doctrine o the rinityrdquo
in McCall and Rea Philosophical and Teological Essays on the rinity pp 1048627983092983088-98309298309636Stephen R Holmes Te Quest for the rinity Te Doctrine of God in Scripture History and Mo-
dernity (Downers Grove IL IVP Academic 104862698308810486251048626) p 1048627104862637See eg Jean-Luc Marion God Without Being trans Tomas A Carlson (Chicago University
o Chicago Press 10486259830979830971048625) and John Milbank Te Word Made Strange (Oxord Blackwell 1048625983097983097983095)
See also the discussion in Daniel P Horan Postmodernity and Univocity A Critical Account of
Radical Orthodoxy and John Duns Scotus (Minneapolis Fortress 10486269830881048625983092)38Tomas Williams ldquoTe Doctrine o Univocity Is rue and Salutaryrdquo Modern Teology 10486261048625 (1048626983088983088983093)
983093983095983093-983096983093 See also William P Alston Divine Nature and Human Language Essays in Philosophical
Teology (Ithaca NY Cornell University Press 1048625983097983096983097) pp 1048625983095-10486251048625983095 and Keith E Yandell ldquoNot
Conusing Incomprehensibility and Ineffability Carl Henry on Literal Propositional Revela-
tionrdquo rinity Journal (10486269830881048625983092) 10486301048625-983095983092
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
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1048626983094 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
o other approaches (the doctrine o analogy being avored by many)
and at least one prominent philosopher o religion deends apophati-
cism9830911048633 Perhaps there is a general sense in which it is true that analytictheologians are naive about religious language Perhaps they aremdash
although I doubt this very much But even i it were true this would not
obviously make analytic theology different rom or inerior to many
other approaches to the theological task Te concernmdasheven i it were
substantiatedmdashwould give us no reason to avoid or dismiss analytic the-
ology It might give us reason to want to do it better it might motivate
analytic theologians to pay closer attention to important issues relatedto theological language But the concern itselmdasheven i substantiatedmdash
would not count against the proper exercise o analytic theology It is at
best a red herring
ldquoAnalytic theology is an exercise in natural theologyrdquo Some critics
might charge analytic theology with reliance on ldquonatural theologyrdquo Tis
observation will seem benign to other theologians some analytic theo-
logians might even take this judgment as a badge o honor But to thosetheologians o the house and lineage o Karl Barth this will be the mark
o damnation some may take natural theology to be ldquothe invention o
the Antichristrdquo as something that can serve only to reinorce idolatry
and corrupt the truth10486281048624 Other theologians might not be so hostile but
they still might worry that natural theology distracts us rom obedience
and fidelity to the reality o divine revelation So i analytic theology is
an exercise in natural theology or even relies on it it should be held at
armrsquos length i not shunned entirely
Much could be said about this cluster o issuesmdashand indeed more will
be said in the next chaptermdashbut at this point a basic conusion needs to
be cleared away Fundamentally it is simply a misunderstanding o ana-
lytic theology to think that it is an exercise in natural theology Granted
some prolific analytic theologians are heavily invested in the project o
natural theology and we can say with confidence that rumors o the
39Eg Jonathan D Jacobs ldquoTe Ineffable Inconceivable and Incomprehensible God Fundamen-
tality and Apophatic Teologyrdquo in Oxford Studies in Philosophy of Religion orthcoming40More precisely Barth says that the analogia entis (which interpreters ofen take to be the basis
o all natural theology) is the ldquoinvention o the Antichristrdquo Doctrine of the Word of God p xiii
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What Is Analytic heology 1048626983095
demise o natural theology have been greatly exaggerated1048628983089 But there is
nothing about analytic theology as suchmdashas I have described it to this
pointmdashthat relies on natural theology Te conusion o natural theologywith the analytic project is just thatmdasha conusion Whatever we should
think about natural theology philosophically however we judge the suc-
cesses (or lack thereo) o the various theistic arguments natural the-
ology simply cannot be equated with analytic theology And whatever
we should conclude theologically about natural theology we should not
conuse it with the analytic project Once again this is a red herring
ldquoAnalytic theology is naive with respect to the history of doctrinerdquoAnother concern expressed by some contemporary systematic theolo-
gians is this analytic theology all too ofen proceeds with little awareness
o the complex but important historical actors associated with the de-
velopment and ormation o Christian doctrine o understate the point
analytic theologians are sometimes criticized or their ignorance o the
history o the development o dogma and or their lack o careul study
to understand the particular intellectual (not to mention social) settingo the person(s) controversies or eras under consideration Instead so
the story goes it is all too common or analytic theologians to approach
an issue by isolating a particular text and then breaking it down to
unpack the real ldquocorerdquo o the doctrine in question And the assumption
o the analytic theologians (again so the story goes) is ofen enough that
this can be saely or appropriately done with little or no reerence to the
particular context in which the development occurred As Fred Sanders
expresses the concern ldquophilosophers sometimes seem to think o ancient
texts as cumbersome delivery systems containing ideas which it is their
job to extract rom the delivery system and do something withrdquo1048628983090 Richard
A Muller likewise argues that lack o attention to historical context
sometimes results in problematic misunderstandings o the tradition in
41Eg Richard Swinburne Te Coherence of Teism (Oxord Oxord University Press 1048625983097983095983095) and
Swinburne Te Existence of God (Oxord Oxord University Press 1048625983097983095983097 [1048626983088983088983092]) For examples
o recent work see Moreland and Craig Blackwell Companion to Natural Teology and James F
Sennett and Douglas Groothuis eds In Defense of Natural Teology A Post-Humean Assessment
(Downers Grove IL IVP Academic 1048626983088983088983093)42Fred Sanders ldquoTe State o the Doctrine o the rinity in Evangelical Teologyrdquo Southwestern
Journal of Teology 983092983095 (1048626983088983088983093) 10486251048630983097
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullan-invitation-to-analytic-christian-theology-by-thomas-h-mccall-excerpt 2533
1048626983096 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
his view or instance both recent deenders and contemporary de-
tractors o the doctrine o divine simplicity commonly ldquomisinterpret the
traditional doctrinerdquo1048628983091 Robert W Jenson is more scathing he judges theanalytic enterprise to be ldquosomewhat oddly related to the Christian aith
it claims to deendrdquo and he calls the work o Richard Swinburne a ldquotruly
bizarre caserdquo10486281048628
At least this is how the story ofen goes A major underlying worry
seems to be that reading texts without proper attention to their social
location and intellectual context can cause us to misread and mis-
interpret those texts Tis strikes me as a legitimate concern and it is onethat analytic theologians would do well to hear and heed No one should
deny that it is possible to misread and misinterpret important historical
texts and it seems to me that such misreadings are ar more likely when
particular bits o the text are isolated and scrutinized apart rom the
broader literary and historical contexts Te temptation to look away
rom the context as an irrelevant distraction is real It should also be
resisted So the criticism contains an important cautionAt the same time however we should keep several additional points
in mind First the problem is not restricted to analytic theologiansmdash
constructive or systematic theologians o any stripe may be susceptible
to this temptation Indeed ironies abound on this ront Afer criticizing
analytic philosophers o religion or overlooking ldquothe essentially his-
torical character o trinitarian theologyrdquomdashand especially or missing the
important differences between the ldquoGreek (or lsquoCappadocianrsquo) Eastrdquo and
the ldquoLatin WestrdquomdashCatherine Mowry LaCugnarsquos own work has been
criticized or exaggerating those differences10486281048629 It is not as i more main-
stream nonanalytic or antianalytic theologians are immune to the temp-
tation instead so ar as I can see this is a general concern that should
serve as an important reminder that all theologians who engage with the
43Richard A Muller Post-Reformation Reformed Dogmatics Te Rise and Development of Reformed
Orthodoxy ca 1048625104862910486261048624ndashca 1048625104863110486261048629 vol 1048627 Te Divine Essence and Attributes (Grand Rapids Baker
Academic 10486269830889830881048627) p 983092104862544Robert W Jenson Systematic Teology vol 1048626 Te Works of God (Oxord Oxord University
Press 1048625983097983097983097) p 983096 n 104862798309345Catherine Mowry LaCugna ldquoPhilosophers and Teologians on the rinityrdquo Modern Teology 1048626
(10486259830979830961048630) 10486259830951048626
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What Is Analytic heology 1048626983097
Christian intellectual tradition should do so with appropriate historical
sensitivity Second there is nothingmdashat least so ar as I can seemdashthat
makes this temptation irresistible Te act that some analytic theolo-gians have been insufficiently attentive to some historical matters does
not entail either that all analytic theologians are ignorant o the tradition
or that all analytic theologians must proceed in ignorance I see no
reason to conclude that this problem must be either essential or endemic
to analytic theology Surely more progress can be made in this area but
I see no reasons to think that such progress cannot happen Finally it is
worth noting that such progress in act is being made Tere are manyhappy exceptions to the common stereotype that analytic theologians
are ldquoahistoricalrdquo in act it is sae to say that many excellent analytic
thinkers have genuine specialization in historical scholarship Indeed
many are cutting-edge contributors1048628983094
ldquoAnalytic theology is only apologetics for conservative theologyrdquo Al-
ternatively the suspicion may be that analytic theology is too closely tied
to the Christian tradition Te assumption here is that analytic theologyis nothing more than the bastion o traditionally minded Roman Catholic
(and Orthodox) theologians and philosophers along with their conser-
vative Protestant riends and the worry is that they are interested in
nothing more than finding a sae place to deend what they already know
to be true Consequently the worry goes there is next to nothing o real
interest here or revisionist theologians o various stripes and there is
little promise or genuinely constructive theology
wo observations are important here First in principle there is
nothing about analytic theology that demands either traditional sympa-
thies or conservative conclusions Neither is there anything about ana-
lytic theology (either taken along the lines o Rearsquos P1048625-P983093 or in a somewhat
more expansive way) that precludes the use o the analytic tools by say
eminist womanist or liberationist theologies
46Stellar examples include Richard Cross Duns Scotus on God (Aldershot UK Ashgate 1048626983088983088983093) Cross
Te Metaphysics of the Incarnation Tomas Aquinas to Duns Scotus (Oxord Oxord University
Press 10486269830889830881048626) Eleonore Stump Aquinas (New York Routledge 10486269830889830881048627) Jeffrey E Brower Aquinasrsquos
Ontology of the Material World Change Hylomorphism and Material Objects (Oxord Oxord
University Press 10486269830881048625983092) and J Paasch Divine Production in Late Medieval rinitarian Teology
Henry of Ghent Duns Scotus and William Ockham (Oxord Oxord University Press 104862698308810486251048626)
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983091983088 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
Second in point o act many criticisms o traditional doctrines
have emerged rom within analytic theology Consider this example It
is hard to think o a doctrine that is more deeply traditional or moredeeply woven into the abric o historic Christian theology than the
doctrine o divine simplicity Yet this venerable doctrine has endured
intense criticism rom analytic theologians over the past several de-
cades Alvin Plantingarsquos Does God Have a Nature raised ldquotwo diffi-
cultiesrdquo or the doctrine ldquoone substantial and the other truly
monumentalrdquo10486281048631 He argues that i God is identical with each o his
properties then God has but one property But this ldquoseems flatly in-compatible with the obvious act that God has several propertiesrdquo10486281048632 He
argues urther that i God is identical with each o his properties then
God is also a property ldquoTis view is subject to a difficulty both obvious
and overwhelming [or] i God is a property then he isnrsquot a person
but a mere abstract objectrdquo10486281048633 Many analytic theologians have joined
other criticisms to those o Plantinga and it is obvious that this doc-
trinemdashwoven deeply into the abric o traditional Christian doctrineas it ismdashis under assault rom within analytic theology We could mul-
tiply examples with ease (Te traditional doctrine o divine omni-
science stands out here) Tere are o course many sophisticated de-
enders o classical orthodoxy within analytic theology but the basic
point should be clear to reduce analytic theology to apologetics or
traditional doctrine is simply a mistake
As will become obvious in the ollowing pages I think that there is
much to be gained in the work o ldquoretrieval theologyrdquo and I see it as a
natural conversation partner and compatriot o analytic theology I want
to encourage more work at the intersection o analytic theology and
theologies o retrieval But there is nothing about analytic theology as
such that demands adherence to classical Christian theology
ldquoAnalytic theology relies on lsquosubstance metaphysicsrsquo rdquo Sometimes
theologians are suspicious o analytic theology due to its alleged reliance
on substance metaphysics Tis complaint can take various orms Some-
47Alvin Plantinga Does God Have a Nature (Milwaukee Marquette University Press 1048625983097983096983088) p 98309298309548Ibid49Ibid
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What Is Analytic heology 9830911048625
times it is claimed that the whole analytic enterprise is ldquopre-Kantianrdquo (as
in Kenneth Surinrsquos critique o David Brownrsquos work as being ldquorobustly
old-ashionedrdquo and ldquopre-Kantianrdquo)10486291048624 In other words critics complainthat analytic theology proceeds in blithemdashand perhaps willulmdashigno-
rance o the ldquoactrdquo that Kant undermined the entire project by destroying
the very possibility o doing it wo important claims seem to be in play
with this critique first that Kant did something to make analytic the-
ology impossible and second that analytic theologians are unaware o
what Kant did But both o these claims are problematic Te second is
simply mistaken and the first is vigorously contested As Nicholas Wolt-erstorff points out it is much more likely that the current generation o
analytic theologians is not so much ldquopre-Kantianrdquo as it is ldquopost-Kantianrdquo
As he puts it ldquoit really is possible to be post-Kantian Itrsquos possible to re-
cover rom Kant Te choices are not exhausted between being naively
pre-Kantian on the one hand and being a Kantian o one or another
stripe on the otherrdquo1048629983089 Tere are Wolterstorff argues philosophers who
are ully aware o Kantian ldquointerpretation-universalism and ully awareo [Kantian] metaphysical anti-realism but afer serious consideration
they have rejected these options as untenablerdquo1048629983090 So many analytic theo-
logians are well aware o Kantrsquos work (and the common claims made
about that work) but they donrsquot think that he did anything to shut down
the kind o work that they are doing As Plantinga puts it ldquothey have read
him and remain unconvincedrdquo1048629983091
But aside rom Kant analytic theology is sometimes criticized and
rejected or its reliance on ldquosubstance metaphysicsrdquo Unortunately ex-
actly what critical theologians have in their crosshairs when they talk
about substance metaphysics is ofen unclear and not closely defined
But very ofen the complaint is closely tied to a rejection o doctrines
50Kenneth Surin ldquoTe rinity and Philosophical Reflection A Study o David Brownrsquos Te Divine
rinity rdquo Modern Teology 1048626 (10486259830979830961048630) 10486261048627983097-98309298308851Nicholas Wolterstorff ldquoBetween the Pincers o Increased Diversity and Supposed Irrationalityrdquo
in God Philosophy and Academic Culture A Discussion Between Scholars in the AAR and APA
ed William J Wainwright (Atlanta Scholars Press 10486259830979830971048630) p 1048626983088 See also Wolterstorff ldquoIs It
Possible and Desirable or Teologians to Recover rom Kantrdquo Modern Teology 1048625983092 (1048625983097983097983096)
1048625-104862598309652Wolterstorff ldquoBetween the Pincersrdquo p 104862698308853Alvin Plantinga Warranted Christian Belief (Oxord Oxord University Press 1048626983088983088983088) p 1048627983088
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
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9830911048626 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
associated with ldquoclassical theismrdquo immutability impassibility time-
lessness and other doctrines are taken to be untenable and since they
are tied to substance metaphysics so much the worse or substancemetaphysics William P Alston defly analyzes this complaint and he
argues that substance metaphysics are really beside the point What he
says about substance metaphysics in discussions o the doctrine o the
rinity applies more broadly ldquoonce we get straight as to what is and is
not necessarily included in the metaphysics o substance we will see that
most twentieth-century objections to the use o substance metaphysics
are based on eatures o such ormulations that are not required bysubstance metaphysics as suchrdquo10486291048628 Perhaps there is something inherently
wrong with the use o substance metaphysics in theology and maybe this
counts against analytic theology But beore such a judgment can be
made we need more than the all-too-common generalizations and as-
sertions For beore we can conclude that analytic theology is atally
flawed due to a dependence on substance metaphysics we need to know
exactly what is meant by substance metaphysics we need to be shown just what is wrong (either philosophically or theologically) with sub-
stance metaphysics and we need to see that analytic theology really is (or
must be) committed to this kind o metaphysics Without the kind o
careul analysis and rigorous argumentation it is hard to see anything
here that might count as a orceul objection to analytic theology
ldquoAnalytic theology isnrsquot spiritually edifyingrdquo William Wood notes that
ldquomany conventional theologians remain deeply suspicious o analytic the-
ologyrdquo because o the worry that analytic theology is not spiritually edi-
ying As these theologians see matters ldquogenuine theology is in the first
instance practical aimed not at explanatory theories about God but at
ostering greater love or God and neighbor Genuine theology in short
is praxis one deeply woven together with a Christian lie o prayer virtue
and participation in the sacramentsrdquo10486291048629 Te basic concern is this when
more mainstream theologians look at analytic theology they donrsquot rec-
54William P Alston ldquoSubstance and the rinityrdquo in Te rinity An Interdisciplinary Symposium on
the rinity ed Stephen Davis Daniel Kendall SJ and Gerald OrsquoCollins SJ (Oxord Oxord
University Press 1048625983097983097983097) p 1048626983088104862555William Wood ldquoAnalytic Teology as a Way o Lierdquo Journal of Analytic Teology (10486269830881048625983092) 983092983092
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What Is Analytic heology 983091983091
ognize the kind o theology-as-praxis that they value Instead they see
purported explanatory theoriesmdashmere purported explanatory theories
Sometimes these explanations appear to be a very long way indeed romthe lie o aith Indeed they see ormulas such as this (selected pretty
much at random rom among many others)
P existx (Dx amp forally(Dy =gt Byx) amp x made us
Q existx(Dx amp forally(Dy =gt Byx ))1048629983094
When they encounter this kind o work some theologians donrsquot rec-
ognize it as theology at all I they are willing to recognize it as theology
they tend to worry that they donrsquot see the kind o theology that promotes
love o God and neighbor they are concerned that they donrsquot see the-
ology that is connected to the lie o aith As Wood puts it they worry
that ldquoanalytic theology is spiritually sterile and thereore not really a
orm o genuine theology at allrdquo10486291048631
I think this is an important point o criticism and it raises some very
intriguing concerns But as Wood also notes it would be a ldquomistake and
urthermore a presumptuous mistake to assume that analytic philo-
sophical theology cannot in principle be spiritually nourishingrdquo10486291048632 Tree
points stand out First it is important to realize that the temptation to
construct explanatory theories about God that are divorced rom worship
and transormation is both real and present It is also nearious10486291048633 Te
temptation besets theologians o all stripesmdashanalytic or otherwise I do
not think analytic theologians are the only theologians who ace this
temptation o the contrary idolatry is no respecter o ideologies Butsurely it is not invincible surelymdashby Godrsquos gracemdashit is not irresistible
As Wood reminds us ldquoGodrsquos love rains down on logicians too afer allrdquo9830941048624
Second there is good reason to think that analytic theology maymdash
contrary to common expectationsmdashturn out to be spiritually ediying
56Peter van Inwagen ldquoAnd Yet Tey Are Not Tree Gods but One Godrdquo in McCall and Rea
Philosophical and Teological Essays on the rinity pp 10486269830921048625 1048626983092104863057Wood ldquoAnalytic Teology as a Way o Lierdquo p 983092983092 See also Marilyn McCord Adams ldquoWhatrsquos
Wrong with the Ontotheological Errorrdquo Journal of Analytic Teology (10486269830881048625983092) 1048625-1048625104862658Wood ldquoAnalytic Teology as a Way o Lierdquo p 983092104863059See the warnings o Merold Westphal Suspicion and Faith Te Religious Uses of Modern Atheism
(New York Fordham University Press 1048625983097983097983096)60Wood ldquoAnalytic Teology as a Way o Lierdquo p 983092983095
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
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983091983092 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
Wood argues that analytic theology may be spiritually beneficial in
several ways He suggests that the ldquoconcentrated attention required to
read understand and develop very technical analytic argumentsrdquo maybe conducive to the kinds o intellectual virtues and habits o mind that
are spiritually beneficial983094983089 In addition he notes the ldquoargumentative
transparencyrdquo (what he terms the ldquoparadigmatic analytic virtuerdquo) may be
helpul in spiritual ormation983094983090 Wood readily admits that this tendency
toward argumentative rigor can also eed a orm o pride or even ldquointel-
lectual violencerdquo but he also points out that to make a ldquogood analytic
argument is to make that argument maximally easy or intellectual op-ponents to criticize or reuterdquo and this very transparency makes it much
harder to shield onesel rom criticisms but instead is a way to ldquomake
onesel intellectually vulnerablerdquo In this way it serves as a ldquocheck against
intellectual priderdquo983094983091 Moreover the pace demanded by such rigor and the
modesty o the claims that are rendered deensible have the potential to
cultivate epistemic humility Furthermore another important eature o
the analytic approach is the need to ldquoidentiy imaginatively with onersquosintellectual opponentsrdquo this also as Wood points out orces us to inhabit
a worldview that is not only oreign to our own but also sometimes
hostile In these ways Wood argues ldquoanalytic theology can become a
spiritual practice a way o seeking God and o training the mind and
the will to be open to gracerdquo9830941048628
Finally we should not neglect to notice those shining examples o
theologians or whom analytic theology indeed is closely related to
worship and spiritual nurture Indeed it would be hard not to notice
them or the tradition is rie with such theologians A great many pa-
tristic and most scholastic (both medieval and early modern) theolo-
gians count as ldquoanalytic theologiansrdquo For surely they fit our profile o
theologians who prize ldquoconceptual precision rigor o argumentation
technical erudition and an in-depth deense o an original worldviewrdquo
(and who would in many instances value P1048625-P983093) As an example con-
61Ibid p 98309398309362Ibid p 983093104863063Ibid64Ibid p 983093983096
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What Is Analytic heology 983091983093
sider Anselmrsquos Proslogion It is obvious that Anselm values precision and
rigor and he clearly intends to convey truth claims that he finds con-
vincing But as both Wood and Marilyn McCord Adams point out thiswork is ldquomeant to do more than communicate propositional truthsrdquo or
ldquoit is meant to help reorient the wills o its readers and help bring about
effective and volitional change in themrdquo9830941048629 Despite important differences
o style and substance we could say much the same about many other
figures (both well known and less so) as well it is very difficult to read
ar into Bonaventure Richard o St Victor Aquinas Scotus Vermigli
Perkins Arminius urretin Edwards Wesley and many others withoutunderstanding that they are obviously concerned with both intellectual
rigor and spiritual ormation
65Ibid p 983093983088 See also Marilyn McCord Adams ldquoPraying the Proslogionrdquo in Te Rationality of
Belief and the Plurality of Faith ed Tomas Senor (Ithaca NY Cornell University Press 1048625983097983097983093)
pp 10486251048627-1048627983097 and Adams ldquoElegant Necessity Prayerul Disputation Method in Cur Deus Homordquo
in Studia Anselmiana Cur Deus Homo (Rome 1048625983097983097983097) pp 10486271048630983095-9830971048630
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
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8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
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What Is Analytic heology 1048625983097
rigor Consider by way o example childrenrsquos catechetical literature
Surely this literature is theological but it neither can nor should attempt
to display the same level o logical precision or argumentative rigor assay advanced work in scholastic theology P1048626 does not clam that such
theological literature should do so or that all work in theology must
always do so
Neither should P1048626 be misunderstood with respect to claims about the
importance o ldquoclarityrdquo Rea notes that this claim can seem ironic ldquoin light
o the act that quite a lot o analytic philosophy [and we could add
some analytic theology] is very difficult even or specialists and totallyinaccessible to non-specialistsrdquo983090983090 But ldquoclearrdquo does not mean ldquoeasyrdquo In-
stead it expresses a commitment to the work o ldquospelling out hidden
assumptions scrupulously trying to lay bare whatever evidence one has
(or lacks) or the claims that one is making and on taking care to confine
onersquos vocabulary to ordinary language well-understood primitive con-
cepts and technical jargon definable in terms o theserdquo983090983091 Finally we
should note that P1048626 does not imply that everything (or everything worthtalking about) in theology will become crystal clear Te goal o analytic
theology is not (or at least need not be) the removal o all mystery in
theology o the contrary analytic philosophers o religion have long
been keenly aware o the place o mystery in theology and it may be that
at certain points an important role o the theologian is to clariy just
where the mystery really lies P1048626 does not suggest that analytic theology
will make everything ldquoclearrdquo in the sense that it makes everything ldquoeasy
and readily accessible to the nonspecialistrdquo Instead what it prioritizes is
clarity to the appropriate audiences and to the greatest possible degree
And it insists that ldquomysteryrdquo must not be conused with logical inco-
herence and it likewise insists that we do not gloriy what is clearly in-
coherent with the shroud o ldquomysteryrdquo As Alan G Padgett says theology
should ldquoseek the truth about Godrdquo and ldquothereore must shun incoherence
and irrationalityrdquo9830901048628 Where ldquosometimes lsquomysteryrsquo is evoked as an excuse
22Ibid p 983093 n 104863023Ibid24Alan G Padgett ldquoTe rinity in Teology and Philosophy Why Jerusalem Should Work with
Athensrdquo in Philosophical and Teological Essays on the rinity ed Tomas McCall and Michael
C Rea (Oxord Oxord University Press 1048626983088983088983097) p 104862710486271048626
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullan-invitation-to-analytic-christian-theology-by-thomas-h-mccall-excerpt 1733
1048626983088 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
or sloppy thinking this must be anathema to any academic theology
worthy o the namerdquo For ldquoafer all the mystery o God does not end
when theology speaks clearly Te simple phrase lsquoJesus loves me this Iknow or the Bible tells me sorsquo covers vast deep mysteries that even the
angels gaze into with awe and wonderrdquo9830901048629
P983091 rules out ldquosubstantive (non-decorative) use o metaphor and other
tropes whose semantic content outstrips their propositional contentrdquo
Tis does not or at least need not mean that there is no valid or valuable
place or metaphor in theology Analytic theologians will disagree among
themselves as to howmdashand how muchmdashmetaphor is useul and legiti-mate983090983094 But the basic point is airly plain on P983091 theologians are not at
liberty to trade loosely in metaphor without ever being able to speciy
just what is meant by those metaphors Tey are not then ree to make
claims the meaning o which cannot be specified or spelled out Teolo-
gians are not licensed to trade in what Randal Rauser calls ldquounclarifiable
unclarityrdquo9830901048631 P983092 calls the analytic theologian to work with ldquowell-understood
primitive conceptsrdquo that are reasonably taken to be basic intuitive or(minimally) uncontroversial (and with concepts that can be understood
in terms o such primitive concepts) Some theologians will be quick to
raise concerns here they will worry that the very notion o ldquowell-
understood primitive conceptsrdquo may both conceal blind spots o social
location and privilege and be a Procrustean bed that restricts theological
concepts to ldquowhat we already know to be truerdquo and thus curtails the
possibility o engagement with divine revelation But once again it is
important not to misunderstand P983092 Te ldquoas much as possiblerdquo is key
here i the preunderstood concepts donrsquot do enough work then some o
them can be adjusted Others wonrsquot be so easy to adjust or discard but
this category o primitive concepts is both quite small and very basic (eg
the law o noncontradiction) Simply put there is no good reason to
25Ibid26I thank Billy Abraham or pressing this point Te ldquostandardrdquo work on metaphor in theology
remains Janet Martin Soskice Metaphor and Religious Language (Oxord Oxord University
Press 1048625983097983096983095)27Randal Rauser ldquoTeology as a Bull Sessionrdquo in Crisp and Rea Analytic Teology pp 983095983092-983095983093 See
also Harry Frankurt On Bullshit (Princeton NJ Princeton University Press 1048626983088983088983093) and Frank-
urt Bullshit and Philosophy ed Gary L Hardcastle and George A Resich (Chicago Open
Court 1048626983088983088983093)
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What Is Analytic heology 10486261048625
think that the notion o ldquowell-understood primitive conceptsrdquo must
unction as a Procrustean bed
Finally Rea says that P983093 calls us to ldquotreat conceptual analysis (insoaras it is possible) as a source o evidencerdquo It should be obvious that he
does not say that conceptual analysis is the only source o evidence and
there is no reason to think that it should be taken this way Neither does
he claim that conceptual analysis is the primary or ultimate source o
evidence P983093 makes an important claim but it is a rather modest one
What it insists on is this i close conceptual analysis reveals that some
theological proposition P is say internally inconsistent then thatanalysis gives us all the evidence we need to reject P No matter how
grand the claims o Prsquo s supporters in deense o the supporting evidence
for it i P is incoherent (sel-reerentially or otherwise) then it is not true
Once we have established that P is incoherent (which is a task much
harder than is sometimes supposed) we have all the reason we need to
conclude that it is wrong In addition o course conceptual analysis
might count as evidence in other and more positive ways as well Con-sider perect being theology or example here theologians analyze ldquoper-
ectionrdquo and then take deliverances o that analysis as evidence in support
o their theological conclusions
Much more could be said about what makes analytic theology truly
analytic o course While this could be expanded on and broadened
(particularly in directions that put less o a premium on precision) Rearsquos
P1048625-P983093 give us an initial sense o what it means to say that theology is
analytic theology Generally speaking analytic theology is theology that
is attuned to and committed to the ldquogoals and ambitionsrdquo o analytic
philosophy a commitment to truth wherever it may be ound clarity o
expression and rigor o argumentation Very ofen it will not hesitate to
make appropriate use o the available tools o analytic philosophy espe-
cially as these aid conceptual precision and argumentative rigor
Analytic theology as analytic theology But i echoing Smith it is the
concern with ldquoconceptual precisionrdquo and ldquorigor o argumentationrdquo that
makes analytic theology analytic then what is it that makes analytic
theology really theology Tis book develops an answer to this question
but an initial summary may help Recall that Smith talks not only about
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10486261048626 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
ldquoconceptual precisionrdquo and ldquorigor o argumentationrdquo but also about ldquotech-
nical eruditionrdquo and the ldquoin-depth deense o an original worldviewrdquo For
the analytic philosopher ldquotechnical eruditionrdquo will naturally involvemastery o the requisite field (metaphysics philosophy o mind epis-
temology etc) but it may also include competence in other related
fields (biology or philosophy o biology neurology or philosophy o
mind etc) For the analytic theologian such erudition will include com-
petence in the relevant areas o philosophical study that are necessary or
ldquoconceptual precisionrdquo and ldquorigor o argumentationrdquo But or the analytic
theologian qua theologian it must involve much more than this Forunless analytic theology is merely ldquoarmchair theologyrdquo (albeit armchair
theology done by very bright people) it will be grounded in the
Christian Scriptures it will be inormed by the great tradition o doc-
trinal development it will be ldquochristologically normedrdquo and it will be
culturally engaged As theology it will seek to articulate what we may
know o God as God has revealed himsel to us As Nicholas Wolterstorff
puts it to theologiansDo not be ersatz philosophers do not be ersatz cultural theorists do not be
ersatz anything Be genuine theologians Be sure-ooted in philosophy But
then be theologians What we need to hear rom you is how things look
when seen in light o the triune Godmdashmay his name be praisedmdashwho creates
and sustains us who redeems us and who will bring this rail and allen
though yet glorious humanity and cosmos to consummation9830901048632
Accordingly analytic theology is theology done by theologians who areldquosure-ootedrdquo in philosophy (many o whom will have extensive training
and proessional expertise there and indeed may be leaders within their
field) but it is a kind o theology nonetheless
Such a conception o theology is o course not remotely new What
we may useully reer to as ldquoanalytic theologyrdquo is very similar in many
respects to deeply traditional ways o doing theology We can see this
kind o work exemplified in the theology o the scholastics (both me-dieval and post-Reormationearly modern) So in some sense the re-
28Nicholas Wolterstorff ldquoo Teologians From One Who Cares About Teology but Is Not One
o Yourdquo Teological Education (1048626983088983088983093) 9830971048625-9830971048626
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What Is Analytic heology 1048626983091
birth o analytic theology may be thought o as scholasticism redivivus
As Richard Swinburnemdashsurely a pioneer o analytic theologymdashsays
ldquolarge-scale theology needs clear and rigorous argumentrdquo and it is ldquohightime or theology to returnrdquo to the standards set by Tomas Aquinas
John Duns Scotus and others9830901048633 But it is not only the ldquohigh scholasticsrdquo
who worked this way or we can also witness many o these virtues in
theologians rom the patristics to the pietists9830911048624 Many theologians in the
Christian tradition were concerned with both ldquoconceptual precisionrdquo and
ldquoargumentative rigorrdquo as well as ldquotechnical eruditionrdquo and the ldquoin-depth
deense o an original worldviewrdquoConsider what John Wesleymdashan evangelist hardly known as a ldquoscho-
lasticrdquo or an ldquoanalytic theologianrdquomdashhas to say about the importance o
acquiring the tools or ldquoconceptual precisionrdquo and ldquoargumentative rigorrdquo
Logic he says is ldquonecessary next to and in order to the knowledge o
Scripturerdquo983091983089 Despite the act that it is ldquonow quite unashionablerdquo none-
theless logic is invaluable For with it we have the possibility o ldquoappre-
hending things clearly judging truly and reasoning conclusivelyrdquo
983091983090
Andas with logic so also with metaphysics Tus Wesley will ask o clergy
Am I a tolerable master o the sciences Have I gone through the very gate o
them logic I not I am not likely to go much urther when I stumble at the
threshold Do I understand it so as to be ever the better or it o have it
always ready or use so as to apply every rule o it when occasion is almost
as naturally as I turn my hand Do I understand it at all Can I reduce an
indirect mood to a direct a hypothetic to a categorical syllogism Rather have
not my stupid indolence and laziness made me very ready to believe what the
little wits and pretty gentlemen affirm ldquothat logic is good or nothingrdquo It is
good or this at least (wherever it is understood) to make people talk less by
showing them both what is and what is not to the point and how extremely
29Richard Swinburne Te Coherence of Teism 1048626nd ed (Oxord Oxord University Press 10486259830979830971048627)
p 98309530See eg Gregory o Nyssa Against Eunomius 10486259830921048626 Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers ed Philip
Schaff series 1048626 (10486259830969830961048630ndash1048625983096983096983097 repr Peabody MA Hendrickson 1048625983097983097983092) 983093983097983096-983097983097 (Patrologia
Graeca [= Patrologiae Cursus Completus Series Graeca] ed Jacques-Paul Migne [Paris 1048625983096983093983095ndash
10486259830969830961048630] 9830929830939830921048630983088-10486301048625)31John Wesley ldquoAddress to the Clergyrdquo in Te Works of John Wesley vol 1048625983088 Letters Essays Dialogs
and Addresses (Grand Rapids Zondervan nd) p 983092983096104862732Ibid
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1048626983092 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
hard it is to prove anything Do I understand metaphysics i not the depths
o the Schoolmen the subtleties o Scotus or Aquinas yet the first rudiments
the general principles o that useul science983091983091
Consider urther what Wesley says about the importance o ldquotechnical
eruditionrdquo in theology Insisting on the importance o knowledge o the
scope o Christian Scripture as well as acility in the relevant ancient
languages he asks
Have I (1048625) such a knowledge o Scripture as becomes him who undertakes
so to explain it to others Have I a ull and clear view o the analogy o
aith which is the clue to guide me through the whole Am I acquainted with
the several parts o Scripture with all parts o the Old estament and the
New Upon the mention o any text do I know the context and the parallel
places Do I know the scope o each book and how every part tends
thereto Have I the skill to draw the natural inerences deducible rom each
text (1048626) Do I understand Greek and Hebrew Otherwise am I not at
the mercy o everyone who does understand or pretends to understand the
original For which way can I conute his pretence Do I understand the lan-
guage o the Old estament Critically At all Can I read into English one o
Davidrsquos Psalms or even the first chapter o Genesis Do I understand the
language o the New estament Am I a critical master o it Have I enough
o it even to read into English the first chapter o St Luke I not how many
years did I spend at school How many at university And what was I doing
all those years9830911048628
Wesley says similar things about the indispensability o knowledge o
the Christian tradition But the basic point should be clear important
elements o what we now call ldquoanalytic theologyrdquo have deep roots in the
broad Christian theological tradition Indeed or an evangelist like John
Wesley this is simply the kind o theology that any Christian minister
should be doing
W983144983137983156 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 T983144983141983151983148983151983143983161 I983155983150rsquo983156 M983145983155983157983150983140983141983154983155983156983137983150983140983145983150983143983155
983137983150983140 O983138983146983141983139983156983145983151983150983155
Many systematic theologians are suspicious o analytic theology Indeed
33Ibid pp 9830929830971048625-983097104862634Ibid pp 983092983097983088-9830971048625
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What Is Analytic heology 1048626983093
some are deeply suspicious Te concerns come rom several angles Here
are some o the most common9830911048629
ldquoAnalytic theology relies on a univocal account of religious languagerdquoSome theologians may worry that the current analytic discussions
proceed with an unrealistic and unhealthy naiveteacute regarding the nature
and unction o religious language For instance Stephen R Holmes
thinks that ldquoanalytic discussions o the rinity seem generally to proceed
with a remarkable confidence about the success o language in reerring
to the divinerdquo he thinks that the assumption o analytic theology ldquowould
always seem to be that language reers univocally to the divine and thecreatedrdquo Indeed he thinks that analytic theology would be ldquoimpossiblerdquo
without a commitment to univocity983091983094 More worrisome the concern may
be that analytic theologyrsquos commitment to univocity implicates it in
something that is (at least potentially) idolatrous9830911048631
A general treatment o religious language is beyond the scope o our
discussion but several observations may be helpul First it should be
noted that the case against univocity should not be merely assumed (asi some particular theological proposal could be damned by nothing
more than the charge o univocity) Nor is the case for univocity nearly
so weak as is ofen supposed o the contrary univocity has serious and
sophisticated deenders today and a case can be made that ldquothe doctrine
o univocity is true and salutaryrdquo9830911048632
Te second major point is perhaps more important or our purposes
It is this analytic theology as such requires no commitment to univocity
whatsoever Indeed many analytic theologians reject univocity in avor
35Tis section draws heavily rom my ldquoTeologians Philosophers and the Doctrine o the rinityrdquo
in McCall and Rea Philosophical and Teological Essays on the rinity pp 1048627983092983088-98309298309636Stephen R Holmes Te Quest for the rinity Te Doctrine of God in Scripture History and Mo-
dernity (Downers Grove IL IVP Academic 104862698308810486251048626) p 1048627104862637See eg Jean-Luc Marion God Without Being trans Tomas A Carlson (Chicago University
o Chicago Press 10486259830979830971048625) and John Milbank Te Word Made Strange (Oxord Blackwell 1048625983097983097983095)
See also the discussion in Daniel P Horan Postmodernity and Univocity A Critical Account of
Radical Orthodoxy and John Duns Scotus (Minneapolis Fortress 10486269830881048625983092)38Tomas Williams ldquoTe Doctrine o Univocity Is rue and Salutaryrdquo Modern Teology 10486261048625 (1048626983088983088983093)
983093983095983093-983096983093 See also William P Alston Divine Nature and Human Language Essays in Philosophical
Teology (Ithaca NY Cornell University Press 1048625983097983096983097) pp 1048625983095-10486251048625983095 and Keith E Yandell ldquoNot
Conusing Incomprehensibility and Ineffability Carl Henry on Literal Propositional Revela-
tionrdquo rinity Journal (10486269830881048625983092) 10486301048625-983095983092
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
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1048626983094 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
o other approaches (the doctrine o analogy being avored by many)
and at least one prominent philosopher o religion deends apophati-
cism9830911048633 Perhaps there is a general sense in which it is true that analytictheologians are naive about religious language Perhaps they aremdash
although I doubt this very much But even i it were true this would not
obviously make analytic theology different rom or inerior to many
other approaches to the theological task Te concernmdasheven i it were
substantiatedmdashwould give us no reason to avoid or dismiss analytic the-
ology It might give us reason to want to do it better it might motivate
analytic theologians to pay closer attention to important issues relatedto theological language But the concern itselmdasheven i substantiatedmdash
would not count against the proper exercise o analytic theology It is at
best a red herring
ldquoAnalytic theology is an exercise in natural theologyrdquo Some critics
might charge analytic theology with reliance on ldquonatural theologyrdquo Tis
observation will seem benign to other theologians some analytic theo-
logians might even take this judgment as a badge o honor But to thosetheologians o the house and lineage o Karl Barth this will be the mark
o damnation some may take natural theology to be ldquothe invention o
the Antichristrdquo as something that can serve only to reinorce idolatry
and corrupt the truth10486281048624 Other theologians might not be so hostile but
they still might worry that natural theology distracts us rom obedience
and fidelity to the reality o divine revelation So i analytic theology is
an exercise in natural theology or even relies on it it should be held at
armrsquos length i not shunned entirely
Much could be said about this cluster o issuesmdashand indeed more will
be said in the next chaptermdashbut at this point a basic conusion needs to
be cleared away Fundamentally it is simply a misunderstanding o ana-
lytic theology to think that it is an exercise in natural theology Granted
some prolific analytic theologians are heavily invested in the project o
natural theology and we can say with confidence that rumors o the
39Eg Jonathan D Jacobs ldquoTe Ineffable Inconceivable and Incomprehensible God Fundamen-
tality and Apophatic Teologyrdquo in Oxford Studies in Philosophy of Religion orthcoming40More precisely Barth says that the analogia entis (which interpreters ofen take to be the basis
o all natural theology) is the ldquoinvention o the Antichristrdquo Doctrine of the Word of God p xiii
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
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What Is Analytic heology 1048626983095
demise o natural theology have been greatly exaggerated1048628983089 But there is
nothing about analytic theology as suchmdashas I have described it to this
pointmdashthat relies on natural theology Te conusion o natural theologywith the analytic project is just thatmdasha conusion Whatever we should
think about natural theology philosophically however we judge the suc-
cesses (or lack thereo) o the various theistic arguments natural the-
ology simply cannot be equated with analytic theology And whatever
we should conclude theologically about natural theology we should not
conuse it with the analytic project Once again this is a red herring
ldquoAnalytic theology is naive with respect to the history of doctrinerdquoAnother concern expressed by some contemporary systematic theolo-
gians is this analytic theology all too ofen proceeds with little awareness
o the complex but important historical actors associated with the de-
velopment and ormation o Christian doctrine o understate the point
analytic theologians are sometimes criticized or their ignorance o the
history o the development o dogma and or their lack o careul study
to understand the particular intellectual (not to mention social) settingo the person(s) controversies or eras under consideration Instead so
the story goes it is all too common or analytic theologians to approach
an issue by isolating a particular text and then breaking it down to
unpack the real ldquocorerdquo o the doctrine in question And the assumption
o the analytic theologians (again so the story goes) is ofen enough that
this can be saely or appropriately done with little or no reerence to the
particular context in which the development occurred As Fred Sanders
expresses the concern ldquophilosophers sometimes seem to think o ancient
texts as cumbersome delivery systems containing ideas which it is their
job to extract rom the delivery system and do something withrdquo1048628983090 Richard
A Muller likewise argues that lack o attention to historical context
sometimes results in problematic misunderstandings o the tradition in
41Eg Richard Swinburne Te Coherence of Teism (Oxord Oxord University Press 1048625983097983095983095) and
Swinburne Te Existence of God (Oxord Oxord University Press 1048625983097983095983097 [1048626983088983088983092]) For examples
o recent work see Moreland and Craig Blackwell Companion to Natural Teology and James F
Sennett and Douglas Groothuis eds In Defense of Natural Teology A Post-Humean Assessment
(Downers Grove IL IVP Academic 1048626983088983088983093)42Fred Sanders ldquoTe State o the Doctrine o the rinity in Evangelical Teologyrdquo Southwestern
Journal of Teology 983092983095 (1048626983088983088983093) 10486251048630983097
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullan-invitation-to-analytic-christian-theology-by-thomas-h-mccall-excerpt 2533
1048626983096 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
his view or instance both recent deenders and contemporary de-
tractors o the doctrine o divine simplicity commonly ldquomisinterpret the
traditional doctrinerdquo1048628983091 Robert W Jenson is more scathing he judges theanalytic enterprise to be ldquosomewhat oddly related to the Christian aith
it claims to deendrdquo and he calls the work o Richard Swinburne a ldquotruly
bizarre caserdquo10486281048628
At least this is how the story ofen goes A major underlying worry
seems to be that reading texts without proper attention to their social
location and intellectual context can cause us to misread and mis-
interpret those texts Tis strikes me as a legitimate concern and it is onethat analytic theologians would do well to hear and heed No one should
deny that it is possible to misread and misinterpret important historical
texts and it seems to me that such misreadings are ar more likely when
particular bits o the text are isolated and scrutinized apart rom the
broader literary and historical contexts Te temptation to look away
rom the context as an irrelevant distraction is real It should also be
resisted So the criticism contains an important cautionAt the same time however we should keep several additional points
in mind First the problem is not restricted to analytic theologiansmdash
constructive or systematic theologians o any stripe may be susceptible
to this temptation Indeed ironies abound on this ront Afer criticizing
analytic philosophers o religion or overlooking ldquothe essentially his-
torical character o trinitarian theologyrdquomdashand especially or missing the
important differences between the ldquoGreek (or lsquoCappadocianrsquo) Eastrdquo and
the ldquoLatin WestrdquomdashCatherine Mowry LaCugnarsquos own work has been
criticized or exaggerating those differences10486281048629 It is not as i more main-
stream nonanalytic or antianalytic theologians are immune to the temp-
tation instead so ar as I can see this is a general concern that should
serve as an important reminder that all theologians who engage with the
43Richard A Muller Post-Reformation Reformed Dogmatics Te Rise and Development of Reformed
Orthodoxy ca 1048625104862910486261048624ndashca 1048625104863110486261048629 vol 1048627 Te Divine Essence and Attributes (Grand Rapids Baker
Academic 10486269830889830881048627) p 983092104862544Robert W Jenson Systematic Teology vol 1048626 Te Works of God (Oxord Oxord University
Press 1048625983097983097983097) p 983096 n 104862798309345Catherine Mowry LaCugna ldquoPhilosophers and Teologians on the rinityrdquo Modern Teology 1048626
(10486259830979830961048630) 10486259830951048626
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
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What Is Analytic heology 1048626983097
Christian intellectual tradition should do so with appropriate historical
sensitivity Second there is nothingmdashat least so ar as I can seemdashthat
makes this temptation irresistible Te act that some analytic theolo-gians have been insufficiently attentive to some historical matters does
not entail either that all analytic theologians are ignorant o the tradition
or that all analytic theologians must proceed in ignorance I see no
reason to conclude that this problem must be either essential or endemic
to analytic theology Surely more progress can be made in this area but
I see no reasons to think that such progress cannot happen Finally it is
worth noting that such progress in act is being made Tere are manyhappy exceptions to the common stereotype that analytic theologians
are ldquoahistoricalrdquo in act it is sae to say that many excellent analytic
thinkers have genuine specialization in historical scholarship Indeed
many are cutting-edge contributors1048628983094
ldquoAnalytic theology is only apologetics for conservative theologyrdquo Al-
ternatively the suspicion may be that analytic theology is too closely tied
to the Christian tradition Te assumption here is that analytic theologyis nothing more than the bastion o traditionally minded Roman Catholic
(and Orthodox) theologians and philosophers along with their conser-
vative Protestant riends and the worry is that they are interested in
nothing more than finding a sae place to deend what they already know
to be true Consequently the worry goes there is next to nothing o real
interest here or revisionist theologians o various stripes and there is
little promise or genuinely constructive theology
wo observations are important here First in principle there is
nothing about analytic theology that demands either traditional sympa-
thies or conservative conclusions Neither is there anything about ana-
lytic theology (either taken along the lines o Rearsquos P1048625-P983093 or in a somewhat
more expansive way) that precludes the use o the analytic tools by say
eminist womanist or liberationist theologies
46Stellar examples include Richard Cross Duns Scotus on God (Aldershot UK Ashgate 1048626983088983088983093) Cross
Te Metaphysics of the Incarnation Tomas Aquinas to Duns Scotus (Oxord Oxord University
Press 10486269830889830881048626) Eleonore Stump Aquinas (New York Routledge 10486269830889830881048627) Jeffrey E Brower Aquinasrsquos
Ontology of the Material World Change Hylomorphism and Material Objects (Oxord Oxord
University Press 10486269830881048625983092) and J Paasch Divine Production in Late Medieval rinitarian Teology
Henry of Ghent Duns Scotus and William Ockham (Oxord Oxord University Press 104862698308810486251048626)
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullan-invitation-to-analytic-christian-theology-by-thomas-h-mccall-excerpt 2733
983091983088 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
Second in point o act many criticisms o traditional doctrines
have emerged rom within analytic theology Consider this example It
is hard to think o a doctrine that is more deeply traditional or moredeeply woven into the abric o historic Christian theology than the
doctrine o divine simplicity Yet this venerable doctrine has endured
intense criticism rom analytic theologians over the past several de-
cades Alvin Plantingarsquos Does God Have a Nature raised ldquotwo diffi-
cultiesrdquo or the doctrine ldquoone substantial and the other truly
monumentalrdquo10486281048631 He argues that i God is identical with each o his
properties then God has but one property But this ldquoseems flatly in-compatible with the obvious act that God has several propertiesrdquo10486281048632 He
argues urther that i God is identical with each o his properties then
God is also a property ldquoTis view is subject to a difficulty both obvious
and overwhelming [or] i God is a property then he isnrsquot a person
but a mere abstract objectrdquo10486281048633 Many analytic theologians have joined
other criticisms to those o Plantinga and it is obvious that this doc-
trinemdashwoven deeply into the abric o traditional Christian doctrineas it ismdashis under assault rom within analytic theology We could mul-
tiply examples with ease (Te traditional doctrine o divine omni-
science stands out here) Tere are o course many sophisticated de-
enders o classical orthodoxy within analytic theology but the basic
point should be clear to reduce analytic theology to apologetics or
traditional doctrine is simply a mistake
As will become obvious in the ollowing pages I think that there is
much to be gained in the work o ldquoretrieval theologyrdquo and I see it as a
natural conversation partner and compatriot o analytic theology I want
to encourage more work at the intersection o analytic theology and
theologies o retrieval But there is nothing about analytic theology as
such that demands adherence to classical Christian theology
ldquoAnalytic theology relies on lsquosubstance metaphysicsrsquo rdquo Sometimes
theologians are suspicious o analytic theology due to its alleged reliance
on substance metaphysics Tis complaint can take various orms Some-
47Alvin Plantinga Does God Have a Nature (Milwaukee Marquette University Press 1048625983097983096983088) p 98309298309548Ibid49Ibid
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What Is Analytic heology 9830911048625
times it is claimed that the whole analytic enterprise is ldquopre-Kantianrdquo (as
in Kenneth Surinrsquos critique o David Brownrsquos work as being ldquorobustly
old-ashionedrdquo and ldquopre-Kantianrdquo)10486291048624 In other words critics complainthat analytic theology proceeds in blithemdashand perhaps willulmdashigno-
rance o the ldquoactrdquo that Kant undermined the entire project by destroying
the very possibility o doing it wo important claims seem to be in play
with this critique first that Kant did something to make analytic the-
ology impossible and second that analytic theologians are unaware o
what Kant did But both o these claims are problematic Te second is
simply mistaken and the first is vigorously contested As Nicholas Wolt-erstorff points out it is much more likely that the current generation o
analytic theologians is not so much ldquopre-Kantianrdquo as it is ldquopost-Kantianrdquo
As he puts it ldquoit really is possible to be post-Kantian Itrsquos possible to re-
cover rom Kant Te choices are not exhausted between being naively
pre-Kantian on the one hand and being a Kantian o one or another
stripe on the otherrdquo1048629983089 Tere are Wolterstorff argues philosophers who
are ully aware o Kantian ldquointerpretation-universalism and ully awareo [Kantian] metaphysical anti-realism but afer serious consideration
they have rejected these options as untenablerdquo1048629983090 So many analytic theo-
logians are well aware o Kantrsquos work (and the common claims made
about that work) but they donrsquot think that he did anything to shut down
the kind o work that they are doing As Plantinga puts it ldquothey have read
him and remain unconvincedrdquo1048629983091
But aside rom Kant analytic theology is sometimes criticized and
rejected or its reliance on ldquosubstance metaphysicsrdquo Unortunately ex-
actly what critical theologians have in their crosshairs when they talk
about substance metaphysics is ofen unclear and not closely defined
But very ofen the complaint is closely tied to a rejection o doctrines
50Kenneth Surin ldquoTe rinity and Philosophical Reflection A Study o David Brownrsquos Te Divine
rinity rdquo Modern Teology 1048626 (10486259830979830961048630) 10486261048627983097-98309298308851Nicholas Wolterstorff ldquoBetween the Pincers o Increased Diversity and Supposed Irrationalityrdquo
in God Philosophy and Academic Culture A Discussion Between Scholars in the AAR and APA
ed William J Wainwright (Atlanta Scholars Press 10486259830979830971048630) p 1048626983088 See also Wolterstorff ldquoIs It
Possible and Desirable or Teologians to Recover rom Kantrdquo Modern Teology 1048625983092 (1048625983097983097983096)
1048625-104862598309652Wolterstorff ldquoBetween the Pincersrdquo p 104862698308853Alvin Plantinga Warranted Christian Belief (Oxord Oxord University Press 1048626983088983088983088) p 1048627983088
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
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9830911048626 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
associated with ldquoclassical theismrdquo immutability impassibility time-
lessness and other doctrines are taken to be untenable and since they
are tied to substance metaphysics so much the worse or substancemetaphysics William P Alston defly analyzes this complaint and he
argues that substance metaphysics are really beside the point What he
says about substance metaphysics in discussions o the doctrine o the
rinity applies more broadly ldquoonce we get straight as to what is and is
not necessarily included in the metaphysics o substance we will see that
most twentieth-century objections to the use o substance metaphysics
are based on eatures o such ormulations that are not required bysubstance metaphysics as suchrdquo10486291048628 Perhaps there is something inherently
wrong with the use o substance metaphysics in theology and maybe this
counts against analytic theology But beore such a judgment can be
made we need more than the all-too-common generalizations and as-
sertions For beore we can conclude that analytic theology is atally
flawed due to a dependence on substance metaphysics we need to know
exactly what is meant by substance metaphysics we need to be shown just what is wrong (either philosophically or theologically) with sub-
stance metaphysics and we need to see that analytic theology really is (or
must be) committed to this kind o metaphysics Without the kind o
careul analysis and rigorous argumentation it is hard to see anything
here that might count as a orceul objection to analytic theology
ldquoAnalytic theology isnrsquot spiritually edifyingrdquo William Wood notes that
ldquomany conventional theologians remain deeply suspicious o analytic the-
ologyrdquo because o the worry that analytic theology is not spiritually edi-
ying As these theologians see matters ldquogenuine theology is in the first
instance practical aimed not at explanatory theories about God but at
ostering greater love or God and neighbor Genuine theology in short
is praxis one deeply woven together with a Christian lie o prayer virtue
and participation in the sacramentsrdquo10486291048629 Te basic concern is this when
more mainstream theologians look at analytic theology they donrsquot rec-
54William P Alston ldquoSubstance and the rinityrdquo in Te rinity An Interdisciplinary Symposium on
the rinity ed Stephen Davis Daniel Kendall SJ and Gerald OrsquoCollins SJ (Oxord Oxord
University Press 1048625983097983097983097) p 1048626983088104862555William Wood ldquoAnalytic Teology as a Way o Lierdquo Journal of Analytic Teology (10486269830881048625983092) 983092983092
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What Is Analytic heology 983091983091
ognize the kind o theology-as-praxis that they value Instead they see
purported explanatory theoriesmdashmere purported explanatory theories
Sometimes these explanations appear to be a very long way indeed romthe lie o aith Indeed they see ormulas such as this (selected pretty
much at random rom among many others)
P existx (Dx amp forally(Dy =gt Byx) amp x made us
Q existx(Dx amp forally(Dy =gt Byx ))1048629983094
When they encounter this kind o work some theologians donrsquot rec-
ognize it as theology at all I they are willing to recognize it as theology
they tend to worry that they donrsquot see the kind o theology that promotes
love o God and neighbor they are concerned that they donrsquot see the-
ology that is connected to the lie o aith As Wood puts it they worry
that ldquoanalytic theology is spiritually sterile and thereore not really a
orm o genuine theology at allrdquo10486291048631
I think this is an important point o criticism and it raises some very
intriguing concerns But as Wood also notes it would be a ldquomistake and
urthermore a presumptuous mistake to assume that analytic philo-
sophical theology cannot in principle be spiritually nourishingrdquo10486291048632 Tree
points stand out First it is important to realize that the temptation to
construct explanatory theories about God that are divorced rom worship
and transormation is both real and present It is also nearious10486291048633 Te
temptation besets theologians o all stripesmdashanalytic or otherwise I do
not think analytic theologians are the only theologians who ace this
temptation o the contrary idolatry is no respecter o ideologies Butsurely it is not invincible surelymdashby Godrsquos gracemdashit is not irresistible
As Wood reminds us ldquoGodrsquos love rains down on logicians too afer allrdquo9830941048624
Second there is good reason to think that analytic theology maymdash
contrary to common expectationsmdashturn out to be spiritually ediying
56Peter van Inwagen ldquoAnd Yet Tey Are Not Tree Gods but One Godrdquo in McCall and Rea
Philosophical and Teological Essays on the rinity pp 10486269830921048625 1048626983092104863057Wood ldquoAnalytic Teology as a Way o Lierdquo p 983092983092 See also Marilyn McCord Adams ldquoWhatrsquos
Wrong with the Ontotheological Errorrdquo Journal of Analytic Teology (10486269830881048625983092) 1048625-1048625104862658Wood ldquoAnalytic Teology as a Way o Lierdquo p 983092104863059See the warnings o Merold Westphal Suspicion and Faith Te Religious Uses of Modern Atheism
(New York Fordham University Press 1048625983097983097983096)60Wood ldquoAnalytic Teology as a Way o Lierdquo p 983092983095
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983091983092 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
Wood argues that analytic theology may be spiritually beneficial in
several ways He suggests that the ldquoconcentrated attention required to
read understand and develop very technical analytic argumentsrdquo maybe conducive to the kinds o intellectual virtues and habits o mind that
are spiritually beneficial983094983089 In addition he notes the ldquoargumentative
transparencyrdquo (what he terms the ldquoparadigmatic analytic virtuerdquo) may be
helpul in spiritual ormation983094983090 Wood readily admits that this tendency
toward argumentative rigor can also eed a orm o pride or even ldquointel-
lectual violencerdquo but he also points out that to make a ldquogood analytic
argument is to make that argument maximally easy or intellectual op-ponents to criticize or reuterdquo and this very transparency makes it much
harder to shield onesel rom criticisms but instead is a way to ldquomake
onesel intellectually vulnerablerdquo In this way it serves as a ldquocheck against
intellectual priderdquo983094983091 Moreover the pace demanded by such rigor and the
modesty o the claims that are rendered deensible have the potential to
cultivate epistemic humility Furthermore another important eature o
the analytic approach is the need to ldquoidentiy imaginatively with onersquosintellectual opponentsrdquo this also as Wood points out orces us to inhabit
a worldview that is not only oreign to our own but also sometimes
hostile In these ways Wood argues ldquoanalytic theology can become a
spiritual practice a way o seeking God and o training the mind and
the will to be open to gracerdquo9830941048628
Finally we should not neglect to notice those shining examples o
theologians or whom analytic theology indeed is closely related to
worship and spiritual nurture Indeed it would be hard not to notice
them or the tradition is rie with such theologians A great many pa-
tristic and most scholastic (both medieval and early modern) theolo-
gians count as ldquoanalytic theologiansrdquo For surely they fit our profile o
theologians who prize ldquoconceptual precision rigor o argumentation
technical erudition and an in-depth deense o an original worldviewrdquo
(and who would in many instances value P1048625-P983093) As an example con-
61Ibid p 98309398309362Ibid p 983093104863063Ibid64Ibid p 983093983096
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What Is Analytic heology 983091983093
sider Anselmrsquos Proslogion It is obvious that Anselm values precision and
rigor and he clearly intends to convey truth claims that he finds con-
vincing But as both Wood and Marilyn McCord Adams point out thiswork is ldquomeant to do more than communicate propositional truthsrdquo or
ldquoit is meant to help reorient the wills o its readers and help bring about
effective and volitional change in themrdquo9830941048629 Despite important differences
o style and substance we could say much the same about many other
figures (both well known and less so) as well it is very difficult to read
ar into Bonaventure Richard o St Victor Aquinas Scotus Vermigli
Perkins Arminius urretin Edwards Wesley and many others withoutunderstanding that they are obviously concerned with both intellectual
rigor and spiritual ormation
65Ibid p 983093983088 See also Marilyn McCord Adams ldquoPraying the Proslogionrdquo in Te Rationality of
Belief and the Plurality of Faith ed Tomas Senor (Ithaca NY Cornell University Press 1048625983097983097983093)
pp 10486251048627-1048627983097 and Adams ldquoElegant Necessity Prayerul Disputation Method in Cur Deus Homordquo
in Studia Anselmiana Cur Deus Homo (Rome 1048625983097983097983097) pp 10486271048630983095-9830971048630
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8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
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1048626983088 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
or sloppy thinking this must be anathema to any academic theology
worthy o the namerdquo For ldquoafer all the mystery o God does not end
when theology speaks clearly Te simple phrase lsquoJesus loves me this Iknow or the Bible tells me sorsquo covers vast deep mysteries that even the
angels gaze into with awe and wonderrdquo9830901048629
P983091 rules out ldquosubstantive (non-decorative) use o metaphor and other
tropes whose semantic content outstrips their propositional contentrdquo
Tis does not or at least need not mean that there is no valid or valuable
place or metaphor in theology Analytic theologians will disagree among
themselves as to howmdashand how muchmdashmetaphor is useul and legiti-mate983090983094 But the basic point is airly plain on P983091 theologians are not at
liberty to trade loosely in metaphor without ever being able to speciy
just what is meant by those metaphors Tey are not then ree to make
claims the meaning o which cannot be specified or spelled out Teolo-
gians are not licensed to trade in what Randal Rauser calls ldquounclarifiable
unclarityrdquo9830901048631 P983092 calls the analytic theologian to work with ldquowell-understood
primitive conceptsrdquo that are reasonably taken to be basic intuitive or(minimally) uncontroversial (and with concepts that can be understood
in terms o such primitive concepts) Some theologians will be quick to
raise concerns here they will worry that the very notion o ldquowell-
understood primitive conceptsrdquo may both conceal blind spots o social
location and privilege and be a Procrustean bed that restricts theological
concepts to ldquowhat we already know to be truerdquo and thus curtails the
possibility o engagement with divine revelation But once again it is
important not to misunderstand P983092 Te ldquoas much as possiblerdquo is key
here i the preunderstood concepts donrsquot do enough work then some o
them can be adjusted Others wonrsquot be so easy to adjust or discard but
this category o primitive concepts is both quite small and very basic (eg
the law o noncontradiction) Simply put there is no good reason to
25Ibid26I thank Billy Abraham or pressing this point Te ldquostandardrdquo work on metaphor in theology
remains Janet Martin Soskice Metaphor and Religious Language (Oxord Oxord University
Press 1048625983097983096983095)27Randal Rauser ldquoTeology as a Bull Sessionrdquo in Crisp and Rea Analytic Teology pp 983095983092-983095983093 See
also Harry Frankurt On Bullshit (Princeton NJ Princeton University Press 1048626983088983088983093) and Frank-
urt Bullshit and Philosophy ed Gary L Hardcastle and George A Resich (Chicago Open
Court 1048626983088983088983093)
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What Is Analytic heology 10486261048625
think that the notion o ldquowell-understood primitive conceptsrdquo must
unction as a Procrustean bed
Finally Rea says that P983093 calls us to ldquotreat conceptual analysis (insoaras it is possible) as a source o evidencerdquo It should be obvious that he
does not say that conceptual analysis is the only source o evidence and
there is no reason to think that it should be taken this way Neither does
he claim that conceptual analysis is the primary or ultimate source o
evidence P983093 makes an important claim but it is a rather modest one
What it insists on is this i close conceptual analysis reveals that some
theological proposition P is say internally inconsistent then thatanalysis gives us all the evidence we need to reject P No matter how
grand the claims o Prsquo s supporters in deense o the supporting evidence
for it i P is incoherent (sel-reerentially or otherwise) then it is not true
Once we have established that P is incoherent (which is a task much
harder than is sometimes supposed) we have all the reason we need to
conclude that it is wrong In addition o course conceptual analysis
might count as evidence in other and more positive ways as well Con-sider perect being theology or example here theologians analyze ldquoper-
ectionrdquo and then take deliverances o that analysis as evidence in support
o their theological conclusions
Much more could be said about what makes analytic theology truly
analytic o course While this could be expanded on and broadened
(particularly in directions that put less o a premium on precision) Rearsquos
P1048625-P983093 give us an initial sense o what it means to say that theology is
analytic theology Generally speaking analytic theology is theology that
is attuned to and committed to the ldquogoals and ambitionsrdquo o analytic
philosophy a commitment to truth wherever it may be ound clarity o
expression and rigor o argumentation Very ofen it will not hesitate to
make appropriate use o the available tools o analytic philosophy espe-
cially as these aid conceptual precision and argumentative rigor
Analytic theology as analytic theology But i echoing Smith it is the
concern with ldquoconceptual precisionrdquo and ldquorigor o argumentationrdquo that
makes analytic theology analytic then what is it that makes analytic
theology really theology Tis book develops an answer to this question
but an initial summary may help Recall that Smith talks not only about
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10486261048626 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
ldquoconceptual precisionrdquo and ldquorigor o argumentationrdquo but also about ldquotech-
nical eruditionrdquo and the ldquoin-depth deense o an original worldviewrdquo For
the analytic philosopher ldquotechnical eruditionrdquo will naturally involvemastery o the requisite field (metaphysics philosophy o mind epis-
temology etc) but it may also include competence in other related
fields (biology or philosophy o biology neurology or philosophy o
mind etc) For the analytic theologian such erudition will include com-
petence in the relevant areas o philosophical study that are necessary or
ldquoconceptual precisionrdquo and ldquorigor o argumentationrdquo But or the analytic
theologian qua theologian it must involve much more than this Forunless analytic theology is merely ldquoarmchair theologyrdquo (albeit armchair
theology done by very bright people) it will be grounded in the
Christian Scriptures it will be inormed by the great tradition o doc-
trinal development it will be ldquochristologically normedrdquo and it will be
culturally engaged As theology it will seek to articulate what we may
know o God as God has revealed himsel to us As Nicholas Wolterstorff
puts it to theologiansDo not be ersatz philosophers do not be ersatz cultural theorists do not be
ersatz anything Be genuine theologians Be sure-ooted in philosophy But
then be theologians What we need to hear rom you is how things look
when seen in light o the triune Godmdashmay his name be praisedmdashwho creates
and sustains us who redeems us and who will bring this rail and allen
though yet glorious humanity and cosmos to consummation9830901048632
Accordingly analytic theology is theology done by theologians who areldquosure-ootedrdquo in philosophy (many o whom will have extensive training
and proessional expertise there and indeed may be leaders within their
field) but it is a kind o theology nonetheless
Such a conception o theology is o course not remotely new What
we may useully reer to as ldquoanalytic theologyrdquo is very similar in many
respects to deeply traditional ways o doing theology We can see this
kind o work exemplified in the theology o the scholastics (both me-dieval and post-Reormationearly modern) So in some sense the re-
28Nicholas Wolterstorff ldquoo Teologians From One Who Cares About Teology but Is Not One
o Yourdquo Teological Education (1048626983088983088983093) 9830971048625-9830971048626
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
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What Is Analytic heology 1048626983091
birth o analytic theology may be thought o as scholasticism redivivus
As Richard Swinburnemdashsurely a pioneer o analytic theologymdashsays
ldquolarge-scale theology needs clear and rigorous argumentrdquo and it is ldquohightime or theology to returnrdquo to the standards set by Tomas Aquinas
John Duns Scotus and others9830901048633 But it is not only the ldquohigh scholasticsrdquo
who worked this way or we can also witness many o these virtues in
theologians rom the patristics to the pietists9830911048624 Many theologians in the
Christian tradition were concerned with both ldquoconceptual precisionrdquo and
ldquoargumentative rigorrdquo as well as ldquotechnical eruditionrdquo and the ldquoin-depth
deense o an original worldviewrdquoConsider what John Wesleymdashan evangelist hardly known as a ldquoscho-
lasticrdquo or an ldquoanalytic theologianrdquomdashhas to say about the importance o
acquiring the tools or ldquoconceptual precisionrdquo and ldquoargumentative rigorrdquo
Logic he says is ldquonecessary next to and in order to the knowledge o
Scripturerdquo983091983089 Despite the act that it is ldquonow quite unashionablerdquo none-
theless logic is invaluable For with it we have the possibility o ldquoappre-
hending things clearly judging truly and reasoning conclusivelyrdquo
983091983090
Andas with logic so also with metaphysics Tus Wesley will ask o clergy
Am I a tolerable master o the sciences Have I gone through the very gate o
them logic I not I am not likely to go much urther when I stumble at the
threshold Do I understand it so as to be ever the better or it o have it
always ready or use so as to apply every rule o it when occasion is almost
as naturally as I turn my hand Do I understand it at all Can I reduce an
indirect mood to a direct a hypothetic to a categorical syllogism Rather have
not my stupid indolence and laziness made me very ready to believe what the
little wits and pretty gentlemen affirm ldquothat logic is good or nothingrdquo It is
good or this at least (wherever it is understood) to make people talk less by
showing them both what is and what is not to the point and how extremely
29Richard Swinburne Te Coherence of Teism 1048626nd ed (Oxord Oxord University Press 10486259830979830971048627)
p 98309530See eg Gregory o Nyssa Against Eunomius 10486259830921048626 Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers ed Philip
Schaff series 1048626 (10486259830969830961048630ndash1048625983096983096983097 repr Peabody MA Hendrickson 1048625983097983097983092) 983093983097983096-983097983097 (Patrologia
Graeca [= Patrologiae Cursus Completus Series Graeca] ed Jacques-Paul Migne [Paris 1048625983096983093983095ndash
10486259830969830961048630] 9830929830939830921048630983088-10486301048625)31John Wesley ldquoAddress to the Clergyrdquo in Te Works of John Wesley vol 1048625983088 Letters Essays Dialogs
and Addresses (Grand Rapids Zondervan nd) p 983092983096104862732Ibid
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1048626983092 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
hard it is to prove anything Do I understand metaphysics i not the depths
o the Schoolmen the subtleties o Scotus or Aquinas yet the first rudiments
the general principles o that useul science983091983091
Consider urther what Wesley says about the importance o ldquotechnical
eruditionrdquo in theology Insisting on the importance o knowledge o the
scope o Christian Scripture as well as acility in the relevant ancient
languages he asks
Have I (1048625) such a knowledge o Scripture as becomes him who undertakes
so to explain it to others Have I a ull and clear view o the analogy o
aith which is the clue to guide me through the whole Am I acquainted with
the several parts o Scripture with all parts o the Old estament and the
New Upon the mention o any text do I know the context and the parallel
places Do I know the scope o each book and how every part tends
thereto Have I the skill to draw the natural inerences deducible rom each
text (1048626) Do I understand Greek and Hebrew Otherwise am I not at
the mercy o everyone who does understand or pretends to understand the
original For which way can I conute his pretence Do I understand the lan-
guage o the Old estament Critically At all Can I read into English one o
Davidrsquos Psalms or even the first chapter o Genesis Do I understand the
language o the New estament Am I a critical master o it Have I enough
o it even to read into English the first chapter o St Luke I not how many
years did I spend at school How many at university And what was I doing
all those years9830911048628
Wesley says similar things about the indispensability o knowledge o
the Christian tradition But the basic point should be clear important
elements o what we now call ldquoanalytic theologyrdquo have deep roots in the
broad Christian theological tradition Indeed or an evangelist like John
Wesley this is simply the kind o theology that any Christian minister
should be doing
W983144983137983156 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 T983144983141983151983148983151983143983161 I983155983150rsquo983156 M983145983155983157983150983140983141983154983155983156983137983150983140983145983150983143983155
983137983150983140 O983138983146983141983139983156983145983151983150983155
Many systematic theologians are suspicious o analytic theology Indeed
33Ibid pp 9830929830971048625-983097104862634Ibid pp 983092983097983088-9830971048625
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What Is Analytic heology 1048626983093
some are deeply suspicious Te concerns come rom several angles Here
are some o the most common9830911048629
ldquoAnalytic theology relies on a univocal account of religious languagerdquoSome theologians may worry that the current analytic discussions
proceed with an unrealistic and unhealthy naiveteacute regarding the nature
and unction o religious language For instance Stephen R Holmes
thinks that ldquoanalytic discussions o the rinity seem generally to proceed
with a remarkable confidence about the success o language in reerring
to the divinerdquo he thinks that the assumption o analytic theology ldquowould
always seem to be that language reers univocally to the divine and thecreatedrdquo Indeed he thinks that analytic theology would be ldquoimpossiblerdquo
without a commitment to univocity983091983094 More worrisome the concern may
be that analytic theologyrsquos commitment to univocity implicates it in
something that is (at least potentially) idolatrous9830911048631
A general treatment o religious language is beyond the scope o our
discussion but several observations may be helpul First it should be
noted that the case against univocity should not be merely assumed (asi some particular theological proposal could be damned by nothing
more than the charge o univocity) Nor is the case for univocity nearly
so weak as is ofen supposed o the contrary univocity has serious and
sophisticated deenders today and a case can be made that ldquothe doctrine
o univocity is true and salutaryrdquo9830911048632
Te second major point is perhaps more important or our purposes
It is this analytic theology as such requires no commitment to univocity
whatsoever Indeed many analytic theologians reject univocity in avor
35Tis section draws heavily rom my ldquoTeologians Philosophers and the Doctrine o the rinityrdquo
in McCall and Rea Philosophical and Teological Essays on the rinity pp 1048627983092983088-98309298309636Stephen R Holmes Te Quest for the rinity Te Doctrine of God in Scripture History and Mo-
dernity (Downers Grove IL IVP Academic 104862698308810486251048626) p 1048627104862637See eg Jean-Luc Marion God Without Being trans Tomas A Carlson (Chicago University
o Chicago Press 10486259830979830971048625) and John Milbank Te Word Made Strange (Oxord Blackwell 1048625983097983097983095)
See also the discussion in Daniel P Horan Postmodernity and Univocity A Critical Account of
Radical Orthodoxy and John Duns Scotus (Minneapolis Fortress 10486269830881048625983092)38Tomas Williams ldquoTe Doctrine o Univocity Is rue and Salutaryrdquo Modern Teology 10486261048625 (1048626983088983088983093)
983093983095983093-983096983093 See also William P Alston Divine Nature and Human Language Essays in Philosophical
Teology (Ithaca NY Cornell University Press 1048625983097983096983097) pp 1048625983095-10486251048625983095 and Keith E Yandell ldquoNot
Conusing Incomprehensibility and Ineffability Carl Henry on Literal Propositional Revela-
tionrdquo rinity Journal (10486269830881048625983092) 10486301048625-983095983092
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
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1048626983094 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
o other approaches (the doctrine o analogy being avored by many)
and at least one prominent philosopher o religion deends apophati-
cism9830911048633 Perhaps there is a general sense in which it is true that analytictheologians are naive about religious language Perhaps they aremdash
although I doubt this very much But even i it were true this would not
obviously make analytic theology different rom or inerior to many
other approaches to the theological task Te concernmdasheven i it were
substantiatedmdashwould give us no reason to avoid or dismiss analytic the-
ology It might give us reason to want to do it better it might motivate
analytic theologians to pay closer attention to important issues relatedto theological language But the concern itselmdasheven i substantiatedmdash
would not count against the proper exercise o analytic theology It is at
best a red herring
ldquoAnalytic theology is an exercise in natural theologyrdquo Some critics
might charge analytic theology with reliance on ldquonatural theologyrdquo Tis
observation will seem benign to other theologians some analytic theo-
logians might even take this judgment as a badge o honor But to thosetheologians o the house and lineage o Karl Barth this will be the mark
o damnation some may take natural theology to be ldquothe invention o
the Antichristrdquo as something that can serve only to reinorce idolatry
and corrupt the truth10486281048624 Other theologians might not be so hostile but
they still might worry that natural theology distracts us rom obedience
and fidelity to the reality o divine revelation So i analytic theology is
an exercise in natural theology or even relies on it it should be held at
armrsquos length i not shunned entirely
Much could be said about this cluster o issuesmdashand indeed more will
be said in the next chaptermdashbut at this point a basic conusion needs to
be cleared away Fundamentally it is simply a misunderstanding o ana-
lytic theology to think that it is an exercise in natural theology Granted
some prolific analytic theologians are heavily invested in the project o
natural theology and we can say with confidence that rumors o the
39Eg Jonathan D Jacobs ldquoTe Ineffable Inconceivable and Incomprehensible God Fundamen-
tality and Apophatic Teologyrdquo in Oxford Studies in Philosophy of Religion orthcoming40More precisely Barth says that the analogia entis (which interpreters ofen take to be the basis
o all natural theology) is the ldquoinvention o the Antichristrdquo Doctrine of the Word of God p xiii
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What Is Analytic heology 1048626983095
demise o natural theology have been greatly exaggerated1048628983089 But there is
nothing about analytic theology as suchmdashas I have described it to this
pointmdashthat relies on natural theology Te conusion o natural theologywith the analytic project is just thatmdasha conusion Whatever we should
think about natural theology philosophically however we judge the suc-
cesses (or lack thereo) o the various theistic arguments natural the-
ology simply cannot be equated with analytic theology And whatever
we should conclude theologically about natural theology we should not
conuse it with the analytic project Once again this is a red herring
ldquoAnalytic theology is naive with respect to the history of doctrinerdquoAnother concern expressed by some contemporary systematic theolo-
gians is this analytic theology all too ofen proceeds with little awareness
o the complex but important historical actors associated with the de-
velopment and ormation o Christian doctrine o understate the point
analytic theologians are sometimes criticized or their ignorance o the
history o the development o dogma and or their lack o careul study
to understand the particular intellectual (not to mention social) settingo the person(s) controversies or eras under consideration Instead so
the story goes it is all too common or analytic theologians to approach
an issue by isolating a particular text and then breaking it down to
unpack the real ldquocorerdquo o the doctrine in question And the assumption
o the analytic theologians (again so the story goes) is ofen enough that
this can be saely or appropriately done with little or no reerence to the
particular context in which the development occurred As Fred Sanders
expresses the concern ldquophilosophers sometimes seem to think o ancient
texts as cumbersome delivery systems containing ideas which it is their
job to extract rom the delivery system and do something withrdquo1048628983090 Richard
A Muller likewise argues that lack o attention to historical context
sometimes results in problematic misunderstandings o the tradition in
41Eg Richard Swinburne Te Coherence of Teism (Oxord Oxord University Press 1048625983097983095983095) and
Swinburne Te Existence of God (Oxord Oxord University Press 1048625983097983095983097 [1048626983088983088983092]) For examples
o recent work see Moreland and Craig Blackwell Companion to Natural Teology and James F
Sennett and Douglas Groothuis eds In Defense of Natural Teology A Post-Humean Assessment
(Downers Grove IL IVP Academic 1048626983088983088983093)42Fred Sanders ldquoTe State o the Doctrine o the rinity in Evangelical Teologyrdquo Southwestern
Journal of Teology 983092983095 (1048626983088983088983093) 10486251048630983097
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
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1048626983096 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
his view or instance both recent deenders and contemporary de-
tractors o the doctrine o divine simplicity commonly ldquomisinterpret the
traditional doctrinerdquo1048628983091 Robert W Jenson is more scathing he judges theanalytic enterprise to be ldquosomewhat oddly related to the Christian aith
it claims to deendrdquo and he calls the work o Richard Swinburne a ldquotruly
bizarre caserdquo10486281048628
At least this is how the story ofen goes A major underlying worry
seems to be that reading texts without proper attention to their social
location and intellectual context can cause us to misread and mis-
interpret those texts Tis strikes me as a legitimate concern and it is onethat analytic theologians would do well to hear and heed No one should
deny that it is possible to misread and misinterpret important historical
texts and it seems to me that such misreadings are ar more likely when
particular bits o the text are isolated and scrutinized apart rom the
broader literary and historical contexts Te temptation to look away
rom the context as an irrelevant distraction is real It should also be
resisted So the criticism contains an important cautionAt the same time however we should keep several additional points
in mind First the problem is not restricted to analytic theologiansmdash
constructive or systematic theologians o any stripe may be susceptible
to this temptation Indeed ironies abound on this ront Afer criticizing
analytic philosophers o religion or overlooking ldquothe essentially his-
torical character o trinitarian theologyrdquomdashand especially or missing the
important differences between the ldquoGreek (or lsquoCappadocianrsquo) Eastrdquo and
the ldquoLatin WestrdquomdashCatherine Mowry LaCugnarsquos own work has been
criticized or exaggerating those differences10486281048629 It is not as i more main-
stream nonanalytic or antianalytic theologians are immune to the temp-
tation instead so ar as I can see this is a general concern that should
serve as an important reminder that all theologians who engage with the
43Richard A Muller Post-Reformation Reformed Dogmatics Te Rise and Development of Reformed
Orthodoxy ca 1048625104862910486261048624ndashca 1048625104863110486261048629 vol 1048627 Te Divine Essence and Attributes (Grand Rapids Baker
Academic 10486269830889830881048627) p 983092104862544Robert W Jenson Systematic Teology vol 1048626 Te Works of God (Oxord Oxord University
Press 1048625983097983097983097) p 983096 n 104862798309345Catherine Mowry LaCugna ldquoPhilosophers and Teologians on the rinityrdquo Modern Teology 1048626
(10486259830979830961048630) 10486259830951048626
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What Is Analytic heology 1048626983097
Christian intellectual tradition should do so with appropriate historical
sensitivity Second there is nothingmdashat least so ar as I can seemdashthat
makes this temptation irresistible Te act that some analytic theolo-gians have been insufficiently attentive to some historical matters does
not entail either that all analytic theologians are ignorant o the tradition
or that all analytic theologians must proceed in ignorance I see no
reason to conclude that this problem must be either essential or endemic
to analytic theology Surely more progress can be made in this area but
I see no reasons to think that such progress cannot happen Finally it is
worth noting that such progress in act is being made Tere are manyhappy exceptions to the common stereotype that analytic theologians
are ldquoahistoricalrdquo in act it is sae to say that many excellent analytic
thinkers have genuine specialization in historical scholarship Indeed
many are cutting-edge contributors1048628983094
ldquoAnalytic theology is only apologetics for conservative theologyrdquo Al-
ternatively the suspicion may be that analytic theology is too closely tied
to the Christian tradition Te assumption here is that analytic theologyis nothing more than the bastion o traditionally minded Roman Catholic
(and Orthodox) theologians and philosophers along with their conser-
vative Protestant riends and the worry is that they are interested in
nothing more than finding a sae place to deend what they already know
to be true Consequently the worry goes there is next to nothing o real
interest here or revisionist theologians o various stripes and there is
little promise or genuinely constructive theology
wo observations are important here First in principle there is
nothing about analytic theology that demands either traditional sympa-
thies or conservative conclusions Neither is there anything about ana-
lytic theology (either taken along the lines o Rearsquos P1048625-P983093 or in a somewhat
more expansive way) that precludes the use o the analytic tools by say
eminist womanist or liberationist theologies
46Stellar examples include Richard Cross Duns Scotus on God (Aldershot UK Ashgate 1048626983088983088983093) Cross
Te Metaphysics of the Incarnation Tomas Aquinas to Duns Scotus (Oxord Oxord University
Press 10486269830889830881048626) Eleonore Stump Aquinas (New York Routledge 10486269830889830881048627) Jeffrey E Brower Aquinasrsquos
Ontology of the Material World Change Hylomorphism and Material Objects (Oxord Oxord
University Press 10486269830881048625983092) and J Paasch Divine Production in Late Medieval rinitarian Teology
Henry of Ghent Duns Scotus and William Ockham (Oxord Oxord University Press 104862698308810486251048626)
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
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983091983088 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
Second in point o act many criticisms o traditional doctrines
have emerged rom within analytic theology Consider this example It
is hard to think o a doctrine that is more deeply traditional or moredeeply woven into the abric o historic Christian theology than the
doctrine o divine simplicity Yet this venerable doctrine has endured
intense criticism rom analytic theologians over the past several de-
cades Alvin Plantingarsquos Does God Have a Nature raised ldquotwo diffi-
cultiesrdquo or the doctrine ldquoone substantial and the other truly
monumentalrdquo10486281048631 He argues that i God is identical with each o his
properties then God has but one property But this ldquoseems flatly in-compatible with the obvious act that God has several propertiesrdquo10486281048632 He
argues urther that i God is identical with each o his properties then
God is also a property ldquoTis view is subject to a difficulty both obvious
and overwhelming [or] i God is a property then he isnrsquot a person
but a mere abstract objectrdquo10486281048633 Many analytic theologians have joined
other criticisms to those o Plantinga and it is obvious that this doc-
trinemdashwoven deeply into the abric o traditional Christian doctrineas it ismdashis under assault rom within analytic theology We could mul-
tiply examples with ease (Te traditional doctrine o divine omni-
science stands out here) Tere are o course many sophisticated de-
enders o classical orthodoxy within analytic theology but the basic
point should be clear to reduce analytic theology to apologetics or
traditional doctrine is simply a mistake
As will become obvious in the ollowing pages I think that there is
much to be gained in the work o ldquoretrieval theologyrdquo and I see it as a
natural conversation partner and compatriot o analytic theology I want
to encourage more work at the intersection o analytic theology and
theologies o retrieval But there is nothing about analytic theology as
such that demands adherence to classical Christian theology
ldquoAnalytic theology relies on lsquosubstance metaphysicsrsquo rdquo Sometimes
theologians are suspicious o analytic theology due to its alleged reliance
on substance metaphysics Tis complaint can take various orms Some-
47Alvin Plantinga Does God Have a Nature (Milwaukee Marquette University Press 1048625983097983096983088) p 98309298309548Ibid49Ibid
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What Is Analytic heology 9830911048625
times it is claimed that the whole analytic enterprise is ldquopre-Kantianrdquo (as
in Kenneth Surinrsquos critique o David Brownrsquos work as being ldquorobustly
old-ashionedrdquo and ldquopre-Kantianrdquo)10486291048624 In other words critics complainthat analytic theology proceeds in blithemdashand perhaps willulmdashigno-
rance o the ldquoactrdquo that Kant undermined the entire project by destroying
the very possibility o doing it wo important claims seem to be in play
with this critique first that Kant did something to make analytic the-
ology impossible and second that analytic theologians are unaware o
what Kant did But both o these claims are problematic Te second is
simply mistaken and the first is vigorously contested As Nicholas Wolt-erstorff points out it is much more likely that the current generation o
analytic theologians is not so much ldquopre-Kantianrdquo as it is ldquopost-Kantianrdquo
As he puts it ldquoit really is possible to be post-Kantian Itrsquos possible to re-
cover rom Kant Te choices are not exhausted between being naively
pre-Kantian on the one hand and being a Kantian o one or another
stripe on the otherrdquo1048629983089 Tere are Wolterstorff argues philosophers who
are ully aware o Kantian ldquointerpretation-universalism and ully awareo [Kantian] metaphysical anti-realism but afer serious consideration
they have rejected these options as untenablerdquo1048629983090 So many analytic theo-
logians are well aware o Kantrsquos work (and the common claims made
about that work) but they donrsquot think that he did anything to shut down
the kind o work that they are doing As Plantinga puts it ldquothey have read
him and remain unconvincedrdquo1048629983091
But aside rom Kant analytic theology is sometimes criticized and
rejected or its reliance on ldquosubstance metaphysicsrdquo Unortunately ex-
actly what critical theologians have in their crosshairs when they talk
about substance metaphysics is ofen unclear and not closely defined
But very ofen the complaint is closely tied to a rejection o doctrines
50Kenneth Surin ldquoTe rinity and Philosophical Reflection A Study o David Brownrsquos Te Divine
rinity rdquo Modern Teology 1048626 (10486259830979830961048630) 10486261048627983097-98309298308851Nicholas Wolterstorff ldquoBetween the Pincers o Increased Diversity and Supposed Irrationalityrdquo
in God Philosophy and Academic Culture A Discussion Between Scholars in the AAR and APA
ed William J Wainwright (Atlanta Scholars Press 10486259830979830971048630) p 1048626983088 See also Wolterstorff ldquoIs It
Possible and Desirable or Teologians to Recover rom Kantrdquo Modern Teology 1048625983092 (1048625983097983097983096)
1048625-104862598309652Wolterstorff ldquoBetween the Pincersrdquo p 104862698308853Alvin Plantinga Warranted Christian Belief (Oxord Oxord University Press 1048626983088983088983088) p 1048627983088
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
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9830911048626 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
associated with ldquoclassical theismrdquo immutability impassibility time-
lessness and other doctrines are taken to be untenable and since they
are tied to substance metaphysics so much the worse or substancemetaphysics William P Alston defly analyzes this complaint and he
argues that substance metaphysics are really beside the point What he
says about substance metaphysics in discussions o the doctrine o the
rinity applies more broadly ldquoonce we get straight as to what is and is
not necessarily included in the metaphysics o substance we will see that
most twentieth-century objections to the use o substance metaphysics
are based on eatures o such ormulations that are not required bysubstance metaphysics as suchrdquo10486291048628 Perhaps there is something inherently
wrong with the use o substance metaphysics in theology and maybe this
counts against analytic theology But beore such a judgment can be
made we need more than the all-too-common generalizations and as-
sertions For beore we can conclude that analytic theology is atally
flawed due to a dependence on substance metaphysics we need to know
exactly what is meant by substance metaphysics we need to be shown just what is wrong (either philosophically or theologically) with sub-
stance metaphysics and we need to see that analytic theology really is (or
must be) committed to this kind o metaphysics Without the kind o
careul analysis and rigorous argumentation it is hard to see anything
here that might count as a orceul objection to analytic theology
ldquoAnalytic theology isnrsquot spiritually edifyingrdquo William Wood notes that
ldquomany conventional theologians remain deeply suspicious o analytic the-
ologyrdquo because o the worry that analytic theology is not spiritually edi-
ying As these theologians see matters ldquogenuine theology is in the first
instance practical aimed not at explanatory theories about God but at
ostering greater love or God and neighbor Genuine theology in short
is praxis one deeply woven together with a Christian lie o prayer virtue
and participation in the sacramentsrdquo10486291048629 Te basic concern is this when
more mainstream theologians look at analytic theology they donrsquot rec-
54William P Alston ldquoSubstance and the rinityrdquo in Te rinity An Interdisciplinary Symposium on
the rinity ed Stephen Davis Daniel Kendall SJ and Gerald OrsquoCollins SJ (Oxord Oxord
University Press 1048625983097983097983097) p 1048626983088104862555William Wood ldquoAnalytic Teology as a Way o Lierdquo Journal of Analytic Teology (10486269830881048625983092) 983092983092
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
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What Is Analytic heology 983091983091
ognize the kind o theology-as-praxis that they value Instead they see
purported explanatory theoriesmdashmere purported explanatory theories
Sometimes these explanations appear to be a very long way indeed romthe lie o aith Indeed they see ormulas such as this (selected pretty
much at random rom among many others)
P existx (Dx amp forally(Dy =gt Byx) amp x made us
Q existx(Dx amp forally(Dy =gt Byx ))1048629983094
When they encounter this kind o work some theologians donrsquot rec-
ognize it as theology at all I they are willing to recognize it as theology
they tend to worry that they donrsquot see the kind o theology that promotes
love o God and neighbor they are concerned that they donrsquot see the-
ology that is connected to the lie o aith As Wood puts it they worry
that ldquoanalytic theology is spiritually sterile and thereore not really a
orm o genuine theology at allrdquo10486291048631
I think this is an important point o criticism and it raises some very
intriguing concerns But as Wood also notes it would be a ldquomistake and
urthermore a presumptuous mistake to assume that analytic philo-
sophical theology cannot in principle be spiritually nourishingrdquo10486291048632 Tree
points stand out First it is important to realize that the temptation to
construct explanatory theories about God that are divorced rom worship
and transormation is both real and present It is also nearious10486291048633 Te
temptation besets theologians o all stripesmdashanalytic or otherwise I do
not think analytic theologians are the only theologians who ace this
temptation o the contrary idolatry is no respecter o ideologies Butsurely it is not invincible surelymdashby Godrsquos gracemdashit is not irresistible
As Wood reminds us ldquoGodrsquos love rains down on logicians too afer allrdquo9830941048624
Second there is good reason to think that analytic theology maymdash
contrary to common expectationsmdashturn out to be spiritually ediying
56Peter van Inwagen ldquoAnd Yet Tey Are Not Tree Gods but One Godrdquo in McCall and Rea
Philosophical and Teological Essays on the rinity pp 10486269830921048625 1048626983092104863057Wood ldquoAnalytic Teology as a Way o Lierdquo p 983092983092 See also Marilyn McCord Adams ldquoWhatrsquos
Wrong with the Ontotheological Errorrdquo Journal of Analytic Teology (10486269830881048625983092) 1048625-1048625104862658Wood ldquoAnalytic Teology as a Way o Lierdquo p 983092104863059See the warnings o Merold Westphal Suspicion and Faith Te Religious Uses of Modern Atheism
(New York Fordham University Press 1048625983097983097983096)60Wood ldquoAnalytic Teology as a Way o Lierdquo p 983092983095
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
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983091983092 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
Wood argues that analytic theology may be spiritually beneficial in
several ways He suggests that the ldquoconcentrated attention required to
read understand and develop very technical analytic argumentsrdquo maybe conducive to the kinds o intellectual virtues and habits o mind that
are spiritually beneficial983094983089 In addition he notes the ldquoargumentative
transparencyrdquo (what he terms the ldquoparadigmatic analytic virtuerdquo) may be
helpul in spiritual ormation983094983090 Wood readily admits that this tendency
toward argumentative rigor can also eed a orm o pride or even ldquointel-
lectual violencerdquo but he also points out that to make a ldquogood analytic
argument is to make that argument maximally easy or intellectual op-ponents to criticize or reuterdquo and this very transparency makes it much
harder to shield onesel rom criticisms but instead is a way to ldquomake
onesel intellectually vulnerablerdquo In this way it serves as a ldquocheck against
intellectual priderdquo983094983091 Moreover the pace demanded by such rigor and the
modesty o the claims that are rendered deensible have the potential to
cultivate epistemic humility Furthermore another important eature o
the analytic approach is the need to ldquoidentiy imaginatively with onersquosintellectual opponentsrdquo this also as Wood points out orces us to inhabit
a worldview that is not only oreign to our own but also sometimes
hostile In these ways Wood argues ldquoanalytic theology can become a
spiritual practice a way o seeking God and o training the mind and
the will to be open to gracerdquo9830941048628
Finally we should not neglect to notice those shining examples o
theologians or whom analytic theology indeed is closely related to
worship and spiritual nurture Indeed it would be hard not to notice
them or the tradition is rie with such theologians A great many pa-
tristic and most scholastic (both medieval and early modern) theolo-
gians count as ldquoanalytic theologiansrdquo For surely they fit our profile o
theologians who prize ldquoconceptual precision rigor o argumentation
technical erudition and an in-depth deense o an original worldviewrdquo
(and who would in many instances value P1048625-P983093) As an example con-
61Ibid p 98309398309362Ibid p 983093104863063Ibid64Ibid p 983093983096
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What Is Analytic heology 983091983093
sider Anselmrsquos Proslogion It is obvious that Anselm values precision and
rigor and he clearly intends to convey truth claims that he finds con-
vincing But as both Wood and Marilyn McCord Adams point out thiswork is ldquomeant to do more than communicate propositional truthsrdquo or
ldquoit is meant to help reorient the wills o its readers and help bring about
effective and volitional change in themrdquo9830941048629 Despite important differences
o style and substance we could say much the same about many other
figures (both well known and less so) as well it is very difficult to read
ar into Bonaventure Richard o St Victor Aquinas Scotus Vermigli
Perkins Arminius urretin Edwards Wesley and many others withoutunderstanding that they are obviously concerned with both intellectual
rigor and spiritual ormation
65Ibid p 983093983088 See also Marilyn McCord Adams ldquoPraying the Proslogionrdquo in Te Rationality of
Belief and the Plurality of Faith ed Tomas Senor (Ithaca NY Cornell University Press 1048625983097983097983093)
pp 10486251048627-1048627983097 and Adams ldquoElegant Necessity Prayerul Disputation Method in Cur Deus Homordquo
in Studia Anselmiana Cur Deus Homo (Rome 1048625983097983097983097) pp 10486271048630983095-9830971048630
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
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8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
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What Is Analytic heology 10486261048625
think that the notion o ldquowell-understood primitive conceptsrdquo must
unction as a Procrustean bed
Finally Rea says that P983093 calls us to ldquotreat conceptual analysis (insoaras it is possible) as a source o evidencerdquo It should be obvious that he
does not say that conceptual analysis is the only source o evidence and
there is no reason to think that it should be taken this way Neither does
he claim that conceptual analysis is the primary or ultimate source o
evidence P983093 makes an important claim but it is a rather modest one
What it insists on is this i close conceptual analysis reveals that some
theological proposition P is say internally inconsistent then thatanalysis gives us all the evidence we need to reject P No matter how
grand the claims o Prsquo s supporters in deense o the supporting evidence
for it i P is incoherent (sel-reerentially or otherwise) then it is not true
Once we have established that P is incoherent (which is a task much
harder than is sometimes supposed) we have all the reason we need to
conclude that it is wrong In addition o course conceptual analysis
might count as evidence in other and more positive ways as well Con-sider perect being theology or example here theologians analyze ldquoper-
ectionrdquo and then take deliverances o that analysis as evidence in support
o their theological conclusions
Much more could be said about what makes analytic theology truly
analytic o course While this could be expanded on and broadened
(particularly in directions that put less o a premium on precision) Rearsquos
P1048625-P983093 give us an initial sense o what it means to say that theology is
analytic theology Generally speaking analytic theology is theology that
is attuned to and committed to the ldquogoals and ambitionsrdquo o analytic
philosophy a commitment to truth wherever it may be ound clarity o
expression and rigor o argumentation Very ofen it will not hesitate to
make appropriate use o the available tools o analytic philosophy espe-
cially as these aid conceptual precision and argumentative rigor
Analytic theology as analytic theology But i echoing Smith it is the
concern with ldquoconceptual precisionrdquo and ldquorigor o argumentationrdquo that
makes analytic theology analytic then what is it that makes analytic
theology really theology Tis book develops an answer to this question
but an initial summary may help Recall that Smith talks not only about
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
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10486261048626 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
ldquoconceptual precisionrdquo and ldquorigor o argumentationrdquo but also about ldquotech-
nical eruditionrdquo and the ldquoin-depth deense o an original worldviewrdquo For
the analytic philosopher ldquotechnical eruditionrdquo will naturally involvemastery o the requisite field (metaphysics philosophy o mind epis-
temology etc) but it may also include competence in other related
fields (biology or philosophy o biology neurology or philosophy o
mind etc) For the analytic theologian such erudition will include com-
petence in the relevant areas o philosophical study that are necessary or
ldquoconceptual precisionrdquo and ldquorigor o argumentationrdquo But or the analytic
theologian qua theologian it must involve much more than this Forunless analytic theology is merely ldquoarmchair theologyrdquo (albeit armchair
theology done by very bright people) it will be grounded in the
Christian Scriptures it will be inormed by the great tradition o doc-
trinal development it will be ldquochristologically normedrdquo and it will be
culturally engaged As theology it will seek to articulate what we may
know o God as God has revealed himsel to us As Nicholas Wolterstorff
puts it to theologiansDo not be ersatz philosophers do not be ersatz cultural theorists do not be
ersatz anything Be genuine theologians Be sure-ooted in philosophy But
then be theologians What we need to hear rom you is how things look
when seen in light o the triune Godmdashmay his name be praisedmdashwho creates
and sustains us who redeems us and who will bring this rail and allen
though yet glorious humanity and cosmos to consummation9830901048632
Accordingly analytic theology is theology done by theologians who areldquosure-ootedrdquo in philosophy (many o whom will have extensive training
and proessional expertise there and indeed may be leaders within their
field) but it is a kind o theology nonetheless
Such a conception o theology is o course not remotely new What
we may useully reer to as ldquoanalytic theologyrdquo is very similar in many
respects to deeply traditional ways o doing theology We can see this
kind o work exemplified in the theology o the scholastics (both me-dieval and post-Reormationearly modern) So in some sense the re-
28Nicholas Wolterstorff ldquoo Teologians From One Who Cares About Teology but Is Not One
o Yourdquo Teological Education (1048626983088983088983093) 9830971048625-9830971048626
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What Is Analytic heology 1048626983091
birth o analytic theology may be thought o as scholasticism redivivus
As Richard Swinburnemdashsurely a pioneer o analytic theologymdashsays
ldquolarge-scale theology needs clear and rigorous argumentrdquo and it is ldquohightime or theology to returnrdquo to the standards set by Tomas Aquinas
John Duns Scotus and others9830901048633 But it is not only the ldquohigh scholasticsrdquo
who worked this way or we can also witness many o these virtues in
theologians rom the patristics to the pietists9830911048624 Many theologians in the
Christian tradition were concerned with both ldquoconceptual precisionrdquo and
ldquoargumentative rigorrdquo as well as ldquotechnical eruditionrdquo and the ldquoin-depth
deense o an original worldviewrdquoConsider what John Wesleymdashan evangelist hardly known as a ldquoscho-
lasticrdquo or an ldquoanalytic theologianrdquomdashhas to say about the importance o
acquiring the tools or ldquoconceptual precisionrdquo and ldquoargumentative rigorrdquo
Logic he says is ldquonecessary next to and in order to the knowledge o
Scripturerdquo983091983089 Despite the act that it is ldquonow quite unashionablerdquo none-
theless logic is invaluable For with it we have the possibility o ldquoappre-
hending things clearly judging truly and reasoning conclusivelyrdquo
983091983090
Andas with logic so also with metaphysics Tus Wesley will ask o clergy
Am I a tolerable master o the sciences Have I gone through the very gate o
them logic I not I am not likely to go much urther when I stumble at the
threshold Do I understand it so as to be ever the better or it o have it
always ready or use so as to apply every rule o it when occasion is almost
as naturally as I turn my hand Do I understand it at all Can I reduce an
indirect mood to a direct a hypothetic to a categorical syllogism Rather have
not my stupid indolence and laziness made me very ready to believe what the
little wits and pretty gentlemen affirm ldquothat logic is good or nothingrdquo It is
good or this at least (wherever it is understood) to make people talk less by
showing them both what is and what is not to the point and how extremely
29Richard Swinburne Te Coherence of Teism 1048626nd ed (Oxord Oxord University Press 10486259830979830971048627)
p 98309530See eg Gregory o Nyssa Against Eunomius 10486259830921048626 Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers ed Philip
Schaff series 1048626 (10486259830969830961048630ndash1048625983096983096983097 repr Peabody MA Hendrickson 1048625983097983097983092) 983093983097983096-983097983097 (Patrologia
Graeca [= Patrologiae Cursus Completus Series Graeca] ed Jacques-Paul Migne [Paris 1048625983096983093983095ndash
10486259830969830961048630] 9830929830939830921048630983088-10486301048625)31John Wesley ldquoAddress to the Clergyrdquo in Te Works of John Wesley vol 1048625983088 Letters Essays Dialogs
and Addresses (Grand Rapids Zondervan nd) p 983092983096104862732Ibid
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1048626983092 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
hard it is to prove anything Do I understand metaphysics i not the depths
o the Schoolmen the subtleties o Scotus or Aquinas yet the first rudiments
the general principles o that useul science983091983091
Consider urther what Wesley says about the importance o ldquotechnical
eruditionrdquo in theology Insisting on the importance o knowledge o the
scope o Christian Scripture as well as acility in the relevant ancient
languages he asks
Have I (1048625) such a knowledge o Scripture as becomes him who undertakes
so to explain it to others Have I a ull and clear view o the analogy o
aith which is the clue to guide me through the whole Am I acquainted with
the several parts o Scripture with all parts o the Old estament and the
New Upon the mention o any text do I know the context and the parallel
places Do I know the scope o each book and how every part tends
thereto Have I the skill to draw the natural inerences deducible rom each
text (1048626) Do I understand Greek and Hebrew Otherwise am I not at
the mercy o everyone who does understand or pretends to understand the
original For which way can I conute his pretence Do I understand the lan-
guage o the Old estament Critically At all Can I read into English one o
Davidrsquos Psalms or even the first chapter o Genesis Do I understand the
language o the New estament Am I a critical master o it Have I enough
o it even to read into English the first chapter o St Luke I not how many
years did I spend at school How many at university And what was I doing
all those years9830911048628
Wesley says similar things about the indispensability o knowledge o
the Christian tradition But the basic point should be clear important
elements o what we now call ldquoanalytic theologyrdquo have deep roots in the
broad Christian theological tradition Indeed or an evangelist like John
Wesley this is simply the kind o theology that any Christian minister
should be doing
W983144983137983156 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 T983144983141983151983148983151983143983161 I983155983150rsquo983156 M983145983155983157983150983140983141983154983155983156983137983150983140983145983150983143983155
983137983150983140 O983138983146983141983139983156983145983151983150983155
Many systematic theologians are suspicious o analytic theology Indeed
33Ibid pp 9830929830971048625-983097104862634Ibid pp 983092983097983088-9830971048625
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What Is Analytic heology 1048626983093
some are deeply suspicious Te concerns come rom several angles Here
are some o the most common9830911048629
ldquoAnalytic theology relies on a univocal account of religious languagerdquoSome theologians may worry that the current analytic discussions
proceed with an unrealistic and unhealthy naiveteacute regarding the nature
and unction o religious language For instance Stephen R Holmes
thinks that ldquoanalytic discussions o the rinity seem generally to proceed
with a remarkable confidence about the success o language in reerring
to the divinerdquo he thinks that the assumption o analytic theology ldquowould
always seem to be that language reers univocally to the divine and thecreatedrdquo Indeed he thinks that analytic theology would be ldquoimpossiblerdquo
without a commitment to univocity983091983094 More worrisome the concern may
be that analytic theologyrsquos commitment to univocity implicates it in
something that is (at least potentially) idolatrous9830911048631
A general treatment o religious language is beyond the scope o our
discussion but several observations may be helpul First it should be
noted that the case against univocity should not be merely assumed (asi some particular theological proposal could be damned by nothing
more than the charge o univocity) Nor is the case for univocity nearly
so weak as is ofen supposed o the contrary univocity has serious and
sophisticated deenders today and a case can be made that ldquothe doctrine
o univocity is true and salutaryrdquo9830911048632
Te second major point is perhaps more important or our purposes
It is this analytic theology as such requires no commitment to univocity
whatsoever Indeed many analytic theologians reject univocity in avor
35Tis section draws heavily rom my ldquoTeologians Philosophers and the Doctrine o the rinityrdquo
in McCall and Rea Philosophical and Teological Essays on the rinity pp 1048627983092983088-98309298309636Stephen R Holmes Te Quest for the rinity Te Doctrine of God in Scripture History and Mo-
dernity (Downers Grove IL IVP Academic 104862698308810486251048626) p 1048627104862637See eg Jean-Luc Marion God Without Being trans Tomas A Carlson (Chicago University
o Chicago Press 10486259830979830971048625) and John Milbank Te Word Made Strange (Oxord Blackwell 1048625983097983097983095)
See also the discussion in Daniel P Horan Postmodernity and Univocity A Critical Account of
Radical Orthodoxy and John Duns Scotus (Minneapolis Fortress 10486269830881048625983092)38Tomas Williams ldquoTe Doctrine o Univocity Is rue and Salutaryrdquo Modern Teology 10486261048625 (1048626983088983088983093)
983093983095983093-983096983093 See also William P Alston Divine Nature and Human Language Essays in Philosophical
Teology (Ithaca NY Cornell University Press 1048625983097983096983097) pp 1048625983095-10486251048625983095 and Keith E Yandell ldquoNot
Conusing Incomprehensibility and Ineffability Carl Henry on Literal Propositional Revela-
tionrdquo rinity Journal (10486269830881048625983092) 10486301048625-983095983092
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
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1048626983094 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
o other approaches (the doctrine o analogy being avored by many)
and at least one prominent philosopher o religion deends apophati-
cism9830911048633 Perhaps there is a general sense in which it is true that analytictheologians are naive about religious language Perhaps they aremdash
although I doubt this very much But even i it were true this would not
obviously make analytic theology different rom or inerior to many
other approaches to the theological task Te concernmdasheven i it were
substantiatedmdashwould give us no reason to avoid or dismiss analytic the-
ology It might give us reason to want to do it better it might motivate
analytic theologians to pay closer attention to important issues relatedto theological language But the concern itselmdasheven i substantiatedmdash
would not count against the proper exercise o analytic theology It is at
best a red herring
ldquoAnalytic theology is an exercise in natural theologyrdquo Some critics
might charge analytic theology with reliance on ldquonatural theologyrdquo Tis
observation will seem benign to other theologians some analytic theo-
logians might even take this judgment as a badge o honor But to thosetheologians o the house and lineage o Karl Barth this will be the mark
o damnation some may take natural theology to be ldquothe invention o
the Antichristrdquo as something that can serve only to reinorce idolatry
and corrupt the truth10486281048624 Other theologians might not be so hostile but
they still might worry that natural theology distracts us rom obedience
and fidelity to the reality o divine revelation So i analytic theology is
an exercise in natural theology or even relies on it it should be held at
armrsquos length i not shunned entirely
Much could be said about this cluster o issuesmdashand indeed more will
be said in the next chaptermdashbut at this point a basic conusion needs to
be cleared away Fundamentally it is simply a misunderstanding o ana-
lytic theology to think that it is an exercise in natural theology Granted
some prolific analytic theologians are heavily invested in the project o
natural theology and we can say with confidence that rumors o the
39Eg Jonathan D Jacobs ldquoTe Ineffable Inconceivable and Incomprehensible God Fundamen-
tality and Apophatic Teologyrdquo in Oxford Studies in Philosophy of Religion orthcoming40More precisely Barth says that the analogia entis (which interpreters ofen take to be the basis
o all natural theology) is the ldquoinvention o the Antichristrdquo Doctrine of the Word of God p xiii
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
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What Is Analytic heology 1048626983095
demise o natural theology have been greatly exaggerated1048628983089 But there is
nothing about analytic theology as suchmdashas I have described it to this
pointmdashthat relies on natural theology Te conusion o natural theologywith the analytic project is just thatmdasha conusion Whatever we should
think about natural theology philosophically however we judge the suc-
cesses (or lack thereo) o the various theistic arguments natural the-
ology simply cannot be equated with analytic theology And whatever
we should conclude theologically about natural theology we should not
conuse it with the analytic project Once again this is a red herring
ldquoAnalytic theology is naive with respect to the history of doctrinerdquoAnother concern expressed by some contemporary systematic theolo-
gians is this analytic theology all too ofen proceeds with little awareness
o the complex but important historical actors associated with the de-
velopment and ormation o Christian doctrine o understate the point
analytic theologians are sometimes criticized or their ignorance o the
history o the development o dogma and or their lack o careul study
to understand the particular intellectual (not to mention social) settingo the person(s) controversies or eras under consideration Instead so
the story goes it is all too common or analytic theologians to approach
an issue by isolating a particular text and then breaking it down to
unpack the real ldquocorerdquo o the doctrine in question And the assumption
o the analytic theologians (again so the story goes) is ofen enough that
this can be saely or appropriately done with little or no reerence to the
particular context in which the development occurred As Fred Sanders
expresses the concern ldquophilosophers sometimes seem to think o ancient
texts as cumbersome delivery systems containing ideas which it is their
job to extract rom the delivery system and do something withrdquo1048628983090 Richard
A Muller likewise argues that lack o attention to historical context
sometimes results in problematic misunderstandings o the tradition in
41Eg Richard Swinburne Te Coherence of Teism (Oxord Oxord University Press 1048625983097983095983095) and
Swinburne Te Existence of God (Oxord Oxord University Press 1048625983097983095983097 [1048626983088983088983092]) For examples
o recent work see Moreland and Craig Blackwell Companion to Natural Teology and James F
Sennett and Douglas Groothuis eds In Defense of Natural Teology A Post-Humean Assessment
(Downers Grove IL IVP Academic 1048626983088983088983093)42Fred Sanders ldquoTe State o the Doctrine o the rinity in Evangelical Teologyrdquo Southwestern
Journal of Teology 983092983095 (1048626983088983088983093) 10486251048630983097
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullan-invitation-to-analytic-christian-theology-by-thomas-h-mccall-excerpt 2533
1048626983096 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
his view or instance both recent deenders and contemporary de-
tractors o the doctrine o divine simplicity commonly ldquomisinterpret the
traditional doctrinerdquo1048628983091 Robert W Jenson is more scathing he judges theanalytic enterprise to be ldquosomewhat oddly related to the Christian aith
it claims to deendrdquo and he calls the work o Richard Swinburne a ldquotruly
bizarre caserdquo10486281048628
At least this is how the story ofen goes A major underlying worry
seems to be that reading texts without proper attention to their social
location and intellectual context can cause us to misread and mis-
interpret those texts Tis strikes me as a legitimate concern and it is onethat analytic theologians would do well to hear and heed No one should
deny that it is possible to misread and misinterpret important historical
texts and it seems to me that such misreadings are ar more likely when
particular bits o the text are isolated and scrutinized apart rom the
broader literary and historical contexts Te temptation to look away
rom the context as an irrelevant distraction is real It should also be
resisted So the criticism contains an important cautionAt the same time however we should keep several additional points
in mind First the problem is not restricted to analytic theologiansmdash
constructive or systematic theologians o any stripe may be susceptible
to this temptation Indeed ironies abound on this ront Afer criticizing
analytic philosophers o religion or overlooking ldquothe essentially his-
torical character o trinitarian theologyrdquomdashand especially or missing the
important differences between the ldquoGreek (or lsquoCappadocianrsquo) Eastrdquo and
the ldquoLatin WestrdquomdashCatherine Mowry LaCugnarsquos own work has been
criticized or exaggerating those differences10486281048629 It is not as i more main-
stream nonanalytic or antianalytic theologians are immune to the temp-
tation instead so ar as I can see this is a general concern that should
serve as an important reminder that all theologians who engage with the
43Richard A Muller Post-Reformation Reformed Dogmatics Te Rise and Development of Reformed
Orthodoxy ca 1048625104862910486261048624ndashca 1048625104863110486261048629 vol 1048627 Te Divine Essence and Attributes (Grand Rapids Baker
Academic 10486269830889830881048627) p 983092104862544Robert W Jenson Systematic Teology vol 1048626 Te Works of God (Oxord Oxord University
Press 1048625983097983097983097) p 983096 n 104862798309345Catherine Mowry LaCugna ldquoPhilosophers and Teologians on the rinityrdquo Modern Teology 1048626
(10486259830979830961048630) 10486259830951048626
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
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What Is Analytic heology 1048626983097
Christian intellectual tradition should do so with appropriate historical
sensitivity Second there is nothingmdashat least so ar as I can seemdashthat
makes this temptation irresistible Te act that some analytic theolo-gians have been insufficiently attentive to some historical matters does
not entail either that all analytic theologians are ignorant o the tradition
or that all analytic theologians must proceed in ignorance I see no
reason to conclude that this problem must be either essential or endemic
to analytic theology Surely more progress can be made in this area but
I see no reasons to think that such progress cannot happen Finally it is
worth noting that such progress in act is being made Tere are manyhappy exceptions to the common stereotype that analytic theologians
are ldquoahistoricalrdquo in act it is sae to say that many excellent analytic
thinkers have genuine specialization in historical scholarship Indeed
many are cutting-edge contributors1048628983094
ldquoAnalytic theology is only apologetics for conservative theologyrdquo Al-
ternatively the suspicion may be that analytic theology is too closely tied
to the Christian tradition Te assumption here is that analytic theologyis nothing more than the bastion o traditionally minded Roman Catholic
(and Orthodox) theologians and philosophers along with their conser-
vative Protestant riends and the worry is that they are interested in
nothing more than finding a sae place to deend what they already know
to be true Consequently the worry goes there is next to nothing o real
interest here or revisionist theologians o various stripes and there is
little promise or genuinely constructive theology
wo observations are important here First in principle there is
nothing about analytic theology that demands either traditional sympa-
thies or conservative conclusions Neither is there anything about ana-
lytic theology (either taken along the lines o Rearsquos P1048625-P983093 or in a somewhat
more expansive way) that precludes the use o the analytic tools by say
eminist womanist or liberationist theologies
46Stellar examples include Richard Cross Duns Scotus on God (Aldershot UK Ashgate 1048626983088983088983093) Cross
Te Metaphysics of the Incarnation Tomas Aquinas to Duns Scotus (Oxord Oxord University
Press 10486269830889830881048626) Eleonore Stump Aquinas (New York Routledge 10486269830889830881048627) Jeffrey E Brower Aquinasrsquos
Ontology of the Material World Change Hylomorphism and Material Objects (Oxord Oxord
University Press 10486269830881048625983092) and J Paasch Divine Production in Late Medieval rinitarian Teology
Henry of Ghent Duns Scotus and William Ockham (Oxord Oxord University Press 104862698308810486251048626)
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullan-invitation-to-analytic-christian-theology-by-thomas-h-mccall-excerpt 2733
983091983088 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
Second in point o act many criticisms o traditional doctrines
have emerged rom within analytic theology Consider this example It
is hard to think o a doctrine that is more deeply traditional or moredeeply woven into the abric o historic Christian theology than the
doctrine o divine simplicity Yet this venerable doctrine has endured
intense criticism rom analytic theologians over the past several de-
cades Alvin Plantingarsquos Does God Have a Nature raised ldquotwo diffi-
cultiesrdquo or the doctrine ldquoone substantial and the other truly
monumentalrdquo10486281048631 He argues that i God is identical with each o his
properties then God has but one property But this ldquoseems flatly in-compatible with the obvious act that God has several propertiesrdquo10486281048632 He
argues urther that i God is identical with each o his properties then
God is also a property ldquoTis view is subject to a difficulty both obvious
and overwhelming [or] i God is a property then he isnrsquot a person
but a mere abstract objectrdquo10486281048633 Many analytic theologians have joined
other criticisms to those o Plantinga and it is obvious that this doc-
trinemdashwoven deeply into the abric o traditional Christian doctrineas it ismdashis under assault rom within analytic theology We could mul-
tiply examples with ease (Te traditional doctrine o divine omni-
science stands out here) Tere are o course many sophisticated de-
enders o classical orthodoxy within analytic theology but the basic
point should be clear to reduce analytic theology to apologetics or
traditional doctrine is simply a mistake
As will become obvious in the ollowing pages I think that there is
much to be gained in the work o ldquoretrieval theologyrdquo and I see it as a
natural conversation partner and compatriot o analytic theology I want
to encourage more work at the intersection o analytic theology and
theologies o retrieval But there is nothing about analytic theology as
such that demands adherence to classical Christian theology
ldquoAnalytic theology relies on lsquosubstance metaphysicsrsquo rdquo Sometimes
theologians are suspicious o analytic theology due to its alleged reliance
on substance metaphysics Tis complaint can take various orms Some-
47Alvin Plantinga Does God Have a Nature (Milwaukee Marquette University Press 1048625983097983096983088) p 98309298309548Ibid49Ibid
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What Is Analytic heology 9830911048625
times it is claimed that the whole analytic enterprise is ldquopre-Kantianrdquo (as
in Kenneth Surinrsquos critique o David Brownrsquos work as being ldquorobustly
old-ashionedrdquo and ldquopre-Kantianrdquo)10486291048624 In other words critics complainthat analytic theology proceeds in blithemdashand perhaps willulmdashigno-
rance o the ldquoactrdquo that Kant undermined the entire project by destroying
the very possibility o doing it wo important claims seem to be in play
with this critique first that Kant did something to make analytic the-
ology impossible and second that analytic theologians are unaware o
what Kant did But both o these claims are problematic Te second is
simply mistaken and the first is vigorously contested As Nicholas Wolt-erstorff points out it is much more likely that the current generation o
analytic theologians is not so much ldquopre-Kantianrdquo as it is ldquopost-Kantianrdquo
As he puts it ldquoit really is possible to be post-Kantian Itrsquos possible to re-
cover rom Kant Te choices are not exhausted between being naively
pre-Kantian on the one hand and being a Kantian o one or another
stripe on the otherrdquo1048629983089 Tere are Wolterstorff argues philosophers who
are ully aware o Kantian ldquointerpretation-universalism and ully awareo [Kantian] metaphysical anti-realism but afer serious consideration
they have rejected these options as untenablerdquo1048629983090 So many analytic theo-
logians are well aware o Kantrsquos work (and the common claims made
about that work) but they donrsquot think that he did anything to shut down
the kind o work that they are doing As Plantinga puts it ldquothey have read
him and remain unconvincedrdquo1048629983091
But aside rom Kant analytic theology is sometimes criticized and
rejected or its reliance on ldquosubstance metaphysicsrdquo Unortunately ex-
actly what critical theologians have in their crosshairs when they talk
about substance metaphysics is ofen unclear and not closely defined
But very ofen the complaint is closely tied to a rejection o doctrines
50Kenneth Surin ldquoTe rinity and Philosophical Reflection A Study o David Brownrsquos Te Divine
rinity rdquo Modern Teology 1048626 (10486259830979830961048630) 10486261048627983097-98309298308851Nicholas Wolterstorff ldquoBetween the Pincers o Increased Diversity and Supposed Irrationalityrdquo
in God Philosophy and Academic Culture A Discussion Between Scholars in the AAR and APA
ed William J Wainwright (Atlanta Scholars Press 10486259830979830971048630) p 1048626983088 See also Wolterstorff ldquoIs It
Possible and Desirable or Teologians to Recover rom Kantrdquo Modern Teology 1048625983092 (1048625983097983097983096)
1048625-104862598309652Wolterstorff ldquoBetween the Pincersrdquo p 104862698308853Alvin Plantinga Warranted Christian Belief (Oxord Oxord University Press 1048626983088983088983088) p 1048627983088
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullan-invitation-to-analytic-christian-theology-by-thomas-h-mccall-excerpt 2933
9830911048626 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
associated with ldquoclassical theismrdquo immutability impassibility time-
lessness and other doctrines are taken to be untenable and since they
are tied to substance metaphysics so much the worse or substancemetaphysics William P Alston defly analyzes this complaint and he
argues that substance metaphysics are really beside the point What he
says about substance metaphysics in discussions o the doctrine o the
rinity applies more broadly ldquoonce we get straight as to what is and is
not necessarily included in the metaphysics o substance we will see that
most twentieth-century objections to the use o substance metaphysics
are based on eatures o such ormulations that are not required bysubstance metaphysics as suchrdquo10486291048628 Perhaps there is something inherently
wrong with the use o substance metaphysics in theology and maybe this
counts against analytic theology But beore such a judgment can be
made we need more than the all-too-common generalizations and as-
sertions For beore we can conclude that analytic theology is atally
flawed due to a dependence on substance metaphysics we need to know
exactly what is meant by substance metaphysics we need to be shown just what is wrong (either philosophically or theologically) with sub-
stance metaphysics and we need to see that analytic theology really is (or
must be) committed to this kind o metaphysics Without the kind o
careul analysis and rigorous argumentation it is hard to see anything
here that might count as a orceul objection to analytic theology
ldquoAnalytic theology isnrsquot spiritually edifyingrdquo William Wood notes that
ldquomany conventional theologians remain deeply suspicious o analytic the-
ologyrdquo because o the worry that analytic theology is not spiritually edi-
ying As these theologians see matters ldquogenuine theology is in the first
instance practical aimed not at explanatory theories about God but at
ostering greater love or God and neighbor Genuine theology in short
is praxis one deeply woven together with a Christian lie o prayer virtue
and participation in the sacramentsrdquo10486291048629 Te basic concern is this when
more mainstream theologians look at analytic theology they donrsquot rec-
54William P Alston ldquoSubstance and the rinityrdquo in Te rinity An Interdisciplinary Symposium on
the rinity ed Stephen Davis Daniel Kendall SJ and Gerald OrsquoCollins SJ (Oxord Oxord
University Press 1048625983097983097983097) p 1048626983088104862555William Wood ldquoAnalytic Teology as a Way o Lierdquo Journal of Analytic Teology (10486269830881048625983092) 983092983092
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
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What Is Analytic heology 983091983091
ognize the kind o theology-as-praxis that they value Instead they see
purported explanatory theoriesmdashmere purported explanatory theories
Sometimes these explanations appear to be a very long way indeed romthe lie o aith Indeed they see ormulas such as this (selected pretty
much at random rom among many others)
P existx (Dx amp forally(Dy =gt Byx) amp x made us
Q existx(Dx amp forally(Dy =gt Byx ))1048629983094
When they encounter this kind o work some theologians donrsquot rec-
ognize it as theology at all I they are willing to recognize it as theology
they tend to worry that they donrsquot see the kind o theology that promotes
love o God and neighbor they are concerned that they donrsquot see the-
ology that is connected to the lie o aith As Wood puts it they worry
that ldquoanalytic theology is spiritually sterile and thereore not really a
orm o genuine theology at allrdquo10486291048631
I think this is an important point o criticism and it raises some very
intriguing concerns But as Wood also notes it would be a ldquomistake and
urthermore a presumptuous mistake to assume that analytic philo-
sophical theology cannot in principle be spiritually nourishingrdquo10486291048632 Tree
points stand out First it is important to realize that the temptation to
construct explanatory theories about God that are divorced rom worship
and transormation is both real and present It is also nearious10486291048633 Te
temptation besets theologians o all stripesmdashanalytic or otherwise I do
not think analytic theologians are the only theologians who ace this
temptation o the contrary idolatry is no respecter o ideologies Butsurely it is not invincible surelymdashby Godrsquos gracemdashit is not irresistible
As Wood reminds us ldquoGodrsquos love rains down on logicians too afer allrdquo9830941048624
Second there is good reason to think that analytic theology maymdash
contrary to common expectationsmdashturn out to be spiritually ediying
56Peter van Inwagen ldquoAnd Yet Tey Are Not Tree Gods but One Godrdquo in McCall and Rea
Philosophical and Teological Essays on the rinity pp 10486269830921048625 1048626983092104863057Wood ldquoAnalytic Teology as a Way o Lierdquo p 983092983092 See also Marilyn McCord Adams ldquoWhatrsquos
Wrong with the Ontotheological Errorrdquo Journal of Analytic Teology (10486269830881048625983092) 1048625-1048625104862658Wood ldquoAnalytic Teology as a Way o Lierdquo p 983092104863059See the warnings o Merold Westphal Suspicion and Faith Te Religious Uses of Modern Atheism
(New York Fordham University Press 1048625983097983097983096)60Wood ldquoAnalytic Teology as a Way o Lierdquo p 983092983095
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
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983091983092 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
Wood argues that analytic theology may be spiritually beneficial in
several ways He suggests that the ldquoconcentrated attention required to
read understand and develop very technical analytic argumentsrdquo maybe conducive to the kinds o intellectual virtues and habits o mind that
are spiritually beneficial983094983089 In addition he notes the ldquoargumentative
transparencyrdquo (what he terms the ldquoparadigmatic analytic virtuerdquo) may be
helpul in spiritual ormation983094983090 Wood readily admits that this tendency
toward argumentative rigor can also eed a orm o pride or even ldquointel-
lectual violencerdquo but he also points out that to make a ldquogood analytic
argument is to make that argument maximally easy or intellectual op-ponents to criticize or reuterdquo and this very transparency makes it much
harder to shield onesel rom criticisms but instead is a way to ldquomake
onesel intellectually vulnerablerdquo In this way it serves as a ldquocheck against
intellectual priderdquo983094983091 Moreover the pace demanded by such rigor and the
modesty o the claims that are rendered deensible have the potential to
cultivate epistemic humility Furthermore another important eature o
the analytic approach is the need to ldquoidentiy imaginatively with onersquosintellectual opponentsrdquo this also as Wood points out orces us to inhabit
a worldview that is not only oreign to our own but also sometimes
hostile In these ways Wood argues ldquoanalytic theology can become a
spiritual practice a way o seeking God and o training the mind and
the will to be open to gracerdquo9830941048628
Finally we should not neglect to notice those shining examples o
theologians or whom analytic theology indeed is closely related to
worship and spiritual nurture Indeed it would be hard not to notice
them or the tradition is rie with such theologians A great many pa-
tristic and most scholastic (both medieval and early modern) theolo-
gians count as ldquoanalytic theologiansrdquo For surely they fit our profile o
theologians who prize ldquoconceptual precision rigor o argumentation
technical erudition and an in-depth deense o an original worldviewrdquo
(and who would in many instances value P1048625-P983093) As an example con-
61Ibid p 98309398309362Ibid p 983093104863063Ibid64Ibid p 983093983096
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What Is Analytic heology 983091983093
sider Anselmrsquos Proslogion It is obvious that Anselm values precision and
rigor and he clearly intends to convey truth claims that he finds con-
vincing But as both Wood and Marilyn McCord Adams point out thiswork is ldquomeant to do more than communicate propositional truthsrdquo or
ldquoit is meant to help reorient the wills o its readers and help bring about
effective and volitional change in themrdquo9830941048629 Despite important differences
o style and substance we could say much the same about many other
figures (both well known and less so) as well it is very difficult to read
ar into Bonaventure Richard o St Victor Aquinas Scotus Vermigli
Perkins Arminius urretin Edwards Wesley and many others withoutunderstanding that they are obviously concerned with both intellectual
rigor and spiritual ormation
65Ibid p 983093983088 See also Marilyn McCord Adams ldquoPraying the Proslogionrdquo in Te Rationality of
Belief and the Plurality of Faith ed Tomas Senor (Ithaca NY Cornell University Press 1048625983097983097983093)
pp 10486251048627-1048627983097 and Adams ldquoElegant Necessity Prayerul Disputation Method in Cur Deus Homordquo
in Studia Anselmiana Cur Deus Homo (Rome 1048625983097983097983097) pp 10486271048630983095-9830971048630
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8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullan-invitation-to-analytic-christian-theology-by-thomas-h-mccall-excerpt 1933
10486261048626 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
ldquoconceptual precisionrdquo and ldquorigor o argumentationrdquo but also about ldquotech-
nical eruditionrdquo and the ldquoin-depth deense o an original worldviewrdquo For
the analytic philosopher ldquotechnical eruditionrdquo will naturally involvemastery o the requisite field (metaphysics philosophy o mind epis-
temology etc) but it may also include competence in other related
fields (biology or philosophy o biology neurology or philosophy o
mind etc) For the analytic theologian such erudition will include com-
petence in the relevant areas o philosophical study that are necessary or
ldquoconceptual precisionrdquo and ldquorigor o argumentationrdquo But or the analytic
theologian qua theologian it must involve much more than this Forunless analytic theology is merely ldquoarmchair theologyrdquo (albeit armchair
theology done by very bright people) it will be grounded in the
Christian Scriptures it will be inormed by the great tradition o doc-
trinal development it will be ldquochristologically normedrdquo and it will be
culturally engaged As theology it will seek to articulate what we may
know o God as God has revealed himsel to us As Nicholas Wolterstorff
puts it to theologiansDo not be ersatz philosophers do not be ersatz cultural theorists do not be
ersatz anything Be genuine theologians Be sure-ooted in philosophy But
then be theologians What we need to hear rom you is how things look
when seen in light o the triune Godmdashmay his name be praisedmdashwho creates
and sustains us who redeems us and who will bring this rail and allen
though yet glorious humanity and cosmos to consummation9830901048632
Accordingly analytic theology is theology done by theologians who areldquosure-ootedrdquo in philosophy (many o whom will have extensive training
and proessional expertise there and indeed may be leaders within their
field) but it is a kind o theology nonetheless
Such a conception o theology is o course not remotely new What
we may useully reer to as ldquoanalytic theologyrdquo is very similar in many
respects to deeply traditional ways o doing theology We can see this
kind o work exemplified in the theology o the scholastics (both me-dieval and post-Reormationearly modern) So in some sense the re-
28Nicholas Wolterstorff ldquoo Teologians From One Who Cares About Teology but Is Not One
o Yourdquo Teological Education (1048626983088983088983093) 9830971048625-9830971048626
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What Is Analytic heology 1048626983091
birth o analytic theology may be thought o as scholasticism redivivus
As Richard Swinburnemdashsurely a pioneer o analytic theologymdashsays
ldquolarge-scale theology needs clear and rigorous argumentrdquo and it is ldquohightime or theology to returnrdquo to the standards set by Tomas Aquinas
John Duns Scotus and others9830901048633 But it is not only the ldquohigh scholasticsrdquo
who worked this way or we can also witness many o these virtues in
theologians rom the patristics to the pietists9830911048624 Many theologians in the
Christian tradition were concerned with both ldquoconceptual precisionrdquo and
ldquoargumentative rigorrdquo as well as ldquotechnical eruditionrdquo and the ldquoin-depth
deense o an original worldviewrdquoConsider what John Wesleymdashan evangelist hardly known as a ldquoscho-
lasticrdquo or an ldquoanalytic theologianrdquomdashhas to say about the importance o
acquiring the tools or ldquoconceptual precisionrdquo and ldquoargumentative rigorrdquo
Logic he says is ldquonecessary next to and in order to the knowledge o
Scripturerdquo983091983089 Despite the act that it is ldquonow quite unashionablerdquo none-
theless logic is invaluable For with it we have the possibility o ldquoappre-
hending things clearly judging truly and reasoning conclusivelyrdquo
983091983090
Andas with logic so also with metaphysics Tus Wesley will ask o clergy
Am I a tolerable master o the sciences Have I gone through the very gate o
them logic I not I am not likely to go much urther when I stumble at the
threshold Do I understand it so as to be ever the better or it o have it
always ready or use so as to apply every rule o it when occasion is almost
as naturally as I turn my hand Do I understand it at all Can I reduce an
indirect mood to a direct a hypothetic to a categorical syllogism Rather have
not my stupid indolence and laziness made me very ready to believe what the
little wits and pretty gentlemen affirm ldquothat logic is good or nothingrdquo It is
good or this at least (wherever it is understood) to make people talk less by
showing them both what is and what is not to the point and how extremely
29Richard Swinburne Te Coherence of Teism 1048626nd ed (Oxord Oxord University Press 10486259830979830971048627)
p 98309530See eg Gregory o Nyssa Against Eunomius 10486259830921048626 Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers ed Philip
Schaff series 1048626 (10486259830969830961048630ndash1048625983096983096983097 repr Peabody MA Hendrickson 1048625983097983097983092) 983093983097983096-983097983097 (Patrologia
Graeca [= Patrologiae Cursus Completus Series Graeca] ed Jacques-Paul Migne [Paris 1048625983096983093983095ndash
10486259830969830961048630] 9830929830939830921048630983088-10486301048625)31John Wesley ldquoAddress to the Clergyrdquo in Te Works of John Wesley vol 1048625983088 Letters Essays Dialogs
and Addresses (Grand Rapids Zondervan nd) p 983092983096104862732Ibid
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8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
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1048626983092 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
hard it is to prove anything Do I understand metaphysics i not the depths
o the Schoolmen the subtleties o Scotus or Aquinas yet the first rudiments
the general principles o that useul science983091983091
Consider urther what Wesley says about the importance o ldquotechnical
eruditionrdquo in theology Insisting on the importance o knowledge o the
scope o Christian Scripture as well as acility in the relevant ancient
languages he asks
Have I (1048625) such a knowledge o Scripture as becomes him who undertakes
so to explain it to others Have I a ull and clear view o the analogy o
aith which is the clue to guide me through the whole Am I acquainted with
the several parts o Scripture with all parts o the Old estament and the
New Upon the mention o any text do I know the context and the parallel
places Do I know the scope o each book and how every part tends
thereto Have I the skill to draw the natural inerences deducible rom each
text (1048626) Do I understand Greek and Hebrew Otherwise am I not at
the mercy o everyone who does understand or pretends to understand the
original For which way can I conute his pretence Do I understand the lan-
guage o the Old estament Critically At all Can I read into English one o
Davidrsquos Psalms or even the first chapter o Genesis Do I understand the
language o the New estament Am I a critical master o it Have I enough
o it even to read into English the first chapter o St Luke I not how many
years did I spend at school How many at university And what was I doing
all those years9830911048628
Wesley says similar things about the indispensability o knowledge o
the Christian tradition But the basic point should be clear important
elements o what we now call ldquoanalytic theologyrdquo have deep roots in the
broad Christian theological tradition Indeed or an evangelist like John
Wesley this is simply the kind o theology that any Christian minister
should be doing
W983144983137983156 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 T983144983141983151983148983151983143983161 I983155983150rsquo983156 M983145983155983157983150983140983141983154983155983156983137983150983140983145983150983143983155
983137983150983140 O983138983146983141983139983156983145983151983150983155
Many systematic theologians are suspicious o analytic theology Indeed
33Ibid pp 9830929830971048625-983097104862634Ibid pp 983092983097983088-9830971048625
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What Is Analytic heology 1048626983093
some are deeply suspicious Te concerns come rom several angles Here
are some o the most common9830911048629
ldquoAnalytic theology relies on a univocal account of religious languagerdquoSome theologians may worry that the current analytic discussions
proceed with an unrealistic and unhealthy naiveteacute regarding the nature
and unction o religious language For instance Stephen R Holmes
thinks that ldquoanalytic discussions o the rinity seem generally to proceed
with a remarkable confidence about the success o language in reerring
to the divinerdquo he thinks that the assumption o analytic theology ldquowould
always seem to be that language reers univocally to the divine and thecreatedrdquo Indeed he thinks that analytic theology would be ldquoimpossiblerdquo
without a commitment to univocity983091983094 More worrisome the concern may
be that analytic theologyrsquos commitment to univocity implicates it in
something that is (at least potentially) idolatrous9830911048631
A general treatment o religious language is beyond the scope o our
discussion but several observations may be helpul First it should be
noted that the case against univocity should not be merely assumed (asi some particular theological proposal could be damned by nothing
more than the charge o univocity) Nor is the case for univocity nearly
so weak as is ofen supposed o the contrary univocity has serious and
sophisticated deenders today and a case can be made that ldquothe doctrine
o univocity is true and salutaryrdquo9830911048632
Te second major point is perhaps more important or our purposes
It is this analytic theology as such requires no commitment to univocity
whatsoever Indeed many analytic theologians reject univocity in avor
35Tis section draws heavily rom my ldquoTeologians Philosophers and the Doctrine o the rinityrdquo
in McCall and Rea Philosophical and Teological Essays on the rinity pp 1048627983092983088-98309298309636Stephen R Holmes Te Quest for the rinity Te Doctrine of God in Scripture History and Mo-
dernity (Downers Grove IL IVP Academic 104862698308810486251048626) p 1048627104862637See eg Jean-Luc Marion God Without Being trans Tomas A Carlson (Chicago University
o Chicago Press 10486259830979830971048625) and John Milbank Te Word Made Strange (Oxord Blackwell 1048625983097983097983095)
See also the discussion in Daniel P Horan Postmodernity and Univocity A Critical Account of
Radical Orthodoxy and John Duns Scotus (Minneapolis Fortress 10486269830881048625983092)38Tomas Williams ldquoTe Doctrine o Univocity Is rue and Salutaryrdquo Modern Teology 10486261048625 (1048626983088983088983093)
983093983095983093-983096983093 See also William P Alston Divine Nature and Human Language Essays in Philosophical
Teology (Ithaca NY Cornell University Press 1048625983097983096983097) pp 1048625983095-10486251048625983095 and Keith E Yandell ldquoNot
Conusing Incomprehensibility and Ineffability Carl Henry on Literal Propositional Revela-
tionrdquo rinity Journal (10486269830881048625983092) 10486301048625-983095983092
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
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1048626983094 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
o other approaches (the doctrine o analogy being avored by many)
and at least one prominent philosopher o religion deends apophati-
cism9830911048633 Perhaps there is a general sense in which it is true that analytictheologians are naive about religious language Perhaps they aremdash
although I doubt this very much But even i it were true this would not
obviously make analytic theology different rom or inerior to many
other approaches to the theological task Te concernmdasheven i it were
substantiatedmdashwould give us no reason to avoid or dismiss analytic the-
ology It might give us reason to want to do it better it might motivate
analytic theologians to pay closer attention to important issues relatedto theological language But the concern itselmdasheven i substantiatedmdash
would not count against the proper exercise o analytic theology It is at
best a red herring
ldquoAnalytic theology is an exercise in natural theologyrdquo Some critics
might charge analytic theology with reliance on ldquonatural theologyrdquo Tis
observation will seem benign to other theologians some analytic theo-
logians might even take this judgment as a badge o honor But to thosetheologians o the house and lineage o Karl Barth this will be the mark
o damnation some may take natural theology to be ldquothe invention o
the Antichristrdquo as something that can serve only to reinorce idolatry
and corrupt the truth10486281048624 Other theologians might not be so hostile but
they still might worry that natural theology distracts us rom obedience
and fidelity to the reality o divine revelation So i analytic theology is
an exercise in natural theology or even relies on it it should be held at
armrsquos length i not shunned entirely
Much could be said about this cluster o issuesmdashand indeed more will
be said in the next chaptermdashbut at this point a basic conusion needs to
be cleared away Fundamentally it is simply a misunderstanding o ana-
lytic theology to think that it is an exercise in natural theology Granted
some prolific analytic theologians are heavily invested in the project o
natural theology and we can say with confidence that rumors o the
39Eg Jonathan D Jacobs ldquoTe Ineffable Inconceivable and Incomprehensible God Fundamen-
tality and Apophatic Teologyrdquo in Oxford Studies in Philosophy of Religion orthcoming40More precisely Barth says that the analogia entis (which interpreters ofen take to be the basis
o all natural theology) is the ldquoinvention o the Antichristrdquo Doctrine of the Word of God p xiii
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What Is Analytic heology 1048626983095
demise o natural theology have been greatly exaggerated1048628983089 But there is
nothing about analytic theology as suchmdashas I have described it to this
pointmdashthat relies on natural theology Te conusion o natural theologywith the analytic project is just thatmdasha conusion Whatever we should
think about natural theology philosophically however we judge the suc-
cesses (or lack thereo) o the various theistic arguments natural the-
ology simply cannot be equated with analytic theology And whatever
we should conclude theologically about natural theology we should not
conuse it with the analytic project Once again this is a red herring
ldquoAnalytic theology is naive with respect to the history of doctrinerdquoAnother concern expressed by some contemporary systematic theolo-
gians is this analytic theology all too ofen proceeds with little awareness
o the complex but important historical actors associated with the de-
velopment and ormation o Christian doctrine o understate the point
analytic theologians are sometimes criticized or their ignorance o the
history o the development o dogma and or their lack o careul study
to understand the particular intellectual (not to mention social) settingo the person(s) controversies or eras under consideration Instead so
the story goes it is all too common or analytic theologians to approach
an issue by isolating a particular text and then breaking it down to
unpack the real ldquocorerdquo o the doctrine in question And the assumption
o the analytic theologians (again so the story goes) is ofen enough that
this can be saely or appropriately done with little or no reerence to the
particular context in which the development occurred As Fred Sanders
expresses the concern ldquophilosophers sometimes seem to think o ancient
texts as cumbersome delivery systems containing ideas which it is their
job to extract rom the delivery system and do something withrdquo1048628983090 Richard
A Muller likewise argues that lack o attention to historical context
sometimes results in problematic misunderstandings o the tradition in
41Eg Richard Swinburne Te Coherence of Teism (Oxord Oxord University Press 1048625983097983095983095) and
Swinburne Te Existence of God (Oxord Oxord University Press 1048625983097983095983097 [1048626983088983088983092]) For examples
o recent work see Moreland and Craig Blackwell Companion to Natural Teology and James F
Sennett and Douglas Groothuis eds In Defense of Natural Teology A Post-Humean Assessment
(Downers Grove IL IVP Academic 1048626983088983088983093)42Fred Sanders ldquoTe State o the Doctrine o the rinity in Evangelical Teologyrdquo Southwestern
Journal of Teology 983092983095 (1048626983088983088983093) 10486251048630983097
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
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1048626983096 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
his view or instance both recent deenders and contemporary de-
tractors o the doctrine o divine simplicity commonly ldquomisinterpret the
traditional doctrinerdquo1048628983091 Robert W Jenson is more scathing he judges theanalytic enterprise to be ldquosomewhat oddly related to the Christian aith
it claims to deendrdquo and he calls the work o Richard Swinburne a ldquotruly
bizarre caserdquo10486281048628
At least this is how the story ofen goes A major underlying worry
seems to be that reading texts without proper attention to their social
location and intellectual context can cause us to misread and mis-
interpret those texts Tis strikes me as a legitimate concern and it is onethat analytic theologians would do well to hear and heed No one should
deny that it is possible to misread and misinterpret important historical
texts and it seems to me that such misreadings are ar more likely when
particular bits o the text are isolated and scrutinized apart rom the
broader literary and historical contexts Te temptation to look away
rom the context as an irrelevant distraction is real It should also be
resisted So the criticism contains an important cautionAt the same time however we should keep several additional points
in mind First the problem is not restricted to analytic theologiansmdash
constructive or systematic theologians o any stripe may be susceptible
to this temptation Indeed ironies abound on this ront Afer criticizing
analytic philosophers o religion or overlooking ldquothe essentially his-
torical character o trinitarian theologyrdquomdashand especially or missing the
important differences between the ldquoGreek (or lsquoCappadocianrsquo) Eastrdquo and
the ldquoLatin WestrdquomdashCatherine Mowry LaCugnarsquos own work has been
criticized or exaggerating those differences10486281048629 It is not as i more main-
stream nonanalytic or antianalytic theologians are immune to the temp-
tation instead so ar as I can see this is a general concern that should
serve as an important reminder that all theologians who engage with the
43Richard A Muller Post-Reformation Reformed Dogmatics Te Rise and Development of Reformed
Orthodoxy ca 1048625104862910486261048624ndashca 1048625104863110486261048629 vol 1048627 Te Divine Essence and Attributes (Grand Rapids Baker
Academic 10486269830889830881048627) p 983092104862544Robert W Jenson Systematic Teology vol 1048626 Te Works of God (Oxord Oxord University
Press 1048625983097983097983097) p 983096 n 104862798309345Catherine Mowry LaCugna ldquoPhilosophers and Teologians on the rinityrdquo Modern Teology 1048626
(10486259830979830961048630) 10486259830951048626
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What Is Analytic heology 1048626983097
Christian intellectual tradition should do so with appropriate historical
sensitivity Second there is nothingmdashat least so ar as I can seemdashthat
makes this temptation irresistible Te act that some analytic theolo-gians have been insufficiently attentive to some historical matters does
not entail either that all analytic theologians are ignorant o the tradition
or that all analytic theologians must proceed in ignorance I see no
reason to conclude that this problem must be either essential or endemic
to analytic theology Surely more progress can be made in this area but
I see no reasons to think that such progress cannot happen Finally it is
worth noting that such progress in act is being made Tere are manyhappy exceptions to the common stereotype that analytic theologians
are ldquoahistoricalrdquo in act it is sae to say that many excellent analytic
thinkers have genuine specialization in historical scholarship Indeed
many are cutting-edge contributors1048628983094
ldquoAnalytic theology is only apologetics for conservative theologyrdquo Al-
ternatively the suspicion may be that analytic theology is too closely tied
to the Christian tradition Te assumption here is that analytic theologyis nothing more than the bastion o traditionally minded Roman Catholic
(and Orthodox) theologians and philosophers along with their conser-
vative Protestant riends and the worry is that they are interested in
nothing more than finding a sae place to deend what they already know
to be true Consequently the worry goes there is next to nothing o real
interest here or revisionist theologians o various stripes and there is
little promise or genuinely constructive theology
wo observations are important here First in principle there is
nothing about analytic theology that demands either traditional sympa-
thies or conservative conclusions Neither is there anything about ana-
lytic theology (either taken along the lines o Rearsquos P1048625-P983093 or in a somewhat
more expansive way) that precludes the use o the analytic tools by say
eminist womanist or liberationist theologies
46Stellar examples include Richard Cross Duns Scotus on God (Aldershot UK Ashgate 1048626983088983088983093) Cross
Te Metaphysics of the Incarnation Tomas Aquinas to Duns Scotus (Oxord Oxord University
Press 10486269830889830881048626) Eleonore Stump Aquinas (New York Routledge 10486269830889830881048627) Jeffrey E Brower Aquinasrsquos
Ontology of the Material World Change Hylomorphism and Material Objects (Oxord Oxord
University Press 10486269830881048625983092) and J Paasch Divine Production in Late Medieval rinitarian Teology
Henry of Ghent Duns Scotus and William Ockham (Oxord Oxord University Press 104862698308810486251048626)
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983091983088 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
Second in point o act many criticisms o traditional doctrines
have emerged rom within analytic theology Consider this example It
is hard to think o a doctrine that is more deeply traditional or moredeeply woven into the abric o historic Christian theology than the
doctrine o divine simplicity Yet this venerable doctrine has endured
intense criticism rom analytic theologians over the past several de-
cades Alvin Plantingarsquos Does God Have a Nature raised ldquotwo diffi-
cultiesrdquo or the doctrine ldquoone substantial and the other truly
monumentalrdquo10486281048631 He argues that i God is identical with each o his
properties then God has but one property But this ldquoseems flatly in-compatible with the obvious act that God has several propertiesrdquo10486281048632 He
argues urther that i God is identical with each o his properties then
God is also a property ldquoTis view is subject to a difficulty both obvious
and overwhelming [or] i God is a property then he isnrsquot a person
but a mere abstract objectrdquo10486281048633 Many analytic theologians have joined
other criticisms to those o Plantinga and it is obvious that this doc-
trinemdashwoven deeply into the abric o traditional Christian doctrineas it ismdashis under assault rom within analytic theology We could mul-
tiply examples with ease (Te traditional doctrine o divine omni-
science stands out here) Tere are o course many sophisticated de-
enders o classical orthodoxy within analytic theology but the basic
point should be clear to reduce analytic theology to apologetics or
traditional doctrine is simply a mistake
As will become obvious in the ollowing pages I think that there is
much to be gained in the work o ldquoretrieval theologyrdquo and I see it as a
natural conversation partner and compatriot o analytic theology I want
to encourage more work at the intersection o analytic theology and
theologies o retrieval But there is nothing about analytic theology as
such that demands adherence to classical Christian theology
ldquoAnalytic theology relies on lsquosubstance metaphysicsrsquo rdquo Sometimes
theologians are suspicious o analytic theology due to its alleged reliance
on substance metaphysics Tis complaint can take various orms Some-
47Alvin Plantinga Does God Have a Nature (Milwaukee Marquette University Press 1048625983097983096983088) p 98309298309548Ibid49Ibid
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What Is Analytic heology 9830911048625
times it is claimed that the whole analytic enterprise is ldquopre-Kantianrdquo (as
in Kenneth Surinrsquos critique o David Brownrsquos work as being ldquorobustly
old-ashionedrdquo and ldquopre-Kantianrdquo)10486291048624 In other words critics complainthat analytic theology proceeds in blithemdashand perhaps willulmdashigno-
rance o the ldquoactrdquo that Kant undermined the entire project by destroying
the very possibility o doing it wo important claims seem to be in play
with this critique first that Kant did something to make analytic the-
ology impossible and second that analytic theologians are unaware o
what Kant did But both o these claims are problematic Te second is
simply mistaken and the first is vigorously contested As Nicholas Wolt-erstorff points out it is much more likely that the current generation o
analytic theologians is not so much ldquopre-Kantianrdquo as it is ldquopost-Kantianrdquo
As he puts it ldquoit really is possible to be post-Kantian Itrsquos possible to re-
cover rom Kant Te choices are not exhausted between being naively
pre-Kantian on the one hand and being a Kantian o one or another
stripe on the otherrdquo1048629983089 Tere are Wolterstorff argues philosophers who
are ully aware o Kantian ldquointerpretation-universalism and ully awareo [Kantian] metaphysical anti-realism but afer serious consideration
they have rejected these options as untenablerdquo1048629983090 So many analytic theo-
logians are well aware o Kantrsquos work (and the common claims made
about that work) but they donrsquot think that he did anything to shut down
the kind o work that they are doing As Plantinga puts it ldquothey have read
him and remain unconvincedrdquo1048629983091
But aside rom Kant analytic theology is sometimes criticized and
rejected or its reliance on ldquosubstance metaphysicsrdquo Unortunately ex-
actly what critical theologians have in their crosshairs when they talk
about substance metaphysics is ofen unclear and not closely defined
But very ofen the complaint is closely tied to a rejection o doctrines
50Kenneth Surin ldquoTe rinity and Philosophical Reflection A Study o David Brownrsquos Te Divine
rinity rdquo Modern Teology 1048626 (10486259830979830961048630) 10486261048627983097-98309298308851Nicholas Wolterstorff ldquoBetween the Pincers o Increased Diversity and Supposed Irrationalityrdquo
in God Philosophy and Academic Culture A Discussion Between Scholars in the AAR and APA
ed William J Wainwright (Atlanta Scholars Press 10486259830979830971048630) p 1048626983088 See also Wolterstorff ldquoIs It
Possible and Desirable or Teologians to Recover rom Kantrdquo Modern Teology 1048625983092 (1048625983097983097983096)
1048625-104862598309652Wolterstorff ldquoBetween the Pincersrdquo p 104862698308853Alvin Plantinga Warranted Christian Belief (Oxord Oxord University Press 1048626983088983088983088) p 1048627983088
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
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9830911048626 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
associated with ldquoclassical theismrdquo immutability impassibility time-
lessness and other doctrines are taken to be untenable and since they
are tied to substance metaphysics so much the worse or substancemetaphysics William P Alston defly analyzes this complaint and he
argues that substance metaphysics are really beside the point What he
says about substance metaphysics in discussions o the doctrine o the
rinity applies more broadly ldquoonce we get straight as to what is and is
not necessarily included in the metaphysics o substance we will see that
most twentieth-century objections to the use o substance metaphysics
are based on eatures o such ormulations that are not required bysubstance metaphysics as suchrdquo10486291048628 Perhaps there is something inherently
wrong with the use o substance metaphysics in theology and maybe this
counts against analytic theology But beore such a judgment can be
made we need more than the all-too-common generalizations and as-
sertions For beore we can conclude that analytic theology is atally
flawed due to a dependence on substance metaphysics we need to know
exactly what is meant by substance metaphysics we need to be shown just what is wrong (either philosophically or theologically) with sub-
stance metaphysics and we need to see that analytic theology really is (or
must be) committed to this kind o metaphysics Without the kind o
careul analysis and rigorous argumentation it is hard to see anything
here that might count as a orceul objection to analytic theology
ldquoAnalytic theology isnrsquot spiritually edifyingrdquo William Wood notes that
ldquomany conventional theologians remain deeply suspicious o analytic the-
ologyrdquo because o the worry that analytic theology is not spiritually edi-
ying As these theologians see matters ldquogenuine theology is in the first
instance practical aimed not at explanatory theories about God but at
ostering greater love or God and neighbor Genuine theology in short
is praxis one deeply woven together with a Christian lie o prayer virtue
and participation in the sacramentsrdquo10486291048629 Te basic concern is this when
more mainstream theologians look at analytic theology they donrsquot rec-
54William P Alston ldquoSubstance and the rinityrdquo in Te rinity An Interdisciplinary Symposium on
the rinity ed Stephen Davis Daniel Kendall SJ and Gerald OrsquoCollins SJ (Oxord Oxord
University Press 1048625983097983097983097) p 1048626983088104862555William Wood ldquoAnalytic Teology as a Way o Lierdquo Journal of Analytic Teology (10486269830881048625983092) 983092983092
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
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What Is Analytic heology 983091983091
ognize the kind o theology-as-praxis that they value Instead they see
purported explanatory theoriesmdashmere purported explanatory theories
Sometimes these explanations appear to be a very long way indeed romthe lie o aith Indeed they see ormulas such as this (selected pretty
much at random rom among many others)
P existx (Dx amp forally(Dy =gt Byx) amp x made us
Q existx(Dx amp forally(Dy =gt Byx ))1048629983094
When they encounter this kind o work some theologians donrsquot rec-
ognize it as theology at all I they are willing to recognize it as theology
they tend to worry that they donrsquot see the kind o theology that promotes
love o God and neighbor they are concerned that they donrsquot see the-
ology that is connected to the lie o aith As Wood puts it they worry
that ldquoanalytic theology is spiritually sterile and thereore not really a
orm o genuine theology at allrdquo10486291048631
I think this is an important point o criticism and it raises some very
intriguing concerns But as Wood also notes it would be a ldquomistake and
urthermore a presumptuous mistake to assume that analytic philo-
sophical theology cannot in principle be spiritually nourishingrdquo10486291048632 Tree
points stand out First it is important to realize that the temptation to
construct explanatory theories about God that are divorced rom worship
and transormation is both real and present It is also nearious10486291048633 Te
temptation besets theologians o all stripesmdashanalytic or otherwise I do
not think analytic theologians are the only theologians who ace this
temptation o the contrary idolatry is no respecter o ideologies Butsurely it is not invincible surelymdashby Godrsquos gracemdashit is not irresistible
As Wood reminds us ldquoGodrsquos love rains down on logicians too afer allrdquo9830941048624
Second there is good reason to think that analytic theology maymdash
contrary to common expectationsmdashturn out to be spiritually ediying
56Peter van Inwagen ldquoAnd Yet Tey Are Not Tree Gods but One Godrdquo in McCall and Rea
Philosophical and Teological Essays on the rinity pp 10486269830921048625 1048626983092104863057Wood ldquoAnalytic Teology as a Way o Lierdquo p 983092983092 See also Marilyn McCord Adams ldquoWhatrsquos
Wrong with the Ontotheological Errorrdquo Journal of Analytic Teology (10486269830881048625983092) 1048625-1048625104862658Wood ldquoAnalytic Teology as a Way o Lierdquo p 983092104863059See the warnings o Merold Westphal Suspicion and Faith Te Religious Uses of Modern Atheism
(New York Fordham University Press 1048625983097983097983096)60Wood ldquoAnalytic Teology as a Way o Lierdquo p 983092983095
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
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983091983092 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
Wood argues that analytic theology may be spiritually beneficial in
several ways He suggests that the ldquoconcentrated attention required to
read understand and develop very technical analytic argumentsrdquo maybe conducive to the kinds o intellectual virtues and habits o mind that
are spiritually beneficial983094983089 In addition he notes the ldquoargumentative
transparencyrdquo (what he terms the ldquoparadigmatic analytic virtuerdquo) may be
helpul in spiritual ormation983094983090 Wood readily admits that this tendency
toward argumentative rigor can also eed a orm o pride or even ldquointel-
lectual violencerdquo but he also points out that to make a ldquogood analytic
argument is to make that argument maximally easy or intellectual op-ponents to criticize or reuterdquo and this very transparency makes it much
harder to shield onesel rom criticisms but instead is a way to ldquomake
onesel intellectually vulnerablerdquo In this way it serves as a ldquocheck against
intellectual priderdquo983094983091 Moreover the pace demanded by such rigor and the
modesty o the claims that are rendered deensible have the potential to
cultivate epistemic humility Furthermore another important eature o
the analytic approach is the need to ldquoidentiy imaginatively with onersquosintellectual opponentsrdquo this also as Wood points out orces us to inhabit
a worldview that is not only oreign to our own but also sometimes
hostile In these ways Wood argues ldquoanalytic theology can become a
spiritual practice a way o seeking God and o training the mind and
the will to be open to gracerdquo9830941048628
Finally we should not neglect to notice those shining examples o
theologians or whom analytic theology indeed is closely related to
worship and spiritual nurture Indeed it would be hard not to notice
them or the tradition is rie with such theologians A great many pa-
tristic and most scholastic (both medieval and early modern) theolo-
gians count as ldquoanalytic theologiansrdquo For surely they fit our profile o
theologians who prize ldquoconceptual precision rigor o argumentation
technical erudition and an in-depth deense o an original worldviewrdquo
(and who would in many instances value P1048625-P983093) As an example con-
61Ibid p 98309398309362Ibid p 983093104863063Ibid64Ibid p 983093983096
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What Is Analytic heology 983091983093
sider Anselmrsquos Proslogion It is obvious that Anselm values precision and
rigor and he clearly intends to convey truth claims that he finds con-
vincing But as both Wood and Marilyn McCord Adams point out thiswork is ldquomeant to do more than communicate propositional truthsrdquo or
ldquoit is meant to help reorient the wills o its readers and help bring about
effective and volitional change in themrdquo9830941048629 Despite important differences
o style and substance we could say much the same about many other
figures (both well known and less so) as well it is very difficult to read
ar into Bonaventure Richard o St Victor Aquinas Scotus Vermigli
Perkins Arminius urretin Edwards Wesley and many others withoutunderstanding that they are obviously concerned with both intellectual
rigor and spiritual ormation
65Ibid p 983093983088 See also Marilyn McCord Adams ldquoPraying the Proslogionrdquo in Te Rationality of
Belief and the Plurality of Faith ed Tomas Senor (Ithaca NY Cornell University Press 1048625983097983097983093)
pp 10486251048627-1048627983097 and Adams ldquoElegant Necessity Prayerul Disputation Method in Cur Deus Homordquo
in Studia Anselmiana Cur Deus Homo (Rome 1048625983097983097983097) pp 10486271048630983095-9830971048630
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
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8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
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What Is Analytic heology 1048626983091
birth o analytic theology may be thought o as scholasticism redivivus
As Richard Swinburnemdashsurely a pioneer o analytic theologymdashsays
ldquolarge-scale theology needs clear and rigorous argumentrdquo and it is ldquohightime or theology to returnrdquo to the standards set by Tomas Aquinas
John Duns Scotus and others9830901048633 But it is not only the ldquohigh scholasticsrdquo
who worked this way or we can also witness many o these virtues in
theologians rom the patristics to the pietists9830911048624 Many theologians in the
Christian tradition were concerned with both ldquoconceptual precisionrdquo and
ldquoargumentative rigorrdquo as well as ldquotechnical eruditionrdquo and the ldquoin-depth
deense o an original worldviewrdquoConsider what John Wesleymdashan evangelist hardly known as a ldquoscho-
lasticrdquo or an ldquoanalytic theologianrdquomdashhas to say about the importance o
acquiring the tools or ldquoconceptual precisionrdquo and ldquoargumentative rigorrdquo
Logic he says is ldquonecessary next to and in order to the knowledge o
Scripturerdquo983091983089 Despite the act that it is ldquonow quite unashionablerdquo none-
theless logic is invaluable For with it we have the possibility o ldquoappre-
hending things clearly judging truly and reasoning conclusivelyrdquo
983091983090
Andas with logic so also with metaphysics Tus Wesley will ask o clergy
Am I a tolerable master o the sciences Have I gone through the very gate o
them logic I not I am not likely to go much urther when I stumble at the
threshold Do I understand it so as to be ever the better or it o have it
always ready or use so as to apply every rule o it when occasion is almost
as naturally as I turn my hand Do I understand it at all Can I reduce an
indirect mood to a direct a hypothetic to a categorical syllogism Rather have
not my stupid indolence and laziness made me very ready to believe what the
little wits and pretty gentlemen affirm ldquothat logic is good or nothingrdquo It is
good or this at least (wherever it is understood) to make people talk less by
showing them both what is and what is not to the point and how extremely
29Richard Swinburne Te Coherence of Teism 1048626nd ed (Oxord Oxord University Press 10486259830979830971048627)
p 98309530See eg Gregory o Nyssa Against Eunomius 10486259830921048626 Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers ed Philip
Schaff series 1048626 (10486259830969830961048630ndash1048625983096983096983097 repr Peabody MA Hendrickson 1048625983097983097983092) 983093983097983096-983097983097 (Patrologia
Graeca [= Patrologiae Cursus Completus Series Graeca] ed Jacques-Paul Migne [Paris 1048625983096983093983095ndash
10486259830969830961048630] 9830929830939830921048630983088-10486301048625)31John Wesley ldquoAddress to the Clergyrdquo in Te Works of John Wesley vol 1048625983088 Letters Essays Dialogs
and Addresses (Grand Rapids Zondervan nd) p 983092983096104862732Ibid
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1048626983092 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
hard it is to prove anything Do I understand metaphysics i not the depths
o the Schoolmen the subtleties o Scotus or Aquinas yet the first rudiments
the general principles o that useul science983091983091
Consider urther what Wesley says about the importance o ldquotechnical
eruditionrdquo in theology Insisting on the importance o knowledge o the
scope o Christian Scripture as well as acility in the relevant ancient
languages he asks
Have I (1048625) such a knowledge o Scripture as becomes him who undertakes
so to explain it to others Have I a ull and clear view o the analogy o
aith which is the clue to guide me through the whole Am I acquainted with
the several parts o Scripture with all parts o the Old estament and the
New Upon the mention o any text do I know the context and the parallel
places Do I know the scope o each book and how every part tends
thereto Have I the skill to draw the natural inerences deducible rom each
text (1048626) Do I understand Greek and Hebrew Otherwise am I not at
the mercy o everyone who does understand or pretends to understand the
original For which way can I conute his pretence Do I understand the lan-
guage o the Old estament Critically At all Can I read into English one o
Davidrsquos Psalms or even the first chapter o Genesis Do I understand the
language o the New estament Am I a critical master o it Have I enough
o it even to read into English the first chapter o St Luke I not how many
years did I spend at school How many at university And what was I doing
all those years9830911048628
Wesley says similar things about the indispensability o knowledge o
the Christian tradition But the basic point should be clear important
elements o what we now call ldquoanalytic theologyrdquo have deep roots in the
broad Christian theological tradition Indeed or an evangelist like John
Wesley this is simply the kind o theology that any Christian minister
should be doing
W983144983137983156 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 T983144983141983151983148983151983143983161 I983155983150rsquo983156 M983145983155983157983150983140983141983154983155983156983137983150983140983145983150983143983155
983137983150983140 O983138983146983141983139983156983145983151983150983155
Many systematic theologians are suspicious o analytic theology Indeed
33Ibid pp 9830929830971048625-983097104862634Ibid pp 983092983097983088-9830971048625
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What Is Analytic heology 1048626983093
some are deeply suspicious Te concerns come rom several angles Here
are some o the most common9830911048629
ldquoAnalytic theology relies on a univocal account of religious languagerdquoSome theologians may worry that the current analytic discussions
proceed with an unrealistic and unhealthy naiveteacute regarding the nature
and unction o religious language For instance Stephen R Holmes
thinks that ldquoanalytic discussions o the rinity seem generally to proceed
with a remarkable confidence about the success o language in reerring
to the divinerdquo he thinks that the assumption o analytic theology ldquowould
always seem to be that language reers univocally to the divine and thecreatedrdquo Indeed he thinks that analytic theology would be ldquoimpossiblerdquo
without a commitment to univocity983091983094 More worrisome the concern may
be that analytic theologyrsquos commitment to univocity implicates it in
something that is (at least potentially) idolatrous9830911048631
A general treatment o religious language is beyond the scope o our
discussion but several observations may be helpul First it should be
noted that the case against univocity should not be merely assumed (asi some particular theological proposal could be damned by nothing
more than the charge o univocity) Nor is the case for univocity nearly
so weak as is ofen supposed o the contrary univocity has serious and
sophisticated deenders today and a case can be made that ldquothe doctrine
o univocity is true and salutaryrdquo9830911048632
Te second major point is perhaps more important or our purposes
It is this analytic theology as such requires no commitment to univocity
whatsoever Indeed many analytic theologians reject univocity in avor
35Tis section draws heavily rom my ldquoTeologians Philosophers and the Doctrine o the rinityrdquo
in McCall and Rea Philosophical and Teological Essays on the rinity pp 1048627983092983088-98309298309636Stephen R Holmes Te Quest for the rinity Te Doctrine of God in Scripture History and Mo-
dernity (Downers Grove IL IVP Academic 104862698308810486251048626) p 1048627104862637See eg Jean-Luc Marion God Without Being trans Tomas A Carlson (Chicago University
o Chicago Press 10486259830979830971048625) and John Milbank Te Word Made Strange (Oxord Blackwell 1048625983097983097983095)
See also the discussion in Daniel P Horan Postmodernity and Univocity A Critical Account of
Radical Orthodoxy and John Duns Scotus (Minneapolis Fortress 10486269830881048625983092)38Tomas Williams ldquoTe Doctrine o Univocity Is rue and Salutaryrdquo Modern Teology 10486261048625 (1048626983088983088983093)
983093983095983093-983096983093 See also William P Alston Divine Nature and Human Language Essays in Philosophical
Teology (Ithaca NY Cornell University Press 1048625983097983096983097) pp 1048625983095-10486251048625983095 and Keith E Yandell ldquoNot
Conusing Incomprehensibility and Ineffability Carl Henry on Literal Propositional Revela-
tionrdquo rinity Journal (10486269830881048625983092) 10486301048625-983095983092
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1048626983094 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
o other approaches (the doctrine o analogy being avored by many)
and at least one prominent philosopher o religion deends apophati-
cism9830911048633 Perhaps there is a general sense in which it is true that analytictheologians are naive about religious language Perhaps they aremdash
although I doubt this very much But even i it were true this would not
obviously make analytic theology different rom or inerior to many
other approaches to the theological task Te concernmdasheven i it were
substantiatedmdashwould give us no reason to avoid or dismiss analytic the-
ology It might give us reason to want to do it better it might motivate
analytic theologians to pay closer attention to important issues relatedto theological language But the concern itselmdasheven i substantiatedmdash
would not count against the proper exercise o analytic theology It is at
best a red herring
ldquoAnalytic theology is an exercise in natural theologyrdquo Some critics
might charge analytic theology with reliance on ldquonatural theologyrdquo Tis
observation will seem benign to other theologians some analytic theo-
logians might even take this judgment as a badge o honor But to thosetheologians o the house and lineage o Karl Barth this will be the mark
o damnation some may take natural theology to be ldquothe invention o
the Antichristrdquo as something that can serve only to reinorce idolatry
and corrupt the truth10486281048624 Other theologians might not be so hostile but
they still might worry that natural theology distracts us rom obedience
and fidelity to the reality o divine revelation So i analytic theology is
an exercise in natural theology or even relies on it it should be held at
armrsquos length i not shunned entirely
Much could be said about this cluster o issuesmdashand indeed more will
be said in the next chaptermdashbut at this point a basic conusion needs to
be cleared away Fundamentally it is simply a misunderstanding o ana-
lytic theology to think that it is an exercise in natural theology Granted
some prolific analytic theologians are heavily invested in the project o
natural theology and we can say with confidence that rumors o the
39Eg Jonathan D Jacobs ldquoTe Ineffable Inconceivable and Incomprehensible God Fundamen-
tality and Apophatic Teologyrdquo in Oxford Studies in Philosophy of Religion orthcoming40More precisely Barth says that the analogia entis (which interpreters ofen take to be the basis
o all natural theology) is the ldquoinvention o the Antichristrdquo Doctrine of the Word of God p xiii
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What Is Analytic heology 1048626983095
demise o natural theology have been greatly exaggerated1048628983089 But there is
nothing about analytic theology as suchmdashas I have described it to this
pointmdashthat relies on natural theology Te conusion o natural theologywith the analytic project is just thatmdasha conusion Whatever we should
think about natural theology philosophically however we judge the suc-
cesses (or lack thereo) o the various theistic arguments natural the-
ology simply cannot be equated with analytic theology And whatever
we should conclude theologically about natural theology we should not
conuse it with the analytic project Once again this is a red herring
ldquoAnalytic theology is naive with respect to the history of doctrinerdquoAnother concern expressed by some contemporary systematic theolo-
gians is this analytic theology all too ofen proceeds with little awareness
o the complex but important historical actors associated with the de-
velopment and ormation o Christian doctrine o understate the point
analytic theologians are sometimes criticized or their ignorance o the
history o the development o dogma and or their lack o careul study
to understand the particular intellectual (not to mention social) settingo the person(s) controversies or eras under consideration Instead so
the story goes it is all too common or analytic theologians to approach
an issue by isolating a particular text and then breaking it down to
unpack the real ldquocorerdquo o the doctrine in question And the assumption
o the analytic theologians (again so the story goes) is ofen enough that
this can be saely or appropriately done with little or no reerence to the
particular context in which the development occurred As Fred Sanders
expresses the concern ldquophilosophers sometimes seem to think o ancient
texts as cumbersome delivery systems containing ideas which it is their
job to extract rom the delivery system and do something withrdquo1048628983090 Richard
A Muller likewise argues that lack o attention to historical context
sometimes results in problematic misunderstandings o the tradition in
41Eg Richard Swinburne Te Coherence of Teism (Oxord Oxord University Press 1048625983097983095983095) and
Swinburne Te Existence of God (Oxord Oxord University Press 1048625983097983095983097 [1048626983088983088983092]) For examples
o recent work see Moreland and Craig Blackwell Companion to Natural Teology and James F
Sennett and Douglas Groothuis eds In Defense of Natural Teology A Post-Humean Assessment
(Downers Grove IL IVP Academic 1048626983088983088983093)42Fred Sanders ldquoTe State o the Doctrine o the rinity in Evangelical Teologyrdquo Southwestern
Journal of Teology 983092983095 (1048626983088983088983093) 10486251048630983097
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
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1048626983096 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
his view or instance both recent deenders and contemporary de-
tractors o the doctrine o divine simplicity commonly ldquomisinterpret the
traditional doctrinerdquo1048628983091 Robert W Jenson is more scathing he judges theanalytic enterprise to be ldquosomewhat oddly related to the Christian aith
it claims to deendrdquo and he calls the work o Richard Swinburne a ldquotruly
bizarre caserdquo10486281048628
At least this is how the story ofen goes A major underlying worry
seems to be that reading texts without proper attention to their social
location and intellectual context can cause us to misread and mis-
interpret those texts Tis strikes me as a legitimate concern and it is onethat analytic theologians would do well to hear and heed No one should
deny that it is possible to misread and misinterpret important historical
texts and it seems to me that such misreadings are ar more likely when
particular bits o the text are isolated and scrutinized apart rom the
broader literary and historical contexts Te temptation to look away
rom the context as an irrelevant distraction is real It should also be
resisted So the criticism contains an important cautionAt the same time however we should keep several additional points
in mind First the problem is not restricted to analytic theologiansmdash
constructive or systematic theologians o any stripe may be susceptible
to this temptation Indeed ironies abound on this ront Afer criticizing
analytic philosophers o religion or overlooking ldquothe essentially his-
torical character o trinitarian theologyrdquomdashand especially or missing the
important differences between the ldquoGreek (or lsquoCappadocianrsquo) Eastrdquo and
the ldquoLatin WestrdquomdashCatherine Mowry LaCugnarsquos own work has been
criticized or exaggerating those differences10486281048629 It is not as i more main-
stream nonanalytic or antianalytic theologians are immune to the temp-
tation instead so ar as I can see this is a general concern that should
serve as an important reminder that all theologians who engage with the
43Richard A Muller Post-Reformation Reformed Dogmatics Te Rise and Development of Reformed
Orthodoxy ca 1048625104862910486261048624ndashca 1048625104863110486261048629 vol 1048627 Te Divine Essence and Attributes (Grand Rapids Baker
Academic 10486269830889830881048627) p 983092104862544Robert W Jenson Systematic Teology vol 1048626 Te Works of God (Oxord Oxord University
Press 1048625983097983097983097) p 983096 n 104862798309345Catherine Mowry LaCugna ldquoPhilosophers and Teologians on the rinityrdquo Modern Teology 1048626
(10486259830979830961048630) 10486259830951048626
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What Is Analytic heology 1048626983097
Christian intellectual tradition should do so with appropriate historical
sensitivity Second there is nothingmdashat least so ar as I can seemdashthat
makes this temptation irresistible Te act that some analytic theolo-gians have been insufficiently attentive to some historical matters does
not entail either that all analytic theologians are ignorant o the tradition
or that all analytic theologians must proceed in ignorance I see no
reason to conclude that this problem must be either essential or endemic
to analytic theology Surely more progress can be made in this area but
I see no reasons to think that such progress cannot happen Finally it is
worth noting that such progress in act is being made Tere are manyhappy exceptions to the common stereotype that analytic theologians
are ldquoahistoricalrdquo in act it is sae to say that many excellent analytic
thinkers have genuine specialization in historical scholarship Indeed
many are cutting-edge contributors1048628983094
ldquoAnalytic theology is only apologetics for conservative theologyrdquo Al-
ternatively the suspicion may be that analytic theology is too closely tied
to the Christian tradition Te assumption here is that analytic theologyis nothing more than the bastion o traditionally minded Roman Catholic
(and Orthodox) theologians and philosophers along with their conser-
vative Protestant riends and the worry is that they are interested in
nothing more than finding a sae place to deend what they already know
to be true Consequently the worry goes there is next to nothing o real
interest here or revisionist theologians o various stripes and there is
little promise or genuinely constructive theology
wo observations are important here First in principle there is
nothing about analytic theology that demands either traditional sympa-
thies or conservative conclusions Neither is there anything about ana-
lytic theology (either taken along the lines o Rearsquos P1048625-P983093 or in a somewhat
more expansive way) that precludes the use o the analytic tools by say
eminist womanist or liberationist theologies
46Stellar examples include Richard Cross Duns Scotus on God (Aldershot UK Ashgate 1048626983088983088983093) Cross
Te Metaphysics of the Incarnation Tomas Aquinas to Duns Scotus (Oxord Oxord University
Press 10486269830889830881048626) Eleonore Stump Aquinas (New York Routledge 10486269830889830881048627) Jeffrey E Brower Aquinasrsquos
Ontology of the Material World Change Hylomorphism and Material Objects (Oxord Oxord
University Press 10486269830881048625983092) and J Paasch Divine Production in Late Medieval rinitarian Teology
Henry of Ghent Duns Scotus and William Ockham (Oxord Oxord University Press 104862698308810486251048626)
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983091983088 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
Second in point o act many criticisms o traditional doctrines
have emerged rom within analytic theology Consider this example It
is hard to think o a doctrine that is more deeply traditional or moredeeply woven into the abric o historic Christian theology than the
doctrine o divine simplicity Yet this venerable doctrine has endured
intense criticism rom analytic theologians over the past several de-
cades Alvin Plantingarsquos Does God Have a Nature raised ldquotwo diffi-
cultiesrdquo or the doctrine ldquoone substantial and the other truly
monumentalrdquo10486281048631 He argues that i God is identical with each o his
properties then God has but one property But this ldquoseems flatly in-compatible with the obvious act that God has several propertiesrdquo10486281048632 He
argues urther that i God is identical with each o his properties then
God is also a property ldquoTis view is subject to a difficulty both obvious
and overwhelming [or] i God is a property then he isnrsquot a person
but a mere abstract objectrdquo10486281048633 Many analytic theologians have joined
other criticisms to those o Plantinga and it is obvious that this doc-
trinemdashwoven deeply into the abric o traditional Christian doctrineas it ismdashis under assault rom within analytic theology We could mul-
tiply examples with ease (Te traditional doctrine o divine omni-
science stands out here) Tere are o course many sophisticated de-
enders o classical orthodoxy within analytic theology but the basic
point should be clear to reduce analytic theology to apologetics or
traditional doctrine is simply a mistake
As will become obvious in the ollowing pages I think that there is
much to be gained in the work o ldquoretrieval theologyrdquo and I see it as a
natural conversation partner and compatriot o analytic theology I want
to encourage more work at the intersection o analytic theology and
theologies o retrieval But there is nothing about analytic theology as
such that demands adherence to classical Christian theology
ldquoAnalytic theology relies on lsquosubstance metaphysicsrsquo rdquo Sometimes
theologians are suspicious o analytic theology due to its alleged reliance
on substance metaphysics Tis complaint can take various orms Some-
47Alvin Plantinga Does God Have a Nature (Milwaukee Marquette University Press 1048625983097983096983088) p 98309298309548Ibid49Ibid
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What Is Analytic heology 9830911048625
times it is claimed that the whole analytic enterprise is ldquopre-Kantianrdquo (as
in Kenneth Surinrsquos critique o David Brownrsquos work as being ldquorobustly
old-ashionedrdquo and ldquopre-Kantianrdquo)10486291048624 In other words critics complainthat analytic theology proceeds in blithemdashand perhaps willulmdashigno-
rance o the ldquoactrdquo that Kant undermined the entire project by destroying
the very possibility o doing it wo important claims seem to be in play
with this critique first that Kant did something to make analytic the-
ology impossible and second that analytic theologians are unaware o
what Kant did But both o these claims are problematic Te second is
simply mistaken and the first is vigorously contested As Nicholas Wolt-erstorff points out it is much more likely that the current generation o
analytic theologians is not so much ldquopre-Kantianrdquo as it is ldquopost-Kantianrdquo
As he puts it ldquoit really is possible to be post-Kantian Itrsquos possible to re-
cover rom Kant Te choices are not exhausted between being naively
pre-Kantian on the one hand and being a Kantian o one or another
stripe on the otherrdquo1048629983089 Tere are Wolterstorff argues philosophers who
are ully aware o Kantian ldquointerpretation-universalism and ully awareo [Kantian] metaphysical anti-realism but afer serious consideration
they have rejected these options as untenablerdquo1048629983090 So many analytic theo-
logians are well aware o Kantrsquos work (and the common claims made
about that work) but they donrsquot think that he did anything to shut down
the kind o work that they are doing As Plantinga puts it ldquothey have read
him and remain unconvincedrdquo1048629983091
But aside rom Kant analytic theology is sometimes criticized and
rejected or its reliance on ldquosubstance metaphysicsrdquo Unortunately ex-
actly what critical theologians have in their crosshairs when they talk
about substance metaphysics is ofen unclear and not closely defined
But very ofen the complaint is closely tied to a rejection o doctrines
50Kenneth Surin ldquoTe rinity and Philosophical Reflection A Study o David Brownrsquos Te Divine
rinity rdquo Modern Teology 1048626 (10486259830979830961048630) 10486261048627983097-98309298308851Nicholas Wolterstorff ldquoBetween the Pincers o Increased Diversity and Supposed Irrationalityrdquo
in God Philosophy and Academic Culture A Discussion Between Scholars in the AAR and APA
ed William J Wainwright (Atlanta Scholars Press 10486259830979830971048630) p 1048626983088 See also Wolterstorff ldquoIs It
Possible and Desirable or Teologians to Recover rom Kantrdquo Modern Teology 1048625983092 (1048625983097983097983096)
1048625-104862598309652Wolterstorff ldquoBetween the Pincersrdquo p 104862698308853Alvin Plantinga Warranted Christian Belief (Oxord Oxord University Press 1048626983088983088983088) p 1048627983088
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
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9830911048626 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
associated with ldquoclassical theismrdquo immutability impassibility time-
lessness and other doctrines are taken to be untenable and since they
are tied to substance metaphysics so much the worse or substancemetaphysics William P Alston defly analyzes this complaint and he
argues that substance metaphysics are really beside the point What he
says about substance metaphysics in discussions o the doctrine o the
rinity applies more broadly ldquoonce we get straight as to what is and is
not necessarily included in the metaphysics o substance we will see that
most twentieth-century objections to the use o substance metaphysics
are based on eatures o such ormulations that are not required bysubstance metaphysics as suchrdquo10486291048628 Perhaps there is something inherently
wrong with the use o substance metaphysics in theology and maybe this
counts against analytic theology But beore such a judgment can be
made we need more than the all-too-common generalizations and as-
sertions For beore we can conclude that analytic theology is atally
flawed due to a dependence on substance metaphysics we need to know
exactly what is meant by substance metaphysics we need to be shown just what is wrong (either philosophically or theologically) with sub-
stance metaphysics and we need to see that analytic theology really is (or
must be) committed to this kind o metaphysics Without the kind o
careul analysis and rigorous argumentation it is hard to see anything
here that might count as a orceul objection to analytic theology
ldquoAnalytic theology isnrsquot spiritually edifyingrdquo William Wood notes that
ldquomany conventional theologians remain deeply suspicious o analytic the-
ologyrdquo because o the worry that analytic theology is not spiritually edi-
ying As these theologians see matters ldquogenuine theology is in the first
instance practical aimed not at explanatory theories about God but at
ostering greater love or God and neighbor Genuine theology in short
is praxis one deeply woven together with a Christian lie o prayer virtue
and participation in the sacramentsrdquo10486291048629 Te basic concern is this when
more mainstream theologians look at analytic theology they donrsquot rec-
54William P Alston ldquoSubstance and the rinityrdquo in Te rinity An Interdisciplinary Symposium on
the rinity ed Stephen Davis Daniel Kendall SJ and Gerald OrsquoCollins SJ (Oxord Oxord
University Press 1048625983097983097983097) p 1048626983088104862555William Wood ldquoAnalytic Teology as a Way o Lierdquo Journal of Analytic Teology (10486269830881048625983092) 983092983092
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
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What Is Analytic heology 983091983091
ognize the kind o theology-as-praxis that they value Instead they see
purported explanatory theoriesmdashmere purported explanatory theories
Sometimes these explanations appear to be a very long way indeed romthe lie o aith Indeed they see ormulas such as this (selected pretty
much at random rom among many others)
P existx (Dx amp forally(Dy =gt Byx) amp x made us
Q existx(Dx amp forally(Dy =gt Byx ))1048629983094
When they encounter this kind o work some theologians donrsquot rec-
ognize it as theology at all I they are willing to recognize it as theology
they tend to worry that they donrsquot see the kind o theology that promotes
love o God and neighbor they are concerned that they donrsquot see the-
ology that is connected to the lie o aith As Wood puts it they worry
that ldquoanalytic theology is spiritually sterile and thereore not really a
orm o genuine theology at allrdquo10486291048631
I think this is an important point o criticism and it raises some very
intriguing concerns But as Wood also notes it would be a ldquomistake and
urthermore a presumptuous mistake to assume that analytic philo-
sophical theology cannot in principle be spiritually nourishingrdquo10486291048632 Tree
points stand out First it is important to realize that the temptation to
construct explanatory theories about God that are divorced rom worship
and transormation is both real and present It is also nearious10486291048633 Te
temptation besets theologians o all stripesmdashanalytic or otherwise I do
not think analytic theologians are the only theologians who ace this
temptation o the contrary idolatry is no respecter o ideologies Butsurely it is not invincible surelymdashby Godrsquos gracemdashit is not irresistible
As Wood reminds us ldquoGodrsquos love rains down on logicians too afer allrdquo9830941048624
Second there is good reason to think that analytic theology maymdash
contrary to common expectationsmdashturn out to be spiritually ediying
56Peter van Inwagen ldquoAnd Yet Tey Are Not Tree Gods but One Godrdquo in McCall and Rea
Philosophical and Teological Essays on the rinity pp 10486269830921048625 1048626983092104863057Wood ldquoAnalytic Teology as a Way o Lierdquo p 983092983092 See also Marilyn McCord Adams ldquoWhatrsquos
Wrong with the Ontotheological Errorrdquo Journal of Analytic Teology (10486269830881048625983092) 1048625-1048625104862658Wood ldquoAnalytic Teology as a Way o Lierdquo p 983092104863059See the warnings o Merold Westphal Suspicion and Faith Te Religious Uses of Modern Atheism
(New York Fordham University Press 1048625983097983097983096)60Wood ldquoAnalytic Teology as a Way o Lierdquo p 983092983095
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullan-invitation-to-analytic-christian-theology-by-thomas-h-mccall-excerpt 3133
983091983092 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
Wood argues that analytic theology may be spiritually beneficial in
several ways He suggests that the ldquoconcentrated attention required to
read understand and develop very technical analytic argumentsrdquo maybe conducive to the kinds o intellectual virtues and habits o mind that
are spiritually beneficial983094983089 In addition he notes the ldquoargumentative
transparencyrdquo (what he terms the ldquoparadigmatic analytic virtuerdquo) may be
helpul in spiritual ormation983094983090 Wood readily admits that this tendency
toward argumentative rigor can also eed a orm o pride or even ldquointel-
lectual violencerdquo but he also points out that to make a ldquogood analytic
argument is to make that argument maximally easy or intellectual op-ponents to criticize or reuterdquo and this very transparency makes it much
harder to shield onesel rom criticisms but instead is a way to ldquomake
onesel intellectually vulnerablerdquo In this way it serves as a ldquocheck against
intellectual priderdquo983094983091 Moreover the pace demanded by such rigor and the
modesty o the claims that are rendered deensible have the potential to
cultivate epistemic humility Furthermore another important eature o
the analytic approach is the need to ldquoidentiy imaginatively with onersquosintellectual opponentsrdquo this also as Wood points out orces us to inhabit
a worldview that is not only oreign to our own but also sometimes
hostile In these ways Wood argues ldquoanalytic theology can become a
spiritual practice a way o seeking God and o training the mind and
the will to be open to gracerdquo9830941048628
Finally we should not neglect to notice those shining examples o
theologians or whom analytic theology indeed is closely related to
worship and spiritual nurture Indeed it would be hard not to notice
them or the tradition is rie with such theologians A great many pa-
tristic and most scholastic (both medieval and early modern) theolo-
gians count as ldquoanalytic theologiansrdquo For surely they fit our profile o
theologians who prize ldquoconceptual precision rigor o argumentation
technical erudition and an in-depth deense o an original worldviewrdquo
(and who would in many instances value P1048625-P983093) As an example con-
61Ibid p 98309398309362Ibid p 983093104863063Ibid64Ibid p 983093983096
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What Is Analytic heology 983091983093
sider Anselmrsquos Proslogion It is obvious that Anselm values precision and
rigor and he clearly intends to convey truth claims that he finds con-
vincing But as both Wood and Marilyn McCord Adams point out thiswork is ldquomeant to do more than communicate propositional truthsrdquo or
ldquoit is meant to help reorient the wills o its readers and help bring about
effective and volitional change in themrdquo9830941048629 Despite important differences
o style and substance we could say much the same about many other
figures (both well known and less so) as well it is very difficult to read
ar into Bonaventure Richard o St Victor Aquinas Scotus Vermigli
Perkins Arminius urretin Edwards Wesley and many others withoutunderstanding that they are obviously concerned with both intellectual
rigor and spiritual ormation
65Ibid p 983093983088 See also Marilyn McCord Adams ldquoPraying the Proslogionrdquo in Te Rationality of
Belief and the Plurality of Faith ed Tomas Senor (Ithaca NY Cornell University Press 1048625983097983097983093)
pp 10486251048627-1048627983097 and Adams ldquoElegant Necessity Prayerul Disputation Method in Cur Deus Homordquo
in Studia Anselmiana Cur Deus Homo (Rome 1048625983097983097983097) pp 10486271048630983095-9830971048630
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8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullan-invitation-to-analytic-christian-theology-by-thomas-h-mccall-excerpt 3333
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullan-invitation-to-analytic-christian-theology-by-thomas-h-mccall-excerpt 2133
1048626983092 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
hard it is to prove anything Do I understand metaphysics i not the depths
o the Schoolmen the subtleties o Scotus or Aquinas yet the first rudiments
the general principles o that useul science983091983091
Consider urther what Wesley says about the importance o ldquotechnical
eruditionrdquo in theology Insisting on the importance o knowledge o the
scope o Christian Scripture as well as acility in the relevant ancient
languages he asks
Have I (1048625) such a knowledge o Scripture as becomes him who undertakes
so to explain it to others Have I a ull and clear view o the analogy o
aith which is the clue to guide me through the whole Am I acquainted with
the several parts o Scripture with all parts o the Old estament and the
New Upon the mention o any text do I know the context and the parallel
places Do I know the scope o each book and how every part tends
thereto Have I the skill to draw the natural inerences deducible rom each
text (1048626) Do I understand Greek and Hebrew Otherwise am I not at
the mercy o everyone who does understand or pretends to understand the
original For which way can I conute his pretence Do I understand the lan-
guage o the Old estament Critically At all Can I read into English one o
Davidrsquos Psalms or even the first chapter o Genesis Do I understand the
language o the New estament Am I a critical master o it Have I enough
o it even to read into English the first chapter o St Luke I not how many
years did I spend at school How many at university And what was I doing
all those years9830911048628
Wesley says similar things about the indispensability o knowledge o
the Christian tradition But the basic point should be clear important
elements o what we now call ldquoanalytic theologyrdquo have deep roots in the
broad Christian theological tradition Indeed or an evangelist like John
Wesley this is simply the kind o theology that any Christian minister
should be doing
W983144983137983156 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 T983144983141983151983148983151983143983161 I983155983150rsquo983156 M983145983155983157983150983140983141983154983155983156983137983150983140983145983150983143983155
983137983150983140 O983138983146983141983139983156983145983151983150983155
Many systematic theologians are suspicious o analytic theology Indeed
33Ibid pp 9830929830971048625-983097104862634Ibid pp 983092983097983088-9830971048625
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What Is Analytic heology 1048626983093
some are deeply suspicious Te concerns come rom several angles Here
are some o the most common9830911048629
ldquoAnalytic theology relies on a univocal account of religious languagerdquoSome theologians may worry that the current analytic discussions
proceed with an unrealistic and unhealthy naiveteacute regarding the nature
and unction o religious language For instance Stephen R Holmes
thinks that ldquoanalytic discussions o the rinity seem generally to proceed
with a remarkable confidence about the success o language in reerring
to the divinerdquo he thinks that the assumption o analytic theology ldquowould
always seem to be that language reers univocally to the divine and thecreatedrdquo Indeed he thinks that analytic theology would be ldquoimpossiblerdquo
without a commitment to univocity983091983094 More worrisome the concern may
be that analytic theologyrsquos commitment to univocity implicates it in
something that is (at least potentially) idolatrous9830911048631
A general treatment o religious language is beyond the scope o our
discussion but several observations may be helpul First it should be
noted that the case against univocity should not be merely assumed (asi some particular theological proposal could be damned by nothing
more than the charge o univocity) Nor is the case for univocity nearly
so weak as is ofen supposed o the contrary univocity has serious and
sophisticated deenders today and a case can be made that ldquothe doctrine
o univocity is true and salutaryrdquo9830911048632
Te second major point is perhaps more important or our purposes
It is this analytic theology as such requires no commitment to univocity
whatsoever Indeed many analytic theologians reject univocity in avor
35Tis section draws heavily rom my ldquoTeologians Philosophers and the Doctrine o the rinityrdquo
in McCall and Rea Philosophical and Teological Essays on the rinity pp 1048627983092983088-98309298309636Stephen R Holmes Te Quest for the rinity Te Doctrine of God in Scripture History and Mo-
dernity (Downers Grove IL IVP Academic 104862698308810486251048626) p 1048627104862637See eg Jean-Luc Marion God Without Being trans Tomas A Carlson (Chicago University
o Chicago Press 10486259830979830971048625) and John Milbank Te Word Made Strange (Oxord Blackwell 1048625983097983097983095)
See also the discussion in Daniel P Horan Postmodernity and Univocity A Critical Account of
Radical Orthodoxy and John Duns Scotus (Minneapolis Fortress 10486269830881048625983092)38Tomas Williams ldquoTe Doctrine o Univocity Is rue and Salutaryrdquo Modern Teology 10486261048625 (1048626983088983088983093)
983093983095983093-983096983093 See also William P Alston Divine Nature and Human Language Essays in Philosophical
Teology (Ithaca NY Cornell University Press 1048625983097983096983097) pp 1048625983095-10486251048625983095 and Keith E Yandell ldquoNot
Conusing Incomprehensibility and Ineffability Carl Henry on Literal Propositional Revela-
tionrdquo rinity Journal (10486269830881048625983092) 10486301048625-983095983092
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
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1048626983094 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
o other approaches (the doctrine o analogy being avored by many)
and at least one prominent philosopher o religion deends apophati-
cism9830911048633 Perhaps there is a general sense in which it is true that analytictheologians are naive about religious language Perhaps they aremdash
although I doubt this very much But even i it were true this would not
obviously make analytic theology different rom or inerior to many
other approaches to the theological task Te concernmdasheven i it were
substantiatedmdashwould give us no reason to avoid or dismiss analytic the-
ology It might give us reason to want to do it better it might motivate
analytic theologians to pay closer attention to important issues relatedto theological language But the concern itselmdasheven i substantiatedmdash
would not count against the proper exercise o analytic theology It is at
best a red herring
ldquoAnalytic theology is an exercise in natural theologyrdquo Some critics
might charge analytic theology with reliance on ldquonatural theologyrdquo Tis
observation will seem benign to other theologians some analytic theo-
logians might even take this judgment as a badge o honor But to thosetheologians o the house and lineage o Karl Barth this will be the mark
o damnation some may take natural theology to be ldquothe invention o
the Antichristrdquo as something that can serve only to reinorce idolatry
and corrupt the truth10486281048624 Other theologians might not be so hostile but
they still might worry that natural theology distracts us rom obedience
and fidelity to the reality o divine revelation So i analytic theology is
an exercise in natural theology or even relies on it it should be held at
armrsquos length i not shunned entirely
Much could be said about this cluster o issuesmdashand indeed more will
be said in the next chaptermdashbut at this point a basic conusion needs to
be cleared away Fundamentally it is simply a misunderstanding o ana-
lytic theology to think that it is an exercise in natural theology Granted
some prolific analytic theologians are heavily invested in the project o
natural theology and we can say with confidence that rumors o the
39Eg Jonathan D Jacobs ldquoTe Ineffable Inconceivable and Incomprehensible God Fundamen-
tality and Apophatic Teologyrdquo in Oxford Studies in Philosophy of Religion orthcoming40More precisely Barth says that the analogia entis (which interpreters ofen take to be the basis
o all natural theology) is the ldquoinvention o the Antichristrdquo Doctrine of the Word of God p xiii
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What Is Analytic heology 1048626983095
demise o natural theology have been greatly exaggerated1048628983089 But there is
nothing about analytic theology as suchmdashas I have described it to this
pointmdashthat relies on natural theology Te conusion o natural theologywith the analytic project is just thatmdasha conusion Whatever we should
think about natural theology philosophically however we judge the suc-
cesses (or lack thereo) o the various theistic arguments natural the-
ology simply cannot be equated with analytic theology And whatever
we should conclude theologically about natural theology we should not
conuse it with the analytic project Once again this is a red herring
ldquoAnalytic theology is naive with respect to the history of doctrinerdquoAnother concern expressed by some contemporary systematic theolo-
gians is this analytic theology all too ofen proceeds with little awareness
o the complex but important historical actors associated with the de-
velopment and ormation o Christian doctrine o understate the point
analytic theologians are sometimes criticized or their ignorance o the
history o the development o dogma and or their lack o careul study
to understand the particular intellectual (not to mention social) settingo the person(s) controversies or eras under consideration Instead so
the story goes it is all too common or analytic theologians to approach
an issue by isolating a particular text and then breaking it down to
unpack the real ldquocorerdquo o the doctrine in question And the assumption
o the analytic theologians (again so the story goes) is ofen enough that
this can be saely or appropriately done with little or no reerence to the
particular context in which the development occurred As Fred Sanders
expresses the concern ldquophilosophers sometimes seem to think o ancient
texts as cumbersome delivery systems containing ideas which it is their
job to extract rom the delivery system and do something withrdquo1048628983090 Richard
A Muller likewise argues that lack o attention to historical context
sometimes results in problematic misunderstandings o the tradition in
41Eg Richard Swinburne Te Coherence of Teism (Oxord Oxord University Press 1048625983097983095983095) and
Swinburne Te Existence of God (Oxord Oxord University Press 1048625983097983095983097 [1048626983088983088983092]) For examples
o recent work see Moreland and Craig Blackwell Companion to Natural Teology and James F
Sennett and Douglas Groothuis eds In Defense of Natural Teology A Post-Humean Assessment
(Downers Grove IL IVP Academic 1048626983088983088983093)42Fred Sanders ldquoTe State o the Doctrine o the rinity in Evangelical Teologyrdquo Southwestern
Journal of Teology 983092983095 (1048626983088983088983093) 10486251048630983097
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1048626983096 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
his view or instance both recent deenders and contemporary de-
tractors o the doctrine o divine simplicity commonly ldquomisinterpret the
traditional doctrinerdquo1048628983091 Robert W Jenson is more scathing he judges theanalytic enterprise to be ldquosomewhat oddly related to the Christian aith
it claims to deendrdquo and he calls the work o Richard Swinburne a ldquotruly
bizarre caserdquo10486281048628
At least this is how the story ofen goes A major underlying worry
seems to be that reading texts without proper attention to their social
location and intellectual context can cause us to misread and mis-
interpret those texts Tis strikes me as a legitimate concern and it is onethat analytic theologians would do well to hear and heed No one should
deny that it is possible to misread and misinterpret important historical
texts and it seems to me that such misreadings are ar more likely when
particular bits o the text are isolated and scrutinized apart rom the
broader literary and historical contexts Te temptation to look away
rom the context as an irrelevant distraction is real It should also be
resisted So the criticism contains an important cautionAt the same time however we should keep several additional points
in mind First the problem is not restricted to analytic theologiansmdash
constructive or systematic theologians o any stripe may be susceptible
to this temptation Indeed ironies abound on this ront Afer criticizing
analytic philosophers o religion or overlooking ldquothe essentially his-
torical character o trinitarian theologyrdquomdashand especially or missing the
important differences between the ldquoGreek (or lsquoCappadocianrsquo) Eastrdquo and
the ldquoLatin WestrdquomdashCatherine Mowry LaCugnarsquos own work has been
criticized or exaggerating those differences10486281048629 It is not as i more main-
stream nonanalytic or antianalytic theologians are immune to the temp-
tation instead so ar as I can see this is a general concern that should
serve as an important reminder that all theologians who engage with the
43Richard A Muller Post-Reformation Reformed Dogmatics Te Rise and Development of Reformed
Orthodoxy ca 1048625104862910486261048624ndashca 1048625104863110486261048629 vol 1048627 Te Divine Essence and Attributes (Grand Rapids Baker
Academic 10486269830889830881048627) p 983092104862544Robert W Jenson Systematic Teology vol 1048626 Te Works of God (Oxord Oxord University
Press 1048625983097983097983097) p 983096 n 104862798309345Catherine Mowry LaCugna ldquoPhilosophers and Teologians on the rinityrdquo Modern Teology 1048626
(10486259830979830961048630) 10486259830951048626
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
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What Is Analytic heology 1048626983097
Christian intellectual tradition should do so with appropriate historical
sensitivity Second there is nothingmdashat least so ar as I can seemdashthat
makes this temptation irresistible Te act that some analytic theolo-gians have been insufficiently attentive to some historical matters does
not entail either that all analytic theologians are ignorant o the tradition
or that all analytic theologians must proceed in ignorance I see no
reason to conclude that this problem must be either essential or endemic
to analytic theology Surely more progress can be made in this area but
I see no reasons to think that such progress cannot happen Finally it is
worth noting that such progress in act is being made Tere are manyhappy exceptions to the common stereotype that analytic theologians
are ldquoahistoricalrdquo in act it is sae to say that many excellent analytic
thinkers have genuine specialization in historical scholarship Indeed
many are cutting-edge contributors1048628983094
ldquoAnalytic theology is only apologetics for conservative theologyrdquo Al-
ternatively the suspicion may be that analytic theology is too closely tied
to the Christian tradition Te assumption here is that analytic theologyis nothing more than the bastion o traditionally minded Roman Catholic
(and Orthodox) theologians and philosophers along with their conser-
vative Protestant riends and the worry is that they are interested in
nothing more than finding a sae place to deend what they already know
to be true Consequently the worry goes there is next to nothing o real
interest here or revisionist theologians o various stripes and there is
little promise or genuinely constructive theology
wo observations are important here First in principle there is
nothing about analytic theology that demands either traditional sympa-
thies or conservative conclusions Neither is there anything about ana-
lytic theology (either taken along the lines o Rearsquos P1048625-P983093 or in a somewhat
more expansive way) that precludes the use o the analytic tools by say
eminist womanist or liberationist theologies
46Stellar examples include Richard Cross Duns Scotus on God (Aldershot UK Ashgate 1048626983088983088983093) Cross
Te Metaphysics of the Incarnation Tomas Aquinas to Duns Scotus (Oxord Oxord University
Press 10486269830889830881048626) Eleonore Stump Aquinas (New York Routledge 10486269830889830881048627) Jeffrey E Brower Aquinasrsquos
Ontology of the Material World Change Hylomorphism and Material Objects (Oxord Oxord
University Press 10486269830881048625983092) and J Paasch Divine Production in Late Medieval rinitarian Teology
Henry of Ghent Duns Scotus and William Ockham (Oxord Oxord University Press 104862698308810486251048626)
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullan-invitation-to-analytic-christian-theology-by-thomas-h-mccall-excerpt 2733
983091983088 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
Second in point o act many criticisms o traditional doctrines
have emerged rom within analytic theology Consider this example It
is hard to think o a doctrine that is more deeply traditional or moredeeply woven into the abric o historic Christian theology than the
doctrine o divine simplicity Yet this venerable doctrine has endured
intense criticism rom analytic theologians over the past several de-
cades Alvin Plantingarsquos Does God Have a Nature raised ldquotwo diffi-
cultiesrdquo or the doctrine ldquoone substantial and the other truly
monumentalrdquo10486281048631 He argues that i God is identical with each o his
properties then God has but one property But this ldquoseems flatly in-compatible with the obvious act that God has several propertiesrdquo10486281048632 He
argues urther that i God is identical with each o his properties then
God is also a property ldquoTis view is subject to a difficulty both obvious
and overwhelming [or] i God is a property then he isnrsquot a person
but a mere abstract objectrdquo10486281048633 Many analytic theologians have joined
other criticisms to those o Plantinga and it is obvious that this doc-
trinemdashwoven deeply into the abric o traditional Christian doctrineas it ismdashis under assault rom within analytic theology We could mul-
tiply examples with ease (Te traditional doctrine o divine omni-
science stands out here) Tere are o course many sophisticated de-
enders o classical orthodoxy within analytic theology but the basic
point should be clear to reduce analytic theology to apologetics or
traditional doctrine is simply a mistake
As will become obvious in the ollowing pages I think that there is
much to be gained in the work o ldquoretrieval theologyrdquo and I see it as a
natural conversation partner and compatriot o analytic theology I want
to encourage more work at the intersection o analytic theology and
theologies o retrieval But there is nothing about analytic theology as
such that demands adherence to classical Christian theology
ldquoAnalytic theology relies on lsquosubstance metaphysicsrsquo rdquo Sometimes
theologians are suspicious o analytic theology due to its alleged reliance
on substance metaphysics Tis complaint can take various orms Some-
47Alvin Plantinga Does God Have a Nature (Milwaukee Marquette University Press 1048625983097983096983088) p 98309298309548Ibid49Ibid
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What Is Analytic heology 9830911048625
times it is claimed that the whole analytic enterprise is ldquopre-Kantianrdquo (as
in Kenneth Surinrsquos critique o David Brownrsquos work as being ldquorobustly
old-ashionedrdquo and ldquopre-Kantianrdquo)10486291048624 In other words critics complainthat analytic theology proceeds in blithemdashand perhaps willulmdashigno-
rance o the ldquoactrdquo that Kant undermined the entire project by destroying
the very possibility o doing it wo important claims seem to be in play
with this critique first that Kant did something to make analytic the-
ology impossible and second that analytic theologians are unaware o
what Kant did But both o these claims are problematic Te second is
simply mistaken and the first is vigorously contested As Nicholas Wolt-erstorff points out it is much more likely that the current generation o
analytic theologians is not so much ldquopre-Kantianrdquo as it is ldquopost-Kantianrdquo
As he puts it ldquoit really is possible to be post-Kantian Itrsquos possible to re-
cover rom Kant Te choices are not exhausted between being naively
pre-Kantian on the one hand and being a Kantian o one or another
stripe on the otherrdquo1048629983089 Tere are Wolterstorff argues philosophers who
are ully aware o Kantian ldquointerpretation-universalism and ully awareo [Kantian] metaphysical anti-realism but afer serious consideration
they have rejected these options as untenablerdquo1048629983090 So many analytic theo-
logians are well aware o Kantrsquos work (and the common claims made
about that work) but they donrsquot think that he did anything to shut down
the kind o work that they are doing As Plantinga puts it ldquothey have read
him and remain unconvincedrdquo1048629983091
But aside rom Kant analytic theology is sometimes criticized and
rejected or its reliance on ldquosubstance metaphysicsrdquo Unortunately ex-
actly what critical theologians have in their crosshairs when they talk
about substance metaphysics is ofen unclear and not closely defined
But very ofen the complaint is closely tied to a rejection o doctrines
50Kenneth Surin ldquoTe rinity and Philosophical Reflection A Study o David Brownrsquos Te Divine
rinity rdquo Modern Teology 1048626 (10486259830979830961048630) 10486261048627983097-98309298308851Nicholas Wolterstorff ldquoBetween the Pincers o Increased Diversity and Supposed Irrationalityrdquo
in God Philosophy and Academic Culture A Discussion Between Scholars in the AAR and APA
ed William J Wainwright (Atlanta Scholars Press 10486259830979830971048630) p 1048626983088 See also Wolterstorff ldquoIs It
Possible and Desirable or Teologians to Recover rom Kantrdquo Modern Teology 1048625983092 (1048625983097983097983096)
1048625-104862598309652Wolterstorff ldquoBetween the Pincersrdquo p 104862698308853Alvin Plantinga Warranted Christian Belief (Oxord Oxord University Press 1048626983088983088983088) p 1048627983088
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
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9830911048626 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
associated with ldquoclassical theismrdquo immutability impassibility time-
lessness and other doctrines are taken to be untenable and since they
are tied to substance metaphysics so much the worse or substancemetaphysics William P Alston defly analyzes this complaint and he
argues that substance metaphysics are really beside the point What he
says about substance metaphysics in discussions o the doctrine o the
rinity applies more broadly ldquoonce we get straight as to what is and is
not necessarily included in the metaphysics o substance we will see that
most twentieth-century objections to the use o substance metaphysics
are based on eatures o such ormulations that are not required bysubstance metaphysics as suchrdquo10486291048628 Perhaps there is something inherently
wrong with the use o substance metaphysics in theology and maybe this
counts against analytic theology But beore such a judgment can be
made we need more than the all-too-common generalizations and as-
sertions For beore we can conclude that analytic theology is atally
flawed due to a dependence on substance metaphysics we need to know
exactly what is meant by substance metaphysics we need to be shown just what is wrong (either philosophically or theologically) with sub-
stance metaphysics and we need to see that analytic theology really is (or
must be) committed to this kind o metaphysics Without the kind o
careul analysis and rigorous argumentation it is hard to see anything
here that might count as a orceul objection to analytic theology
ldquoAnalytic theology isnrsquot spiritually edifyingrdquo William Wood notes that
ldquomany conventional theologians remain deeply suspicious o analytic the-
ologyrdquo because o the worry that analytic theology is not spiritually edi-
ying As these theologians see matters ldquogenuine theology is in the first
instance practical aimed not at explanatory theories about God but at
ostering greater love or God and neighbor Genuine theology in short
is praxis one deeply woven together with a Christian lie o prayer virtue
and participation in the sacramentsrdquo10486291048629 Te basic concern is this when
more mainstream theologians look at analytic theology they donrsquot rec-
54William P Alston ldquoSubstance and the rinityrdquo in Te rinity An Interdisciplinary Symposium on
the rinity ed Stephen Davis Daniel Kendall SJ and Gerald OrsquoCollins SJ (Oxord Oxord
University Press 1048625983097983097983097) p 1048626983088104862555William Wood ldquoAnalytic Teology as a Way o Lierdquo Journal of Analytic Teology (10486269830881048625983092) 983092983092
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
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What Is Analytic heology 983091983091
ognize the kind o theology-as-praxis that they value Instead they see
purported explanatory theoriesmdashmere purported explanatory theories
Sometimes these explanations appear to be a very long way indeed romthe lie o aith Indeed they see ormulas such as this (selected pretty
much at random rom among many others)
P existx (Dx amp forally(Dy =gt Byx) amp x made us
Q existx(Dx amp forally(Dy =gt Byx ))1048629983094
When they encounter this kind o work some theologians donrsquot rec-
ognize it as theology at all I they are willing to recognize it as theology
they tend to worry that they donrsquot see the kind o theology that promotes
love o God and neighbor they are concerned that they donrsquot see the-
ology that is connected to the lie o aith As Wood puts it they worry
that ldquoanalytic theology is spiritually sterile and thereore not really a
orm o genuine theology at allrdquo10486291048631
I think this is an important point o criticism and it raises some very
intriguing concerns But as Wood also notes it would be a ldquomistake and
urthermore a presumptuous mistake to assume that analytic philo-
sophical theology cannot in principle be spiritually nourishingrdquo10486291048632 Tree
points stand out First it is important to realize that the temptation to
construct explanatory theories about God that are divorced rom worship
and transormation is both real and present It is also nearious10486291048633 Te
temptation besets theologians o all stripesmdashanalytic or otherwise I do
not think analytic theologians are the only theologians who ace this
temptation o the contrary idolatry is no respecter o ideologies Butsurely it is not invincible surelymdashby Godrsquos gracemdashit is not irresistible
As Wood reminds us ldquoGodrsquos love rains down on logicians too afer allrdquo9830941048624
Second there is good reason to think that analytic theology maymdash
contrary to common expectationsmdashturn out to be spiritually ediying
56Peter van Inwagen ldquoAnd Yet Tey Are Not Tree Gods but One Godrdquo in McCall and Rea
Philosophical and Teological Essays on the rinity pp 10486269830921048625 1048626983092104863057Wood ldquoAnalytic Teology as a Way o Lierdquo p 983092983092 See also Marilyn McCord Adams ldquoWhatrsquos
Wrong with the Ontotheological Errorrdquo Journal of Analytic Teology (10486269830881048625983092) 1048625-1048625104862658Wood ldquoAnalytic Teology as a Way o Lierdquo p 983092104863059See the warnings o Merold Westphal Suspicion and Faith Te Religious Uses of Modern Atheism
(New York Fordham University Press 1048625983097983097983096)60Wood ldquoAnalytic Teology as a Way o Lierdquo p 983092983095
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
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httpslidepdfcomreaderfullan-invitation-to-analytic-christian-theology-by-thomas-h-mccall-excerpt 3133
983091983092 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
Wood argues that analytic theology may be spiritually beneficial in
several ways He suggests that the ldquoconcentrated attention required to
read understand and develop very technical analytic argumentsrdquo maybe conducive to the kinds o intellectual virtues and habits o mind that
are spiritually beneficial983094983089 In addition he notes the ldquoargumentative
transparencyrdquo (what he terms the ldquoparadigmatic analytic virtuerdquo) may be
helpul in spiritual ormation983094983090 Wood readily admits that this tendency
toward argumentative rigor can also eed a orm o pride or even ldquointel-
lectual violencerdquo but he also points out that to make a ldquogood analytic
argument is to make that argument maximally easy or intellectual op-ponents to criticize or reuterdquo and this very transparency makes it much
harder to shield onesel rom criticisms but instead is a way to ldquomake
onesel intellectually vulnerablerdquo In this way it serves as a ldquocheck against
intellectual priderdquo983094983091 Moreover the pace demanded by such rigor and the
modesty o the claims that are rendered deensible have the potential to
cultivate epistemic humility Furthermore another important eature o
the analytic approach is the need to ldquoidentiy imaginatively with onersquosintellectual opponentsrdquo this also as Wood points out orces us to inhabit
a worldview that is not only oreign to our own but also sometimes
hostile In these ways Wood argues ldquoanalytic theology can become a
spiritual practice a way o seeking God and o training the mind and
the will to be open to gracerdquo9830941048628
Finally we should not neglect to notice those shining examples o
theologians or whom analytic theology indeed is closely related to
worship and spiritual nurture Indeed it would be hard not to notice
them or the tradition is rie with such theologians A great many pa-
tristic and most scholastic (both medieval and early modern) theolo-
gians count as ldquoanalytic theologiansrdquo For surely they fit our profile o
theologians who prize ldquoconceptual precision rigor o argumentation
technical erudition and an in-depth deense o an original worldviewrdquo
(and who would in many instances value P1048625-P983093) As an example con-
61Ibid p 98309398309362Ibid p 983093104863063Ibid64Ibid p 983093983096
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What Is Analytic heology 983091983093
sider Anselmrsquos Proslogion It is obvious that Anselm values precision and
rigor and he clearly intends to convey truth claims that he finds con-
vincing But as both Wood and Marilyn McCord Adams point out thiswork is ldquomeant to do more than communicate propositional truthsrdquo or
ldquoit is meant to help reorient the wills o its readers and help bring about
effective and volitional change in themrdquo9830941048629 Despite important differences
o style and substance we could say much the same about many other
figures (both well known and less so) as well it is very difficult to read
ar into Bonaventure Richard o St Victor Aquinas Scotus Vermigli
Perkins Arminius urretin Edwards Wesley and many others withoutunderstanding that they are obviously concerned with both intellectual
rigor and spiritual ormation
65Ibid p 983093983088 See also Marilyn McCord Adams ldquoPraying the Proslogionrdquo in Te Rationality of
Belief and the Plurality of Faith ed Tomas Senor (Ithaca NY Cornell University Press 1048625983097983097983093)
pp 10486251048627-1048627983097 and Adams ldquoElegant Necessity Prayerul Disputation Method in Cur Deus Homordquo
in Studia Anselmiana Cur Deus Homo (Rome 1048625983097983097983097) pp 10486271048630983095-9830971048630
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8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
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What Is Analytic heology 1048626983093
some are deeply suspicious Te concerns come rom several angles Here
are some o the most common9830911048629
ldquoAnalytic theology relies on a univocal account of religious languagerdquoSome theologians may worry that the current analytic discussions
proceed with an unrealistic and unhealthy naiveteacute regarding the nature
and unction o religious language For instance Stephen R Holmes
thinks that ldquoanalytic discussions o the rinity seem generally to proceed
with a remarkable confidence about the success o language in reerring
to the divinerdquo he thinks that the assumption o analytic theology ldquowould
always seem to be that language reers univocally to the divine and thecreatedrdquo Indeed he thinks that analytic theology would be ldquoimpossiblerdquo
without a commitment to univocity983091983094 More worrisome the concern may
be that analytic theologyrsquos commitment to univocity implicates it in
something that is (at least potentially) idolatrous9830911048631
A general treatment o religious language is beyond the scope o our
discussion but several observations may be helpul First it should be
noted that the case against univocity should not be merely assumed (asi some particular theological proposal could be damned by nothing
more than the charge o univocity) Nor is the case for univocity nearly
so weak as is ofen supposed o the contrary univocity has serious and
sophisticated deenders today and a case can be made that ldquothe doctrine
o univocity is true and salutaryrdquo9830911048632
Te second major point is perhaps more important or our purposes
It is this analytic theology as such requires no commitment to univocity
whatsoever Indeed many analytic theologians reject univocity in avor
35Tis section draws heavily rom my ldquoTeologians Philosophers and the Doctrine o the rinityrdquo
in McCall and Rea Philosophical and Teological Essays on the rinity pp 1048627983092983088-98309298309636Stephen R Holmes Te Quest for the rinity Te Doctrine of God in Scripture History and Mo-
dernity (Downers Grove IL IVP Academic 104862698308810486251048626) p 1048627104862637See eg Jean-Luc Marion God Without Being trans Tomas A Carlson (Chicago University
o Chicago Press 10486259830979830971048625) and John Milbank Te Word Made Strange (Oxord Blackwell 1048625983097983097983095)
See also the discussion in Daniel P Horan Postmodernity and Univocity A Critical Account of
Radical Orthodoxy and John Duns Scotus (Minneapolis Fortress 10486269830881048625983092)38Tomas Williams ldquoTe Doctrine o Univocity Is rue and Salutaryrdquo Modern Teology 10486261048625 (1048626983088983088983093)
983093983095983093-983096983093 See also William P Alston Divine Nature and Human Language Essays in Philosophical
Teology (Ithaca NY Cornell University Press 1048625983097983096983097) pp 1048625983095-10486251048625983095 and Keith E Yandell ldquoNot
Conusing Incomprehensibility and Ineffability Carl Henry on Literal Propositional Revela-
tionrdquo rinity Journal (10486269830881048625983092) 10486301048625-983095983092
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
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1048626983094 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
o other approaches (the doctrine o analogy being avored by many)
and at least one prominent philosopher o religion deends apophati-
cism9830911048633 Perhaps there is a general sense in which it is true that analytictheologians are naive about religious language Perhaps they aremdash
although I doubt this very much But even i it were true this would not
obviously make analytic theology different rom or inerior to many
other approaches to the theological task Te concernmdasheven i it were
substantiatedmdashwould give us no reason to avoid or dismiss analytic the-
ology It might give us reason to want to do it better it might motivate
analytic theologians to pay closer attention to important issues relatedto theological language But the concern itselmdasheven i substantiatedmdash
would not count against the proper exercise o analytic theology It is at
best a red herring
ldquoAnalytic theology is an exercise in natural theologyrdquo Some critics
might charge analytic theology with reliance on ldquonatural theologyrdquo Tis
observation will seem benign to other theologians some analytic theo-
logians might even take this judgment as a badge o honor But to thosetheologians o the house and lineage o Karl Barth this will be the mark
o damnation some may take natural theology to be ldquothe invention o
the Antichristrdquo as something that can serve only to reinorce idolatry
and corrupt the truth10486281048624 Other theologians might not be so hostile but
they still might worry that natural theology distracts us rom obedience
and fidelity to the reality o divine revelation So i analytic theology is
an exercise in natural theology or even relies on it it should be held at
armrsquos length i not shunned entirely
Much could be said about this cluster o issuesmdashand indeed more will
be said in the next chaptermdashbut at this point a basic conusion needs to
be cleared away Fundamentally it is simply a misunderstanding o ana-
lytic theology to think that it is an exercise in natural theology Granted
some prolific analytic theologians are heavily invested in the project o
natural theology and we can say with confidence that rumors o the
39Eg Jonathan D Jacobs ldquoTe Ineffable Inconceivable and Incomprehensible God Fundamen-
tality and Apophatic Teologyrdquo in Oxford Studies in Philosophy of Religion orthcoming40More precisely Barth says that the analogia entis (which interpreters ofen take to be the basis
o all natural theology) is the ldquoinvention o the Antichristrdquo Doctrine of the Word of God p xiii
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What Is Analytic heology 1048626983095
demise o natural theology have been greatly exaggerated1048628983089 But there is
nothing about analytic theology as suchmdashas I have described it to this
pointmdashthat relies on natural theology Te conusion o natural theologywith the analytic project is just thatmdasha conusion Whatever we should
think about natural theology philosophically however we judge the suc-
cesses (or lack thereo) o the various theistic arguments natural the-
ology simply cannot be equated with analytic theology And whatever
we should conclude theologically about natural theology we should not
conuse it with the analytic project Once again this is a red herring
ldquoAnalytic theology is naive with respect to the history of doctrinerdquoAnother concern expressed by some contemporary systematic theolo-
gians is this analytic theology all too ofen proceeds with little awareness
o the complex but important historical actors associated with the de-
velopment and ormation o Christian doctrine o understate the point
analytic theologians are sometimes criticized or their ignorance o the
history o the development o dogma and or their lack o careul study
to understand the particular intellectual (not to mention social) settingo the person(s) controversies or eras under consideration Instead so
the story goes it is all too common or analytic theologians to approach
an issue by isolating a particular text and then breaking it down to
unpack the real ldquocorerdquo o the doctrine in question And the assumption
o the analytic theologians (again so the story goes) is ofen enough that
this can be saely or appropriately done with little or no reerence to the
particular context in which the development occurred As Fred Sanders
expresses the concern ldquophilosophers sometimes seem to think o ancient
texts as cumbersome delivery systems containing ideas which it is their
job to extract rom the delivery system and do something withrdquo1048628983090 Richard
A Muller likewise argues that lack o attention to historical context
sometimes results in problematic misunderstandings o the tradition in
41Eg Richard Swinburne Te Coherence of Teism (Oxord Oxord University Press 1048625983097983095983095) and
Swinburne Te Existence of God (Oxord Oxord University Press 1048625983097983095983097 [1048626983088983088983092]) For examples
o recent work see Moreland and Craig Blackwell Companion to Natural Teology and James F
Sennett and Douglas Groothuis eds In Defense of Natural Teology A Post-Humean Assessment
(Downers Grove IL IVP Academic 1048626983088983088983093)42Fred Sanders ldquoTe State o the Doctrine o the rinity in Evangelical Teologyrdquo Southwestern
Journal of Teology 983092983095 (1048626983088983088983093) 10486251048630983097
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullan-invitation-to-analytic-christian-theology-by-thomas-h-mccall-excerpt 2533
1048626983096 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
his view or instance both recent deenders and contemporary de-
tractors o the doctrine o divine simplicity commonly ldquomisinterpret the
traditional doctrinerdquo1048628983091 Robert W Jenson is more scathing he judges theanalytic enterprise to be ldquosomewhat oddly related to the Christian aith
it claims to deendrdquo and he calls the work o Richard Swinburne a ldquotruly
bizarre caserdquo10486281048628
At least this is how the story ofen goes A major underlying worry
seems to be that reading texts without proper attention to their social
location and intellectual context can cause us to misread and mis-
interpret those texts Tis strikes me as a legitimate concern and it is onethat analytic theologians would do well to hear and heed No one should
deny that it is possible to misread and misinterpret important historical
texts and it seems to me that such misreadings are ar more likely when
particular bits o the text are isolated and scrutinized apart rom the
broader literary and historical contexts Te temptation to look away
rom the context as an irrelevant distraction is real It should also be
resisted So the criticism contains an important cautionAt the same time however we should keep several additional points
in mind First the problem is not restricted to analytic theologiansmdash
constructive or systematic theologians o any stripe may be susceptible
to this temptation Indeed ironies abound on this ront Afer criticizing
analytic philosophers o religion or overlooking ldquothe essentially his-
torical character o trinitarian theologyrdquomdashand especially or missing the
important differences between the ldquoGreek (or lsquoCappadocianrsquo) Eastrdquo and
the ldquoLatin WestrdquomdashCatherine Mowry LaCugnarsquos own work has been
criticized or exaggerating those differences10486281048629 It is not as i more main-
stream nonanalytic or antianalytic theologians are immune to the temp-
tation instead so ar as I can see this is a general concern that should
serve as an important reminder that all theologians who engage with the
43Richard A Muller Post-Reformation Reformed Dogmatics Te Rise and Development of Reformed
Orthodoxy ca 1048625104862910486261048624ndashca 1048625104863110486261048629 vol 1048627 Te Divine Essence and Attributes (Grand Rapids Baker
Academic 10486269830889830881048627) p 983092104862544Robert W Jenson Systematic Teology vol 1048626 Te Works of God (Oxord Oxord University
Press 1048625983097983097983097) p 983096 n 104862798309345Catherine Mowry LaCugna ldquoPhilosophers and Teologians on the rinityrdquo Modern Teology 1048626
(10486259830979830961048630) 10486259830951048626
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
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What Is Analytic heology 1048626983097
Christian intellectual tradition should do so with appropriate historical
sensitivity Second there is nothingmdashat least so ar as I can seemdashthat
makes this temptation irresistible Te act that some analytic theolo-gians have been insufficiently attentive to some historical matters does
not entail either that all analytic theologians are ignorant o the tradition
or that all analytic theologians must proceed in ignorance I see no
reason to conclude that this problem must be either essential or endemic
to analytic theology Surely more progress can be made in this area but
I see no reasons to think that such progress cannot happen Finally it is
worth noting that such progress in act is being made Tere are manyhappy exceptions to the common stereotype that analytic theologians
are ldquoahistoricalrdquo in act it is sae to say that many excellent analytic
thinkers have genuine specialization in historical scholarship Indeed
many are cutting-edge contributors1048628983094
ldquoAnalytic theology is only apologetics for conservative theologyrdquo Al-
ternatively the suspicion may be that analytic theology is too closely tied
to the Christian tradition Te assumption here is that analytic theologyis nothing more than the bastion o traditionally minded Roman Catholic
(and Orthodox) theologians and philosophers along with their conser-
vative Protestant riends and the worry is that they are interested in
nothing more than finding a sae place to deend what they already know
to be true Consequently the worry goes there is next to nothing o real
interest here or revisionist theologians o various stripes and there is
little promise or genuinely constructive theology
wo observations are important here First in principle there is
nothing about analytic theology that demands either traditional sympa-
thies or conservative conclusions Neither is there anything about ana-
lytic theology (either taken along the lines o Rearsquos P1048625-P983093 or in a somewhat
more expansive way) that precludes the use o the analytic tools by say
eminist womanist or liberationist theologies
46Stellar examples include Richard Cross Duns Scotus on God (Aldershot UK Ashgate 1048626983088983088983093) Cross
Te Metaphysics of the Incarnation Tomas Aquinas to Duns Scotus (Oxord Oxord University
Press 10486269830889830881048626) Eleonore Stump Aquinas (New York Routledge 10486269830889830881048627) Jeffrey E Brower Aquinasrsquos
Ontology of the Material World Change Hylomorphism and Material Objects (Oxord Oxord
University Press 10486269830881048625983092) and J Paasch Divine Production in Late Medieval rinitarian Teology
Henry of Ghent Duns Scotus and William Ockham (Oxord Oxord University Press 104862698308810486251048626)
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullan-invitation-to-analytic-christian-theology-by-thomas-h-mccall-excerpt 2733
983091983088 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
Second in point o act many criticisms o traditional doctrines
have emerged rom within analytic theology Consider this example It
is hard to think o a doctrine that is more deeply traditional or moredeeply woven into the abric o historic Christian theology than the
doctrine o divine simplicity Yet this venerable doctrine has endured
intense criticism rom analytic theologians over the past several de-
cades Alvin Plantingarsquos Does God Have a Nature raised ldquotwo diffi-
cultiesrdquo or the doctrine ldquoone substantial and the other truly
monumentalrdquo10486281048631 He argues that i God is identical with each o his
properties then God has but one property But this ldquoseems flatly in-compatible with the obvious act that God has several propertiesrdquo10486281048632 He
argues urther that i God is identical with each o his properties then
God is also a property ldquoTis view is subject to a difficulty both obvious
and overwhelming [or] i God is a property then he isnrsquot a person
but a mere abstract objectrdquo10486281048633 Many analytic theologians have joined
other criticisms to those o Plantinga and it is obvious that this doc-
trinemdashwoven deeply into the abric o traditional Christian doctrineas it ismdashis under assault rom within analytic theology We could mul-
tiply examples with ease (Te traditional doctrine o divine omni-
science stands out here) Tere are o course many sophisticated de-
enders o classical orthodoxy within analytic theology but the basic
point should be clear to reduce analytic theology to apologetics or
traditional doctrine is simply a mistake
As will become obvious in the ollowing pages I think that there is
much to be gained in the work o ldquoretrieval theologyrdquo and I see it as a
natural conversation partner and compatriot o analytic theology I want
to encourage more work at the intersection o analytic theology and
theologies o retrieval But there is nothing about analytic theology as
such that demands adherence to classical Christian theology
ldquoAnalytic theology relies on lsquosubstance metaphysicsrsquo rdquo Sometimes
theologians are suspicious o analytic theology due to its alleged reliance
on substance metaphysics Tis complaint can take various orms Some-
47Alvin Plantinga Does God Have a Nature (Milwaukee Marquette University Press 1048625983097983096983088) p 98309298309548Ibid49Ibid
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What Is Analytic heology 9830911048625
times it is claimed that the whole analytic enterprise is ldquopre-Kantianrdquo (as
in Kenneth Surinrsquos critique o David Brownrsquos work as being ldquorobustly
old-ashionedrdquo and ldquopre-Kantianrdquo)10486291048624 In other words critics complainthat analytic theology proceeds in blithemdashand perhaps willulmdashigno-
rance o the ldquoactrdquo that Kant undermined the entire project by destroying
the very possibility o doing it wo important claims seem to be in play
with this critique first that Kant did something to make analytic the-
ology impossible and second that analytic theologians are unaware o
what Kant did But both o these claims are problematic Te second is
simply mistaken and the first is vigorously contested As Nicholas Wolt-erstorff points out it is much more likely that the current generation o
analytic theologians is not so much ldquopre-Kantianrdquo as it is ldquopost-Kantianrdquo
As he puts it ldquoit really is possible to be post-Kantian Itrsquos possible to re-
cover rom Kant Te choices are not exhausted between being naively
pre-Kantian on the one hand and being a Kantian o one or another
stripe on the otherrdquo1048629983089 Tere are Wolterstorff argues philosophers who
are ully aware o Kantian ldquointerpretation-universalism and ully awareo [Kantian] metaphysical anti-realism but afer serious consideration
they have rejected these options as untenablerdquo1048629983090 So many analytic theo-
logians are well aware o Kantrsquos work (and the common claims made
about that work) but they donrsquot think that he did anything to shut down
the kind o work that they are doing As Plantinga puts it ldquothey have read
him and remain unconvincedrdquo1048629983091
But aside rom Kant analytic theology is sometimes criticized and
rejected or its reliance on ldquosubstance metaphysicsrdquo Unortunately ex-
actly what critical theologians have in their crosshairs when they talk
about substance metaphysics is ofen unclear and not closely defined
But very ofen the complaint is closely tied to a rejection o doctrines
50Kenneth Surin ldquoTe rinity and Philosophical Reflection A Study o David Brownrsquos Te Divine
rinity rdquo Modern Teology 1048626 (10486259830979830961048630) 10486261048627983097-98309298308851Nicholas Wolterstorff ldquoBetween the Pincers o Increased Diversity and Supposed Irrationalityrdquo
in God Philosophy and Academic Culture A Discussion Between Scholars in the AAR and APA
ed William J Wainwright (Atlanta Scholars Press 10486259830979830971048630) p 1048626983088 See also Wolterstorff ldquoIs It
Possible and Desirable or Teologians to Recover rom Kantrdquo Modern Teology 1048625983092 (1048625983097983097983096)
1048625-104862598309652Wolterstorff ldquoBetween the Pincersrdquo p 104862698308853Alvin Plantinga Warranted Christian Belief (Oxord Oxord University Press 1048626983088983088983088) p 1048627983088
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
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9830911048626 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
associated with ldquoclassical theismrdquo immutability impassibility time-
lessness and other doctrines are taken to be untenable and since they
are tied to substance metaphysics so much the worse or substancemetaphysics William P Alston defly analyzes this complaint and he
argues that substance metaphysics are really beside the point What he
says about substance metaphysics in discussions o the doctrine o the
rinity applies more broadly ldquoonce we get straight as to what is and is
not necessarily included in the metaphysics o substance we will see that
most twentieth-century objections to the use o substance metaphysics
are based on eatures o such ormulations that are not required bysubstance metaphysics as suchrdquo10486291048628 Perhaps there is something inherently
wrong with the use o substance metaphysics in theology and maybe this
counts against analytic theology But beore such a judgment can be
made we need more than the all-too-common generalizations and as-
sertions For beore we can conclude that analytic theology is atally
flawed due to a dependence on substance metaphysics we need to know
exactly what is meant by substance metaphysics we need to be shown just what is wrong (either philosophically or theologically) with sub-
stance metaphysics and we need to see that analytic theology really is (or
must be) committed to this kind o metaphysics Without the kind o
careul analysis and rigorous argumentation it is hard to see anything
here that might count as a orceul objection to analytic theology
ldquoAnalytic theology isnrsquot spiritually edifyingrdquo William Wood notes that
ldquomany conventional theologians remain deeply suspicious o analytic the-
ologyrdquo because o the worry that analytic theology is not spiritually edi-
ying As these theologians see matters ldquogenuine theology is in the first
instance practical aimed not at explanatory theories about God but at
ostering greater love or God and neighbor Genuine theology in short
is praxis one deeply woven together with a Christian lie o prayer virtue
and participation in the sacramentsrdquo10486291048629 Te basic concern is this when
more mainstream theologians look at analytic theology they donrsquot rec-
54William P Alston ldquoSubstance and the rinityrdquo in Te rinity An Interdisciplinary Symposium on
the rinity ed Stephen Davis Daniel Kendall SJ and Gerald OrsquoCollins SJ (Oxord Oxord
University Press 1048625983097983097983097) p 1048626983088104862555William Wood ldquoAnalytic Teology as a Way o Lierdquo Journal of Analytic Teology (10486269830881048625983092) 983092983092
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
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What Is Analytic heology 983091983091
ognize the kind o theology-as-praxis that they value Instead they see
purported explanatory theoriesmdashmere purported explanatory theories
Sometimes these explanations appear to be a very long way indeed romthe lie o aith Indeed they see ormulas such as this (selected pretty
much at random rom among many others)
P existx (Dx amp forally(Dy =gt Byx) amp x made us
Q existx(Dx amp forally(Dy =gt Byx ))1048629983094
When they encounter this kind o work some theologians donrsquot rec-
ognize it as theology at all I they are willing to recognize it as theology
they tend to worry that they donrsquot see the kind o theology that promotes
love o God and neighbor they are concerned that they donrsquot see the-
ology that is connected to the lie o aith As Wood puts it they worry
that ldquoanalytic theology is spiritually sterile and thereore not really a
orm o genuine theology at allrdquo10486291048631
I think this is an important point o criticism and it raises some very
intriguing concerns But as Wood also notes it would be a ldquomistake and
urthermore a presumptuous mistake to assume that analytic philo-
sophical theology cannot in principle be spiritually nourishingrdquo10486291048632 Tree
points stand out First it is important to realize that the temptation to
construct explanatory theories about God that are divorced rom worship
and transormation is both real and present It is also nearious10486291048633 Te
temptation besets theologians o all stripesmdashanalytic or otherwise I do
not think analytic theologians are the only theologians who ace this
temptation o the contrary idolatry is no respecter o ideologies Butsurely it is not invincible surelymdashby Godrsquos gracemdashit is not irresistible
As Wood reminds us ldquoGodrsquos love rains down on logicians too afer allrdquo9830941048624
Second there is good reason to think that analytic theology maymdash
contrary to common expectationsmdashturn out to be spiritually ediying
56Peter van Inwagen ldquoAnd Yet Tey Are Not Tree Gods but One Godrdquo in McCall and Rea
Philosophical and Teological Essays on the rinity pp 10486269830921048625 1048626983092104863057Wood ldquoAnalytic Teology as a Way o Lierdquo p 983092983092 See also Marilyn McCord Adams ldquoWhatrsquos
Wrong with the Ontotheological Errorrdquo Journal of Analytic Teology (10486269830881048625983092) 1048625-1048625104862658Wood ldquoAnalytic Teology as a Way o Lierdquo p 983092104863059See the warnings o Merold Westphal Suspicion and Faith Te Religious Uses of Modern Atheism
(New York Fordham University Press 1048625983097983097983096)60Wood ldquoAnalytic Teology as a Way o Lierdquo p 983092983095
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
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983091983092 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
Wood argues that analytic theology may be spiritually beneficial in
several ways He suggests that the ldquoconcentrated attention required to
read understand and develop very technical analytic argumentsrdquo maybe conducive to the kinds o intellectual virtues and habits o mind that
are spiritually beneficial983094983089 In addition he notes the ldquoargumentative
transparencyrdquo (what he terms the ldquoparadigmatic analytic virtuerdquo) may be
helpul in spiritual ormation983094983090 Wood readily admits that this tendency
toward argumentative rigor can also eed a orm o pride or even ldquointel-
lectual violencerdquo but he also points out that to make a ldquogood analytic
argument is to make that argument maximally easy or intellectual op-ponents to criticize or reuterdquo and this very transparency makes it much
harder to shield onesel rom criticisms but instead is a way to ldquomake
onesel intellectually vulnerablerdquo In this way it serves as a ldquocheck against
intellectual priderdquo983094983091 Moreover the pace demanded by such rigor and the
modesty o the claims that are rendered deensible have the potential to
cultivate epistemic humility Furthermore another important eature o
the analytic approach is the need to ldquoidentiy imaginatively with onersquosintellectual opponentsrdquo this also as Wood points out orces us to inhabit
a worldview that is not only oreign to our own but also sometimes
hostile In these ways Wood argues ldquoanalytic theology can become a
spiritual practice a way o seeking God and o training the mind and
the will to be open to gracerdquo9830941048628
Finally we should not neglect to notice those shining examples o
theologians or whom analytic theology indeed is closely related to
worship and spiritual nurture Indeed it would be hard not to notice
them or the tradition is rie with such theologians A great many pa-
tristic and most scholastic (both medieval and early modern) theolo-
gians count as ldquoanalytic theologiansrdquo For surely they fit our profile o
theologians who prize ldquoconceptual precision rigor o argumentation
technical erudition and an in-depth deense o an original worldviewrdquo
(and who would in many instances value P1048625-P983093) As an example con-
61Ibid p 98309398309362Ibid p 983093104863063Ibid64Ibid p 983093983096
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What Is Analytic heology 983091983093
sider Anselmrsquos Proslogion It is obvious that Anselm values precision and
rigor and he clearly intends to convey truth claims that he finds con-
vincing But as both Wood and Marilyn McCord Adams point out thiswork is ldquomeant to do more than communicate propositional truthsrdquo or
ldquoit is meant to help reorient the wills o its readers and help bring about
effective and volitional change in themrdquo9830941048629 Despite important differences
o style and substance we could say much the same about many other
figures (both well known and less so) as well it is very difficult to read
ar into Bonaventure Richard o St Victor Aquinas Scotus Vermigli
Perkins Arminius urretin Edwards Wesley and many others withoutunderstanding that they are obviously concerned with both intellectual
rigor and spiritual ormation
65Ibid p 983093983088 See also Marilyn McCord Adams ldquoPraying the Proslogionrdquo in Te Rationality of
Belief and the Plurality of Faith ed Tomas Senor (Ithaca NY Cornell University Press 1048625983097983097983093)
pp 10486251048627-1048627983097 and Adams ldquoElegant Necessity Prayerul Disputation Method in Cur Deus Homordquo
in Studia Anselmiana Cur Deus Homo (Rome 1048625983097983097983097) pp 10486271048630983095-9830971048630
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8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullan-invitation-to-analytic-christian-theology-by-thomas-h-mccall-excerpt 3333
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullan-invitation-to-analytic-christian-theology-by-thomas-h-mccall-excerpt 2333
1048626983094 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
o other approaches (the doctrine o analogy being avored by many)
and at least one prominent philosopher o religion deends apophati-
cism9830911048633 Perhaps there is a general sense in which it is true that analytictheologians are naive about religious language Perhaps they aremdash
although I doubt this very much But even i it were true this would not
obviously make analytic theology different rom or inerior to many
other approaches to the theological task Te concernmdasheven i it were
substantiatedmdashwould give us no reason to avoid or dismiss analytic the-
ology It might give us reason to want to do it better it might motivate
analytic theologians to pay closer attention to important issues relatedto theological language But the concern itselmdasheven i substantiatedmdash
would not count against the proper exercise o analytic theology It is at
best a red herring
ldquoAnalytic theology is an exercise in natural theologyrdquo Some critics
might charge analytic theology with reliance on ldquonatural theologyrdquo Tis
observation will seem benign to other theologians some analytic theo-
logians might even take this judgment as a badge o honor But to thosetheologians o the house and lineage o Karl Barth this will be the mark
o damnation some may take natural theology to be ldquothe invention o
the Antichristrdquo as something that can serve only to reinorce idolatry
and corrupt the truth10486281048624 Other theologians might not be so hostile but
they still might worry that natural theology distracts us rom obedience
and fidelity to the reality o divine revelation So i analytic theology is
an exercise in natural theology or even relies on it it should be held at
armrsquos length i not shunned entirely
Much could be said about this cluster o issuesmdashand indeed more will
be said in the next chaptermdashbut at this point a basic conusion needs to
be cleared away Fundamentally it is simply a misunderstanding o ana-
lytic theology to think that it is an exercise in natural theology Granted
some prolific analytic theologians are heavily invested in the project o
natural theology and we can say with confidence that rumors o the
39Eg Jonathan D Jacobs ldquoTe Ineffable Inconceivable and Incomprehensible God Fundamen-
tality and Apophatic Teologyrdquo in Oxford Studies in Philosophy of Religion orthcoming40More precisely Barth says that the analogia entis (which interpreters ofen take to be the basis
o all natural theology) is the ldquoinvention o the Antichristrdquo Doctrine of the Word of God p xiii
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8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
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What Is Analytic heology 1048626983095
demise o natural theology have been greatly exaggerated1048628983089 But there is
nothing about analytic theology as suchmdashas I have described it to this
pointmdashthat relies on natural theology Te conusion o natural theologywith the analytic project is just thatmdasha conusion Whatever we should
think about natural theology philosophically however we judge the suc-
cesses (or lack thereo) o the various theistic arguments natural the-
ology simply cannot be equated with analytic theology And whatever
we should conclude theologically about natural theology we should not
conuse it with the analytic project Once again this is a red herring
ldquoAnalytic theology is naive with respect to the history of doctrinerdquoAnother concern expressed by some contemporary systematic theolo-
gians is this analytic theology all too ofen proceeds with little awareness
o the complex but important historical actors associated with the de-
velopment and ormation o Christian doctrine o understate the point
analytic theologians are sometimes criticized or their ignorance o the
history o the development o dogma and or their lack o careul study
to understand the particular intellectual (not to mention social) settingo the person(s) controversies or eras under consideration Instead so
the story goes it is all too common or analytic theologians to approach
an issue by isolating a particular text and then breaking it down to
unpack the real ldquocorerdquo o the doctrine in question And the assumption
o the analytic theologians (again so the story goes) is ofen enough that
this can be saely or appropriately done with little or no reerence to the
particular context in which the development occurred As Fred Sanders
expresses the concern ldquophilosophers sometimes seem to think o ancient
texts as cumbersome delivery systems containing ideas which it is their
job to extract rom the delivery system and do something withrdquo1048628983090 Richard
A Muller likewise argues that lack o attention to historical context
sometimes results in problematic misunderstandings o the tradition in
41Eg Richard Swinburne Te Coherence of Teism (Oxord Oxord University Press 1048625983097983095983095) and
Swinburne Te Existence of God (Oxord Oxord University Press 1048625983097983095983097 [1048626983088983088983092]) For examples
o recent work see Moreland and Craig Blackwell Companion to Natural Teology and James F
Sennett and Douglas Groothuis eds In Defense of Natural Teology A Post-Humean Assessment
(Downers Grove IL IVP Academic 1048626983088983088983093)42Fred Sanders ldquoTe State o the Doctrine o the rinity in Evangelical Teologyrdquo Southwestern
Journal of Teology 983092983095 (1048626983088983088983093) 10486251048630983097
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
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1048626983096 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
his view or instance both recent deenders and contemporary de-
tractors o the doctrine o divine simplicity commonly ldquomisinterpret the
traditional doctrinerdquo1048628983091 Robert W Jenson is more scathing he judges theanalytic enterprise to be ldquosomewhat oddly related to the Christian aith
it claims to deendrdquo and he calls the work o Richard Swinburne a ldquotruly
bizarre caserdquo10486281048628
At least this is how the story ofen goes A major underlying worry
seems to be that reading texts without proper attention to their social
location and intellectual context can cause us to misread and mis-
interpret those texts Tis strikes me as a legitimate concern and it is onethat analytic theologians would do well to hear and heed No one should
deny that it is possible to misread and misinterpret important historical
texts and it seems to me that such misreadings are ar more likely when
particular bits o the text are isolated and scrutinized apart rom the
broader literary and historical contexts Te temptation to look away
rom the context as an irrelevant distraction is real It should also be
resisted So the criticism contains an important cautionAt the same time however we should keep several additional points
in mind First the problem is not restricted to analytic theologiansmdash
constructive or systematic theologians o any stripe may be susceptible
to this temptation Indeed ironies abound on this ront Afer criticizing
analytic philosophers o religion or overlooking ldquothe essentially his-
torical character o trinitarian theologyrdquomdashand especially or missing the
important differences between the ldquoGreek (or lsquoCappadocianrsquo) Eastrdquo and
the ldquoLatin WestrdquomdashCatherine Mowry LaCugnarsquos own work has been
criticized or exaggerating those differences10486281048629 It is not as i more main-
stream nonanalytic or antianalytic theologians are immune to the temp-
tation instead so ar as I can see this is a general concern that should
serve as an important reminder that all theologians who engage with the
43Richard A Muller Post-Reformation Reformed Dogmatics Te Rise and Development of Reformed
Orthodoxy ca 1048625104862910486261048624ndashca 1048625104863110486261048629 vol 1048627 Te Divine Essence and Attributes (Grand Rapids Baker
Academic 10486269830889830881048627) p 983092104862544Robert W Jenson Systematic Teology vol 1048626 Te Works of God (Oxord Oxord University
Press 1048625983097983097983097) p 983096 n 104862798309345Catherine Mowry LaCugna ldquoPhilosophers and Teologians on the rinityrdquo Modern Teology 1048626
(10486259830979830961048630) 10486259830951048626
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullan-invitation-to-analytic-christian-theology-by-thomas-h-mccall-excerpt 2633
What Is Analytic heology 1048626983097
Christian intellectual tradition should do so with appropriate historical
sensitivity Second there is nothingmdashat least so ar as I can seemdashthat
makes this temptation irresistible Te act that some analytic theolo-gians have been insufficiently attentive to some historical matters does
not entail either that all analytic theologians are ignorant o the tradition
or that all analytic theologians must proceed in ignorance I see no
reason to conclude that this problem must be either essential or endemic
to analytic theology Surely more progress can be made in this area but
I see no reasons to think that such progress cannot happen Finally it is
worth noting that such progress in act is being made Tere are manyhappy exceptions to the common stereotype that analytic theologians
are ldquoahistoricalrdquo in act it is sae to say that many excellent analytic
thinkers have genuine specialization in historical scholarship Indeed
many are cutting-edge contributors1048628983094
ldquoAnalytic theology is only apologetics for conservative theologyrdquo Al-
ternatively the suspicion may be that analytic theology is too closely tied
to the Christian tradition Te assumption here is that analytic theologyis nothing more than the bastion o traditionally minded Roman Catholic
(and Orthodox) theologians and philosophers along with their conser-
vative Protestant riends and the worry is that they are interested in
nothing more than finding a sae place to deend what they already know
to be true Consequently the worry goes there is next to nothing o real
interest here or revisionist theologians o various stripes and there is
little promise or genuinely constructive theology
wo observations are important here First in principle there is
nothing about analytic theology that demands either traditional sympa-
thies or conservative conclusions Neither is there anything about ana-
lytic theology (either taken along the lines o Rearsquos P1048625-P983093 or in a somewhat
more expansive way) that precludes the use o the analytic tools by say
eminist womanist or liberationist theologies
46Stellar examples include Richard Cross Duns Scotus on God (Aldershot UK Ashgate 1048626983088983088983093) Cross
Te Metaphysics of the Incarnation Tomas Aquinas to Duns Scotus (Oxord Oxord University
Press 10486269830889830881048626) Eleonore Stump Aquinas (New York Routledge 10486269830889830881048627) Jeffrey E Brower Aquinasrsquos
Ontology of the Material World Change Hylomorphism and Material Objects (Oxord Oxord
University Press 10486269830881048625983092) and J Paasch Divine Production in Late Medieval rinitarian Teology
Henry of Ghent Duns Scotus and William Ockham (Oxord Oxord University Press 104862698308810486251048626)
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullan-invitation-to-analytic-christian-theology-by-thomas-h-mccall-excerpt 2733
983091983088 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
Second in point o act many criticisms o traditional doctrines
have emerged rom within analytic theology Consider this example It
is hard to think o a doctrine that is more deeply traditional or moredeeply woven into the abric o historic Christian theology than the
doctrine o divine simplicity Yet this venerable doctrine has endured
intense criticism rom analytic theologians over the past several de-
cades Alvin Plantingarsquos Does God Have a Nature raised ldquotwo diffi-
cultiesrdquo or the doctrine ldquoone substantial and the other truly
monumentalrdquo10486281048631 He argues that i God is identical with each o his
properties then God has but one property But this ldquoseems flatly in-compatible with the obvious act that God has several propertiesrdquo10486281048632 He
argues urther that i God is identical with each o his properties then
God is also a property ldquoTis view is subject to a difficulty both obvious
and overwhelming [or] i God is a property then he isnrsquot a person
but a mere abstract objectrdquo10486281048633 Many analytic theologians have joined
other criticisms to those o Plantinga and it is obvious that this doc-
trinemdashwoven deeply into the abric o traditional Christian doctrineas it ismdashis under assault rom within analytic theology We could mul-
tiply examples with ease (Te traditional doctrine o divine omni-
science stands out here) Tere are o course many sophisticated de-
enders o classical orthodoxy within analytic theology but the basic
point should be clear to reduce analytic theology to apologetics or
traditional doctrine is simply a mistake
As will become obvious in the ollowing pages I think that there is
much to be gained in the work o ldquoretrieval theologyrdquo and I see it as a
natural conversation partner and compatriot o analytic theology I want
to encourage more work at the intersection o analytic theology and
theologies o retrieval But there is nothing about analytic theology as
such that demands adherence to classical Christian theology
ldquoAnalytic theology relies on lsquosubstance metaphysicsrsquo rdquo Sometimes
theologians are suspicious o analytic theology due to its alleged reliance
on substance metaphysics Tis complaint can take various orms Some-
47Alvin Plantinga Does God Have a Nature (Milwaukee Marquette University Press 1048625983097983096983088) p 98309298309548Ibid49Ibid
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What Is Analytic heology 9830911048625
times it is claimed that the whole analytic enterprise is ldquopre-Kantianrdquo (as
in Kenneth Surinrsquos critique o David Brownrsquos work as being ldquorobustly
old-ashionedrdquo and ldquopre-Kantianrdquo)10486291048624 In other words critics complainthat analytic theology proceeds in blithemdashand perhaps willulmdashigno-
rance o the ldquoactrdquo that Kant undermined the entire project by destroying
the very possibility o doing it wo important claims seem to be in play
with this critique first that Kant did something to make analytic the-
ology impossible and second that analytic theologians are unaware o
what Kant did But both o these claims are problematic Te second is
simply mistaken and the first is vigorously contested As Nicholas Wolt-erstorff points out it is much more likely that the current generation o
analytic theologians is not so much ldquopre-Kantianrdquo as it is ldquopost-Kantianrdquo
As he puts it ldquoit really is possible to be post-Kantian Itrsquos possible to re-
cover rom Kant Te choices are not exhausted between being naively
pre-Kantian on the one hand and being a Kantian o one or another
stripe on the otherrdquo1048629983089 Tere are Wolterstorff argues philosophers who
are ully aware o Kantian ldquointerpretation-universalism and ully awareo [Kantian] metaphysical anti-realism but afer serious consideration
they have rejected these options as untenablerdquo1048629983090 So many analytic theo-
logians are well aware o Kantrsquos work (and the common claims made
about that work) but they donrsquot think that he did anything to shut down
the kind o work that they are doing As Plantinga puts it ldquothey have read
him and remain unconvincedrdquo1048629983091
But aside rom Kant analytic theology is sometimes criticized and
rejected or its reliance on ldquosubstance metaphysicsrdquo Unortunately ex-
actly what critical theologians have in their crosshairs when they talk
about substance metaphysics is ofen unclear and not closely defined
But very ofen the complaint is closely tied to a rejection o doctrines
50Kenneth Surin ldquoTe rinity and Philosophical Reflection A Study o David Brownrsquos Te Divine
rinity rdquo Modern Teology 1048626 (10486259830979830961048630) 10486261048627983097-98309298308851Nicholas Wolterstorff ldquoBetween the Pincers o Increased Diversity and Supposed Irrationalityrdquo
in God Philosophy and Academic Culture A Discussion Between Scholars in the AAR and APA
ed William J Wainwright (Atlanta Scholars Press 10486259830979830971048630) p 1048626983088 See also Wolterstorff ldquoIs It
Possible and Desirable or Teologians to Recover rom Kantrdquo Modern Teology 1048625983092 (1048625983097983097983096)
1048625-104862598309652Wolterstorff ldquoBetween the Pincersrdquo p 104862698308853Alvin Plantinga Warranted Christian Belief (Oxord Oxord University Press 1048626983088983088983088) p 1048627983088
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullan-invitation-to-analytic-christian-theology-by-thomas-h-mccall-excerpt 2933
9830911048626 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
associated with ldquoclassical theismrdquo immutability impassibility time-
lessness and other doctrines are taken to be untenable and since they
are tied to substance metaphysics so much the worse or substancemetaphysics William P Alston defly analyzes this complaint and he
argues that substance metaphysics are really beside the point What he
says about substance metaphysics in discussions o the doctrine o the
rinity applies more broadly ldquoonce we get straight as to what is and is
not necessarily included in the metaphysics o substance we will see that
most twentieth-century objections to the use o substance metaphysics
are based on eatures o such ormulations that are not required bysubstance metaphysics as suchrdquo10486291048628 Perhaps there is something inherently
wrong with the use o substance metaphysics in theology and maybe this
counts against analytic theology But beore such a judgment can be
made we need more than the all-too-common generalizations and as-
sertions For beore we can conclude that analytic theology is atally
flawed due to a dependence on substance metaphysics we need to know
exactly what is meant by substance metaphysics we need to be shown just what is wrong (either philosophically or theologically) with sub-
stance metaphysics and we need to see that analytic theology really is (or
must be) committed to this kind o metaphysics Without the kind o
careul analysis and rigorous argumentation it is hard to see anything
here that might count as a orceul objection to analytic theology
ldquoAnalytic theology isnrsquot spiritually edifyingrdquo William Wood notes that
ldquomany conventional theologians remain deeply suspicious o analytic the-
ologyrdquo because o the worry that analytic theology is not spiritually edi-
ying As these theologians see matters ldquogenuine theology is in the first
instance practical aimed not at explanatory theories about God but at
ostering greater love or God and neighbor Genuine theology in short
is praxis one deeply woven together with a Christian lie o prayer virtue
and participation in the sacramentsrdquo10486291048629 Te basic concern is this when
more mainstream theologians look at analytic theology they donrsquot rec-
54William P Alston ldquoSubstance and the rinityrdquo in Te rinity An Interdisciplinary Symposium on
the rinity ed Stephen Davis Daniel Kendall SJ and Gerald OrsquoCollins SJ (Oxord Oxord
University Press 1048625983097983097983097) p 1048626983088104862555William Wood ldquoAnalytic Teology as a Way o Lierdquo Journal of Analytic Teology (10486269830881048625983092) 983092983092
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
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What Is Analytic heology 983091983091
ognize the kind o theology-as-praxis that they value Instead they see
purported explanatory theoriesmdashmere purported explanatory theories
Sometimes these explanations appear to be a very long way indeed romthe lie o aith Indeed they see ormulas such as this (selected pretty
much at random rom among many others)
P existx (Dx amp forally(Dy =gt Byx) amp x made us
Q existx(Dx amp forally(Dy =gt Byx ))1048629983094
When they encounter this kind o work some theologians donrsquot rec-
ognize it as theology at all I they are willing to recognize it as theology
they tend to worry that they donrsquot see the kind o theology that promotes
love o God and neighbor they are concerned that they donrsquot see the-
ology that is connected to the lie o aith As Wood puts it they worry
that ldquoanalytic theology is spiritually sterile and thereore not really a
orm o genuine theology at allrdquo10486291048631
I think this is an important point o criticism and it raises some very
intriguing concerns But as Wood also notes it would be a ldquomistake and
urthermore a presumptuous mistake to assume that analytic philo-
sophical theology cannot in principle be spiritually nourishingrdquo10486291048632 Tree
points stand out First it is important to realize that the temptation to
construct explanatory theories about God that are divorced rom worship
and transormation is both real and present It is also nearious10486291048633 Te
temptation besets theologians o all stripesmdashanalytic or otherwise I do
not think analytic theologians are the only theologians who ace this
temptation o the contrary idolatry is no respecter o ideologies Butsurely it is not invincible surelymdashby Godrsquos gracemdashit is not irresistible
As Wood reminds us ldquoGodrsquos love rains down on logicians too afer allrdquo9830941048624
Second there is good reason to think that analytic theology maymdash
contrary to common expectationsmdashturn out to be spiritually ediying
56Peter van Inwagen ldquoAnd Yet Tey Are Not Tree Gods but One Godrdquo in McCall and Rea
Philosophical and Teological Essays on the rinity pp 10486269830921048625 1048626983092104863057Wood ldquoAnalytic Teology as a Way o Lierdquo p 983092983092 See also Marilyn McCord Adams ldquoWhatrsquos
Wrong with the Ontotheological Errorrdquo Journal of Analytic Teology (10486269830881048625983092) 1048625-1048625104862658Wood ldquoAnalytic Teology as a Way o Lierdquo p 983092104863059See the warnings o Merold Westphal Suspicion and Faith Te Religious Uses of Modern Atheism
(New York Fordham University Press 1048625983097983097983096)60Wood ldquoAnalytic Teology as a Way o Lierdquo p 983092983095
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
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983091983092 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
Wood argues that analytic theology may be spiritually beneficial in
several ways He suggests that the ldquoconcentrated attention required to
read understand and develop very technical analytic argumentsrdquo maybe conducive to the kinds o intellectual virtues and habits o mind that
are spiritually beneficial983094983089 In addition he notes the ldquoargumentative
transparencyrdquo (what he terms the ldquoparadigmatic analytic virtuerdquo) may be
helpul in spiritual ormation983094983090 Wood readily admits that this tendency
toward argumentative rigor can also eed a orm o pride or even ldquointel-
lectual violencerdquo but he also points out that to make a ldquogood analytic
argument is to make that argument maximally easy or intellectual op-ponents to criticize or reuterdquo and this very transparency makes it much
harder to shield onesel rom criticisms but instead is a way to ldquomake
onesel intellectually vulnerablerdquo In this way it serves as a ldquocheck against
intellectual priderdquo983094983091 Moreover the pace demanded by such rigor and the
modesty o the claims that are rendered deensible have the potential to
cultivate epistemic humility Furthermore another important eature o
the analytic approach is the need to ldquoidentiy imaginatively with onersquosintellectual opponentsrdquo this also as Wood points out orces us to inhabit
a worldview that is not only oreign to our own but also sometimes
hostile In these ways Wood argues ldquoanalytic theology can become a
spiritual practice a way o seeking God and o training the mind and
the will to be open to gracerdquo9830941048628
Finally we should not neglect to notice those shining examples o
theologians or whom analytic theology indeed is closely related to
worship and spiritual nurture Indeed it would be hard not to notice
them or the tradition is rie with such theologians A great many pa-
tristic and most scholastic (both medieval and early modern) theolo-
gians count as ldquoanalytic theologiansrdquo For surely they fit our profile o
theologians who prize ldquoconceptual precision rigor o argumentation
technical erudition and an in-depth deense o an original worldviewrdquo
(and who would in many instances value P1048625-P983093) As an example con-
61Ibid p 98309398309362Ibid p 983093104863063Ibid64Ibid p 983093983096
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What Is Analytic heology 983091983093
sider Anselmrsquos Proslogion It is obvious that Anselm values precision and
rigor and he clearly intends to convey truth claims that he finds con-
vincing But as both Wood and Marilyn McCord Adams point out thiswork is ldquomeant to do more than communicate propositional truthsrdquo or
ldquoit is meant to help reorient the wills o its readers and help bring about
effective and volitional change in themrdquo9830941048629 Despite important differences
o style and substance we could say much the same about many other
figures (both well known and less so) as well it is very difficult to read
ar into Bonaventure Richard o St Victor Aquinas Scotus Vermigli
Perkins Arminius urretin Edwards Wesley and many others withoutunderstanding that they are obviously concerned with both intellectual
rigor and spiritual ormation
65Ibid p 983093983088 See also Marilyn McCord Adams ldquoPraying the Proslogionrdquo in Te Rationality of
Belief and the Plurality of Faith ed Tomas Senor (Ithaca NY Cornell University Press 1048625983097983097983093)
pp 10486251048627-1048627983097 and Adams ldquoElegant Necessity Prayerul Disputation Method in Cur Deus Homordquo
in Studia Anselmiana Cur Deus Homo (Rome 1048625983097983097983097) pp 10486271048630983095-9830971048630
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
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8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
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What Is Analytic heology 1048626983095
demise o natural theology have been greatly exaggerated1048628983089 But there is
nothing about analytic theology as suchmdashas I have described it to this
pointmdashthat relies on natural theology Te conusion o natural theologywith the analytic project is just thatmdasha conusion Whatever we should
think about natural theology philosophically however we judge the suc-
cesses (or lack thereo) o the various theistic arguments natural the-
ology simply cannot be equated with analytic theology And whatever
we should conclude theologically about natural theology we should not
conuse it with the analytic project Once again this is a red herring
ldquoAnalytic theology is naive with respect to the history of doctrinerdquoAnother concern expressed by some contemporary systematic theolo-
gians is this analytic theology all too ofen proceeds with little awareness
o the complex but important historical actors associated with the de-
velopment and ormation o Christian doctrine o understate the point
analytic theologians are sometimes criticized or their ignorance o the
history o the development o dogma and or their lack o careul study
to understand the particular intellectual (not to mention social) settingo the person(s) controversies or eras under consideration Instead so
the story goes it is all too common or analytic theologians to approach
an issue by isolating a particular text and then breaking it down to
unpack the real ldquocorerdquo o the doctrine in question And the assumption
o the analytic theologians (again so the story goes) is ofen enough that
this can be saely or appropriately done with little or no reerence to the
particular context in which the development occurred As Fred Sanders
expresses the concern ldquophilosophers sometimes seem to think o ancient
texts as cumbersome delivery systems containing ideas which it is their
job to extract rom the delivery system and do something withrdquo1048628983090 Richard
A Muller likewise argues that lack o attention to historical context
sometimes results in problematic misunderstandings o the tradition in
41Eg Richard Swinburne Te Coherence of Teism (Oxord Oxord University Press 1048625983097983095983095) and
Swinburne Te Existence of God (Oxord Oxord University Press 1048625983097983095983097 [1048626983088983088983092]) For examples
o recent work see Moreland and Craig Blackwell Companion to Natural Teology and James F
Sennett and Douglas Groothuis eds In Defense of Natural Teology A Post-Humean Assessment
(Downers Grove IL IVP Academic 1048626983088983088983093)42Fred Sanders ldquoTe State o the Doctrine o the rinity in Evangelical Teologyrdquo Southwestern
Journal of Teology 983092983095 (1048626983088983088983093) 10486251048630983097
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
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1048626983096 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
his view or instance both recent deenders and contemporary de-
tractors o the doctrine o divine simplicity commonly ldquomisinterpret the
traditional doctrinerdquo1048628983091 Robert W Jenson is more scathing he judges theanalytic enterprise to be ldquosomewhat oddly related to the Christian aith
it claims to deendrdquo and he calls the work o Richard Swinburne a ldquotruly
bizarre caserdquo10486281048628
At least this is how the story ofen goes A major underlying worry
seems to be that reading texts without proper attention to their social
location and intellectual context can cause us to misread and mis-
interpret those texts Tis strikes me as a legitimate concern and it is onethat analytic theologians would do well to hear and heed No one should
deny that it is possible to misread and misinterpret important historical
texts and it seems to me that such misreadings are ar more likely when
particular bits o the text are isolated and scrutinized apart rom the
broader literary and historical contexts Te temptation to look away
rom the context as an irrelevant distraction is real It should also be
resisted So the criticism contains an important cautionAt the same time however we should keep several additional points
in mind First the problem is not restricted to analytic theologiansmdash
constructive or systematic theologians o any stripe may be susceptible
to this temptation Indeed ironies abound on this ront Afer criticizing
analytic philosophers o religion or overlooking ldquothe essentially his-
torical character o trinitarian theologyrdquomdashand especially or missing the
important differences between the ldquoGreek (or lsquoCappadocianrsquo) Eastrdquo and
the ldquoLatin WestrdquomdashCatherine Mowry LaCugnarsquos own work has been
criticized or exaggerating those differences10486281048629 It is not as i more main-
stream nonanalytic or antianalytic theologians are immune to the temp-
tation instead so ar as I can see this is a general concern that should
serve as an important reminder that all theologians who engage with the
43Richard A Muller Post-Reformation Reformed Dogmatics Te Rise and Development of Reformed
Orthodoxy ca 1048625104862910486261048624ndashca 1048625104863110486261048629 vol 1048627 Te Divine Essence and Attributes (Grand Rapids Baker
Academic 10486269830889830881048627) p 983092104862544Robert W Jenson Systematic Teology vol 1048626 Te Works of God (Oxord Oxord University
Press 1048625983097983097983097) p 983096 n 104862798309345Catherine Mowry LaCugna ldquoPhilosophers and Teologians on the rinityrdquo Modern Teology 1048626
(10486259830979830961048630) 10486259830951048626
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
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What Is Analytic heology 1048626983097
Christian intellectual tradition should do so with appropriate historical
sensitivity Second there is nothingmdashat least so ar as I can seemdashthat
makes this temptation irresistible Te act that some analytic theolo-gians have been insufficiently attentive to some historical matters does
not entail either that all analytic theologians are ignorant o the tradition
or that all analytic theologians must proceed in ignorance I see no
reason to conclude that this problem must be either essential or endemic
to analytic theology Surely more progress can be made in this area but
I see no reasons to think that such progress cannot happen Finally it is
worth noting that such progress in act is being made Tere are manyhappy exceptions to the common stereotype that analytic theologians
are ldquoahistoricalrdquo in act it is sae to say that many excellent analytic
thinkers have genuine specialization in historical scholarship Indeed
many are cutting-edge contributors1048628983094
ldquoAnalytic theology is only apologetics for conservative theologyrdquo Al-
ternatively the suspicion may be that analytic theology is too closely tied
to the Christian tradition Te assumption here is that analytic theologyis nothing more than the bastion o traditionally minded Roman Catholic
(and Orthodox) theologians and philosophers along with their conser-
vative Protestant riends and the worry is that they are interested in
nothing more than finding a sae place to deend what they already know
to be true Consequently the worry goes there is next to nothing o real
interest here or revisionist theologians o various stripes and there is
little promise or genuinely constructive theology
wo observations are important here First in principle there is
nothing about analytic theology that demands either traditional sympa-
thies or conservative conclusions Neither is there anything about ana-
lytic theology (either taken along the lines o Rearsquos P1048625-P983093 or in a somewhat
more expansive way) that precludes the use o the analytic tools by say
eminist womanist or liberationist theologies
46Stellar examples include Richard Cross Duns Scotus on God (Aldershot UK Ashgate 1048626983088983088983093) Cross
Te Metaphysics of the Incarnation Tomas Aquinas to Duns Scotus (Oxord Oxord University
Press 10486269830889830881048626) Eleonore Stump Aquinas (New York Routledge 10486269830889830881048627) Jeffrey E Brower Aquinasrsquos
Ontology of the Material World Change Hylomorphism and Material Objects (Oxord Oxord
University Press 10486269830881048625983092) and J Paasch Divine Production in Late Medieval rinitarian Teology
Henry of Ghent Duns Scotus and William Ockham (Oxord Oxord University Press 104862698308810486251048626)
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullan-invitation-to-analytic-christian-theology-by-thomas-h-mccall-excerpt 2733
983091983088 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
Second in point o act many criticisms o traditional doctrines
have emerged rom within analytic theology Consider this example It
is hard to think o a doctrine that is more deeply traditional or moredeeply woven into the abric o historic Christian theology than the
doctrine o divine simplicity Yet this venerable doctrine has endured
intense criticism rom analytic theologians over the past several de-
cades Alvin Plantingarsquos Does God Have a Nature raised ldquotwo diffi-
cultiesrdquo or the doctrine ldquoone substantial and the other truly
monumentalrdquo10486281048631 He argues that i God is identical with each o his
properties then God has but one property But this ldquoseems flatly in-compatible with the obvious act that God has several propertiesrdquo10486281048632 He
argues urther that i God is identical with each o his properties then
God is also a property ldquoTis view is subject to a difficulty both obvious
and overwhelming [or] i God is a property then he isnrsquot a person
but a mere abstract objectrdquo10486281048633 Many analytic theologians have joined
other criticisms to those o Plantinga and it is obvious that this doc-
trinemdashwoven deeply into the abric o traditional Christian doctrineas it ismdashis under assault rom within analytic theology We could mul-
tiply examples with ease (Te traditional doctrine o divine omni-
science stands out here) Tere are o course many sophisticated de-
enders o classical orthodoxy within analytic theology but the basic
point should be clear to reduce analytic theology to apologetics or
traditional doctrine is simply a mistake
As will become obvious in the ollowing pages I think that there is
much to be gained in the work o ldquoretrieval theologyrdquo and I see it as a
natural conversation partner and compatriot o analytic theology I want
to encourage more work at the intersection o analytic theology and
theologies o retrieval But there is nothing about analytic theology as
such that demands adherence to classical Christian theology
ldquoAnalytic theology relies on lsquosubstance metaphysicsrsquo rdquo Sometimes
theologians are suspicious o analytic theology due to its alleged reliance
on substance metaphysics Tis complaint can take various orms Some-
47Alvin Plantinga Does God Have a Nature (Milwaukee Marquette University Press 1048625983097983096983088) p 98309298309548Ibid49Ibid
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What Is Analytic heology 9830911048625
times it is claimed that the whole analytic enterprise is ldquopre-Kantianrdquo (as
in Kenneth Surinrsquos critique o David Brownrsquos work as being ldquorobustly
old-ashionedrdquo and ldquopre-Kantianrdquo)10486291048624 In other words critics complainthat analytic theology proceeds in blithemdashand perhaps willulmdashigno-
rance o the ldquoactrdquo that Kant undermined the entire project by destroying
the very possibility o doing it wo important claims seem to be in play
with this critique first that Kant did something to make analytic the-
ology impossible and second that analytic theologians are unaware o
what Kant did But both o these claims are problematic Te second is
simply mistaken and the first is vigorously contested As Nicholas Wolt-erstorff points out it is much more likely that the current generation o
analytic theologians is not so much ldquopre-Kantianrdquo as it is ldquopost-Kantianrdquo
As he puts it ldquoit really is possible to be post-Kantian Itrsquos possible to re-
cover rom Kant Te choices are not exhausted between being naively
pre-Kantian on the one hand and being a Kantian o one or another
stripe on the otherrdquo1048629983089 Tere are Wolterstorff argues philosophers who
are ully aware o Kantian ldquointerpretation-universalism and ully awareo [Kantian] metaphysical anti-realism but afer serious consideration
they have rejected these options as untenablerdquo1048629983090 So many analytic theo-
logians are well aware o Kantrsquos work (and the common claims made
about that work) but they donrsquot think that he did anything to shut down
the kind o work that they are doing As Plantinga puts it ldquothey have read
him and remain unconvincedrdquo1048629983091
But aside rom Kant analytic theology is sometimes criticized and
rejected or its reliance on ldquosubstance metaphysicsrdquo Unortunately ex-
actly what critical theologians have in their crosshairs when they talk
about substance metaphysics is ofen unclear and not closely defined
But very ofen the complaint is closely tied to a rejection o doctrines
50Kenneth Surin ldquoTe rinity and Philosophical Reflection A Study o David Brownrsquos Te Divine
rinity rdquo Modern Teology 1048626 (10486259830979830961048630) 10486261048627983097-98309298308851Nicholas Wolterstorff ldquoBetween the Pincers o Increased Diversity and Supposed Irrationalityrdquo
in God Philosophy and Academic Culture A Discussion Between Scholars in the AAR and APA
ed William J Wainwright (Atlanta Scholars Press 10486259830979830971048630) p 1048626983088 See also Wolterstorff ldquoIs It
Possible and Desirable or Teologians to Recover rom Kantrdquo Modern Teology 1048625983092 (1048625983097983097983096)
1048625-104862598309652Wolterstorff ldquoBetween the Pincersrdquo p 104862698308853Alvin Plantinga Warranted Christian Belief (Oxord Oxord University Press 1048626983088983088983088) p 1048627983088
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullan-invitation-to-analytic-christian-theology-by-thomas-h-mccall-excerpt 2933
9830911048626 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
associated with ldquoclassical theismrdquo immutability impassibility time-
lessness and other doctrines are taken to be untenable and since they
are tied to substance metaphysics so much the worse or substancemetaphysics William P Alston defly analyzes this complaint and he
argues that substance metaphysics are really beside the point What he
says about substance metaphysics in discussions o the doctrine o the
rinity applies more broadly ldquoonce we get straight as to what is and is
not necessarily included in the metaphysics o substance we will see that
most twentieth-century objections to the use o substance metaphysics
are based on eatures o such ormulations that are not required bysubstance metaphysics as suchrdquo10486291048628 Perhaps there is something inherently
wrong with the use o substance metaphysics in theology and maybe this
counts against analytic theology But beore such a judgment can be
made we need more than the all-too-common generalizations and as-
sertions For beore we can conclude that analytic theology is atally
flawed due to a dependence on substance metaphysics we need to know
exactly what is meant by substance metaphysics we need to be shown just what is wrong (either philosophically or theologically) with sub-
stance metaphysics and we need to see that analytic theology really is (or
must be) committed to this kind o metaphysics Without the kind o
careul analysis and rigorous argumentation it is hard to see anything
here that might count as a orceul objection to analytic theology
ldquoAnalytic theology isnrsquot spiritually edifyingrdquo William Wood notes that
ldquomany conventional theologians remain deeply suspicious o analytic the-
ologyrdquo because o the worry that analytic theology is not spiritually edi-
ying As these theologians see matters ldquogenuine theology is in the first
instance practical aimed not at explanatory theories about God but at
ostering greater love or God and neighbor Genuine theology in short
is praxis one deeply woven together with a Christian lie o prayer virtue
and participation in the sacramentsrdquo10486291048629 Te basic concern is this when
more mainstream theologians look at analytic theology they donrsquot rec-
54William P Alston ldquoSubstance and the rinityrdquo in Te rinity An Interdisciplinary Symposium on
the rinity ed Stephen Davis Daniel Kendall SJ and Gerald OrsquoCollins SJ (Oxord Oxord
University Press 1048625983097983097983097) p 1048626983088104862555William Wood ldquoAnalytic Teology as a Way o Lierdquo Journal of Analytic Teology (10486269830881048625983092) 983092983092
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
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What Is Analytic heology 983091983091
ognize the kind o theology-as-praxis that they value Instead they see
purported explanatory theoriesmdashmere purported explanatory theories
Sometimes these explanations appear to be a very long way indeed romthe lie o aith Indeed they see ormulas such as this (selected pretty
much at random rom among many others)
P existx (Dx amp forally(Dy =gt Byx) amp x made us
Q existx(Dx amp forally(Dy =gt Byx ))1048629983094
When they encounter this kind o work some theologians donrsquot rec-
ognize it as theology at all I they are willing to recognize it as theology
they tend to worry that they donrsquot see the kind o theology that promotes
love o God and neighbor they are concerned that they donrsquot see the-
ology that is connected to the lie o aith As Wood puts it they worry
that ldquoanalytic theology is spiritually sterile and thereore not really a
orm o genuine theology at allrdquo10486291048631
I think this is an important point o criticism and it raises some very
intriguing concerns But as Wood also notes it would be a ldquomistake and
urthermore a presumptuous mistake to assume that analytic philo-
sophical theology cannot in principle be spiritually nourishingrdquo10486291048632 Tree
points stand out First it is important to realize that the temptation to
construct explanatory theories about God that are divorced rom worship
and transormation is both real and present It is also nearious10486291048633 Te
temptation besets theologians o all stripesmdashanalytic or otherwise I do
not think analytic theologians are the only theologians who ace this
temptation o the contrary idolatry is no respecter o ideologies Butsurely it is not invincible surelymdashby Godrsquos gracemdashit is not irresistible
As Wood reminds us ldquoGodrsquos love rains down on logicians too afer allrdquo9830941048624
Second there is good reason to think that analytic theology maymdash
contrary to common expectationsmdashturn out to be spiritually ediying
56Peter van Inwagen ldquoAnd Yet Tey Are Not Tree Gods but One Godrdquo in McCall and Rea
Philosophical and Teological Essays on the rinity pp 10486269830921048625 1048626983092104863057Wood ldquoAnalytic Teology as a Way o Lierdquo p 983092983092 See also Marilyn McCord Adams ldquoWhatrsquos
Wrong with the Ontotheological Errorrdquo Journal of Analytic Teology (10486269830881048625983092) 1048625-1048625104862658Wood ldquoAnalytic Teology as a Way o Lierdquo p 983092104863059See the warnings o Merold Westphal Suspicion and Faith Te Religious Uses of Modern Atheism
(New York Fordham University Press 1048625983097983097983096)60Wood ldquoAnalytic Teology as a Way o Lierdquo p 983092983095
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
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983091983092 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
Wood argues that analytic theology may be spiritually beneficial in
several ways He suggests that the ldquoconcentrated attention required to
read understand and develop very technical analytic argumentsrdquo maybe conducive to the kinds o intellectual virtues and habits o mind that
are spiritually beneficial983094983089 In addition he notes the ldquoargumentative
transparencyrdquo (what he terms the ldquoparadigmatic analytic virtuerdquo) may be
helpul in spiritual ormation983094983090 Wood readily admits that this tendency
toward argumentative rigor can also eed a orm o pride or even ldquointel-
lectual violencerdquo but he also points out that to make a ldquogood analytic
argument is to make that argument maximally easy or intellectual op-ponents to criticize or reuterdquo and this very transparency makes it much
harder to shield onesel rom criticisms but instead is a way to ldquomake
onesel intellectually vulnerablerdquo In this way it serves as a ldquocheck against
intellectual priderdquo983094983091 Moreover the pace demanded by such rigor and the
modesty o the claims that are rendered deensible have the potential to
cultivate epistemic humility Furthermore another important eature o
the analytic approach is the need to ldquoidentiy imaginatively with onersquosintellectual opponentsrdquo this also as Wood points out orces us to inhabit
a worldview that is not only oreign to our own but also sometimes
hostile In these ways Wood argues ldquoanalytic theology can become a
spiritual practice a way o seeking God and o training the mind and
the will to be open to gracerdquo9830941048628
Finally we should not neglect to notice those shining examples o
theologians or whom analytic theology indeed is closely related to
worship and spiritual nurture Indeed it would be hard not to notice
them or the tradition is rie with such theologians A great many pa-
tristic and most scholastic (both medieval and early modern) theolo-
gians count as ldquoanalytic theologiansrdquo For surely they fit our profile o
theologians who prize ldquoconceptual precision rigor o argumentation
technical erudition and an in-depth deense o an original worldviewrdquo
(and who would in many instances value P1048625-P983093) As an example con-
61Ibid p 98309398309362Ibid p 983093104863063Ibid64Ibid p 983093983096
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What Is Analytic heology 983091983093
sider Anselmrsquos Proslogion It is obvious that Anselm values precision and
rigor and he clearly intends to convey truth claims that he finds con-
vincing But as both Wood and Marilyn McCord Adams point out thiswork is ldquomeant to do more than communicate propositional truthsrdquo or
ldquoit is meant to help reorient the wills o its readers and help bring about
effective and volitional change in themrdquo9830941048629 Despite important differences
o style and substance we could say much the same about many other
figures (both well known and less so) as well it is very difficult to read
ar into Bonaventure Richard o St Victor Aquinas Scotus Vermigli
Perkins Arminius urretin Edwards Wesley and many others withoutunderstanding that they are obviously concerned with both intellectual
rigor and spiritual ormation
65Ibid p 983093983088 See also Marilyn McCord Adams ldquoPraying the Proslogionrdquo in Te Rationality of
Belief and the Plurality of Faith ed Tomas Senor (Ithaca NY Cornell University Press 1048625983097983097983093)
pp 10486251048627-1048627983097 and Adams ldquoElegant Necessity Prayerul Disputation Method in Cur Deus Homordquo
in Studia Anselmiana Cur Deus Homo (Rome 1048625983097983097983097) pp 10486271048630983095-9830971048630
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8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
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8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
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1048626983096 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
his view or instance both recent deenders and contemporary de-
tractors o the doctrine o divine simplicity commonly ldquomisinterpret the
traditional doctrinerdquo1048628983091 Robert W Jenson is more scathing he judges theanalytic enterprise to be ldquosomewhat oddly related to the Christian aith
it claims to deendrdquo and he calls the work o Richard Swinburne a ldquotruly
bizarre caserdquo10486281048628
At least this is how the story ofen goes A major underlying worry
seems to be that reading texts without proper attention to their social
location and intellectual context can cause us to misread and mis-
interpret those texts Tis strikes me as a legitimate concern and it is onethat analytic theologians would do well to hear and heed No one should
deny that it is possible to misread and misinterpret important historical
texts and it seems to me that such misreadings are ar more likely when
particular bits o the text are isolated and scrutinized apart rom the
broader literary and historical contexts Te temptation to look away
rom the context as an irrelevant distraction is real It should also be
resisted So the criticism contains an important cautionAt the same time however we should keep several additional points
in mind First the problem is not restricted to analytic theologiansmdash
constructive or systematic theologians o any stripe may be susceptible
to this temptation Indeed ironies abound on this ront Afer criticizing
analytic philosophers o religion or overlooking ldquothe essentially his-
torical character o trinitarian theologyrdquomdashand especially or missing the
important differences between the ldquoGreek (or lsquoCappadocianrsquo) Eastrdquo and
the ldquoLatin WestrdquomdashCatherine Mowry LaCugnarsquos own work has been
criticized or exaggerating those differences10486281048629 It is not as i more main-
stream nonanalytic or antianalytic theologians are immune to the temp-
tation instead so ar as I can see this is a general concern that should
serve as an important reminder that all theologians who engage with the
43Richard A Muller Post-Reformation Reformed Dogmatics Te Rise and Development of Reformed
Orthodoxy ca 1048625104862910486261048624ndashca 1048625104863110486261048629 vol 1048627 Te Divine Essence and Attributes (Grand Rapids Baker
Academic 10486269830889830881048627) p 983092104862544Robert W Jenson Systematic Teology vol 1048626 Te Works of God (Oxord Oxord University
Press 1048625983097983097983097) p 983096 n 104862798309345Catherine Mowry LaCugna ldquoPhilosophers and Teologians on the rinityrdquo Modern Teology 1048626
(10486259830979830961048630) 10486259830951048626
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
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What Is Analytic heology 1048626983097
Christian intellectual tradition should do so with appropriate historical
sensitivity Second there is nothingmdashat least so ar as I can seemdashthat
makes this temptation irresistible Te act that some analytic theolo-gians have been insufficiently attentive to some historical matters does
not entail either that all analytic theologians are ignorant o the tradition
or that all analytic theologians must proceed in ignorance I see no
reason to conclude that this problem must be either essential or endemic
to analytic theology Surely more progress can be made in this area but
I see no reasons to think that such progress cannot happen Finally it is
worth noting that such progress in act is being made Tere are manyhappy exceptions to the common stereotype that analytic theologians
are ldquoahistoricalrdquo in act it is sae to say that many excellent analytic
thinkers have genuine specialization in historical scholarship Indeed
many are cutting-edge contributors1048628983094
ldquoAnalytic theology is only apologetics for conservative theologyrdquo Al-
ternatively the suspicion may be that analytic theology is too closely tied
to the Christian tradition Te assumption here is that analytic theologyis nothing more than the bastion o traditionally minded Roman Catholic
(and Orthodox) theologians and philosophers along with their conser-
vative Protestant riends and the worry is that they are interested in
nothing more than finding a sae place to deend what they already know
to be true Consequently the worry goes there is next to nothing o real
interest here or revisionist theologians o various stripes and there is
little promise or genuinely constructive theology
wo observations are important here First in principle there is
nothing about analytic theology that demands either traditional sympa-
thies or conservative conclusions Neither is there anything about ana-
lytic theology (either taken along the lines o Rearsquos P1048625-P983093 or in a somewhat
more expansive way) that precludes the use o the analytic tools by say
eminist womanist or liberationist theologies
46Stellar examples include Richard Cross Duns Scotus on God (Aldershot UK Ashgate 1048626983088983088983093) Cross
Te Metaphysics of the Incarnation Tomas Aquinas to Duns Scotus (Oxord Oxord University
Press 10486269830889830881048626) Eleonore Stump Aquinas (New York Routledge 10486269830889830881048627) Jeffrey E Brower Aquinasrsquos
Ontology of the Material World Change Hylomorphism and Material Objects (Oxord Oxord
University Press 10486269830881048625983092) and J Paasch Divine Production in Late Medieval rinitarian Teology
Henry of Ghent Duns Scotus and William Ockham (Oxord Oxord University Press 104862698308810486251048626)
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
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983091983088 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
Second in point o act many criticisms o traditional doctrines
have emerged rom within analytic theology Consider this example It
is hard to think o a doctrine that is more deeply traditional or moredeeply woven into the abric o historic Christian theology than the
doctrine o divine simplicity Yet this venerable doctrine has endured
intense criticism rom analytic theologians over the past several de-
cades Alvin Plantingarsquos Does God Have a Nature raised ldquotwo diffi-
cultiesrdquo or the doctrine ldquoone substantial and the other truly
monumentalrdquo10486281048631 He argues that i God is identical with each o his
properties then God has but one property But this ldquoseems flatly in-compatible with the obvious act that God has several propertiesrdquo10486281048632 He
argues urther that i God is identical with each o his properties then
God is also a property ldquoTis view is subject to a difficulty both obvious
and overwhelming [or] i God is a property then he isnrsquot a person
but a mere abstract objectrdquo10486281048633 Many analytic theologians have joined
other criticisms to those o Plantinga and it is obvious that this doc-
trinemdashwoven deeply into the abric o traditional Christian doctrineas it ismdashis under assault rom within analytic theology We could mul-
tiply examples with ease (Te traditional doctrine o divine omni-
science stands out here) Tere are o course many sophisticated de-
enders o classical orthodoxy within analytic theology but the basic
point should be clear to reduce analytic theology to apologetics or
traditional doctrine is simply a mistake
As will become obvious in the ollowing pages I think that there is
much to be gained in the work o ldquoretrieval theologyrdquo and I see it as a
natural conversation partner and compatriot o analytic theology I want
to encourage more work at the intersection o analytic theology and
theologies o retrieval But there is nothing about analytic theology as
such that demands adherence to classical Christian theology
ldquoAnalytic theology relies on lsquosubstance metaphysicsrsquo rdquo Sometimes
theologians are suspicious o analytic theology due to its alleged reliance
on substance metaphysics Tis complaint can take various orms Some-
47Alvin Plantinga Does God Have a Nature (Milwaukee Marquette University Press 1048625983097983096983088) p 98309298309548Ibid49Ibid
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
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What Is Analytic heology 9830911048625
times it is claimed that the whole analytic enterprise is ldquopre-Kantianrdquo (as
in Kenneth Surinrsquos critique o David Brownrsquos work as being ldquorobustly
old-ashionedrdquo and ldquopre-Kantianrdquo)10486291048624 In other words critics complainthat analytic theology proceeds in blithemdashand perhaps willulmdashigno-
rance o the ldquoactrdquo that Kant undermined the entire project by destroying
the very possibility o doing it wo important claims seem to be in play
with this critique first that Kant did something to make analytic the-
ology impossible and second that analytic theologians are unaware o
what Kant did But both o these claims are problematic Te second is
simply mistaken and the first is vigorously contested As Nicholas Wolt-erstorff points out it is much more likely that the current generation o
analytic theologians is not so much ldquopre-Kantianrdquo as it is ldquopost-Kantianrdquo
As he puts it ldquoit really is possible to be post-Kantian Itrsquos possible to re-
cover rom Kant Te choices are not exhausted between being naively
pre-Kantian on the one hand and being a Kantian o one or another
stripe on the otherrdquo1048629983089 Tere are Wolterstorff argues philosophers who
are ully aware o Kantian ldquointerpretation-universalism and ully awareo [Kantian] metaphysical anti-realism but afer serious consideration
they have rejected these options as untenablerdquo1048629983090 So many analytic theo-
logians are well aware o Kantrsquos work (and the common claims made
about that work) but they donrsquot think that he did anything to shut down
the kind o work that they are doing As Plantinga puts it ldquothey have read
him and remain unconvincedrdquo1048629983091
But aside rom Kant analytic theology is sometimes criticized and
rejected or its reliance on ldquosubstance metaphysicsrdquo Unortunately ex-
actly what critical theologians have in their crosshairs when they talk
about substance metaphysics is ofen unclear and not closely defined
But very ofen the complaint is closely tied to a rejection o doctrines
50Kenneth Surin ldquoTe rinity and Philosophical Reflection A Study o David Brownrsquos Te Divine
rinity rdquo Modern Teology 1048626 (10486259830979830961048630) 10486261048627983097-98309298308851Nicholas Wolterstorff ldquoBetween the Pincers o Increased Diversity and Supposed Irrationalityrdquo
in God Philosophy and Academic Culture A Discussion Between Scholars in the AAR and APA
ed William J Wainwright (Atlanta Scholars Press 10486259830979830971048630) p 1048626983088 See also Wolterstorff ldquoIs It
Possible and Desirable or Teologians to Recover rom Kantrdquo Modern Teology 1048625983092 (1048625983097983097983096)
1048625-104862598309652Wolterstorff ldquoBetween the Pincersrdquo p 104862698308853Alvin Plantinga Warranted Christian Belief (Oxord Oxord University Press 1048626983088983088983088) p 1048627983088
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullan-invitation-to-analytic-christian-theology-by-thomas-h-mccall-excerpt 2933
9830911048626 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
associated with ldquoclassical theismrdquo immutability impassibility time-
lessness and other doctrines are taken to be untenable and since they
are tied to substance metaphysics so much the worse or substancemetaphysics William P Alston defly analyzes this complaint and he
argues that substance metaphysics are really beside the point What he
says about substance metaphysics in discussions o the doctrine o the
rinity applies more broadly ldquoonce we get straight as to what is and is
not necessarily included in the metaphysics o substance we will see that
most twentieth-century objections to the use o substance metaphysics
are based on eatures o such ormulations that are not required bysubstance metaphysics as suchrdquo10486291048628 Perhaps there is something inherently
wrong with the use o substance metaphysics in theology and maybe this
counts against analytic theology But beore such a judgment can be
made we need more than the all-too-common generalizations and as-
sertions For beore we can conclude that analytic theology is atally
flawed due to a dependence on substance metaphysics we need to know
exactly what is meant by substance metaphysics we need to be shown just what is wrong (either philosophically or theologically) with sub-
stance metaphysics and we need to see that analytic theology really is (or
must be) committed to this kind o metaphysics Without the kind o
careul analysis and rigorous argumentation it is hard to see anything
here that might count as a orceul objection to analytic theology
ldquoAnalytic theology isnrsquot spiritually edifyingrdquo William Wood notes that
ldquomany conventional theologians remain deeply suspicious o analytic the-
ologyrdquo because o the worry that analytic theology is not spiritually edi-
ying As these theologians see matters ldquogenuine theology is in the first
instance practical aimed not at explanatory theories about God but at
ostering greater love or God and neighbor Genuine theology in short
is praxis one deeply woven together with a Christian lie o prayer virtue
and participation in the sacramentsrdquo10486291048629 Te basic concern is this when
more mainstream theologians look at analytic theology they donrsquot rec-
54William P Alston ldquoSubstance and the rinityrdquo in Te rinity An Interdisciplinary Symposium on
the rinity ed Stephen Davis Daniel Kendall SJ and Gerald OrsquoCollins SJ (Oxord Oxord
University Press 1048625983097983097983097) p 1048626983088104862555William Wood ldquoAnalytic Teology as a Way o Lierdquo Journal of Analytic Teology (10486269830881048625983092) 983092983092
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullan-invitation-to-analytic-christian-theology-by-thomas-h-mccall-excerpt 3033
What Is Analytic heology 983091983091
ognize the kind o theology-as-praxis that they value Instead they see
purported explanatory theoriesmdashmere purported explanatory theories
Sometimes these explanations appear to be a very long way indeed romthe lie o aith Indeed they see ormulas such as this (selected pretty
much at random rom among many others)
P existx (Dx amp forally(Dy =gt Byx) amp x made us
Q existx(Dx amp forally(Dy =gt Byx ))1048629983094
When they encounter this kind o work some theologians donrsquot rec-
ognize it as theology at all I they are willing to recognize it as theology
they tend to worry that they donrsquot see the kind o theology that promotes
love o God and neighbor they are concerned that they donrsquot see the-
ology that is connected to the lie o aith As Wood puts it they worry
that ldquoanalytic theology is spiritually sterile and thereore not really a
orm o genuine theology at allrdquo10486291048631
I think this is an important point o criticism and it raises some very
intriguing concerns But as Wood also notes it would be a ldquomistake and
urthermore a presumptuous mistake to assume that analytic philo-
sophical theology cannot in principle be spiritually nourishingrdquo10486291048632 Tree
points stand out First it is important to realize that the temptation to
construct explanatory theories about God that are divorced rom worship
and transormation is both real and present It is also nearious10486291048633 Te
temptation besets theologians o all stripesmdashanalytic or otherwise I do
not think analytic theologians are the only theologians who ace this
temptation o the contrary idolatry is no respecter o ideologies Butsurely it is not invincible surelymdashby Godrsquos gracemdashit is not irresistible
As Wood reminds us ldquoGodrsquos love rains down on logicians too afer allrdquo9830941048624
Second there is good reason to think that analytic theology maymdash
contrary to common expectationsmdashturn out to be spiritually ediying
56Peter van Inwagen ldquoAnd Yet Tey Are Not Tree Gods but One Godrdquo in McCall and Rea
Philosophical and Teological Essays on the rinity pp 10486269830921048625 1048626983092104863057Wood ldquoAnalytic Teology as a Way o Lierdquo p 983092983092 See also Marilyn McCord Adams ldquoWhatrsquos
Wrong with the Ontotheological Errorrdquo Journal of Analytic Teology (10486269830881048625983092) 1048625-1048625104862658Wood ldquoAnalytic Teology as a Way o Lierdquo p 983092104863059See the warnings o Merold Westphal Suspicion and Faith Te Religious Uses of Modern Atheism
(New York Fordham University Press 1048625983097983097983096)60Wood ldquoAnalytic Teology as a Way o Lierdquo p 983092983095
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullan-invitation-to-analytic-christian-theology-by-thomas-h-mccall-excerpt 3133
983091983092 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
Wood argues that analytic theology may be spiritually beneficial in
several ways He suggests that the ldquoconcentrated attention required to
read understand and develop very technical analytic argumentsrdquo maybe conducive to the kinds o intellectual virtues and habits o mind that
are spiritually beneficial983094983089 In addition he notes the ldquoargumentative
transparencyrdquo (what he terms the ldquoparadigmatic analytic virtuerdquo) may be
helpul in spiritual ormation983094983090 Wood readily admits that this tendency
toward argumentative rigor can also eed a orm o pride or even ldquointel-
lectual violencerdquo but he also points out that to make a ldquogood analytic
argument is to make that argument maximally easy or intellectual op-ponents to criticize or reuterdquo and this very transparency makes it much
harder to shield onesel rom criticisms but instead is a way to ldquomake
onesel intellectually vulnerablerdquo In this way it serves as a ldquocheck against
intellectual priderdquo983094983091 Moreover the pace demanded by such rigor and the
modesty o the claims that are rendered deensible have the potential to
cultivate epistemic humility Furthermore another important eature o
the analytic approach is the need to ldquoidentiy imaginatively with onersquosintellectual opponentsrdquo this also as Wood points out orces us to inhabit
a worldview that is not only oreign to our own but also sometimes
hostile In these ways Wood argues ldquoanalytic theology can become a
spiritual practice a way o seeking God and o training the mind and
the will to be open to gracerdquo9830941048628
Finally we should not neglect to notice those shining examples o
theologians or whom analytic theology indeed is closely related to
worship and spiritual nurture Indeed it would be hard not to notice
them or the tradition is rie with such theologians A great many pa-
tristic and most scholastic (both medieval and early modern) theolo-
gians count as ldquoanalytic theologiansrdquo For surely they fit our profile o
theologians who prize ldquoconceptual precision rigor o argumentation
technical erudition and an in-depth deense o an original worldviewrdquo
(and who would in many instances value P1048625-P983093) As an example con-
61Ibid p 98309398309362Ibid p 983093104863063Ibid64Ibid p 983093983096
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullan-invitation-to-analytic-christian-theology-by-thomas-h-mccall-excerpt 3233
What Is Analytic heology 983091983093
sider Anselmrsquos Proslogion It is obvious that Anselm values precision and
rigor and he clearly intends to convey truth claims that he finds con-
vincing But as both Wood and Marilyn McCord Adams point out thiswork is ldquomeant to do more than communicate propositional truthsrdquo or
ldquoit is meant to help reorient the wills o its readers and help bring about
effective and volitional change in themrdquo9830941048629 Despite important differences
o style and substance we could say much the same about many other
figures (both well known and less so) as well it is very difficult to read
ar into Bonaventure Richard o St Victor Aquinas Scotus Vermigli
Perkins Arminius urretin Edwards Wesley and many others withoutunderstanding that they are obviously concerned with both intellectual
rigor and spiritual ormation
65Ibid p 983093983088 See also Marilyn McCord Adams ldquoPraying the Proslogionrdquo in Te Rationality of
Belief and the Plurality of Faith ed Tomas Senor (Ithaca NY Cornell University Press 1048625983097983097983093)
pp 10486251048627-1048627983097 and Adams ldquoElegant Necessity Prayerul Disputation Method in Cur Deus Homordquo
in Studia Anselmiana Cur Deus Homo (Rome 1048625983097983097983097) pp 10486271048630983095-9830971048630
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullan-invitation-to-analytic-christian-theology-by-thomas-h-mccall-excerpt 3333
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullan-invitation-to-analytic-christian-theology-by-thomas-h-mccall-excerpt 2633
What Is Analytic heology 1048626983097
Christian intellectual tradition should do so with appropriate historical
sensitivity Second there is nothingmdashat least so ar as I can seemdashthat
makes this temptation irresistible Te act that some analytic theolo-gians have been insufficiently attentive to some historical matters does
not entail either that all analytic theologians are ignorant o the tradition
or that all analytic theologians must proceed in ignorance I see no
reason to conclude that this problem must be either essential or endemic
to analytic theology Surely more progress can be made in this area but
I see no reasons to think that such progress cannot happen Finally it is
worth noting that such progress in act is being made Tere are manyhappy exceptions to the common stereotype that analytic theologians
are ldquoahistoricalrdquo in act it is sae to say that many excellent analytic
thinkers have genuine specialization in historical scholarship Indeed
many are cutting-edge contributors1048628983094
ldquoAnalytic theology is only apologetics for conservative theologyrdquo Al-
ternatively the suspicion may be that analytic theology is too closely tied
to the Christian tradition Te assumption here is that analytic theologyis nothing more than the bastion o traditionally minded Roman Catholic
(and Orthodox) theologians and philosophers along with their conser-
vative Protestant riends and the worry is that they are interested in
nothing more than finding a sae place to deend what they already know
to be true Consequently the worry goes there is next to nothing o real
interest here or revisionist theologians o various stripes and there is
little promise or genuinely constructive theology
wo observations are important here First in principle there is
nothing about analytic theology that demands either traditional sympa-
thies or conservative conclusions Neither is there anything about ana-
lytic theology (either taken along the lines o Rearsquos P1048625-P983093 or in a somewhat
more expansive way) that precludes the use o the analytic tools by say
eminist womanist or liberationist theologies
46Stellar examples include Richard Cross Duns Scotus on God (Aldershot UK Ashgate 1048626983088983088983093) Cross
Te Metaphysics of the Incarnation Tomas Aquinas to Duns Scotus (Oxord Oxord University
Press 10486269830889830881048626) Eleonore Stump Aquinas (New York Routledge 10486269830889830881048627) Jeffrey E Brower Aquinasrsquos
Ontology of the Material World Change Hylomorphism and Material Objects (Oxord Oxord
University Press 10486269830881048625983092) and J Paasch Divine Production in Late Medieval rinitarian Teology
Henry of Ghent Duns Scotus and William Ockham (Oxord Oxord University Press 104862698308810486251048626)
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullan-invitation-to-analytic-christian-theology-by-thomas-h-mccall-excerpt 2733
983091983088 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
Second in point o act many criticisms o traditional doctrines
have emerged rom within analytic theology Consider this example It
is hard to think o a doctrine that is more deeply traditional or moredeeply woven into the abric o historic Christian theology than the
doctrine o divine simplicity Yet this venerable doctrine has endured
intense criticism rom analytic theologians over the past several de-
cades Alvin Plantingarsquos Does God Have a Nature raised ldquotwo diffi-
cultiesrdquo or the doctrine ldquoone substantial and the other truly
monumentalrdquo10486281048631 He argues that i God is identical with each o his
properties then God has but one property But this ldquoseems flatly in-compatible with the obvious act that God has several propertiesrdquo10486281048632 He
argues urther that i God is identical with each o his properties then
God is also a property ldquoTis view is subject to a difficulty both obvious
and overwhelming [or] i God is a property then he isnrsquot a person
but a mere abstract objectrdquo10486281048633 Many analytic theologians have joined
other criticisms to those o Plantinga and it is obvious that this doc-
trinemdashwoven deeply into the abric o traditional Christian doctrineas it ismdashis under assault rom within analytic theology We could mul-
tiply examples with ease (Te traditional doctrine o divine omni-
science stands out here) Tere are o course many sophisticated de-
enders o classical orthodoxy within analytic theology but the basic
point should be clear to reduce analytic theology to apologetics or
traditional doctrine is simply a mistake
As will become obvious in the ollowing pages I think that there is
much to be gained in the work o ldquoretrieval theologyrdquo and I see it as a
natural conversation partner and compatriot o analytic theology I want
to encourage more work at the intersection o analytic theology and
theologies o retrieval But there is nothing about analytic theology as
such that demands adherence to classical Christian theology
ldquoAnalytic theology relies on lsquosubstance metaphysicsrsquo rdquo Sometimes
theologians are suspicious o analytic theology due to its alleged reliance
on substance metaphysics Tis complaint can take various orms Some-
47Alvin Plantinga Does God Have a Nature (Milwaukee Marquette University Press 1048625983097983096983088) p 98309298309548Ibid49Ibid
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8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullan-invitation-to-analytic-christian-theology-by-thomas-h-mccall-excerpt 2833
What Is Analytic heology 9830911048625
times it is claimed that the whole analytic enterprise is ldquopre-Kantianrdquo (as
in Kenneth Surinrsquos critique o David Brownrsquos work as being ldquorobustly
old-ashionedrdquo and ldquopre-Kantianrdquo)10486291048624 In other words critics complainthat analytic theology proceeds in blithemdashand perhaps willulmdashigno-
rance o the ldquoactrdquo that Kant undermined the entire project by destroying
the very possibility o doing it wo important claims seem to be in play
with this critique first that Kant did something to make analytic the-
ology impossible and second that analytic theologians are unaware o
what Kant did But both o these claims are problematic Te second is
simply mistaken and the first is vigorously contested As Nicholas Wolt-erstorff points out it is much more likely that the current generation o
analytic theologians is not so much ldquopre-Kantianrdquo as it is ldquopost-Kantianrdquo
As he puts it ldquoit really is possible to be post-Kantian Itrsquos possible to re-
cover rom Kant Te choices are not exhausted between being naively
pre-Kantian on the one hand and being a Kantian o one or another
stripe on the otherrdquo1048629983089 Tere are Wolterstorff argues philosophers who
are ully aware o Kantian ldquointerpretation-universalism and ully awareo [Kantian] metaphysical anti-realism but afer serious consideration
they have rejected these options as untenablerdquo1048629983090 So many analytic theo-
logians are well aware o Kantrsquos work (and the common claims made
about that work) but they donrsquot think that he did anything to shut down
the kind o work that they are doing As Plantinga puts it ldquothey have read
him and remain unconvincedrdquo1048629983091
But aside rom Kant analytic theology is sometimes criticized and
rejected or its reliance on ldquosubstance metaphysicsrdquo Unortunately ex-
actly what critical theologians have in their crosshairs when they talk
about substance metaphysics is ofen unclear and not closely defined
But very ofen the complaint is closely tied to a rejection o doctrines
50Kenneth Surin ldquoTe rinity and Philosophical Reflection A Study o David Brownrsquos Te Divine
rinity rdquo Modern Teology 1048626 (10486259830979830961048630) 10486261048627983097-98309298308851Nicholas Wolterstorff ldquoBetween the Pincers o Increased Diversity and Supposed Irrationalityrdquo
in God Philosophy and Academic Culture A Discussion Between Scholars in the AAR and APA
ed William J Wainwright (Atlanta Scholars Press 10486259830979830971048630) p 1048626983088 See also Wolterstorff ldquoIs It
Possible and Desirable or Teologians to Recover rom Kantrdquo Modern Teology 1048625983092 (1048625983097983097983096)
1048625-104862598309652Wolterstorff ldquoBetween the Pincersrdquo p 104862698308853Alvin Plantinga Warranted Christian Belief (Oxord Oxord University Press 1048626983088983088983088) p 1048627983088
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullan-invitation-to-analytic-christian-theology-by-thomas-h-mccall-excerpt 2933
9830911048626 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
associated with ldquoclassical theismrdquo immutability impassibility time-
lessness and other doctrines are taken to be untenable and since they
are tied to substance metaphysics so much the worse or substancemetaphysics William P Alston defly analyzes this complaint and he
argues that substance metaphysics are really beside the point What he
says about substance metaphysics in discussions o the doctrine o the
rinity applies more broadly ldquoonce we get straight as to what is and is
not necessarily included in the metaphysics o substance we will see that
most twentieth-century objections to the use o substance metaphysics
are based on eatures o such ormulations that are not required bysubstance metaphysics as suchrdquo10486291048628 Perhaps there is something inherently
wrong with the use o substance metaphysics in theology and maybe this
counts against analytic theology But beore such a judgment can be
made we need more than the all-too-common generalizations and as-
sertions For beore we can conclude that analytic theology is atally
flawed due to a dependence on substance metaphysics we need to know
exactly what is meant by substance metaphysics we need to be shown just what is wrong (either philosophically or theologically) with sub-
stance metaphysics and we need to see that analytic theology really is (or
must be) committed to this kind o metaphysics Without the kind o
careul analysis and rigorous argumentation it is hard to see anything
here that might count as a orceul objection to analytic theology
ldquoAnalytic theology isnrsquot spiritually edifyingrdquo William Wood notes that
ldquomany conventional theologians remain deeply suspicious o analytic the-
ologyrdquo because o the worry that analytic theology is not spiritually edi-
ying As these theologians see matters ldquogenuine theology is in the first
instance practical aimed not at explanatory theories about God but at
ostering greater love or God and neighbor Genuine theology in short
is praxis one deeply woven together with a Christian lie o prayer virtue
and participation in the sacramentsrdquo10486291048629 Te basic concern is this when
more mainstream theologians look at analytic theology they donrsquot rec-
54William P Alston ldquoSubstance and the rinityrdquo in Te rinity An Interdisciplinary Symposium on
the rinity ed Stephen Davis Daniel Kendall SJ and Gerald OrsquoCollins SJ (Oxord Oxord
University Press 1048625983097983097983097) p 1048626983088104862555William Wood ldquoAnalytic Teology as a Way o Lierdquo Journal of Analytic Teology (10486269830881048625983092) 983092983092
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullan-invitation-to-analytic-christian-theology-by-thomas-h-mccall-excerpt 3033
What Is Analytic heology 983091983091
ognize the kind o theology-as-praxis that they value Instead they see
purported explanatory theoriesmdashmere purported explanatory theories
Sometimes these explanations appear to be a very long way indeed romthe lie o aith Indeed they see ormulas such as this (selected pretty
much at random rom among many others)
P existx (Dx amp forally(Dy =gt Byx) amp x made us
Q existx(Dx amp forally(Dy =gt Byx ))1048629983094
When they encounter this kind o work some theologians donrsquot rec-
ognize it as theology at all I they are willing to recognize it as theology
they tend to worry that they donrsquot see the kind o theology that promotes
love o God and neighbor they are concerned that they donrsquot see the-
ology that is connected to the lie o aith As Wood puts it they worry
that ldquoanalytic theology is spiritually sterile and thereore not really a
orm o genuine theology at allrdquo10486291048631
I think this is an important point o criticism and it raises some very
intriguing concerns But as Wood also notes it would be a ldquomistake and
urthermore a presumptuous mistake to assume that analytic philo-
sophical theology cannot in principle be spiritually nourishingrdquo10486291048632 Tree
points stand out First it is important to realize that the temptation to
construct explanatory theories about God that are divorced rom worship
and transormation is both real and present It is also nearious10486291048633 Te
temptation besets theologians o all stripesmdashanalytic or otherwise I do
not think analytic theologians are the only theologians who ace this
temptation o the contrary idolatry is no respecter o ideologies Butsurely it is not invincible surelymdashby Godrsquos gracemdashit is not irresistible
As Wood reminds us ldquoGodrsquos love rains down on logicians too afer allrdquo9830941048624
Second there is good reason to think that analytic theology maymdash
contrary to common expectationsmdashturn out to be spiritually ediying
56Peter van Inwagen ldquoAnd Yet Tey Are Not Tree Gods but One Godrdquo in McCall and Rea
Philosophical and Teological Essays on the rinity pp 10486269830921048625 1048626983092104863057Wood ldquoAnalytic Teology as a Way o Lierdquo p 983092983092 See also Marilyn McCord Adams ldquoWhatrsquos
Wrong with the Ontotheological Errorrdquo Journal of Analytic Teology (10486269830881048625983092) 1048625-1048625104862658Wood ldquoAnalytic Teology as a Way o Lierdquo p 983092104863059See the warnings o Merold Westphal Suspicion and Faith Te Religious Uses of Modern Atheism
(New York Fordham University Press 1048625983097983097983096)60Wood ldquoAnalytic Teology as a Way o Lierdquo p 983092983095
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullan-invitation-to-analytic-christian-theology-by-thomas-h-mccall-excerpt 3133
983091983092 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
Wood argues that analytic theology may be spiritually beneficial in
several ways He suggests that the ldquoconcentrated attention required to
read understand and develop very technical analytic argumentsrdquo maybe conducive to the kinds o intellectual virtues and habits o mind that
are spiritually beneficial983094983089 In addition he notes the ldquoargumentative
transparencyrdquo (what he terms the ldquoparadigmatic analytic virtuerdquo) may be
helpul in spiritual ormation983094983090 Wood readily admits that this tendency
toward argumentative rigor can also eed a orm o pride or even ldquointel-
lectual violencerdquo but he also points out that to make a ldquogood analytic
argument is to make that argument maximally easy or intellectual op-ponents to criticize or reuterdquo and this very transparency makes it much
harder to shield onesel rom criticisms but instead is a way to ldquomake
onesel intellectually vulnerablerdquo In this way it serves as a ldquocheck against
intellectual priderdquo983094983091 Moreover the pace demanded by such rigor and the
modesty o the claims that are rendered deensible have the potential to
cultivate epistemic humility Furthermore another important eature o
the analytic approach is the need to ldquoidentiy imaginatively with onersquosintellectual opponentsrdquo this also as Wood points out orces us to inhabit
a worldview that is not only oreign to our own but also sometimes
hostile In these ways Wood argues ldquoanalytic theology can become a
spiritual practice a way o seeking God and o training the mind and
the will to be open to gracerdquo9830941048628
Finally we should not neglect to notice those shining examples o
theologians or whom analytic theology indeed is closely related to
worship and spiritual nurture Indeed it would be hard not to notice
them or the tradition is rie with such theologians A great many pa-
tristic and most scholastic (both medieval and early modern) theolo-
gians count as ldquoanalytic theologiansrdquo For surely they fit our profile o
theologians who prize ldquoconceptual precision rigor o argumentation
technical erudition and an in-depth deense o an original worldviewrdquo
(and who would in many instances value P1048625-P983093) As an example con-
61Ibid p 98309398309362Ibid p 983093104863063Ibid64Ibid p 983093983096
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullan-invitation-to-analytic-christian-theology-by-thomas-h-mccall-excerpt 3233
What Is Analytic heology 983091983093
sider Anselmrsquos Proslogion It is obvious that Anselm values precision and
rigor and he clearly intends to convey truth claims that he finds con-
vincing But as both Wood and Marilyn McCord Adams point out thiswork is ldquomeant to do more than communicate propositional truthsrdquo or
ldquoit is meant to help reorient the wills o its readers and help bring about
effective and volitional change in themrdquo9830941048629 Despite important differences
o style and substance we could say much the same about many other
figures (both well known and less so) as well it is very difficult to read
ar into Bonaventure Richard o St Victor Aquinas Scotus Vermigli
Perkins Arminius urretin Edwards Wesley and many others withoutunderstanding that they are obviously concerned with both intellectual
rigor and spiritual ormation
65Ibid p 983093983088 See also Marilyn McCord Adams ldquoPraying the Proslogionrdquo in Te Rationality of
Belief and the Plurality of Faith ed Tomas Senor (Ithaca NY Cornell University Press 1048625983097983097983093)
pp 10486251048627-1048627983097 and Adams ldquoElegant Necessity Prayerul Disputation Method in Cur Deus Homordquo
in Studia Anselmiana Cur Deus Homo (Rome 1048625983097983097983097) pp 10486271048630983095-9830971048630
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullan-invitation-to-analytic-christian-theology-by-thomas-h-mccall-excerpt 3333
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullan-invitation-to-analytic-christian-theology-by-thomas-h-mccall-excerpt 2733
983091983088 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
Second in point o act many criticisms o traditional doctrines
have emerged rom within analytic theology Consider this example It
is hard to think o a doctrine that is more deeply traditional or moredeeply woven into the abric o historic Christian theology than the
doctrine o divine simplicity Yet this venerable doctrine has endured
intense criticism rom analytic theologians over the past several de-
cades Alvin Plantingarsquos Does God Have a Nature raised ldquotwo diffi-
cultiesrdquo or the doctrine ldquoone substantial and the other truly
monumentalrdquo10486281048631 He argues that i God is identical with each o his
properties then God has but one property But this ldquoseems flatly in-compatible with the obvious act that God has several propertiesrdquo10486281048632 He
argues urther that i God is identical with each o his properties then
God is also a property ldquoTis view is subject to a difficulty both obvious
and overwhelming [or] i God is a property then he isnrsquot a person
but a mere abstract objectrdquo10486281048633 Many analytic theologians have joined
other criticisms to those o Plantinga and it is obvious that this doc-
trinemdashwoven deeply into the abric o traditional Christian doctrineas it ismdashis under assault rom within analytic theology We could mul-
tiply examples with ease (Te traditional doctrine o divine omni-
science stands out here) Tere are o course many sophisticated de-
enders o classical orthodoxy within analytic theology but the basic
point should be clear to reduce analytic theology to apologetics or
traditional doctrine is simply a mistake
As will become obvious in the ollowing pages I think that there is
much to be gained in the work o ldquoretrieval theologyrdquo and I see it as a
natural conversation partner and compatriot o analytic theology I want
to encourage more work at the intersection o analytic theology and
theologies o retrieval But there is nothing about analytic theology as
such that demands adherence to classical Christian theology
ldquoAnalytic theology relies on lsquosubstance metaphysicsrsquo rdquo Sometimes
theologians are suspicious o analytic theology due to its alleged reliance
on substance metaphysics Tis complaint can take various orms Some-
47Alvin Plantinga Does God Have a Nature (Milwaukee Marquette University Press 1048625983097983096983088) p 98309298309548Ibid49Ibid
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullan-invitation-to-analytic-christian-theology-by-thomas-h-mccall-excerpt 2833
What Is Analytic heology 9830911048625
times it is claimed that the whole analytic enterprise is ldquopre-Kantianrdquo (as
in Kenneth Surinrsquos critique o David Brownrsquos work as being ldquorobustly
old-ashionedrdquo and ldquopre-Kantianrdquo)10486291048624 In other words critics complainthat analytic theology proceeds in blithemdashand perhaps willulmdashigno-
rance o the ldquoactrdquo that Kant undermined the entire project by destroying
the very possibility o doing it wo important claims seem to be in play
with this critique first that Kant did something to make analytic the-
ology impossible and second that analytic theologians are unaware o
what Kant did But both o these claims are problematic Te second is
simply mistaken and the first is vigorously contested As Nicholas Wolt-erstorff points out it is much more likely that the current generation o
analytic theologians is not so much ldquopre-Kantianrdquo as it is ldquopost-Kantianrdquo
As he puts it ldquoit really is possible to be post-Kantian Itrsquos possible to re-
cover rom Kant Te choices are not exhausted between being naively
pre-Kantian on the one hand and being a Kantian o one or another
stripe on the otherrdquo1048629983089 Tere are Wolterstorff argues philosophers who
are ully aware o Kantian ldquointerpretation-universalism and ully awareo [Kantian] metaphysical anti-realism but afer serious consideration
they have rejected these options as untenablerdquo1048629983090 So many analytic theo-
logians are well aware o Kantrsquos work (and the common claims made
about that work) but they donrsquot think that he did anything to shut down
the kind o work that they are doing As Plantinga puts it ldquothey have read
him and remain unconvincedrdquo1048629983091
But aside rom Kant analytic theology is sometimes criticized and
rejected or its reliance on ldquosubstance metaphysicsrdquo Unortunately ex-
actly what critical theologians have in their crosshairs when they talk
about substance metaphysics is ofen unclear and not closely defined
But very ofen the complaint is closely tied to a rejection o doctrines
50Kenneth Surin ldquoTe rinity and Philosophical Reflection A Study o David Brownrsquos Te Divine
rinity rdquo Modern Teology 1048626 (10486259830979830961048630) 10486261048627983097-98309298308851Nicholas Wolterstorff ldquoBetween the Pincers o Increased Diversity and Supposed Irrationalityrdquo
in God Philosophy and Academic Culture A Discussion Between Scholars in the AAR and APA
ed William J Wainwright (Atlanta Scholars Press 10486259830979830971048630) p 1048626983088 See also Wolterstorff ldquoIs It
Possible and Desirable or Teologians to Recover rom Kantrdquo Modern Teology 1048625983092 (1048625983097983097983096)
1048625-104862598309652Wolterstorff ldquoBetween the Pincersrdquo p 104862698308853Alvin Plantinga Warranted Christian Belief (Oxord Oxord University Press 1048626983088983088983088) p 1048627983088
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullan-invitation-to-analytic-christian-theology-by-thomas-h-mccall-excerpt 2933
9830911048626 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
associated with ldquoclassical theismrdquo immutability impassibility time-
lessness and other doctrines are taken to be untenable and since they
are tied to substance metaphysics so much the worse or substancemetaphysics William P Alston defly analyzes this complaint and he
argues that substance metaphysics are really beside the point What he
says about substance metaphysics in discussions o the doctrine o the
rinity applies more broadly ldquoonce we get straight as to what is and is
not necessarily included in the metaphysics o substance we will see that
most twentieth-century objections to the use o substance metaphysics
are based on eatures o such ormulations that are not required bysubstance metaphysics as suchrdquo10486291048628 Perhaps there is something inherently
wrong with the use o substance metaphysics in theology and maybe this
counts against analytic theology But beore such a judgment can be
made we need more than the all-too-common generalizations and as-
sertions For beore we can conclude that analytic theology is atally
flawed due to a dependence on substance metaphysics we need to know
exactly what is meant by substance metaphysics we need to be shown just what is wrong (either philosophically or theologically) with sub-
stance metaphysics and we need to see that analytic theology really is (or
must be) committed to this kind o metaphysics Without the kind o
careul analysis and rigorous argumentation it is hard to see anything
here that might count as a orceul objection to analytic theology
ldquoAnalytic theology isnrsquot spiritually edifyingrdquo William Wood notes that
ldquomany conventional theologians remain deeply suspicious o analytic the-
ologyrdquo because o the worry that analytic theology is not spiritually edi-
ying As these theologians see matters ldquogenuine theology is in the first
instance practical aimed not at explanatory theories about God but at
ostering greater love or God and neighbor Genuine theology in short
is praxis one deeply woven together with a Christian lie o prayer virtue
and participation in the sacramentsrdquo10486291048629 Te basic concern is this when
more mainstream theologians look at analytic theology they donrsquot rec-
54William P Alston ldquoSubstance and the rinityrdquo in Te rinity An Interdisciplinary Symposium on
the rinity ed Stephen Davis Daniel Kendall SJ and Gerald OrsquoCollins SJ (Oxord Oxord
University Press 1048625983097983097983097) p 1048626983088104862555William Wood ldquoAnalytic Teology as a Way o Lierdquo Journal of Analytic Teology (10486269830881048625983092) 983092983092
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullan-invitation-to-analytic-christian-theology-by-thomas-h-mccall-excerpt 3033
What Is Analytic heology 983091983091
ognize the kind o theology-as-praxis that they value Instead they see
purported explanatory theoriesmdashmere purported explanatory theories
Sometimes these explanations appear to be a very long way indeed romthe lie o aith Indeed they see ormulas such as this (selected pretty
much at random rom among many others)
P existx (Dx amp forally(Dy =gt Byx) amp x made us
Q existx(Dx amp forally(Dy =gt Byx ))1048629983094
When they encounter this kind o work some theologians donrsquot rec-
ognize it as theology at all I they are willing to recognize it as theology
they tend to worry that they donrsquot see the kind o theology that promotes
love o God and neighbor they are concerned that they donrsquot see the-
ology that is connected to the lie o aith As Wood puts it they worry
that ldquoanalytic theology is spiritually sterile and thereore not really a
orm o genuine theology at allrdquo10486291048631
I think this is an important point o criticism and it raises some very
intriguing concerns But as Wood also notes it would be a ldquomistake and
urthermore a presumptuous mistake to assume that analytic philo-
sophical theology cannot in principle be spiritually nourishingrdquo10486291048632 Tree
points stand out First it is important to realize that the temptation to
construct explanatory theories about God that are divorced rom worship
and transormation is both real and present It is also nearious10486291048633 Te
temptation besets theologians o all stripesmdashanalytic or otherwise I do
not think analytic theologians are the only theologians who ace this
temptation o the contrary idolatry is no respecter o ideologies Butsurely it is not invincible surelymdashby Godrsquos gracemdashit is not irresistible
As Wood reminds us ldquoGodrsquos love rains down on logicians too afer allrdquo9830941048624
Second there is good reason to think that analytic theology maymdash
contrary to common expectationsmdashturn out to be spiritually ediying
56Peter van Inwagen ldquoAnd Yet Tey Are Not Tree Gods but One Godrdquo in McCall and Rea
Philosophical and Teological Essays on the rinity pp 10486269830921048625 1048626983092104863057Wood ldquoAnalytic Teology as a Way o Lierdquo p 983092983092 See also Marilyn McCord Adams ldquoWhatrsquos
Wrong with the Ontotheological Errorrdquo Journal of Analytic Teology (10486269830881048625983092) 1048625-1048625104862658Wood ldquoAnalytic Teology as a Way o Lierdquo p 983092104863059See the warnings o Merold Westphal Suspicion and Faith Te Religious Uses of Modern Atheism
(New York Fordham University Press 1048625983097983097983096)60Wood ldquoAnalytic Teology as a Way o Lierdquo p 983092983095
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullan-invitation-to-analytic-christian-theology-by-thomas-h-mccall-excerpt 3133
983091983092 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
Wood argues that analytic theology may be spiritually beneficial in
several ways He suggests that the ldquoconcentrated attention required to
read understand and develop very technical analytic argumentsrdquo maybe conducive to the kinds o intellectual virtues and habits o mind that
are spiritually beneficial983094983089 In addition he notes the ldquoargumentative
transparencyrdquo (what he terms the ldquoparadigmatic analytic virtuerdquo) may be
helpul in spiritual ormation983094983090 Wood readily admits that this tendency
toward argumentative rigor can also eed a orm o pride or even ldquointel-
lectual violencerdquo but he also points out that to make a ldquogood analytic
argument is to make that argument maximally easy or intellectual op-ponents to criticize or reuterdquo and this very transparency makes it much
harder to shield onesel rom criticisms but instead is a way to ldquomake
onesel intellectually vulnerablerdquo In this way it serves as a ldquocheck against
intellectual priderdquo983094983091 Moreover the pace demanded by such rigor and the
modesty o the claims that are rendered deensible have the potential to
cultivate epistemic humility Furthermore another important eature o
the analytic approach is the need to ldquoidentiy imaginatively with onersquosintellectual opponentsrdquo this also as Wood points out orces us to inhabit
a worldview that is not only oreign to our own but also sometimes
hostile In these ways Wood argues ldquoanalytic theology can become a
spiritual practice a way o seeking God and o training the mind and
the will to be open to gracerdquo9830941048628
Finally we should not neglect to notice those shining examples o
theologians or whom analytic theology indeed is closely related to
worship and spiritual nurture Indeed it would be hard not to notice
them or the tradition is rie with such theologians A great many pa-
tristic and most scholastic (both medieval and early modern) theolo-
gians count as ldquoanalytic theologiansrdquo For surely they fit our profile o
theologians who prize ldquoconceptual precision rigor o argumentation
technical erudition and an in-depth deense o an original worldviewrdquo
(and who would in many instances value P1048625-P983093) As an example con-
61Ibid p 98309398309362Ibid p 983093104863063Ibid64Ibid p 983093983096
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullan-invitation-to-analytic-christian-theology-by-thomas-h-mccall-excerpt 3233
What Is Analytic heology 983091983093
sider Anselmrsquos Proslogion It is obvious that Anselm values precision and
rigor and he clearly intends to convey truth claims that he finds con-
vincing But as both Wood and Marilyn McCord Adams point out thiswork is ldquomeant to do more than communicate propositional truthsrdquo or
ldquoit is meant to help reorient the wills o its readers and help bring about
effective and volitional change in themrdquo9830941048629 Despite important differences
o style and substance we could say much the same about many other
figures (both well known and less so) as well it is very difficult to read
ar into Bonaventure Richard o St Victor Aquinas Scotus Vermigli
Perkins Arminius urretin Edwards Wesley and many others withoutunderstanding that they are obviously concerned with both intellectual
rigor and spiritual ormation
65Ibid p 983093983088 See also Marilyn McCord Adams ldquoPraying the Proslogionrdquo in Te Rationality of
Belief and the Plurality of Faith ed Tomas Senor (Ithaca NY Cornell University Press 1048625983097983097983093)
pp 10486251048627-1048627983097 and Adams ldquoElegant Necessity Prayerul Disputation Method in Cur Deus Homordquo
in Studia Anselmiana Cur Deus Homo (Rome 1048625983097983097983097) pp 10486271048630983095-9830971048630
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullan-invitation-to-analytic-christian-theology-by-thomas-h-mccall-excerpt 3333
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullan-invitation-to-analytic-christian-theology-by-thomas-h-mccall-excerpt 2833
What Is Analytic heology 9830911048625
times it is claimed that the whole analytic enterprise is ldquopre-Kantianrdquo (as
in Kenneth Surinrsquos critique o David Brownrsquos work as being ldquorobustly
old-ashionedrdquo and ldquopre-Kantianrdquo)10486291048624 In other words critics complainthat analytic theology proceeds in blithemdashand perhaps willulmdashigno-
rance o the ldquoactrdquo that Kant undermined the entire project by destroying
the very possibility o doing it wo important claims seem to be in play
with this critique first that Kant did something to make analytic the-
ology impossible and second that analytic theologians are unaware o
what Kant did But both o these claims are problematic Te second is
simply mistaken and the first is vigorously contested As Nicholas Wolt-erstorff points out it is much more likely that the current generation o
analytic theologians is not so much ldquopre-Kantianrdquo as it is ldquopost-Kantianrdquo
As he puts it ldquoit really is possible to be post-Kantian Itrsquos possible to re-
cover rom Kant Te choices are not exhausted between being naively
pre-Kantian on the one hand and being a Kantian o one or another
stripe on the otherrdquo1048629983089 Tere are Wolterstorff argues philosophers who
are ully aware o Kantian ldquointerpretation-universalism and ully awareo [Kantian] metaphysical anti-realism but afer serious consideration
they have rejected these options as untenablerdquo1048629983090 So many analytic theo-
logians are well aware o Kantrsquos work (and the common claims made
about that work) but they donrsquot think that he did anything to shut down
the kind o work that they are doing As Plantinga puts it ldquothey have read
him and remain unconvincedrdquo1048629983091
But aside rom Kant analytic theology is sometimes criticized and
rejected or its reliance on ldquosubstance metaphysicsrdquo Unortunately ex-
actly what critical theologians have in their crosshairs when they talk
about substance metaphysics is ofen unclear and not closely defined
But very ofen the complaint is closely tied to a rejection o doctrines
50Kenneth Surin ldquoTe rinity and Philosophical Reflection A Study o David Brownrsquos Te Divine
rinity rdquo Modern Teology 1048626 (10486259830979830961048630) 10486261048627983097-98309298308851Nicholas Wolterstorff ldquoBetween the Pincers o Increased Diversity and Supposed Irrationalityrdquo
in God Philosophy and Academic Culture A Discussion Between Scholars in the AAR and APA
ed William J Wainwright (Atlanta Scholars Press 10486259830979830971048630) p 1048626983088 See also Wolterstorff ldquoIs It
Possible and Desirable or Teologians to Recover rom Kantrdquo Modern Teology 1048625983092 (1048625983097983097983096)
1048625-104862598309652Wolterstorff ldquoBetween the Pincersrdquo p 104862698308853Alvin Plantinga Warranted Christian Belief (Oxord Oxord University Press 1048626983088983088983088) p 1048627983088
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullan-invitation-to-analytic-christian-theology-by-thomas-h-mccall-excerpt 2933
9830911048626 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
associated with ldquoclassical theismrdquo immutability impassibility time-
lessness and other doctrines are taken to be untenable and since they
are tied to substance metaphysics so much the worse or substancemetaphysics William P Alston defly analyzes this complaint and he
argues that substance metaphysics are really beside the point What he
says about substance metaphysics in discussions o the doctrine o the
rinity applies more broadly ldquoonce we get straight as to what is and is
not necessarily included in the metaphysics o substance we will see that
most twentieth-century objections to the use o substance metaphysics
are based on eatures o such ormulations that are not required bysubstance metaphysics as suchrdquo10486291048628 Perhaps there is something inherently
wrong with the use o substance metaphysics in theology and maybe this
counts against analytic theology But beore such a judgment can be
made we need more than the all-too-common generalizations and as-
sertions For beore we can conclude that analytic theology is atally
flawed due to a dependence on substance metaphysics we need to know
exactly what is meant by substance metaphysics we need to be shown just what is wrong (either philosophically or theologically) with sub-
stance metaphysics and we need to see that analytic theology really is (or
must be) committed to this kind o metaphysics Without the kind o
careul analysis and rigorous argumentation it is hard to see anything
here that might count as a orceul objection to analytic theology
ldquoAnalytic theology isnrsquot spiritually edifyingrdquo William Wood notes that
ldquomany conventional theologians remain deeply suspicious o analytic the-
ologyrdquo because o the worry that analytic theology is not spiritually edi-
ying As these theologians see matters ldquogenuine theology is in the first
instance practical aimed not at explanatory theories about God but at
ostering greater love or God and neighbor Genuine theology in short
is praxis one deeply woven together with a Christian lie o prayer virtue
and participation in the sacramentsrdquo10486291048629 Te basic concern is this when
more mainstream theologians look at analytic theology they donrsquot rec-
54William P Alston ldquoSubstance and the rinityrdquo in Te rinity An Interdisciplinary Symposium on
the rinity ed Stephen Davis Daniel Kendall SJ and Gerald OrsquoCollins SJ (Oxord Oxord
University Press 1048625983097983097983097) p 1048626983088104862555William Wood ldquoAnalytic Teology as a Way o Lierdquo Journal of Analytic Teology (10486269830881048625983092) 983092983092
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullan-invitation-to-analytic-christian-theology-by-thomas-h-mccall-excerpt 3033
What Is Analytic heology 983091983091
ognize the kind o theology-as-praxis that they value Instead they see
purported explanatory theoriesmdashmere purported explanatory theories
Sometimes these explanations appear to be a very long way indeed romthe lie o aith Indeed they see ormulas such as this (selected pretty
much at random rom among many others)
P existx (Dx amp forally(Dy =gt Byx) amp x made us
Q existx(Dx amp forally(Dy =gt Byx ))1048629983094
When they encounter this kind o work some theologians donrsquot rec-
ognize it as theology at all I they are willing to recognize it as theology
they tend to worry that they donrsquot see the kind o theology that promotes
love o God and neighbor they are concerned that they donrsquot see the-
ology that is connected to the lie o aith As Wood puts it they worry
that ldquoanalytic theology is spiritually sterile and thereore not really a
orm o genuine theology at allrdquo10486291048631
I think this is an important point o criticism and it raises some very
intriguing concerns But as Wood also notes it would be a ldquomistake and
urthermore a presumptuous mistake to assume that analytic philo-
sophical theology cannot in principle be spiritually nourishingrdquo10486291048632 Tree
points stand out First it is important to realize that the temptation to
construct explanatory theories about God that are divorced rom worship
and transormation is both real and present It is also nearious10486291048633 Te
temptation besets theologians o all stripesmdashanalytic or otherwise I do
not think analytic theologians are the only theologians who ace this
temptation o the contrary idolatry is no respecter o ideologies Butsurely it is not invincible surelymdashby Godrsquos gracemdashit is not irresistible
As Wood reminds us ldquoGodrsquos love rains down on logicians too afer allrdquo9830941048624
Second there is good reason to think that analytic theology maymdash
contrary to common expectationsmdashturn out to be spiritually ediying
56Peter van Inwagen ldquoAnd Yet Tey Are Not Tree Gods but One Godrdquo in McCall and Rea
Philosophical and Teological Essays on the rinity pp 10486269830921048625 1048626983092104863057Wood ldquoAnalytic Teology as a Way o Lierdquo p 983092983092 See also Marilyn McCord Adams ldquoWhatrsquos
Wrong with the Ontotheological Errorrdquo Journal of Analytic Teology (10486269830881048625983092) 1048625-1048625104862658Wood ldquoAnalytic Teology as a Way o Lierdquo p 983092104863059See the warnings o Merold Westphal Suspicion and Faith Te Religious Uses of Modern Atheism
(New York Fordham University Press 1048625983097983097983096)60Wood ldquoAnalytic Teology as a Way o Lierdquo p 983092983095
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullan-invitation-to-analytic-christian-theology-by-thomas-h-mccall-excerpt 3133
983091983092 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
Wood argues that analytic theology may be spiritually beneficial in
several ways He suggests that the ldquoconcentrated attention required to
read understand and develop very technical analytic argumentsrdquo maybe conducive to the kinds o intellectual virtues and habits o mind that
are spiritually beneficial983094983089 In addition he notes the ldquoargumentative
transparencyrdquo (what he terms the ldquoparadigmatic analytic virtuerdquo) may be
helpul in spiritual ormation983094983090 Wood readily admits that this tendency
toward argumentative rigor can also eed a orm o pride or even ldquointel-
lectual violencerdquo but he also points out that to make a ldquogood analytic
argument is to make that argument maximally easy or intellectual op-ponents to criticize or reuterdquo and this very transparency makes it much
harder to shield onesel rom criticisms but instead is a way to ldquomake
onesel intellectually vulnerablerdquo In this way it serves as a ldquocheck against
intellectual priderdquo983094983091 Moreover the pace demanded by such rigor and the
modesty o the claims that are rendered deensible have the potential to
cultivate epistemic humility Furthermore another important eature o
the analytic approach is the need to ldquoidentiy imaginatively with onersquosintellectual opponentsrdquo this also as Wood points out orces us to inhabit
a worldview that is not only oreign to our own but also sometimes
hostile In these ways Wood argues ldquoanalytic theology can become a
spiritual practice a way o seeking God and o training the mind and
the will to be open to gracerdquo9830941048628
Finally we should not neglect to notice those shining examples o
theologians or whom analytic theology indeed is closely related to
worship and spiritual nurture Indeed it would be hard not to notice
them or the tradition is rie with such theologians A great many pa-
tristic and most scholastic (both medieval and early modern) theolo-
gians count as ldquoanalytic theologiansrdquo For surely they fit our profile o
theologians who prize ldquoconceptual precision rigor o argumentation
technical erudition and an in-depth deense o an original worldviewrdquo
(and who would in many instances value P1048625-P983093) As an example con-
61Ibid p 98309398309362Ibid p 983093104863063Ibid64Ibid p 983093983096
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullan-invitation-to-analytic-christian-theology-by-thomas-h-mccall-excerpt 3233
What Is Analytic heology 983091983093
sider Anselmrsquos Proslogion It is obvious that Anselm values precision and
rigor and he clearly intends to convey truth claims that he finds con-
vincing But as both Wood and Marilyn McCord Adams point out thiswork is ldquomeant to do more than communicate propositional truthsrdquo or
ldquoit is meant to help reorient the wills o its readers and help bring about
effective and volitional change in themrdquo9830941048629 Despite important differences
o style and substance we could say much the same about many other
figures (both well known and less so) as well it is very difficult to read
ar into Bonaventure Richard o St Victor Aquinas Scotus Vermigli
Perkins Arminius urretin Edwards Wesley and many others withoutunderstanding that they are obviously concerned with both intellectual
rigor and spiritual ormation
65Ibid p 983093983088 See also Marilyn McCord Adams ldquoPraying the Proslogionrdquo in Te Rationality of
Belief and the Plurality of Faith ed Tomas Senor (Ithaca NY Cornell University Press 1048625983097983097983093)
pp 10486251048627-1048627983097 and Adams ldquoElegant Necessity Prayerul Disputation Method in Cur Deus Homordquo
in Studia Anselmiana Cur Deus Homo (Rome 1048625983097983097983097) pp 10486271048630983095-9830971048630
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullan-invitation-to-analytic-christian-theology-by-thomas-h-mccall-excerpt 3333
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullan-invitation-to-analytic-christian-theology-by-thomas-h-mccall-excerpt 2933
9830911048626 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
associated with ldquoclassical theismrdquo immutability impassibility time-
lessness and other doctrines are taken to be untenable and since they
are tied to substance metaphysics so much the worse or substancemetaphysics William P Alston defly analyzes this complaint and he
argues that substance metaphysics are really beside the point What he
says about substance metaphysics in discussions o the doctrine o the
rinity applies more broadly ldquoonce we get straight as to what is and is
not necessarily included in the metaphysics o substance we will see that
most twentieth-century objections to the use o substance metaphysics
are based on eatures o such ormulations that are not required bysubstance metaphysics as suchrdquo10486291048628 Perhaps there is something inherently
wrong with the use o substance metaphysics in theology and maybe this
counts against analytic theology But beore such a judgment can be
made we need more than the all-too-common generalizations and as-
sertions For beore we can conclude that analytic theology is atally
flawed due to a dependence on substance metaphysics we need to know
exactly what is meant by substance metaphysics we need to be shown just what is wrong (either philosophically or theologically) with sub-
stance metaphysics and we need to see that analytic theology really is (or
must be) committed to this kind o metaphysics Without the kind o
careul analysis and rigorous argumentation it is hard to see anything
here that might count as a orceul objection to analytic theology
ldquoAnalytic theology isnrsquot spiritually edifyingrdquo William Wood notes that
ldquomany conventional theologians remain deeply suspicious o analytic the-
ologyrdquo because o the worry that analytic theology is not spiritually edi-
ying As these theologians see matters ldquogenuine theology is in the first
instance practical aimed not at explanatory theories about God but at
ostering greater love or God and neighbor Genuine theology in short
is praxis one deeply woven together with a Christian lie o prayer virtue
and participation in the sacramentsrdquo10486291048629 Te basic concern is this when
more mainstream theologians look at analytic theology they donrsquot rec-
54William P Alston ldquoSubstance and the rinityrdquo in Te rinity An Interdisciplinary Symposium on
the rinity ed Stephen Davis Daniel Kendall SJ and Gerald OrsquoCollins SJ (Oxord Oxord
University Press 1048625983097983097983097) p 1048626983088104862555William Wood ldquoAnalytic Teology as a Way o Lierdquo Journal of Analytic Teology (10486269830881048625983092) 983092983092
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullan-invitation-to-analytic-christian-theology-by-thomas-h-mccall-excerpt 3033
What Is Analytic heology 983091983091
ognize the kind o theology-as-praxis that they value Instead they see
purported explanatory theoriesmdashmere purported explanatory theories
Sometimes these explanations appear to be a very long way indeed romthe lie o aith Indeed they see ormulas such as this (selected pretty
much at random rom among many others)
P existx (Dx amp forally(Dy =gt Byx) amp x made us
Q existx(Dx amp forally(Dy =gt Byx ))1048629983094
When they encounter this kind o work some theologians donrsquot rec-
ognize it as theology at all I they are willing to recognize it as theology
they tend to worry that they donrsquot see the kind o theology that promotes
love o God and neighbor they are concerned that they donrsquot see the-
ology that is connected to the lie o aith As Wood puts it they worry
that ldquoanalytic theology is spiritually sterile and thereore not really a
orm o genuine theology at allrdquo10486291048631
I think this is an important point o criticism and it raises some very
intriguing concerns But as Wood also notes it would be a ldquomistake and
urthermore a presumptuous mistake to assume that analytic philo-
sophical theology cannot in principle be spiritually nourishingrdquo10486291048632 Tree
points stand out First it is important to realize that the temptation to
construct explanatory theories about God that are divorced rom worship
and transormation is both real and present It is also nearious10486291048633 Te
temptation besets theologians o all stripesmdashanalytic or otherwise I do
not think analytic theologians are the only theologians who ace this
temptation o the contrary idolatry is no respecter o ideologies Butsurely it is not invincible surelymdashby Godrsquos gracemdashit is not irresistible
As Wood reminds us ldquoGodrsquos love rains down on logicians too afer allrdquo9830941048624
Second there is good reason to think that analytic theology maymdash
contrary to common expectationsmdashturn out to be spiritually ediying
56Peter van Inwagen ldquoAnd Yet Tey Are Not Tree Gods but One Godrdquo in McCall and Rea
Philosophical and Teological Essays on the rinity pp 10486269830921048625 1048626983092104863057Wood ldquoAnalytic Teology as a Way o Lierdquo p 983092983092 See also Marilyn McCord Adams ldquoWhatrsquos
Wrong with the Ontotheological Errorrdquo Journal of Analytic Teology (10486269830881048625983092) 1048625-1048625104862658Wood ldquoAnalytic Teology as a Way o Lierdquo p 983092104863059See the warnings o Merold Westphal Suspicion and Faith Te Religious Uses of Modern Atheism
(New York Fordham University Press 1048625983097983097983096)60Wood ldquoAnalytic Teology as a Way o Lierdquo p 983092983095
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullan-invitation-to-analytic-christian-theology-by-thomas-h-mccall-excerpt 3133
983091983092 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
Wood argues that analytic theology may be spiritually beneficial in
several ways He suggests that the ldquoconcentrated attention required to
read understand and develop very technical analytic argumentsrdquo maybe conducive to the kinds o intellectual virtues and habits o mind that
are spiritually beneficial983094983089 In addition he notes the ldquoargumentative
transparencyrdquo (what he terms the ldquoparadigmatic analytic virtuerdquo) may be
helpul in spiritual ormation983094983090 Wood readily admits that this tendency
toward argumentative rigor can also eed a orm o pride or even ldquointel-
lectual violencerdquo but he also points out that to make a ldquogood analytic
argument is to make that argument maximally easy or intellectual op-ponents to criticize or reuterdquo and this very transparency makes it much
harder to shield onesel rom criticisms but instead is a way to ldquomake
onesel intellectually vulnerablerdquo In this way it serves as a ldquocheck against
intellectual priderdquo983094983091 Moreover the pace demanded by such rigor and the
modesty o the claims that are rendered deensible have the potential to
cultivate epistemic humility Furthermore another important eature o
the analytic approach is the need to ldquoidentiy imaginatively with onersquosintellectual opponentsrdquo this also as Wood points out orces us to inhabit
a worldview that is not only oreign to our own but also sometimes
hostile In these ways Wood argues ldquoanalytic theology can become a
spiritual practice a way o seeking God and o training the mind and
the will to be open to gracerdquo9830941048628
Finally we should not neglect to notice those shining examples o
theologians or whom analytic theology indeed is closely related to
worship and spiritual nurture Indeed it would be hard not to notice
them or the tradition is rie with such theologians A great many pa-
tristic and most scholastic (both medieval and early modern) theolo-
gians count as ldquoanalytic theologiansrdquo For surely they fit our profile o
theologians who prize ldquoconceptual precision rigor o argumentation
technical erudition and an in-depth deense o an original worldviewrdquo
(and who would in many instances value P1048625-P983093) As an example con-
61Ibid p 98309398309362Ibid p 983093104863063Ibid64Ibid p 983093983096
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullan-invitation-to-analytic-christian-theology-by-thomas-h-mccall-excerpt 3233
What Is Analytic heology 983091983093
sider Anselmrsquos Proslogion It is obvious that Anselm values precision and
rigor and he clearly intends to convey truth claims that he finds con-
vincing But as both Wood and Marilyn McCord Adams point out thiswork is ldquomeant to do more than communicate propositional truthsrdquo or
ldquoit is meant to help reorient the wills o its readers and help bring about
effective and volitional change in themrdquo9830941048629 Despite important differences
o style and substance we could say much the same about many other
figures (both well known and less so) as well it is very difficult to read
ar into Bonaventure Richard o St Victor Aquinas Scotus Vermigli
Perkins Arminius urretin Edwards Wesley and many others withoutunderstanding that they are obviously concerned with both intellectual
rigor and spiritual ormation
65Ibid p 983093983088 See also Marilyn McCord Adams ldquoPraying the Proslogionrdquo in Te Rationality of
Belief and the Plurality of Faith ed Tomas Senor (Ithaca NY Cornell University Press 1048625983097983097983093)
pp 10486251048627-1048627983097 and Adams ldquoElegant Necessity Prayerul Disputation Method in Cur Deus Homordquo
in Studia Anselmiana Cur Deus Homo (Rome 1048625983097983097983097) pp 10486271048630983095-9830971048630
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullan-invitation-to-analytic-christian-theology-by-thomas-h-mccall-excerpt 3333
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullan-invitation-to-analytic-christian-theology-by-thomas-h-mccall-excerpt 3033
What Is Analytic heology 983091983091
ognize the kind o theology-as-praxis that they value Instead they see
purported explanatory theoriesmdashmere purported explanatory theories
Sometimes these explanations appear to be a very long way indeed romthe lie o aith Indeed they see ormulas such as this (selected pretty
much at random rom among many others)
P existx (Dx amp forally(Dy =gt Byx) amp x made us
Q existx(Dx amp forally(Dy =gt Byx ))1048629983094
When they encounter this kind o work some theologians donrsquot rec-
ognize it as theology at all I they are willing to recognize it as theology
they tend to worry that they donrsquot see the kind o theology that promotes
love o God and neighbor they are concerned that they donrsquot see the-
ology that is connected to the lie o aith As Wood puts it they worry
that ldquoanalytic theology is spiritually sterile and thereore not really a
orm o genuine theology at allrdquo10486291048631
I think this is an important point o criticism and it raises some very
intriguing concerns But as Wood also notes it would be a ldquomistake and
urthermore a presumptuous mistake to assume that analytic philo-
sophical theology cannot in principle be spiritually nourishingrdquo10486291048632 Tree
points stand out First it is important to realize that the temptation to
construct explanatory theories about God that are divorced rom worship
and transormation is both real and present It is also nearious10486291048633 Te
temptation besets theologians o all stripesmdashanalytic or otherwise I do
not think analytic theologians are the only theologians who ace this
temptation o the contrary idolatry is no respecter o ideologies Butsurely it is not invincible surelymdashby Godrsquos gracemdashit is not irresistible
As Wood reminds us ldquoGodrsquos love rains down on logicians too afer allrdquo9830941048624
Second there is good reason to think that analytic theology maymdash
contrary to common expectationsmdashturn out to be spiritually ediying
56Peter van Inwagen ldquoAnd Yet Tey Are Not Tree Gods but One Godrdquo in McCall and Rea
Philosophical and Teological Essays on the rinity pp 10486269830921048625 1048626983092104863057Wood ldquoAnalytic Teology as a Way o Lierdquo p 983092983092 See also Marilyn McCord Adams ldquoWhatrsquos
Wrong with the Ontotheological Errorrdquo Journal of Analytic Teology (10486269830881048625983092) 1048625-1048625104862658Wood ldquoAnalytic Teology as a Way o Lierdquo p 983092104863059See the warnings o Merold Westphal Suspicion and Faith Te Religious Uses of Modern Atheism
(New York Fordham University Press 1048625983097983097983096)60Wood ldquoAnalytic Teology as a Way o Lierdquo p 983092983095
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullan-invitation-to-analytic-christian-theology-by-thomas-h-mccall-excerpt 3133
983091983092 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
Wood argues that analytic theology may be spiritually beneficial in
several ways He suggests that the ldquoconcentrated attention required to
read understand and develop very technical analytic argumentsrdquo maybe conducive to the kinds o intellectual virtues and habits o mind that
are spiritually beneficial983094983089 In addition he notes the ldquoargumentative
transparencyrdquo (what he terms the ldquoparadigmatic analytic virtuerdquo) may be
helpul in spiritual ormation983094983090 Wood readily admits that this tendency
toward argumentative rigor can also eed a orm o pride or even ldquointel-
lectual violencerdquo but he also points out that to make a ldquogood analytic
argument is to make that argument maximally easy or intellectual op-ponents to criticize or reuterdquo and this very transparency makes it much
harder to shield onesel rom criticisms but instead is a way to ldquomake
onesel intellectually vulnerablerdquo In this way it serves as a ldquocheck against
intellectual priderdquo983094983091 Moreover the pace demanded by such rigor and the
modesty o the claims that are rendered deensible have the potential to
cultivate epistemic humility Furthermore another important eature o
the analytic approach is the need to ldquoidentiy imaginatively with onersquosintellectual opponentsrdquo this also as Wood points out orces us to inhabit
a worldview that is not only oreign to our own but also sometimes
hostile In these ways Wood argues ldquoanalytic theology can become a
spiritual practice a way o seeking God and o training the mind and
the will to be open to gracerdquo9830941048628
Finally we should not neglect to notice those shining examples o
theologians or whom analytic theology indeed is closely related to
worship and spiritual nurture Indeed it would be hard not to notice
them or the tradition is rie with such theologians A great many pa-
tristic and most scholastic (both medieval and early modern) theolo-
gians count as ldquoanalytic theologiansrdquo For surely they fit our profile o
theologians who prize ldquoconceptual precision rigor o argumentation
technical erudition and an in-depth deense o an original worldviewrdquo
(and who would in many instances value P1048625-P983093) As an example con-
61Ibid p 98309398309362Ibid p 983093104863063Ibid64Ibid p 983093983096
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullan-invitation-to-analytic-christian-theology-by-thomas-h-mccall-excerpt 3233
What Is Analytic heology 983091983093
sider Anselmrsquos Proslogion It is obvious that Anselm values precision and
rigor and he clearly intends to convey truth claims that he finds con-
vincing But as both Wood and Marilyn McCord Adams point out thiswork is ldquomeant to do more than communicate propositional truthsrdquo or
ldquoit is meant to help reorient the wills o its readers and help bring about
effective and volitional change in themrdquo9830941048629 Despite important differences
o style and substance we could say much the same about many other
figures (both well known and less so) as well it is very difficult to read
ar into Bonaventure Richard o St Victor Aquinas Scotus Vermigli
Perkins Arminius urretin Edwards Wesley and many others withoutunderstanding that they are obviously concerned with both intellectual
rigor and spiritual ormation
65Ibid p 983093983088 See also Marilyn McCord Adams ldquoPraying the Proslogionrdquo in Te Rationality of
Belief and the Plurality of Faith ed Tomas Senor (Ithaca NY Cornell University Press 1048625983097983097983093)
pp 10486251048627-1048627983097 and Adams ldquoElegant Necessity Prayerul Disputation Method in Cur Deus Homordquo
in Studia Anselmiana Cur Deus Homo (Rome 1048625983097983097983097) pp 10486271048630983095-9830971048630
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullan-invitation-to-analytic-christian-theology-by-thomas-h-mccall-excerpt 3333
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullan-invitation-to-analytic-christian-theology-by-thomas-h-mccall-excerpt 3133
983091983092 I983150983158983145983156983137983156983145983151983150 983156983151 A983150983137983148983161983156983145983139 C983144983154983145983155983156983145983137983150 983144983141983151983148983151983143983161
Wood argues that analytic theology may be spiritually beneficial in
several ways He suggests that the ldquoconcentrated attention required to
read understand and develop very technical analytic argumentsrdquo maybe conducive to the kinds o intellectual virtues and habits o mind that
are spiritually beneficial983094983089 In addition he notes the ldquoargumentative
transparencyrdquo (what he terms the ldquoparadigmatic analytic virtuerdquo) may be
helpul in spiritual ormation983094983090 Wood readily admits that this tendency
toward argumentative rigor can also eed a orm o pride or even ldquointel-
lectual violencerdquo but he also points out that to make a ldquogood analytic
argument is to make that argument maximally easy or intellectual op-ponents to criticize or reuterdquo and this very transparency makes it much
harder to shield onesel rom criticisms but instead is a way to ldquomake
onesel intellectually vulnerablerdquo In this way it serves as a ldquocheck against
intellectual priderdquo983094983091 Moreover the pace demanded by such rigor and the
modesty o the claims that are rendered deensible have the potential to
cultivate epistemic humility Furthermore another important eature o
the analytic approach is the need to ldquoidentiy imaginatively with onersquosintellectual opponentsrdquo this also as Wood points out orces us to inhabit
a worldview that is not only oreign to our own but also sometimes
hostile In these ways Wood argues ldquoanalytic theology can become a
spiritual practice a way o seeking God and o training the mind and
the will to be open to gracerdquo9830941048628
Finally we should not neglect to notice those shining examples o
theologians or whom analytic theology indeed is closely related to
worship and spiritual nurture Indeed it would be hard not to notice
them or the tradition is rie with such theologians A great many pa-
tristic and most scholastic (both medieval and early modern) theolo-
gians count as ldquoanalytic theologiansrdquo For surely they fit our profile o
theologians who prize ldquoconceptual precision rigor o argumentation
technical erudition and an in-depth deense o an original worldviewrdquo
(and who would in many instances value P1048625-P983093) As an example con-
61Ibid p 98309398309362Ibid p 983093104863063Ibid64Ibid p 983093983096
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullan-invitation-to-analytic-christian-theology-by-thomas-h-mccall-excerpt 3233
What Is Analytic heology 983091983093
sider Anselmrsquos Proslogion It is obvious that Anselm values precision and
rigor and he clearly intends to convey truth claims that he finds con-
vincing But as both Wood and Marilyn McCord Adams point out thiswork is ldquomeant to do more than communicate propositional truthsrdquo or
ldquoit is meant to help reorient the wills o its readers and help bring about
effective and volitional change in themrdquo9830941048629 Despite important differences
o style and substance we could say much the same about many other
figures (both well known and less so) as well it is very difficult to read
ar into Bonaventure Richard o St Victor Aquinas Scotus Vermigli
Perkins Arminius urretin Edwards Wesley and many others withoutunderstanding that they are obviously concerned with both intellectual
rigor and spiritual ormation
65Ibid p 983093983088 See also Marilyn McCord Adams ldquoPraying the Proslogionrdquo in Te Rationality of
Belief and the Plurality of Faith ed Tomas Senor (Ithaca NY Cornell University Press 1048625983097983097983093)
pp 10486251048627-1048627983097 and Adams ldquoElegant Necessity Prayerul Disputation Method in Cur Deus Homordquo
in Studia Anselmiana Cur Deus Homo (Rome 1048625983097983097983097) pp 10486271048630983095-9830971048630
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullan-invitation-to-analytic-christian-theology-by-thomas-h-mccall-excerpt 3333
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullan-invitation-to-analytic-christian-theology-by-thomas-h-mccall-excerpt 3233
What Is Analytic heology 983091983093
sider Anselmrsquos Proslogion It is obvious that Anselm values precision and
rigor and he clearly intends to convey truth claims that he finds con-
vincing But as both Wood and Marilyn McCord Adams point out thiswork is ldquomeant to do more than communicate propositional truthsrdquo or
ldquoit is meant to help reorient the wills o its readers and help bring about
effective and volitional change in themrdquo9830941048629 Despite important differences
o style and substance we could say much the same about many other
figures (both well known and less so) as well it is very difficult to read
ar into Bonaventure Richard o St Victor Aquinas Scotus Vermigli
Perkins Arminius urretin Edwards Wesley and many others withoutunderstanding that they are obviously concerned with both intellectual
rigor and spiritual ormation
65Ibid p 983093983088 See also Marilyn McCord Adams ldquoPraying the Proslogionrdquo in Te Rationality of
Belief and the Plurality of Faith ed Tomas Senor (Ithaca NY Cornell University Press 1048625983097983097983093)
pp 10486251048627-1048627983097 and Adams ldquoElegant Necessity Prayerul Disputation Method in Cur Deus Homordquo
in Studia Anselmiana Cur Deus Homo (Rome 1048625983097983097983097) pp 10486271048630983095-9830971048630
Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullan-invitation-to-analytic-christian-theology-by-thomas-h-mccall-excerpt 3333
8202019 An Invitation to Analytic Christian Theology By Thomas H McCall - EXCERPT
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullan-invitation-to-analytic-christian-theology-by-thomas-h-mccall-excerpt 3333