Aim of the conference

Natural theology, traditionally understood to mean “the enterprise of providing support for religious beliefs by starting from premises that neither are nor presuppose any religious beliefs” (William Alston), is widely regarded as being in serious trouble. Although the idea played a major role in intellectual life in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, it is now generally regarded as outmoded and discredited. Perhaps its most famous practitioner, William Paley, developed the image of God as the “divine watchmaker”, whose existence and wisdom could be inferred from the structures of the world. Although Paley continues to have supporters to this day, his approach has been widely criticized for being scientifically implausible, theologically improper, and philosophically incoherent.

There is clearly a need to review the present state of thinking about natural theology, and explore what, if anything, can be done to give it a new lease of life, avoiding the difficulties that have led many to conclude that it has no future. This conference, supported by the John Templeton Foundation, brings together a wide range of speakers, who will explore issues of fundamental importance to the renewal and repositioning of natural theology. While aiming to cover a wide range of issues concerning the topic, the conference places a particular emphasis on the relevance of the natural sciences, especially Darwinism, for natural theology.

The topics to be covered by the keynote speakers include:
The historical origins of modern natural theology
Natural theology and the quest for beauty in the nineteenth century
The current state of the philosophical debate over natural theology
The impact of Darwinism on natural theology since Paley
Can evolution provide a basis of a natural theology?
The psychology of perception and natural theology
Anthropic phenomena and natural theology
How “natural” is natural theology? Insights from the cognitive science of religion
Approaches to natural theology in the Christian Bible
Natural theology and the arts
The theological foundations of natural theology

There will also be a series of shorter papers delivered by delegates, which will be published on this website shortly before the conference.