Overview

Did Adam have a navel? Did Adam and Eve have sex? Is God merely a fictional character, like Superman? Without thought experiments like these, the field of science and religion would be severely impoverished. Thought experiments are exercises of the imagination. Like in many other disciplines, the imagination has not received the attention it deserves in theology. This book argues that the imagination must be taken seriously as an engine for progress. It offers a theology of the imagination that is consistent with, and goes beyond, existing discussions about pluralism at the intersection of science and religion.

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9789004540330

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Reviews

"""A systematic study of thought experiments that addresses the connection between science and religion is a desideratum. This book fills this gap in the literature… An excellent book."" - Elke Brendel, Professor of Philosophy at the University of Bonn, Germany. ""In this provocative, closely argued book Fehige seeks to wean theologians away from narrow propositional accounts of what constitutes the object of their study. What makes the author’s presentation particularly fascinating is the close parallels he draws with the nature of scientific discussion, usually deployed by theologians to affirm a single, ‘monistic’ view of truth in both disciplines. On the other side, Fehige suggests, there needs to be extensive use of thought experiments in both science and theology. His contention is that such an approach supports not only a much larger, indeed indispensable role for the imagination but also by implication a more open, pluralistic understanding of truth. The theological examples considered range from Augustine’s treatment of the Fall and the Talmud’s discussion of the oven dilemma to contemporary Christian treatments of the significance of the book of Job. There is plenty here to challenge and excite readers, even if they may not always agree."" - David Brown, Wardlaw Professor Emeritus of Theology, Aesthetics and Culture at the University of St Andrews, Scotland. ""Not only is this book the first extended study of thought experiments in theology, but it is also a very significant contribution in its own right to the study of thought experiments in general… . The pluralist framing of the imagination that the book offers is groundbreaking."" - James R. Brown, Professor Emeritus of Philosophy at the University of Toronto, Canada. ""The book shows once more that Fehige is among the leading experts on thought experiments… his critique of existing accounts of thought experiments makes the book not only useful as an introduction to the debate over thought experiments… the book is also a major step forward in the study of thought experiments..."" - Marco Buzzoni,Professor of Philosophy at the University of Macerata, Italy. ""The book links debates about thought experiments in science and in religion with such rigour and creativity that one cannot but think of this study as a significant milestone..."" - Harald Wiltsche, Professor of Philosophy at the University of Linköping, Sweden."

Author Information

Yiftach Fehige is a professor of science and religion at the University of Toronto's Institute for the History and Philosophy of Science and Technolgy in Canada.

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