TRUTH, RELATIVISM, AND CROSSWORD PUZZLES |
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| Authors: | Nancey Murphy |
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| Affiliation: | Assistant professor of Christian philosophy at Fuller Theological Seminary, Pasadena, California 91182. This paper was presented to the Theology and Science Group at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Religion, Chicago, Illinois November 1988. |
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| Abstract: | Abstract. Neither the correspondence nor the coherence theory of truth does justice to the truth claims made in science and theology. I propose a new definition that relates truth to solving puzzles. I claim that this definition is more adequate than either of the traditional theories and that it offers two additional benefits: first, it provides grounds for a theory regarding the relations between theology and science that may stand up better to philosophical scrutiny than does critical realism; and second, it blocks the move to relativism based on recognition of the plurality of perspectives and the historical and social conditioning of knowledge. |
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| Keywords: | critical realism relativism science and theology truth |
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