ACCEPTABILITY CRITERIA FOR WORK IN THEOLOGY AND SCIENCE |
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Authors: | Nancey C. Murphy |
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Affiliation: | A version of this paper was presented at a joint program of CTNS and the Institute on Religion in an Age of Science (IRAS) in Anaheim, California in November 1985. |
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Abstract: | Abstract. The philosophy of science of Imre Lakatos suggests criteria for acceptability of work in the interdisciplinary area of theology and science: proposals must contribute to scientific (or theological) research programs that lead to prediction and discovery of novel facts. Lakatos's methodology also suggests four legitimate types of theology–and–science interaction: (1) heuristic use of theology in science; (2) incorporation of a theological assertion as an auxiliary hypothesis in a scientific research program, or (3) as the central theory of a research program; and (4) hybrid theology–and–science programs with empirical data. Three recent Zygon articles illustrate these four types. |
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Keywords: | Imre Lakatos relation between theology and science theories acceptability criteria for |
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