Science of God and Sciences of Man

Extract

Theology and the Social Sciences need to have a close relationship for they are both concerned to say things about the nature of man and the values which govern his decisions. But what kind of exchange is possible—will it be a happy marriage, a shot-gun wedding or a straight take-over bid ? The purpose of this article is to suggest that both sides can be enriched by attending to what the other is saying. Since it is the work of one whose first training is in the theological field, it rather stresses the gains which are achieved by bringing human warmth of the behavioural sciences to the sometimes arid tracts of traditional dogmatics! It is vitally important that the connections should be made because it is the task of theologians always to seek to communicate the truths they hold within the context of the contemporary perceptions of truth. Not that they will always accept these uncritically. Sometimes upon examination the theologian will want to say, ‘This way of describing things so conflicts with all that I hold true that I cannot accept it.’ At other times he will be bound to say, ‘My reason tells me that your findings are valid, therefore they must modify my theological assertions’, or perhaps, I now see that what this theological assertion meant is different from the way in which I previously understood it.’ Such a process of re-thinking and testing-out is bound to produce a considerable amount of anxiety w'hile the period of ferment lasts.