Richard Grigg, Beyond the God Delusion: How Radical Theology Harmonizes Science & Religion (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2008), 150 pps., $16.00, 978-0-8006-6272-1.
Richard Grigg is Professor of Philosophy and Religious Studies at Sacred Heart University, in Fairfield, Connecticut. In this text, he argues that most theologians today do not understand God in the same way as is being criticized so heavily in such works as Richard Dawkins’s The God Delusion. In fact, he says that Dawkins attacks, essentially, straw men. He lauds such contemporary Christian thinkers as Nancey Murphey, Peacocke, Polkinghorne, and Barbour, but does not think their work has been successful, as per se. He contends that only a radical theology will achieve what they, collectively, aim at and desire to attain.
He attempts to show why their work has not been successful in chapter one. He thinks it is genuinely possible for religion and science to make nice and be friends, which means that he essentially argues for an integrationist stance on the dialogue between the two disciplines. However, he is strongly committed to modifying religion more-so than modifying science (i.e. biology and physics) in his quest for an integrationist stance on the dialogue between the two disciplines. The goal of his exploration, then, is to rethink religion and spirituality so that they become not only fully compatible, but also so that religion benefits from the scientific worldview. In so doing, Grigg rejects the notion that the deity is a transcendent, personally conscious entity that created the world. Moreover, his radical theology frees itself from dependency upon the Bible as revelation, from church teachings as elucidating that revelation, and from creeds as solidifying that revelation. Nevertheless, he contends that his philosophical reflections contained herein do indeed refer to that entity which is ordinarily referred to as the divine being.
His proposed transition from theism to what he calls radical theology entails one to have an accurate conception of the difference between theism and pantheism. He argues throughout for what is popularly called panentheism. Panentheism depicts God within the very fiber of everything that exists, but nonetheless beyond it as well, which is in contrast to pantheism, which simply views God to be equivalent with that is. Grigg contends throughout that traditional theism is outdated, impractical, and virtually a failure in its attempts to be reconciled with contemporary science. Therefore, it must be replaced. Radical theology, he maintains, is in a better position than traditional theism to reconcile science and religion.
In chapter two, Grigg confronts four potential problems to the dialogue between his proposed radical theology and the natural sciences. Within this chapter, Grigg addresses my concern that his radical theology completely capitulates to science, and maintains that any harmony achieved between radical theology and science will result from the complete capitulation of the concept of deity to the scientific worldview insomuch as the concept of deity will be emptied of any content. He contends that radical theology does, in fact, deny any power to the deity that would result in the deity interfering with the scientific worldview. He stresses herein that radical theologians highlight the immanence of God over and above the transcendence of God. Moreover, he stresses that radical theologians place emphasis upon rationality. Moreover, he herein highlights the universalistic nature of radical theology, as well as its humanistic aspects.
In chapter three, Grigg lays out his argument that radical theology can be seamlessly integrated into the prevalent view of the world as presented by the natural sciences. Herein he affirms the Tillichian view of God as being the ‘ultimate concern’. Chapter four considers the derivation of unity within the universe, and ponders the question if it could be the result of radical theology’s Christology. Chapter five explicates several specific components of the contemporary worldview, and demonstrates how radical theology comports with them. Finally, chapter six reverses the discussion, and seeks to explicate what radical theology can contribute to science.
All in all, if one desires a book to challenge traditional theological conceptions, this is it. Grigg attempts to construct a radical theology for what many consider a radical era. While on many points I disagree with Grigg, his basic thrust – to make the faith once delivered unto the saints palatable for the postmodern era – I find entirely agreeable. I recommend this title for graduate students of philosophy and religion.
Bradford McCall
Regent University, Virginia Beach, VA.