The Eternal Covenant

Daniel James Pedersen

Published by De Gruyter 2017

The Eternal Covenant

Schleiermacher on God and Natural Science

Daniel James Pedersen

Volume 181 in the series Theologische Bibliothek Töpelmann

https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110542301

Overview
Contents

About this book

Schleiermacher’s readers have long been familiar with his proposal for an ‘eternal covenant’ between theology and natural science. Yet there is disagreement both about what this ‘covenant’ amounts to, why Schleiermacher proposed it, and how he meant it to be persuasive. In The Eternal Covenant, Pedersen argues, contrary to received wisdom, that the ‘eternal covenant’ is not first a methodological or political proposal but is, rather, the end result of a complex case from the doctrine of God, the notion of a world, and an account of divine action. With his compound case against miracles, Schleiermacher secures the in-principle explicability of everything in the world through natural causes. However, his case is not only negative. Far from a mere concession, the eternal covenant is an argument for what Schleiermacher calls, ‘the essential identity of ethics and natural philosophy.’ Indeed, because the nature system is both intended for love and wisely ordered, the world is a supremely beautiful divine artwork and is, therefore, the absolute self-revelation of God. Schleiermacher’s case is a challenging alternative to reigning accounts of God, nature, divine action, and the relationship between religion and science.

Author information

Daniel James Pedersen, Austin, TX, U.S.A.

Reviews

"That said, Pedersen's book is to be highly recommended for its exposition of different aspects of Schleiermacher's knowledge of the natural sciences through the works Pedersen's research has identified as bis source material. lt is very eloquently written and compellingly argued. And it is to be applauded greatly for championing the eternal contract between the Christian faith and scientific research not only in its historical context but as an alternative account of God, divine action, and the natural world in contemporary discussions."
Anette Hagan in: The Journal of Theological Studies 69/2 (2018), 824-826

"Bei den von P. (Pedersen's) aufschlussreich behandelten Themen ist für die Zukunft internationaler wissenschaftsaustausch sehr zu wünschen."
Anne Käfer in: Theologische Literaturzeitung 144 (2019), 492

Topics

Frontmatter Publicly Available Download PDF	I
Acknowledgments Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	VII
Contents Publicly Available Download PDF	IX
Abbreviations Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	XI
Chapter 1 Introduction: The Eternal Covenant Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	1
Chapter 2 The Science of Schleiermacher’s World, the World of Schleiermacher’s Science: Natural Science in the early Nineteenth Century Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	19
Chapter 3 Divine Wisdom and the Order of the World: Leibniz and Schleiermacher on the Perfection of Nature Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	46
Chapter 4 The World and Miracles: Schleiermacher on the Nature System Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	69
Chapter 5 Divine Power and the Necessity of the World: Spinoza and Schleiermacher on the Perfection of Nature Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	98
Chapter 6 The Self Presentation of the Divine Essence: Schleiermacher on the World as the Artwork of God Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	127
Chapter 7 Conclusion: The Essential Identity of Ethics and Natural Philosophy Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	151
Bibliography Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	180
Index of Names Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	184
Index of Subjects Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	185

(Deutsch)

Language: English
Publisher: De Gruyter
Audience: All those interested in Theology, Religion-and-science, Philosophy of religion, Schleiermacher studies
Pages
- Front matter: 12
- Main content: 187
Keywords: Friedrich Schleiermacher; doctrine of God; divine action; natural science

eBook

Published: August 21, 2017
ISBN: 9783110542301

Hardcover

Published: August 21, 2017
ISBN: 9783110540802