Our understanding of human rationality has changed significantly since the beginning of the century, with growing emphasis being placed on multiple rationalities, each adapted to the specific tasks of communities of practice. We may think of the world as an ontological unity-but we use a plurality of methods to investigate and represent this world. This development has called into question both the appeal to a universal rationality, characteristic of the Enlightenment, and also the simple 'modern-postmodern' binary. The Territories of Human Reason is the first major study to explore the emergence of multiple situated rationalities. It focuses on the relation of the natural sciences and Christian theology, but its approach can easily be extended to other disciplines. It provides a robust intellectual framework for discussion of transdisciplinarity, which has become a major theme in many parts of the academic world. Alister E. McGrath offers a major reappraisal of what it means to be 'rational' which will have significant impact on older discussions of this theme. He sets out to explore the consequences of the seemingly inexorable move away from the notion of a single universal rationality towards a plurality of cultural and domain-specific methodologies and rationalities. What does this mean for the natural sciences? For the philosophy of science? For Christian theology? And for the interdisciplinary field of science and religion? How can a single individual hold together scientific and religious ideas, when these arise from quite different rational approaches? This groundbreaking volume sets out to engage these questions and will provoke intense discussion and debate.

Table of Contents:
1: Introduction: Science and Theology in an Age of 'Multiple Situated Rationalities' Mapping the Territories of Human Reason Mapping the Territories of Science and Religion The Aim of this Book Part 1: Exploring the notion of Rationality 1: One Reason; Multiple Rationalities: The New Context of Discussion Shifting Notions of Rationality Rationality, Embodiment, and Embeddedness Reflections on the Cultural and Social Embeddedness of Rationality The Embodiment of Right Reason: The 'Wise' Concerns about Human Rationality One Reason; Multiple Rationalities Rationality, Ideology, and Power 2: Mapping Human Reason: Rationalities across Disciplinary Boundaries On the Correlation of Rationalities Scientism: The Natural Sciences as the Ultimate Rational Authority Multiple Perspectives on a Complex Reality Science and Theology: Distinct Perspectives on Reality Science and Theology: Distinct Levels of Reality 3: Social Aspects of Rationality: Tradition and Epistemic Communities Communities and their Epistemic Systems Rationality, Community, and Tradition Rationality and Dominant Cultural Metanarratives Science and Religion: Reflections on the Communal Aspects of Knowledge Part II: Rationality in Science and Theology 4: Rational Virtues and the Problem of Theory Choice What is a theory? Inference to the Best Explanation Correspondence and Coherence as Theoretical Virtues Objectivity Simplicity Elegance and Beauty A Capacity to Predict 5: Rational Explanation in Science and Religion What Does it Mean to 'Explain'? Causality as Explanation Unification as Explanation Two Approaches to Explanation: Ontic and Epistemic Religious Explanation: Some General Reflections Religious Explanation: Ontic and Epistemic Theology, Ontology, and Explanation A Case Study: Aquinas's 'Second Way' The Image of God and Religious Explanation Understanding and Explaining: A Religious Perspective 6: From Observation to Theory: Deduction, Induction, and Abduction The Entanglement of Theory and Observation Logics of Discovery and Justification Deduction in the Natural Sciences Deduction in Christian Theology Induction in the Natural Sciences Induction in Christian Theology Abduction in the Natural Sciences Abduction in Christian Theology 7: Complexity and Mystery: The Limits of Rationality Mystery and Irrationality Mystery in Science Mystery in Christian Theology The Trinity as Mystery Mystery: An Invitation to Deeper Reflection 8: Rational Consilience: Some Closing Reflections on Science and Christian Theology Towards a 'Big Picture': A Metaphysical Turn The Colligation of Insights A Case Study in Colligation: Science and Socialism A Case Study in Colligation: Science and Theology Rationality: A Cohesive Approach Conclusion Bibliography