Natural Theology: God Revealed Through Nature

Sensitive Topics: The course will delve into topics where diverse opinions exist, emphasizing a respectful approach to understanding varied viewpoints.
McGrath's Text: McGrath's book is a primary resource, with specific sections recommended for review even if the full text is unavailable.
God's Two Books: An ancient idea, traceable to the Renaissance, posits that God reveals Himself through two 'books': the Bible and Nature.
- This counters the misconception that Christian theology only derives from the Bible.
- Christian theology is also developed through living in and observing the real world, making it a relevant and practical faith.
Definition of Nature:
- The physical world, including its inherent order and beauty.
- The cosmos and the universe beyond our immediate world.
- Our own mind, encompassing both rationality and intuition.
Rationality vs. Intuition:
- Rationality: Connecting external phenomena to form conclusions (e.g., hearing glass break, seeing a baseball, reasoning a child threw the ball through the window).
- Intuition: Knowing something without being explicitly taught; a belief within Christian theology that some knowledge (like the knowledge of God) is inherently hardwired within us.

Thomas Aquinas: Approximately 900 years ago, Aquinas asserted that God's works enable us to understand God.
Vatican I: Quoting Romans 1:20, Vatican I states that while God is invisible and distinct from this world, He reveals Himself through it.
- Transcendent: God is beyond the world.
- Immanent: God operates within the world to reveal Himself.
- These two concepts