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Natural theology
(1,271 words)

1. Background

The term natural theology goes back to pre-Christian Greek philosophy, where – distinguished critically from mythical theology and political theology – it denoted philosophical knowledge of God appropriate to the divine nature. Early Christian theology adopted this tradition but also went beyond it by referring to the knowledge of God acquired through revelation. But while Augustine, for example, still assumed that the Christia…

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Laube, Martin, “Natural theology”, in: Encyclopedia of Early Modern History Online, Editors of the English edition: Graeme Dunphy, Andrew Gow. Original German Edition: Enzyklopädie der Neuzeit. Im Auftrag des Kulturwissenschaftlichen Instituts (Essen) und in Verbindung mit den Fachherausgebern herausgegeben von Friedrich Jaeger. Copyright © J.B. Metzlersche Verlagsbuchhandlung und Carl Ernst Poeschel Verlag GmbH 2005–2012. Consulted online on 05 June 2023 <http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/2352-0272_emho_COM_024649>
First published online: 2015
First print edition: 20200128



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