God-Creature- Revelation A Neoclassical Framework for Fundamental Theology

includes index and biblioraphy

Chapter 1 Introduction .....1 The signs of our times .....7 Purpose and scope of this study .....10 Fundamental theology .....11 Speculation and pluralism in theology .....14 Theological method .....15 Panenthestic and neoclassical thought ......17 Limits and presuppositions .....19 An overview of our neoclassical endeavor .....20 Chapter 2 Two dominant aspects of contemporary human experience ......29 Manifestations of an evolving reality ......30 Evolution as science, myth and metaphysics ......30 Cosmic questions .....34 Biological questions ....39 Manifestations of evil .....41 Contemporary biblical theodicy .......44 Augustinian-thomistic theodicy .....47 Questions manifested .....50 Chapter 3 A shift in perspective: a Neoclassical framework for fundamental theology .....59 Taking seriously the revelation thar god is love ......62 Characteristics od god whose essence is love ....66 A god worthy of worship ....71 Attributes of god in hartshorne`s neoclassical model .....75 Taking seriously the experience of reality in process .....82 hartshorne`s theory of psychicalism ....83 The all-inclusive god .....85 Chapter 4 The god-creature interaction in a neoclassical framework .....93 The nature of experience: A modified whiteheadian view ....94 Modifications to whitehead`s model ....98 Creativity and agape .......103 Creation in neoclassical perspective ......107 Some objections revisited ......114 Chapter 5 A neoclassical view of evolution and evil .....131 Evolution in neoclassical perspective ......132 The laws of nature and divine power .....137 Types of persuasion and coercion ......140 The problem of evil ......144 Chapter 6 Revelation revisited ....153 Revelation renewed: The twentieth century ......154 From intervention to self-communication .....156 The emergence of symbolic mediation ......161 Human experience as symbolic reference ....165 Revelation as symbolic resonance .....171 The phenomenon of resonance in nature ......172 Revelation as resonance .....173 Religions experience as warrant ......175 Jesus at prayer ......175 Mystical prayer .......178 Tuning-in to the divine ......181 Chapter 7 Summary and potential of a neoclassical framework .....189 Summary of a neoclassical framework .......190 A dual-transcendent divinity Whose essence is love .......192 The creator-creature interaction ......193 Correlation with evolution and the experience of evil .......196 Revelation as symbolic resonance .......198 Future directions .....200 Potential of the neoclassical model .....203 Agreement with the data .....203 Coherence ......204 Scope .....204 Fertility or potential ......205