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Article: Natural Theology
- Article from:
- Encyclopedia of Science and Religion
- Author:
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Natural Theology
Natural theology is the part of theology that does not depend upon revelation. During the Middle Ages, natural theology included arguments for the existence and nature of God, for the immortality of the soul, and for the basic principles of morality insofar as they are founded on nature as created by God.
The first flourishing of natural theology was in ancient Greece. Plato's dialogue, the
Phaedo,
contains a number of weak arguments for the everlastingness of the soul, and Aristotle's
Metaphysics
contains arguments for a "Prime Mover," which is also the best of all possible beings. In the Christian tradition, medieval theologians, often appealing to Romans 1:18
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